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Used (aka cancelled) 19th century US stamps are highly collectible, just like unused 19th century US stamps. In addition to the rarity and condition of the stamp itself, collectors also focus on the quality and rarity of the cancellation (also known as the 'cancel,' or 'killer').
Many 19th century US stamps were hand-cancelled by local postmasters, to prevent re-use of the stamp. Handmade cancels were often carved from cork in a wide variety of creative designs, sometimes referred to as fancy cancels...
Lightly cancelled stamps, with the postmark on a small corner of the stamp, are typically more valuable than heavily-cancelled ones. One exception is the so-called 'bulls-eye' cancellation, where an entire postmark is readable on the stamp, allowing collectors to see the time, date, and location where the stamp was used.
Like many collectors, I collected when I was a child, and then I became interested again in the ‘90s. I think eBay … [more]
I have a stamp collection, but I don’t consider myself a collector. I have a collection of my initials on stamps fr… [more]
My father was a stamp collector, and I just took to it. He was perfectly happy to mentor me, so I began collecting … [more]
I’ve been a lifelong collector, even as a kid. There are just certain people for whom collecting seems to be part o… [more]
Bob Allen's beautiful and well organized catalog of US stamps from 1847 to 1970 is a fantastic resource for all US … [read review or visit site]
Richard Frajola's incredibly rich database of over 11,000 U.S. and foreign 19th Century postal stamp covers. This s… [read review or visit site]
Post Office in Paradise showcases Hawaiian postal history from the years before Hawaii became a part of the United … [read review or visit site]
This creative website is essentially a giant glossary of stamp collecting, 'from advertising covers through Zeppeli… [read review or visit site]
Don Schilling's long-running, in-depth blog on stamp collecting and postal operations. Schilling stays up on all th… [read review or visit site]
If you're into postal history or collectibles, check out the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum. This extensive s… [read review or visit site]
Bob Hohertz's impressive database of U.S. Private Die Proprietary stamps from the Civil War and Spanish American Wa… [read review or visit site]
This auction house site offers an extensive online database of US stamp information. Includes PDF catalogs of past … [read review or visit site]
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