They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin 22 Jan 2014 02:09:30pm
I need someone versed in the operation of Circular Date Stamp devices from the early 20th Century to satisfy my curiosity. As you can see, the CDS cancel on this postcard is very firm and clear, but while month, day and time are right side up, the year is upside down. (You can see by the serifs on the “1" that the numbers are indeed upside down, and it is not just an incorrectly entered date). I have never seen an actual CDS device, but I always thought they were one piece with the time and date permanently aligned, and with only the ability to adjust the actual text and numbers.
Is the year section removable so that it can be inserted upside down and was accidently so done? Or is this the result of a postal clerk having a little fun?
Regardless, it makes a nice conservation piece - “Mail from the 92nd Century!"
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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. -Edmund Burke"
re: Mail from the 92nd Century! CDS error or postal clerk shenanigans
Bobby, I am not old enough to have been there in 1916, but when I worked in the Yakima, wa PO, 1962-1975 we had little rubber type faces that we would put in the hand cancel every day. Even the machine cancel we had to manually change the dates and times. Every so often someone would put in something upside down. Of course, I never did.
They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin 22 Jan 2014 03:04:35pm
re: Mail from the 92nd Century! CDS error or postal clerk shenanigans
That must have been what happened then. I was thinking that is was like those dial type stamps where you just dial up the next date. I didn't think about the type being removable.
Thanks
I still like the cancel. Maybe I'll sell it on ebay as a "RARE POSTAL HISTORY ERROR - UNIQUE AND VALUABLE!" Bet I could get thousands for it!
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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. -Edmund Burke"
re: Mail from the 92nd Century! CDS error or postal clerk shenanigans
Bobby, I could not find a link to an actual device described strictly as a "CDS device" on the web, but this site shows some pictures of 19th & early 20th century cancelling machines. http://www.earlyofficemuseum.com/stamps.htm
The device would have removable date and time sections that can be hand loaded for use.
They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin 22 Jan 2014 04:43:05pm
re: Mail from the 92nd Century! CDS error or postal clerk shenanigans
"...a rose by any other name..." Yeah, that is the sort of thing I am talking about. I know everyone calls the cancel itself a "circular date stamp" (cds); I am simply referring to the "device" that affixes said cancel. Interesting site, thanks, Mike.
Bobby
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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. -Edmund Burke"