Rhode Island Cancellation Types and Miscellaneous Issues Part 1

Free Franking	Dead Post Offices (DPO)	Cinderella Stamps
Flag Cancels	Saunderstown, RI Cancels & Postal History	Rural Free Delivery
Pictorial & Meter Cancels	Doane Cancels & Wesson Cancels	Slogan Cancels

The Duplex Hand Stamp below is of a similar
type to the one used to make this cancellation.

Collecting the various types of cancellations or specializing in one particular type of cancel can be an interesting and rewarding sideline to a stamp collection. Cancels give us information about the origins of the item the time frame of when it was sent or used and sometimes are even used celebrate events or as advertisements. Illustrated above with links to additional cancel scans are a few of the various types of cancels.

Pre-Cancels: These are stamps canceled in advance of use, usually with the name of the town where they are to be used. Pre-Cancels facilitate the handling of large mailings.

Fancy Cancels: Cancels usually from the mid-to late 1800s made with various cork stamp devices by individual postmasters. The designs are many and varied and some of these command premium prices. Some of the designs include bulls-eyes, clover designs, and concentric circles. (Basically any postmaster hand made design of the period.)

Slogan Cancels: Call attention to a cause or celebration

Flag Cancels: These are a type of cancel that were popular around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. There are many different types of flag cancel varieties.

RPO: Railroad Post Office Cancels

DPO: Dead Post Offices (Post Office branches that have been closed down.)

Part I Part II