Rhode Island Postal History - Cancel Varieties
Doane Cancel - Type 2 - Arnold Mills - December 24, 1906
Reverse of Christmas Postcard

(Scroll Down for Background History and Blow-up of Doane Cancel)

In 1903 The United States Post Office produced a new type of rubber handstamp for use by the smaller fourth class post offices in an attempt to improve the legibility of their post marks. This type of cancel is called a Doane Cancel and is named for Edith R. Doane, the  postal historian who first made a study of these cancels during the 1950s. Edith published her research findings in 1978

For many years, Edith was not able to explain the use of the numeral within the killer. However, Richard W. Helbock in his book Postmarks on Postcards explained the correlation between the dollar amount of compensation for the year previous to the receipt of one of the new numeral postmark devices. The number within the bars refers to the Postmaster compensation for the year and in this case the Number 3 indicates that the Arnold Mills Postmaster received between $200 and $300 in compensation for 1905.

(A numeral 2 would indicate compensation between $100-$200; a numeral 4 would indicate compensation between $300-$400, etc.)

Most of the Doane cancellation devices were issued to smaller post offices where the receipts did not exceed $500 in any one year. Some larger post offices also received these devices if specifically  requested by the postmaster.

The earliest known Arnold Mills Doane Cancel is May 24, 1905. The number inside the bars is often difficult to see because of the green stamps in use at the time. The cancel on the Arnold Mills Cover shown above is a type 2 and contains the numeral 3 inside the bars.

The USPS experimented with three different postmarking devices; (Type I, Type II and Type III), the Type 1 Doane, was used beginning in April 1903 and consisted of a cancellation section of five narrowly spaced thin bars with the numeral bisecting the middle three. Type 2, also used beginning in April 1903 consisted of twin open bars, more often contoured than straight at left and the numerals are shorter and thicker than those of type 1.  The twin bar type often became clogged with ink and a type 3 device replaced it at newly furnished post offices. The earliest known date for the type 3 is December 5, 1905. This device also had 4 bars, but these were solid and the numerals were bold.

    
A Blow-up of the Type 2 Doane on the Postcard above is scanned to the left for a clearer view of the cancel. Note the Twin Open Bars on the cancel. This is a Type 2. The numeral 3 can be seen beginning at the right top of Ben's forehead.

 


There were 28 Rhode Island Post Offices that were issued these Numeral Canceling devices. The list below shows the Post Office, type of Doane cancel, earliest, and latest usage.

 

POST OFFICE TYPE    # EARLIEST USE LATEST USE
Adin 2 1 July 18, 1905 September 30, 1907
Albion 3 4 August 15, 1906 March 25, 1910
Allenton 3 4 April 26, 1906 March 24, 1913
Arcadia 2 2 October 11, 1904 November 18, 1909
Arnold Mills 2 3 May 24, 1905 March 10, 1908
Bristol Ferry 2 5 September 13, 1905 July 24, 1917
Conimicut 3 1 June 9, 1906 August 11, 1911
Cumberland Hill 1 ? August 16, 1905 August 19, 1905
East Providence Center 3 2 February 19, 1906 December 17, 1907
Exeter 2 1 December 25, 1903 November 25, 1911
Forestdale 2 2 February 15, 1904 July 29, 1911
Greene 2 3 May 17, 1904 December 7, 1909
Greystone 3 1 September 6, 1906 May 29, 1909
Liberty 2 1 September 29, 1905 April 11, 1913
Nasonville 3 4 March 21, 1906 March 8, 1912
Nayatt Point 2 3 June 7, 1905 March 29, 1912
North Tiverton 2 5 June 1, 1905 March 24, 1906
Pine Hill 3 1 April 9, 1906 November 30, 1916
Potter Hill 2 3 February 7, 1905 December 21, 1910
Rumford 2 4 August 14, 1905 July 12, 1909
Sakonnet 2 1 August 15, 1905 September 8, 1908
Smithfield 2 1 August 15, 1905 September 12, 1911
Stillwater 3 2 December 29, 1905 September 19, 1907
Tarklin 3 2 January 1, 1907 December 24, 1910
Usquepaugh 2 2 February 14, 1905 May 23, 1913
Wallum Lake 3 1 July 31, 1906 September 4, 1909
White Rock 2 3 March 15, 1904 September 3, 1910
Wood River Junction 2 2 February 29, 1904 December 21, 1909
Source:  Volume 3 #3 Rhode Island Postal History Journal - Maurice Grossman
with revised dates by Tom Greene
(Rhode Island Postal History Society)


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