Rhode Island Postal History - Cancel Varieties
Doane Cancel - Type 2 - Arnold Mills - December 24, 2025
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, 2025. 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, 2025. 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.