The USPCS is excited to offer an expansive new resource for collectors: the U.S. Cancellations 1845-1869 Online. This update to the original 1980 publication is a living digital document that will be regularly updated to include new information and discoveries.
The project was started by Charles Souder and the late Ed Jatho. It builds on the original U.S. Cancellations 1845-1869 book by Hubert Skinner and Amos Eno, using the same organization method to add hundreds of new, previously unlisted cancels. After Jatho passed away in 2018, Sounder continued their work. Sounder is the current head of the project and manages the updates to the webpage.
Aside from new listings, the Online U.S. Cancellations 1845-1869 also updates existing listings with color images of cancels on stamp and on cover.
As a growing, digital database, new material will be added to the webpage regularly. Souder will update the records as new discoveries are made. Collectors can contact Souder (ccsouder@hotmail.com) with additional listings and information to further improve the resource.
Currently three chapters are available to view online: Pictorial Designs – Plants, Humans, and Objects. These popular fancy cancels are sure to interest postmark collectors. Other chapters, including Geometric, Patriotic, and Numeral cancels will be added to the site in the near future.
This move to online publication makes access to information easier than ever before, allowing both new and experienced collectors to accurately identify cancels using a uniform listing system. It is an easily shareable and collaborative alternative to print publishing. We hope that philatelists will take advantage of this resource and appreciate the hard work and knowledge put into it.
