Philadelphia CDS Cancels on Scott #10 and #11

The Philadelphia CDS cancel is a significant aid in dating and colorizing the 1851-57 3-cent George Washington imperforate stamp of the United States. The ink used in Philadelphia for canceling devices was changed abruptly from blue to black in early 1854, with January 14th, 1854 being the earliest known use for the black Philadelphia CDS. Since the claret, brownish carmine, and yellow brown stamp colors were in use during two different distinct periods in the life of the issue, those bearing Philadelphia CDS cancels can be dated to one period or the other. Identification of stamp colors and plate wear can help further define dates of use.

The below images illustrate the evolution of the Philadelphia CDS cancel and the colors of the 3-cent stamp.
 

Orange Brown impression (#10) on cover with bright blue Philadelphia circular date stamp (CDS) on 18th day of use, July 18, 1851

Fresh 1852 Claret (#11A) on a folded letter datelined February, 1852 postmarked with a bright blue Philadelphia CDS

1851 Orange Brown with a brilliant, fresh blue Philadelphia CDS dated to about the middle of the usage period of the Orange Brown shade (September 1851).

The Experimental Orange Brown shade was distributed to the public during the months of October and November 1851 and essentially was used up by mid 1852, making this a December 1851 usage.

The early plate state (clear plate 1L impression) and Blue Philadelphia cancel allow dating this stamp’s usage almost certainly to January 1852.

1852 Brownish Carmine/more brown impression with a medium blue Philadelphia CDS.

1852 Yellow Brown.  The Yellow Brown shade is most commonly known from 1857, but the Blue Philadelphia CDS confirms this as the less common 1852 variety.

Odd stamp color, possibly a Yellow Brown/Claret mix, with a very dark blue Philadelphia CDS, probably dated August 1852.

Excellent strike of the blue Philadelphia CDS on an April, 1853 Dull Red impression.  The clear impression helps date this stamp as an early printing.

1852 Brownish Carmine from plate 1L with worn plate characteristics that make the recutting in the upper right corner more pronounced.  The late plate state identifies this as a Nov 1, 1853 usage.

Until 2001 the Orange Red shade was not thought to have appeared until late 1854, but the combination of a plate 1L impression (72L1L) and a bright blue Philadelphia cancel places the use of this fresh Orange Red stamp in late December, 1853.

Sans serif lettering first appeared in the month portion of Philadelphia cancels in late 1853.  The dark blue cancel with sans serif lettering, stamp color, and worn plate (92R1L) impression enable the dating of this Philadelphia postmark to December 15, 1853.

The Black Philadelphia CDS abruptly replaced the Blue variety on approximately January 14th, 1854.  The wide sans serif month lettering, this time in intense black, probably places this usage in 1854, only about nine days after the black CDS ink was placed into use.

Narrow-lettering example of the sans-serif month lettering.  This stamp was printed in the Orange Red shade from a worn plate, and probably was used in July, 1854.

This is the Yellowish Rose Red/pale and yellowish shade, probably used in 1856.

This is a deeper variety of the Yellowish Rose Red/pale and yellowish shade, probably used in 1856.

A plate 4 impression with a black Philadelphia cancel places this Brownish Carmine stamp in the 1856 period, rather than the 1852 period.

Another plate 4 1856 Brownish Carmine impression (this is the more brown variety) almost certainly used in December 1856.

Brownish Carmine stamp (#11) tied to cover on Sep 10, 1856 by a black Philadelphia CDS (reverse docketing confirms year of use)