US #73 with Flower Cancel

Own This Jackson Stamp with Flower Cancel –
A Piece of US Postal History

This 3¢ Jackson stamp (US #73) was issued in 1861.  To keep the stamp from being reused, it was cancelled by a postal employee with a flower cancel.  This handmade cancel is now known as a fancy cancel.
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Own This Jackson Stamp with Flower Cancel –
A Piece of US Postal History

This 3¢ Jackson stamp (US #73) was issued in 1861.  To keep the stamp from being reused, it was cancelled by a postal employee with a flower cancel.  This handmade cancel is now known as a fancy cancel.
Fancy cancels were cancellations applied to postage stamps before machine applied cancels existed.  Each post office used its own system to cancel stamps.  Some used the city-date stamp that was often applied to mail.  Others used the “PAID” stamp that was on hand for other uses.  Eventually, post office clerks began getting inventive.  Some fancy cancels were professionally made by a local engraver.  Others were carved by a postal employee using wood, cork, or lead.  
The cancel designs were as varied as those who created them.  Some formed a grid of lines, dots, or diamonds.  Others were made of concentric rings, known as “target” or “killer” cancels.  Geometric shapes were also popular, including circles, pinwheels, or triangles radiating in a circle.  Others used letters representing the first letter of their town.  The star was another common shape used for fancy cancels, but the shape of the star varied from one post office to another.  During the Civil War, patriotic symbols were incorporated into many cancel designs.  These often included the letters “US” and a shield.  Over time, designs such as a flower (like this stamp), clover, heart, and even a skull and crossbones were found on stamps.
This Jackson stamp was used on mail sent over one and a half centuries ago.  It has been carefully preserved since then.  It’s time for you to make room in your collection for this seldom-seen piece of US postal history.  Order yours today.