Top row: thin ampersand
Middle row: medium ampersand
Bottom row: thick ampersand
Like all the C&NW System railroads, the Fremont, Elkhorn's cancels incorporated year dates in most of their cancels, creating multiple collectible cancel dates. The FE&MVRR, somewhat similar to the Chicago & Northwestern's "period after the N", had a typeset variable in the ampersand, creating additional collectible varieties. However, unlike the C&NWRy period, which was systematically replaced across the cancelling plate, it appears that the thin and thick ampersands were likely used infrequently across the cancelling plates with the medium ampersand in the majority of positions. Unfortunately, I've not seen a multiple of these stamps showing the medium and thick or thin ampersands on one plate. However, based on the rarity of thick or thin ampersand examples, I'm figuring they appeared infrequently on an otherwise medium ampersand majority plate.
Because I believe the differing ampersands were only anomalies on the cancelling plate, I'm demoting their status as an organizing type. For the C&NWRy, the period is the primary variable. For the FE&MVRR, the ampersand is secondary variable, with date as the primary and perforation type as a tertiary variable. Using this organizing criteria, here are known examples of these cancels:
No date, medium ampersand, roulette
handstamp cancelled in Humphrey, Nebraska
No date, medium ampersand, hyphen-hole
No date, thin ampersand, roulette
???
EXAMPLE/IMAGE UNAVAILABLE
1899, medium ampersand, roulette
1899, thick ampersand, roulette
1899, thin ampersand, roulette
1900, medium ampersand, hyphen-hole
1901, medium ampersand, hyphen-hole
1902, medium ampersand, hyphen hole
A C&NW System map with the Fremont, Elkhorn tracks in black with white dots heading west through Nebraska into Wyoming. C&NWRy in red. The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha is in blue.
An example of a bill of lading with a 1900 FE&MVRR precancelled one cent battleship:
E. E. Bruce & Company did enough business as a wholesale druggist that they printed their own BOLs.
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