In my review of the Fullerton List, the 70+ year old catalog of 1898 documentary precancels, I critiqued the varieties included by Fullerton, suggesting that some belonged in a new, revised list, and that some should be deleted. The trick is establishing exact criteria for inclusion, if possible.
The CB&Q, and some of its Burlington Route sisters, produced more varieties than any other railroad or railroad system. Below are several print precancel varieties, some that could merit potential inclusion in a revised list, but some that definitely should not. I am still working out where to draw the line!
The first variety is the high period after the "Co". The stamp below shows an unambiguously high period, and would qualify as Fullerton's high period variety.
High period after "Co"
Maybe a high period after "Co"? Certainly an inking issue as the period is not a rectangle. Unlike the round, low period variety, many of the high period varieties are variable and subject to interpretation, making classification of a cancel a high period problematic.
No period after "Co". Is this an inking issue or a typeset issue? This is the only missing period variety I have found.
No periods after second "R" and "Co". Clearly an inking anomaly.
Damaged type: first "C" looks like a Greek gamma; B has a hole in lower loop. This is morphing yet somewhat persistent damage as multiple stamps are known with this damage with some variation.
Damaged type: hole in the left leg of the first "R". This is persistent damage as multiple stamps are known with this hole.
Damaged type: bent righ leg of second "R", bottom of second "C" planed. Ink anomaly: filled "o" in "Co." This is like Fullerton's "smeared period" variety.
The cancels below are the smaller type 2 and 3 varieties. The type set of these cancels was also used on several other Burlington Route railroads, including the Hannibal & St. Joseph, the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs, and the St. Louis, Keokuk & Northwestern. The typesetters of these cancels were a bit more careless than those for the type 1 cancels, as there are errors of punctuation placement that don't happen with the type 1s. These varieties probably should belong in a new list?
Type 2, Comma after "CO"
Type 2, Comma after the first "R"
Type 3, No period after the "Q"
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