The first Chicken on a stamp? 1869.

I have never seen one,
but I am sure this landed on a stamp.
It was a Cork chicken.

confused? well then.....

http://cjoint.com/data/imqiw10XDk.htm

On Aug 12, 10:11*am, "rodney" pookiethai@NOSPAM iprimus.com.au
wrote:
I have never seen one,
but I am sure this landed on a stamp.
It was a Cork chicken.

confused? * well then.....

http://cjoint.com/data/imqiw10XDk.htm


The Waterbury, Connecticut post office turned out new cancels
for every holiday and special occasion. Their "Waterbury Running
Chicken" cancel, perhaps a turkey since it appeared close to
Thanksgiving of 1869, was in use for only a few days and is now
the most prized of all 19th century cancels, with covers fetching
very high prices. (Five covers known)

http://www.theswedishtiger.com/usstamps/roRC2.jpg
http://www.theswedishtiger.com/usstamps/roRC.jpg

Waterbury's PM made many more fancy cancels.
You can read about them at :
http://www.theswedishtiger.com/usstamps/1861water.html

Blair

Marvelous Blair, thank you very much.
(also puts to bed the cancel I read about once, the "shoo fly" cancel,
Mr John Hill certainly had a sense of humour.


"Blair" wrote in message
...
On Aug 12, 10:11 am, "rodney" pookiethai@NOSPAM iprimus.com.au
wrote:
I have never seen one,
but I am sure this landed on a stamp.
It was a Cork chicken.

confused? well then.....

http://cjoint.com/data/imqiw10XDk.htm


The Waterbury, Connecticut post office turned out new cancels
for every holiday and special occasion. Their "Waterbury Running
Chicken" cancel, perhaps a turkey since it appeared close to
Thanksgiving of 1869, was in use for only a few days and is now
the most prized of all 19th century cancels, with covers fetching
very high prices. (Five covers known)

http://www.theswedishtiger.com/usstamps/roRC2.jpg
http://www.theswedishtiger.com/usstamps/roRC.jpg

Waterbury's PM made many more fancy cancels.
You can read about them at :
http://www.theswedishtiger.com/usstamps/1861water.html

Blair

On Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:50:40 +0800, rodney wrote:
Marvelous Blair, thank you very much.
(also puts to bed the cancel I read about once, the "shoo fly" cance

Blair beat me to most of the points, but the "running chicken" is so far
beyond, in terms of fame and recognizability, that if you were to ask an
American philatelist what he knew about 19th century fancy cancels, the
conversation might proceed as follows:

A: I know nothing about the subject, sorry.
Q: Nothing?
A: Well, some bored postmasters would make them out of cork as
silhouettes. It's in Wood's "TiP". This was slightly frowned upon but
rarely enforced.
Q: Can you name any?
A: No. I mean, "no, except for the running chicken, of course."
Q: Say, could you spare $16? I just saw a stamp I want.
A: Didn't we just meet a few lines ago?
Q: I don't think that was clearly established. I could be your brother.
A: Oh, well, then: here's a twenty. Don't spend it all in one place.





--
Joshua H. McGee
San Marino, Los Angeles, California, USA, Earth
Member: APS, ATA, ISWSC, MBPC
Trade?: http://www.mcgees.org/stamp-offers/