![[]](machines/example.gif)
Note that the "cancellation" or "killer" is the part that prevents the stamp from being reused. The "postmark" is the part of the impression that tells you where the letter was mailed and when.
This identifier page and its connected pages are derived from information appearing in the very fine book Postmarks on Postcards by Richard W. Helbock.
I highly recommend this book as a great starting-place for new cover and card collectors who want to learn more about postmarks. This book and these web pages cover only the postcard era (1900-1920) in the United States. I urge you to purchase your own copy of the book.
My web pages are here for one reason: to help you to identify the machine cancel on a cover or card from 1900-20.
So, let's get started. Keep the cover or card (or a photocopy) in front of you, and work through the series of questions by clicking on the appropriate answer. If all goes well, we'll get down to the correct machine type for your "mystery" cover.
First, a quick nomenclature lesson:
Note that the "cancellation" or "killer" is the part
that prevents the stamp from being reused. The "postmark"
is the part of the impression that tells you where the letter
was mailed and when.
Yes [from 1900 to 1920]
No [before 1900 or after 1920]
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