2c Black (73). Margins to just touching at left, ms "1864" cancel entirely within the stamp, press-printed "Cumberland Me. Mar. 28" circular datestamp with "28" in manuscript on "Horace I. Gray Card & Job Printer" corner card cover to the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen of Kenduskeag Me.

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE CUMBERLAND, MAINE, PRESS-PRINTED DATESTAMP ON A COVER WITH THE 1863 2-CENT BLACK JACK.

The Cumberland press-printed postmarks are discussed by Sterling T. Dow in Maine Postal History and Postmarks and by James W. Milgram in an article in the Chronicle (May 2005, pp. 90-95). There are five types. This type (Dow Ty. 5), and perhaps all of the others, were printed by Horace I. Gray. Examples of this type are also known with 1c and 3c 1861 Issues on cover where the stamp is not tied and is separately cancelled by manuscript, as well as the tied example on the 2c Black Jack offered in the previous lot. Milgram states that the Ty. 5 datestamp was printed prior to the stamps being applied, which may or may not have been the case here, though the 1864 date written entirely within the margins of the stamp could also indicate a precancel that was applied to each stamp in the sheet before application to the covers. The Black Jack cover offered in the previous lot is conclusive evidence that at least some of the Ty. 5 run was printed after the stamps were applied. Whether or not this use represents a true precancel, it is a fascinating and desirable cover.

Illustrated in Chronicle No. 206, p. 95. With 2003 P.F. certificate

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