The Machine Cancel Society past vice-president, Tony Crumbley, has produced an award-winning exhibit on the history of the introduction of machine cancels in the state of North Carolina. This exhibit covers the years 1898 to 1925. A variety of machine brands were used during that time period, including American flag, Doremus, Time-Cummins, Columbia, Barr-Fyke, Hampden, International and Universal. The presence of this variety of machine cancellations provides an excellent overview of these machines. This web page contains images of the exhibit pages created by Tony Crumbley, and are reproduced and distributed to the public with his permission.
This web page, published by the Machine Cancel Society, contains the text of Frame 1 of the Crumbley's North Carolina Machine Cancel Exhibit.
To see all of the exhibit frame images, go to Frame 1 all exhibit frame images.
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By the end of the 1870’s, the Industrial Revolution had taken full hold in the United States. Citizens were looking for all types of methods to automate daily functions. It was natural the postal system would be a target. The first canceling machines were introduced in the US. in 1871. Before that, every letter had to have postage canceled by hand. From then until the beginning of the 20th Century, great strides were made with the invention of machines to sort and cancel the mail automatically. The first machines were hand driven but shortly electricity would be introduced.
The first machine to be placed in North Carolina was in Raleigh in 1898. This machine was produced by the Barry Company. By 1900, six cities were using machines to cancel the mail. By the end of the Pioneer Era, 1925, 91 cities are known to have used machines to cancel the mail in North Carolina. From these cities, 221 different cancels have been recorded.
The following chart indicates the timeline of these classic machines used in North Carolina. [chart did not OCR correctly]
During this period, a total of nine different machine manufacturers placed machines within the state. From these machines, a total of 221 different cancels have been recorded. This exhibit includes representation of all machine makers and the vast majority of the recorded types are included. By 1925, the Pitney Bowes Company had begun to manufacture canceling machines and would become the dominant manufacturer of postage canceling machines.
Without a doubt, this era brought about many failures. In the end, it successfully ushered in the mechanization of mail processing, which allowed for significant growth in the volume of mail handled by the post office throughout the Twentieth Century.
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The earliest recorded APMC flag cancel is dated October 31, 1894 from Boston, MA. In total, there are 7,575 catalogued flag cancels. North Carolina has 78 different cities and 103 different varieties recorded. The earliest known North Carolina flag cancel is Winston, December 21, 1898. By 1925, there had been 69 different flag varieties recorded in the state. Throughout their use in North Carolina, there were only two types of postmark dials, type A and type B, used with three different flag cancel dies. Type 14 being the most common and type 38 used in two cities. The third flag die used in Rocky Mount, was a type 4 ovate, used for 26 months in 1906-1908. The latest known flag cancel use in the state is 1939 from Elon College.
Type B dial showing split 1899 date within the dial. This machine was first placed in service in late December 1898. The year date in all flag dials were fixed and had to be replaced each year.
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Type B dial type 14 flag with 1 in flag. Asheville had six different flag cancels, more than any other North Carolina city.
Type B dial, type 14 flag with 1 in cancel. The above type was used from 1899 until 1903.
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Type B dial, type 14 flag. No number slot within flag. In use from 1903 until 1906.
Type B dial, type 14 flag with blank spot Where number had been. In use from 1905 until 1909.
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Type A dial, type 14 flag. Beginning in 1910, Asheville used a new dial with the year at the bottom of the CDS. This was in use until 1914.
Type A dial, type 14 flag. In 1914 a new flag die was added to the Asheville flag cancel machine. It would be used until 1919.
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Type B dial, type 14 flag used from 1908 until 1917.
Type A dial, type 14 flag used from 1909 until 1921.
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Type A dial, type 14 flag with 1 in flag. In use from 1909 until 1911.
Type A dial, type 14 flag with no number in flag. In use from 1917 until 1921. A three cent war rate cover.
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Type B dial, type 14 flag used from 1903 until 1909.
Type B dial, type 14 flag.
Updated February 11, 2020