Hover your cursor over the image to see a zoom at right.
Use your mouse's scroll wheel to change the zoom level.

Or click here to see the full-size high res image

Scott Number: 268 Collection Reference No. for Communications: 5448

Denomination/Type: 3c Jackson, purple, watermark 191, perf. 12

2025 Scott Catalog Value (for a single stamp): $ 2.25

Estimated Retail Value: $ 500.00 What is this?

Cancel Method: Manuscript

Cancel Date: July 06, 1898

Cancel or Company Type: Merchant

Company: S. L. Wadsworth

City: Eastport

State: Maine

A check on the Frontier National Bank in Eastport, Maine, dated July 6, 1898, with bisected 3-cent (Scott #268) and 1-cent (Scott #279) bureau issues improperly paying the 2 cent tax (1.5 cents + 0.5 cents = 2 cents). Across the pair of bisects is a manuscript cancel reading 'I.R. SLW & Son 7/6/98'.

S.L. Wadsworth & Son was ship chandlery established in Eastport in 1818 and still exists as a hardware store today.

While at first glance this piece may appear to be philatelic rather than commercial, arguments can be made as to why it is a legitimate improper usage (that might sound like a bit of an oxymoron, but what I mean is an illegal usage done out of expediency or to defraud the government rather than a collector's creation).

1. The date July 6, 1898 is very early in the taxation period, which is when the majority of legit illegal/improper usages are found, before ample supply of revenue stamps were delivered to more remote areas.
2. Eastport Maine is a very remote location, the easternmost city/town in the United States, consisting entirely of islands.
3. Why bisect? Well, if they were out of 2-cent postage stamps and were low on 1-cent stamps, this would have been a way to stretch the supply of 1-cent stamps further.

If you have any information or comments about this cancel or stamp, please email me.