AUT
Autographs of Post Masters. Collect autographs of Post Masters, usually on a card or cover bearing the post office's cancellation.
BR
Branch Postmarks. Collect cancellations from various branches, stations, Contract Post
Offices (CPO), and Contract Postal Units (CPU).CA
Cachet Covers. These covers include beautiful artwork or embossing that coordinates
with the theme of the stamp, postmark, or notable event or person.CAN
Canadian. Collect postmarks and postal history from Canada.CS
County Seats. Collect postmarks from the headquarters city in the various counties and
parishes of states.DPO
Discontinued Post Office. One of the most notable collecting preferences in postmark
collecting is the DPO. A postmark from a DPO will increase in value because of its
increasing rarity. Here is an example of a Discontinued Post Office, Baden-Baden, IllinoisDT
Dates or Calendars. Collect specific dates from each year (such as birthdays,
anniversaries, etc.) or filling all the days of a month or year. This is a challenging
preference as some dates are difficult to find such as Sundays or holidays. Some people try to collect them all from the same area, or a city with a special name, while others collect dates from any Post Office.ERR
Error or Misprint. Collect postmarks that contain errors or misprints of any kind. A few examples can include wrong dates, items upside down, mispellings.F
Foreign. Collect foreign postmarks or postal history from specific counties or all over
the world. Here is a postmark from Hong Kong.FC
Flag Cancels. Flag cancels have a waving flag design used as the killer portion of the
postmark. These cancels were most common from 1896 to 1940.FDC
First Day Cancel. A special cancel is issued to commemorate the first day of issue of a new Postage
Stamp is issued. This cancel is often issued in a city with significance for the stamp, and the envlopes are often decorated with significant artwork or cachets. See one of the FDC for the first U.S. Triangle Stamps.FF
First Flight. Special cancels have been issued on the first flight on a new air mail
route. Some special cancels have been issued for Space Missions, also.GN
Given Name. Postmarks from towns and cities with specific names.HC
Hand Cancels. Hand cancels have been issued though out postal history and still are
today. Modern hand cancels are often referred to as "4-bar" because of the four stripes in
the killer. Old hand cancels are very valuable and come in many shapes, sizes, designs, and
colors. Many modern post offices also have station stamps used for reciepts and cancelling.ME
Meters. Collect covers that bear postage issued by a meter embossing machine. These
postal markings are not normally cancelled, and often have messages or advertising slogans.MET
Meter Tapes. Same as meters, noted above, but franked on an adhesive tape to be placed on parcels or
covers.MPP
Mailer Postal Permits. There is a chapter in the PMCC specifically for people who collect MPPs. Here is an example of one Mailer Postal Permit cancellation.MT
Maritime. Collect postmarks and postal history from ships and maritime post offices.ODD
Odd or unusual. Specialized in collecting interesting odd or unusual items of postal
history. Odd or unusual can take any definition you like. It can mean postmarks from unusual places, or odd types of stamps or ink. Just about anything. Click here to see an unusual postmark from the U.S. Post Office on the Pacific Island of Yap.PC
Precancels. Covers that are printed with cancels already embossed. These are usually
associated with business and bulk mail processed for speed.PFP
Pray for Peace. The slogan "Pray for Peace" has been issued over many years from many
cities around the country. Some collectors maintain a specific PFP collection from certain
areas or all over. The Museum houses a huge collectiong of PFP cancels. Here is a Pray For Peace example.PH
Postal History. Specializes more in the postal history aspect of postmark collecting.
Postal history includes many subjects from history or post offices to methods of mail
delivery.PICT
Pictorial Slogans. Collect cancellations that have pictures or graphics as part of
the postmark. John Glenn on the Space Shuttle Often these postmarks are issued to celebrate specific times or events, or for the issue of new stamps. Boy Scouts Conclave. Find more information at the Postmark Newsletter.PMG
Postal Markings. Collect the myriad of other postal markings besides the actual
cancellation. Examples of other postal markings include return-to-sender, censored, receipt
required, and others.PMK
Postmarks. Collect specifically the postmark cancellations from post offices.PNL
Penalty/Franked. Specialize in the postal markings for penalty postage fees or
specially franked envelopes.POV
Post Office Views (photos). Collect photographs of post offices from a specific area or
all over. Example Also some postcards are available with views of post offices.PST
Postal Stationary. Collect stationary sold by the post office with embossed
postage.RPO
Railroad Post Office. A wonderful period of postal history included the period when
mail was sorted, cancelled, and delivered right from the rail roads. Various trains and
routes had their own distinctive cancellation.SC
Stampless Covers. Postmark predate the postage stamp itself. Many covers had the
postage written on by the post master.SL
Slogans. Collect postmarks that bear slogans, and one example is the Mail early at
Christmas. Many slogans have been issued throughout postal history and are still today. There is a special slogan collection at the museum.SMT
Small Town Postmarks. The romantic side of postmark collecting includes the small
towns with single post offices and their own specific cancel. Today this often means a hand cancel with a four-bar killer.SOTN
Socked on the Nose. Also called "Bullseye Cancel", are postmarks with the circle date portion directly on top of the postage stamp. You can find more information at one of our sister clubs the Bullseye Cancel Collectors Club, the BCCC. Here is an example.SP:
Specialty (specify). Any special category.T:
Topical (specify). Any topical collection category. Examples can include Colors, Flowers, Odd Names, Interstate Routes, 'Saints', Animals, County Seats, Historic Dates. There are endless possibilities. One example is the Presidents.US
United States. Collect U.S. Postmarks.USPS
USPS Cancels. Collect the USPS cancels that were used regularly a few years ago.
These cancels only show a state, zip district, and a date.WC
War Censor. Mail with censor markings from during various wars.ZC
Zip Codes. Collect postmarks with zip codes shown, or specific zip codes.
