Cachet Maker John E Gill Page 2

Cachets should be listed in chronological order based on earliest known usage. Use the postmark date or best guess. This applies to add-on cachets as well.

John Gill Page 1   (Covers)
John Gill Page 3   (Postmarks 08/14/1935 to 12/04/1935)

JOHN GILL POSTMARKS

"On March 15, 1935 John Gill of the Old Ironsides Chapter (USCS Chapter #1) in Boston provided a cancel for the commissioning of MacDONOUGH, whose postmark had not yet arrived. Later Gill cut out the date and killer bar wording so the cancel could be used on regular mail. When the ship's regulation postmark arrived, Gill removed the name as well to make a variable wording cancel, inspired by the North Bay Stamp Club cancel. Thus was born this postmark, used on 55 ships between May and December of 1935. Many uses were in the Boston area, but during August Gill made a long trip down the East Coast to use the cancel on as many ships as possible. Many of these ships were small and had no post offices. Often only a few covers were made for each, and even fewer were actually mailed. Some collectors consider its use on ships that had no active post office as non-postal and of curiosity value only. The cancel was destroyed in 1937 with no further use.
The cut-up cancel retains many characteristics of the original device. Distinctive new features include two small gashes at the bottom of the dial, apparently made when Gill cut out the name MacDONOUGH. The small gap in the dial at the 5 o'clock position from the original postmark remains."
"The Catalog of United States Naval Postmarks of the Universal Ship Cancellation Society." 1997

Note: If the cover isn't shown it is because there was nothing on the front.

Thumbnail Link To Cachet Close-Up Image	Thumbnail Link To Full Cover Front Image	Thumbnail Link To Postmark or Back Image	Primary Date Postmark Type Killer Bar Text Ship --------- Category

 

N/A		N/A	1935
			N/A

This example shows the gashes after Gill had cut out the ship's name to continue using the marking.

 

N/A			1935-03-15 Locy Type F  (USCS Illustration M-2) "FIRST DAY IN / COMMISSION" USS MacDonough DD-351
			Commissioning

First use, created from the metal printing cut along with the cachet on the cover. This is the original device that eventually became the "Old Ironsides" fancy cancel (Common Design CD-2).

 

N/A			1935-03-15 Locy Type F  (USCS Illustration M-2) "FIRST DAY IN / COMMISSION" USS MacDonough DD-351
			Commissioning

This cover shows the use of the rubberstamp postmark.

 

N/A		N/A	1935 Locy Type F (CD-2) "FIRST DAY IN / COMMISSION" USS MacDonough DD-351
			N/A

This example shows the date and killer bar text cut out.

 

N/A			1935-04-19 Locy Type F (CD-2) "FIRST DAY IN / COMMISSION" USS Monaghan DD-354
			Commissioning

First ship to use the reconfigured postmark.

 

N/A			1935-04-19 Locy Type F (CD-2) "MOTHER'S DAY / GREETINGS" USS Tillman DD-135
			Mother's Day

Note:

 

N/A			1935-04-19 Locy Type F (CD-2) "NAVY YARD / BOSTON, MASS." USS Tillman DD-135
			Homeport

The Tillman postmarks show the flexibility of use where killer bar text can be changed whenever required or desired.

 

N/A		N/A	1935-05-21 Locy Type F (CD-2) "U.S.S. SHARK / LAUNCHED" USS Falcon ASR-2
			Launching of USS Shark SS-174

Note:

 

N/A		N/A	1935-05-21 Locy Type F (CD-2) "U.S.S. SHARK / LAUNCHED" USS Mallard ASR-4
			Launching of USS Shark SS-174

Note:

 

N/A		N/A	1935-05-21 Locy Type F (CD-2) "U.S.S. SHARK / LAUNCHED" USS Semmes DD-189
			Launching of USS Shark SS-174

Note:

 

N/A			1935-05-21 Locy Type F (CD-2) "NEW LONDON / SUBMARINE BASE" USS S-10 SS-115
			Homeport

Note:

 

N/A			1935-05-21 Locy Type F (CD-2) "NEW LONDON / SUBMARINE BASE" USS S-13 SS-118
			Homeport

Note:

 

N/A			1935-05-30 Locy Type F (CD-2) "NEW LONDON / SUBMARINE BASE" USS S-12 SS-117
			Homeport

Note:

 

N/A			1935-06-19 Locy Type F (CD-2) "U.S.S. QUINCY / LAUNCHED" USS MacDonough DD-351
			Launching of USS Quincy CA-39

Note:

 

N/A		N/A	1935-07-04 Locy Type F (CD-2) "INDEPENDENCE / DAY BOSTON" USS Antares AG-10
			Independence Day

Note:

 

N/A			1935-07-09 Locy Type F (CD-2) "BARRY TERM. SERV. / NAVY OF REV. 1785" USS Tattnall DD-125
			Commodore John Barry terminates his service with the "Navy of the Revolution" 1785

Note: Cachet also created by John Gill

 

N/A		N/A	1935-07-13 Locy Type F (CD-2) "TORP. STATION / NEWPORT, R.I." USS Hamilton DD-141
			Homeport

Note:

 

N/A			1935-07-18 Locy Type F (CD-2) "U.S.S. PHELPS / LAUNCHED" USS Nitro AE-2
			Launching of USS Phelps DD-360

Note:

 

N/A		N/A	1935-08-10 Locy Type F (CD-2) "NAVY YARD / BOSTON, MASS." USS Wandank AT-26
			Homeport

Note:

 

N/A			1935-08-12 Locy Type F (CD-2) "NAVY YARD / BOSTON, MASS." USS Vega AK-17
			Homeport

Note:

 

N/A			1935-08-13 Locy Type F (CD-2) "SUBMARINE BASE / NEW LONDON" USS Bushnell AS-2
			Homeport

Note:

 

N/A			1935-08-13 Locy Type F (CD-2) "SUBMARINE BASE / NEW LONDON" USS Bushnell AS-2
			Homeport

Note: Add-on cachet by Bruce Liddell

 

N/A			1935-08-13 Locy Type F (CD-2) "SUBMARINE BASE / NEW LONDON" USS R-2 SS-79
			Homeport

Note:

 

N/A			1935-08-13 Locy Type F (CD-2) "SUBMARINE BASE / NEW LONDON" USS R-4 SS-81
			Homeport

Note:

 

N/A			1935-08-13 Locy Type F (CD-2) "SUBMARINE BASE / NEW LONDON" USS R-10 SS-87
			Homeport

Note:

 

N/A			1935-08-13 Locy Type F (CD-2) "SUBMARINE BASE / NEW LONDON" USS R-11 SS-88
			Homeport

Note:

 

N/A			1935-08-13 Locy Type F (CD-2) "SUBMARINE BASE / NEW LONDON" USS R-13 SS-90
			Homeport

Note:

 

N/A		N/A	1935-08-13 Locy Type F (CD-2) "SUBMARINE BASE / NEW LONDON" USS R-14 SS-91
			Homeport

Note: New listing, not in 1997 Postmark Catalog

 

N/A		N/A	1935-08-13 Locy Type F (CD-2) "SUBMARINE BASE / NEW LONDON" USS S-20 SS-125
			Homeport

Note:

 

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