Favor cancel

A favor cancel (French: oblitération par complaisance) is one that may or may not have done postal service. It is usually more carefully done than postal cancels and "extra"s like uncommon colors or backdating to a period of actual use may be part of the deal. Sorry to be so cynical, but outstanding cancels, particularly where this is not the usual case, should be treated with caution. Naturally, a clear sign of this is full gum on the back, but that can always be removed. Of course, covers can be similarly favor cancelled and handed back at a postal counter.

Attempts to make stamps and covers seem better than they really are remain a headache for collectors, with at least some research and background study needed. For covers, odd rates to a rare destination need to be investigated. Otherwise, it can be tough to determine genuine postal use. Still, sometimes postally used examples can be so poor that a favor cancelled stamp can be a useful addition to a collection.

 File:Belgian Congo favor cxl.jpg|While nice cancels can exist for Belgian Congo stamps of this era, this is clearly a favor cancelled stamp, with full gum. 

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