Precancel

Precancel is a term used in philately and in general English to denote canceling something in advance. In philately, precancelled stamps are stamps that carry a cancellation mark applied before they are distributed for public use. This practice was common in large-volume mail operations, such as government agencies and corporate internal mail systems, where precancels helped prevent reuse and streamlined processing. Precancel marks can be applied by the issuing authority at the time of production or by a post office in a later stage, and the resulting items are collected as a distinct subgroup by stamp collectors. The patterns, locations, and dates of precancel marks can vary, making some examples particularly sought after.

In other contexts, the verb precancel means to cancel something ahead of its scheduled time or anticipated event. This usage appears in legal, administrative, or contractual writing and implies that termination or cancellation occurs before the usual or expected trigger.

Origins and usage: The concept of precancel in postage reflects the practical needs of organizations to manage large volumes of mail and to reduce the risk of stamp reuse. In philatelic catalogs, precancelled stamps are documented as a specialized class, with attention to the methods of cancellation and the bodies responsible for the precancel.

Summary: Precancel can refer to a pre-applied postal cancellation on stamps or to the act of canceling something before its intended time. In philately, precancels are of interest for postal history and stamp-collection purposes; in general use, the term describes advance cancellation of agreements, orders, or claims.