1861 Cover with Poignant Cancellation and Upside Down Year: New York to Stoughton, MA miner and I interpret the image

and I interpret the image as a woman's face in profile

with a bit of tearing on the right edge and a few minor stains here and there

or a variety of juices for breakfast

and is quite powerful--much better

1861 Cover with Poignant Cancellation and Upside Down Year: New York to Stoughton, MA miner and I interpret the imageI was recently reminded, coming upon this and a couple of other covers envelopes listed today, of the beauty of fancy old cancellation marks and also how they bring a certain drama to whole face of an envelop, formally and informationally. Here I love the vertical stripes of the cancellation, blacking out the profile portrait of George Washington (like placing him behind bars), with this nice intersection of the red ring around him and the black ring