Search found 114 matches
- Sat Jan 06, 2024 8:19 pm
- Forum: Miscellaneous Postal History
- Topic: Unpaid Stampless Letters
- Replies: 2
- Views: 547
Re: Unpaid Stampless Letters
Pre-1840, the great majority of letters were sent unpaid -- it was the same price whether prepaid or not, and the public tended to argue that the Post Office would make more effort to deliver their letters if they didn't get paid until the letter had actually reached the address. It's also been said...
- Sat Jan 06, 2024 1:48 am
- Forum: Pre-Stamp
- Topic: Early London Post Receiving houses vs boxes
- Replies: 2
- Views: 921
Re: Early London Post Receiving houses vs boxes
The answer is that the Wikipedia article is referring specifically to the private London Penny Post of William Dockwra et al from 1680-82. Hendy (p50) is referring to the General Post -- i.e. the original main post that dealt with mail to and from anywhere. There were fewer receivers for that, at le...
- Sun Aug 20, 2023 10:18 am
- Forum: Miscellaneous Postal History
- Topic: War Economy Label
- Replies: 2
- Views: 2017
Re: War Economy Label
Hi Martin, It's an envelope that's been reused as part of the paper conservation drive -- as there was a shortage of paper due to the war, from quite early on. There was a thread about them back in the day here: https://www.gbps.org.uk/boards/viewtopic.php?t=1388 The gist is that people were encoura...
- Tue Jul 25, 2023 11:01 pm
- Forum: General Notices
- Topic: Members' Introductions
- Replies: 1
- Views: 80052
Re: Members' Introductions
I guess it's only fair that I kick things off myself ... I'm Maurice Buxton, at the time of posting the GBPS website manager and postal history consultant. (I try to use this account when I'm posting strictly as me, and the "admin" account for site administration matters, although I must a...
- Sun Oct 16, 2022 11:55 am
- Forum: King George VI
- Topic: Any ideas on this dumb cancel?
- Replies: 2
- Views: 3554
Re: Any ideas on this dumb cancel?
New one on me as well, I'm afraid. It doesn't look like anything else I've seen that I can remember.
Mackay's Postmarks of England and Wales illustration 6263 is vaguely the same cross-and-dots pattern, albeit much thicker and with no surrounding box, but that was stated to be a military postmark.
Mackay's Postmarks of England and Wales illustration 6263 is vaguely the same cross-and-dots pattern, albeit much thicker and with no surrounding box, but that was stated to be a military postmark.
- Tue Aug 23, 2022 9:30 am
- Forum: Postal Rates
- Topic: Postage Rates via Marseilles 1857-1880 (to New Zealand)
- Replies: 5
- Views: 3945
Re: Postage Rates via Marseilles 1857-1880 (to New Zealand)
Most likely seems to be 10d basic rate + 1d late fee -- I know explaining odd amounts as a late fee is a bit of a cliche, but it is sometimes the right answer! In particular, this is an overseas letter -- where paying extra to make sure it caught the ship might be important to save days or even week...
- Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:38 pm
- Forum: Miscellaneous
- Topic: Labelling Collections
- Replies: 6
- Views: 3882
Re: Labelling Collections
I have pretty dreadful handwriting, so I write up my stuff on a computer -- which seems to be the default method nowadays! There were other techniques that used to be recommended -- typewriting, stencils, commercially pre-printed gummed labels and so on -- but they're generally more work for a less ...
- Sun Jan 16, 2022 1:14 am
- Forum: Queen Elizabeth II
- Topic: Doctor blade flaw
- Replies: 1
- Views: 4329
Re: Doctor blade flaw
I don't think Deegam list doctor blade flaws as a separate entry -- they're always fairly random, so probably not something that really merits a catalogue number? (Although it's interesting to see one on the phosphor cylinder.)
- Mon Aug 30, 2021 5:01 pm
- Forum: Postal Rates
- Topic: Registered Book Post to Australia
- Replies: 1
- Views: 7928
Re: Registered Book Post to Australia
I had a look at the Treasury Warrants on the site (https://www.gbps.org.uk/treasury-warrants) -- the one that seems to apply took effect from 1st March 1880, and gives the following rates for book post to the Australian colonies and New Zealand: Up to 1oz -- 1d 1-2oz -- 2d 2-4oz -- 4d each additiona...
- Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:05 pm
- Forum: Postal Markings
- Topic: Mail Opening Unit
- Replies: 1
- Views: 12140
Re: Mail Opening Unit
At a guess I'd say it's a handstamp used by the section that opens mailbags coming into the office to get the letters ready for sorting, and is used on stamps that have missed cancellation? Can't think of a better explanation!
- Sat Mar 13, 2021 11:08 pm
- Forum: Postal Markings
- Topic: Censor mark?
- Replies: 4
- Views: 12961
Re: Censor mark?
I've seen them on similar cards -- I think it's a Belgian mark, although I'm not sure what it was used for.
- Tue Dec 08, 2020 11:15 am
- Forum: Miscellaneous Postal History
- Topic: Empire Air Mail Scheme
- Replies: 4
- Views: 6098
Re: Empire Air Mail Scheme
I hadn't noticed that either -- after a bit of Googling, maybe related to this? New to me too!mike.mood@talktalk.net wrote:BUT WHAT THE HECK IS TIBET DOING IN THERE?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simla_Convention
- Wed Nov 25, 2020 1:34 pm
- Forum: King Edward VIII
- Topic: Label for sheet stamps
- Replies: 2
- Views: 6851
Re: Label for sheet stamps
To the best of my understanding of Post Office odds and ends: "SD 1288P" would be the official Post Office stock code for the particular form/label/whatever, with the prefix SD being "Stores Department". The text at the foot refers to the warrant to print a new batch. "10m&q...
- Sat Oct 31, 2020 11:38 am
- Forum: Queen Victoria
- Topic: 1867 1s green
- Replies: 1
- Views: 7111
Re: 1867 1s green
Don't have one handy, but I've definitely seen examples that have gone partly blue. Can't recall one that has gone "all the way" like the "blue" ½d Jubilees, but I wouldn't be particularly surprised if some are around.
- Thu Sep 10, 2020 11:05 am
- Forum: Machins
- Topic: SOAKING EARLY DECIMAL MACHINS OFF PAPER WITH CONSEQUENCES LEADING TO THE "DAMP PAPER EXPERIMENTS"
- Replies: 6
- Views: 11344
Re: SOAKING EARLY DECIMAL MACHINS OFF PAPER.
Regarding toxicity: while I don't have data on this specifically (other than a general recollection that toxicity was one reason for not using inorganic phosphors), I did come across a c.1970 report in the PO archives analysing the gum on some registered envelope flaps that contained a trace of arse...
- Sun Jul 12, 2020 2:24 pm
- Forum: Wildings
- Topic: Replacing the 1/- Wilding with the 1/- Machin in 1967
- Replies: 6
- Views: 10284
Re: Replacing the 1/- Wilding with the 1/- Machin in 1967
From a quick trawl through the SG Specialised vol 3 (an old edition, so open to correction on these dates), the chronology for violet phosphor stamps is: 13 Aug 1965 --- Wilding ½d, 1d, 1½d, 3d, 4d, 5d, 1s 3d (narrow bands) 17 Aug 1965 --- Wilding 2d (narrow bands) 12 Dec 1966 --- Wilding 1s 6d (wid...
- Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:23 pm
- Forum: Wildings
- Topic: Replacing the 1/- Wilding with the 1/- Machin in 1967
- Replies: 6
- Views: 10284
Re: Replacing the 1/- Wilding with the 1/- Machin in 1967
I'm guessing, but I suspect it was to do with the usual practice for new definitive issues -- sell them as standard for the first 1-2 weeks or so, then revert to using up stocks of the old issue unless anyone specifically asked for the new. In this case, that would suggest that previously printed st...
- Tue May 19, 2020 7:48 pm
- Forum: Wildings
- Topic: Distribution of Wildings with phosphor bands
- Replies: 2
- Views: 7830
Re: Distribution of Wildings with phosphor bands
Excellent! I didn't think about that file, and it has the details I was looking for. In case anyone is interested in the answers, this is what it says: The graphite and phosphor graphite stamps were issued only in the Southampton HPO area. Installation of production ALF machinery led to the expansio...
- Tue May 19, 2020 4:37 pm
- Forum: Machins
- Topic: UNCOATED PAPER ON 4d BRIGHT VERMILION
- Replies: 9
- Views: 37025
Re: UNCOATED PAPER ON 4d BRIGHT VERMILION
I'm no Machin expert -- but I needed to dig into them a bit for some articles a while back, hence I have the specialised catalogue (much too specialised for me, usually).
- Tue May 19, 2020 4:04 pm
- Forum: Machins
- Topic: UNCOATED PAPER ON 4d BRIGHT VERMILION
- Replies: 9
- Views: 37025
Re: UNCOATED PAPER ON 4d BRIGHT VERMILION
Interesting -- now I check, the dull/bright fluorescence variations listed for other pre-decimal Machins don't seem to be correlated to gum type. So this may be something unrecorded. To answer the original poster, btw, not all Stamps for Cooks panes are on uncoated paper, but as far as I can see all...
- Tue May 19, 2020 3:19 pm
- Forum: Machins
- Topic: UNCOATED PAPER ON 4d BRIGHT VERMILION
- Replies: 9
- Views: 37025
Re: UNCOATED PAPER ON 4d BRIGHT VERMILION
That's an interesting one -- a clear difference. Deegam lists dull and bright fluorescence versions of several pre-decimal Machins, but the 9d isn't one of them. There's no 9d uncoated paper recorded either. Are these the same gum type?
- Tue May 19, 2020 11:42 am
- Forum: Wildings
- Topic: Distribution of Wildings with phosphor bands
- Replies: 2
- Views: 7830
Distribution of Wildings with phosphor bands
A couple of related queries: Am I correct in thinking that the national-issue Wildings with phosphor bands were only issued initially in the areas around offices with an ALF machine, as with the phosphor commemoratives and the relevant regional Wildings? At what point, if ever, did they go on genera...
- Tue May 19, 2020 11:37 am
- Forum: Machins
- Topic: UNCOATED PAPER ON 4d BRIGHT VERMILION
- Replies: 9
- Views: 37025
Re: UNCOATED PAPER ON 4d BRIGHT VERMILION
As far as I know (caveat -- not my specialised subject) all Machins were printed on coated paper except in error (which seldom happened) -- and this was the same paper used for the no-watermark regional Wildings?
- Mon Apr 13, 2020 11:52 am
- Forum: Postal Stationery
- Topic: QV pre-printed postcards
- Replies: 4
- Views: 7862
Re: QV pre-printed postcards
I am preparing an article about QV pre-printed postcards and would be very grateful for scans of any of the following items: 1¼d cards uprated to 2¼d or 3¼d for July-December 1875 usage to Italy, Greece etc via France before France used the new UPU rates; 2½d rates April-June 1879 via Brindisi to v...
- Tue Jul 09, 2019 10:38 pm
- Forum: Postal Rates
- Topic: Redirection of reduced-rate printed papers
- Replies: 2
- Views: 15627
Re: Redirection of reduced-rate printed papers
According to my PO Guide for August 1940, members of the public could redirect "Letters, postcards, printed papers, samples, and newspapers" without additional charge, as long as it was done "not later than the day after delivery". Since this was first posted on the 25th and the ...
- Mon Mar 19, 2018 9:22 pm
- Forum: Queen Victoria
- Topic: Penny red plate number sizes
- Replies: 1
- Views: 9506
Re: SG43/44
I have compared the numbers and whilst doing so I have noticed that some plate numbers are of a different size for example 88 RHS the 2nd 8 in tiny and 78 has two varying size and definitions AFAIK, the way the plates were made was for a transfer roller impression to be made from the original maste...
- Fri Nov 10, 2017 9:36 pm
- Forum: Postal Stationery
- Topic: Designer of the pre-decimal values and heads on QEII Postal Stationery.
- Replies: 5
- Views: 23403
Re: Designer of the pre-decimal values and heads on QEII Postal Stationery.
The letterpress design for postcards and newspaper wrappers was by John Farleigh: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Farleigh farleigh-design.jpg It does appear to be based on a Wilding photo though - from Elizabeth: Queen & Icon , text found here from a Google search: Dorothy Wilding had taken ...
- Mon Nov 06, 2017 12:22 am
- Forum: Postal Stationery
- Topic: Designer of the pre-decimal values and heads on QEII Postal Stationery.
- Replies: 5
- Views: 23403
Re: Designer of the pre-decimal values and heads on QEII Postal Stationery.
I guess by this you mean the first type ("Tudor Rose") design, as in the attached image? That was the work of Cecil Thomas, who also did some coinage heads:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_Thomas_(sculptor)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_Thomas_(sculptor)
- Tue May 23, 2017 7:11 pm
- Forum: Postal Rates
- Topic: duplicate registered post
- Replies: 3
- Views: 13412
Re: duplicate registered post
I don't think this is Arthur Blackburn VC -- according to Wikipedia he would have been either in France or Australia during this time -- and there is an Arthur Blackburn listed as a resident of Torquay in 1911-12: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/terryleaman/Tiscali/1911_directory_%20A-Z.htm#B I've always...
- Tue May 23, 2017 2:29 pm
- Forum: Postal Rates
- Topic: duplicate registered post
- Replies: 3
- Views: 13412
Re: duplicate registered post
Nice item -- the expert on these is Graham Mark. He wrote an article in the GBJ vol 52 no 3 (May/June 2014) which described the service and listed all the duplicate letters he knew of at the time -- this is I think a new latest recorded date. Your reading of the rate sounds right to me. The purple m...
- Sun May 07, 2017 1:21 pm
- Forum: Pre-Stamp
- Topic: Suggestions requested on delivery of a letter with military connections 1831
- Replies: 2
- Views: 10692
Re: Suggestions requested on delivery of a letter with military connections 1831
The only thing I can think of is that it was delivered normally at a charge of 11d to the company in the address, and someone there crossed out that line and the charge, That could have been because they delivered it to the officer concerned, or because he called to collect it, and did not charge hi...
- Mon Feb 13, 2017 11:57 pm
- Forum: Pre-Stamp
- Topic: 1837 8/6 stamp
- Replies: 4
- Views: 12208
Re: 1837 8/6 stamp
I agree with the SCF suggestion -- that's certainly the way the letter reads. Not sure how much a 8/6 stamp would cover or which type of revenue stamp would be needed -- possibly a "foreign bill" stamp if it was to be applied to buying what from Danzig? This looks like a good question to a...
- Mon Feb 13, 2017 11:46 pm
- Forum: Postal Markings
- Topic: Undated CDS, 1971 strike?
- Replies: 1
- Views: 9835
Re: Undated CDS, 1971 strike?
Larry - I think this is probably from the first few days after the end of the strike, when the Post Office requested that people only post first class mail to help them clear the backlog. In the 1964 strike/work-to-rule a number of offices left out the date slugs for printed paper collections (refer...
- Mon Feb 13, 2017 11:39 pm
- Forum: Postal Markings
- Topic: Cage Stand Marking
- Replies: 2
- Views: 11606
Re: Cage Stand Marking
It's not a mark I recognise, but from the look and the fact that it's under the GB censor tape, I suspect it may be a Swiss censor mark or possibly a German transit censor mark? A look at other wartime covers from those countries on eBay/Delcampe might produce something similar.
- Mon Oct 03, 2016 5:46 pm
- Forum: Pre-Stamp
- Topic: London Receiving houses
- Replies: 1
- Views: 9420
Re: London Receiving houses
Depends how much detail you're looking for? AFAIK Collect British Postmarks has a list, as does volume 3 of the the old County Catalogue (which is probably where CBP got its list from, actually). Those probably don't cover subtleties like two receiving houses in the same street at different times, t...
- Sat Jul 09, 2016 3:03 pm
- Forum: Postal Markings
- Topic: Received from HM Ships parcel post handstamp, presumably WW2 period - anyone seen this before?
- Replies: 2
- Views: 11229
Re: Received from HM Ships parcel post handstamp, presumably WW2 period - anyone seen this before?
Hi Ron,
I only have the 8th edition, but it also has that picture on page 247. I think it looks cruder than it is in real life (and so more like a rubber parcel post strike) because it was traced rather than scanned originally?
I only have the 8th edition, but it also has that picture on page 247. I think it looks cruder than it is in real life (and so more like a rubber parcel post strike) because it was traced rather than scanned originally?
- Fri Jul 08, 2016 7:55 pm
- Forum: Postal Markings
- Topic: Received from HM Ships parcel post handstamp, presumably WW2 period - anyone seen this before?
- Replies: 2
- Views: 11229
Received from HM Ships parcel post handstamp, presumably WW2 period - anyone seen this before?
The piece in the attached scan turned up in a pound box today -- it's from what appears to be an OHMS registered parcel, with a 3d stamp for the registration fee cancelled with a boxed parcel post mark "Received from HM Ships". I've not seen this mark before, and it definitely looks unusua...
- Fri Jul 08, 2016 7:41 pm
- Forum: Postal Rates
- Topic: 6d Machin wrapper rate?
- Replies: 2
- Views: 10707
Re: 6d Machin wrapper rate?
This looks like surface mail (no airmail label), and as it's from HMSO it's almost certainly printed papers rate for some Government publication or other. Printed papers had to be sent open to inspection so wrappers definitely qualified. Not sure which printed papers rate it was -- if it was a newsp...
- Wed Jul 06, 2016 12:57 am
- Forum: Giveaways
- Topic: Large "Post Office Closed" display board free to a good home
- Replies: 0
- Views: 11421
Large "Post Office Closed" display board free to a good home
This is a largish (29"x20" approx) board with the legend "Post Office Closed", which was given to me many years ago and has been lying around since then. I don't know the origin -- probably it came from a sub office and was put up at the close of the day's business, but your gues...
- Fri Jun 03, 2016 8:49 pm
- Forum: Postal Rates
- Topic: 1970 Registered airmail to US
- Replies: 10
- Views: 19153
Re: 1970 Registered airmail to US
Postmarked on 15 February 1971, franked with a 5p, perhaps? misfranked by someone confused and mistaking for a 5d??. Clearly philatelic, but curious. Could have been, actually, although I suppose it could also have been one of a batch of different values for the FDI. Postmarked at a sub-office whic...
- Thu Jun 02, 2016 3:49 pm
- Forum: Postal Rates
- Topic: 1970 Registered airmail to US
- Replies: 10
- Views: 19153
Re: 1970 Registered airmail to US
I do suppose they could have gone from 10s to 100p. I believe that was the path taken elsewhere. Australia? South Africa? Probably Canada? Definitely Australia, I think, not sure about South Africa. Canada was so far back (Confederation in 1867?) it probably didn't matter how they did it! Even thou...
- Thu Jun 02, 2016 1:02 pm
- Forum: Postal Rates
- Topic: 1970 Registered airmail to US
- Replies: 10
- Views: 19153
Re: 1970 Registered airmail to US
It would probably have been a lot easier for people to adapt if they had gone with 10/- old money = £1 new money (so 120d old = 100p new) or alternatively 1d old = 1p new (so 8/4 old = £1 new), but at the time the decision was made they were worried it would be seen as a stealth devaluation of the p...
- Wed Jun 01, 2016 11:46 pm
- Forum: Postal Rates
- Topic: 1970 Registered airmail to US
- Replies: 10
- Views: 19153
Re: 1970 Registered airmail to US
I think you're right that this doesn't fit -- there's no suggestion of any other service being used, and there wasn't a 4/- rate for Zone B second class airmail (printed papers etc) either. It could be that the clerk in the sender's office simply miscounted, but a possible guess given the date is th...
- Mon May 30, 2016 7:47 pm
- Forum: Postal Rates
- Topic: 1971 PO Special Delivery label
- Replies: 2
- Views: 10289
Re: 1971 PO Special Delivery label
Hi Larry, The green special delivery labels were described by Austin Davis in his recent article in GBJ 54/1 -- basically, they were introduced in 1963 for the most commonly used version of inland express delivery (transmission by ordinary post then special delivery on arrival if that would be quick...
- Fri Apr 01, 2016 10:29 am
- Forum: Downey Heads
- Topic: April 1 cancellation
- Replies: 4
- Views: 12539
Re: April 1 cancellation
Only with a machine cancel, not a nice cds, I'm afraid.
- Tue Mar 15, 2016 10:28 am
- Forum: Postal Stationery
- Topic: halfpenny lilac postcard
- Replies: 2
- Views: 11641
Re: halfpenny lilac postcard
Hi Rob -- it's a private usage, although it's not all that common. As you say, these cards were available in sheets to make it easier for users to get whatever they wanted printed on the backs, but they weren't sold perforated. Normally the cards were guillotined after printing, but occasionally som...
- Sun Feb 28, 2016 1:20 pm
- Forum: Surface Printed
- Topic: Victoria Jubilee issue layout
- Replies: 8
- Views: 15299
Re: Victoria Jubilee issue layout
Looks like I gave a flip answer based on the standard sheet sizes for surface printed that was wrong in this case -- now you remind me, I think I remember Iain Stevenson (when he gave a display on this stamp) saying that the sheet size was larger than usual, and checking Wright & Creeke (see the...
- Sun Feb 21, 2016 7:22 pm
- Forum: Postal Rates
- Topic: Postal Rate to Kirkwall, Orkney ?
- Replies: 3
- Views: 12551
Re: Postal Rate to Kirkwall, Orkney ?
Cary 1802 turns out to be on the web on Google Books (I'll put a copy on the GBPS site as well at some point, it would be useful), and looking at that, I'm not sure how Robertson came to his figure of 810 miles if that's what he was basing it on! The figures quoted there are: London to Edinburgh (mi...
- Sun Feb 21, 2016 3:43 pm
- Forum: Postal Rates
- Topic: Postal Rate to Kirkwall, Orkney ?
- Replies: 3
- Views: 12551
Re: Postal Rate to Kirkwall, Orkney ?
In the list of 1830 postage rates in A List of Post-Towns and Principal Places with the Postage of a Single Letter to or from London (see http://www.gbps.org.uk/downloads/postal-directories.php) the rate to Kirkwall is given as 1s 6½d (18½d), which would indeed correspond to 800-900 miles. David Rob...
- Mon Oct 26, 2015 10:38 pm
- Forum: Postal Markings
- Topic: 2015 dumb cancel
- Replies: 1
- Views: 9696
Re: 2015 dumb cancel
I've been wondering about those too -- as it happens, George King explained them at the break during a PSS meeting on Saturday. :) The gist of it is that postmen/women have been told to cancel stamps left uncancelled, and to do it using a cheap self-inking cancel of this type with five wavy bars. Ap...