Great Britain - The Imperforate Issues (1840-1853)

Cancellation of Multiple Stamps


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A second circular, dated April 1840, was sent to all Postmasters (and Sub-Postmasters) clarifying that each and every Postage Stamp was to be cancelled individually and reinforcing the requirement to use the cancellation already supplied
 

 

“You will carefully Stamp with the Cancelling Stamp that has been forwarded to you, the stamped Covers and Envelopes, as well as the adhesive Stamps, the former must be struck on the figure of Britannia, and in case of more than one adhesive Stamp being attached to a Letter, each Stamp must be separately obliterated. “


This instruction was issued as it was feared that stamps that were not adequately cancelled could be re-used by splicing two un-cancelled halves together thus creating a new “stamp”.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plate 2 HA-HB
Plate 1 PH-PI

1d black pair (plate 2), positions HA-HB
each individually cancelled
with a red maltese cross.
 

2d blue pair (plate 1), positions PH-PI
each individually cancelled
 with a red maltese cross.
 

Plate 4 IC-IF

1d black (plate 4) strip of four, positions IC-IF,
each individually cancelled
with a red maltese cross.
 

Plate 3 DA-DB

1d black pair (plate 3), positions DA-DB
each individually cancelled with a red maltese cross
on entire from Devonport to Plymouth dated 19 July 1840.