Great Britain - The Imperforate Issues (1840-1853)

Maltese Cross Cancellations


 Home

 Cancellations | Contrary to Regulations | Positional Reconstruction | May 1844 | Used in Ireland | New Additions | Exhbits

 Maltese Crosses | London Numbered Crosses | Numerals (England and Wales) | Numerals (Scotland) |
 Numerals (Ireland) | Numerals (Islands) | Numerals (London) | Other Cancellations


 

The so-called Maltese Cross cancellation was introduced to cancel the world’s first postage stamps; the 1d black and 2d blue 1840 issues of Great Britain.  It continued in official use until 1844 when it was replaced by distinctive numeral cancellations for London, England & Wales, Scotland and Ireland. 

Maltese Cross in Red

From May 1840 until February 1841, the official colour of the Maltese Cross cancellation was red, and a wide variety of shades exist since Post Masters were required to mix their own inks locally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plate 1a HC

[HC] plate 1a (some signs of wear), cancelled with orange red maltese cross
from Blandford to London dated 25 May 1840.
 

Plate 1a PG
Plate 2 CJ
Plate 2 CJ
Plate 3 TK

[PG] playe 1a, cancelled with 2 x red maltese crosses (contrary to regulations)

[CJ] plate 2, cancelled with red maltese cross

[CJ] plate 2, cancelled with red maltese cross

[TK] plate 3, cancelled with red maltese cross

Plate 1a IE

[IE] plate 1a, on entire dated 25 Sep 1840 from London to Devon, cancelled
with two red maltese crosses

Plate 1b AI-AJ
Plate 2 HA-HB

[AI-AJ] pair, plate 1b, cancelled with red maltese crosses

[HA-HB] pair plate 2, cancelled with red maltese crosses
HA has defective letter H

Plate 1b HA

[HA] plate 1b, cancelled with red Rochdale maltese cross
 on entire from Todmorden to Halifax
dated 14 Feb 1841

Plate 2 KE-KF
Plate 4 OE-OF

[KE-KF] pair plate 2, cancelled with red maltese crosses

[OE-OF] pair plate 4, cancelled with red maltese crosses

Plate 2 CJ

[CJ] plate 2, cancelled with red Stafford maltese cross
on entire from Stafford to Trentham dated 4 Jun 1840.
 

Plate 4 HB
Plate 5 AB
Plate 6 AC
Plate 7 GD

[HB] plate 4, cancelled with red maltese cross

[AB] plate 5, cancelled with red maltese cross

[AC] plate 6, cancelled with red maltese cross

[GD] plate 7, cancelled with red maltese cross

Plate 3 DA-DB

[DA-DB] pair plate 3, cancelled with red maltese crosses
on entire from Devonport to Plymouth dated 19 July 1840.
 

Plate 6 IE-IF
Plate 6 TG-TH

[IE-IF] pair, plate 6, cancelled with red maltese crosses

[TG-TH] pair plate 6, cancelled with red maltese crosses

MI

[MI] cancelled with red Irish maltese cross
on entire from Youghal to Bristol
dated 14 Feb 1841.

Plate 8 ID
Plate 9 DL
CJ
Plate 8 FK

[ID] plate 8, cancelled with red maltese cross

[DL] plate 9, cancelled with red maltese cross

[CJ] cancelled with red maltese cross

[FK] plate 8, cancelled with red maltese cross

Plate 8 JC-JD
CJ

[JC-JD] pair plate 8, cancelled with red maltese crosses

Plate 9 FJ-FK

[FJ - FK] pair plate 9, cancelled with red maltese crosses

Plate 5 JJ-JK

[JJ-JK] pair plate 5, cancelled with red maltese crosses

Plate 9 FJ-FK

[GD-GE] pair plate 6, cancelled with red maltese crosses

[CJ] cancelled with red maltese cross
on dated piece 10 Dec 1840.
 

Plate 1b IH
Plate 1a CJ
Plate 1b NA
Plate 1b CJ

[IH] plate 1b, cancelled with red maltese cross

[CJ] plate 1a, cancelled with red maltese cross

[NA] plate 1b, cancelled with red maltese cross

[CJ] plate 1b, cancelled with red maltese cross

Plate 1b QD
Plate 1b TJ
Plate 3 CJ
Plate 3 GI

[QD] plate 1b cancelled with red maltese cross

[TJ] plate 1b, cancelled with red maltese cross

[CJ] plate 3, cancelled with red maltese cross

[GI] plate 3, cancelled with red maltese cross

Plate 3 OJ
Plate 3 IG
Plate 3 KK
Plate 2 JG

[OJ] plate 3, cancelled with red maltese cross

[IG] plate 3, cancelled with red maltese cross

[KK] plate 3, cancelled with red maltese cross

[JG] plate 2, on piece cancelled with Poulton Penny Post in black and then a red maltese cross.

Plate 6 DA
Plate 4 AE
Plate 1a SL
Plate 10 FI

[DA] plate 6, cancelled with red maltese cross

[AE] plate 4, cancelled with red maltese cross

[SL] plate 1a, cancelled with red maltese cross

[FI] plate 10, cancelled with red maltese cross

Plate 6 GA-GD

Strip of four [GA-GD] plate 6, cancelled with red maltese crosses

Plate 10 JF-JG
Plate 1a DA-BD

[JF-JG] pair plate 10, cancelled with red maltese crosses

[DA-DB] pair plate 1a, cancelled with red maltese crosses

Plate 5 QH

[QH] cancelled with red maltese cross
from Ballyglass to Ballymote (via Ballina) dated 7 October 1840.
 

Plate 8 KD-KE
Plate 7 HA-HB

[KD-KE] pair, plate 8, cancelled with
red maltese crosses.

[HA-HB] pair, plate 7,
cancelled with red maltese crosses.

Plate 1b BD

[BD] plate 1b, from Bandon to Youghal dated 23 October 1840,
cancelled with red maltese cross of Bandon.
 

Plate 4 IC-IF

[IC-IF] strip of four, plate 4,
cancelled with red maltese crosses.
 

Plate 4 FK

[FK] plate 4, to Stokesley
cancelled with a magenta Maltese Cross

Plate 1a AI
Plate 2 PK
Plate 1a BA
Plate 3 OE

[AI] plate 1a, cancelled with brown maltese cross [e].

[PK] plate 2, cancelled with vermillion maltese cross.

[BH] plate 1a, cancelled with dark red Maltese cross

[OE] plate 3, cancelled with bold red Maltese cross

Plate 2 PF

[PF] plate 2, from Belfast to Hathersage dated 18 May 1840,
cancelled with a red-orange Maltese Cross
 

Plate 1a RB
Plate 5 CB
Plate 6 ME
Plate 5 PH

[RB] plate 1a, cancelled with red-brown Maltese cross

[CB] plate 5, cancelled with orange red Maltese cross

[ME] plate 6, cancelled
with ruby maltese cross.

[PH] plate 5, cancelled
with Red Maltese Cross.

Plate 2 CH

[CH] plate 2, from Dublin to Croydon dated 15 May 1840,
cancelled with an orange red Dublin maltese cross
and a red-brown London maltese cross.

Dublin diamond (15 MY 40) and London Tombstone (17 MY 1840) in colours matching the respective crosses.
 

Plate 6 KC

[KC] plate 6, from Durham to Hartlepool dated 11 February 1841,
cancelled with a red maltese cross.

Late use of red maltese cross
 

Plate 7 GA

[GA] plate 7, from Galashiels to Edinburgh dated 16 February 1841,
cancelled with a red maltese cross.

Late use of red maltese cross
 

Plate 2 KE

[KE] plate 2, from Todmorden to Danby dated 24 July 1840
cancelled with an orange-red maltese cross

Also has Todmorden Penny Post in red
 

Plate 2 RD

[RD] plate 2, from Clitheroe to Blackburn dated 8 September 1840,
cancelled with a red maltese cross.

Clitheroe departure CDS in blue
 

Plate 7 LL

[LL] plate 7, from Blackburn to Clitheroe, dated 2 January 1841,
cancelled with red-brown Maltese Crosses.
 

Plate 7 ME
Plate 1a ME
Plate 3 OD

 

 

[ME] plate 7, cancelled
with red maltese cross.

[ME] plate 1a, cancelled with
 an orange-red Maltese cross

[OD] plate 3, cancelled with
 a bright red Maltese cross

 

 

Plate 8 TJ-TK

[TJ-TK] pair, plate 8, from Liverpool to Manchester, dated 6 January 1841,
cancelled with dark orange Maltese Crosses.
 

Plate 7 FB

[FB] plate 7, from Milton to Shaftesbury, dated, internally, 1 February 1841,
cancelled with a red Matese Cross.

Also has Shaftesbury Penny Post in matching colour.

Plate 2 SI

[SI] plate 2, from Newton Stewart to Edinburgh, dated 4 July 1840,
cancelled with a purple-maroon Maltese Cross of Newton Stewart [cert].
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plate 2 DB
Plate 1 BF
Plate 1 PH-PI

[DB] plate 2, cancelled with
red maltese cross.

[BF] plate 1, cancelled with
red maltese cross.

[PH-PI] plate 1, pair, cancelled with
two red maltese crosses.

Plate 2 CJ-CL
Plate 1 PJ-QK

[CJ-CL] plate 2, strip of three, cancelled with
brownish red maltese crosses.

Plate 1 OK-OL

[OK-OL] severed pair, plate 1, cancelled
contrary to regulations
 with a single red Maltese cross

[PJ-QK] plate 1, block of four, cancelled
contrary to regulations
 with three red maltese crosses.

Plate 1 MG

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MG] plate 1, cancelled with
 a red Maltese cross

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plate 5 Red TE
Plate 11 Red GA
Plate 11 Red EC
Plate 19 NH

[TE] plate 5 in red
cancelled with
red Maltese cross [e]

[GA] plate 11 in red
(State One) cancelled with
red Maltese cross

[EC] plate 11 in red
cancelled with
red Maltese cross [e]

[NH] plate 19, cancelled with red (mixed inks) Maltese cross and then a black cross from the same obliterator [e].

Plate 5 OG

[OG] plate 5 in red, from Hayle to Wadebrige dated 15 July 1841,
cancelled with a red Maltese cross
Very late use of red Maltese Cross

Plate 5 Red OG
Plate 16 TD
Plate 14 KG

 

 

[OG] plate 5 in red
cancelled with
a red Maltese cross [e]

[TD] plate 16, cancelled with
 a red Maltese cross [e]

[KG] plate 14, cancelled with
a red Maltese cross
(on piece)

 

 

Plate 20 PL

[PL] plate 20, from Heywood to Newcastle (Staffs.), dated 6 September 1842,
cancelled with a red Maltese cross [e]
Also has Heywood undated circle on reverse

Very late use of the red Maltese cross