This web page, published by the Machine Cancel Society, contains the text of the exhibit ‘ From Hill to Bickerdike ’ … The Victorian-Era Experimental Postmarks of England .. 1857-1901 created by Jerry Miller. This exhibit was created by, and is the property of Mr. Miller, and is being supplied as a courtesy to the Machine Cancel Society.
FROM HILL TO BICKERDIKE’... THE VICTORIAN-ERA EXPERIMENTAL
POSTMARKS OF ENGLAND .. 1857-1901
by JERRY H. MILLER
‘FROM HILL TO BICKERDIKE ’ ...
THE VICTORIAN-ERA EXPERIMENTAL MACHINE POSTMARKS
OF ENGLAND 1857-1901
SEPTEMBER 1857
illustration of the treadie-operated
first (Machine ‘A’) ‘Pearson Hill’
Postmarking Machine, which could
postmark about one hundred letters
in a minute.
‘FROM HILL TO BICKERDIKE’... THE VICTORIAN-ERA EXPERIMENTAL MACHINE
POSTMARKS OF ENGLAND 1857-1901 ae = a ee Nees : mae
Postmark
offset
on reverse
Machine
Type ‘A’
“London”
Dater-Dial
Time-Code “-°
‘PEARSON HILL’ MACHINE TYPE ‘A’ POSTMARK ...
FIRST FULL DAY FIELD OPERATION (Dater Dial Time-Code ‘A’ = “Afternoon” or possibly “All Day” Duty)
25 SEPTEMBER 1857
Domestic single-weight (Penny Postage) commercial folded-letter,
postmarked at London, sent to Glasgow, Scotland
Tae -b dalaala fear fired. Aa ASP Gill AAs mamekhime » te ai os bs 8 Known example from first-day of full-day machine opera
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Soon after the introduction of prepaid postage & use of the first postage stamp
in England in 1840, the postal authorities recognized
a need for clear and legible postmarks as well as an improvement
in the handling of the ever-increasing mail volume.
In 1853, Pearson Hill, son of Rowland Hill, became
involved with those problems, developing and patenting
the world’s first rapid postmarking machine in 1857.
Between 1857-1901, the ‘London General Post Office’
tested or evaluated no less than thirteen machines,
most of which were of non-British manufacture.
EXHIBIT Postal history exhibit showing the chronological evolution of tial & early
postmarks applied by the postmarking machines tested & evalvated by the
‘London General Post Office’ between 1857-1901 of Victorian-Era England.
APPROXIMATE TRIAL OR POSTMARKING MACHINE EARLY-USE PERIOD
PEARSON HILL
Machine ‘A’ Sept. 1857 — Feb. 1858
Machine ‘B’ March — April, 1858 Machine ‘C’ March 1858
Parallel Motion March 1858
Il. CHARLES RIDEOUT
Trial One 1858-1859
Trial Two 1866-1867
il. AZEMAR (Hinrichsen) Trial One 1869
Trial Two 1871
Trial Three 1872
IV. SLOPER 1870-1875
Vv. VAILLE April 1878
Vi. HALLER/HOSTER 1882-1884
VIL. ETHRIDGE Sept. 1886 — April 1887
vill MALIN 1890-1891
IX. HEY-DOLPHIN (International)
Trial One 1893
X. IMPERIAL 1897
XI. EMPIRE March 1898
Xi. BOSTON 1898-1907
Xi. BICKERDIKE 1897-1907
BIBILIOGRAPHY
Gibbons, Collect British Postmarks, Eighth Edition, Chapter 10, Stanley Gibbons Ltd., London, England, 2011.
Miller, From Hill to Bickerdike: The Experimental and Early Machine Postmarks
of England 1857-1901, The G.B.C.C. Chronicle, Quarterly Publication of the
Great Britain Collectors Club, P.O. Box 68019, Cincinnati, Ohio 45206, U.S.A.,
Volume 26, Number 103, April, 2005, Pages 10-23.
Miller, From Hill to Bickerdike: The Experimental and Early Machine Postmarks of England 1857-1901, The GB Journal, Publication of the Great Britain
Philatelic Society, 3 Cottesmore Avenue, Melton Mowbray,
Leics LE13 OHY, England, Volume 43, Number 5, September/October, 2005, Pages 103-118.
Miller, Von Hill bis Bickerdike: die Versuchs-und fréhen Maschinensiempei Englands von 1857 bis 1901, Rundbrief 145, Forschungsgemeinschaft Grossbritannien e.V., Jahrgang 35, DUsseldorf, Germany, september, 2006, Pages 113-12
Parmenter, Shine & Hine, Early Experimental and Inland Branch Duplex
Cancellations, London Postal History Group, Carshalton, England, 2007.
PEARSON HILL... Machine ‘A’ 21 September 1857 —
. 17 February 1858
POSTMARK TIME-OF-DAY CODES
Six different (five shown) POSTMARK TIME-of-DAY CODES
were used in the trial involving Machine ‘A’: “A. ‘M', | % ‘2, ‘3’, ‘4’ a
REFLECTING THE TIME OF DAY.
21 September 1857 8 February 1858 First Day Use Late Date Use
Time Codes ‘A’ ‘Ww ‘2 3 ‘4’
Recorded Number
of Days In Use: 26+ 7 4 3 4
14 JANUARY 1858
$o-called ‘Lady’s letter’, postmarked at London, sent to Worcester (backstamp: 15 January).
One Penny.. Domestic single-weight letter-rate
Earliest known use of the ‘M’ Time Code.
One of two known ‘M’ Time Code covers
PEARSON HILL... Machine ‘A’ 21 September 1857 —
17 February 1858
1857 & 1858 DOMESTIC LETTER-RATE USAGES
Postmark Code ‘A’
1 DECEMBER 1857
Ca ; \
19 JANUARY 1858
One Penny .. Domestic single-weight letter-rate
PEARSON HILL... Machine ‘A’ 21 September 1857 -
17 February 1858
1857 FOREIGN DESTINATION COMMERCIAL MAIL Postmark Code ‘A’
16 DECEMBER 1857
Commercial folded-letter, postmarked at London,
sent to Paris, France.
Four Pence ..
Single-weight letter-rate to France.
Only known foreign-destination example
PEARSON HILL... Machine ‘B’ 21 March -
23 April 1858
In March 1858, based on his heretofore 1857
patent, Pearson Hill introduced a modified version of his Machine ‘A’, now fitted
WITH A METAL POSTMARKING DIE, WHOSE
POSTMARK IS REFERRED TO AS THE ‘OPERA GLASS’.
sa sil 3 — ; ge
ee } s eZ ph
i Seg | i i Bi; ye §
4 Postmark-
E i reverse
- ag
Origin postmark on front
ee 3 i e.
.: pier A
ae a :
24 MARCH 1858
Folded letter, postmarked at London, sent to Halifax.
One Penny .. Domestic single-weight letter-rate
One of five examples known.
PEARSON HILL... Machine ‘C’ 8 - 18 March 1858
Having had limited success with his treadle-operated ‘A’ and ‘B’ Machines, Hill developed a new stationary mechanical hand-operated
machine type, inexpensive and competitive to the Charles Rideout Machine introduced in February 1858.
Innovative with Hill’s new machine version was placing an inked linen ribbon between the metal die and the mail in an effort to reduce ink
usage and eliminate any postmark offset on the reverse side of mail. It also eliminated the need for so-called “give and freacle inking rollers"
found on Machine Types ‘A’ & ‘B’.
HILL’S MACHINE ‘C’ IS CONSIDERED TO BE A FORERUNNER TO HIS LATER ‘PARALLEL MOTION’ MACHINE FROM WHICH THE LATTER EVOLVED.
11 MARCH 1858
Folded letier, postmarked at London, sent fo Plymouth.
One Penny .. Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
One of four cover examples known.
PEARSON HILL...
Machine ‘C’ 8 - 18 March 1858
COMMENCEMENT OF DATER DIAL DAY-CODING
Commencing with ‘Machine C”,
The code sequence for ‘Machine C’ was:
CA = Monday 8 March CB = Tuesday 9 March CC = Wednesday 10 March
CA= Thursday 11 March CB= Friday 12 March CC = Saturday 13 March ...
POSTMARKS OF THE EARLY ‘PEARSON HILL MACHINES’ HENCEFORTH INDICATED A ‘MACHINE CODE’ BUT ALSO A ‘DAY’ CODE, whose sequence
was a series of ‘three days’ which repeated itself.
ec \ LONOON MR 14 f
cc LONDON
MR 4 }
58
14 MARCH 1858
POSTMARK FORGERY
Forgeries of the early Pearson Hill Machine Postmarks are basically unknown, except
for the above forgery.
* Postmark date of “14 March 1858” was a Sunday when no mail was processed. Had mail, however, been processed, the dater dial-code would have been “CA”!
* ‘Small letters in squares’ are found in the postage stamp corners. Stamps of that design were first issued in 1864 and not in 1858, the year date on the postmark!
Only Known Pearson Hill Postmark Forgery Example.
PEARSON HILL... Machine ‘C’ 20-22 March 1858
APPLICATION OF ‘TRANSIT’ OR ‘ARRIVAL’ MARKS USING THE HERETOFORE DOUBLE-DIAL POSTMARK
By March 1858, the London General Post Office adopted the duplex-style of postmark for experimentation and, thus, had the double-circle dial of
the ‘Machine C’ separated.
ONE DATER-DIAL WAS USED TO TEST THE FEASIBILITY FOR USE AS A ‘TRANSIT’ AS WELL AS AN ‘ARRIVAL’ POSTMARK FOR IN-COMING MAIL,
while the other dater-dial became part of a duplex postmark as an origin posimark for out-going mail tested on 23 March 1858.
ee i L ‘Ze o w ia :
Of ef? : VER et7 4 5 sais
pasa y wa
us eas LL OO-C Cover Front
o>
aX {i yes ot aN ‘
ak, ~~ qe ~»
ti gr yh } Wy Ne ‘ pee \ eS =
‘ WwW J. wi /
é 4 wv oe
~
1 ea
> at eRe td é. ;
An 4 +f # :
th: Et B
ee . . ’ "
pens bah 5, Be gts? rat9 % te:
hed e. ’ ee 4 Fe pe Hee
Ha age toe fae ams S
“Mein. Line 7 = UTE = nein 2, SERINE = TE A TN RS:
20 MARCH 1858
Domestic single-weight letter sent un-dated at London to Liverpool, with a dated ‘London’
‘transit’ postmark on reverse.
Earliest recorded usage. One of two known cover examples.
PEARSON HiLL...
Machine ‘C’ 23 March 1858
DEVELOPMENT OF A ‘DUPLEX’ MARK USING THE HERETOFORE DOUBLE-DIAL POSTMARK
FIRST TRIAL Duplex Postmark Type |
By March 1858, the General Post Office at London adopted the duplex-style of postmark for experimentation and had the
double-circle dial of the ‘Machine C’ separated.
ONE DATER-DIAL WAS USED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DUPLEX POSTMARK WITH TESTING ON OUT-GOING FOREIGN-BOUND MAIL,
while the other dater-dial was tested as a ‘fransif’ or ‘arrival’ mark on in-bound mail.
19mm Dater-Dial with ‘London’ 14mm in length along
with a duplex obliterator having ‘3’ between 21 (5.11.5.11) thin lines.
Postmark Code ‘C’ & Day Code ‘B’
23 MARCH 1858
Commercial folded-letier sent from London
to
Hamburg, Germany.
Eight Pence..
Single-weight letter-rate to Germany
PEARSON HILL...
Parallel Motion Machine 14 May 1858
SECOND TRIAL Duplex Postmark Type Il
Officially first demonstrated on 13-14 May 1858, HILL’S SO-CALLED ‘PARALLEL-MOTION STAMPING MACHINE’ WAS A MODIFIED, MORE ROBUSTLY CONSTRUCTED, ‘MACHINE ‘C’ TYPE having a parallel-motion linkage and having a double-roller
inking feature to eliminate offset inking on mail.
19mm Dater-Dial with ‘London’ 14mm in length along with a
duplex obliterator 2.5mm from dial with ‘3’ in obliterator between
19 (4.11.11.4) thin lines.
Postmark Code ‘A’ & Day Code ‘B'
14 MAY 1858
Domestic commercial cover sent from
London to Ashburton.
One Penny.. Domestic single-weight letter-rate
Only known example from this trial.
PEARSON HILL... Parallel Motion Machine 15 May -
December 1858
THIRD TRIAL Duplex Postmark Type III
the second trial (13-14 May), & UB i. v¥ JUIPICL? iim
fm oT
One day after Sik, APPR keh
A ALICIA ‘AACTAL’ DATER_HILAI HIE ANEW MEIAL VAIER-VIAL VIE.
19mm Dater-Dial with ‘London’ 14mm in length along
with a duplex obliterator having ‘3’ between 17 (3.11.11.3) thin lines.
Postmark Code ‘B’ & Day Code ‘A’
Ba earner
%
29 MAY 1858 Domestic One Penny single-weight folded-letter from London to Carlisle.
a Z — ——- ITI o ere ae
scene
é
i
5 JULY 1858 Domestic Two Pence double-weight commercial cover sent from London to Kells, Ireland.
PEARSON HILL...
Parallel Motion Machine 21 January - 25 March 1859
FOURTH TRIAL Duplex Postmark Type IV
Seven months after commencement of use of the
Trial Three’ duplex version. AN UN-EXPLAINABLE SHORT-LIVED (two months) MODIFIED“ AB”
POSTMARK/DATE CODE WAS USED
19mm Dater-Dial with ‘London’ 14mm in length along
with a duplex obliterator having ‘3’ between 17 (3.11.11.3) thin lines.
Postmark Code ‘B' & Day Code ‘A’
14 FEBRUARY 1859
Commercial bank folded-letter sent from London To Nelson, New Zealand. 107-day transit time.
Transit & Arrival Postmarks:
“Wellington, 23 May 1859”
“Nelson, 1 June 1859”
Eight Pence.. Single-weight letter-rate to New Zealand.
Only known overseas usage for this postmark.
PEARSON HILL...
Parallel Motion Machine 1858 - 1859
‘ARRIVAL’ & ‘TRANSIT’ POSTMARK TRIALS Postmark Types Ill & IV
By removing the duplex-obliterator, the HERETOFORE ORIGIN
POSTMARKS TYPES III & IV applied to out-going mail
WERE CONVERTED TO ‘ARRIVAL’ or ‘TRANSIT’ POSTMARKS applied to in-coming mail to London.
Usage in 1858 is found only in black-ink ink while usage in 1859
has been only been found in orange-red ink. Postmark:
19mm Dater-Dial with Postmark Codes ‘A’ or ‘B’
‘London’ 14mm in length along with month, day & year. Day Codes: ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C'
13 AUGUST 1858
“insufficiently Pre-Paid” (cover front) cachet hand-stamp (4 Pence postage instead of the required twelve Pence) with transit postmark (black ink) on folded-letter from Liverpool, England, to Paris, France.
? MM
. ae ?
‘
* phe xy ‘ =. 5
: he % , ;
a aie *% “ AB
al v [LONDON
oe pt LUA. 24 Lh ag ra) 7 a SBA, &
ig sue a SR RS ae
Mae” as OB eee Pas
5 u ». as - ‘ | i
t ) al é : ;
>, | ane ‘ j 3 ™
14 FEBRUARY 1859 Arrival mark (Orange-red ink) on a letter from Lymington to London.
1859 LONDON ‘683’ PIN-POSTMARK TRIAL... 3-19 January 1859
‘SALISBURY’ PIN-OBLITERATOR POSTMARKING DEVICE
Concurrent with the trials of the Pearson Hill Postmarking Machines at London, the British post Office evaluated a
postmarking device designed at Salisbury (England) and trialed at London in January 1859.
SINCE THE POSTMARK HAVING FOUR CENTRALLY-POSTIONED PINS OFTEN PENETRATED THE MAIL AND ITS CONTENTS, THE POST OFFICE
FOUND THE DEVICE UNACCEPTABLE.
in March 1871, the postmarking device was re-trialed but at Salisbury, albeit with the pins removed from the postmark,
without success.
Postmark: 17mm diameter round obliterator
postmark indicating ‘683’ and having
four centrally-positioned pins.
One of five examples known
PEARSON HILL... Parallel Motion Machine 25 March -
20 May 1859
FIFTH TRIAL Duplex Postmark Type V
Between 1858-1860, the London General Post Office
RIM ITH DIFFERENT POSTMARK OBLITERATOR VERSIONS
VENESS
sistas ta CNTER WwW Wekivil
19mm Dater-Dial with
‘London’ 14.5mm in length along with a wide duplex obliterator having ‘3’
between ? (2.5.5.2) heavy lines.
Postmark Code ‘A’ & Day Code ‘B’
8 APRIL 1859
“19 Cents” Collect (Postage Due) stampless commercial folded-letter from London to New York City. "19 Cents’ Postage Due Mark = 3 Cents ‘British Inland Rate’ + 16 Cents ‘British Packet’ Rate
via Exchange Office.
are Z J - : yr ;
she cley C CALC.
< — eee = f
aie
19 MAY 1859 Domestic One Penny single-weight letter from London to Ecclefechan with “L.C.R.” Railway Marking.
PEARSON HILL... Parallel Motion Machine 12 May -
19 December 1859
SIXTH TRIAL Duplex Postmark Type VI
Since the word ‘LONDON’ needed fo be larger in the dater dial, such was INCREASED IN LENGTH TO 16mm with the postmark
obliterator remaining the same as Type V. 19mm Dater-Dial with ‘London’ now 16mm in length along with a duplex
obliterator having ‘3' between 9 (2.5.5.2) widely spaced lines.
Postmark Code ‘A’ & Day Code ‘B’ (From Sept.-Dec. Day Codes: ‘A’ to ‘Z’)
16 MAY 1859
Commercial mail sent from London to the “Royal Institute of Saxony” at Dresden, Germany, with railway routing mark (red)..
“From England by way of Aachen Prepaid”
Two-day transit time.
Delivery Postmark: (Reverse)
“Brief P. - Ausgabe, 2-1/2, 18 May”
Eight Pence ... Single-weight letter-rate to Germany
PEARSON HILL... Parallel Motion Machine 12 May -
19 December 1859 SIXTH TRIAL
Duplex Postmark Type VI
« oe BS A RN FP aaa
s G6 (SE\f _hLY 7 oe
he BK AELL
me e
Pr og er ap
ee eH RY SE OF
i
i
LLG YF YFCS r ii ih... .. ed. BatDIO °F AZDO10E f
tj 1°%* SUTIN! 2 oir ¢ = bees sap DUS DS Fay olig i eH
: f OS .anaacy © ey
j
Baltes:
10 AUGUST 1859 Three-color-franked commercial folded printed-circular mail
from London to Shanghai, China, with routing “Overland Via Marseilles” (France).
Transit Postmark: (Reverse)
“Hong Kong, September 20, 1859” 9 Pence .. Single-weight rate to China.
19 DECEMBER 1859
Commercial folded-letter sent from London to Guildford, Western Australia, “Via Marseilles” (France).
One Shilling ... Single-weight letter-rate from England to Australia.
Latest known date.
PEARSON HILL...
Parallel Motion Machine
‘ARRIVAL’ & ‘TRANSIT’ POSTMARK TRIALS Postmark Types VI
1859 + 1861
By removing the duplex-obliterator, the HERETOFORE ORIGIN POSTMARK TYPE VI applied to out-going mail
WAS CONVERTED TO AN ‘ARRIVAL’ or ‘TRANSIT’ POSTMARK
and applied to in-coming & transit mail at London.
Orange-red ink color
Postmarks:
1859: 19mm Dater- Dial with Postmark Code ‘A’
‘London’ 16mm in length along Day Code: ‘B’ (‘A’ to ‘Z’)
with month, day & year. (25 March - 20 May 1859)
1861: 19mm Dater- Dial with Postmark Code ‘B’ ‘London’ 15mm in length along Day Code: ‘E’ (‘A’ to ‘Z’)
with month, day & year. (? November 1860 — 23 June 1863)
— ARRIVAL POSTMARK ; . sir de m4
17 MAY 1859 eo QE Uy a ~ Me eS .
Lady’s letter, fi ee postmarked at 3 <= Lymington, ‘\ er
sent to London. ‘ Songs Pe i
One Penny.. re .s
Domestic single-weight letter-rate |
Front
TRANSIT POSTMARK
22 MARCH 1861
Mourning cover,
postmarked at Weston-Super-Mare
(near Bristol), England,
sent to Boone County, Illinois, U.S.A.
Auxiliary Mark: (Front)
“Br. Packet April 24”
24 Cents Collect.. (3+16+5 Cents)
from recipient in
America
PEARSON HILL...
10 MARCH 1860
Commercial folded letter
from London
to Glasgow, Scotland.
Parallel Motion Machine
TRIAL WITH A SECOND MACHINE OBLITERATOR DESIGNATION ‘4’
Duplex Postmark Type 4-V
17 February -
25 October 1860
After a short-lived early February trial,
THE POST OFFICE REVERTED TO USE OF THEIR FIRST POSTMARK (Type 4-11) WITH THE SECOND HILL PARALLEL MOTION MACHINE
NOW WITH HEAVY OBLITERATOR BARS.
19mm Dater-Dial with ‘London’ now
BO ans/\ume 17mm in length along with a duplex
LONDON) = a obliterator having ‘4’ between re a —\ s/o 11 (3.5.5.3) heavy bar lines.
Postmark Code ‘B’ & Day Codes ‘A’ thru ‘2’, less ‘Q'
One Penny ... Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
18 SEPTEMBER 1860
Commercial
folded-letter from London
to Liverpool.
PEARSON HILL... Parallel Motion Machine 24 September 1859 -
8 February 1860
TRIAL WITH A SECOND MACHINE OBLITERATOR DESIGNATION ‘4’
Duplex Postmark Type 4-Il
In September 1859, in order to conduct additional tests, THE GENERAL POST OFFICE OBTAINED A SECOND PEARSON HILL
MACHINE HAVING OBLITERATOR DESIGNATION ‘4’ (HERETOFORE ‘3’).
19mm Dater-Dial with ‘London’ now
BS — 17mm in length along with a duplex LONDON | 77 obliterator having ‘4’ between oc Hf} ise 11 (3.5.5.3) bar lines.
33 ——
Postmark Code ‘B’ & Day Codes ‘A’ thru ‘Z’, less ‘Q’
29 OCTOBER 1859
Commercial folded letter
from London to
Paris, France.
One shilling.. Double-weight letter-rate to
France
7 JANUARY
1860
Commercial
folded-letter
from London
to
- Basingstoke.
One Penny.. Domestic single-
weight letter-rate.
PEARSON HILL...
Parallel Motion Machine 6 - 8 February 1860
TRIAL WITH A SECOND MACHINE .. OBLITERATOR DESIGNATION ‘4’ Duplex Postmark Type 4-IV
One of the shortest trial runs with the Second Hill Trial-Machine ...
POSTMARK HAVING ‘SIX’ BARS (unique) ON EACH SIDE OF THE
TRIANGLE WITH ‘4’ DESIGNATION.
= 19mm Dater-Dial with ‘London’ now 17mm in length along with a duplex B Vv a
LONDON = = obliterator having ‘4’ between
rE 8S [A= 10 (2.6.6.2) heavy bar lines. 60 went“ occ
Postmark Code ‘B’ Day Codes ‘A’ thru ‘Z’ less ‘Q’
Two of three examples known.
PEARSON HILL...
10 MARCH 1860
Commercial folded letter
from London
to Glasgow, Scotland.
Parallel Motion Machine
TRIAL WITH A SECOND MACHINE OBLITERATOR DESIGNATION ‘4’
Duplex Postmark Type 4-V
17 February -
25 October 1860
After a short-lived early February trial,
THE POST OFFICE REVERTED TO USE OF THEIR FIRST POSTMARK (Type 4-11) WITH THE SECOND HILL PARALLEL MOTION MACHINE
NOW WITH HEAVY OBLITERATOR BARS.
19mm Dater-Dial with ‘London’ now
BO ans/\ume 17mm in length along with a duplex
LONDON) = a obliterator having ‘4’ between re a —\ s/o 11 (3.5.5.3) heavy bar lines.
Postmark Code ‘B’ & Day Codes ‘A’ thru ‘2’, less ‘Q'
One Penny ... Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
18 SEPTEMBER 1860
Commercial
folded-letter from London
to Liverpool.
PEARSON HILL...
4 AUGUST 1860
Commercial folded- letter
from London to
Kendal.
Obliterator Code: ’87’
Parallel Motion Machine
‘FIRST’ MULTIPLE UNIT TRIALS AT LONDON SERIES ‘1’
Duplex Postmark Types “87PH1” - “93PH1”
The General Post Office in 1860 found that Hill's machine was superior
to one submitted by cme ee a machine sala was tried A Y HILL’ HE ‘Ef
NG TI
Mid - End 1860
19mm Dater-Dial with ‘London’
16mm in length along with a duplex
obliterator having ‘87’ to '93' between
9 (2.5.5.2) heavy bar lines.
Postmark Code ‘C’ to ‘H’ & Day Codes ‘A’ thru ‘2’
(4 Aug. - 27 Oct. 1860) ¢ a Postmark Code ‘C’ 8 Bae ae 2
Day Code ‘Y’ Care, Be hie ee LA SE f
One Penny .. ae ah issn cae Domestic SA ef Fa YO gf a)
single-weight J
letter-rate Z / ie
It ot Lnawn 1crrme own usage. HiiCol RIV
25 AUGUST 1860
Commercial folded-letter
from London
to Perth.
Obliterator Code: 89’ (23 June — 2? Sept. 1860)
Postmark Code ‘E’
Day Code ‘R’
Two Pence...
Domestic
double-weight
letter-rate
PEARSON HILL...
Parallel Motion Machine October 1860 - 1863
‘SECOND’ MULTIPLE UNIT TRIALS AT LONDON SERIES ‘2’
Duplex Postmark Types “1PH2” - “6PH2”
The first ‘six’ machines of the ‘Second’ Trial Series had the following DIE CODES... 1=A,2=B,3=C,4=D,5=E, 6=F.
19mm Dater-Dial with ‘London’ a
BON sao 16mm in length along with a duplex OND CD Sm obliterator having ‘1’ to '6’ between
oe / 9 (2.5.5.2) heavy bar lines.
Postmark Code ‘A' fo ‘F’ & Day Codes ‘A’ thru ‘2’
10 DECEMBER 1863
Obliterator Code: ’2’ (? Nov.1860 - 10 Dec.
1863)
Postmark Code ‘B’ Day Code ‘X’
Latest known usage.
22 OCTOBER 1862
(29 Oct. 1860 - 26 June 1863)
Postmark Code ‘D’ Day Code ‘R’
;
| Obliterator Code: ‘4’
18 MARCH 1862
Obliterator Code: ‘6’ (25 Oct. 1860 - 25 June 1863)
Postmark Code ‘F’
Day Code ‘E’
PEARSON HILL... Parallel Motion Machine October 1860 - 1863
‘SECOND’ MULTIPLE UNIT TRIALS AT LONDON SERIES ‘2’
Duplex Postmark Types “1PH2” - “6PH2”
Examples of MISSING ‘DAY’ CODES
The postmark DATER DIAL, with obliterator removed, were also
USED AS ‘ARRIVAL MARKS’ on the reverse of incoming mail.
have been recorded.
MISSING ‘DAY’ CODE
29 NOVEMBER 1863
Obliterator Code: ’5’ (29 Oct.1860 - 13 July 1863)
Postmark Code ‘F’
EP aonpae LONDON FE 15
6t ni l
| 19mm Dater-Diai with ‘London’
16mm in length along with a duplex
obliterator having ‘5’ between
9 (2.5.5.2) heavy bar lines.
Postmark Code ‘E’’ & Day Code ’A’ thru ‘2’ or ‘Missing’
MOURNING COVERS
ARRIVAL POSTMARK
2 AUGUST 1861
From Obliterator ‘5’
Postmark Code ‘F’
Day Code ‘J’
PEARSON HILL...
Parallel Motion Machine January 1862 - June 1864
‘THIRD’ MULTIPLE UNIT TRIALS AT LONDON SERIES ‘3’
Duplex Postmark Types “7PH3”, '50PH3’ & ‘87,88,89,90,92,93,94,95,97,100,101PH3’
Machines of the ‘Third’ Trial Series had the following DIE CODES.. 7=G, 50 = S, 87 = H, 88 = 1, 89 = J, 90= K, 92=L, 93 = M, 94=N, 95= 0, 97 = P, 100=R, 101=$
19mm Dater-Dial with ‘London’
16mm in length along with a duplex
obliterator having the aforementioned numbers between # (2.5.5.2) heavy bar lines.
Postmark Code ‘As Indicated Above’
& Day Codes ‘A’ thru ‘Z'
15 SEPTEMBER 1862
Commercial folded reply letter to the “Midland Railway” at Derby.
Obliterator Code: ’88’ (7 Febr.1862 - 25 June1864)
Postmark Code ‘I’
Day Code ‘J’
One Penny ..
Domestic single-weight letter-rate
CHARLES RIDEOUT MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL
MACHINE ‘1’ Duplex Postmark Type |
4 February - 14 October 1858
In January 1858, Charles Rideout, a former surveyor, offered the London Post Office a new postmarking machine, which in October
1857 had been patented by Rideout’s son-in-law, George Beard,
TWO ‘RIDEOUT’ MACHINES WERE TESTED BY THE GENERAL POST OFFICE BETWEEN 1858-1859 DURING CONCURRENT TRIALS WITH
PEARSON HILL’S MACHINES.
19mm Dater-Dial with ‘HS’ Code,
MAIL TO CORFU,
(Al ht) month, day & year along with a
duplex obliterator having ‘1’ between
IONIAN ISLANDS a _ aes (GREECE) ieiiates ee , ex =
vi 12_ (2.8.7.2) vertical bar lines.
15 MAY 1858 .
“Lady’s letter” sent
from London to Corfu
with routing ..
London/Aachen/Triest
to Corfu arriving on
24 May 1858. 10-day transit time.
= E S S
—e on
ma ye
r
Between 1815-1864,
Corfu was under British
Administration.
be
1 Shilling.. Single-weight
letter-rate ‘all paid’
to Corfu
MAILTO GIBRALTAR
16 AUGUST 1858
Mourning cover from
London to
“Reverend Crozies" on
Gibraltar, arriving on 25 August 1858
(green-ink ‘arrival postmark’).
9-day transit time.
Six Pence ...
Single-weight letter-rate
to Gibraltar.
CHARLES RIDEOUT MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL
MACHINE ‘1’ Duplex Postmark Type |
4 February - 14 October 1858
iohbon) |
AMERICAN-ORIGIN ‘REDIRECTED’ MAILIN ENGLAND .. ‘DOUBLE-FRANKING’
yi i 19mm Dater-Dial with ‘HS’ Code, month, day & year along with a
duplex obliterator having ‘1’ between 12_ (2.8.7.2) vertical bar lines.
iy
Ex Chase & Ward
12 MAY 1858
Cover, postmarked at Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.A., sent to London, where ‘Rideout Postmark’ was applied,
British postage added and ‘redirected’ to Chester.
24 Cents .. Single-weight letter-rate to England. +
One Penny.. Domestic single-weight letter-rate postage in England for redirected mail.
CHARLES RIDEOUT MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL
MACHINE ‘T’ Duplex Postmark Type Il
22 October 1858 —- December 1859
Tf K ¥ LACED TE OBE
IE HAVING "VI NE!
i | 19mm Dater-Dial with ‘HS’ Code, LONDON 0 month, day & year along with a ee 2 duplex obliterator having ‘1’ between
11_ (2.7.7.2) vertical bar lines.
RAILWAY TO RAILWAY
15 FEBRUARY 1859
“Eastern Counties
Railway”
Cover, sent inner-
London to Kings Cross Station & the
“Great Northern a Railway” eo
One Penny.. eee A Lt .
Domestic single- z a ee
meaner eee Eastern Counties Railway. tal
COMMERCIAL DOUBLE-
WEIGHT MAIL
2 MAY 1859
Commercial
folded-letter
mail sent from
London to Macclesfield.
Two Pence ...
Domestic
double-
weight letter-
rate.
CHARLES RIDEOUT MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL
MACHINE ‘1’ Duplex Postmark Type Il
22 October 1858 —- December 1859
19mm Dater-Dial with ‘HS’ Code, month, day & year along with a
duplex obliterator having ‘1’ befween 11 (2.7.7.2) vertical bar lines.
MAIL FROM ENGLAND & REDIRECTED WITHIN INDIA
Reverse
3 MARCH 1859
‘Lady’s cover’ sent from London to “Captain Griffeths” of “Her Majesty's 19 Regiment” in India with routing “Via Marseilles", France.
Multiple transit and redirection markings (reverse) with final delivery on 13 April 1859.
40-day transit time.
Nine Pence.. Single-weight letter-rate to India.
CHARLES RIDEOUT MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL
MACHINE ‘1’ ‘ARRIVAL’ & ‘TRANSIT’ POSTMARKS
1858 - 1859
By removing the duplex-obliterator, THE HERETOFORE ORIGIN POSTMARK TYPES | or Il
applied to out-going mail
WERE CONVERTED TO AN ‘ARRIVAL’ or ‘TRANSIT’ POSTMARK applied to in-coming mail at London.
Only known in orange-red ink.
19mm Dater-Dial with ‘HS’ Code,
month, day & year
20 DECEMBER 1858
28 JUNE 1858
CHARLES RIDEOUT MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL
MACHINE ‘2’ Duplex Postmark Type |
27 December 1858 - 3 December 1859
in December 1858, Charles Rideout, delivered a
SECOND TRIAL MACHINE to the General Post Office at London;
OSTMARK NOW HAD A NEW DATER-DIAL CODE OF ‘CR’ & AN ~Awrense™ ra! CA
{ d
Yeh Ge Fay
19mm Dater-Dial with ‘CR' Code,
month, day & year along with a
9 (2.5.5.2) vertical bar lines.
AW |VAL one Oy | duplex obliterator having ‘2’ between
so Mil
18 JUNE 1859
Mourning cover sent
inner-London to the “Secretary of the
Great Northern
Railway”
at Kings Cross Station.
26 FEBRUARY 1859
Commercial
folded letter
from London
to Hull.
One Penny..
Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
CHARLES RIDEOUT MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL
MACHINE ‘2’ Duplex Postmark Type Il 8 February — 5 June 1859
Between February and June 1859, THE HERETOFORE USED POSTMARK HAVING CODE ‘CR’ HAD ITS CODE
TYPE REVERSED TO INDICATE ‘RC’. 19mm Dater-Dial with ‘RC’ Code, month, day & year along with a
4 JUNE 1859
Commercial folded letter from London
to Edinburgh, Scotland, arriving there by train mail on 5 June 1859 (backstamp).
Two Pence.. {horizontal pair of One Pence reds)
Domestic double-weight letter-rate.
Latest known usage. (5 June was a Sunday with no mail delivery service)
CHARLES RIDEOUT MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL
MACHINE ‘2’ ‘ARRIVAL’ & ‘TRANSIT’ POSTMARKS
1859
By removing the duplex-obliterator,
THE HERETOFORE ORIGIN POSTMARK TYPES |! or Il (‘CR’ or ‘RC’) applied to out-going mail
WERE CONVERTED TO AN ‘ARRIVAL’ or ‘TRANSIT’ POSTMARK applied to in-coming mail at London.
Only known in orange-red ink.
19mm Dater-Dial with ‘CR’ Code,
month, day & year
22 NOVEMBER 1859
Arrival postmark on domestic
inbound mail to
London.
28 OCTOBER 1859
Arrival postmark on inbound overseas commercial mail
from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to London.
CHARLES RIDEOUT MACHINE... SECOND TRIAL
MACHINE ‘1’ Duplex Postmark Type Il
10 - 12 October 1866
Although Pearson Hill’s ‘Parallel Motion’ Machine had been
selected by the London Post Office in 1859 for wide-spread use, Charles Rideout pressed for additional trials, and
IN 1866 THE GENERAL POST OFFICE CONDUCTED A SECOND TRIAL, ALSO NOT SUCCESSFUL FOR RIDEOUT.
HS AT 19mm Dater-Dial with ‘HS’ Code,
LONDON | month, day & year along with a ie 6. | | duplex obliterator having ‘1’ between
: (vil 11 (2.7.7.2) vertical bar lines.
ar
12 OCTOBER 1866
London inner-city cover.
One Penny ...
Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
One of two reported covers. Latest known usage date.
CHARLES RIDEOUT MACHINE... SECOND TRIAL
MACHINE ‘2’ Duplex Postmark Type |
23 October 1866 - 10 July 1867
19mm Dater-Dial with ‘CR’ Code,
‘on BON ele month, day & year along with a duplex obliterator having ‘2’ between
9 (2.5.5.2) vertical bar lines. (GR)
LWA Loge Bis ane oy
23 OCTOBER 1866
inner-city London commercial folded-letter.
One Penny.. Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
Earliest known usage date.
HINRICHSEN (AZEMAR) MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL
31 March — 24 June 1869
in 1865, two German inventors, Carl Fischer & J.C.W. Maas, applied in England for a patent on a new postmarking machine.
Although initially unsuccessful, they received
a patent in August, 1867.
Robert Hinrichsen of Germany became the manufacturer, and
J.C. Azemar of London would be their sales representative.
THE “AZEMAR” MACHINE, aka “HINRICHSEN” MACHINE IN GERMANY,
HAD THREE DIE HEADS, each consisting of a 20mm diameter dater dial with the Code “YI”
indicating “London” (14mm in length) and month, day & year dates,
with a combination of obliterator bar-configurations.
~ 4 T I A i t ,
H e
fa
4
oT IT IE T
-T LU IV EE L
“ U P P W E T ?
7 APRIL 1869
Commercial folded-letter sent from London to Liverpool, arriving there on 8 April (backstamp).
Early days of the first trial had the dater-dial parallel
with the upper bar of the obliterator.
Obliterator combination: 1.2.3.2.5
One Penny ... Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
HINRICHSEN (AZEMAR) MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL
31 March — 24 June 1869
For unknown reasons,
THE DATER-DIALS’ POSITIONS DURING THE FIRST TRIAL
“FLOATED” DOWNWARD.
8 APRIL 1869
Commercial cover sent from London to
the “Bank of Scotland” . ee at Blairgowrie, arriving
on
9 April (backstamp).
Note mid-level
position of dater-dial
as well as the
“missing” obliterator
section. tis suspected
that the postal ieee a authorities intentionally ee Se
omitted the bar-strip.
Za
One of two known eC examples. : . fo co <
Obliterator as - combination:
1.2. 2.5. 3.
28 APRIL 1869
Commercial cover sent from London to
Rochester, arriving
on 29 April (backstamp).
Two non-aligned dater dials, caused
by improper
machine tracking.
Obliterator combination:
fee, were: ; 1.3.2.4.5
One Penny ... Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
HINRICHSEN (AZEMAR) MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL
31 March — 24 June 1869
Between May-June of the first trial, THE POSITION OF THE DATER DIAL SHIFTED DOWNWARD
and was now about even with the second-from-the-bottom bar,
about 15mm to the left, of the obliterator.
3 JUNE 1869
Commercial cover
sent from London to
the “Belfast Banking Company” at Lurgan, Ireland,
arriving on 4 June (backstamp).
Obliterator
combination:
1.2.4.2.4.5
Exp. RPS
24 JUNE 1869
Commercial folded-letter sent from London to Plymouth,
arriving on 25 June (backstamp).
Obliterator combination: 1.2.3.2.5
Latest known usage from Trial One.
One Penny ...
Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
HINRICHSEN (AZEMAR) MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL
31 March — 24 June 1869
OVERSEAS DESTINATION MAIL ..
CANADA
4 eet eet ee
we Get ee ae oe
ma “el oes =Gs==z = 4 eal wet we
i See Eee pee oe
“SS Wee wee eee”
7 2 3 4 §
Iz a Rod LieceeA ee Lie? P |
a eee
a
Sees = ote eee ce ee :
22 MAY 1869
Mixed-franking, commercial folded-letter from London to the “Niagara District Bank”,
at St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, arriving there on 2 June (backstamp).
11-day transit time.
Only known cover to an overseas destination.
Obliterator combination: 1.3.4.2.4.5
Seven Pence ... Single-weight letter-rate to Canada.
HINRICHSEN (AZEMAR) MACHINE... POSTAL CARD TRIAL
4 January — 2 February 1871
With the introduction of government-issued postal stationery cards in October 1870, a need to quickly & effectively postmark large
quantities of similarly-sized mail developed. THE ‘HINRICHSEN -AZEMAR’ MACHINE WAS TESTED POSTMARKING
POSTAL STATIONERY CARDS FOR ONE MONTH IN EARLY 1871.
Similar to a arrival postmark applied at Berlin & Hamburg, Germany, between 1867-1870, the rectangular dater 19x14mm was paired with an oval obliterator having “89” in the center
surrounded by vertical dashes.
HIRD. High dater-position usage: JG ae Sn 4-18 January 1871
LONDON it oth BIATI ie 8g ie Low dater-position usage
“THEN 23 January — 2 February 1871
9 JANUARY 1871
Commercial-mail postal stationery card sent from London to Cougleton.
Incomplete postmark impressions are typical for applications on postal cards.
Less than ten examples known.
Half Penny ... Domestic postcard-rate.
HINRICHSEN (AZEMAR) MACHINE... SECOND TRIAL
18 May —- December 1871
COMMENCING WITH THE ‘SECOND TRIAL’ MID-1871,
EACH OF THE THREE MACHINE DATER-DIAL POSTMARKING HEADS WERE CODED...“AB”, “BB” & “CB”
DATER DIAL DIE-HEAD CODE “AB”
20 OCTOBER 1871 -_
Commercial business al folded-letter reply mail To eee
sent from London to EEE the “Midland Railway Peace tee cee ; a Company” at Derby, | The Seeretary of the Midiand Railway «Company,
arriving there on ie be 21 October (backstamp). ay ‘ Deer.
Obliterator ce combination:
1.2.3.5.
22 NOVEMBER 1871
Commercial folded letter sent from
London to Poole,
Dorset, arriving on
23 November (backstamp).
Obliterator combination:
1.2.4.5.
One Penny ...
Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
HINRICHSEN (AZEMAR) MACHINE... SECOND TRIAL
18 May - December 1871
DATER DIAL DIE-HEAD CODE “BB”
24 OCTOBER 1871
Commercial folded-
letter mail sent from London to Havant,
arriving on 25 October (backstamp).
Obliterator combination:
1.2.3.5
19 JULY 1871
Commercial folded letter
sent from
London Haddam/Ware,
arriving on | : = I 20 July | | | ft Re Ag O-2-€ { : (backstamp).
Obliterator combination:
1.2.3.4.5.
Ri va s
aa a
we en
te
One Penny ... Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
HINRICHSEN (AZEMAR) MACHINE...
23 AUGUST 1871
Commercial feffer mail sent from London to
the “Bank of England” at Leeds, arriving on
24 August (backstamp).
Obliterator
combination:
1.2.4.3.5
T8 May - December 1871
DATER DIAL DIE-HEAD CODE “CB”
One Penny ... Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
SECOND TRIAL
31 MAY 1871
Commercial folded letter sent from
London to
Shaftsbury, ariving on
1 June (backstamp).
Obliterator
combination:
1.2.4.3
HINRICHSEN (AZEMAR) MACHINE... SECOND TRIAL
18 May - December 1871
DATER DIAL DIE-HEAD CODE “AP”
MAILTO FRANCE
a NT a de aaa eal
4 NOVEMBER 1871
Commercial folded letter sent from London to Paris, France,
with Calais transit postmark dated 5 November.
One of two examples known having this code; oneof two foreign-bound mail examples for this trial.
Obliterator combination:
1.2.4.5
Three Pence... Single-weight letter-rate to France
HINRICHSEN (AZEMAR) MACHINE... THIRD TRIAL
17 May - 8 November 1872
HAVE CODED DATER DIALS FOR EACH OF THE THREE DIE HEADS. THE ‘THIRD TRIAL’ CONTINUED TO
DATER DIAL DIE-HEAD CODES “AB”, “BB”, “CB”
‘AB’ DATER DIAL CODE
2 JULY 1872
Cover, sent from
London to a military
officer at Cork, Ireland,
arriving on 3 July
(backstamp).
Obliterator
combination:
1.3.2.5
‘BB’ DATER DIAL
CODE
14 AUGUST 1872
Commercial cover sent from
London to an
attorney at Faringdon,
arriving on
15 August (backstamp).
Obliterator
combination:
1.2.3.3
‘CB’ DATER DIAL Pe CODE
29 MAY 1872
Cover, sent from
London to
Kirkby-Lonsdale, arriving on 30 May
(backstamp).
Obliterator
Combination:
1.2.3.3
ett eee oy POE,
Me ide
HINRICHSEN (AZEMAR) MACHINE... THIRD TRIAL
17 May - 8 November 1872
FIRST DAY & LATE USAGE DATES
‘C3’ DATER DIAL CODE
FIRST DAY USAGE
PERFIN “GLYN”
17 MAY 1872
Commercial folded-
letter sent from London
to “The National Bank
of Scotland” at
Glasgow, arriving on 18 May
(backstamp).
Inadequate inking most probable cause
of incomplete dater
dial rim and dial code ‘Cs
Obliterator
combination:
1.2.3.3
‘BB’ DATER DIAL CODE
fe, |_ONCON } ; A NO INNER-CITY MAIL j
t
4 NOVEMBER 1872
MM" Iv Ve asttedé bite? bo Commercial cover sent within the City
of London, ub. ee ea delivered same
P day (backstamp).
Obliterator
combination:
1.2.4.5 F e e e o a
One Penny ... Domestic single-weight letter-rate
HINRICHSEN (AZEMAR) MACHINE... THIRD TRIAL
17 May - 8 November 1872
After three trials over a period of four years, THE GENERAL POST OFFICE AT LONDON DID NOT SELECT THE “HINRICHSEN” (“AZEMAR”) MACHINE FOR FIELD DISTRIBUTION,
because of its high maintenance and service requirements as well as its inefficiency in handling volume mail effectively.
The machine’s design using needles to transport mail through the machine for postmarking was particularly
determined to be ineffective.
‘CB’ DATER DIAL CODE
16 JULY 1872
Commercial cover sent from “Bank of England” at London to “The Lancaster Banking Company” at Lancaster,
arriving on 17 July (backstamp).
The disintegration of the dater-dial rim on the “CB” die head is one example of the machine’s deficiencies.
Obliterator combination:
1.2.4.5
One Penny ... Domestic single-weight letter-rate
SLOPER MACHINE... LONDON .. ‘CROSS & ORB’ PERFIN
Standing: 2-3 November 1870 Inverted: 9-21 November 1870
With the introduction of the postal stationery card in October 1870, the General Post Office sought a device for
effective postmarking of such cards in quantity.
THE ‘SLOPER’ PERFORATING MACHINE, HERETOFORE USED FOR BUSINESS DOCUMENTS, WAS INITIALLY TRIED IN THE CITIES OF
LONDON, LIVERPOOL, MANCHESTER, EDINBURGH & BRADFORD.
Several perforation designs were used during the five-year
trial duration. The ‘Cross & Orb’ design used at London
was the first design tried.
STANDING ‘CROSS & ORB’
2 NOVEMBER 1870
Commercial mail
sent from London
to Dundee,
arriving on
3 November {backstamp).
Earliest known
usage and one of two known
examples of the
‘Standing Cross & Orb’.
. INVERTED
2 Se ‘CROSS & ORB’
POSTIGARD *<] a e ; 17 NOVEMBER 1870
ois Gs sei IE Commercial mail
TO BE WRIFTBN ON THIS SIDE. from London
to Devon.
Tye One of seven known
examples of the
‘Inverted
Cross & Orb’
SLOPER MACHINE... LONDON .. ‘ARROW’ PERFIN
15 November 1870 - 10 October 1873
The ‘Sloper Machine’ required the clerk to place a stack or
multiple cards into the machine for perforation.
POSTAL CARDS NEAR THE TOP OF THE STACK HAD CLEARLY DEFINED HOLES, WHILE THOSE NEAR THE BOTTOM HAD SMALLER
APPEARING, ROUGHLY PERFORATED, HOLES, depending upon the condition of the perforation needles.
22 JANUARY 1872
Commercial mail sent
from London to “The
Union Bank of Scotland” 5
at Selkirk.
Rough perforation and
an indication that card
was near the bottom of
the stack of cards being
perforated.
Post CARD
THE ADDRESS ONLY TO BE WRITTEN ON THIS SbDE.
“WAM nin [hank
— GRAN SEARED ERT ST oe MMM MT TT TO ig
Gi un t
n y
HALF HALF PENNY, NY)
Foland,
TE T
aP a y e p
en og ee
tgey ata
Ting
ara
r
cue tg ee gn at
a ny
gry) Ty p t g t y t g r g h y
ty ri yr
an ge
hy
AND
10 OCTOBER 1873
“London and North
Western Railway”
mail sent from
Waterloo Station, London,
to Liverpool.
Latest known usage.
1
Pee ANN 16 FEBRUARY 1873
Commercial mail
sent from London to
Devon.
Clearly defined perforation and an
indication that card
was near the top of
the stack of cards
being perforated.
SLOPER MACHINE... LIVERPOOL .. ‘ARROW’ PERFIN
8 August 1871 - 21 January 1875
AT THE LIVERPOOL-CITY POST OFFICE, A SLOPER MACHINE WAS
TRIED HAVING NEEDLES ENABLING Imm (EARLY TRIAL) and
2mm (LATE TRIAL) DIAMETER PERFORATIONS.
31 OCTOBER 1871
Shipment notification mail to an addressee in Manchester.
Imm perforation holes
4 NOVEMBER 1874
Shipment notification mail to an addressee at Bradton.
2mm perforation holes
SLOPER MACHINE... LIVERPOOL .. ‘ARROW’ PERFIN Varieties
8 August 1871 - 21 January 1875
The standard ‘Liverpool Arrow’ Perforation consisted of eight
perforation holes, i.e. use of eight perforation needles.
OVER TIME, SOME OF THE PERFORATION NEEDLES BECAME DAMAGED OR BROKEN RESULTING IN PERFORATION VARIEITES.
21 SEPTEMBER 1871
Although needles were intact,
incorrect position of
the card in the
machine resulted in
an incorrect ‘Arrow’
location.
post -caRD Se CARD
Ez
bi THE gE TO sy app WRITTEN ON THIS SIDE. HALF PENNY
a)
25 AUGUST 1874
Five perforation holes
with three broken
needles.
Known use..
15 August -
19 September 1874
13 MAY 1874
Six perforation holes
with two needles
broken.
Known use..
13-16 May 1874.
Pos GARD.
e e
S a
e e s
[hn
ae at h
5S ss
Neel he
Mg
] é
o
4 P
gi d
y $i
ES =
s a
AR EE
R AT ER R T
a M a a T e p e E E A R e
E E
i
dhe
oe Rig a e
S o b a
or a
LE —— ibd 7
UNKNOWN MACHINE or DEVICE... LIVERPOOL .. ‘CUT’
1 January 1871
IN JANUARY 1871, A TRIAL USING SOME TYPE OF CUTTING DEVICE TO INVALIDATE POSTAL STATIONERY CARDS
TOOK PLACE AT LIVERPOOL. Such device was not from a ‘Sloper Machine’ since the latter
was first delivered for trials at Liverpoolin August 1871.
1 JANUARY 1871
Change-of-address notification sent from Liverpool to an addressee at Blythe
One of two card examples known.
¥ BExecuaner Bormnrmes, Lavenroon,
G he 2 lat January, 1871.
C We beg to inform you that we have removed to the above more
commodions Promises, and take this-opportunity of reminding you that,
having our own Underwriters, together with o Jarge Brokerage Business,
First-class Agency at Lloyd’s, London, and Corresponding Agents in all the
principal Maritime Towns, we are in a position te effect Insurances on the
best terms, and respectfully solicit your ordors, which shall have our prompt
attention. We are,
Yours respeetfully,
— Arthur de. Fibbey f Go.
Reverse
UNKNOWN MACHINE or DEVICE... MANCHESTER .. ‘CLIP’
Type !.. ‘Half Round’ Clip 11 November 1870 - 24 January 1872
AT THE CITY OF MANCHESTER, A SERIES OF TRIALS WERE CONDUCTED BETWEEN 1870-1875
USING SOME TYPE OF HAND-OPERATED MACHINE OR DEVICE TO INVALIDATE POSTAL CARDS BY CLIPPING A PIECE FROM THE CARD.
Such “clipping” is today referred to as the ‘Manchester Clip’ Marking and is usually found
on the right-side card margin with types varying in size and format.
22 NOVEMBER 1870
Commercial mail sent from Manchester
to Lancaster.
UNKNOWN MACHINE or DEVICE... MANCHESTER .. ‘CLIP’
Type ll... ‘Spear Cut’ Clip
3 December 1870 -— 15 December 1874
The ‘Spear Cut’ is similar to the ‘Wedge Cut’ Clip (Type Ill) except that the former is usually
deeper and is less angular.
Fannhnhininn nn MHA UN
il =|
1H] |
|
Manny hT THAN! th t pea
12 MAY 1871
Notification of sales representative's visit sent from Manchester to an addressee at Ulverston
‘ xe CUPOST GARD
x AD IR Sas LN a5 WRITTEN ON_THIS SIDE. | |
Ye ToAgsS$ Y 7 ef
| t felt; ; ELT LELEDADP RULE EPEAT EO IPED SUPE
TUTTE LT CETTE TATE TEGO U TTT TEU EN PEND Ny Ty reese pO Hy EG Ney Ey |
7 JUNE 1871
Purchase order acknowledgement sent from Manchester to London.
UNKNOWN MACHINE or DEVICE...
Type Ill .. ‘Wedge Cut’ Clip 29 June 1871 - 22 January 1875
MANCHESTER .. ‘CLIP’
i c a n
oy THE ADDRESS ONLY TO BE WRITTEN ON THIS Side. , HALEPENNY|
To
eS
TT
25 JUNE 1873
Acknowledgement of receipt of mail sent from Manchester to the “Bank of Ireland”.
_ —— 5
POST GARD
as
A THE ADDRESS ONLY TO BE WRITTEN ON THIS SMDE.% LL
TOs fd hers eee
OO a ds be
O y
PAPULAR ULL LL LLP eS
O a
P T T T T
T T
L L U
LL L
Ta t
H y h i t a s
Mn
CS LEGTEEUGETENEUTUAT ANG EEG TATA UG ITPA TET GUATG TA UG U TRU T GOUT G RSTO EEE OLE ERUG EUSA UU r Tey Ey EGE Uy UGGS GUT TANT TEU T EUG Ua ep rary Up yvgraPa ey yy EEN Tone Typ HL
a telat ate
11 SEPTEMBER 1874
Commercial mail sent from Manchester to London, arriving on 12 September.
Unusual is the fact that this postal card received a London arrival postmark (red ink), which
obliterated the postage.
UNKNOWN MACHINE or DEVICE... MANCHESTER .. ‘CLIP’ Varieties
‘CLIP’ ON LEFT-SIDE OF CARD
PA) Se TGA RD
fs TAMA MM MTT TTT Hynes CTT ULLAL
aoa eee eee eee
11 SEPTEMBER 1874
Business communication sent to
Glasgow, Scotland.
‘CLIPS’ ON BOTH SIDES OF CARD
POST CARD
m a n n y
11 SEPTEMBER 1874
Acknowledgement of receipt of mail sent to the “Royal Bank of Scotland”
UNKNOWN MACHINE or DEVICE... BRADFORD & EDINBURGH SINGLE-HOLE ‘PUNCH’
1871 - 1874
A ‘SINGLE-HOLE PUNCH’ WAS ANOTHER METHOD USED TO INVALIDATE POSTAL CARDS
with trials in the cities of Birmingham, Bradford, Edinburgh &
Liverpool with hole diameters of 3 & 4mm.
he ah a
THE ADDRESS ONLY TO BE WRITTEN ON THIS SIDE.
T P T
BRADFORD
6 July 1871 - 21 September 1872 4mm Punch Diameter
15 SEPTEMBER 1871
Commercial mail sent to Lancaster.
THE ADDRESS ONLY TO BE WRITTEN ON THIS SIDE, JHALEPENNY
To
The National Bank of Scotland,
ae ST LLL
EDINBURGH
31 March 1871 - 12 October 1874
3mm Punch Diameter
22 AUGUST 1871 Reply mail card sent to the “Nafional Bank of Scotland”
at Aberdeen, Scotland.
VAILE MACHINE... EXPERIMENTAL DEMONSTRATION
April 1878
Having been unsuccessful in 1874 attempting to sell his postmarking machine to the New Zealand Post Office, Robert Vaile of Auckland, New Zealand,
patented his machine in England in January 1877.
With the assistance of high-placed individuals in British society,
VAILE WAS SUCCESSFUL IN DEMONSTRATING HIS MACHINE AT THE BRITISH POST OFFICE (LONDON) SOMETIME DURING APRIL 1878.
“Dummy” letters or postal stationery cards were prepared
& applied three different postmarks ...
1. A THREE-LINE continuous bar obliterator
having two dater dials (example below);
2. ATWO-LINE continuous bar obliterator
having two dater dials;
3. AZIG-ZAG continuvous-pattern obliterator having two dater dials.
Despite the trial having taken place at London in 1878, all dater dials indicate “C. N.Z. Auckland, SE 2, 74”.
No mail was processed for actual delivery.
FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, THE MACHINE WAS REJECTED BY THE POST OFFICE, officially reported on 17 May 1878.
a fe Ss AUCKLAND ) sil (ACKLAND |~ ~
* S LO : oa E
es
\ a
A i
“ i n
One of seven surviving examples:
five examples in private collections & two in the British Postal Archives.
Only known example having the obliterator design shown (item ‘1'), with minor offset of a ‘Zig-Zag’ obliterator pattern (Item ‘3’).
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE II * 28mm Single-Circle Dater Dial with 14 thin
bars descending from left to right with NO obliterator-corners left of dater dial.
12 July, 1-7 September 1883
In 1883, Albert Hoster acquired the assets of ‘Haller & Company’ of Germany and subsequently established the ‘Postal Stamping &
Patent Machinery Company Limited’ in London, England.
Between 1883-1886, Albert Hoster sold the General Post Office at London eight postmarking machines.
The ‘Hoster Machine' was hand-operated having TWO postmarking
dies able to postmark two pieces of mail with each rotation of the hand-crank.
“TYPE I” HOSTER MARK (ONE EXAMPLE KNOWN) DATED 27 OCTOBER 1882
WAS A DEMONSTRATION MARK APPLIED BY A ‘HALLER’ PROTOTYPE
MACHINE, WITH “TYPE Il” AND BEYOND MARKS BEING APPLIED BY
DEDICATED ‘HOSTER’ MACHINES.
DURING THE FIELD-TRIAL & USAGE YEARS 1883-1893, A VARIETY OF ORIGIN & ARRIVAL POSTMARKS WERE TRIED.
7 SEPTEMBER 1883
Cover-clip, postmarked at London, from the FIRST TRIAL of a dedicated ‘Hoster Machine’
obliterating 4-Pence postage stamp
One of four known examples.
Latest known usage date
HOSTER MACHINE... OFFICIAL MAIL .. TRIAL * 28mm single circle dater dial (red ink) indicating
“Official” having one star in dial.
10 July 1884 - 22 August 1884
BANK OF ENGLAND MAIL
16 AUGUST 1884
Official free-frank ‘Bank of England’ cover,
sent to Feltham and re-directed
to Isleworth.
Transit & Arrival Postmarks (Front & Reverse)
“Feltham,
August 16, 1884” “Isleworth,
August 18, 1884” |
One of five known
HOSTER MACHINE...
25 JULY 1884
LOCAL LONDON MAIL
Between July-August 1884, the word “London”
was smaller in size
type than in other
—_-periods.
Dater dials are
found with/without
center star ...
possibly to designate
Postmark ‘Die 1’ versus ‘Die 2’.
One Penny ..
Domestic
single-weight
letter-rate.
POSTMARK TYPE lil
* 14 thick bars descending from left to right with NO obliterator-corners left of dater dial.
28 April 1884 - 2 March 1887
MAILTO ARGENTINA
23 SEPTEMBER 1884
Commercial folded-
letter, postmarked
at London, sent to Buenos Aires, |
arriving on
26 October (reverse)
33-day transit time.
Four Pence..
Single-weight letter-rate to
Argentina.
Only known ‘1884’
overseas destination
Hoster Mail.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE IV * 14 thick bars descending from left to right
WITH obliterator-corners left of dater dial.
15 January 1885 - 3 June 1887
LOCAL LONDON MAIL
15 JANUARY 1885
Postal stationery
card use.
Earliest recorded
usage of Postmark Type IV.
“IZ” in dater dial
denotes
“Late Mailing”.
Half Penny .. Domestic
postal card rate. & JANUARY 1886
Cover use.
One Penny.. Domestic
single-weight letter-rate.
A
eee Sy We a oe ORS
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE IV
* 14 thick bars descending from left to right
WITH obliterator-corners left of dater dial.
15 January 1885 - 3 June 1887
OVERSEAS DESTINATION MAIL
MAILTO FRANCE :
16 MAY 1885 A K. Hak
Commercial
re ance 3 Ke Aco nous
— ¢ N/ELSD
,
See
MAILTO GERMANY
21 OCTOBER 1886
Mourning cover
to Stade, Germany
2-1/2 Pence...
Single-weight letter-rate to each France & Germany
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE IV
* 14 thick bars descending from left to right WITH obliterator-corners left of dater dial.
15 January 1885 - 3 June 1887
MAILTO INDIA
21 JANUARY 1887
Commercial cover,
sent to Madras, India,
“Via Brindisi”, Italy
Transit & Arrival Postmarks: (Reverse)
“27 January 1887 .. Sea Post Office”
“9 February 1887 .. Nungumraukum” “9 February 1887 .. Madras”
19-day transit time.
Five Pence..
Single-weight letter-rate to India.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE IV * 14 thick bars descending from left to right
WITH obliterator-corners left of dater dial.
15 January 1885 - 3 June 1887
MAIL TO GERMANY
of the nature of a létter (whether separate or otherwise):
If this re be infringed, the packet will be chert 1 Sputeinbis
NEWSPAPER WRAPPER
11 OCTOBER 1886
Newspaper
or printed circular
sent to
Breslau, Germany.
Half Penny .. :
Printed-matter rate to Germany.
UNION POSTALE UNIVERSELLE
POST CARD—GREAT BRITAIN & IRE (GRANDE BRETAGNE ET IRLANDE) i eT
FONE tis, 9,
9 NOVEMBER 1886
Commercial mail
to Adorf,
Province Saxony, Germany
One Penny.. Postcard-rate for
mail to Germany.
Dater dials with/without star in the middle denote Postmark Die ‘1’ and/or ‘2’.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE V
* 14 thick bars descending from left to right
with obliterator-corners left of dater dial,
similar to ‘Type IV’, albeit with figures
“IP” & “22” in lower-right obliterator foot.
22 December 1884 - 3 January 1887
OVERSEAS DESTINATION MAIL
anreN
MAILTO AUSTRALIA
29 OCTOBER 1885
Mourning cover
sent to
Melbourne, Australia, arrivng on Ge
7 December 1885 e ae : (backstamp). oe ae G ee 39-day transit time.
«
woe fod peeps
Six Pence .. Single-weight
letter-rate to Australia.
MAILTO SWEDEN
10 AUGUST 1885
Commercial folded-letter,
sent to
Karlskrone, Sweden.
2-1/2 Pence..
Single-weighi letter-
rate to Sweden.
HOSTER MACHINE...
MAIL TO FRANCE
2 FEBRUARY 1885
Commercial cover,
sent to Bordeaux,
France, arriving on
6 February via Calais (backstamp).
4-day transit time.
“IZ” in origin dater-
dial denotes late
arrival at post office
2-1/2 Pence...
Single-weight
letter-rate to France.
POSTMARK TYPE VI
* 14 thick bars descending from left to right
with obliterator-corners left of dater dial, similar to ‘Postmark Type V, except
Roman Numeral “XXII”, “22” and “1”
in lower-right obliterator-foot. 23 December 1884 - 14 July 1886
FOREIGN DESTINATION MAIL
SS = ==
—
POSTAGE DUE MAILTO CANADA
12 AUGUST 1885
Commercial advertising
cover, sent to Guelph,
Ontario, Canada,
arriving on 24 August (backstamp).
12-day transit time.
One Penny franked .. should have been four
pence for single-weight
letter-rate to Canada (sealed envelope).
Thus, “T” and “6” markings applied at
London for
3 Pence postage due
+ 3 Pence penalty.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE VI
* 14 thick bars descending from left to right with obliterator-corners left of dater dial,
similar to ‘Postmark Type V, except
Roman Numeral “XXII”, “22” and “1”
in lower-right obliterator-foot.
23 December 1884 - 14 July 1886
LARGE SIZE MAIL (H = 141mm W = 187mm)
R e
ar S
tay a p a
ca b
ia se ee es
¥ S m e e
CHRISTMAS MAIL
24 DECEMBER 1885
Christmas Greetings Card, sent to Rothesay Bute.
One Penny.. Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE VII
DOMESTIC POSTAL STATIONERY COVER
27 JULY 1885
Domestic postal stationery cover with
embossed franking.
First postmark type to designate each of the
two machine dies.
“1” in lower right
obliterator-foot =
Die One.
One Penny...
Domestic single-weight
letter-rate.
* 14 thick bars descending from left to right
with obliterator-corners left of dater dial,
similar to ‘Postmark Type V, except figures
“23” (machine serial number) and “1” or “2”
(die numbers) in lower-right obliterator-foot.
2 April 1885 - 28 October 1885 L
IN dm
att
ke
ae Teo
DOMESTIC POSTAL STATIONERY CARD
8 SEPTEMBER 1885
: / Note “2” in lower right 22 Sib hea Lo obliterator-foot = Die
sgh <? 2 7 Cee “ee “
Two
bi lf Penny ...
ee a Domestic postcard rate.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE VIII * 17 thin bars descending from left to right
with postmark die indicators “1” or “2” at
lower-left of double-circle dater dial
along with machine serial number
(often unreadable) “29” at upper-left.
Year between “EC” in dater dial with & without center star.
23 November 1885 - 25 December 1887
POSTMARK DIE ‘1’ WITH ‘STAR’ IN DATER-DIAL CENTER
-X
MAILTO NORWAY
10 AUGUST 1886
Commercial folded-
letter sent to
Bergen, Norway.
2-1/2 Pence...
Single-weight letter-rate to
Norway.
LOCAL CITY MAIL
2 NOVEMBER 1886
Inner-London
| | ip A ey Ken; Lim | commercial cover mail.
One Penny...
Domestic single-weight
letter-rate.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE VIII * 17 thin bars descending from left to right with postmark die indicators “1” or “2” at lower-left of double-circle dater dial along
with machine serial number (often unreadable) “29” at upper-left.
Year date between “EC” in dater dial with & without center star.
23 November 1885 — 25 December 1887
POSTMARK DIE ‘2’ WITH ‘STAR’ IN DATER-DIAL CENTER
er pi
ll li
ra ne
st ii
li cl
l
S E
/
15 APRIL 1886
Commercial cover sent to
Edinburgh, Scotland,
arriving on 16 April (backstamp).
9 APRIL 1887
Telegram-enclosure cover, inner-city
London mail,
delivered on same day.
Only known example.
One Penny...
Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE IX
DOUBLE-FRANKED RE-DIRECTED MAIL IN
NEW ZEALAND
18 MAY 1887
Cover, postmarked at London, sent to
Nelson, New
Zealand. Upon arrival, additional franking added,
re-directed to
Christchurch, arriving there on 2 July (backstamp).
45-day transit time.
Six Pence...
Single-weight letter- rate to New Zealand
with added ‘Two (New Zealand) Pence’
added for re- direction of mail.
Only known
re-directed mail example with
double franking and postmarked by a Hoster Machine.
* 16-19 (often under-inked) thick bars descending
from left to right with NO postmark die indicators
or machine serial number. Month & day
indication parallel with a pair of stars in dater dial.
19 April 1887 - 16 December 1891
This Hoster Postmark Type only
found on foreign-destination mail.
MAILTO GERMANY
31 MARCH 1888
Mixed franking cover, sent to Dresden,
Germany, arriving on
2 April (backstamp). Two-day transit time.
2-1/2 Pence... Single-weight letter-rate
to Germany.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE IX
* 16-19 (often under-inked) thick bars descending
from left to right with NO postmark die indicators
or machine serial number. Month & day
indication parallel with a pair of stars in dater dial.
19 April 1887 - 16 December 1891
MAIL TO FRANCE
a a
3 AUGUST 1887
Commercial cover,
sent to Paris.
15 OCTOBER 1887
Commercial
folded-letter mail sent
ae | A ‘ to Cognac.
2-1/2 Pence... Single-weight letter-rate to France.
HOSTER MACHINE...
MAILTO BELGIUM
‘STAR’ IN CENTER OF DATER DIAL
23 JANUARY 1889
Commercial cover
sent to
Brussels, Belgium.
Do. in ae cael
POSTMARK TYPE IX
* 16-19 (often under-inked) thick bars descending
from left to right with NO postmark die indicators
or machine serial number. Month & day
indication parallel with a pair of stars in dater dial.
19 April 1887 - 16 December 1891
POSTMARK DIES WITH & WITHOUT ‘STAR’ IN CENTER OF DIAL
(Possibly denotes Postmarking Dies ‘1’ = Star, ‘2’ No Star)
A
g, ONION COURT, AD ST., OLD BRO
LONDON, ©:
2-1/2 Pence...
Single-weight letter-rate to Belgium & France.
MAILTO FRANCE
NO ‘STAR’ IN CENTER OF DATER DIAL
29 JANUARY 1889
Commercial cover sent to
Paris, France.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE IX * 16-19 (often under-inked) thick bars descending
from left to right with NO postmark die indicators or machine serial number. Month & day
indication parallel with a pair of stars in dater dial.
19 April 1887 - 16 December 1891
MAIL TO FRANCE
SMALL SIZE MAIL (h = 73mm W = 94mm)
22 NOVEMBER 1890
So-called ‘Lady's’ cover, sent fo Dunieres/Loire, France,
arriving on 24 November. Two-day transit time.
Smallest known size mail handled by the Hoster Postmarking Machine.
2-1/2 Pence.. Single-weight letter-rate to France.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE IX
* 16-19 (often under-inked) thick bars descending
from left to right with NO postmark die indicators or machine serial number. Month & day
indication parallel with a pair of stars in dater dial.
19 April 1887 - 14 December 1891
UPU POSTAL STATIONERY CARDS TO FOREIGN DESTINATIONS
UNION POSTALE UNIVERSELLE ac > y
POST CARD—GRAT BRITAIN & REDLAND $e up x a
(GRANDE BRETAGNE ET IRLANDE) \3 .
THE ADDRESS ONLY TO BE WRITTEN ON ee Oo ~
MAIL TO GERMANY
5 JANUARY 1888
Commercial mail,
UPU Postal Card,
sent to
Dusseldorf, Germany. | |
‘i |
UNION POSTALE UNIYERSELLE Oe 77h
POST CARD—GREAT BRITAIN & TRELAND)- ee afk
(GRANDE BRETAGNE ET IRLANDE) — 4% ~ BS
THE ADDRESS ONLY TO: BE WRITTEN ON THIS HR - MAILTO SWITZERLAND
4 He ie 3 NOVEMBER 1888
ae ie: oe Cr Commercial mail, ra) UPU Postal Card, sent to
Dy St. Croix (Pontarlier- Neuchatel),
Switzerland.
“ZZ” in dater-dial
denotes ‘late delivery’ at post office.
One Penny ...
UPU Postcard-Rate to foreign destinations.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE X * 19 (often under-inked) thick bars descending from left to right with no postmark die indicators or machine serial number. Double Circle dater dial having date & year on one line, Code ‘A’
at the top and bottom code letters ‘GS’, ‘o: ‘R’, ‘W’ or “TL;
12 January 1889 - 28 February 1891
LATE DELIVERY OF MAIL AT THE POST OFFICE
10 FEBRUARY 1891
Cover, sent to Birmingham, arriving on 11 February (backstamp).
“ZZ” in dater dial = ‘Late receipt of mail at post office’
One Penny .. Domestic Single-weight letter-rate.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE XI
* 19 (often under-inked) thick bars descending
from left to right with NO postmark die indicators or machine serial number. Double Circle dater dial having code number at top and with year
date at bottom of dial WITHOUT any stars or ‘EC’ indication.
21 October 1889 —- 30 November 1891
FOREIGN DESTINATION MAIL
16 FEBRUARY 1891
UPU Postal Stationery Card, sent to a convent at
Limbourg, Belgium, arriving on 17 February.
One Penny .. Postal card rate for foreign-bound mail.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE XII * 14 (often under-inked) thick bars descending from left to right with NO postmark die indicators er machine serial number. Double circle dater dial with code number at top, year indication between “EC” at bottom and with/without
star in center dial.
1 March 1890 - 12 June 1893
POSTAL STATIONERY FOREIGN DESTINATION MAIL
MAILTO GERMANY
14 FEBRUARY 1891
Postal stationery cover,
commercial mail, to Hamburg,
Germany, arriving on 16 February
(backstamp).
2-1/2 Pence.. Single-weight
letter-rate for mail to Germany.
MAIL TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
20 FEBRUARY 1893
UPU Postal Stationery Card, commercial mail, sent to New York City, arriving on March 1
(backstamp).
9-day transit time.
Readable “(18)93” year dates are few on this
postmark type.
One Penny.. UPU Postcard-Rate for
foreign destination mail.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE XII * 14 (often under-inked) thick bars descending
from left to right with NO postmark die indicators or machine serial number. Double circle dater
dial with code number at top, year indication between “EC” at bottom and with/without
star in center dial.
1 March 1890 - 12 June 1893
ADVERTISING COVER MAIL
8 JANUARY 1891
Early-use advertising cover mail in Britain (“New York Herald” Branch Office in London)
Inner-city mail.
One Penny.. Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE XiIil
* 16-18 (often under-inked) thin bars descending from RIGHT TO LEFT and three bars descending
from left to right on left-side of dater dial with
no postmark die indicators or machine serial
number. Double circle dater dial with numerical
or letter code at top, with or without star in
dial center, and year date between “EC” at bottom.
October 1889 - 12 September 1893
.
SSS
MAILTO :
SWITZERLAND |
Cover, sent to is Se ee
|
Geneva, mae
7
Switzerland, Lt A a
arriving on MNS, —— '
vroen Aes MA At Ler. V7 Cea tS (backstamp). PD See
One day transit ee,
time. attan Champol ZF
a> eg 2-1/2 Pence.. GQ:
Single-weight i a £ letter-rate for mail | EX dd
to Switzeriand.
DOMESTIC POSTAL
STATIONERY LETTER- CARD
CARD
15 MARCH 1892
Letter-card, sent to
Anerley, arriving on 16 March
(backstamp).
C C R C
E E E
EEE
One Penny .. Domestic postal
stationery letter-card
mail rate.
C C C K E L C E T
C C C
EC C L E R C C E
CCOCMUC USSU ECE EEO eee Cuore Vuese SOC CECEEEUEO HEU E wY
TO OPEN THE LETTER CARD, TEAR OFF THE EDGE AT THE PERFORATION. +
C E H C C H E C H E C E C E H
E E K C E C H E H E C H C E C H E C H T E S C S C H K H E L E H E R E S C S C H E H E C E C
H E S C H E E C S C E C E E S E
[ e e c e e
HOSTER MACHINE...
UP-RATED DOMESTIC POSTAL
STATIONERY ENVELOPE
12 APRIL 1890
Cover,
commercial mail, sent to
Bremerhaven, Germany, arriving
on 14 April (backstamp).
Two day transit time.
2-1/2 Pence..
Single-weight letter-rate for mail
to Switzerland.
POSTMARK TYPE XiIil
* 16-18 (often under inked) thin bars descending
from RIGHT TO LEFT and three bars descending
from left to right on left-side of dater dial with no postmark die indicators or machine serial
number. Double circle dater dial with numerical
or letter code at top, with or without star in
dial center, and year date between “EC” at botiom.
October 1889 - 12 September 1893
POSTAL STATIONERY USAGE TO GERMANY
fy ee ;
UNION POSTALE UNIVERSELLE j vg “
POST CABZ—GREAT BRITAIN & ae |
POSTAL STATIONERY CARD
6 MAY 1890
UPU Postal Stationery Card, commercial
mail sent to Disseldorf,
Germany.
“ZZ” in dater-dial = ‘Late delivery receipt
at post office’
One Penny ..
UPU International
Posicard-Rate.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE XiIll * 16-18 (often under-inked) thin bars descending from right to left and three bars descending from left to right on left-side of dater dial with no postmark die indicators or machine serial number. Double circle dater dial with numerical or letter code at top, with or without star in dial center, and year date between “EC” at bottom.
October 1889 -— 12 September 1893
TYPE Xill .. POSTMARK ODDITIES
MAIL TO GERMANY
21 June 1890 "= oS ~ . << rs
a im ee cae } ES oe Postal stationery ies ey: At *, fe
envelope “a * Lf. ~ SN SAPS
commercial letter 7 J SON A
mail to Hamburg, : i W fy
Germany, arriving 2 Ye (He 7,
on 28 June , Ye a ed : pe
(backstamp). ae. ; ;
Seven day transit os
time. : L. KK
NOTE: 22 ‘
Apparent “22”
machine serial number in upper-
left postmark
corner! :
Franking:
2-1/2 Pence..
Single-weight letter- ;
rate for mail to «
Switzerland. ‘
DOMESTIC COMMERCIAL MAIL
27 July 1892
Commercial folded-letter mail from London to
Coupar Angus, arriving on 28 July. (backstamp).
NOTE:
Hoster Postmark with
“bridge” connection at
bottom of obliterator!
bhas
Franking:
One Pence ..
Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
HOSTER MACHINE... POSTMARK TYPE XIII
* 16-18 (often under-inked) thin bars descending
from RIGHT TO LEFT and three bars descending
from left to right on left-side of dater dial with
no postmark die indicators or machine serial
number. Double circle dater dial with numerical or letter code at top, with or without star in
dial center, and year date
between “EC” at bottom.
October 1889 -— 12 September 1893
1893 END OF HOSTER MACHINE USAGE
By late 1893, Hoster Postmarking Machines in use at London were no
longer properly postmarking mail, were in need of overhaul,
adjustment and repair.
As evidenced by the late-date examples shown, the postmarks were applied on an angle, were no longer complete or clear, resulting in
the Post Office to cease use of them,
albeit trials with other potential machines continued.
POST £08 cARDES 8 FEBRUARY 1893 THE ADDRESS ONLY TO BE WRITTEN ON TH S MG: '
Postal stationery tS | - / p/ Ess
card, commercial 9. Layo hn PO os
mail, sent to West a ze
London. a
Half Penny.. Cl ieee hp)
Domestic
posicard-rate. 4
“f/
22 FEBRUARY 1893
Cover, sent to Hackney.
One Penny .. {Horizontal Pair: Half-Penny)
Domestic single-weight
letter-rate. bile og 5
HOSTER MACHINE... NEWSPAPER BRANCH .. TRIAL
* 28mm single circle dater dial indicating “NPB” having 4 or 5 stars in dial and have a 14 thick bars
descending from left to right and positioned to the right of the dater dial.
17 August 1885 — 8 July 1887
DOMESTIC NEWSPAPER MAIL
UNDATED WRAPPER
Newspaper wrapper, sent from London to Whitehaven.
“IZ” Dater Code = ‘Late delivery to the post office’.
Only known example.
Half-Penny.. Domestic printed-matter rate.
HOSTER MACHINE... NEWSPAPER BRANCH .. TRIAL * 28mm single circle dater dial indicating “NPB”
having 4 or 5 stars in dial and have a 14 thick bars
descending from left to right and positioned to the right of the dater dial.
17 August 1885 - 8 July 1887
NEWSPAPER MAILTO GERMANY
This Wrapper may only be used for Newysng
such documents as are allowed to be sept,
of postage, and must not enclose any leftersor Pe: RD a ty
of the nature of a letter (whether geMwfate or otherwise ge
/
. Me ie
Tf this rule be infringed, the packet wif! be charged asian ya hy
‘ xX. i 2 er
UNDATED WRAPPER A . ‘ “
Newspaper wrapper,
sent from London
to Leipzig, Germany
: UNDATED A PRE-CANCELLED
Rh “his Suingghsv foay only be used for Newspapers, or for WRAPPER
te eg ‘guth documents as are allowed to be sent at the Book-rate
of postage, and must not enclose any letter or communication
Op of the nature of a letter (whether separate or otherwise). ; , Newspaper wrapper,
4“ if this rule be infringed, the packet will be charged as a letter. sent from London to
Leite. Dresden, Germany
Clear postmark
over wrapper-fold
Is verification that
wrapper was pre-cancelled.
Half-Penny..
Printed-matter rate to foreign destinations.
HOSTER MACHINE... CHARING CROSS POST OFFICE .. TRIAL
* 19 heavy bars descending from left to right with no postmark die or machine serial number. 29mm diameter dater dial with
Code “AX” at the top.
1 September 1885 - 7 December 1887
MAILTO FRANCE
1 DECEMBER 1885 eed
Folded letter, sent to Paris, France, arriving
on 2 December (packstamp).
2-1/2 Pence.. MO 4 oe Single-weight Sir LAA At. 4G OUCRtLED
letter-rate fe ee Sek fo France. "MAILTO INDIA & | —— RE-DIRECTED
30 MARCH 1886
Folded-letier, bank mail sent toa military officer serving in India
re-directed upon arrival.
24-day transit time.
Backstamps: “Sea Post Office, 9
April 1886” “Meerkut, 22 April
1886" “Chakrata, 23 April
1886”
Five Pence..
Single-weight letter- rate for mail to
india.
HOSTER MACHINE... BEDFORD STREET .. TRIAL
* 29 mm double circle dater dial indicating “Bedford St. B.O.W.C.”
having a letter code in dial with 17 thick bars descending from left to right
.. positioned right of the dater dial.
1885: 24 September, 23 November & 17 December 1886: 13 January, 30 March
= Siete s clidieunbidiaaie: a = a a — a ad x = = a —_—- a
13 JANUARY 1886
Cover, mailed at Bedford Street Post Office to Darlington.
Arrival Postmark (Reverse)
“Darlington, 14 January (18) 86”
“LZ” Dater Code = ‘Late delivery to the post office’.
One of two ‘2’ code examples known. One of five dater examples known.
One Penny.. Domestic single-weight letter rate.
HOSTER MACHINE... DOT MATRIX OBLITERATOR .. TRIAL * 30mm double circle dater dial having a dot matrix obliterator.
2 February — 21 March 1887
2 FEBRUARY 1887
Domestic postal stationery ‘clothing
advertising’ mail sent from London to
Bradford.
Half-Penny..
Domestic postcard-rate.
Earliest recorded
usage.
9 MARCH 1887
Mourning cover, sent to Harrogate.
One Penny..
Domestic single- weight letier-rate.
HOSTER MACHINE... SERVICE MARKINGS .. TYPE |
* 29mm double circle dater dial indicating “London E.C.” at top, with or without stars
in dial and with year date at bottom.
Orange-red postmark ink color.
1986 - 1890
15 MAY 1886
Arrival marking on
reverse of
London local city mail.
Earliest known Hoster
Service Postmark.
aaa 7 rants = _
| a ee nae Phiae GPO a eek be Lit lms § ; se é }
es un 2
aa |
4 | 3 MARCH 1890
er | Arrival postmark : on inbound bank
mail from
Kirkoaldy.
HOSTER MACHINE... SERVICE MARKINGS .. TYPE II
* 30mm double circle dater dial indicating
“London E.C.” at top, with or without a star in dial center and with indication of
machine serial number ’29’ at lower-left
in dial. Orange-red postmark ink color.
1987 - 1891
30 AUGUST 1887
SS Shay Arrival postmark on ea,
reverse of ae | a A inbound commercial ee i mail from Liverpool. e | Ba
i aK
0 “Puned = ; a ns & Yiu 2 KG, SiS be OR A . 4 13 JANUARY 1891 Cobras Mie E's
Arrival postmark on reverse of .
inbound
postal stationery
card commercial
mail from Bolton.
ETHRIDGE MACHINE... POSTMARK
* 25mm diameter dater-dial with
an obliterator having six
horizontal lines; middle space
opening intended for machine
number.
September 1886 - 20 April 1887
Based on a design-patent held by Martin V.B. Ethridge, the ‘American Postal Machine Company’ of Boston, Massachusetts,
furnished the London General Post Office a STEAM-POWERED
postmarking machine for testing. Since it effectively postmarked only 90 letters a minute, not an expected 300 units,
the machine was rejected having demonstrated NO ADVANTAGE COMPARED WITH THE HOSTER MACHINES
CONCURRENTLY BEING TESTED.
THE SO-CALLED ‘ETHRIDGE MACHINE’ (in Norfh America known as the ‘American Machine’)
WAS THE FIRST POSTMARKING MACHINETO APPLY AN OBLITERATOR HAVING SIX HORIZONTAL LINES.
GERMAN UPU POSTAL REPLY STATIONERY CARD
6 DECEMBER 1886
Business reply-card mail from Bolton, England, to Bingen, Germany, with (red-ink back-stamp) London ‘Hooded Transit Postmark’ (reverse) dated
6 December and arrival postmark “Bingen” (front) “7 December”.
Only known example of this usage type.
ETHRIDGE MACHINE... POSTMARK
* 25mm diameter dater-dial with
an obliterator having six
horizontal lines; middle space opening intended for machine
number.
September 1886 - 20 April 1887
DOMESTIC COMMERCIAL MAIL
23 OCTOBER 1886
Cover, commercial — mail, sent to Burton,
arriving on 24 October (backstamp).
14 MARCH 1887
Folded-letier, commercial mail,
sent to Wells, arriving on 15 March (backstamp).
Sasecie vishys
hs
td te
. 2F
One Penny .. Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
MALIN MACHINE... INTERMITTENT TRIALS
30 September 1890 - 12 February 1891
intermittently during a six-month period in 1890-1891, a so-called “Malin Machine” was tried by the General Post Office.
Little has been found in the British Postal Archives regarding the machine trial, or the machine itself, other than the machine had been rejected since it could only postmark a maximum
100 units of mail/minute.
THE MACHINE APPARENTLY ONLY POSTMARKED OUT-BOUND MAIL TO FOREIGN DESTINATIONS.
wre SFO orN=.
2/c AR xO io
UNION POSTALE UNIVERSELLE ~ ee
FWARD—GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND RANDE BRETAGNE ET IRLANDE)
RESS ONLY TO BE WRITTEN ON THIS SIDE,
POSTAL STATIONERY CARD TO HOLLAND
30 JANUARY 1891
Postal card sent from London to Zierikzee, Holland, arriving on 31 January. One-day transit time.
One Penny..
UPU International Postcard-Rate.
One of four known examples.
INTERNATIONAL MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL
25 August — 14 September 1893
In August 1893, G.W. Hey & M.J. Dolphin, founders of the ‘International Postal Supply Company’ of New York,
furnished the London General Post Office an ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED MACHINE
for testing, subsequently REJECTED BECAUSE OF ITS HIGH RENTAL COST.
ee
22.5mm single-circle dater-dial with seven-line (52mm in length) obliterator having numerical ‘1’ at right-side of the
marking.
lil
FOREIGN DESTINATION MAIL
| Ve” g ee ae w Sit fore
Gr ttt frcipre
CZ CEPPCL PLES COMMERCIAL MAIL TO GERMANY
14 SEPTEMBER 1893
Commercial printed-matter to Mannheim, Germany, ina flat-rate postal stationery cover.
Half-Penny ...
Printed-matter rate to Germany
Latest trial usage date & only known last-day usage example.
INTERNATIONAL MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL
25 August - 14 September 1893
DOMESTIC MAIL
NEWSPAPER WRAPPER USAGE
29 AUGUST 1893
Newspaper mail, sent to Brightholme.
POSTAL STATIONERY CARD USAGE
8 SEPTEMBER 1893
Commercial mail (printed price
reduction notification)
sent to Grantham, Lincolnshire.
Half-Penny ... Domestic printed-matter rate.
_ IMPERIAL MACHINE... 1897 EVALUATION
In July 1896, the ‘Imperial Mail Marking Machine Company of Canada’
offered the London General Post Office their “Imperial” Machine
for evaluation. Similar machines had already been
in field use in Canada in 1896.
The British Post Office would evaluate the machine in 1897 along with
a postmarking die similar to one in use in Canada for the Queen’s Jubilee Year (1897).
No mail was processed during the machine's evaluation, but only
trial proofs are known.
THE IMPERIAL MACHINE WAS NOT ACCEPTED BY THE LONDON GENERAL
POST OFFICE BECAUSE A MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE MACHINE (‘BICKERDIKE) HAD BEEN SUCCESSFULLY TESTED CONCURRENTLY.
NS x EHH WE NAN A SOON
NY Ny
“tis OE
PROOF EXAMPLES
Postmark examples in violet ink on ‘General Post Office’ un-watermarked file paper.
One of two known examples.
EMPIRE MACHINE...
15, 17, 18, & 21 March 1898
Martin V.B. Ethridge, previously affiliated with the ‘American Postal Machine Company’ and the
‘Ethridge Machine’ Trial of 1886-1887, now affiliated with the ‘Empire Canceling Machine Company’
of the United States of America, attempted to sell his ‘Empire Machine’
to the London General Post Office in 1898.
TRIAL OF THE ‘EMPIRE MACHINE’ WAS CONDUCTED ON FOUR DAYS IN MARCH 1898 AND FOR ONLY ONE HOUR EACH DAY
WITH ONLY 3200 MAIL UNITS!
The ‘Empire Machine’ looked and functioned similar to the ‘Bickerdike Machine’, concurrently being tested, with the former
less performance effective and subsequently rejected.
21 MARCH 1898
Clip from domestic single-weight letter mail.
Last day of trial. One of five known trial postmark examples.
BOSTON MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL
POSTMARK... * 20mm diameter dater-dial with
seven wavy-line obliterator having “1” in the center.
27 August — 30 September 1898
Soon after the Bickerdike Machine’s first trial completion in November 1897, a disagreement on the purchase ferms arose
between the General Post Office at London and the
‘Canadian Postal Supply Company’.
That impasse, albeit short-lived, enabled the ‘American Postal Machine Company’ of Boston , Massachusetts,
to submit their ‘Boston Machine’ for testing.
— = ses nt 84 es no wn 2 SS
31 AUGUST 1898
Postal stationery card, commercial mail, sent to Central London.
Half-Penny .. Domestic postcard-rate.
Two of twelve postmark examples known.
BOSTON MACHINE... SECOND TRIAL
POSTMARK...
* 22mm diameter dater-dial having ‘four digit’ year date and with a four-line
(Machines ‘2’ or ‘3') or six-line (Machines ‘1’, ‘4’, ‘5’, & ‘6') obliterator contoured with
the dater dial and having a machine number in center of obliterator.
1899 - 1900
Despite the initial ‘Bickerdike’ Machine Trial being successful, THE GENERAL POST OFFICE
DECIDED TO EXTEND TESTING OF BOTH THE ‘BOSTON’ AND ‘BICKERDIKE’ MACHINES BY LEASING SIX UNITS OF EACH FOR AN INITIAL TWELVE MONTH PERIOD.
MACHINE ‘1’
26 JUNE 1899
Domestic cover,
sent to
Hinckley.
MACHINE ‘6’
22 SEPTEMBER 1899
Local London
commercial letter mail from
“Spiers & Bond Lid” with postage
having Perfin
“S&B”. One-Penny ..
Domestic Single-weight letter-rate.
BOSTON MACHINE... SECOND TRIAL
POSTMARK... * 22mm diameter dater-dial having
‘four digit’ year date & four line obliterator with machine number in
center of obliterator.
1899 - 1900 MACHINE ‘3’
UPU STATIONERY CARD MAIL TO GERMANY
Ss oA eer ACU Rae deel CARTE: POSTALE Darya
Met) ONION POSTALE UNIVERSELLE
MACHINE ‘3’
21 DECEMBER 1899
Commercial mail,
sent to Hamburg.
UPU Postal Stationery Card: .
139 x 88mm Be.
a
* PO icy LOT,
‘ ge PINT Vi Ko ce ¥ . : *
r . “4 sar
f sepevrererne ee se EE | MACHINE ‘3
W RST ERT ON EHTS Shp Er: “ Md ZN ey ® stb) 8 NOVEMBER 1899
Commercial mail,
sent to Berlin.
UPU Postal
Stationery Card: 130 x 82mm
One Penny..
UPU international Postcard-Rate
BOSTON MACHINE... SECOND TRIAL
POSTMARK...
* 22mm diameter dater-dial having ‘four digit’ year date and with a four-line
(Machines ‘2' or ‘3') OR six-line (Machines ‘1’, ‘4’, ‘5', &'6’) obliterator contoured with
the dater dial and having a machine
number in center of obliterator.
1899 — 1900
POSTMARK CLIPS FROM ‘MACHINES 1 THRU 6’
BOSTON MACHINE... FIELD USAGE
POSTMARK...
* 22mm diameter dater-dial having ‘two
digit’ year date with a four-line
(Machines ‘2’ or ‘3') OR six-line (Machines
‘1’, ‘4', ‘5’, & '6') obliterator contoured with
the dater dial & a machine
1900 - 1904 number in center of obliterator.
In early 1900,
THE GENERAL POST OFFICE DECIDED TO PURCHASE THE HERETOFORE LEASED ‘BOSTON’ MACHINES (EIGHT MACHINES) FOR FIELD OPERATION.
The dater dials used had two-digit year dates with horizontal obliterators having machine numbers in the center.
MACHINE '2'
9 APRIL 1900
Cover,
printed-matter enclosure,
sent to
Salisbury
MACHINE ‘3’
cet a. a i . 12 APRIL 1900
—
a ee
> ye a a f poy oe ee Qe (Fee
Machine ‘4’
Cover, Es ft
printed-matter = CLL epee
enclosure,
sent to ae -
Salisbury as atiatl<iry Z.
One-Penny .. Half-Penny ..
Domestic single-weight letter-rate Domestic printed-matter rate
BICKERDIKE MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL .. LONDON
4 October - 26 November 1897
,
In March 1897, an agent for the ‘Canadian Posfal Supply Company of Montreal, Canada, offered the London General Post Office their
electrically-operated ‘Bickerdike’ Postmarking Machine.
IN SEPTEMBER 1897, FOUR MACHINES WERE DELIVERED TO THE POST OFFICE AT LONDON WHICH COMMENCED TRIALS WITH TWO OF
THE FOUR MACHINES FOR A PERIOD OF THREE MONTHS.
Two postmark varieties were used during the trial: “VR” with and without serif to distinguish between the two machines.
WITHOUT SERIF ON ‘VR’
5 October —- 25 November 1897
WITH SERIF ON ‘VR’
4 October -— 26 November 1897
6 OCTOBER 1897
Matching pair of postmarks from the early trial.
BICKERDIKE MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL .. LONDON
4 October -— 26 November 1897
POSTAGE DUE MAIL TO SWITZERLAND
WITH SERIF ON ‘VR’
6 OCTOBER 1897
Commercial un-franked mail, to Winterthur, Switzerland, arriving on 7 October (backstamp), resulting in
postage due with penalty payable by addressee upon delivery.
50 Centimes postage due covering missing postage = 2-1/2 Pence single-weight letter-rate to Switzerland +
penalty = 2-1/2 + 2-1/2 Pence = 50 Centimes.
Only known overseas mail usage from early trial.
BICKERDIKE MACHINE... FIRST TRIAL .. LONDON
4 October - 26 November 1897
POSTAL STATIONERY COMMERCIAL DOMESTIC MAIL
WITHOUTSERIFON “VR” 3 one en Zz re
OCT 22° ta re Ua a 22 OCTOBER 1897 | | 6 Pa) V Rs
Cover,
bank mail from
“Barclay & Sons
Limited”
sent to
East London.
‘lemme ARS on
a, S OM =
3 WITH SERIF ON ‘VR’
ee 6 GE ALN. . 24 NOVEMBER 1897
YO-0i) Cover, bank mail from
Lik ee “The London Joint Stock Bank”
is sent to Putney.
One Penny ..
Domestic single-weight letter-rate
BICKERDIKE MACHINE... SECOND TRIAL .. LONDON
POSTMARK...
* 22mm diameter dater-dial with “1899” in full at the bottom with a seven -line
obliterator illustrating a ‘Victorian Crown’
between “VR” along with machine number
(1 thru 6) indicated below crown.
1899 — 1900 MACHINE ‘7’
Despite the initial ‘Boston’ Machine Trial having been determined ‘acceptable’,
THE LONDON GENERAL POST OFFICE DECIDED TO EXTEND TRIALS OF BOTH THE ‘BICKERDIKE’ & ‘BOSTON’ MACHINES BY LEASING
SIX UNITS OF EACH for an initial twelve month continuing trial period.
TYPE | LARGE TYPE -SIZE
“LONDON” & “1899”
COMMERCIAL MAIL TO GERMANY
12 OCTOBER 1899
Post card, commercial mail, sent to Arnstadt, Province Thuringia,
Germany
One-Penny... UPU International Postcard-Rate
TYPE fi SMALL TYPE-SIZE
“LONDON” & “1899”
DOMESTIC COMMERCIAL MAIL
8 DECEMBER 1899
Cover, sent to York.
One-Penny ..
Domestic single- weight letter-rate.
BICKERDIKE MACHINE... SECOND TRIAL .. LONDON POSTMARK...
* 22mm diameter dater-dial with “1899” in full at the bottom with a seven -line
obliterator illustrating a ‘Victorian Crown’
between “VR” along with machine number
(1 thru 6) indicated below crown. 1899 — 1700 MACHINE ‘3’
TYPE! LARGE TYPE-SIZE
“LONDON” & “1899"
PRINTED-MATTER MAIL TO GERMANY
2 MAY 1899
Postal stationery cover sent to Leipzig, Saxony,
Germany
One-Penny... International printed-
matter rate.
Sa ater SS eae
TYPE!
/O™ DS LARGE TYPE-SIZE
me ~ “LONDON” & “1899” be MOV a
4c
\ oh) DOMESTIC Se ve ; Ee LETTER MAIL
72 Z | 4 NOVEMBER 1899
; | Misregistration of The Nektio al Ca K 0 UO postmark resulting in
hand-cancellation of postage.
One-Penny.. Domestic single-
weight letter-rate
TYPE Il
SMALL TYPE-SIZE “LONDON” & “1899"
3 NOVEMBER 1899
Dater-dial without indication of time.
Triple-pass through the machine may have
been a special test.
BICKERDIKE MACHINE... SECOND TRIAL .. LONDON
POSTMARK...
* 22mm diameter dater-dial with
“1899” in full at the bottom with a seven -line obliterator illustrating a ‘Victorian Crown’
between “VR” along with machine number
(1 thru 6) indicated below crown.
1899 — 1900 MACHINES ‘2’ & ‘6’
MIXED TYPE-SIZE FOR “LONDON” & “7899” IN DATER DIALS
MACHINE ‘2’
LARGE TYPE -SIZE “LONDON” &
SMALL TYPE-SIZE “1899" ee :
DOMESTIC POSTAL aes Oe STATIONERY USAGE
22 NOVEMBER 1899 UF 2 #B. Be Af td Koc
Cover, :
sent to Birmingham. ee ae ph RD
MACHINE ‘6’
oa SMALL TYPE -SIZE “LONDON"
| = & WIDELY - cae ticks | a e. POSITIONED
LARGE-TYPE SIZE
I OL) "1899"
DOMESTIC LETTER h [Tiide fal MAIL
‘o Wy , 20 MAY 1899 A
; Cover, Ahitr Wh/ | sent to
Manchester.
One-Penny.. Domestic single-weight letter-rate
BICKERDIKE MACHINE...
1899 - 1900 MACHINES ‘4’ & ‘5’
SECOND TRIAL .. LONDON
POSTMARK...
* 22mm diameter dater-dial with two-digit year
date at the bottom with a seven-line obliterator illustrating a ‘Victorian Crown’
between “VR” along with machine number (‘1' or '2') indicated below crown.
MACHINE ‘4’
SMALL TYPE-SIZE “LONDON” &
LARGE TYPE-SIZE "189?"
12 AUGUST 1899 fee
Bank notification
mail, sent to Hyth.
MACHINE '5’
LARGE TYPE-SIZE “LONDON” &
“T899"
12 JUNE 1899
« Beene | Newspaper
Po ene | | notification card,
Half-Penny..
sent to Leeds.
Domestic postcard-rate.
BICKERDIKE MACHINE...
MACHINE ‘2’
LARGE TYPE-SIZE “LONDON” & STRAIGHT-LINE “00” YEAR DATE
MAILTO CANADA
20 JANUARY (19)00
Cover,
sent to Montreal,
Quebec, Canada,
arriving on 5 February (‘Bickerdike’ Machine
backstamp).
Two Pence..
Single-weight letter-rate
to Canada.
SECOND TRIAL .. LONDON
POSTMARK...
* 22mm diameter dater- dial with
“1899” in full at the bottom with a seven - line
obliterator illustrating a ‘Victorian Crown’
between “VR” along with machine number
(1 thru 6) indicated below crown.
1899 — 1900 MACHINES ‘2’ & ‘5’
FOREIGN DESTINATION MAIL
de s ‘,
MACHINE §
LARGE TYPE-SIZE “LONDON” &“1899"
MAILTO GERMANY
13 SEPTEMBER 1899
Cover, sent to
Mannheim,
Germany, arriving
on
14 September 1899 (backstamp).
Cover improperly
“faced” for feed into
the postmarking
machine, resulting
in the sideway-
postmark.
2-1/2 Pence...
Single-weight
letter-rate to
Germany.
BICKERDIKE MACHINE... SECOND TRIAL .. LONDON
POSTMARK... * 22mm diameter dater-dial with
“1899” in full at the bottom with a seven -line obliterator illustrating a ‘Victorian Crown’
between “VR” along with machine number (1 thru 6) indicated below crown.
1899 - 1900 MACHINE ‘5’
POSTMARK DATER-DIAL WITHOUT INDICATION OF TIME
i EP Si ee bd el pds
LARGE TYPE-SIZE “LONDON” & “1899”
DOMESTIC MAIL
26 JULY 1899
Cover, local-city mail
Postmark without indication of time.
One-Penny.. Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
BICKERDIKE MACHINE... LIVERPOOL TRIAL & USAGE
POSTMARK...
* 22mm diameter dater-dial with
with two-digit year at the bottom with a seven -line
obliterator illustrating a ‘Victorian Crown’
between “VR” along with machine number
(‘1' or ‘2') indicated below crown.
1900 - 1901 MACHINES ‘T’ & ‘2’
During the first (1899-1900) trials at London, THE GENERAL POST OFFICE DECIDED TO EXPAND TRIALS TO LIVERPOOL
Resulting in two additional machines being leased.
MACHINE '‘T’
UPU POSTAL STATIONERY CARD
TO GERMANY
24 DECEMBER (19)00
Commercial mail,
sent to Hamburg,
arriving on
26 December.
One-Penny...
UPU International
Postcard-Rate
MACHINE ‘2’
DOMESTIC PRINTED-MATTER
18 JUNE (19)01
Cover, commercial
printed-matter, sent to Hull.
Half-Penny ..
Domestic
printed-matter rate.
BICKERDIKE MACHINE... FIELD USAGE
POSTMARK...
* 22mm diameter dater-dial with two-digit
year date at bottom with a seven-line
obliterator illustrating a ‘Victorian Crown’
between “VR” along with machine number
1900-1901 (1 thru 6) indicated below crown
IN MAY 1900, THE LONDON GENERAL POST OFFICE DECIDED THAT THE HERETOFORE EIGHT ‘BICKERDIKE’ MACHINES ON TRIAL & LEASED WOULD BE
PURCHASED AND WOULD REMAIN IN FIELD USE With the advent of the Twentieth Century, the dater dials were altered to
now indicate the year with two digits instead of the heretofore four OT lal
| st bes Org ne a aa a = i
Meche Kic\ = E Re LORE ss om | =e "ay
31 JANUARY (19)01 te ‘ yi"
wy : pean es mom), =
p> tf Set fe hs eager me ES ae * | Secee Nodepl fe BEE Postal stationery cover, ~ BB
commercial mail, ! ad sent to Colne.
/ Chala ke
é
MACHINE ‘2’
00 5 / :
28 NOVEMBER 1900
Re-directed mail
from York to ( ; i. J ge fi St. Leonards-on-Sea,
rey. arriving on
30 November panel te. eae Misregistration of the
machine postmark
resulted in a pen
cancel with
subsequent dated
2 hand-cancel at Mice Ate “Campden” with an
unusual
sake “28 - 29” date for redirection.
One-Penny ..
Domestic single-weight letter-rate
BICKERDIKE MACHINE... FIELD USAGE
POSTMARK...
* 22mm diameter dater-dial with two-digit
year date at bottom with a seven-line
obliterator illustrating a ‘Victorian Crown’ between “VR” along with machine number
(1 thru 4) indicated below crown.
1900-1901
Machine ‘4’
1 MAY (19)01
Cover, reply mail, sent to
“London & North Western
Railway” at Swansea
MACHINE‘5’
14 MARCH (19)00
Cover,
sent to
Glasgow, Scotland.
MACHINE ‘6’
17 MAY (19)00
Cover, pe general delivery mail,
sent to Llandudno, Wales. L
ae ee 3 ,
One-Penny ..
Domestic single-weight letter-rate.
END OF AN ERA... DEMISE OF QUEEN VICTORIA
1819 - 1901
The demise of Queen Victoria on 22 January 1901 ended a reign of
over 64 years for Britain & Commonwealth as well as an end to
“Victorian Era Philately”.
1 FEBRUARY 1901 Victoria
‘German Post Office Queen of Great Britain § Treland
at Shanghai’ - Empress of India
postmarked Born 24th of May 1819 Died 22nd of January 1901
mourning card Pe ca sent to oe -
Alsfeld, Germany, a. ope ae arriving on ae
7 March 1901. <a = 33-day transit time. ee hota
p pti Clete ee
Shanghan,... et 41901
23 FEBRUARY 1901 (Bickerdike Origin Postmark)
Canadian mourning
cover “Canada Mourns
Her Beloved Queen...
1837-1901”
from Toronto, sent to
Picton, Ontario,
Canada.
EPILOGUE ... KING EDWARD
JUNE-AUGUST 1901 OBLITERATOR VARIETY .. “ER” WITH ‘VICTORIAN CROWN’
Upon the demise of Queen Victoria on 22 January 1901, her son, Edward, became king, resulting in the General Post Office altering the heretofore ‘Bickerdike’ Machine obliterators from “VR” fo “ER” by mid-1901, albeit
THE ‘VICTORIAN CROWN’ REMAINED IN THE OBLITERATOR UNTIL IT WAS FINALLY ALTERED IN SEPTEMBER 1901.
MACHINE ‘T'
15 JULY 1901
Cover,
sent to London
One Penny .. Domestic
single-weight letter-rate.
MACHINE ‘3’
4 JULY 1901
Postal stationery cover, commercial mail,
sent to Birmingham.
Half-Penny ..
Domestic printed-matter rate.
BICKERDIKE MACHINE... LIVERPOOL TRIAL & USAGE
POSTMARK...
* 22mm diameter dater-dial with with two-digit year at the bottom with a seven -line
obliterator illustrating a ‘Victorian Crown’
between “ER” along with machine number
KING EDWARD (‘1' or '2’) indicated below crown.
OBLITERATOR VARIETY .. “ER” WITH VICTORIAN CROWN MACHINES ‘T' & ‘2’
Upon the demise of Queen Victoria on 22 January 1901, by mid-year,
OBLITERATORS OF THE ‘LIVERPOOL BICKERDIKE’ TRIAL MACHINES WERE ALSO ALTERED FROM ‘VR’ TO ‘ER’, ALBEIT MAINTAINING THE FORMER CROWN DESIGN
FOR AN UNDETERMINED PERIOD IN 1901-1902.
MACHINE ‘2’
COMMERCIAL LETTER MAIL
2 JANUARY (19)02
Cover,
commercial mail,
sent locally in London One-Penny...
Domestic letter-rate
A
MACHINE ‘2’
DOMESTIC PRINTED-MATTER
24 FEBRUARY (19)02
Postal stationery card,
commercial
printed-matter,
bs WILLIAMS, DEACON’S BANK LIMITED, — ‘ sent to Manchester
Onn Pbrphaage 3 : | Half-Penny ..
a ee
3 Domestic ‘s ' printed-matter rate
incomplete “E” of
‘ER’ in obliterator
result of broken type
! fe : Sete +. ‘ et * 2 S . a
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