Great Britain - Early Postmark Identification Resource (up to 1909)

[abertawe54]

Hello all!

I'm new to Ebid and I'm in the process of setting up my shops.

I'd like to share this resource I found online in my seemingly never-ending search to identify my stamps and the postmarks they bear.

This is a PDF version of "The History of the Postmarks of the British Isles" which was published by Stanley Gibbons in 1909. The linked site is Cornel University and they state it was donated to the University and is apparently copyright free.

The book describes the development of early postmarks in the UK and in the appendices, towards the end of the book, there is what seems to be a complete list of the obliteration mark numbers and their towns.

For example, I now know that my SG 93 4d Vermillion stamp bearing the postmark number 447, was posted in Leeds, Yorkshire.

I have shortened the link as the original one is huge:

https://bit.ly/3jN058R

Anyway, I hope GB stamp collectors and sellers may find this useful.

[madelaine]

That may force me to grasp a few identification nettles!

[madelaine]

Looking at some of your items almost makes me feel like starting to collect again!

[abertawe54]

That may force me to grasp a few identification nettles!

For your early stamps, up to 1898, this publication might help It's old but the information he provides still holds true today.

https://www.rpsl.org.uk/gplstatic/BL.../016668998.pdf

The catalogue was compiled and published in 1898 by Herbert L'Estrange Ewen (1876–1912) who, according to Wikipedia, was a British stamp dealer and philatelist in Swanage, Dorset and later in Norwood, London who was an authority on railway stamps According to Brian Birch, Ewen collected stamps at the age of ten and started his own firm, the H. L’Estrange Ewen company, on his thirteenth birthday. (source Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_L'Estrange_Ewen).

In the catalogue, a mint Penny Black is valued at 12s 6d, and the cat. value for a used specimen is 9 pence!

Towards the end of the book, there is a list of overseas post office postmarks with illustrations which is very handy.

[abertawe54]

That may force me to grasp a few identification nettles!

For your early stamps, up to 1898, this publication might help It's old but the information he provides still holds true today.

https://www.rpsl.org.uk/gplstatic/BL.../016668998.pdf

The catalogue was compiled and published in 1898 by Herbert L'Estrange Ewen (1876–1912) who, according to Wikipedia, was a British stamp dealer and philatelist in Swanage, Dorset and later in Norwood, London who was an authority on railway stamps According to Brian Birch, Ewen collected stamps at the age of ten and started his own firm, the H. L’Estrange Ewen company, on his thirteenth birthday. (source Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_L'Estrange_Ewen).

In the catalogue, a mint Penny Black is valued at 12s 6d. The Cat. value for a used specimen is 9 pence!

Towards the end of the book, there is a list of overseas post office postmarks with illustrations which is very handy.