Hi again Everyone;
I just remembered that I forgot to mention, I have also seen the dashed lines once in a while on circular cancels. Additionally I also found a few circular cancels with scalloped outer circles. Does anyone collect any of these oddball cancels?
Happy collecting
Ken Tall Pines
"So I guess they would be called HDS, Hexagonal Date Stamps, as opposed to CDS, Circular Date Stamps?"
"Maybe only interesting, and therefor more valuable to one who collects them as a specialty, like squared-circle cancels."
There are dozens of variations to each of the French cancel types you mentioned. But very very generally speaking:
-- scalloped outside circle cancels are usually the very broad category of "special service" cancels (e.g., telegraph...)
-- hexagonal outside circle cancels are usually either rural/boat postal cancels or revenue cancels
There will be exceptions, of course. Since there are so many variations of each type, correct identification will depend heavily on a picture of the specific cancel.
A very challenging area of French philately. I find the numbered losange cancels are already more than I can handle!
Hi Everyone;
I have also been able to identify what I believe is a "Registered" letter cancel. I'm basing that on my limited knowledge of using Cassell's French-English/English-French Dictionary. Altho I'll list any town cancel or fancy cancel I find, I'm trying to identify cancels from small villages or towns.
I'll eventually be listing all of these French cancels in approvals, so if any of you advanced collectors spot some you like but think my asking price is too high, then message me about a lower price. That also applies to all my approval offerings.
Happy Collecting
Ken Tall Pines
Hi,
The Maury France catalogue has some very useful pages listing postmark types from the nineteenth century with some good illustrations.
Yet another in my list of "catalogs/books to get" list.
There is a very very good French website that covers both the dated cancels and the numbered losange cancels. You may find it helpful.
http://marcophilie.org
You can use Google translate on the website to help you navigate and get pertinent information. I've been quite impressed with that site.
Aren't the hexagonal cancels for railway mail?
Railway mail can be circular,hexagonal or a wavy circle, and usually say (place name) a (place name). There are 2 -types - travelling post offices, between major cities - and "mailguards" postal employees travelling on trains accepting mail.
Some hexagonal( dotted) postmarks refer to travelling rural motorised post offices.
Note the form used changed over time - you need to refer to some of the specialised French postmark sites for more details.
Malcolm
Hi Everyone;
I've been sorting 4,500 French stamps, and found several that have Hexagonal shaped cancels. So I guess they would be called HDS, Hexagonal Date Stamps, as opposed to CDS, Circular Date Stamps? Some are solid lined hexagons, and some are dashed line hexagons, and the text within the hexagon is aligned on a circular path.
I have also seen them on stamps of other nations, but can't remember where they were from, maybe French colonies. What is the significance of them and are they more valuable or less valuable. Maybe only interesting, and therefor more valuable to one who collects them as a specialty, like squared-circle cancels.
Just wonderin' thank you in advance.
Happy collecting
Ken Tall Pines
re: Odd cancels on stamps of France and other nations
Hi again Everyone;
I just remembered that I forgot to mention, I have also seen the dashed lines once in a while on circular cancels. Additionally I also found a few circular cancels with scalloped outer circles. Does anyone collect any of these oddball cancels?
Happy collecting
Ken Tall Pines
re: Odd cancels on stamps of France and other nations
"So I guess they would be called HDS, Hexagonal Date Stamps, as opposed to CDS, Circular Date Stamps?"
"Maybe only interesting, and therefor more valuable to one who collects them as a specialty, like squared-circle cancels."
re: Odd cancels on stamps of France and other nations
There are dozens of variations to each of the French cancel types you mentioned. But very very generally speaking:
-- scalloped outside circle cancels are usually the very broad category of "special service" cancels (e.g., telegraph...)
-- hexagonal outside circle cancels are usually either rural/boat postal cancels or revenue cancels
There will be exceptions, of course. Since there are so many variations of each type, correct identification will depend heavily on a picture of the specific cancel.
A very challenging area of French philately. I find the numbered losange cancels are already more than I can handle!
re: Odd cancels on stamps of France and other nations
Hi Everyone;
I have also been able to identify what I believe is a "Registered" letter cancel. I'm basing that on my limited knowledge of using Cassell's French-English/English-French Dictionary. Altho I'll list any town cancel or fancy cancel I find, I'm trying to identify cancels from small villages or towns.
I'll eventually be listing all of these French cancels in approvals, so if any of you advanced collectors spot some you like but think my asking price is too high, then message me about a lower price. That also applies to all my approval offerings.
Happy Collecting
Ken Tall Pines
re: Odd cancels on stamps of France and other nations
Hi,
The Maury France catalogue has some very useful pages listing postmark types from the nineteenth century with some good illustrations.
re: Odd cancels on stamps of France and other nations
Yet another in my list of "catalogs/books to get" list.
There is a very very good French website that covers both the dated cancels and the numbered losange cancels. You may find it helpful.
http://marcophilie.org
You can use Google translate on the website to help you navigate and get pertinent information. I've been quite impressed with that site.
re: Odd cancels on stamps of France and other nations
Aren't the hexagonal cancels for railway mail?
re: Odd cancels on stamps of France and other nations
Railway mail can be circular,hexagonal or a wavy circle, and usually say (place name) a (place name). There are 2 -types - travelling post offices, between major cities - and "mailguards" postal employees travelling on trains accepting mail.
Some hexagonal( dotted) postmarks refer to travelling rural motorised post offices.
Note the form used changed over time - you need to refer to some of the specialised French postmark sites for more details.
Malcolm