Sunday 29 March 2015

Taunton Circular Duplex cancels - Die 1

In April 1858 the first three-bar Circular Cuplex cancels (3CD) were issued to Taunton.  There are two groups of cancels, one where the "77" in "776" are closely spaced (Die 1) and one where the "76" in "776" are closely spaced (Die 2). Each Die has been recut, Die 1 three times (so four in total) and Die 2 once (so two in total).

Here are examples of Die 1 and its three recuts, starting with the initial Die 1-1 issued on 28th April 1858.

First recut, Die 1-2, issued on 7th April 1859.
 

Second recut, Die 1-3, issued on 27th July 1868:

Third recut, Die 1-4, issued by June 1875

Wednesday 25 March 2015

Taunton Sideways Duplex cancels - Type Va (small)

Taunton's small sideways duplex cancel, Type Va was issed on 3rd September 1857.  By November 1857 either the cancel was worn around the "TA" of Taunton or a different cancel was in use.

Here are examples from November 1857 (& 24th September 1857 on piece) to December 1869.




Sunday 22 March 2015

Taunton Sideways Duplex cancels - Type II (large)

Taunton had two types of sideways duplex cancel, a Type II and a Type Va.  The nomenclature comes from "The sideways Duplex Cancellations of England and Wales" by R.G. Traill and F.C. Holland published in 1975.

Taunton's Type II (large) sideways duplex cancel was issued on 24th April 1855.  Here are Four examples from June 1855 to July 1856.



Wednesday 18 March 2015

Taunton 3VOS issued on 13th January 1873, & 3VOS used on Newspaper Wrappers

According to the Steel Impression Book (SIB), three-bar vertical oval single cancels (3VOS) were issued on 13th Janaury 1873, 28th October 1876, 17th November 1876 and 10th May 1879.  I've only got examples of the first of these cancels, used in June 1873 and October 1876.

These cancels were also used as precancels on Newspaper Wrappers - here are a couple of examples on the Somerset County Gazette and the Devon and Somerset Weekly News.  Neither example is clear enough to be able to distinguish which 3VOS cancel was used.

Sunday 15 March 2015

Taunton 4VOS issued on 30th August 1869

Taunton had a four-bar Vertical Oval Single cancel (4VOS) issued on 30th August 1869.  This cancel wore away so that by 1872 it was a three-bar vertical oval single cancel (3VOS).

Here are some examples of the 4VOS cancel from October 1869, June 1871 and September 1871.


And here is an example from November 1872, by when the cancel has worn to a 3VOS.

Wednesday 11 March 2015

Taunton 3HOS issued on 10th May 1859, 19th August 1863, 10th December 1863

Another three 3HOS were issued on 10th May 1859, 19th August 1863 and 10th December 1863 (the August 1863 3HOS did not seem to last long).  Here are examples from December 1860, September 1863 and February 1865 and January 1866.

On the reverse of this envelope, the first strike of the Taunton datestamp had the year set wrong, so the post office overstruck the datestamp with the obliterator and then applied the corrected datestamp.



Sunday 8 March 2015

Taunton 3HOS issued 10th May 1856, 14th February 1857, 9th April 1859

Three further 3HOS were issued on 10th May 1856, 14th February 1857 and 9th April 1859 according to the SIB.  Below are examples of the first two, from September 1856 and June 1857 (I don't have an example of the 9th April 1859 3HOS).


Wednesday 4 March 2015

Taunton Barred Numeral Cancels - 3HOS issued 15th November 1854

The next 3HOS was issued on 15th November 1854, 32 months after the previous issue (according to the Steel Impression Book).  Here are a couple of examples from December 1854.


Sunday 1 March 2015

Taunton Barred Numeral Cancels - 3HOS issued 19th March 1852

The dates of these subsequent three-bar Horizontal Oval Single cancels (3HOS) are based on the proofs in the Steel Impression Book (SIB).  Here are two examples from November 1852 and January 1853.