Taunton Vertical Oval Duplex - 4VOD Die 1-3, 1-4, 1-5 (& 1-6)

Here are examples of the remaining recuts of  Die 1 - with the exception of the last, Die 1-6, which I do not have an example of (it is known used in March 1896).

Taunton Vertical Oval Duplex - 4VOD Die 1-1 & 1-2

Following the three-bar Circular Duplex, Taunton was issued with four-bar Vertical Oval Duplex (4VOD) cancels.  A number of dies were issued.

The first 4VOD was recut five times, making six cancels in all.  To start with, here are examples of the first two, Die 1-1 (the initial die) and Die 1-2 (the first recut).

On Die 1-2, to begin with the tail on the 2nd "T" in "TAUNTON" was complete.

Between September and November 1874 the tail on the 2nd "T" disappears.

Taunton Circular Duplex Cancels - Die 2

Taunton's second 3CD die, Die 2-1, was issued on 5th January 1959, and its recut, Die 2-2, was issued on 12th January 1865.  I don't have any examples of the recut die, Die 2-2, which is only known used in September 1868.

Here are a number of examples of Die 2-1 from March 1859 to May 1864.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).