Belgium 50 Centimes Reddish

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In the beginning (1879 up to 1928) there was only one type of stamps (Railway stamps "Chemins de Fer - Spoorwegen) issued by a service which was common to postal and railway services. Those stamps were sold both by the postal services AND by the railway services. Postal services typically accepted parcels up to a certain size and weight (which varied over time) AND they delivered parcels up to a certain size and weight (varied over time, and differing if within Belgium or in International traffic). When delivered to the post office, the parcel could use either railway stamps (if available) or normal post stamps. You can find on those stamps two types of cancellations, either the "common" Railway cancellation (rectangular in over 90% of the cases, although in the beginning there were also a few round railway cancellations with different diameters than those of the postal service) OR the much less frequent (especially on higher value stamps) "postal" cancellation (round cancellations, identical to those on normal stamps). This is why most catalogues indicate, like Scott, that <<Prices for used stamps are for copies with railway cancellations. Stamps with postal cancellations sell for about double prices>>.