Indentify Large Numeral Cancel On Cyprus Sg 62, SC 50, Minr 48?

Anyone identify the location of this cancel?

It's a railway post office cancellation.
Not sure which station it is though.

Thank you, Moose. Can I assume that the numeral is six, not nine? And does anyone know where to find the station's location?

It is indeed a six and not a nine. Unfortunately I do not have my referance book with me at the moment. I am due in Cyprus next weekend. I'll look it up if I remember.

I believe that is a fake cancel . This number cancel should be in a oval with a period after the "6" it should have two bands Hoz. lines below the number and two lines above . There are 5 numbers for the railroad cancels they are 1,2,4,5,and 6 the 3 has never been recorded .

This is NOT a railroad cancel ,but it gives you a idea of what I am talking about ,the railroad cancel also has a circular date stamp to the left of this oval .

And thank you Floortrader as well. That's even more interesting. Any idea why someone would fake a railroad cancel?

Also, Moose, if you are at some point able to tell me what city station would use the number six cancel, I'd be grateful.

This looks ok to me.

It appears to match a type shown in the old Robson Lowe encyclopedia known with numbers 4 to 7.

It's basically "R.P.O. / large single-digit-number / CYPRUS" within a single circle.

The type mentioned by floortrader is only one of ten different types shown in RL.

The RL book doesn't give locations for the numbers.

Picking up on what NigelC has added, at http://www.pennymead.com/results.ph...&sub=318&m=s I found these two images, identified as railway cancels and both rather like mine. They do seem legit, no? Also, I now recognize the letters "R.P.O." on my OP as well.

I see there's an exhibit at the London 2022 Exhibition entitled, "The Postmarks Used At The Post Offices Of The Cyprus Government Railway 21.10.1905 - 31.12.1951."

Thanks Nigelc ....I was seeing a page of Cyprus stamps up for auction that had that stamp as I mention .

Great thread!
These were all new to me, even an image search from Google
showed no Rail Pmks.
Nice ID Nigel! Good old RL !

Glad also to have Nigel's reference to Robson Lowe. I knew nothing of his volumes. Will search now for available copies.

EMaxim, if you've looked already, I am sure you found each volume on the expensive side. They are worth it, in my opinion, being quite conprehensive for the British Empire. There are two versions, one is the higher numbered books in the Billig Books series.

If memory serves me well, although admittedly I am no expert on these post marks, there are two distinct types of Cyprus R.P.Os.

This large type were only around for a few years only - up to 1911 perhaps.
The villages and towns along the railways were rather small and most of the population at the time illiterate so in general they are rather more difficult to come by as not many people were writing letters at the time; some more than others depending on the size of the community at the time.

Faking an R.P.O cancel on a stamp is rather pointless, one just needs to search a little harder to find them however
a complete cover is rather more difficult to come by and does command a premium especially the early years.

The postmarks Floortrader describes are the Duplex post marks used during the early years of British administration of the island although late use has been recorded to early KGV. There were numerical cancels for Larnaca (942), Famagusta (982), Kyrenia (974), Nicosia (969), Paphos (981), Limassol (975) and Polemideia Camp (D47).

These are decommissioned cancelers which had been used in British Post Offices before being sent to Cyprus.

So one can build up a nice postal history collection of duplex cancels with both the British and Colonial post offices being displayed.

I will try get an entire listing of towns and their numerical cancel posted if somebody doesn't beat me to it when I get back to Cyprus.

It's a type 34....
http://www.wessexpf.org.uk/index_ht...s/cgrrly.pdf