Initials On Back Of Aussie Kingsford Smith

Has anyone seen anything similar to this ? Collectors initials perhaps ?

That stamp is a CTO I think.

Rod,I was wondering about the initials / letters M.H. on the gum side of the stamp.

Rod, yes it is a CTO, with the usual Melbourne postmark.

Stallzer, initials such as these are usually dealer's initials. If anyone wants to spend hours trawling the net for a list of dealers from the 1930's.............

Thanks Jubilee,

Stallzer, when one posts a scan off a stamp
others may see interesting points that the poster does not see.
I didn't mean to highjack your thread :)

The first thing I look for when I see an Oz "OS"
is to check for forgery (common) and the pmk looked
dodgy, it was nice to have it confirmed as a CTO.

In 1998 Australian Stamp News posted an article on OS overprints
and because of that, one was discovered that was hidden for 76 years
and the only one in existence.

Stamp collectors are an inquisitive lot.

No worries at all Rod, I just thought that you thought I was referring to the cancel on the front of the stamp. My other thought on the initials was since it was an Official Stamp, could it perhaps be the Officials initials ? or the Official Department ?

I see,
If it is a dealers mark, then it is vandalism
early stamp experts would also put their
icons on the back of stamps if they had decided
a particular stamp was genuine,
these are called "expertisers marks"

MH looks modern and is not on this list,
but you can have a bo-peep here
http://www.filatelia.fi/experts/

Marcus, M. H. Advert. Turkey Istanbul 1905, dealer ?? Date way too early ?

Does any member know the reason numbers were placed on stamp rear. (Non-Aust' stamps).

Finches, is that top stamp Spanish Morocco?

You'll find control numbers on stamps of Spanish, and Spanish-influenced, areas. Maybe used for inventory? Or for keeping track of distribution? I doubt they were for forgery protection...Sperati forged the control numbers, too.

This site looks reliable...and photographic "evidence" to back it up:
http://reinhold-und-becker.de/espan...socifras.htm

Coil stamps often have numbers every x number of stamps, too.

The "Z" is indeed a control number letter on Spanish Morocco.


Stallzer : Yes too early for these.

Since the topic seems to now include control numbers, I just wanted to add that a lot of the numbers on newer stamps wash or rub off easily during soaking. A good reason to inspect the backs and handle carefully after peeling off the paper.

Here is one that I saved after ruining a few.