GB: Qv, Numbered Maltese Cross Cancels

I have just come across some 1841 2d Blues with numbered Maltese Cross cancels.
These cancels were used at the London Head Office, 1843-44. I have no information of how many of each number were used, if indeed it is known. They can be found numbered 1-12 and were used on all the early Line-engraved issues.

If anyone has any more information about these type of MX cancels, I would love to hear from you. Post here.





Londonbus1

The numbered Maltese Crosses (1-12) were used at the London Head Office from March 1843 and into 1844.
[EDIT: sorry, somehow I skipped a line while reading your post and repeated the information you already provided!]

I can only collect them for the penny reds. Very nice 2d blues! Too rich for me!

Thanks for posting the pics!

k

I have a couple of those somewhere too !

Michael,

These are 2d blues with white lines, imperf. black London MX.

I have an older SG QV Specialised Catalogue and the values for used, off cover, with the London numbered MX is higher than an ordinary canceled version and is listed in this edition (14) has being in a range of GBP 350 to GBP 875. The number 9 is listed at GBP 750.

PLEASE REMEMBER THESE ARE STALE SG PRICES

I also just got a copy of a new book "Collecting British Postmarks" and he values London numbered MX on 2d blue imperf with white lines a bit lower. The range is GBP 75 to GBP 200. Your no 9 is at GBP 175 and the no 12 is GBP 75.

Best,

Larry

(would you like these blues plated?)

My 2007 Gibbons gives similar values to your older Victorian specialized.

I take it, given the values, that Collect British Postmarks is not a Gibbons publication !!?

No, it is actually published by SG.

But it does not serve as a SG price list and editorially is not consistent with the rest of the SG product. Specifically, at no place do I see Hugh Jefferies' name and the edition just published is actually the 8th edition of the work. Previously, it was published either privately or by the B Postmark Society.

Please note the following:

1]. I have just googled the 2d Blue with these cancels and what should be at the top of the list?..........SCF !!

2]. I have found a No12 cancel for sale at £85 and a No4 for £135.

Now I'm off to bed.

Guess I'll just have to dream about stamps today......

Londonbus

Get some sleep. And, btw, both blues look like plate 3.

Hi, if you can find a copy of 'Postal Cancellations of London' by H. C. Westley, he seems to be the most factual of the authors I have come across and has delved into the old GPO Proof Books for his information.

Sorry, I know it repeats info from above but he states that the maltese crosses containing 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, were issued 23rd March 1843, and 7 to 12 were issued 1st April 1843. No 3 was different, the cross above the number was missing or broken, 3 was used but it is not listed.

The reason for their use at the London Inland Office is not known, he suggests a time code or for identifying the officials who did the cancelling.

I have the numbers 1 - 12, (3 with cross missing) on 1d red imperfs, and 12 on a 2d blue imperf. I have not seen any other number on a 2d blue, they are scarce.

They were superceded by the Number-in-a-Diamond presented for use in April 1844, and first used in May 1844.
It would be interesting if anyone has the others on 2d's.

Regards.

There are various theories, all unconfirmed, as to the meanings of the numbers within this series of Maltese Cross cancellations. About the only thing people agree upon is that the number 12 canceller was likely used at a desk that dealt with larger items, as it is mostly known on multiples of the penny red or on the twopence blue. This is one reason that the 12 is the scarcest of the penny red numerals.

This series of cancelers was used in London from March/April, 1843 for about a year.

There are a few items known with strikes of two different numerals. Again, reason unknown.

There is a large section on these MX cancels in Volume 1 of the three-volume Encyclopaedia of the Maltese Cross by Rockoff and Jackson. They also have more to say, including a census of multiples and unusual examples (e.g. on penny blacks) in Volume 3.

For the blues, if it's an 1841 blue (with the white lines at the top and bottom), it has to be plate 3. Plate 4 was not issued until after the end of the Maltese cross period when the plain numeral cancellations became standard. Copies of one of these on either a penny black or 1840 twopence blue (without the white lines) are rare and therefore valuable.

It is not too hard to assemble a set of 1-12 on penny reds. In fact, if you really wanted such a set, you probably could put it together on ebay right now. However, the blues are much scarcer. As has been pointed out, prices for them are between 2 and 10x the price of those on the penny red. Consult a Gibbons Victorian Specialized catalog for current "catalog" value, though Gibbons catalog is not really representative of reality - figure about 1/4 to 1/2 of those values for anything but the most outstanding examples. For high-end retail prices, you can check Arthur Ryan's site and look at his stock list prices (http://www.gbstamps.co.uk/queen_vic...vanced.asp). Depending upon how deep this link takes you, you might have to select "Stamp Price List;" then "Queen Victoria;" and then scroll down til you see the listings for SG catalog number 14f).

I've managed to put together a set of the numbers on the penny reds and I have 4 of them on twopence blues. I made it a bit more difficult (what else is new?) by restricting my collecting of QV imperforate line engraved to only copies with my initials as the corner letters (1 out of 240 on the sheet). Examples below.

The blues are a nice find. Congratulations.

Chip

Is it possible that any of the numbered cancel's graced a 1d Penny Black? (Would be 3 years later) - Just curious.

yes, Rockoff and Jackson have a census of know examples of the penny black with number-in-MX cancellations. All 12 are known with 3-10 examples recorded for each number. Same for the 1840 2d blue, but with many examples (50+) of the number 12 known. There are also examples of the penny black and 1840 2d with 1844-style numeral cancellations known. (I have one of each with CG initials).

C.

Thanks Chip - I have a strange new fascination with the Penny Black, and I am looking to accumulate a fair number of them this year.. The varieties interest me to no end!

Eric:
It's a slippery slope. Turn back while you still have a chance!
Or else, you might find yourself here: http://victoria.cgpostal.com
Chip

Wow....that is absolutely amazing... How long (years) from your first penny black with your initials on it until today? And did you start with your initials, or just kind of fall into it?

Amazing...

over 10 years - and it started with "wouldn't it be cool to have a pb with my iniitals." Downhill from there.
C.