Help Identify City And Cancel Date, 1/2d KGV Australia

This one is confusing. The orange 1/2d with single watermark (Scott 20) was printed in October 1923, but first day of issue was 8, November, 1923 per ACSC 66. This is a marginal line copy, so must come from Electro 6 or 7. The cancellation is probably Kogarah, New South Wales, but the date looks like March 2, 1919. Is this just a gross error on the part of the cancellation, or am I not seeing the last two numbers of the year, assuming 19xx? Any help would be appreciated.

2 MR 19 is the date. Looks like a very standard cancel to me.

The day is present. The month is present. The year is present.

But yes.... 1st printing Orange Issued 1923 ~ 1925 Die I single wmk perf 14.25 X 14 comb ~ 3 shade groups.

One thing I have done is looked at dates on KGV's to the point of using digital magnifier and I got pretty good at it especially on penny reds.

The area is definitely "Kogarah". Looking at the perfs thoroughly I noticed lighter remnants of ink.

In my humble opinion it most likely had two other numbers.

As these stamps were also printed in April 1924 and August 1925 respectively the two last numbers could be anywhere from one of the first two printings of 1923 cancelled from 1924 onward.

Rob

Have you seen an older example with a 4 digit year format? I'd love to see an example, if you could post one. Thanks.

Wouldn't the date be shifted more to the right if it had a two-digit year?

Otherwise it wouldn't be centred under KOGARAH.

To my eyes, there appears to be too much space to the right of '19' for the year to be in a 4-digit format.

Agreed. The only viable choices for the next digit would be a 2 or a 3, if it were a 4-digit format. Both of those options would show a small hint of the number, both at the top loop and the bottom loop.

So, I guess the postal official just put in the wrong date stamp for that date. A keeper anyway.

Thanks to everyone for their input.

I originally thought that there was too much spacing for any other digits, I thought I might be incorrect.


No, I don't think I have Partime, I must have been going through a moment of madness.

Rob

KGV postmarks are just the best for scratching your head at times.

There is a smudge of ink in the 1/2d but I think it is just that a smudge.

It still looks to me to be as it reads. The PO worker most probably had a bad hair day.

There is too much space after the 19 for more numbers and there is more than enough room for the year to be separate from the 19 to be seen.

Looks like I agree with everyone else.

The place of postmark is correct. Lived about 6km from there once.

A "moment of madness" or not, I have another follow-up question. When would it have been appropriate to show a 4-digit year? I am guessing that the early part of any century, it would not be necessary. I mean, everyone in 1910 knew that a 10 was shorthand for 1910 and no one would have thought that it was shorthand for 2010. But as you get closer to the middle of a century, wouldn't it make sense?

Hmm. I'll have to look a little more closely at my postmarks now.

Even though I have looked at huge amount of KGV postmarks I have no idea.

Have to agree with all the above, if it was a four digit date we would be able to see a partial amount of a third digit.
But it does raise the question about the various types of stamps used. For example here is a Western Australia black swan with a four digit year for 1907. I also have found a kangaroo/map with 1913 on it.

Eulaminna (abandoned town) - Renamed from Anaconda RO 15/10/1906; PO c.-/7/1908; closed 16/11/1908.

Castor.

May I have permission to submit your scan to my local Philatelic Society please?

You may have a previously unknown/not seen cancelling hammer impression.
(albeit I do not understand the bracketed P&TO 1908)

Castor. Thanks for posting the great example. I now have lots more stamps to search through.

Great and interesting strike for the town letters.

Go for it Rod, glad it is of help.

Regarding the P&TO, from Wikipedia, " A mail receiver was in place but no telegraph station." Could it be that in 1908 it became a Postal & Telegraph Office until closing later that same year?

Partime - I wish I had your problem, that is one of three W.A. stamps I have - all 1d black swans

Have we seen strikes like this before - ie the lettering for Eulaminna?

A reference I have just found that may be of interest - http://www.postmarks.co.za/ The Australian states aren't very far through however.

Referred to as a "chattered" Pmk, the postal counter was usually covered with hide leather, to prevent this sort of thing. The hammer comes down so hard, the device "jumps" and makes 2 impressions.