Help With Netherlands Postmark

Can anyone identify this somewhat unusual Dutch postmark?

It appears to read POSTER--N. It has no date and a Maltese cross at base.

There is a town in the Netherlands called POSTERHOLT, but this clearly ends with an N rather than a T.



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It says "Posterijen" and I believe it is a generic cancel used in emergencies ( when a letter was not cancelled ),

Peter

Interesting.

AskPhil:
Belgie posterijen: (Flemish) inscription, 1891-96, Belgium post.

Rod, the Dutch PTT was in the folksmouth called "Posterijen" since that was their most visible task. The same goes for the Dutch ( or Flemish ) speaking part of Belgium. The cancel the OP posted was a Dutch cancel
Peter

Thanks for the responses. everyone - I really didn't think anyone would be able to help!

there is actually a really nice story behind this stamp. for several years collectors complained to the dutch post that all post not cancelled at the offices were penn cancelled by the mailman, leaving the stamps useless for collectors. the collectors finally won and by official dutch postmasters order 303 of July 3 1940 thees stamps were supplied to all mailman for on the road cancelling so the stamps would keep collectors value.

I find it extraordinary that these postmarks have not shown up, in the vast amounts of Netherlands stamps that have passed my desk.

Even Googling does not bring up any.

They must be reasonably scarce?

The cancel was in use since 1940 it remained unchanged untill it was replaced with a simular cancel which read: POST POST interrupted by 2 Maltese crosses. The First Posterijen example still stayed in use for quite a while. The example shown is from the early 80's.(exact dating is difficult).

The cancels to my knowledge were not issued to postmen, but only to post offices for use. Postmen still had to use pencil/ballpoint etc.

They are out there, but not in such large numbers.

Rod: Google the following: Posterijen stempel.

Thank you Johan. That got it.

http://www.postzegelblog.nl/2006/10...rs%E2%80%A6/