Postmark Theme, New, Old, How Or Why.

Wonderful, thank you for sharing.

The bird stamp could possibly be placed, with a Postmark explanation, in the Travelling Birds thread I think. Just rename it for there a bit.

A nice block of Canada 1974 'Indians of the Pcific Coast' stamps, showing costumes and totem poles, and Thunderbird symbol, with a 2-ring oval postmark 'POSTAL STATION "E" / VANCOUVER, B.C.'.

Nice to see in addition to the older 2- or 3-ring orb circular cancels.

A postmark from Vatican City in 1955, stamp issed in 1954, commemorating the Lantern Accords with Italy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateran_Treaty

Hallo all,
this is the back of a Latvian money order from Smiltene to Riga via Plani. What is confusing me is the cancel on the right.
I've tried the google translater with no understandable result.
Can anyone, please enlighten me?
Thank you!
Heinrich (Heinz55)

Nice readable cancel on Scott Luxembourg A10, 80.

Kiloware very nice find.

Recieved this little cover yesterday, I like it for the cancels.
In the 1870's and 1880's a lot of different cancels were in use in the Netherlands. This cover shows 4 of them.

1) Grijpskerk Langstempel/Longcancel.

2) Franco cancel on stamp(normal).

3) Onderdendam 2 letter smalround cancel on the backside.

4) Harlingen-Winschoten Takje stempel / Branch cancel. This is a railroad one.

I wished for a en Hoorn arrival cancel, but you cannot have everything.

@heinz55 The writing translates to something like "The Postal Department of Recurring Bills" A bill was paid via money order.

How awesome are those 2 post on that cover.

@johan - Nice cover and interesting piece of postal history - thanks for sharing I am also fascinated by the large variety of cancels used at that time. It seem you have a 5th cancel on the front, lower left - or maybe a 'bleed-off' from another cover (with a fresh postmark) cancelled at the same time and left in a pile with your cover?

@Blaamand. The fifth cancel is indeed what you call a Bleed-off from another cover. It is the same as the Onderdendam cancel on the backside.

That's it confirmed then I imagined I did see the Onderdendam cancel inverted (from a bleed off), but it was a bit difficult to say on my screen.

I have a few old French covers with similar bleed-offs, I find it to be quite an interesting feature, and not the least detracting for the covers appearance. The bleed-offs kind of take us back into the postoffice at that time, and reveals how the postmaster was striking away with his hammer, and pilling the fresh-cancelled covers on top of each other.

Some consider these fuzzy/blurred bleed-offs to make the covers less clean and hence less attractive - but I am thinking quite the opposite. 'Philatelic covers' may have perfect postmarks and no such 'ink mess' - almost like a letter-version of a CTO stamp. Proper postally used stuff, on the other hand, look even better after a few 'rough days' during transit

Nice clear cancel!