Ceylon Op Identification Help Please

Hi All!

I came across this Scott 57 with a bright vermillion "E" overprint.
I haven't seen this before and was hoping for some help.

Regards,

Mick

Hi mickb007,

I checked through my literature and can't see any reference to this overprint at all.

The first thing that came to mind was a similarity to the Departmental stamps of South Australia.

Hopefully we have a Ceylon expert who can enlighten us both further!

Opinion.
Looks dodgy to me, appears to be over the Postmark.
First thing that came to mind was a "Commercial Overprint"
but never seen one before in that colour, and on such an early stamp.

I would have it as Hijinx.

The postmark doesn't do much for me either, but early Ceylon does exhibit smudgy Duplex Killers quite regularly (3-2-2-3 Bar 11 for example)
In fact, I have never seen a duplex cancel on such an early stamp,
normally just the 12 bar oblique hand canceller.
Doesn't mean they don't exist.

Am very new to Ceylon (as in a couple months in) but also don't see anything in regards to overprints that is close to this either. My guess, and I stress guess is that someone added this for some personal reason. Maybe someone who simply wrote their or a loved one's initial on stamps they mailed their correspondence to.

Very curious as well if anyone else has actual insight.

Thank you all for your help!
Regards,
Mick

It was a common practice to mark a stamp so the messenger/runner who took the mail to the post office didn't steal the stamp off the envelope . Many companies had their postage stamps marked so employees would not steal stamps. That is the most likely reason that is on the stamp .

I like that explanation floortrader. Like a precursor to perfins later in the 19th century you might say.