United Kingdom - Odd Version Of Queen Victoria 4-P From 1865

Just for fun, I am attaching a pair of 4d that went to Germany. If this has no relevance please ignore...

Differing Stamp Type.
Seems to offer a duplex strike, and a single hammer?

Duplex: East Central District Office (London) previously "The Chief Office"
Your hammer was deployed early in 1858
Numbers 71-80

Single hammer number 78 not researched by me.
(May be just an angled strike of the duplex, I can see perhaps the bottom of the "59")

The red circular "P" unknown to me, as is the ENGLAND double ring in Red.
Fascinating, may we have an image of the entire cover please?

@rod222

The oval red "P" was used on continental Paid Letters by the foreign branch.

See page 58, figure 335 in this link: https://www.gbps.org.uk/information...20(1909).pdf

Thanks NSK

I wonder if the England double ring cancel was applied in Germany?

Yes, it is teasing me as well.
Looks out of place for mine, looks like a modern strike on an old cover (of course it is not)

Perhaps proprietory? looks like ENGLAND PER AA???
A Maritime marking perchance?

Hi rod222 - I did not see your request for the whole cover until now. It is folded, and the paper has a large watermark as you can see. J. Whatman 1858. I am the dummy that can't scan right now, so I have used a camera and light to do the best job possible. There is no missing the large garter W17 on the stamps.

That thought crossed my mind as well, But I wonder if that P is followed by a small, raised d, which would stand for paid. I also wonder why it should say England and not Groß Britanien.

It is a German transit mark "AUS ENGLAND PER AACHEN / FRANCO"

Casey,
can we have an up close scan of the red 2 ring cancel please?

What a fabulous papermaker's watermark !
WHATMAN "Englands finest papermaker"
Forgeries exist

Whatman watermarks

Whatman paper is considered to be one of the finest English handmade papers of the 18th century. The elder James Whatman began to produce good quality white paper at his Turkey Mill in Kent around 1740. Until this time England was largely dependent on the importation of paper from neighbouring countries such as Holland, France and Germany.

https://nga.gov.au/whistler/details/whatman.cfm

Undated Tower Street receiving office handstamp noted.

My understanding is that these are quite scarce.

I have to comment
Stunning history lesson Rod. Casey just a beautiful cover. So much to know in a single piece.
I'm impressed. Thanks for sharing, everyone.

Brilliant!

Now, the last enigma.....ROWER- ???? Postmark
The first letter probably not an R , but what
looks like a double barrelled name.




Again..Brilliant !

Not listed in the UK database, a new discovery there.

That was fun!

Why would anyone forge a paper watermark? Prestige? The paper is not very white either but looks light gray to me...

Earlier Tower Street Receiving Office.

TP=Two penny Post

Authors: Ron and Eunice Shanahan (SCF members here !)



https://www.earsathome.com/ontheroad/otrd11.html

This top section of a forged Whatman watermark was found under the etching Thames warehouses 1859. A genuine Whatman watermark does not have a crossed section in the centre of the letter 'W'. Numerous forgeries of the Whatman watermark are known, displaying varying differences, some subtle and others more obvious. Paper analysis by Peter Bower, who has written extensively on the subject, shows that Whatman watermarks were forged in France, Germany and Austria.5 There are three forged Whatman watermarks in the National Gallery of Australia's collection of Whistler's works on paper.