Request Assistance With Postal Marking Identification

In the lower right of this cover is a square postal marking (18mm x18mm) with lettering and a date - JL 31 86

The letter is addressed to Victoria but it was received in Melbourne July 31, 1886 where a forwarding fee of 2D (MORE TO PAY) was applied.

I somehow suspect that the questioned date stamp was applied by the forwarding clerk in Melbourne.

Any assistance will be appreciated.

Wild guess (Not seen in any Victorian /Australian Catalogue)
LC1
Letter Carrier 1 ? and dated.

Lot 825 Millenium Auctions (LC2 and dated)

I reckon Rod is correct.

Hi Bobby,
surprised, I thought you may have been the guy to crack it.
Looks like a Victorian "auxiliary" ? marking,
and you would have known it.

Examples must be scarce.

I saw an example at Prestige, but attempts to link failed.

Any relevance to "called" if address not deliverable ?

Thank you gentlemen. After posting I found another example (much cleaner) and the letters are "LC1". Since the date is the same as the Melbourne receiver it is very reasonable to presume it stands for LETTER CARRIER #1.

You're too kind Rod, but I know almost nothing of the auxiliary markings of the other Australian States.

New South Wales takes up almost all of my interest, along with, to a much lesser extent, 19th century London and Great Britain.

J R W Purves in his book, "Victoria: The Postage Dues', Hawthorn Press, Melbourne, 1960 refers to these cancels on postage due stamps on page 63, viz:-

"The "Letter Carrier' markings. These consisted of a boxed rectangle with lettering in three lines. At the top, in serifed capitals, was "L.C." with a number following (2, 3 or 6*) over the month, over the year date (last two figures".
Over many years of collecting I have only found the three numbers in this type - 2, 3 and 6. My examples on cover of 2 are addressed to Queen and William Streets, Melbourne, and of 3 to Collins Street, Melbourne. It may therefore be that they were in use at two of the City post offices other than the G.P.O., or tey may have been used at the G.P.O. - for other than private box mail - after the mail for city addresses had been sorted. Further material only will determine this point. A few comments are now made on the use of these three obliterators.

(i) L.C.2. Earliest date found 1.7.91. Over the years 1899 and 1900 is to ne consistently found lacking the monthly date (i.e. the whole middle line).
(ii) L.C.3. Earliest date found 15.7.91. Over the year 1900 is (like L.C.2. above) constantly found without the middle line).
(iii) L.C.6. Earliest date found is 5.1.01 (the last two figures being inverted to read "10") though I believe it was introduced in 1900. Constantly found (this was probably in 1900) with only the top line (L.C.6.) and no second and third lines.

The above facts indicate that this type of marking was not introduced until about nine months after the date of issue of the stamps in October, 1890. This evidence might give support to the view that these are not G.P.O. markings. L.C.6. was introduced nine years after L.C.2. and L.C.3. The last date I have found for an obliterator of this type is 27.6.02.


*only applicable to cancellations seen on postage due stamps

Very interesting 64idgaf.

Thank you for sharing!

Yes, fabulous information, thank you.

So we have an early 1896, and possibly LC1
I wonder if this is known, currently.

Royal Australian Historical Society, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

Millenium Auctions Australia
11th March 2022
Sale Num 75

any idea what "ds" is? Dues Strike?

I would guess ds = date stamp

The book 'Victorian Post Office Curiosities: a treasure from the Archives', by Eric J. Frazer & Max B. Watson, covers the work of the Letter Carriers at the Melbourne G.P.O.

"Victorian Post Office Curiosities is a collection of more than 200 curious, unusual, and "difficult-to-deliver" covers assembled by Letter Carriers at the Melbourne GPO over the period 1894-1911 housed in a leather-bound ledger volume. It also includes a number of newspaper clippings related to the collection itself, the postal service of the day and other odd items.

The Letter Carriers had to deal with foreign languages, incomplete and unintelligible addresses, indecipherable handwriting and addresses in code, pictures or maps. The postal staff and Letter Carriers were extremely proud of their work and wanted to display their perseverance, dedication and problem solving skills. Hence, the delivered covers were begged back for display."

https://www.rpsv.org.au/product/vic...-a-treasure/

A few examples:

LC 2, 13th September, 1898:

LC 3, 21st June, 1892:

LC 3, 1900 without the centre line:

LC 6, 22nd March, 1902:

LC 2, 8th September, 1887 error - likely 1897 as these (SG watermark 82) stamps weren't issued until July 1897:

Great photo Rod

I wonder what the collective noun is for a group of letter carriers?

A delivery perhaps?

Thanks John,
I was lying in bed last evening, and yep, that's what popped into my head.
It seemed so obvious then.

At the time I read it, I had nothing.

Thanks to all contributors, I think we can put this to bed now.

A delivery of Letter Carriers..... I like that