Share Your Cancellations Of Melbourne On Pre-Decimal Stamps.

I wonder if any of our members can shed some light on this cancellation.

Looks like U.B.A at the top then Melbourne, a couple of slashes (or 11) and 'LR' or 'LP.' at the base.

'1839' travels across the middle of the stamp. Possibly a Lake Charm Railway Station manuscript numeral cancellation?

Possibly a fiscal use of the Union Bank of Australia Limited dated 18/3/9. The attached image shows the "D" of LD (Limited) is similar.

Excellent! Thanks very much, StevieG.

A nice selection of thick arc 14's and 15's in date order, showing a variety of stamp issues of the period.

Here's a mixed bag of Melbourne postmarks.


I am presuming the late fee postmark id Melbourne.
Apparently the Spencer Street Branch is still going strong.

Some more on Victoria stamps.


Something I've never noticed before: two stamps posted at almost exactly the same time, over 100 years ago.


And a Roo to end.

Itma, thank you for showing those cancellations. Your first Spencer Street R.S. (Railway Station) postmark is one of my favourite types to collect.

Probably a few months late but have found 4 in my small collection.

Never too late Jason3011, thanks for sharing part of your collection.

The last three are the most collectable from your lot because the first two don't have the canceller number on them.

Of the last three, the scarcest is the nice 1897 strike of canceller number 11 with what appears to be timecode S.

Thanks fairdinkumstamps, always appreciate the extra information you provide!

I was surprised to find this in a small collection recently.

THE piece that was used as the exemplar image for canceller 11 of the Single Circle (Commonwealth) type in the Davies/Linfield/Purves book 'The Cancellations of Melbourne 1861-1912'.

This cover was passed down from my great-grandfather. It has a sad story. The Scottish-built SS Wairarapa was sailing between Sydney and Auckland when she sank off Great Barrier Island on October 29, 1894 with the loss of about 130 passengers and crew. Some of the mail bags the ship was carrying were salvaged and the letters were dried out and forwarded to their destinations. This one was posted in Melbourne on October 20 and received in Auckland on November 10 and in Wellington three days later. The stamp was naturally soaked off while the mail bag was underwater!

Thanks for sharing that with us, NumisRob.
A very interesting journey for Melbourne duplex cancellation 2(8)(ii).

Credit: Wreck of the SS Wairarapa, Great Barrier Island. Ref: 1/4-002927. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23117021

Thanks for posting the photo, fairdinkumstamps and for identifying the cancellation! My great-grandfather worked latterly in the Hastings, New Zealand branch of the Union Bank of Australia, and I think one day he was clearing out some old files and found the cover.

A spectacular little collection of the second type of canceller 21 single circle datestamps. The only timecode letter missing is the ultra-rare B.

Looks like these postmarks with B and C codes are the same device, suggesting that the letter is a time code.