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Post by robayr on May 6, 2024 20:30:24 GMT
Hi Guys, another question. Spent a lot of time reading through the forum and I have become very interested in postmarks. Disgracefully I have ignored them before but when I started looking through my collection I have become quite obsessed, maybe not the right word, by them. My question is. The term socked on the nose, does it mean the whole postmark has to be visible and if not how much of the postmark should be visible for it to be of interest to others.
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rod222
Member
Posts: 10,681
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on May 6, 2024 21:09:03 GMT
Hi Guys, another question. Spent a lot of time reading through the forum and I have become very interested in postmarks. Disgracefully I have ignored them before but when I started looking through my collection I have become quite obsessed, maybe not the right word, by them. My question is. The term socked on the nose, does it mean the whole postmark has to be visible and if not how much of the postmark should be visible for it to be of interest to others. Opinion the one that suits me, is the ability to read and understand the town, date, and important info on the hammer face Early postage stamp formats / sizes, preclude to getting a full face S.O.N. Collect what you fancy, and over time, you'll know what parameters suit yourself. Welcome to the discipline, it's a fascinating adjunct. Warning: It is very common to get egg on one's face, when interpreting postmarks, or part thereof. wear it well, for when you, on occasions crack the correct postmark, there is a great feeling of joy.
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Londonbus1
Moderator
Cinderella Stamp Club Member 3059
Posts: 4,950
What I collect: Cinderellas and some Ephemera from Great Britain, France and Israel plus a few beautiful bits from elsewhere !! Topical interests include Flags & Judaica, the latter with an emphasis on the Jewish National Fund.
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Post by Londonbus1 on May 6, 2024 21:53:24 GMT
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rod222
Member
Posts: 10,681
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on May 6, 2024 23:02:16 GMT
...and a not so good S.O.N. but still very collectable. Maltese Cross Numeral 11, with cross at top Exist : Numerals 1 to 12 (but NOT numeral 3) This type in use at various London Post Offices 1843-1844 ![](https://i.ibb.co/rvLLZVr/london-number-in-Maltese-Cross-11-1st-april-1843-01-david.jpg)
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kasvik
Member
Posts: 588
What I collect: Cancels mostly, especially Sweden Gävle and Lidingö, Switzerland Geneva, Germany Pforzheim
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Post by kasvik on May 7, 2024 0:05:17 GMT
Hi Guys, another question. Spent a lot of time reading through the forum and I have become very interested in postmarks. Disgracefully I have ignored them before but when I started looking through my collection I have become quite obsessed, maybe not the right word, by them. My question is. The term socked on the nose, does it mean the whole postmark has to be visible and if not how much of the postmark should be visible for it to be of interest to others. Absolutely right; obsessive. After I started collecting again in 2004, for about ten years I mostly went for perfect mint stamps. But that reached a natural/budgetary threshold; too much smashing the piggy. I gradually switched to postal history, cancels especially. What a worm can. For me, cancels are the beauty of it now. A nice cancel can leave me (briefly) breathless. The biggest detective side of the business, pursuit of obscure places. richardk just got my attention with all those amazing Mauritius. And they don't necessarily have to cost a bomb. It's just endless. And that's the point.
(There is a wrinkle; the most perfect cancels, especially since mid-twentieth century, often were made for collectors. They're too perfect, not as entertaining--no detective work--but they can be pretty.)
Having the complete cancel perfectly centered is desirable, but not always feasible. Sometimes you gotta make allowances. And then there is the sellers' perspective (everything is SON) versus buyers' (more skeptical).
There are so many ways to do this.
![](https://i.ibb.co/0nnjYt5/Picture1.png)
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khj
Member
Posts: 1,515
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Post by khj on May 7, 2024 0:13:19 GMT
...Maltese Cross Numeral 11, with cross at top Exist : Numerals 1 to 12 (but NOT numeral 3) This type in use at various London Post Offices 1843-1844 Just to clarify, the Maltese Cross #3 cancel does exist, however, it doesn't have the additional small cross at top (the other numbers do, like the #11 shown by rod222).
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Post by greaden on May 7, 2024 0:49:53 GMT
SON means all important information is visible. If I can see where it is from and when it was sent, I am happy.
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Post by greaden on May 7, 2024 1:17:50 GMT
A lot of the best early postmarks were CTO, by order, complaisance as the French say. But that is how many of the early colonial postmarks were preserved.
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rod222
Member
Posts: 10,681
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on May 7, 2024 4:00:31 GMT
Just to clarify, the number 3 without the cross at top, is a single hammer, no other numbers in this style.
I would guess, also, Londonbus1 MC (Maltese Cross) is a "normal" (with slight variations) of use throughout Britain 1840-1844
Large variations would number to 12 basic types. The identification (I suggest) would be a specialists discipline.
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rod222
Member
Posts: 10,681
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on May 7, 2024 5:00:15 GMT
As you dive into Postmarks, I would suggest you will experience devolution, and begin to collect other forms than "S.O.N" You will maybe become interested in EKU and LKU Earliest known use , and latest known use (Other countries may use differing acronyms) ![](https://i.ibb.co/QFrDcYJ/Jamaica-son-montreal.jpg) With Australian Postmarks, single penny stamps with good postmarks can regularly attract $5 - $50 each. Or, you may hone your discipline to just one country Belgian "Pizza Wheels" for example ![](https://i.ibb.co/g4BQQsg/belgium-pizza-wheel-postal-savings-roller-cancels-ymd682.jpg) Or Belgian Railway Parcel cancellations, I have well over 1000, and yet hardly scratched the surface You can track rail lines throughout Belgium ![](https://i.ibb.co/kqy0yS1/belgium-railway-parcel-cancels.jpg)
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vikingeck
Member
Posts: 3,472
What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on May 7, 2024 9:03:44 GMT
Postmarks always add interest to any used collection and as some tiny villages had very little mail, or post offices closed after only a short period , the marks may be scarce or even rare and so will be sought after.
I feel the postmark must have enough to be unambiguously identifiable before it is of interest.
However, “Socked on the nose.” Should only apply to centred cancels where at least 90% of the cancel covers the stamp and preferably upright !
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