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Post by jamesw on May 10, 2015 2:14:44 GMT
Hi all You may remember this uprated postal card I posted a month or so ago. It was one I won at a recent Maresch auction. I'm trying to put together album pages when I suddenly found myself stumped by the cancel. The card was sent in December of 1892 from City Stamps in Montreal to a philatelic publisher in Birmingham, and discusses ads. What I'm wondering about is the CDS which shows no year, but instead has the letters MT below the Dec 30 date. Any thoughts what MT might stand for? Sadly my library is a rather weak in this department.  thanks |
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rod222
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Post by rod222 on May 10, 2015 3:34:00 GMT
One immediately thinks MT=Montreal
With some US duplexes, the year lies outside the CDS (Circular Date Stamp)
I am not familiar with Canadian examples.
One route:
Bayes, Robert
Title: Montreal duplex cancellations
Periodical: BNA topics
Reference: v. 45, no. 5, 1988, p. 12-16
Subject: Duplex marks
Montréal (Que.)
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Ryan
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Post by Ryan on May 10, 2015 6:45:11 GMT
One route: Bayes, Robert Title: Montreal duplex cancellations Periodical: BNA topics Reference: v. 45, no. 5, 1988, p. 12-16 Subject: Duplex marks Montréal (Que.) Note that copies of BNA Topics are available online - the issue referenced above is available by clicking here. The article deals with 1915-1920 era cancellations, however. I do notice that those later duplexes contain a time of day in the CDS portion. Maybe the "MT" is a French-language abbreviation for "matin" or, in English, "morning". Just a thought (but I'm a bit skeptical myself; aren't Montreal cancellations of the day mostly in English?). Ryan |
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rod222
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Post by rod222 on May 10, 2015 11:38:01 GMT
Great work Ryan.
Although unhelpful, was an interesting read.
I thought your "Matin" was a excellent suggestion.
Is it MT or M (with T over a dot ?)
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rod222
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Post by rod222 on May 10, 2015 11:45:13 GMT
I searched with text string "canada montreal mute duplex" There is this on a Russian, alas, one cannot see if the year is evident, .......................having no stamp to cancel, perhaps the hammer is a receiving mark? www.rossica.org/Samovar/viewthread.php?tid=1860 |
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rod222
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Post by rod222 on May 10, 2015 12:04:14 GMT
We are getting somewhere. Here is a cover that may support Ryan's prognosis, "PM" for afternoon, mute obliterator. Seen: Mute obliterator Montreal called "Mute barred dispatch obliterator" stampauctionnetwork.com/va/va309182.cfm |
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Post by jamesw on May 10, 2015 13:07:03 GMT
Wow, the elves have been working overtime while I slept. I posted this question late last night with the idea of checking BNAPS this morning. You gents have been busy! I too had assumed that the cancelations were usually in English, the the matin theory does have merit. After all that is the usual location for the time indicator. And the dot under the T? Rodney! Keen eyes. I had noticed the space but assumed it was a defect in the stamping. Note the same space in the T of Montreal. However a closeup (albeit a crude one) of the mark shows a rounded downward stroke of the T in the MT, whereas in Montreal, the downward stroke is definitely cut straight across, indicating a defect.  Cudos, gentlemen, to be sure! Bears further investigation, but I think you may be on the right track. Thanks so much! j. |
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Post by jamesw on May 10, 2015 15:35:07 GMT
When in doubt...ask!
I emailed Hugo Deshaye of the BNAPS Lower Canada Regional Group and he very kindly and VERY quickly responded with the answer that MT stands for Midnight, as in the midnight shift.
So there you have it.
Thanks for you help guys. On to the next mystery!
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Admin
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Post by Admin on May 10, 2015 16:15:35 GMT
Another mystery solved. TSF members burning the Midnight oil  |
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rod222
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Post by rod222 on May 10, 2015 20:19:26 GMT
MT = Midnight Canada Montreal Postmark
Not listed in Askphil.
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AirmailEd
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Post by AirmailEd on May 10, 2015 20:32:41 GMT
When in doubt...ask! I emailed Hugo Deshaye of the BNAPS Lower Canada Regional Group and he very kindly and VERY quickly responded with the answer that MT stands for Midnight, as in the midnight shift. So there you have it. Thanks for you help guys. On to the next mystery! So are the dots under the T's simply broken type? |
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Post by jamesw on May 10, 2015 21:13:09 GMT
Hi Ed. I'm pretty sure the one in Montreal is. But I think Rod is correct that the T in MT is smaller with a dot underneath. I know the large scan isn't the greets (I just blew up what I had) but the bottom of that T, above the dot is rounded, not showing any sign of being cut off. My take is that it's a form of abbreviation. Very stylish.
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