New Zealand: Chalons - 1855-1873

I do not have a lot of manuscript on Chalons and most of those are simple X.
But one I do have still not able to identify so maybe someone has more ideas.
The only thing I can come up with so far is maybe Onehunga as looks like One... something?
I don't have Marshall so limited ref to manuscripts.



Clayton

Thanks, I hadn't seen any examples so just going off offices known to have had manuscripts and open in that period.
Clearly not the same.
Cheers
Clayton

as just looking here for more images of Maori Wars cancels. Good to see some nice examples.
What I am hoping is that others have some of the "HEADQUARTERS" obliterator of 1864.
Picked one up recently and on 1864 2d blue Imperf with NZ watermark too. Not clearest and only shows "QUARTERS"





Clayton

Great, thanks. Seems they must have been light on using ink here, but still easy enough to make out the letters well especially as they are mostly on the light areas of the stamp.
Almost all there, you'd have to be trying hard to get the whole thing on a stamp.

While on the subject of 'The NZ Land Wars' of the 1860's, I took another look at this cover that we had questions over regarding the cancellation :




I was wondering at the time we discussed it whether the cancel was an excised 'Headquarters' obliterator which had been used by the British Military at the Tauranga Base Camp during 1864-1866.

After some closer examination I am of the opinion that it is actually a very worn example of the 'Queens Redoubt' obliterator.

This obliterator was used by the British Military at the very forward base they used on the southern end of the Bombay Hills. It was then used in Pokeno Village following the Waikato Wars from 1865.

I include here some observations I have made after using image sleuth on the image and comparing it with another used example on cover.
NOTE that my cover is dated 1872 whereas the 6d brown imperf is on a cover dated 1864, so an 8yr age difference which would allow for further wear of the later covers cancellation.

The ends of the obliterator are 'open', unlike the 'Headquarters' obliterator' which was closed ended.

There appears to be remnants of the words 'Queens Redoubt'. Namely the 'N' of QUEENS and the 'D' of REDOUBT - shown annotated on the edited picture below.

Also noted and circled is a very obvious broken upper frame of the obliterator, which until now, at least to me, was unknown!







I think I remember reading somewhere (must track it down) that this obliterator is quite scarce used AFTER the British had finished with it! from 1865 or so after.



Dave

Hi Dave,
Certainly is an indistinct cancel. I won't posit a guess as to what it might be but at least does not seem to have had word completely excised as evidence of some letters there.
Would be difficult to determine just what dimensions of cancel were too, especially as I think the stamp itself has been removed at some time and slightly repositioned when re attached.
Aside from the slightly uncomfortable alignment of cancel on stamp and envelope there are other tell tale signs which would support this.
At lower left of stamp an ink mark seems to be connected to the later inscription above address. This text was likely added after stamp first attached for postage.
The stamp itself would have been placed slighty higher than where it currently is, so avoiding covering up too much of the addressee "Esq." but in doing so would have projected above the edge?
Perhaps it had been folded over, it does not look like top edge of stamp worn or creased though. Is the envelope complete?
Here is an image where I feel the stamp sits more comfortably but there are still some problems with this.
You mentioned this cover had been discussed earlier so maybe I should see what came of that before suggesting too much more.



Clayton

I went back and found where you had discussed this earlier so saw that repositioning of stamp had already been considered.
Also did a quick overlay with the Queens Redoubt image and although seeing the actual stamp would allow for greater certainty, the letters you highlight would appear to align exactly as too do some of the other features of the cancel you have.
I don't know the history of the cancel itself and how long it was in use here but certainly the name was still in use in this period.

As to the personages mentioned, I am wondering if "Helen McGregor" is in fact the character from play "Rob Roy".
It appears this play was doing the rounds in early 1870's showing at a number of theatres.
Then again it was used for the name of a ship at the time too...

Really. And what is the story behind this one, I am not familiar with it. Is it associated with a certain location, date and such?
Also, what is it supposed to look like when complete? Looks like only three bars, or perhaps like that illustrated in PSoNZ Vol III. pg 85 (Unidentified #21)?

I have this one, as yet unidentified. I always just figured was a partial cancel of something typical, but bars seem too widely spaced for most but not as wide as yours.
Any thoughts welcome.

1872 2d Vermilion, No Wmk, P 12½. SG 138, CP A2t



Clayton

Yes a good article gc, some great research.

The Maori War cancel I posted above is the obliterator used at Maketu. Page 282 Vol 7 of the hand books.

The other Maori Wars postmarks are the Province of Auckland series with original numbers from 1 to 7. Some were re-allocated to new locations with their original numbers from around late 1867 onwards, and latter still many had the index number changed or letters used. Location of use of many of these variations are unknown. Still a lot to be learned. Here are two of the rarer examples.








Philip

Thanks everyone for the acknowledgement, but to be fair this was a team effort.
Cheers Grant

Not sure if any help. Here are a couple of possibilities, unfortunately best images I can get as I no longer have either of these.
Can't quite make out exactly what the 6d cancel is, may be a 5? This is on CP A5d Imperf Pelure paper
The other one more likely a number 6. On 3d CP A3a Imperf Large Star Wmk.
Sorry nothing from earlier period though.





Clayton

Hi Philip

I have these ones immediately to hand of the barred '5' of Invercargill & the barred '6' of Riverton.

To date I have not seen any other number from this set of obliterators:



Of course, these perforated ones of Davies are later than you'd like to see, so I will take a closer look thru' my books to see if I can find any on the later 'Richardsons' & early Davies imperfs from the 1861-62 period.



Dave

Last one for the night.

SG69 Davies p13 1d carmine vermillion from 1863-64 - Looks like another '5' of Invercargill :





Dave

Hi Philip
Yes, one of my "special" covers.
Yes, 1/- was the correct 1/2oz rate to India at that time.
Posted Riverton 16 February 1867, arrived India 28 March 1867
Grant