Great Britain Philatelic Society

Advice please.

I have been shown a 2/6d booklet (September 1954 Tudor watermark) in which every stamp is overprinted “cancelled” with a hand stamp. It has a clean BPA cert from 2002 – the cert says: “as type 24”, which itself is extraordinary as the type 24 “cancelled’ was previously last used in 1920, but it is certainly 15mmx2mm so it can’t be the type 34 cancelled o’print (used up to 1948).


The booklet is “well-thumbed” so it is likely that there was a particular reason for its existence and whatever that reason was, it was used for that purpose and somehow survived.

Anybody any thoughts?

I do not know if this helps but it lists specimen and cancelled stamps. It refers to 2s6d booklets.

I also have other records which lists the distribution of these type of stamps.

Not a clue
However if the Cert states 'as type' that is as nearas they can get. The experts only learn from others and experience

Thank you "Lennox" for your swift offer of assistance. An observation and another question.

The entry displayed in the book would seem to be for 1955 which is too late for the booklet I was shown and it also suggests the overprint was "Specimen" rather than cancelled.

REgarding the origin of the book you illustrate. Is it from the Post Office or from the Printer or from some other source?

Regards

The book is from the British Postal Museum and Archive and available for public inspection. If required I can give you the file reference.

I have other records from the Archive which may be of assistance. It will take some delving but I will see if there is anything relevant.

Would the Museum not hold both P.O and Printers records? File ref may be useful. Any other info you think may be of relevance would be welcomed when you have the time.