Hi all,

Can anyone help me with the status of handpunched copies of all four
denominations of the KEVIII stamps.
I have the S.G. G.B. Four Kings specialised catalogue (eleventh edition) and
can find no listings for these stamps.

Appendix 4 states that Type P was a handpunch used on booklet panes already
overprinted 'CANCELLED' .

I have a complete booklet, edition number 356 date stamped on the front
cover 16 Nov. 1936, all stamps on each pane overprinted with CANCELLED
(12x2mm) and hand punched with cross type hand punch.

These are listed and priced in the catalogue but I can find no mention of
stamps with the handpunch only (not overprinted SPECIMEN or CANCELLED)

I have a vertical pair of the ½d value from the top right hand side of the
sheet printing which was bought from a very reputable dealer and also one of
each of the four values.

I know that there was going to be a new edition of the catalogue but do not
know if that has eventuated. If so, perhaps there is additional information
included.

Any help would be welcomed.

Thanks and regards.

Ron.

Ron,
The trouble with these hand-punches is that they were supplied to all post offices which accepted telegrams, to be used for the cancellation of any high value stamps used on the telegraph forms. Staff in those post offices sometimes used the punches for their own amusement on stamps other than those for which they were authorised. I know this because I did it myself a couple of times, then got cold feet and claimed the stamps as spoiled.
They should be regarded as JUNK.
Harvey

I forgot to mention. Samuel and Huggins is on Page 45 and do not mention the 2 1/2d but this was 1980.

I have just had a closer look at the SG Four Kings on Pages 194-5 and it mentions Type 33P for Booklets BC2/4.

Sounbds like you have the real McCoy there!

Help my first message vanished!

Harvey has a point but I feel that the matter is far deeper and more interesting than that.

I was looking at my own collection which values such eccentricity and I have hole punched Geo V but Ed VIII only with holes and no OP (Overprint).

I thinkl you have something quite interesting there and well worth collecting.

At the recent Colchester GBPS meeting a mamber did a wonderful display of Geo V Booklet panes, many of which had OP's and were Punched.

I suggest you get hold of Samuel and Huggins 'Specimen Stamps and Stationery of GB' Pub 1980 by GBPS and I think Embassy Stamps have some copies, worth getting for this fascinating subject.

I have got the latest 13th Edition of SG Four Kings and Pages 194-6 and p266 are worth looking at, as they with Huggins confirm that you seem to have the real McCoy. I do not feel such items are junk and I now know about the Ed VIII stamps I have which are just hole punched.

Hope this helps

Harvey.....
Who was a naughty boy then - defacing Government property!!
That must be going back a few years I suspect - about what era would that be?

I will not be throwing these away as Junk as any sort of variety on stamps is interesting to me and already I have learned, from your mail, that these items appear in strange ways.

Also, when these items come up they are not usually cheap and in the case of
the o.p.'s with punch they are listed at £30, £30 and £25 for a single stamp - and that is in my 'outdated' catalogue.
So, should you have any excess 'junk' you can throw it my way rather than file
13..
Thanks for that info. ......


Specimen...

Could you put up a scan of those EVIII hole punched copies, sans overprint,
that you have so that I can compare them with mine?
I find them interesting but it is hard to get information about these 'unlisted' types, particularly over here in Australia and of course obtaining catalogues from overseas can be a pretty expensive business taking
postage rates into account.

Could you perhaps give me an inkling as to what the 13th edition catalogue
has to say on the subject. No worries if you would rather not and I can make
enquiries about getting a copy.
I will check out Embassy Stamps website (I presume they have one) and see
what they offer.

The 2½d is interesting as it is listed as overprinted SPECIMEN and priced at
£250 and listed as overprinted CANCELLED but not priced. They were not handpunched.
I have the latter in blocks of four of the other 3 values but was not able
to find the 2½d.

I attach scans of the ones I have for your information.
The booklet in this scan has all stamps overprinted and punched as shown on
the single stamp.
Thanks for your help.

Regards to all
Ron.

Ron,
I worked at the GPO in both the late 1950's and the late 1960's in London, where my stated misdeeds took place! By the time I came to Colchester in 1969, I had grown out of malpractices!

Again, I must confess to being "that member who put up the display of KG V Silver Jubilee booklet panes with both punched centres and "cancelled" overprints". The only person who commented on the display at the time was our revered President, who "turned green" as he told me that there was something in my display which he not only didn't have, but also had never previously seen!

Actually I seem to recall I also commented on the display which was of eye watering magnificence. Even my Philatelic better half, who specialises in mis-perfs enjoyed the display.
I love Specimens and Cancelleds and miss having a rather lot of the bits in our collection!!

Harvey,
I had viewed that display of yours and turned more than just green. I loved it.
I have one each of the booklets and that is it. The cylinder panes, punched and cancelled I have never seen.

How on earth did you manage to find all of those. I get a reasonable amount of dealers lists, auction catalogues etc. and have never even seen them advertised.

The scarcity is reflected in the catalogue prices - wow - what is your secret.

Thanks for all the help

Regards
Ron.

Ron,
I have a couple of spare booklets of both values, not necessarily complete but good lookers, nevertheless. Let me know your private email address, and I'll send you scans and prices required. However, I have none of the CANCELLED/punched panes going spare. Purchase of those was just a matter of "being in the right place at the right time" - or the wrong time, depending on how your bank manager views matters! I also have spare panes of all 3 values incl a spare of cyl 66.

Harvey,
Our e-mail address is
ears@gil.com.au
Thanks.
Ron.