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Scotland postmark question

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2023 10:09 pm
by Galveston
Im new to trying to ID postmarks and am wondering - did Scottish towns change postmarks / cancels like British ones? For instance I see in Parmenter's books sequences of different cancels for towns , I.e, 1844 TYPE, 3HOS then 4VOS, etc. But in looking on the site for a Scottish cancel I have, 131 in a square lined box, all I can find is Edinburgh, no dates of use , etc... Are there similar downloads on the site that provide dates of use, etc., for Scotland? Tks.
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Re: Scotland postmark question

Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2023 10:34 pm
by admin
James Mackay did a self-published book "Scottish Numeral Postmarks" in 1987 (which I've not seen), but other than that I don't recall a more recent comprehensive coverage of them.

For England & Wales you have the Parmenter books, and for Ireland the recently published book, but Scotland seems to have been left out!

Re: Scotland postmark question

Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2023 12:17 am
by Mike Jackson
There was an earlier book, Numbered Postmarks of Scotland (1967) by James Douglas, but Mackay's work probably supersedes it. Both books give the recorded dates of use of all the Scottish numerals but Douglas gives only the year; Mackay the full dates. Mackay's book is quite comprehensive, although not all postmarks are illustrated.
Another useful work is the DVD of Kirkwood's Proof Books 1829–1918, published by the Scottish Postal History Society in 2012.

Re: Scotland postmark question

Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2023 12:47 am
by Galveston
Thank you gentlemen... Wm.