Around 70 different official seals and tapes are recorded from Great Britain, in a wide variety of types. The earlier designs generally show a crown along with the ruling monarch's intials in the design. Later versions are inscribed "The Post Office," and the current type says "Royal Mail."
Date issued: Unknown, EKU March 20, 1883
Printing: Black on thin white
Perforation: Rough 11 1/2
Inscription: "V. (crown) R. / FOUND / OPEN AND / OFFICIALLY / SEALED."
Control Number: none
Description: 1897 green oval die uprated entire with stamps floated off from New York, NY to Brighton, England and violet boxed "DAMAGED BY IMMERSION / IN SEA WATER" marking. British Victorian reign era seal affixed to backflap. This is likely from an incident aboard the "St. Paul", and might be from an accidental dumping overboard of mailbags while loading or unloading the vessel. All mails from the "St. Paul" received the red "Paid" and "damaged" handstamps upon arrival in London on June 24th.
Courtesy of Jim Kotanchik by permission. Date issued: Unknown, EKU March 20, 1883
Printing: Black on thin white
Perforation: Rough 11 1/2
Inscription: "V. (crown) R. / FOUND / OPEN AND / OFFICIALLY / SEALED."
Control Number: none
Description: Soiled and heavily damaged Great Britain blue 1d lettercard sent from a soldier at "Field Post Office 7" in Johannesburg, Transvaal on June 12, 1900 to Ayr, Scotland. Carmine two-line "RECOVERED FROM MAILS / LOOTED BY THE ENEMY." marking applied at lower left, and backstamped five months later at the Army Base Post Office at Capetown. Upon arrival in Scotland it was endorsed "Recd burst / & resealed / at Ayr" and repaired with two official seals.
The contents discuss a "very sharp bit of fighting" along the Vaal River, and "six of us scouts kept sixty Boers in check for an hour till they retreated." It was written by an advance scout with Lord Robert's force. A scarce salvaged Anglo-Boer War mail item looted by Boer forces.
Courtesy of Jim Kotanchik by permission. Updated November 17, 2007
Catalog: Drummond OS1
Catalog: Drummond OS1
© Copyright 2003-2007
- Buying, Selling, & Trading Officially Sealed Mails of the World -
by T. Hirn
E-mail:thirn@poseal.com