Gallery

> HISTORY OF DANZIG'S MAIL AND POSTAL CANCELLATION

Regarding the use of hour cancellations, the following is ordered: Since in the period from 8 pm tu 7 am only a few letters are posted, a cancellation with the time data 8A-7M is sufficient. The institution of night cancellations, if necessary, is left to the discretion of the Oberpostdirektionen (regional offices of the General Post Office). Letters that reach the duty room before 1 am are to be cancelled with the date of the next day; letters that reach the room around 1 arr: or later are to receive the date of the new day. If hour cancellations are in use, the cancel in the former case will be 8-12N; in the latter: 1-8V.

Regarding the number cancellations from 1850 to 1859, the postal regulations said:

In order to prevent that once-used stamps are used again, they must be cancelled before they are forwarded, with the four-ring cancellation which has a number arid is used solely for cancellation purposes. The maximum diameter is 24.5 to 26 mm, the smallest circle bearing the 1-4 digit number, which, if there is the possibility of misreading, shows a period (6., 9., 66.etc.). All letters with stamps must receive the local cancellation. The post office at which the letters are mailed, has the duty to cancel the stamps even if the sender has affixed them to the envelope. Each stamp must be cancelled individually by applying the cancellation. A stamp is cancelled only if the number of the cancellation is printed clearly and entirely on the stamp itself. As of November 1850, the stamps on prepaid envelopes are to be cancelled by the crossing with blue ink that part that bears the postage amount. Up to October 5, 1851, entires were cancelled with the destruction (number) cancellation and the local cancellation was added. (Regulation of 15 September 1851). The 4 Pf. stamps are sufficiently cancelled if the receiving cancellation of the post office is clearly printed on each stamp. But this cancellation may not be used to cancel other stamps. (April 5, for 4 Pf., June 13, for the 6 Pf. stamp.)

In the area of the DANZIG FREE STATE the following number cancellations were used:

292: Gross-Gzapielken-Mariensee
304: Danzig
1778: Herzberg (beginning in 1854: Gross—Zünder)
1775: Hohenstein
1037: Neuteich
1045: Nickelswalde (this no. was later assigned to Ludwigsort)
1770: Praust
1348: Schönbaum
1338: Stangenwalde
1466: Stutthof
1498: Tiegenhof
1718: Zoppot

[Continued in next Report]

 

Danzig Report  Nr. 14 – April - May - June - 1977, Page 14.