Germany & Colonies Philatelic Society
The year 2014 marked the 50th anniversary of the first year of operation of the Germany & Colonies Philatelic Society following the amalgamation of the Germany & Colonies Stamp Club (established 1947) and the Stockton German Study Group (1960).

The G&CPS celebrated its inaugural year in 1964 with the first Germania Posta philatelic exhibition held in Stockton.

Title: Danzig Krantor cancels
Posted By: Giles du Boulay (giles.duboulay@btinternet.com)
Posted On: 07/04/2012 at 16:27:47
Message: Thanks for the scans of your two covers and details of the arrival cancels. The one at the top was correctly franked at 42RPf if it weighed up to 20g and the one below was correctly franked at 54RPf if it weighed between 20 and 100g. The registration label would have been affixed at the post office of posting so that indicates that the special cancel was applied at Danzig 5 -although I am bit surprised that the code 'a' one would have been issued to Danzig 5 rather than Danzig 1. Code letters were added to registration labels to indicate the specific counter where the item was accepted, or to identify businesses to whom rolls of labels were issued because they regularly posted registered items. In the latter case this would usually have been a two-letter code e.g. 'ap'. Rolls of labels with their serial numbers were issued and where there was a need for code letters these were added later. These could be printed, handstamped or added by hand. I can imagine that at busy times a counter clerk needing a new roll might have found that one with the correct counter's code letter added was not readily available so the clerk would have had to resort to adding the code as he/she went along. It is possible also that one clerk may have asked another from a different counter to tear a few off a roll for immediate use which would then have necessitated hand alteration of the code letters. I note from a supplementary volume of the Wolff catalogue that at Danzig 5 that pattern of label was used in 1944 with either a small 'b' printed, a handstamped capital 'B' in violet or a manuscript 'B'. So there is nothing particularly unusual or significant about the registration labels on your covers. Cheers Giles
Image:
Back to Message Forum
Message Thread
TITLE POSTED BY DATE TIME
Danzig Krantor cancels Bill Sells 05/04/2012 09:32:24
    Danzig Krantor cancels Giles du Boulay 07/04/2012 11:21:46
    Danzig Krantor cancels Giles du Boulay 07/04/2012 16:27:47
Germany & Colonies Philatelic Society