CANCELLATIONS

1) THE MALTESE CROSS

The Maltese Cross cancel was the first cancellation to be used with postage stamps.

BLACK

BLUE

On the penny red, the cancellation would normally use black ink, though other colours such as blue, red or green were sometimes used.

NORWICH Squashed appearence

COVENTRY Washed appearence

SCOTTISH Thin, well defined

The Maltese Cross handstamps were made individually and by hand. Consequently, no two handstamps are exactly the same. Indeed, some are so different as to identify the place of cancellation.

1

12

8

From the middle of March 1843, until it was superseeded in 1844, a series of crosses were in use in the London Head Office. Each cross had a number between 1 and 12 in its center. With the exception of number 3, the top was indicated by a small cross.