JUDICATURE FEES

Preceeding Issues

As the result of a number of Supreme Court of Judicature Acts of 1873 to 1875, the powers of the Admiralty, Chancery, Common Law, Matrimonial Causes and Probate were combined into a unified system.

Judicature Stamps"

The first stamp issues were based upon the standard key plate design.

Die proof dated 'Sept 21 1876'

Plate proof showing current number '518'

However, from 1876 the key plate issues were replaced with designs specifically for the collection of fees, with the exception of the £2 and £5 values which remained as the key plate design.

However, between 1902 and 1903, following the death of Queen Victoria, the series returned to using the key plate designs.

Judicature fees continued to be used until well into the reign of Queen Elizabeth II until decimalisation took place in February 1972 at which point the stamps were replaced with "Insolvency" stamps.

Cancellations

Early cancels were sometimes manuscript, but more often circular handstamps.

However the fee order of the 4th August 1884 stipulated that from the 18th of that month a perfin cancellation was to be used. The perfin consisted of a crown above the letters "H.C.J", enclosed in a circle.

From the 1st August 1891 the perfin cancel was abandoned in favour of a 'CANCELLED' handstamp.

Although the Judicature issues were never postally valid, postally used examples can be found although such usage is extremely rare.