MULTIPLE DIFFERENT POSTMARKS ON COVER
This might be a bit lightweight for the postal history purist. (It is probably an anathema to the philatelic purist!!) However, covers and postcards with multiple different datestamps are of interest and value because each postmark describes a step in their journey from the dispatching post office to the receiver.
What is pleasing about the postcard below it is that it has four different examples of Cape of Good Hope postmarks on it - the STO (Small Triangular Obliterator); an ALICE Single Circle datestamp 'JY 11 90'; a KINGWILLIAMSTOWN Squared Circle 'JY 13 90'; and an EAST LONDON Hooded Circular Datestamp 'JY 13 90'. These show the route it took from Alice via Kingwilliamstown and East London to Durban, Natal. Sadly, no Durban receiving datestamp was applied.
Given the distances across South Africa, the application of three town datestamps was not uncommon. The relatively late use of the STO is an added attraction. Can anyone trump this with four different datestamps? Or better, five?
Uploaded files:
Not Cape, but here's a ZAR cover with four different ZAR date-stamps (DERDEPOORT xx APR 98, SAULSPOORT xx xxx 98, RUSTENBURG 12 APR 98, PRETORIA 14 APR 98), and two USA date-stamps (NEW YORK MAY 14 98, LOWELL MAY 15 98). It would probably have had one less if it hadn't been understamped when posted - what appears to have happened is that the sender in Derdepoort put on 1d; then 1½d was added in Saulspoort.
Of course redirected covers often get more date-stamps - and covers with difficulty in delivery again often get many more ....
Uploaded files:
And another interesting example ... spotted on Delcampe if anyone wants it (it has been there for some time). On the front, just one date-stamp: THABINA 23 JUL 96; then three routing date-stamps in the ZAR (HAENERTSBURG, 24 JUL 96; PIETERSBURG 24 JUL J96; and PRETORIA 26 JUL E96), arrival in BERN (18 VIII 96), and then redirection in BERN (18 VIII 96) and arrival in KANDERSTEG (19 VIII 96). The late ZAR seem to have used routing date-stamps with abandon sometimes, which provides a useful source of date-stamps and of information about routes and timing. But sadly the use of date-stamps for routing and arrival declined rapidly after the ABW, and even more so after Union.
Uploaded files:
I can't top that with the letter below to the C.T.O (Central Telegraph Office), Cape Town. However, it should interest those who collect T.O (Telegraph Office) datestamps. Unlike your two covers that show a mail route, (with re-routed mail the most likely source of multiple postmarks on cover), this suggests GPO / CTO internal processing of a letter to one of its officers. If not that, then this cover is philatelic ie. sent for the purpose of accumulating CTO postmarks.
Sent from WILLOWMORE '20 AUG 35' its bears two fine strikes of the same Type 1 Unilingual ('SOUTH AFRICA' in English only) datestamp and three CTO Cape Town datestamps. It was received in Cape Town on the reverse with a bilingual C.T.O CAPE TOWN above C.T.K KAAPSTAD on '26 AUG 35'. ('C.T.K' is curious, possibly an anglicism. It should be S.T.K - SentraleTelegraaf Kantoor.) It then received a unilingual C.T.O above CAPE TOWN '27 AUG 35' datestamp on reverse and a bilingual CTO CAPE TOWN (no stops) above CTK KAAPSTAD (no stops) on '27 AUG 35' on front. Which was applied first on the 27th is hard to say as both have blocks instead of Time Code Letters.
Uploaded files:
Here are a few more examples of the efficiency and energy of the old Cape / SA Post Office.
The cover is from the OFS. It was posted in KASSEL on '27 AUG' and travelled via DEWETSDORP on '30 AUG 18' and EDENBURG on '31 AUG 18'. It arrived in INZICHT ' on '3 SEP 18'. Uncollected or undeliverable, it departed INZICHT on '18 SEP 18' and was returned to EDENBURG on what looks like '28 SEP 18'. It ended up in the JOHANNESBURG RETURNED LETTER OFFICE on '1 OCT 18'.
What is nice about this cover is that ALL the postmarks except the Jo'burg RLO come from relatively early Union era datestamps that proudly state 'SOUTH AFRICA'.
The Cape cover is from some seven months after Union but all the datestamps are colonial era ones. They are to some extent examples of the late use of CGH / Cape Colony datestamps.. (But not nearly as late as the latest. That's another subject for this website!). The GREAT BRAK RIVER datestamp is probably the oldest of the lot. The route is a local one. Oudtshoorn is the only town of any size.
The postcard was posted in CALITZDORP 'JA 11 11' and transitted via OUDTSHOORN the same day at 8 AM. It arrived in GREAT BRAK RIVER the next day, 'JA 12 11' and and in GONNA KRAAL on 'JA 13 11'. Aikona gogga!!
Uploaded files:
