Natal Cork Cancellers on Cover plus single Natal, OFS and Transvaal

#1 · October 3, 2020, 5:41 pm

I finally found these hiding in plain sight! I don't collect these areas. All I know about them is in the write-up.

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#2 · October 4, 2020, 11:54 am

Herewith a ZAR cork canceller for what it is worth.

Given the few non-Cape cork cancellers that I've seen and found, it appears to me that the cork canceller was not as widely used outside the Cape of Good Hope as it was within. I have just gone through some ZAR / TVL material looking for ZAR Truncated Datestamps for Bas Payne when I came across this lonely ZAR cork canceller, assuming that is what it is. It has an unusual outer circle containing four separated sections making a broken cross. I believe the stamp is the 1883 SG 173 / SACC 176 3d pale red. I do not know enough to state if it is a forgery or genuine and guess that cork cancellers are uncommon on such ZAR stamps, becoming more common on the later 1885 Vurtheims and Enschedes?

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#3 · October 18, 2020, 1:12 pm

This is a Transvaal cork on Letter Card - there was many different types of cork cancelers recorded in Transvaal

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#4 · October 18, 2020, 1:12 pm

Here is another example

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#5 · October 18, 2020, 1:13 pm

And a few more

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#6 · October 18, 2020, 6:43 pm

Thanks Johan. These are lovely, especially the postcard. No matter where they come from, cork cancellers are invaribly seductive and desirable ie. hard to resist. Can anyone show us more ZAR cork cancellers? Please!

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#7 · November 2, 2020, 12:35 pm

I've got a few Natal examples with theory on use which I've attached - Tony

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natalcorks_20201101_0001.pdf

#8 · November 2, 2020, 2:03 pm

Thanks Tony. These are lovely, interesting examples. Your explantion, if a bit attenuated, provides food for thought, especially your assertion that the last postcard proves that not all cork or mute cancellers were associated with circulars. This is good stuff. Perhaps a Natal collector would like to comment, ideally with examples of their own.

Having asked for more ZAR and received your Natal, I now ask for more Natal cork cancellers in the hope of getting some OFS ones. Please! Hopefully, use of the "magic word" that will do the trick and pull the rabbit out of the hat!

#9 · November 3, 2020, 8:42 am

Quote from tonyhg on November 2, 2020, 12:35 pm

I've got a few Natal examples with theory on use which I've attached - Tony

Tony, this is an excellent study of the dumb cancellers. So if I understand you correctly they were used in more than one place?

#10 · November 4, 2020, 7:29 pm

Hi - I'm no expert on these - the 1st three originated from Sterkspruit but one can't guarantee they were posted there but they were printed circulars so there would have been a number of them which makes it less likely they were taken any distance before being posted - the 4th is from Hilton School and I don't know where this was - the 5th again in unguaranteeable but was probably posted in Pmbg - all the best - Tony