Kei Road Postmark
Could anyone help with this postmark.Regards Glenn
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Looks like KEI ROAD Put 5 - and date's in the right range.
This is an interesting cover. The postmark is fairly common. KEI ROAD used several datestamps of this design. (With 'ROAD' in the name, it suggests that this was a Post Office on a Railway Station.) What I find attractive about it is that it has been posted with a 1938 Christmas label, not a postage stamp. The post office has been short-changed and appears neither to have noticed nor to have cared if they did because its officials did not charge Postage Due. Was a postage stamp applied and removed? This simple cover would be a welcome addition in either a Railway PO, SA Christmas label or Postage Due display! Nice! Cinderellas are not often seen postally used like this.
I found this cover while preparing a display on all the Union stamp issues. Its postmark is similar to yours in its basic design but it is not the same as yours. As stated, several datestamps similar to yours were used by the KEI ROAD post office. This is probably larger than yours, (Bas' Putzel No. 5), with the obvious difference being its thin, not thick, bars The postmark below is similar to Putzel's No. 6 but is much, much earlier. As there is no example like this 1n the PFSA > Resources > South Africa Addendum, it is probably a very early No. 6, '17 VII 39'. My guess is that this No. 6 replaced or came in to compliment your aging datestamp ie. yours of '24 NOV 38', is very late use.
1939. First Day Cover. KEI ROAD '17 VII 39' to GB.
Thank you for your help. Glenn