York Postmarks

Postmarking is the term used to describe the action of applying an indelible mark to a postage stamp or item of postal stationery, so that it cannot be reused. Postmarks are also referred to as “cancels”, “frankings” and “obliterations”. They have been applied in hand manuscript, by hand stamping and by machine. There is a huge range of postmarks. This page shows postmarks that have direct significance to York, included are what might be referred to as normal postal use postmarks; special event postmarks; slogan postmarks; first day of issue postmarks; and postmark oddities. Each group is defined and introduced below to tell the story of the York postmark.

Sadly York lost its city name in postmark cancels in October 2012. Here is The Press article of the 8th October 2012 announcing the loss. On the 29th November it was announced post items posted in York would be spared a Leeds city cancel, here is The Press article from that day. Does anyone have a cancel between the 8th October and the 29th November 2012???? When was the very last day? If you have information or a scan of a cancel between these dates please email me a scan.

Postmarks from Normal Postal Usage

Special Event Postmarks

Special event postmarks “covers all postmarks which were specially inscribed for use on mail posted at events or for anniversaries.” [1]. They are special marks which usually describe the event they are used for.

The first York special event postmark was in 1948 for the Royal Show in York between the 6th and 8th July. The second was in 1965 for the Yorkshire Philatelic Convention on the 24th April. Then, from 1969 the number of special event postmarks started to increase. Between 1948 the end of 1999 there were 86 special postmarks listed in the records of the British Postmark Society “Special Event Postmarks of the United Kingdom”. There is a full list of all the Special Event postmarks used in York in the drop down box below the image. The caption in the images below start with a number - this is the sequential number from the full list.


Full list of Special Event Postmarks used in York

  1. 1948, 6 – 8th July, Royal Show I York. Two handstamps used, codes 1 and 2 above date

  2. 1965, 24th April, Yorkshire Philatelic Convention York

  3. 1969, 28th May, York Minster

  4. 1969, 20th July, 25th York Rally CTC (Cyclists Touring Club) York

  5. 1969, 31st August, LNER Flying Scotsmen (London-York-London journey)

  6. 1969, 10th October, First Recorded Visit of an Archbishop of York, The Most Revd F D Coggan Cayton Scarborough Yorkshire

  7. 1970, 16th April, Guy Fawkes

  8. 1970, 16th May, Yorkshire Philatelic Association 24th Annual Convention

  9. 1971, 13th April, Model Railway Exhibition York

  10. 1971, 17th April, Yorkshire Naturalists' Trust Jubilee Meeting 1946-1971 York

  11. 1971, 5th June, 1900th Anniv Grand Finale Gala Firework Display York

  12. 1971, 26th June, 1900tb Anniv Celebrations The Sealed Knot Procession

  13. 1971, 27th June, 1900th Anniv Celebrations The Battle of Marston Moor, Re-enacted by The Sealed Knot York

  14. 1971, 12th July, International Police Week 11-17 July York

  15. 1971, 17th July, 1900th Anniv Celebrations Pageant History Museum Gardens

  16. 1971, 31st July, XXVIth World Archery Championship 28-31 July York

  17. 1971, 18th Sept, 1900th Anniversary Celebrations Searchlight Tattoo York

  18. 1971, 13th October, 1900th Anniv. Celebrations Re-enactment of Cremation of Emperor Severus York

  19. 1972, 15th Sept, New Chief Scout at National Scouters' Conference York

  20. 1973, 27th Jan, York Coin+ Stamp Fair York

  21. 1973, 10th Feb, York City FC 50th Anniversary Season York

  22. 1973, 15th June, Mystery Plays & Festival of the Arts York

  23. 1973, 31st Dec, Final Day York Railway Museum York

  24. 1974, 14th May, Datapost First International Conference York

  25. 1974, 22nd June, St Peter's School Sports Centre Official Opening York

  26. 1974, 17th August, York City FC First Ever Match in Division

  27. 1974, 21st August, Terry's All Gold Ebor York Races

  28. 1974, 12th Oct, St John Ambulance Commemoration Service York Minster

  29. 1975, 27th Sept, National Railway Museum Opening York

  30. 1976, 18th Sept, HPO Area Invitation to York Mechanised Letter Office York (used in conjunction with PO souvenir card)

  31. 1977, 13th July, The Queen's Silver Jubilee Tour - "Visit of The Queen to York"

  32. 1977, 28th May, 50th Anniversary Private Railway Preservation York

  33. 1977, 10, 11, 13th June, York 100 (Centenary of York Station)

  34. 1977, 29th June, St Peter's School 1350th Anniversary York

  35. 1977, 13th July, Visit of The Queen to Humberside & Yorkshire York

  36. 1977, 12th Sept, 3rd World Hot Air Balloon Championships York

  37. 1978, 3rd July, 40th Anniversary World Speed Record Steam Traction York

  38. 1978, 11th Aug, Ampleforth 78 SA Scout & Guide Jamboree York

  39. 1979, 21st Aug, York Races: Benson & Hedges Gold Cup

  40. 1979, 22nd Aug, York Races: Tote Ebor Handicap

  41. 1979, 23rd Aug, York Races: William Hill Sprint Championship

  42. 1979, 20th Oct, International Railway Festival & Auction of Railwayana York

  43. 1980, 4th Aug, HM Q Elizabeth The Queen Mother 80th Birthday York

  44. 1981, 2nd Nov, Shrewsbury-York TPO Shrewsbury (also struck in blue) (used on first day of sale of postcards WMPB16 & 17)

  45. 1981, 2nd Nov, WMPB Postcards Ser 16-17 1st Day Sale York-Shrewsbury TPO York

  46. 1982, 24th Mar, Youth Sport 50th Anniv Yorkshire County Bowling Assoc York

  47. 1982, 31st May, Visit or Popa John Paul II York

  48. 1984, 17th Jan, 400th Anniversary Deputy Norroy King of Arms Visit to City of York

  49. 1984, 7th April, The Stephenson Locomotive Society 75th Anniversary Exhibition National Railway Museum York

  50. 1984, 10th April, RIBA 150th Anniversary Yorkshire Region Festival of Architecture York

  51. 1984, 14th April, Travel Back in Time Jorvik Viking Centre Coppergate York Officially Opened York

  52. 1984, 25th May, New Science & Technology Centre St Peter's School York

  53. 1985, 22nd Jan, National Railway Museum Famous Trains York

  54. 1985, 22nd Jan, Rail Riders World Magical World of Trains York Station York

  55. 1985, 14th April, Jorvik Viking Centre 1st Anniversary York (Sunday use)

  56. 1986, 22nd May, NEPB Postcards Series First Day of Sale: NEPR 17York

  57. 1986, 22nd July, The Royal Wedding (Duke & Duchess of York), Loyal Greetings from York

  58. 1987, 4th July – 4th Sept, Visit of Duke & Duchess of York 4 July 1987 York

  59. 1988, 10th May, 50th Anniversary World Speed Record for Steam Mallard '88 National Railway Museum York

  60. 1988, 10th May, Mallard 50th Anniversary Rail Riders York

  61. 1988, 23rd July, York Castle Museum Golden Jubilee 1938-1988

  62. 1988, 10th Sept, 50th Anniversary “The Duchess of Hamilton” The National Railway Museum York

  63. 1988, 4 & 15th Nov, York Minster Commemoration (south transept restoration) (York) (variable date but used on these two dates only)

  64. 1989, 7th April, 250th Anniversary Dick Turpin Highwayman 1706-1739 York

  65. 1989, 4th July, Industrial Archaeology: Yorkshire Museum York

  66. 1989, 14th Oct, Mailcoach Bicentenary 1789-1989 Boroughbridge York

  67. 1990, 4th Aug, Her Majesty The Queen Mother Happy 90th Birthday: York

  68. 1991, 20th April, 25th Anniversary Railway Philatelic Group 1966 York

  69. 1992, 1st Aug, The Royal Dragoon Guards (regimental merger) York

  70. 1992, 10th Nov, Christmas: Stained Glass Castle Howard York

  71. 1993, 29th May, Football League Play-Off Finals Wembley (Middx), Crewe Alexandra v York City

  72. 1993, 15th Jun, Roman Britain: The Ermine Street Guard Eboracum York

  73. 1994, 18th Jan, The Age of Steam First Day of lssue York (home of the National Railway Museum)

  74. 1994, 18th Jan, The Age of Steam North Yorkshire Moors Railway Celebrating Age of Steam York

  75. 1994, 5th Feb, Jorvik Festival York

  76. 1994, 2nd July, The Battle of Marston Moor 350th Anniversary The Civil War Marston York

  77. 1995, 7th July, North Yorkshire Moors Railway Pickering (North Yorkshire) (l 50th Anniv York & Pickering Rly; variable date but used one day only)

  78. 1995, 30th Oct, Christmas Greetings York

  79. 1996, 26th Jun, Great Northern Railway 150 Years York

  80. 1997, 2nd July, York Newcastle & Berwick Rly 150 Yrs Leeming Bar Northallerton (N Yorks)

  81. 1998, 30th Oct, North Yorkshire and York Village Ventures 1998 York

  82. 1999, 2nd Feb – 6TH Jun, NYMR (North Yorkshire Moors Railway) Celebrates the Millenium Stamps York (spelling error)

  83. 1999, 6th July, Citizens' Tale. Millennium Series. York (shows a York aircraft)

  84. 1999, 5th Oct, Soldiers' Tale Millennium Series. Soldiers Civil War Marston York

  85. 1999, 2nd Nov, Christians' Tale. Millennium Series. English Heritage Millennium Collection Rievaulx Abbey York

  86. 1999, 31st Dec, Last Day of the Second Millennium AD. Eboracum York (12315)

Slogan Cancels

Slogan postmarks are a form of advertising “whereby the Post Office itself, or a ‘sponsor’, who pays for the privillage, can have a message applied to mail during the normal course of machine postmarking”. [2] The first slogan postmarks were used by the Post Office in 1917 after the Government put pressure on it to promote the sale of War Bonds. The last slogan was for "Physicians/Surgeons Glasgow" in 1999, in total there were 5,161 slogan designs. Postcode orientated, Christmas and occasionally Valentine, Mothers Day and similar slogans did continue through the. 2000s. New slogans were inkjet printed in IMP machines rather than using metal dies - the subject of the slogans were only Royal Mail topics.


National Slogan Cancels used in York

The following images show National Cancels, that is cancels of National significance, with a York city cancel.

Meter Postmarks

Meter postmarks are used by companies who purchased a stamping machine and the license to use it postmark any items of business mail it put into the postal system. Meter marks usually comprise company logos or text relevant to the company. They are classified as a form of slogan postmark. Meter postmarks are usually applied in red ink.

First Day of Issue Cancels

The first day of issue of a new set of stamps is an important day in the philatelic world. Special envelopes are produced commemorating the issue and a special postmark is applied. In York the current 'normal' postmark is a circular (26 mm diameter) cancel with "FIRST DAY OF ISSUE" curved around the top, "YORK" curved around the bottom and the date horizontally across the middle. An example of this is shown below. Also included in the images below only show the first day of issue cancels that are different to this design.

Oddities

This section contains images of cancels that are just plain "not quite right".


Acknowledgements

Thanks go to the following who have contributed images to this site:

Prof. Tony Ward

Mr Joe Kotek

Mr Peter Byrne