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 6^th and 8^th July. The second was in 1965 for the Yorkshire Philatelic Convention on the 24^th 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

1948, 6 – 8^th July, Royal Show I York. Two handstamps used, codes 1 and 2 above date
1965, 24^th April, Yorkshire Philatelic Convention York
1969, 28^th May, York Minster
1969, 20^th July, 25th York Rally CTC (Cyclists Touring Club) York
1969, 31^st August, LNER Flying Scotsmen (London-York-London journey)
1969, 10^th October, First Recorded Visit of an Archbishop of York, The Most Revd F D Coggan Cayton Scarborough Yorkshire
1970, 16^th April, Guy Fawkes
1970, 16^th May, Yorkshire Philatelic Association 24th Annual Convention
1971, 13^th April, Model Railway Exhibition York
1971, 17^th April, Yorkshire Naturalists' Trust Jubilee Meeting 1946-1971 York
1971, 5^th June, 1900th Anniv Grand Finale Gala Firework Display York
1971, 26^th June, 1900tb Anniv Celebrations The Sealed Knot Procession
1971, 27^th June, 1900th Anniv Celebrations The Battle of Marston Moor, Re-enacted by The Sealed Knot York
1971, 12^th July, International Police Week 11-17 July York
1971, 17^th July, 1900th Anniv Celebrations Pageant History Museum Gardens
1971, 31^st July, XXVIth World Archery Championship 28-31 July York
1971, 18^th Sept, 1900th Anniversary Celebrations Searchlight Tattoo York
1971, 13^th October, 1900th Anniv. Celebrations Re-enactment of Cremation of Emperor Severus York
1972, 15^th Sept, New Chief Scout at National Scouters' Conference York
1973, 27^th Jan, York Coin+ Stamp Fair York
1973, 10^th Feb, York City FC 50th Anniversary Season York
1973, 15^th June, Mystery Plays & Festival of the Arts York
1973, 31^st Dec, Final Day York Railway Museum York
1974, 14^th May, Datapost First International Conference York
1974, 22^nd June, St Peter's School Sports Centre Official Opening York
1974, 17^th August, York City FC First Ever Match in Division
1974, 21^st August, Terry's All Gold Ebor York Races
1974, 12^th Oct, St John Ambulance Commemoration Service York Minster
1975, 27^th Sept, National Railway Museum Opening York
1976, 18^th Sept, HPO Area Invitation to York Mechanised Letter Office York (used in conjunction with PO souvenir card)
1977, 13^th July, The Queen's Silver Jubilee Tour - "Visit of The Queen to York"
1977, 28^th May, 50th Anniversary Private Railway Preservation York
1977, 10, 11, 13^th June, York 100 (Centenary of York Station)
1977, 29^th June, St Peter's School 1350th Anniversary York
1977, 13^th July, Visit of The Queen to Humberside & Yorkshire York
1977, 12^th Sept, 3rd World Hot Air Balloon Championships York
1978, 3^rd July, 40th Anniversary World Speed Record Steam Traction York
1978, 11^th Aug, Ampleforth 78 SA Scout & Guide Jamboree York
1979, 21^st Aug, York Races: Benson & Hedges Gold Cup
1979, 22^nd Aug, York Races: Tote Ebor Handicap
1979, 23^rd Aug, York Races: William Hill Sprint Championship
1979, 20^th Oct, International Railway Festival & Auction of Railwayana York
1980, 4^th Aug, HM Q Elizabeth The Queen Mother 80^th Birthday York
1981, 2^nd Nov, Shrewsbury-York TPO Shrewsbury (also struck in blue) (used on first day of sale of postcards WMPB16 & 17)
1981, 2^nd Nov, WMPB Postcards Ser 16-17 1st Day Sale York-Shrewsbury TPO York
1982, 24^th Mar, Youth Sport 50th Anniv Yorkshire County Bowling Assoc York
1982, 31^st May, Visit or Popa John Paul II York
1984, 17^th Jan, 400th Anniversary Deputy Norroy King of Arms Visit to City of York
1984, 7^th April, The Stephenson Locomotive Society 75th Anniversary Exhibition National Railway Museum York
1984, 10^th April, RIBA 150th Anniversary Yorkshire Region Festival of Architecture York
1984, 14^th April, Travel Back in Time Jorvik Viking Centre Coppergate York Officially Opened York
1984, 25^th May, New Science & Technology Centre St Peter's School York
1985, 22^nd Jan, National Railway Museum Famous Trains York
1985, 22^nd Jan, Rail Riders World Magical World of Trains York Station York
1985, 14^th April, Jorvik Viking Centre 1^st Anniversary York (Sunday use)
1986, 22^nd May, NEPB Postcards Series First Day of Sale: NEPR 17York
1986, 22^nd July, The Royal Wedding (Duke & Duchess of York), Loyal Greetings from York
1987, 4^th July – 4^th Sept, Visit of Duke & Duchess of York 4 July 1987 York
1988, 10^th May, 50th Anniversary World Speed Record for Steam Mallard '88 National Railway Museum York
1988, 10^th May, Mallard 50^th Anniversary Rail Riders York
1988, 23^rd July, York Castle Museum Golden Jubilee 1938-1988
1988, 10^th Sept, 50th Anniversary “The Duchess of Hamilton” The National Railway Museum York
1988, 4 & 15^th Nov, York Minster Commemoration (south transept restoration) (York) (variable date but used on these two dates only)
1989, 7^th April, 250th Anniversary Dick Turpin Highwayman 1706-1739 York
1989, 4^th July, Industrial Archaeology: Yorkshire Museum York
1989, 14^th Oct, Mailcoach Bicentenary 1789-1989 Boroughbridge York
1990, 4^th Aug, Her Majesty The Queen Mother Happy 90^th Birthday: York
1991, 20^th April, 25th Anniversary Railway Philatelic Group 1966 York
1992, 1^st Aug, The Royal Dragoon Guards (regimental merger) York
1992, 10^th Nov, Christmas: Stained Glass Castle Howard York
1993, 29^th May, Football League Play-Off Finals Wembley (Middx), Crewe Alexandra v York City
1993, 15^th Jun, Roman Britain: The Ermine Street Guard Eboracum York
1994, 18^th Jan, The Age of Steam First Day of lssue York (home of the National Railway Museum)
1994, 18^th Jan, The Age of Steam North Yorkshire Moors Railway Celebrating Age of Steam York
1994, 5^th Feb, Jorvik Festival York
1994, 2^nd July, The Battle of Marston Moor 350th Anniversary The Civil War Marston York
1995, 7^th July, North Yorkshire Moors Railway Pickering (North Yorkshire) (l 50th Anniv York & Pickering Rly; variable date but used one day only)
1995, 30^th Oct, Christmas Greetings York
1996, 26^th Jun, Great Northern Railway 150 Years York
1997, 2^nd July, York Newcastle & Berwick Rly 150 Yrs Leeming Bar Northallerton (N Yorks)
1998, 30^th Oct, North Yorkshire and York Village Ventures 1998 York
1999, 2^nd Feb – 6^TH Jun, NYMR (North Yorkshire Moors Railway) Celebrates the Millenium Stamps York (spelling error)
1999, 6^th July, Citizens' Tale. Millennium Series. York (shows a York aircraft)
1999, 5^th Oct, Soldiers' Tale Millennium Series. Soldiers Civil War Marston York
1999, 2^nd Nov, Christians' Tale. Millennium Series. English Heritage Millennium Collection Rievaulx Abbey York
1999, 31^st 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