Datestamp manufacture - WW1

[Michael Dobbs]

I have received the following enquiry from our colleague Mike Street in Canada (he is Chairman of the Canadian Military Mail SG):

[color=maroon]Wayne Schnarr, who has undertaken to finish the first volume - pre WWII - of Doug Sayles' Canadian Military Postmarks catalogue, has asked a question on British Field Post Office hammers that I'm hoping you can assist with. It arises from the fact that some of the numbered WWI FPO postmarks exist in multiple forms, i.e. with the same FPO number but noticeably different type fonts such as standard sans-serif in one version and italics in another. He writes,

"Question – have you ever seen an article on how postal hammers were manufactured? It might help in explaining some of the multi-hammer FPOs. I was wondering whether something like printer's type characters were soldered into place on double-ring blanks.

OR maybe they were carved from solid blanks?"

Has this question ever come up in your group's work? If yes, can you point us to references? Any help appreciated.[/color]

Is anyone aware of any articles in the philatelic press regarding the manufacture of British (not necessarily military) datestamps ?

Thanks, Mike  ;)

[ChristchurchPS]

The postal museum which is owned by Philatelic Foundation [Christchurch] has the metal datestamp of the NZ Hospital Ship 'Marama'.  This was manufactured in London [pre 1918] by DeLacy & Co and supplied to the ship early in 1918.
- see the attached photos
              1. the label that is on the inside lid of the small tin container that it was supplied in.
              2. the datestamp [the date is that which was set when we purchased the datestamp]
             
This firm had supplied other datestamps to the NZPO.
In more recent times NZ datestamps & dateheads for machines were manufactured in the NZPO workshopsbut to the same design as the 'Marama' one

Robert Duns
Librarian

[Michael Dobbs]

Robert - many thanks for the information and illustrations.

Mike

[Frank Schofield]

Mike

No recent replies. Has anybody thought to ask the Post Office??

Frank Schofield

[Graham Mark]

On the basis that proof strikes can be found in Post Office records I suggest the standard double ring steel postmarks were manufactured to order for the Post Office.  I am sure the Archives can name the usual manufacturer.
The skeleton postmarks were I expect, part of the standard kit for the Field Post Offices.
Graham

[Alan Baker]

The ones supplied to the Portuguese Army in 1917 were apparently supplied by Charles Wright & Son, London