An example of a postmark

A postmark is a postal marking made on a letter, package, postcard or the like indicating the (more or less precise) date and time that the item was delivered into the care of the postal service. Modern postmarks are often applied simultaneously with the cancellation or "killer" that marks the postage stamp(s) as having been used (though in some circumstances there may be a postmark without a killer, and sometimes the postmark and killer form a continuous design), and the two terms are often used interchangeably, if incorrectly. Postmarks may be applied by hand or by machines, using methods such as rollers or inkjets, while digital postmarks are a recent innovation. The local post Hawai'i Post had a rubber-stamp postmark parts of which were hand-painted.[1] At Hidaway Island, Vanuatu, the Underwater Post Office has an embossed postmark.[2] example of a first day of issue postmark. ... example of a first day of issue postmark. ... A postal marking is any kind of annotation applied to a letter by a postal service. ... Vintage German letter balance for home use Look up letter in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up package in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For the record label, see Postcard Records. ... For other uses, see Cancellation (disambiguation). ... A selection of Hong Kong postage stamps A postage stamp is evidence of pre-paying a fee for postal services. ... Genera Coracias Eurystomus The Rollers are an Old World family of near passerine birds. ... Inkjet printers are a type of computer printer that operates by propelling tiny droplets of liquid ink onto paper. ... A digital postmark is a network security mechanism, developed by Penn State researchers, Ihab Hamadeh and George Kesidis, to identify which region, a packet or a set of packets comes from. ... A local post is a mail service that operates only within a limited geographical area, typically a city or a single transportation route. ... Embossing is the process of creating a three-dimensional image or design in paper. ...

The date of the postmark can be quite important. In the United States, the Internal Revenue Service will still consider income tax returns as filed on time though it receives them late if they are postmarked on time, and this date (with, perhaps, other proofs of mailing), may have significance as regards legal filings and proofs of service (though in this case the date may viewed as "on time" if the date of the postmark is no more than one day after the date service is supposed to have been made).[3] Entries into sweepstakes and contests, and juried art exhibitions, may likewise have a "postmark deadline," and in at least one case it might have significance regarding the date of class withdrawal.[4] Seal of the Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the United States federal government agency that collects taxes and enforces the internal revenue laws. ... An income tax is a tax levied on the financial income of persons, corporations, or other legal entities. ... A sweepstakes is technically a lottery in which the prize is financed through the tickets sold. ... Art exhibitions are traditionally the space in which art objects (in the most general sense) meet an audience, a temporary presentation of art. ...

There are some examples of "faked covers" produced by philatelic forgers, most usually in order to increase their value, in which the postmark has been altered in some way; for example, by changing the date.[5]

The "electronic postmark" was named by drawing a parallel with the regular postmark. ...

History

The first postmark (called the "Bishop Mark") was introduced by English Postmaster General Henry Bishop in 1661 and showed only the day and month of mailing in order to prevent the delay of the mail by carriers.[6] In the 19th century and early 1900s it was common for letters to receive multiple postmarks indicating the time, date, and location of each post office delivering or transporting the letter, and this is still occasionally true, though to a lesser extent (see "backstamp"). While almost every contemporary postmark includes a location as well as a date, in 2004 New Zealand Post announced plans to eliminate the location on their postmarks and include only the date; however, information about this can be determined by a three-number code on the postmarks.[7] In the United Kingdom, the Postmaster General is a now defunct ministerial position. ... Sir Henry Bishop was the composer of the melody of Home! Sweet Home!. Categories: Composers stubs ... 1661 (MDCLXI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... // Public flight demonstration of an airplane by Alberto Santos-Dumont in Paris, November 12, 1906. ... This reverse of a 1932 cover sent from Rae in the Northwest Territories to Toms River, New Jersey has a Toms River backstamp. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... New Zealand Post Limited is the dominant postal operator in New Zealand. ...

Different types of postmarks include railway post offices ("RPOs") and maritime (on-board ship) postmarks. Postmarks on naval vessels during sensitive operations in wartime are sometimes "clean," showing less information than normally to prevent route of travel or other details from falling into enemy hands. Similar to this is the "censored postmark," overprinted with a black obliteration of the time and place of mailing for similar reasons.[8] CBQ 1926, an RPO preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum. ... The multinational Combined Task Force One Five Zero (CTF-150) The British Grand Fleet, the supreme naval force of World War I A rare occurrence of a 5-country multinational fleet, during Operation Enduring Freedom in the Oman Sea. ... For other uses of War, see War (disambiguation). ...

Hawai'i post once had a surfboard mail postmark, for covers that traveled by surfboard.[9] // A surfer carries a surfboard along the beach. ...

A colour postmark is on the United States Postal Service-issued collectible envelope commemorating the 2004 inauguration of George W. Bush. shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An inauguration is a ceremony of formal investiture whereby an individual assumes an office or position of authority or power. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ...

While postmarks are applied almost universally by or under the authority of the official postal department, service, or authority [in the United States it is possible to receive a permit to apply your own postmark, called a Mailer's Permit Postmark], it is at least theoretically possible that under certain conditions specified by the private express statutes in the United States, a privately carried letter may be cancelled with a private postmark. Unofficial entities that issue artistamps may use postmark-like markings as well. The Private Express Statutes (PES) are, a group of federal civil and criminal laws in United States (Title 18 United States Code sec. ... Artistamp refers to a postage stamp-like artform. ...

Much of the published work on postmarks covers postmarks from before 1900. (This is perhaps because in the United States so-called fancy cancels were prevalent in this period, with the cancelling device often hand-cut from cork by the postmaster in elaborate shapes such as flags, stars or shapes that were seasonally-appropriate such as turkeys for Thanksgiving). Much work in studying postmarks is needed for 1900 and later. Year 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ... US 2-cent stamp of 1870, cancelled with a leaf shape in blue ink A fancy cancel is a postal cancellation that includes an artistic design. ... A cork stopper for a wine bottle Champagne corks Varnished cork tiles can be used for flooring, as a substitute for linoleum or tiles. ... If you are looking for different meanings of this word, see Postmaster (disambiguation) A postmaster is a term used in post offices to denote the head or master of the office. ... The First Thanksgiving, painted by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (1863-1930). ...

In Great Britain the first postmark employed for the cancellation of the then new postage stamps was the Maltese Cross, so named because of its shape and appearance. This was used in conjunction with a date stamp which was applied, usually to the rear of the letter, which denoted the date of posting. This 1974 stamp from Japan depicts a Class 8620 steam locomotive. ... The Maltese Cross (✠) has been the symbol of the Christian warrior since the First Crusade. ...

Fewer postmarks are used now than previously, with the advent of meter labels, which indicate the precise date and time of acceptance at the post office, some types of computer vended postage, and computerized postage people can print off their own PCs (called in the United States PC Postage, these services were offered by such companies as Stamps.com and Neopost, Inc.). These indica do not need to be postmarked, though occasionally they are redundantly, and inadvertently (or for whatever other reason). Small-town post office and town hall in Lockhart, Alabama A post office is a facility (in most countries, a government one) where the public can purchase postage stamps for mailing correspondence or merchandise, and also drop off or pick up packages or other special-delivery items. ... Computerized postage is the use of electronic equipment to meter and pay postage. ... Computerized postage is the use of electronic equipment to meter and pay postage. ... The Altair 8800 was among the first microcomputers to be affordable by an individual, although it initially lacked peripherals and memory. ...

Ink colour

When the first universal postal system was started in the United Kingdom with its Penny Black, the postmark used red ink for contrast. This was not successful, and the stamp was changed to non-black colours so that the postmark could use black ink. The Penny Black, partially obscured by a red cancellation. ...

The majority of postmarks today are in black, with red (particularly in the United States with local post offices' handstamps) following, though sometimes they are in other colours. This is particularly true in the case of pictorial postmarks if the colour in question has some connection to the commemoration.

Digital postmarks

An example of a digital postmark

In 2004 the United States Postal Service announced plans to introduce first day digital color postmarks to be used to cancel some first day covers for commemorative stamps in 2005 and this practice has continued into 2006[10] and 2007. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an independent establishment of the executive branch of the United States government (see 39 U.S.C. Â§ 201) responsible for providing postal service in the U.S. Within the United States, it is colloquially referred to simply as the post office. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Postmark Advertisement

Singapore Post offers a "postmark advertising" service which, strictly speaking, applies to the "killer" rather than the postmark.[11] Hungarian Post Co., Ltd. offers a similar service.[12] Self-Automated Machine and Postboxes outside the Westmall Branch. ...

Value

A special or rare postmark can substantially add to the value of a stamp. (In addition to everyday postmarks there are postmarks indicating the first day of issue of a particular stamp and pictorial cancellations commemorating local events, anniversaries, and the like and slogan postmarks which advertise and event or pass information to the public. [There has been a recent change to the term "pictorial postmarks" rather than "pictorial cancellations" by the USPS.]) First Day Cover for the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, issued 22nd July 1981. ... Pictorial cancellations, in philately, are cancellations in which part of the cancellation or postmark or a combination of the two contains some sort of picture or image; the term is sometimes used, loosely and perhaps technically incorrectly, for cancellations containing some sort of commemorative phrase in addition to the regular...

Postmark Africa

Postmark Africa is a programme on the BBC World Service. The BBC World Service is one of the most widely recognised international broadcasters of radio programming, transmitting in 33 languages to many parts of the world. ...

Miscellaneous

A datestamp is a type of postmark.

The Postmark Award is given to outstanding employees of Canada Post. Canada Post logo Canada Post (French: Postes Canada) is a Canadian postal service operated as an independent crown corporation. ...

Similar marks

A postmark should not be confused with the killer which are lines, bars, etc. used to cancel a postage stamp. Neither should a postmark be confused with overprints generally, or pre-cancels (stamps that have been cancelled before the envelope or package to which they are affixed is submitted or deposited for acceptance into the mailstream, they most commonly have taken the form of a pre-printed city name on the stamp) specifically, which generally do not indicate a date. For other uses, see Cancellation (disambiguation). ... An overprint is the addition of text (and sometimes graphics) to the face of a postage stamp after it has been printed. ... US 2c stamp of 1938 with precancel A precanceled stamp, or precancel for short, is a postage stamp that has been cancelled before being affixed to mail. ... Front of an envelope mailed in the U.S. in 1906 contains postage stamp and address. ... Sendmail is an open source mail transfer agent (MTA): a computer program for the routing and delivery of email. ... Look up city, City in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A name is a label for a human, thing, place, product (as in a brand name) and even an idea or concept, normally used to distinguish one from another. ...

Flight cachets, more or less elaborate rubber-stamps on an envelope indicating on which flight (typically a first flight) a cover has traveled via air mail, are in addition to the postmark and are not postmarks either. In philately, a cachet is a picture or design, other than a cancellation or pre-printed postage on the envelope, postcard, postal card or other cover, that can be purely decorative, or commemorative. ... First Flight is the title of a Star Trek: Enterprise television episode from season two. ... In philately, a cover is an envelope or package, typically with stamps that have been cancelled. ... Airmail (or air mail) is mail that is transported by aircraft. ...

Source: "Collecting those strange Tongan stamps — on cover," in Scott Stamp Monthly (August 2002) For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

Clubs

There are many clubs devoted to the hobby of collecting Postmarks. One of those clubs is the Post Mark Collector's Club. It was Founded in 1946. The Post Mark Collectors Club (PMCC) is an international, non-profit organization by and for collectors and students of postmarks, covers and related items. ...

External links

• World postmark primer: how to decipher dates
• Geographic North Pole Postmark
• A Mystery Postmark
• London 2012 - New postmark kicks off 2012 day in London (backing London's bid to host 2012 Olympics)
• Specialty Holiday Postmarks Offered by the United States Postal Service
• Museum
  • Post Mark Museum and Research Library
• Precancels
  • The ABCs of Precancel collecting
• Clubs
  • Post Mark Collector's Club