Page 24 - The Sideways Experimenatal Duplex 1852-1858

PORTSMOUTH TYPE II

TYPE B Recut
This was the second of two Type II hand stamps issued to this office. This recut was issued on 6th August I 857.
The Type B hand stamp was first issued in January I856.

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Above is a really pretty registered cover with four different stamps, two ld reds, a 2d blue, 6d lilac and a 1/- green a
total of 1/lOd which is 1/4d postage and 6d registration fee Summer rate to Norway. It looks as if the Id on the right
and the 6d stamps were affixed first then cancelled with the sideways duplex. The 1/- stamp was certainly affixed
afterwards as it is over the Portsmouth sideways duplex and has been cancelled with the I 844 obliterator and is the
only stamp to have been cancelled with this hand stamp. Then there is the other ld red and the 2d blue the Id being
cancelled with the obliterator of the sideways duplex and the date stamp is on the entire as per post office rules. The
2d was cancelled with just the obliterator of the same hand stamp. I do not know why the 1/- was added afterwards or
why this was the only one cancelled with the 1844 hand stamp. Maybe the ld and 2d were added at the same time as
the Id and 6d stamps as these were also cancelled by the sideways duplex. As the postage is correct it is a puzzle why
the 1/- stamp was added later. The thought might have been that the 1/- was added later but the 1844 No.625 clearly
also strikes the 2d blue. I may never know for sure why this happened but it always makes an interesting
conversation. The hand stamp is dated 25th August 1857 and shows the code letter 'B', also there is a super strike of
the scarce Crown registered postmark along with a letter P in oval.