Page 37 - The Sideways Experimenatal Duplex 1852-1858

TYPE B 1st recut
This hand stamp has a unique feature which has not been repeated in any other sideways duplex. Issued on
19th December 1856. Sometime after being issued this hand stamp appears to have lost its outer ring.

You can see from the strikes above the missing ring. The earliest date I have seen for this missing outer ring is 31st
May 1857 which is illustrated in the Traill and Holland book. The strike above which is dated 8th June 1857 shows
only a dot by the top of the letter Lin Bristol. In the second strike which is dated later 6th August 1857 you can see
a little more of what should have been the outer ring. I also have another strike dated znd July 1857 which does
show even more of an outer ring. All examples I have seen have the code K perhaps because of the damage to the
stamp it was only used at the busiest times.

TYPE B 2nd recut

This recut was issued on the 3rd October 1857.

The above strike dated 9th January 1858 shows that the outer ring is now completely missing. This is because when
it was recut it was recut without the outer ring this giving the appearance of a Type V hand stamp. After being
recut it was issued to the Bristol office on 3rd October 1857.