Great Britain: special illustrated and thematic postmarks

This page updated 21 May 2013  

The postmarks shown below are in use only on the dates shown.
US readers in particular should note that Royal Mail normally require that covers to be postmarked are posted to the handstamp centres no later than the day of the postmark except where announcements are late, these will be shown here in red.   Collectors outside the UK are allowed 28 days especially in the case of stamps from new issues being used.
(Whereas the USPS allows collectors 30 days (at least) to obtain copies of cancels, Royal Mail allows late application only when their publicity is late.)

The purpose of this page is to list mainly thematic short-term postmarks which are usually not relevant to new stamp issues. Longer term or permanent postmarks, many of which show landmarks in towns and cities throughout the United Kingdom can be found on this page. For other postmarks, related to the new stamp issues, please see the relevant stamp pages via the H_O_M_E page or the links at the foot of this page. Some postmarks will be listed both here and on the stamp pages.

NOTE BRITISH FORCES: For details of new arrangements for obtaining British Forces Special Postmarks see our updated blog entry.

One-day and short-term postmarks - in use for less than one week.    Note these postmarks are scanned at different times and are NOT to scale
See also New stamps pages:   Coronation Anniversary - Portraits of The Queen 30 May 2013, Classic Locomotives of Northern Ireland 18 June 2013
				onitor page for changes    it's private by ChangeDetection
Ref F12866 Upkeep (Bouncing) Bomb by Barnes Wallis, BFPS 3162 In use 13 May 2013 ONLY (see note above)	Ref L12853 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, 100 Years London SW3 (fixed date is below the postmark and was cropped in scanning - sorry!) In use 21 May 2013 ONLY	Ref F12867 70th Anniversary of the Dambusters Raids BFPS 3162 In use 30 May 2013 ONLY (see note above)	Ref L12861 Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Westminster London SW1 In use 2 June 2013 ONLY
Ref Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II 1953-2013 London SW1 In use 2 June 2013 ONLY	Ref L12863 Westminster Abbey, London SW1 In use 2 June 2013 ONLY	Ref L12869 Tower Hill, London EC3 In use 2 June 2013 ONLY	Ref N12872 Grasmere, Ambleside In use 25 June 2013 ONLY
Norvic Philatelics, PO Box 119, Dereham, NR20 3YN, GB. Phone: 08450 090939 or Skypeme at ian.billings-norvic

If you wish to know when this page is updated, please use the ChangeDetection box at the top of the table to receive an email for all changes. If you have any questions? please e-mail us.
This page updated 21 May 2013

Return to H O M E page