The Maltese Cross Cancellation in Scotland

Introduction

This display encapsulates the remarkable variety of the celebrated Maltese cross cancellation, the first obliterator used on adhesive postage stamps. Scottish Maltese crosses have their own distinctive character and timeline within British postal history. Here, a Scottish focus is explored around several themes on examples drawn from over twenty counties across the country, showing varieties of form, colour and usage.

The display is structured around four sections of four sheets with one row devoted to each:

1. Introduction and usage of the Maltese cross.
Early use, late use and basic forms of the 'Scottish' cross.

2. Distinctive and manuscript Scottish crosses.
Maltese crosses whose form was unique to each post office.

3. Colour variation of the cancelling ink.
Locally‑acquired inks sometimes differed from the official colours.

4. Inking and striking varieties.
An eclectic assortment of imperfect strikes of the handstamp.

The traces were made digitally from examples in my collection. They show that the so‑called 'common' cross included a range of distinctive types (though not specific to individual post offices), and contrast these with two examples of the truly distinctive Kirkwood crosses which were introduced in 1842 and 1843.

Sources are referenced with the following letters;

C – Cochrane (2014) "Penny Posts and Postal Routes of Fife" SPHS.
D&G – Danzig & Goldsmith (1991) "Cancellations of the 1841 Penny Red".
M – Mackay (1978) "Scottish Postmarks".
R&J – Rockoff & Jackson (2006, 2011 , 2012) "Encyclopaedia of the Maltese Cross" (3 Volumes) MJ Publications.
SG – Stanley Gibbons (2020) "Queen Victoria Specialised" Catalogue.

(link)

Frame 1

Introduction

1. Use of the Maltese cross

2. Distinctive Maltese crosses

3. Colour variation in the cancelling ink

4. Effects of inking and striking

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The Maltese Cross Cancellation in Scotland

Introduction

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Frame 1