Monday, June 24, 2013

Toronto Numeral Machine Cancellations : 1952 - 1970

( This is the second of two articles on Toronto Machine Cancellations. The first article dealt with the Toronto "D" machine cancellations)

In 1952, the Toronto Post Office (probably Postal Terminal "A") began using numeral machine cancellations which had a number positioned in the centre of the seven wavy line obliterator.  The numerals were located within breaks of the 3rd,4rth and 5th wavy lines.


Numbers 1 to 8 are reported to have been used. The numeral cancellations were not used with equal frequency. I  have yet to see an example of the "1" obliterator, but have several examples of the"4" obliterator in my collection, with usages up to 1970.



 "2' Obliterator



 July 2, 1963


"3' Obliterator



July 7, 1960



"4' Obliterator



July 15, 1959

The "4" obliterator, whose use continued until at least 1970,  was the last of the numeral cancellations in use.

February 17, 1970


"5" Obliterator



August 24, 1955


 "6" Obliterator



June 15, 1953


"7" Obliterator



 January 12, 1956


 "8" Obliterator



 December 18, 1952


Different Numerals on the Same Cover

The cover below received the "5" numeral cancel with 7:30 pm time indicium on July 5, 1960. The obliterator failed to cancel the stamp and the cover was later passed through a different machine, the "3" obliterator , with 9:30 pm time indicium.

July 5, 1960

"5" obliterator (7:30pm) and "3" obliterator (9:30 pm)