HOBART "H.F.A." HANDSTAMP - WHAT DO THE LETTERS STAND FOR?

[Ross Ewington]

z1933small.jpg (26.1 KiB) Viewed 18296 times

This "H.F.A." handstamp was used at Hobart (probably at the Hobart Mail Exchange)
between the late 1940s and early 1960s.

Two requests here

1) any suggestions as to what the letters "H.F.A." stand for ? (this has been discussed
for some time with no real conclusions to date to the best of my knowledge).
My personal theory is "Held for Attention (or Action)" as examples I have seen are usually underpaid
and without a return address or have an insufficient address (or in the case of the image above),
display both suggested criteria.

2) if you have any images of covers, labels, stationery, etc with this particular instructional handstamp,
please post in this topic. In addition to creating a "census" It will also be useful to determine the period of use.

[John Hardinge]

Interesting one isn't it. made even more so by the fact that is underpaid. I would say held for attention/action. Onl;y othetr thing I can think of is "has fowardng address", but that seems unlikely. Cancelled insufficiently adressed but seesm to be addressed OK to me unless it is a fictitious address.

[Colin Salt]

This subject has been covered extensiviely in the British Society of Australian Philately Bulletin over a number of years. I am at present summarising the input from these articles and will post the results in due course.

For the present, H.F.A. handstamps have also been recorded used in Adelaide.

Colin Salt.

[Dee PULLAN]

Greetings from sunny/windy Spain.

I have been collecting HFA marks for years. As a member of the BSAP, I was in correspondence with the late David Young from Manchester, between us we wrote many articles and sent photocopies of mail with this mark on, both from Hobart and Adelaide. I am no closer to knowing for sure what HFA stands for - Hold For Additional (postage); Hold For Address; Hold For Advice? No one seems sure. I do have covers clearly showing lack of correct postage, but also evidence of correct postage and insufficient address.

All of my HFA covers from Hobart (in black or purple) are cancelled between Oct 1949 and April 1951, the two from Adelaide (purple) March 1970, the other uncancelled but annotated by the recipient 23/11/70.

Then came the latest addition - H.F.A. within blue double circle, 1.8cm dia., cancelled Kingston Beach, Tas. 7OC70. Different style of circle, smaller, blue and not cancelled in the Hobart Mail Centre. In addition 20 years after the other H.F.A. (Hobart cancellations).

Has anyone anything similar or any further information on this mark?

Have only just 'signed on' and am not sure how to send images yet.

Dee Pullan

[Ross Ewington]

TPS BB member Colin Salt has prepared a summary of what is known about the H.F.A. handstamp
a "sample" of which is provided below. To read the entire document please use this link:

http://tsauctions.com/bb/h.f.a.%20summary.pdf

...to return to this page just press the backspace button on your keyboard.



thanks Colin!

[Hobbit123]

With due respect to Colin, I think he has omitted one potential source of confusion when dealing with HFA markings. I have a number of covers sent from Australia to the USA which have been inscribed HFA in manuscript. All were to the same destination, and I eventually worked out that the manuscript marking was nothing to do with Australia, but was actually applied at the destination building, and it was an internal allocation of post to the 'Head of Foreign Affairs'.

[Colin Salt]

Thanks "Hobbitt". Fair comment.

[Dee PULLAN]

Much has been written about HFAs. No one still really knows what HFA means.

My six HFA cachets from Hobart fit a time scale 1949/1951, (plus one manuscript HFA). The two Adelaide HFAs I have are larger, purple and always have a manuscript date within the circle. These two are dated 1970s.

BUT, please see attached scan, this HFA cachet is cancelled Kingston Beach (not far from Hobart), is used 20 years after the black Hobart HFAs, is smaller, blue and double circle. I have never seen another the same. However, one similar, was reported in the BSAP Bulleltin (February 2008), this time again in blue, with G.P.O. ?Hobart HFA MTT with manuscript date and initials within the circle cancelled in 1968.

Has anyone seen a similar blue double circle HFA handstamp from Hobart, 1970 vintage?

[Ross Ewington]

I noticed this cover offered on eBay recently and managed to make the winning bid (my commiserations to the underbidder if they are a member of the TPS BB)
[attachment=0]h.f.a. cover.jpg[/attachment]

The cover appears to have two machine cancels with the 1½d QE definitive affixed over the top thereof and (what appears to be) cancelled with the
H.F.A. rubber handstamp.

As soon as I receive the cover from the vendor, I will report back with a date and confirmation as to whether the 1½d stamp is actually on top of the m/cancels.

[Hobbit123]

Thanks Ross for outbidding me on the EBay HFA cover!!

[Ross Ewington]

Thanks Ross for outbidding me on the EBay HFA cover!!

I did offer my commiserations to the underbidder "in advance"!!

[Ross Ewington]

The cover above http://tps.org.au/bb/posting.php?mode=r ... 126#pr1978 arrived today.

Here's an image of the stamped area of the envelope...
[attachment=2]h.f.a. 1.jpg[/attachment]The 1½d QE defin has definitely been affixed OVER the machine cancels.

Here's a close-up...
[attachment=1]h.f.a. 3.jpg[/attachment]

Both of the town dies are date 8 June 1949 ... the earliest recorded date for the Hobart Type 1 H.F.A. h/s.
[attachment=0]h.f.a. 2.jpg[/attachment]

Is there anything 'significant' here that can help solve the mystery??

[Ross Ewington]

Another H.F.A. handstamp on cover has passed over my desk on it's way to auction....

ww1547.jpg (219.01 KiB) Viewed 17277 times

In this case, an undeliverable cover from Hobart to Geelong (NOT KNOWN BY POSTMEN and UNCLAIMED AT GEELONG h/stamps)
Endorsed "Unknown Belmont · without full address 9/11/50" on back.

Question is ...was the H.F.A. h/s applied before despatch or upon return to Hobart? Interesting that there is no DLO datestamp,
seal, endorsement, etc.

[Jeffharris]

Yesterday, I was talking to Tony Presgrave re the Adelaide Stampex 2014 to be held in October. Whilst talking to him, I mentioned the mystery surrounding the H.F.A. handstamps. He told me that he had contacted Dee Pullen regarding these handstamps. After this discussion, Tony [and other members of the SA Study Group] considered that the letters, did indeed, stand for "Hold For Additional" [postage]. However, no official confirmation of this has yet been discovered.

[Ross Ewington]

Thanks Jeff

Interesting to note that all covers originating from Hobart illustrated in this topic have been deficient in postage to some degree and two have had additional franking added on top of a machine cancellation.

Perhaps the address connection that has been considered is a 'red herring' and the H.F.A. only relates to the collection of additional postage as many of the surviving covers are from returned mail to Tattersalls in Hobart thus their survival and 'redistribution' to collectors thanks to Petterd's Stamp Depot.

[Juergen.Saeftel]

Dear all,

22 Jan 1948 is a new early date for a H.F.A. cancel applied to a letter originating in Hobart addressed to a Mr. J[ohn] A. Bayne the United States.

1948_outgoing_NY_USA_cover_front_small.jpg (100.12 KiB) Viewed 16145 times

This cover was offered in the U.S. from Mikam Collectibles (ebay mikam937, ended 15 Nov 2017), who provided the images for his offer. I hope that including them here is regarded as a fair use. I was not able to source this cover for myself - if any TPS member was the successful buyer: PLEASE, let me know.

Original franking with a meter cancel HOBART / 22. JAN / 1948 / 2½ D / PAID with slogan ADDRESS MA[…] struck in red.
Two stamps 1 d and 2½ d applied on top of the meter cancel, each tied by a circular H.F.A. cancel struck in violet.

H.F.A. cancel orig.jpg (40.39 KiB) Viewed 16145 times

The letter's origin is proven by the preserved content: a Tattersall memo, a promotional flyer, and a 5/- ticket (only one side of each shown).

1948_memo_free_ticket_front_small.jpg (18.42 KiB) Viewed 16145 times

1948_flyer_10000cash_back_small.jpg (99.2 KiB) Viewed 16145 times

1948_ticket_82nd_10000cash_front_small.jpg (27.71 KiB) Viewed 16145 times

The letter is likely to have reached its destination (assumed from the fact that it was offered in the U.S.), but that stays unproven as the cover is not backstamped (image exists, but not shown here).

The seller was unsure about the cancel, the third letter was guessed to be "M" along with expressed doubts. Through digital processing I could reveal the lettering being H.F.A.

H.F.A. cancel enhanced.jpg (74.87 KiB) Viewed 16145 times

Sizes: circle outer diameter 25 mm, inner diameter 23.4 mm; character heights: H 5.1 mm, F 4.9 mm, A 5.3 mm (sizes calculated by using the known measures of the stamps as scale).
It resembles Hobart type 1 (see Colin Salt paper linked in an earlier answer), however are serifed characters used. The "A" has apparently a sharp top in the canceller applied to this cover, differing from the illustration in the paper).
The two impressions with slightly differing sizes suggest IMHO strongly that this was a rubber stamp.

The usage to cancel the Australian stamps makes me believe that H.F.A was applied before the cover left Australia. QOuldn't it be likely that the money was collected from the sender in Hobart before forwarding the mail?
Any more reliable information regarding the meaning of H.F.A. would be highly welcome, alongside with notes onn the current location of this cover

Kind regards from a German TPS member,
Juergen

[Juergen.Saeftel]

1949 Tattersall outgoing letter franked with 2d5 Lawson cancelled HOBART 9 Sep 1949
plus an added 1d Queen Elizabeth placed on top of the slogan part of the first cancel and oblitered by a H.F.A. handstamp
addressed to Mr. John Morton at Swatow, South China [today transcribed as: Shantou, province of Guangdong]
marked with POSTAL SERVICE SUSPENDED / RETURN TO SENDER
was part of
Phoenix Auction 60 lot 917 (Feb 2018)

1949-09-09 Tatt outgoing H.F.A. to Mr. JMorton Swatow SouthChina PostalServiceSuspended RTS - ex Phoenix Auction60 lot917 Feb2018

1949 Tatt outgoing 9Sep1949 H.F.A. to Mr. JMorton Swatow SouthChina PostalServiceSuspended RTS - ex Phoenix Auction60 lot917 sold 270AUD Feb2018.jpg (120.87 KiB) Viewed 16123 times

1949 Tatt outgoing 9Sep1949 H.F.A. (cds detail)

1949 Tatt outgoing 9Sep1949 H.F.A. (cds detail).jpg (18.03 KiB) Viewed 16123 times