HOBART-TOWN cds 'nothing at base'

[admin]

Postmarks from the larger offices are a very neglected area based on recent attempts to find examples of the Hobart and Launceston cds for the latest Courier.

The HOBART-TOWN, nothing at base cds is recorded by John Hardinge, noting 2 copies known and rated 4R. It is recorded between Oct 1876 and Oct 1879.

John reasons that though only two copies have been recorded, as its a Hobart cds, and one that seems to appear as backstamp, its likely that other copies are around un-noticed and will be found if and when collectors have a serious look for them. Otherwise it would be 5R

As it stands, its as rare as most of the 20 (5R) and 19 (5R -) cds listed in the recent special Courier edition on css on Pictorials.

I recently came across a copy used as a backstamp on a cover from Franklin to Krushka's Bridge dated 2 April 1879. On becoming interested in this 'under-the-radar' cds, I quickly found two more copies, or so I thought!

Hobart-Town-nothing-at-base.jpg (50.73 KiB) Viewed 2058 times

However, on closer inspection, the two further examples turned out to be different in a number of respects. The most obvious difference is that they showed Hobart Town with no hyphen .
There are other difference such as a smaller gap between Hobart and Town, and a smaller diameter at 21mm compared with 24 mm for the Hobart-Town cds.

Hobart-Town--half-duplex.jpg (121.43 KiB) Viewed 2058 times

The above example may also be an ealy date, 14 Jul 1870

It turns out that the Hobart Town cds is one half of the Hobart Duplex (i) seen between 14 July 1870, previously 9 August 1870, and May 1880. The examples I have seen are both on single stamps and it would not be difficult for a pair, cancelled by duplex, to become separated leaving the two stamps each showing one half of the duplex.

Hobart-Town-duplex-cropped.jpg (440.98 KiB) Viewed 2058 times

In the interests of understanding more accurately the rarity of this csd, if anyone has an example, it would be very helpful if they were up-loaded here.
Does anyone have any idea of the usual usage of this cds? Its unusual that it does not show "Tasmania"at the base, suggesting its main purpose was for cancelling items where only the name of the office, not the colony, was important. As such, it would not be suitable for mail leaving the state, if in fact its main purpose was for mail at all.

Pete

[John Campton]

Thanks for the heads up on this one Pete. I had been putting aside the early Hobart CDS and thought they may be the rarer type but alas they are duplex CDS. Still very happy with them and looking for more as by catch.

Regards JC

[Jerry Weirich]

Pete -- I checked about two dozen examples between 1871-1880. All were duplex examples and without hyphen in Hobart Town. So...I didn't find any examples of your new type. I'll keep looking now that I know there is another type out there. Jerry

[admin]

Jerry,
Thanks for your reply. A "nothing seen" reply is just as useful as a recording.
Pete

[admin]

While browsing through some less recent posts, I found another example of the HOBART-TOWN 'nothing at base' cds.
The example is here viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1104 in Mike's Topic on a Kellys Point, Bruny Island letter, June 2? (perhaps a 5 or 6) 1879 to Back River New Norfolk.
This makes the 4th example I am aware of. Like the one I described in Courier No 59, June 2015, its used as a back stamp on mail passing through the Hobart GPO on its way to another country office. Exactly why this date stamp exists and why the rare use as a back-stamp is still a mystery.
Pete