::: San Francisco Postmarks Found on Hawaiian Mail 1867 to 1900 :::

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Proliferation of postmarks at the San Francisco office and also increased volume of mail between San Francisco and Honolulu make it difficult to record all examples of San Francisco postmarks found on Hawaii related mail in this time frame. This problem increases after about 1880. Also compounding the problem of being complete is the practice at San Francisco of using devices making similar but not exactly identical marks. Mahoney does a good job of pulling together similar markings in his several Appendices to facilitate comparison and exact identification. Here are examples of San Francisco postmarks found on Hawaii related mail from 1870 to 1900.

Usage Dates given are for the range reported by Mahoney or Williams based on the usage period at San Francisco. The period of use on Hawaiian mail usually is only a part of the total period of use.

CIRCLE DATE POSTMARKS FROM 1867 TO 1900

Starting at the end of 1867, the San Francisco office stopped using the double circle postmarks as the device to mark incoming mail from Hawaii – at least on a regular basis. Stray uses of the double circle show up in the 1870's but most letters were marked with one of many single circle date stamps. During the Convention Period lasting from July 1, 1870 to December 31, 1881, terms of the Hawaii – United States Postal Convention mandated use of the phrase "paid all" in the postmarks and also specified they were to be in red ink. After Hawaii joined the Universal Postal Union effective January 1, 1882, the phrase no longer was required but use of "paid all" cancels at the San Francisco post office continued nonetheless. Moreover, during the Convention Period, San Francisco also used postmarks without the phrase "paid all" so consistency of conformance to the Convention apparently was unimportant, at least as a receiving mark or transit mark on mail from Hawaii. Mail destined for Hawaii probably always carried the "paid all" postmark. In 1894, San Francisco began using machines to postmark letters but even after machine cancels became standard, some letters were marked with the circle date stamps. For ease of identification, the circle date stamps can be segregated into categories according to the word arrangements found in them.

PAID MARKS

Two marks used in the early 1870's have the word "PAID" in them without with word "ALL."

"CAL." MARKS

Marks with "CAL." at the bottom of the circle and a day/month center first appeared in 1867 and the earliest are identified in the page for pre-1870 marks (repeated here for comparison because their use extended into the 1870's). The number of similar style in this category is particularly bewildering. Mahoney identified thirteen distinct marks of this type, ranging in size from 24mm circles to 28mm circles, and collected them together in his Appendix 1. All of the varieties in Mahoney's Appendix 1 are lumped together as type 19 in his list (except one, broken out and given type 29). Williams separates these marks as types SAF 640, 670, 790, 800, 810, 830, 840, 870, 880, 920, 930, 970 and 1000 (arriving at the same number of varieties as Mahoney but the tracings show some differences). Two tracings by Williams have no period following "CAL" but all of Mahoney's tracings show a period.

Mahoney's Appendix 2 shows sixteen varieties of "CAL." marks with a day/month/time center (no year date), ranging in size from 26mm circles to 28mm circles. All of the varieties in Appendix 2 are lumped together in Mahoney's list as type 24. A similar mark missing the "N" in "Francisco" is type 23. I have not noted type 23 on Hawaiian mail. Williams separates these marks as types SAF 860, 890, 900, 910, 960, 980 and 990.

"PAID ALL" and "PD. ALL" MARKS

"PAID ALL" or "PD. ALL" marks are quite common on Hawaii mail passing through San Francisco. Click here for a study of the PAID ALL and PD. ALL Marks.

DUPLEX MARKS

Although San Francisco used a large number of duplex handstamps with an elliptical or oval canceller attached, I find few Hawaii related covers bearing them. Williams puts them all in Appendix 6 and shows 63 varieties. He separates many into different type numbers beginning with type 548. Williams also shows numerous duplex marks, beginning with SAF 1010 with a usage period for the duplex marks from December 21, 1878 to January 29, 1902.

"ST. SHIP" or "STM". SHIP" MARKS

These marks were used in the 1880's and early 1890's at the San Francisco post office. Mahoney lists five varieties as types 320, 321, 322, 329 and 331 (the first two types with STM. SHIP; type 329 spells out "STEAMSHIP" and type 322 and 331 have ST. SHIP). I have not noted the type with the full word spelled out on Hawaii related covers. Williams also lists the same five styles as SAF 740 (STEAMSHIP), 750 and 751 (ST. SHIP) and 770 and 780 (STM. SHIP). Mahoney types 320, 321 and 322 and Williams types SAF 760, 770 and 780 have the letter "D" below the date.

"F. D." MARKS

Mahoney and Williams show three "F. D." marks. They are Mahoney types 42, 45 and 48 or Williams types SAF 2020, 2090 and 2130. The first two styles (Mahoney 42, Williams SAF 2020 and Mahoney 45, Williams 2090) have a three line date. I have noted only the second and third types on Hawaii related mail. The first type (Mahoney 42/Williams 2020) is a 30mm circle.

"REC'D" MARKS with or without "F. D."

In these marks, "REC'D" is at the bottom. In one style, "F. D." appears just below the date and above "REC'D." Mahoney lists the one mark with the "F. D." (type 31) and seven other styles with REC'D at the bottom (types 33, 34, 35, 37, 41, 43, 44). In types 33 and 34, Mahoney's tracing shows no comma and in type 43, REC'D is along the side instead of at the bottom. Other REC'D marks are listed under the various station letters. Williams lists none of these marks.

"BOX" MARKS

Several marks contain the word "BOX." All have a number in them as well. Mahoney uses four tracings to illustrate the styles (types 47, 50, 53 and 56) and gives the numbers associated with each style. Williams lists each number variety as a separate mark (types SAF 2560, 2580-2730 and 2750-2770).

MISCELLANEOUS CIRCLE DATE STAMPS

San Francisco carrier and special delivery circle date stamps have been noted.

MACHINE POSTMARKS

San Francisco began using a series of machine postmarks in 1894. The following are examples found on mail from or to Hawaii. Click here for a study of machine cancels.

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