::: Honolulu Postmarks 1884 to 1900 :::
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Back to Honolulu Postmarks.
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Type 235.12 |
Type 234.62 |
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The distinction between foreign mail postmarks and domestic mail postmarks disappeared around 1884-1885. For earlier Honolulu Postmarks, see Honolulu Foreign Mail Postmarks to 1886 and
Honolulu Domestic Mail Postmarks to 1886. For postmarks used on registered mail, please go to
Registered Foreign Letters or to Registered Marks listed under Service Marks.
Use of the same marking device for foreign and domestic mail began when two markers then in use, one for foreign
mail and one for domestic mail, started being used for both types of mail. The two marking devices were types 235.12 and 234.62.
The type 235.12 device was being used in red ink on foreign mail. In January, 1884, the post office began using
this marker in black ink for domestic mail. In July, 1884, the post office stopped using red ink with type 235.12
and struck it in black ink for both foreign and domestic mail. Type 235.12 is described in more length at
Honolulu Foreign Mail Postmarks to 1886.
Type 234.62 was a transitional mark in the reverse direction. From January, 1879 to early 1884, type 234.62 was
being used in black ink on domestic mail (excepting use as a backstamp on a limited type of foreign mail, as
discussed at Honolulu Foreign Mail Postmarks to 1886). From about February,
1884, type 234.62 also became a regular postmark on both foreign and domestic mail. From February, 1884 to May,
1884, the mark was struck in red ink - thereby creating a postmark rarity because few red ink strikes exist. From
May, 1884 onward, this device was struck in black ink for both foreign and domestic mail.
Subsequently introduced postmarks were used for both foreign and domestic mail. In August, 1885, the Honolulu post office received two nearly identical postmark devices.
These two devices are lumped together in most studies as type 233.02. When PMG Whitney ordered the new marking devices in 1885, he specified they were to have year dates so
they both are year dated. Postmarks used during the Convention Period from 1875 to the end of 1881 were all year dated but devices used in the first four years of the UPU
Period (types 235.12 and 234.62) had no year date so the chore of using sailing tables and other information to figure the year a particular cover was sent continues to August,
1886, when the last of the former "no-year date devices" was retired.
The two type 233.02 devices received in August, 1885, were made by the Yale and Towne Manufacturing Co. of Stamford, Connecticut. Two more steel die postmark devices were
ordered by Whitney from Klinkner & Co. of San Francisco in June, 1886. The two devices arrived in August, 1886 and produced postmark types 235.22 and 234.02. In 1889, the post office put into use two duplex ellipses devices and put a third ellipses device in use in January, 1899. I have been unable to identify the manufacturer of the ellipses duplex marks. Two of the ellipses devices continued in use for a few days after the
Territory of Hawaii was established on June 14, 1900.
Where possible, the exact EKU (earliest known use) and LKU (latest known use) are given.
Otherwise, the month in which the EKU and LKU fall are given. Please
E-mail (scott312@earthlink.net) me if you can extend either date or give precise EKU or LKU dates.
FIRST CLASS MAIL CIRCLE DATE STAMPS
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Type 234.62
April 30, 1884
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July 14, 1884
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26mm circle; black, red, purple
Estimated: 7; in red ink 1RRR, in purple 1RRR, as a backstamp on foreign mail
1879-1881 1R
Domestic mail use: January, 1879 – May 10, 1886
Foreign mail usage:
First period: as a backstamp - February 17, 1879 to July 4, 1881 (see
Honolulu Foreign Mail Postmarks to 1886)
Second period - February, 1884 - May 20, 1886
Red strikes are noted on foreign mail covers from February, 1884 to May, 1884. Purple strikes are recorded on foreign mail in June and July, 1884. Otherwise all strikes are in black ink.
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Type 233.12
September 1, 1885
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25mm circle; black
Usage: September 1, 1885 to April 3, 1886
Scarcity: 3
"H" of "HONOLULU" points directly at the "U"; period is closer to the "H" of "H. I."
than to the "I" (2.5mm from the "H").
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Type 233.02
September 30, 1885
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April 12, 1887
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25mm circle; black
Type B usage: September 26, 1885 to December 19, 1887
Estimated 6
"H" of "HONOLULU" points to the space between "LU"; period is evenly spaced between
"H. I." (3mm from the "H").
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Type 235. 22
February 12, 1887
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August 14, 1887
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27mm circle; black, purple
Usage: August, 1886 to March, 1889
Estimated 6
Note the letters are tall and narrow and are well clear of the circle rim. Compare
the wide mouth of the "U" in the preceding mark with the narrow mouth of this mark. A purple ink strike is noted on October 25, 1886. A strike on a telegraph receipt is noted with the date June 30, 1893.
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Type 234.02
January 8, 1888
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May 4, 1888
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April 7, 1889
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26mm circle; black
Usage: January 8, 1888 to January, 1890
Estimated: 6
Note the letters of "HONOLULU" are closer to the circle than in the preceding type;
the "H.I." is a little taller in this type; the device wore down as the April 7, 1889
image shows.
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FIRST CLASS MAIL DUPLEX ELLIPSES
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Type 231.72
April 26, 1889
February 5, 1890
April 26, 1894
September 18, 1898
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23mm circle; numeral "1" in ellipses
black, purple (varying shades)
Usage: March, 1889 to December 31, 1898; purple usage from October 3, 1896
to March 7, 1897
Estimated 10; for purple ink 5
Progressive wear along the left side of the circle soon became evident in marks
from this device. The February 5, 1890 strike shown is nearly unaffected but a
magnifying glass shows slight breakdown even that early. The breakdown is more evident
in the April 26, 1894 strike illustrated and is obvious in the September 18, 1898 image.
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Type 231.82
September 11, 1890
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July 8, 1893
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October 11, 1893
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October 11, 1896
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23mm circle; numeral "2" in ellipses
black, purple
Usage: April, 1889 to June 15, 1900; purple usage October 11, 1896 to
April 4, 1897 - but with black noted February 14, 1897
Estimated 10; in purple ink 5
The long usage period of this device attests to its strength. However, one
noticeable break occurred in the rim of the circle sometime in September, 1893. The
July 8, 1893 strike shown has an intact circle at the bottom and the October 11, 1893
strike illustrates the break. Once the break happened, all subsequent marks with this
device show the break, as seen in the October 11, 1896 image. The presence of the
break makes distinguishing strikes of this postmark from type 231.72 strikes after
September, 1893 quite easy even if the ellipses numeral missed the stamp. Strikes
before September, 1893 can be distinguished from type 231.72 by the left side rim wear
on type 231.72 described above.
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Type 232.92
February 2, 1900
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24mm circle, numeral "1" in ellipses with a solid border around the numeral
black
Usage: January 1, 1899 to June 28, 1900
Estimated: 10
There were no notable changes in this device during its relatively short usage
period.
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SECOND CLASS MAIL POSTMARKS
Starting about January, 1897, postmarks used for second class mail were different from
those used on first class mail. However, the second class mail postmarks are also seen
on some domestic first class mail, but the incidence is scarce. So far as the foreign
mail is concerned, I have noted these marks only on second class mail.
All of the second class postmarks are undated. The first is the squared circle postmark
produced in Canada and sent to Honolulu as a sample or gift. The proof for the Honolulu
device shown in the Canadian set of squared circle postmarks has a date of February 9,
1894, but the use of this device as a postmark started in January, 1897, based on the
dates figured for nearly unworn strikes. The other two second class mail devices
produced single lined circle marks.
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Type 226.52
Datelined April 20, 1897
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25mm x 26mm; squared circle; black, purple
Usage: January, 1897 to June 23, 1900
Estimated: 10
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Type 233.528
April 5, 1898
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December 31, 1898
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25mm; black, purple
Usage: January, 1897 to June 9, 1900
Estimated: 10
This device is larger and the letters are taller than strikes of the next type
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Type 232.528
Date unknown
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24mm; black
Usage: March, 1899 to July 12, 1899
Estimated: 6
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POSTMARK WITH UNCERTAIN PURPOSE
Confusion exists over whether Davey type 282.21 is a postmark or an auxiliary mark. In
this site it is listed on the Official Auxiliary Mark
page as
AUXOFF-PostOffice(U·).
Examples are found on cover without other postmarks suggesting it was occasionally used
as a postmark on official looking mail.
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Type 282.21
June 23, 1900
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33mm; purple
Usage: September, 1899-August 27, 1900
Estimated: 5
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