Mozambique #284 (1938) postmarked 2 September 1941 Lourenço Marques (present-day Maputo)Thailand #528 (1969) postmarked 2 September BE 2512 (1969)
September 3
Natal #66 (1884) postmarked 3 September 1891
September 4
Federal Republic of Germany #905 (1965) postmarked 4 September 1967
September 13
Bohemia and Moravia #35 (1939) postmarked 13 September 1940 Radnice, Rokycany District (present-day Czech Republic)Isle of Man #20 (1973) postmarked 13 September 1973 Douglas, Isle of ManIsle of Man #1352 (2008) postmarked 13 September 2008 Douglas, Isle of Man
September 14
Straits Settlements #84 (1895) postmarked 14 September 1897 Penang (present-day Malaysia)Guernsey #34 (1970) postmarked 14 September 1970
September 16
Queensland #91 (1890) postmarked 16 September 1890 Cambooya, Queensland
September 18
Lithuania #848b (2007) postmarked 13 September 2013 Vilnius, Lihtuania
September 19
Siam #75 (1899) postmarked 19 September xxxxUnited States #790 (1936) postmarked 19 September 1942 Rhinebeck, New York
September 22
Australia #159 (1936) postmarked 22 September 1936Malta #1246 (2006) postmarked 22 September 2006
September 27
Germany #123 (1920) postmarked 27 September 1920
September 28
United States #11A (1851) postmarked 28 September 18xx
At the beginning of 2017, my favorite stamp blog (Big Blue 1840-1940) began a series “to present a postmark calendar for all the 366 possible days of the year, represented by interesting appropriate date cancellation stamps from the [Ralph A.] Kimble collection.” I thought this was a great idea and began going through scans of my collection to determine whether I could do something similar.
I came up with 255 stamps I could use for a Postmark Calendar of my own; this does include some duplicate dates. At the moment, the best-represented month is March. I did find out a couple of things in compiling stamps for my calendar: my eyesight is getting worse (time for a checkup!) and some dates are difficult to determine even when the postmark is clear. My criteria was simple: the month and date had to be clear; if I had to squint to figure out the date, I wouldn’t use it. I prefer to have the year included, but this wasn’t always possible. I also decided that I wouldn’t include postmarks from first day covers and other philatelic items.
While I was still going through my stamps examining their postmarks, I came across the Postmark Calendar thread on my favorite stamp collecting online forum, The Stamp Forum. The thread was started on August 11, 2013, and is now 122 pages strong! I began adding stamps to it around a month ago.
I love the format Jim has been following for his calendar entries on Big Blue so I’ll follow his model. After all, “imitation is the sincerest [form] of flattery” according to the quote by Charles Caleb Colton.
Philatelic Pursuits Postmark Calendar: August
August 4
Austria Sc#P9 (1867) postmark dated 4 August 1869Germany Sc#108 (1920) Leipzig postmark dated 4 August 1920
August 5
Newfoundland Sc#190 (1932) Registered postmark dated August 5
August 6
Malayan States: Penang Sc#62 (1960) Penang postmark dated 6 August 1960Spain Sc#1698 (1972) postmark dated 6 August 1975
August 8
Germany Sc#128 (1920) postmark dated 8 August 1921
August 9
Great Britain Sc#82 (1881) Mark Lane, London EC postmark dated August 9, 1884Abu Dhabi Sc#40 (1967) postmark dated 9 August 1969
August 10
St. Vincent Sc#40 (1883) Kingstown postmark dated August 10, 1894
Kingstown is the capital, chief port, and main commercial center of Saint Vincent. Surrounded by steep hills, the town was founded by French settlers shortly after 1722, although Saint Vincent had 196 years of British rule before her independence. The botanical garden, conceived in 1765, is one of the oldest in the Western hemisphere. William Bligh, made famous from the Mutiny on the Bounty, brought seeds of the breadfruit tree here for planting in 1793.
August 13
Siam Sc#84 (1899) Bangkok postmark dated 13 August
August 14
Austria Sc#15 (1860) postmark dated 14 August
August 15
Austria Sc#14 (1860) postmark dated 15 August 1862
August 18
Victoria Sc#169 (1890) Melbourne postmark dated August 18, 1899Netherlands Indies Sc#55 (1904) postmark dated 18 August 1908
August 19
Germany Sc#203 (1923) postmark dated 19 August 1923Ghana Sc#291 (1967) Accra postmark dated 20 August 1971 [digitally cropped for calendar above]
Accra is the capital and most populous city of Ghana, with an estimated urban population of 2.27 million as of 2012. The city stretches along the Ghanaian Atlantic coast and extends north inland. Originally built around three different settlements, including a port (Jamestown), it served as the capital of the British Gold Coast between 1877 and 1957. Once merely a 19th-century suburb of Victoriaborg, Accra has since transitioned into a modern metropolis; the city’s architecture reflects this history, ranging from 19th-century architecture buildings to modern skyscrapers and apartment blocks.
August 21
United States Sc#4025 (2006) Lake Forest, California postmark dated August 21
Lake Forest is a city in Orange County, California, that incorporated as a city on December 20, 1991. Prior to incorporation, the community had been known as El Toro. Following a vote in 2000, Lake Forest expanded its city limits to include the master-planned developments of Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills. This expansion brought new homes and commercial centers to the Northeastern boundary of the city. Lake Forest (along with its neighboring cities Mission Viejo and Irvine) is ranked as one of the safest cities in the country. The population was 77,264 at the 2010 census.
August 22
Chile Sc#29 (1885) Santiago postmark dated 22 August 1895
Founded in 1541, Santiago has been the capital city of Chile since colonial times. The city has a downtown core of 19th-century neoclassical architecture and winding side-streets, dotted by art deco, neo-gothic, and other styles. Santiago’s cityscape is shaped by several stand-alone hills and the fast-flowing Mapocho River, lined by parks such as Parque Forestal. The Andes Mountains can be seen from most points in the city. These mountains contribute to a considerable smog problem, particularly during winter. The city outskirts are surrounded by vineyards and Santiago is within a few hours of both the mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
August 23
Ghana Sc#419 (1971) Accra postmark dated 23 August 1971 [digitally cropped for the calendar above]Jersey Sc#39 (1971) postmark dated 23 August 1972
August 24
Germany Sc#237 (1923) Wesel postmark dated 24 August 1923
Wesel originated from a Franconian manor that was first recorded in the 8th century. In the 12th century, the Duke of Clèves took possession of Wesel. The city became a member of the Hanseatic League during the 15th century. Within the Duchy of Cleves, Wesel was second only to Cologne in the lower Rhine region as an entrepôt. It was an important commercial center: a clearing station for the transshipment and trading of goods. Wesel is situated at the confluence of the Lippe River and the Rhine in North Rhine-Westphalia.
August 25
Isle Of Man Sc#230 (1983) postmark dated 25 August 198x
August 28
Jersey Sc#762 (1996) postmark dated 28 August 1996