Tuesday, 18 October 2022

Johannesburg J2a Postmark

Johannesburg J2a Postmark
Type J2 comprises single circle postmarks. There are two types, J2a has a large dot at the base and J2b has 'Z.A.R.' at the base

J2a. A single circle 21mm or 23 mm in diameter with 'Johannesburg' curving around the top and a large dot at the base. The date is on two lines; the top line is the month in two letters followed by the day for the 21 mm postmark and then usually, but not always, the day then month for the 23 mm postmark; the bottom line has the year is in 2 figures 

This postmark was the first postmark used at the nascent Johannesburg post office (see "An early Johannesburg cds" by Andrew Higson, Transvaal Philatelist vol 43 no 3 (167), August 2008, p. 55). In this article Higson gives the earliest date as 10 June 1887 on stamp and 22 July 1887 on cover 

There are four subtypes:  
  • J2a (i) a 21 mm diameter postmark seen used from June 1887 -  April 1888
  • J2a (ii) a 21 mm diameter postmark with a code letter C or a 6 pointed star sen used in August 1888 - December 1889
  • J2a (iii) a 23 mm diameter postmark seen used from December 1892 - December 1893
  • J2a (iv) a 23 mm diameter postmark without a date, possibly used for the posting of newspapers and printed mail

No usage has yet been seen for the period January 1890 - November 1892

  • Postmark type J2a (i) (21 mm) - (10 June 1887 - April 1888) rated 3R 
  • Postmark type J2a (ii) - Code C (21 mm) - (20 December 1889) rated 3R 
  • Postmark type J2a (ii) - Code star (21 mm) - (24 August 1888) rated 3R 
  • Postmark type J2a (iii) (23 mm) - (16 December 1892 - 18 December 1893) rated Rare on stamp and 2R on cover
  • Postmark type J2a (iv) (23 mm) - no date rated 3R 

Left to right: J2a (i), J2a (ii), J2a (iii), J2a (iv)

Postmark type J2a (i)
1887
Johannesburg postmark type J2a (i). Dated 10 June 1887. Rated 3R. Seen in the Transvaal Philatelist vol 43 no 3 (167), August 2008, p. 55

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (i). Dated 3 October 1887. Rated 3R. Seen in the ZAR & Transvaal Philately Facebook Group

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (i). Dated 17 November 1887. Rated 3R. Seen in the Putzel Update

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (i). Dated 23 December 1887. Rated 3R. Seen in the ZAR & Transvaal Philately Facebook Group

1888
Johannesburg postmark type J2a (i). Dated 19 March 1888. Rated 3R. Seen in a private collection

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (i). Dated 12 April 1888. Rated 3R. Seen in the ZAR & Transvaal Philately Facebook Group

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (i). Dated 23 March 1888. Rated 3R

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (i). Dated April 1888. Rated 3R. Seen in the ZAR & Transvaal Philately Facebook Group

Postmark type J2a (ii) - Code C
Johannesburg postmark type J2a (ii) Code C. Dated 20 December 1889. Rated 3R. Seen in the ZAR & Transvaal Philately Facebook Group

Postmark type J2a (ii) - 6 pointed star
Johannesburg postmark type J2a (ii) Code 6 pointed star. Dated 24 August 1888. Rated 3R. Seen in the ZAR & Transvaal Philately Facebook Group

Postmark type J2a (iii)
1892
Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iii). Dated 16 December 1892. Rated rare

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iii). Dated 21 December 1892. Rated 2R

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iii). Dated 29 December 189(2). Rated 2R. Seen in the ZAR & Transvaal Philately Facebook Group

1893
Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iii). Dated 31 January 1893. Rated 2R. Seen in the ZAR & Transvaal Philately Facebook Group

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iii). Dated 3 February1893. Rated 2R. Seen on Ebay

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iii). Dated 19 February 1893. Rated 2R. Seen on Ebay


Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iii). Dated 3 March 1893. Rated 2R. Seen in the ZAR & Transvaal Philately Facebook Group


Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iii). Dated 31 March 1893. Rated 2R. Seen in the ZAR & Transvaal Philately Facebook Group

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iii). Dated 3 April 1893. Rated 2R. Seen in Delcampe

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iii). Dated 23 May 1893. Rated rare. Seen in the ZAR & Transvaal Philately Facebook Group

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iii). Dated 12 October 1893. Rated rare. Seen in the the collection of Morgan Farrell

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iii). Dated 31 October 1893. Rated 2R. Seen on Delcampe

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iii). Dated 9 November 1893. Rated 2R. Seen in the ZAR & Transvaal Philately Facebook Group

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iii). Dated 18 November 1893. Rated 2R. Seen in the ZAR & Transvaal Philately Facebook Group

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iii). Dated 11 December 1893. Rated 2R. Seen in a private collection


Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iii). Dated 18 December 1893. Rated 2R. Seen in Delcampe

Postmark type J2a (iv) - no date
Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iv) - no date. Rated 3R. Seen in the ZAR & Transvaal Philately Facebook Group

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iv) - no date. Rated 3R. Seen in michael-hamilton.com

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iv) - no date. Rated 3R. Seen in the ZAR & Transvaal Philately Facebook Group

Johannesburg postmark type J2a (iv) - no date. Rated 3R. Seen in the ZAR & Transvaal Philately Facebook Group

Putzel ratings
J2a (i) -  A2 (Update) rated 400 on stamp and 2,000 on cover
J2a (iii) -  4 rated 20 on stamp and 100 on cover
J2a (iv) -  4x (Update) rated 20 on stamp and 100 on cover

Matthews 
J2a (i) - 1e
J2a (iii) - 1e
J2a (iv) - 1f
By at
Labels: , , , , , ,