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Overland Mail Baghdad-Haifa Pages
 

The Route Instruction Handstamps, cont. HS-51 - HS-75

   

I do not agree with the classification by previous specialist. I feel that several of the lists types are in fact identical. However, in 1990, measurements were done by ruler, sometimes only based on photocopies which definitely will lead to small wrong measurements. However, until my theory is proven, I will continue with the previous numbering. Notes on my findings are mentioned in the comment column.

 

Notes:

  • Black and White (B/W) images are images copied from the handbook and are only shown as reference, neither in actual size, nor are they described.

  • If a link in the colum "Cover Image" is provided, a fully size high resolution image of the cover bearing the respective Handstamp. That image will open in a new layer.

  • If you copy the image that has been scanned from the original cover and open and enlarge it with a graphic program you will see measuring lines around the handstamp imprint. These lines indicate the measuring border from which the actual measurement has been taken.

Handbook Number

Image

Cover Image

Handbook Size

Measured size
(from items in my collection)

Comment

HS-51 (1)

Front

61 x 14 mm

61,40 x 14,80 mm

On registered cover from Imperial Ottoman Bank Baghdad-Nuremberg/Germany, dated 30. April 1925. New earliest date

HS-51 (2)

Front

61 x 14 mm

60,80 x 15,00 mm

On registered cover from Imperial Ottoman Bank Baghdad-Switzerland, dated 3. April 1926

HS-52 (1)

Front
Reverse

54 x 12 mm

55,30 x 13,00 mm

Sender unknown, believed to be Krikor Skender since the design of the envelope is the same as HS-52 (4), sent from Baghdad, dated 9.12.1926

HS-52 (4)

Front
Reverse

54 x 12 mm

55,30 x 13,00 mm

Sender Krikor Skender, sent  since the design of the envelope is the same as HS-52 (4), sent from Baghdad, dated 13 May 1926 to Basel, Switzerland. New earliest recorded use of this handstamp.

HS-53 (1)

Front

55 x 10.50 mm

55.10 x 12.60 mm

On cover dated 09. November 1925. New earliest date.
Difference in height eventually due to thick lines on top and bottom? 

HS-53 (2)

Front
Reverse

55 x 10.50 mm

54,70 x 11,50 mm

On registered cover from Mosul to UK dated 17 December 1925, addressed to the same recipient as the one above. Slightly different dimensions, eventually caused by the thick lines on top and bottom?

HS-54 (1)

Front
Reverse

55 x 10,5 mm

Length of "By Overland Mail" is 50,5 mm

55,40 x 11,30 mm

Length of "By Overland Mail" is 50,10 mm

On cover from Baghdad (29 May 1924) to France. New earliest recorded date of this handstamp.

HS-54 (2)

Front
Reverse

55 x 10,5 mm

Length of "By Overland Mail" is 50,5 mm

55,40 x 11,30 mm

Length of "By Overland Mail" is 50,10 mm

On cover from Baghdad (29 May 1924) to France, same date as the over above.

HS-55 (1)

Front

Cover is not in my collection. Image Ex Collins Archive. Cover dated October 1930

HS-55 (2)

Front

 

53,60 x 13,60 mm

Cover from Iraq 18 April 1931) to London, UK. Collins in his monograph does not give a size of the handstamp but based on the receiver of the cover is is safe to assume that this is in fact Handstamp HS-55.

HS-56

HS-57

Front

57 x 4 mm

56,70 x 4,00 mm

HS-58

HS-59 (1)

Front

52 x 5 mm

Cover is not in my collection. Image Ex Collins Archive. Cover dated 22 April 1935.

HS-60 (1a)

Front
Reverse

61 x 4 mm

2 strikes on a cover from Teheran to Beyrout dated 21.01.1933, The latest known usage

HS-60 (1b)

HS-61

Front

65 x 5 mm

From the late Zvi Alexander collection.

HS-62 (1)

Front
Reverse

75 x 8 mm

Cover is not in my collection. Image Ex Collins Archive. Cover dated 05.02.1930).

Sender Frank C. Strick Co. · (Basra) Ltd, of Baghdad.

HS-62 (2)

Front
Reverse

75 x 8 mm

Cover is not in my collection. Image Ex Collins Archive. Cover dated 28.05.1940.

Sender Frank C. Strick Co. · (Basra) Ltd, of Baghdad.

HS-63

Front
Reverse

69 x 6 mm

69,90 x 6,80 mm

HS-63 similar (1)

Front
Reverse

69 x 6 mm

68,00 x 6,00 mm

On registered cover from Kerbala, Iraq, dated 15.01.1936. The handstamp apparently is identical in size as HS 63, however, the handstamp on this cover is very straight, different from HS 63 as above. Also, HS 63 is reported of being used form Baghdad..., in case the shown handstamp is identical with HS-63, it may lead to the conclusion that is was being used by PO Baghdad.

HS-63

similar (2)

Front
Reverse

69 x 6 mm

69,10 x 6,30 mm 

On cover from the same sender in Kerbala as above, dated 01.07.1930. Comments as above are also valid for this handstamp. 

HS-63
similar (3) 

Front
Reverse 

69 x 6 mm

Coming Soon 

On cover from the same sender in Kerbala as above, dated 11.05.1936. Comments as above are also valid for this handstamp.  

HS-64

HS-65 (1)

Front

55 x 11 mm

56,20 x 11,7 mm

Letter franked with 3 Annas, before curreny change in 1932! 

HS-65 (2)

Front
Reverse

55 x 11 mm

56,30 x 11,7 mm

Letter dated 29. February 1932 to France

HS-66

Front
Reverse

44 x 3 mm

44,00 x 3,60 mm

On cover from Imperial Bank of Persia, Tauris, Iran dated 3 November 1927 to Berlin, Germany.

HS-67

Front

65 x 6 mm

From the late Zvi Alexander collection.

HS-68 (1)

Front

59 x 6 mm

57,70 x 6,40 mm

On cover dated 20 November 1937 from Bahrain to USA

HS-68 (2)

Front
Reverse

59 x 6 mm

57,80 x 6,50 mm

On cover dated November 1937 from Bahrain to USA

HS-69

HS-70

HS-71 (1)

Front

56 x 4 mm

Cover is not in my collection. Image Ex Collins Archive. Cover dated 8 March 1937.

HS-72

HS-73

HS-74 (1)

Front

Reverse

57 x 6 mm

58,90 x 6,90 mm

Cover sent by Abdul Hamid, Baghdad, dated 26 February  1924. The earliest strike of this handstamp and the one recorded in Collins handbook.

HS-74 (2)

Front

Reverse

57 x 6 mm

57,10 x 7,50 mm

Cover sent by Abdul Hamid, Baghdad, dated 3 April 1924.Ths handstamp looks somehow a bit different then the one above but it may have been somehow tron?

HS-75