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Cancels present special difficulties in the study of Heligoland stamps. Over the twenty-four years in which Heligoland stamps were issued, 38 different cancels were applied to the stamps. However, almost all stamps were cancelled with two basic cancel designs and most of the other cancels are rare. Fortunately forged cancels are mostly limited to these two basic designs. We will consider these basic designs first. Once a collector learns to "see" the cancel, he will not be fooled by a forgery. |
The first is the round cancel adopted by the British administration and the second is the Helgoland line cancel used in Hamburg. The British round cancel machine, a common stamping device with a handle—and similar to designs used in other British possesions—featured steel or other hard metal die construction and allowed changes in day, month and year. Because of the hard die of the cancel face, impressions were extremely sharp when the machines were new and as they wore over time, became less so. |
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The British cancels are sorted into five varieties of cancels used in sequence over time. (The Germans call the cancel designs englischer Rundstempel . I use the resulting abbreviation "ERS" to describe the cancel design.) These five varieties were produced with only three machines. When the first machine (1866-1876) became too worn, it was replaced by a new machine(1876-1884). Something happened to this second machine and the first one was gotten out, repaired and put back into service (1884-1885) (giving the third cancel variety). |
When a year later a new machine (the third and last) was finally obtained, it was put into use and produced the fourth variety (April-July 1885). After a few months it suffered a tiny break on one of its edges and this produced the fifth variety (July 1885-1890). These cancels were all applied at the postoffice on Heligoland. The following illustrations are taken from many sources, some almost one hundred years old. The illustrations are close to actual size, but not always exact. |
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ERS Type I July 1866- Feb 1876 Dia: 24.75mm |
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ERS Type II Feb 1876- August 1884 Dia:25.75mm |
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ERS Type III August 1884- April 1885 Dia:24.75 |
ERS Type IV 22 April 1885- 15 July 1885 Dia:27.5mm |
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ERS Type V 16 July 1885- 9 August 1890 Dia:27.5mm |
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Here are more examples to show variations: |
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ERS I |
ERS II |
ERS III The last two digits of the year are always raised. |
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ERS IV |
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ERS V The break in the outer ring is 3mm long. |
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Below are the images greatly enlarged to enable easy study of the letter shapes and spacing: |
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ERS I
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ERS II
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ERS III
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ERS IV
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ERS V
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| ERS I was used only for: | 1—10 | 11, 12 | 13a | 14a | 16a | ||||||||||||||
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| ERS II was used only for: | 11, 12 | 13a | 14a | 15 | 16a | 17a-b | 18a-b | 18c-d | 19a,20 | ||||||||||
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| ERS III was used only for: | 13a | 14a | 15 | 16a | 18c-d | 19a, 20 | |||||||||||||
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| ERS IV was used only for: | 13a | 13b | 14 |
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16b | 18d | 19a,20 | ||||||||||||
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| ERS V was used only for: | 13 |
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16b | 18e-h | 19, 20 | ||||||||||||||
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The month abbreviations for the ERS cancels are as follows:
| JA | FE | MR | AP | MY | JU | JY | AU | SP | OC | NO |
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All four digits of the year are ALWAYS present. The day numerals always appear before the month, except in the case of the ERS I, which appears as follows:
| From July 1866 through June 1867 the days preceed the months (This is on Hamburg stamps.). Thereafter it is as follows: | |
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JU 23 1867 through JY 2 1868 |
28 NO 1869 through 18 JY 1873 |
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4 JY 1868 through 24 SP 1868 |
JY 19 1873 through JY 24 1873 |
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OC 6 1868 |
25 JY 1873 through 26 JY 1873 |
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28 NO 1868 through 13 AP 1869 |
JY 26 1873 through OC 30 1873 |
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MY 4 1869 through OC 3 1869 |
11 NO 1873 through 30 DE 1873 |
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From 1874 to the end (through Feb 1876) the month always preceeds the days. |
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The next two cancels were applied at the Hamburg Post Office to letters that arrived from Heligoland without a Heligoland post office cancel. This would happen whenever someone would put a letter directly in the mailbox at the port for the steamer destined for Hamburg. Please note the German spelling is without the "i."
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Left:
Type I—August 1852 to end of 1873,height: 4mm, width (including period): 30.5mm. |
Right:
Type II—1872 to August 10, 1890, height: 4.5mm, width (across the midline): 35.5mm |
Here is a scan of nine Heligoland stamps. The first three are Type I and the remaining six are Type II:
This is the beginning of a more extended treatment.
