Plate 48 OC Die II showing the allocated PO Numeral 75 of Birmingham.

Birmingham Square Circles

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A medium-sized market town in the medieval period, Birmingham grew to international prominence in the 18th century at the heart of the Midlands Enlightenment and subsequent Industrial Revolution, which saw the town at the forefront of worldwide advances in science, technology, and economic development, producing a series of innovations that laid many of the foundations of modern industrial society. By 1791 it was being hailed as "the first manufacturing town in the world". Birmingham's distinctive economic profile, with thousands of small workshops practising a wide variety of specialised and highly skilled trades, encouraged exceptional levels of creativity and innovation and provided a diverse and resilient economic base for industrial prosperity that was to last into the final quarter of the 20th century. Perhaps the most important invention in British history, the industrial steam engine, was invented in Birmingham. Its resulting high level of social mobility also fostered a culture of broad-based political radicalism, that under leaders from Thomas Attwood to Joseph Chamberlain was to give it a political influence unparalleled in Britain outside London, and a pivotal role in the development of British democracy. From the summer of 1940 to the spring of 1943, Birmingham was bombed heavily by the German Luftwaffe in what is known as the Birmingham Blitz. The damage done to the city's infrastructure, in addition to a deliberate policy of demolition and new building by planners, led to extensive demolition and redevelopment in subsequent decades.

Birmingham was allocated number 75 in the Post Office books.

In 1913, the Head Office had 7 Branch Offices looking after numerous sub offices. Branch Offices are named on this page.

Please see Birmingham (GB) Sub-Offices for the smaller offices.

Birmingham

75 in oval, issue ... Plate 97 AD

Penny red plate 162 BIRMINGHAM Spoon Aug24 1854

Type C3 Birmingham Spoon Experimental Cancel on plate 35 C8

75 in oval on a 1862 issue

Penny red plate 140 BIRMINGHAM barred numeral cancellation 4VOD in 1872

in 1880

2^D REGISTERED 2^D BIRMINGHAM cancel 1900

1d Plate 166 FL, Error in sideways duplex dateslug, type II code C2 1851 for 1855

1888 BIRMINGHAM 75 Double Arc steel cancel on 2½d Jubilee

BIRMINGHAM roller about 1902.

Commemorative postmark "Sounds of Britain" 3 Oct 2006

Birmingham with A code cancel on Productivity issue.

Bars and Number cancels

Often referred to as Birmingham type cancels due to their introduction in Birmingham in the 1880's. However they had originally been trialled for use in Scotland before being trialled in Birmingham & Liverpool.

Originally the Office number was placed at the bottom, however this became changed with a sequential (in-house) number, stars or a Maltese Cross to signify a particular use within the office. For example most offices used a maltese cross in the base to signify mail being desptached to a rail office.

1902 BIRMINGHAM Double Arc steel cancel with office number 75 replaced with control code 2	1902 BIRMINGHAM Double Arc steel cancel with office number 75 replaced with control code 5	1902 BIRMINGHAM Double Arc steel cancel with office number 75 replaced with control code 21	1902 BIRMINGHAM Double Arc steel cancel with office number 75 replaced with control code 30
1903 BIRMINGHAM Double Arc steel cancel with office number 75 replaced with control code 35	1902 BIRMINGHAM Double Arc steel cancel with office number 75 replaced with control code 36	1902 BIRMINGHAM Double Arc steel cancel with office number 75 replaced with control code 37	1902 BIRMINGHAM Double Arc steel cancel with office number 75 replaced with control code 38