Distinctive Maltese Cross Postmarks of Great Britain

The following are images of some of the Distinctive Maltese Crosses (MX) of Great Britain used between 1840 and 1844.

FOR COLOURED MALTESE CROSSES CLICK THIS LINK

The were hand made stamps that were inked on a pad before impressing on the stamps to cancel them. As they were handmade they have certain individual features that are indicative of the offices that used them. Many of the Maltese Cross cancels have been identified by covers showing the postage use and therefore the offices who used them. However the majority of handstamps that were made are almost identical as they were fashioned to a design. The London Chief Office introduced Cancels with numbers 1 to 12 in them (1843) and small crosses on them on the top of each (except the number 3 cancel that either had no cross or it was quickly damaged and fell off). Maltese Cross cancels are an indicator of the plate range of a 1d Red as it was used only up until 1844 when plate 45 was at press. The presence of a MX cancel therfore assures the owner that it is within plates 1b-45. It can still be found on slightly later plates as some towns continued to use the MX cancel until they recieved their '1844 type' cancels.

Distinctive Maltese Crosses

Belfast (GB) 1st Type MX on Plate 20 stamp	BELFAST MX	Brighton (GB) Brighton special on Pl 38 More Images
Coventry (GB)	COVENTRY MX
Dublin (IE) Type I MX on Plate 29 stamp	DUBLIN MX	Dublin (IE) Type II MX on Plate 28 stamp	Dublin (IE) Type II MX with break in outer cross frame Type 2a
More Images Edinburgh Special Type I MX on Plate 2 Red PB	Kelso (GB) MX on Plate 34 stamp, characterised by its 'straight' outer loop sides and deep loops of the outer cross.	KELSO MX
Kilmarnock (GB) MX on Plate 35 stamp	KILMARNOCK MX	Leeds (GB) MX on Plate 25 stamp	LEEDS SPECIAL MX
Limerick (IR) MX on Plate 28 stamp	LIMERICK SPECIAL MX

Manchester (GB) Manchester Special MX on Plate 11 stamp	Manchester (GB) Manchester Special MX on Plate 4 BI
Montrose (GB) MX on Plate 21 stamp	MONTROSE MX
Norwich (GB) or Plymouth (GB) MX on Plate 35 stamp. Both Norwich & Plymouth had a similar cancel.	NORWICH or PLYMOUTH MX	Scottish (GB) Type I MX on Plate 36 stamp	SCOTTISH Small Diamond MX
STONEHAVEN Multiple lined MX on Plate 2 HL re-entry	STONEHAVEN Multiple lined MX
Welshpool (GB) solid centre type MX on Plate 35 Stamp. More Images	WELSHPOOL MX	Wincanton (GB) MX on Plate 33 stamp	WINCANTON MX
Wotton-under-Edge (GB) MX on Plate 18 stamp, characterised by the 'file' cuts across the cross	WOTTON-UNDER-EDGE MX	York Distinctive Maltese Cross