Postal Notice E. S. Lees

The Post Office changed the colour of the cancelling ink to black in the beginning of 1841 to make it difficult to remove from the stamps. The cancel on a black stamp was difficult to see so they decided to change the colour of the 1d stamp from black to red. At the same time it was decided to modify the desing of the 2d stamp with the additionof two white lines and change the much derided Mulready stationery for less fussy designs.

The next step was to inform the thousands of postmasters of this decision and to send them copies of the new stamps and postal stationery so that they could be recognised by them ance they had been issued and in general cirulation. It was decided to send a circular to all Postmasters, Sub-Postmasters and Letter Receivers from E.S.Lees, the secretary of the General Post Office, in Edinburgh, with the new stamps and stationary affixed to it.

Original Postal Notice - affixed were a 1841 1d red-brown Plate 10, a 2d proof from the small trial sheet with lower corners void and two different sizes of the 1d pink postal stationery envelope with silk threads (both with large red "SPECIMEN" handstamp).

See also: Great Britain Penny stamps from 1840-1879 - Franz Zehenter (German)

Supplementary Circular from April 1841 with 2d stationary