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Overland Mail Baghdad-Haifa Pages
 

The Route Instruction Handstamps, cont. HS-76 - HS-94

   

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-76 (1)

Front

59,50 x 12 mm

Sender Meyer Tueg & Joseph Moshy, Baghdad.
Cover not in my collection, dimensions therefore not possible to verify.

That handstamp looks somehow different from the ones below but the few copies known do not permit detailed study.

HS-76 (2)

Front

Reverse

 

59,50 x 12 mm

58,30 x 12,60 mm

Senders name not indicated on the cover but cover sent from Baghdad.

As indication of the sender, maybe the Sender Seal may hold the clue?

The handstamp looks somehow different from the one No. HS-76 (1) above but the few copies known do not permit detailed study.

HS-76 (3)

Front

Reverse

59,50 x 12 mm 57,20 x 12,70 mm

Sender as indicated in the Arabic Language handstamp in lower right corner is the Ministry of Education, Baghdad/Iraq.

The handstamp looks somehow different from the HS-76 (1) and HS (2) above but the few copies known do not permit detailed study.

HS-76 (4)

Front

Sender Meyer Tueg & Joseph Moshy, Baghdad.
Cover not in my collection, dimensions therefore not possible to verify.

That handstamp looks somehow different from the types HS-76 (2) and HS-76 (3) but the few copies known do not permit detailed study.

HS-76 (5)

Front

Reverse

59,50 x 12 mm

57,60 x 11,40 mm

Cover dated 20 October 1927 to Beyrouth. Sender as indicated in the Arabic Language handstamp in lower right corner is the Ministry of Education, Baghdad/Iraq.

The latest use of this handstamp reported. The handstamp however looks somehow different (or maybe just a poor strike) from the ones above...

HS-76 (similar)

Front
Reverse

59,50 x 12 mm

58,70 x 12,20 mm

On cover (no sender name) dated 31 October 1924 sent from Hillah to Paris, France. The Handstamp is of similar type as HS-76 but the few known copies of that type of handstamp do not permit a detailed study.

HS-77

Front
Reverse

62 x 16 mm

67,3 x 16,9 mm

On cover from Eldorado Photo, Baghdad, privioulsy unrecorded sender. The size of the handstamp is slightly different as mentioned in Collins book. Dated 12. June 1929

HS-78

HS-79 (1)

Front

65 x 6 mm

64,7 x 8,10 mm

On Cover from H.G. Tufenkdjian, Teheran, Iran, to Cleveland, Ohia, USA, dated 10.09.1941

HS-79 2)

Front

65 x 6 mm

64,4 x 7,20 mm

On Cover from H.G. Tufenkdjian, Teheran, Iran, to Cleveland, Ohia, USA, dated 14.09.1941. Slightly different dimension from the Handstamp as listed above.

With traces of frame around the marking

HS-79 (3)

Front

65 x 6 mm

64,4 x 6,40 mm

HS-79 (4)

Front

65 x 6 mm

64,5 x 6,80 mm

HS-79 (5)

Front
Reverse

65 x 6 mm

64,5 x 7,00 mm

HS-79 (6)

Front
Reverse

65 x 6 mm

64,9 x 7,20 mm

HS-79 (7)

Front

65 x 6 mm

64,7 x 7,10 mm

HS-79 (8)

Front

65 x 6 mm

64,6 x 7,50 mm

HS-79 (9)

Front

65 x 6 mm

64,4 x 7,20 mm

With traces of frame around the marking

HS-79 (10)

Front

Reverse

65 x 6 mm

Coming Soon

On Registered cover dated 13.03.1943 from Teheran to Chicago, USA.

HS-79 (11)

Front

Reverse

65 x 6 mm

Coming Soon

On cover dated 13.03.1943 from Teheran to Ohio, USA.

HS-80

HS-81 (1)

Front
Reverse

53 x 9 mm

52,10 x 8,70 mm

On cover from Baghdad 10. FEB 1932 to Sweden.

The Route Instruction Handstamp is similar to HS-N64 but  the color and size are different.

HS-82 (1)

Front

30 x 13 mm

30,00 x 13,70 mm

HS-82 (2)

Front
Reverse

30 x 13 mm

29,90 x 13,50 mm

Sender J. C. Stewart , 221, Bugalow, Abadan, date not readable.

HS-82 (3)

Front

Reverse

30 x 13 mm

No senders address, cover is dated 15 November 1937, sent to UK. Cover not yet n my hands, size of the handstamp can not be verified so far.

HS-83

Front
Reverse

57 x 3 mm

55,40 x 3,50 mm

On Cover dated 26 February 1930 from Baghdad to Austria. The second known cover with this handstamp. Other known cover is dated 15 November 1929 with handstamp in black color.

HS-84

HS-85

Front

54 x 5,5 mm

54,30 x 6,83 mm

On a cover dated 18. November 1934 from Barhain to USA.
Hand stamps is about 1 mm higher then listed in Collins but this could be the result of a slightly curved strike.

Similar to HS-N19 and HS-N67 but different sieze.

HS-86 (1)

61,50 x 17 mm

61,50 x 17,30 mm

HS-86 (2)

Front

Reverse

61,50 x 17 mm 

Coming Soon 

On cover from Teheran to Konstanz/Germany dated 08.10.1925 

HS-86 (3)

61,50 x 17 mm

Handstamp in violet Colour, seen on a manipulated cover. The handstamp looks genuine but can not be verified

HS-86 (4)

Front

Reverse

61,50 x 17 mm

Cover dated 12 December 1924 from Teheran to Sudan. Image of the cover.

Ex Colin Archive, hence, size of the handstamp can not be measured.

The cover also bears a Route Instructions Handstamps type HS-43 (5)

HS-87 (1)

Front

Reverse

56 x 21 mm

55,30 x 21,20 mm

HS-87 (2)

Front

Reverse

56 x 21 mm

55,30 x 21,20 mm

HS-87 (3)

Front

Reverse

56 x 21 mm

Coming Soon 

On Registered Cover from Teheran to Budapest / Hungary dated  06.02.1930

HS-87 (4)

Front

Reverse

56 x 21 mm

Coming Soon 

1931 Envelope from Ahwaz to Vienna. In addition, New discovered Imprinted Envelope, now listed as IE-NL10

HS-88 (1)

Front

Reverse

73 x 13 mm

On Cover from Teheran to Syria dated 12.07.1932

From the collection of Bjorn Sohrne, scanned by owner without reference scan, size therefor not possible to measure. Image shown with permission of owner of the cover.

HS-88 (2)

Front

Reverse

73 x 13 mm

Coming Soon  

Used on registered cover from the Iranian Foreign Office to Paris, France, dated 2 July 1932.

The cover also bears a Route Instruction Label L-15

HS-88 (3)

Front

Reverse

73 x 13 mm

Used on registered cover from Tehran (5 January 1933) to Italy.

Cover not in my collection, size of the handstamp can not be verified therefor.

HS-89

HS-90 (1)

Front

Reverse

58 x 8 mm

49,20 x 8,40 mm

Cover dated 14 March 1927, sent from Aleppo to Baghdad. New earliest known use of this Handstamp. Collins must have a typing error in his handbook in regard to the size of the handstamp as the handstamp measured by me has a size of 49,20 only.

HS-91

64 x 14 mm

Recorded on a cover from Kut, Iraq, dated 19 August 1936

HS-91

Front

Is this a copy of HS-91?
The image provided in the handbook looks somehow different, however the Arabic script is more or less the same. The size as indicated in Collins handbook is also different. What is also strange is that this marking is on a cover inscribed  "Air Mail" .., Air Mail is striked out in yellow color, the same color as the marking. Could it be that this is no handstamp but a manuscript marking only? My copy is on a cover from Baghdad, dated 4 December 1933.
Who can provide another copy of HS-91.

HS-92

 

Front

50 x 10 mm

Image from the Zvi Alexander Collection. Size can not be verified as the item has not been in my hands.

HS-93

Front
Reverse

35 x 11 mm

Size can not be verified as the item has not been in my hands.

Image scanned from color photocopy only. Maybe the current owner of that cover can provide a better scan?

HS-93

 

35 x 11 mm

Size can not be verified as the item has not been in my hands.

Image measured with the help of a graphic program, not with my method.

Maybe the current owner of that cover can provide a scan of the complete cover?

HS-94

 

29 x 6 mm

Size can not be verified as the item has not been in my hands.