Hey! I have a question for Irish postcrossers. Does An post offer special cancellations/postmarks? I couldn’t really see any details on their website… I know they offer FDC with applied cancellations but can I ask them to cancel my own stamps on postcards somehow?
Hope my post makes sense lol
Hi,
I’m afraid the Irish Post Office do not offer special hand cancellations as a rule other than the FDC cancellations. The Philatelic Bureau will hand cancel items of mail upon request but the items may go into the Postal System a day later than the cancellation date (they wait for the cancellations to dry off).
Some Post Offices may hand cancel items with their local handstamp if asked but I don’t think they are obliged to do it. If they do, I’d recommend you have a tissue to ‘blot’ the cancellation in order to dry it before posting. When I do this I usually place the postcard inside a clear plastic cover to avoid the risk of the cancellation being damaged in the post.
Hope this helps.
Regards, Nora
A few years ago, each town (even small villages) had their own date/town stamp and most letters and postcards were cancelled by hand. Sadly, all post is now sorted and cancelled in a few huge sorting depots and the days of the village cancellations are over. The latest trend is a scribble on the stamp with a black marker that shows neither a date or a post office name - and to make matters even worse, all new stamps are self-adhesive (yeuch!). Samples of hand cancelling attached.
