ENGLAND SCOTT MH101 MACHIN HEAD STAMPS SOUTH AFRICA TYPE 29 TAPE COVER 1979

GREAT BRITAIN Scott MH101 (x2 -pair) machin head stamps tied by an indistinct cds (1979?) on massively repaired cover to South Africa with seven type 29 tape fragments and one type 27 tape  fragment on the front. Based on the smudged address it is likely that the cover was water soaked and the tape was used to close the seams.

As early as 1918 the Royal Mail had a class of seals that combined the repair function and provided information to the postal customer regarding the damaged or delayed item. These seals were infrequently used for their repair function as other seals and later tapes were more convenient and even the smallest post offices had a variety of handstamps to explain why a particular mail item was damaged or delayed. Twenty different types have been reported with a number of minor types also identified. These labels are still un use yet infrequently seen.

Sent 1979 (?), beautiful as is condition. (Seals / Tapes by definition were used to repair damaged mail caused by a wide variety of conditions and found in a wide range of condition.)

This cover appeared in the exhibit of the late Jim Kotanchik's Gold Medal award winning exhibit, "Official Seals of Great Britain" The exhibit was probably last shown at Westpex in 2009. It is possible that some of the information contained therein is no longer current. Jim Kotanchik was a highly regarded expert in worldwide seals.