MALTA SCOTT #451 EUROPA STAMP BRITISH TYPE 14 TAPE COVER 1973

MALTA Scott #451 stamp tied by January 23, 1973 Valletta slogan machine cancel on cover with an incorrect address, opened in error and closed with a type 14 seal. (Type 14 Elizabeth II, "and officially secured" 31mm long Height: 25.4mm Paper: Brown Craft. EKU: 10/2/1959) At the start of Queen Elizabeth's reign, the use of seals was winding down and by 1960 their use was abandoned and tapes came into general use for both repair and RLO usages.

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 c. 1960s, 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 It is possible that some of the information contained therein is no longer current.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.