Stamp Collecting Encyclopaedia Letter N

Newspaper stamps

Postage stamps issued for postage on newspapers. Sometimes their purpose is indicated in the inscription on the stamp. Newspaper stamps often denote a low denomination.
One of the most popular newspaper stamps is the Austrian issue from 1856, on which Mercury God of the merchants is pictured.

Numeral postmarks

Numeral handstamp '247' (Roraas) on the first stamp of Norway

A numeral postmark is a postmark in which the city, region or post office is not appointed by characters but by numbers.
The first numeral postmarks were presented in May 1844 in Great Britain. Various types of numeral postmarks were introduced. Each region used an own sequence with a specific form. In stead of dots, stripes were used to thoroughly obliterate stamps.
In other countries numeral postmarks were used too: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, German States: Baden, Bavaria, Brunswick, Prussia, Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, Greece, India, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and others.
The postmarks of these countries have in common that a number indicated the place name of cancellation. The used forms differ very much. In general the number was surrounded by a pattern of lines and dots, through which obliteration was secured.
The numeral postmarks used in France resemble Dutch numerals most and have certainly been used as an example.
In France two series were used. The first proof-series with little numerals "Losange petits chiffres" were followed by a postmark with much larger numerals: "Losange gros chiffres".
The Dutch Post Office did not hear about the bad experience the French suffered with the unreadable numbers. The main reason to implement the numeral postmark in The Netherlands would therefore not be met.