streetletters

Street Letter Box Postmarks*

Street Letter box facilities existed in four Jamaican towns; Kingston, Montego Bay, Port Antonio and Savannah-la-Mar. The first three of these towns had distinctive handstamps, bearing the lettering "STREET LETTER BOX" for letters so posted.

The earliest die,established in 1889 and used in Kingston, was a simple single-line diamond with "STREET LETTER BOX JAMAICA" in three lines:

Subsequently, datestamps containing this same lettering came into use in Kingston (5 types), Montego Bay (3 types) and Port Antonio (3 types). While Savannah-la-Mar had street letter boxes, no specific cancellations are known for this town.

The descriptions of the Kingston cancellations are based on the monograph by Thomas Foster (But see also: Swarbrick).

Street Letter Box Cancels

SLB Cancellation No. EKD LKD Notes

Kingston Type SLB1
9400.74 8.5.1889 2.4.1892
The first mark was a metal "TRD", which had a single-lined diamond frame with 23mm sides enclosing the legend "STREET LETTER BOX / JAMAICA" in three lines of slightly seriffed capital letters 21mm high. Undated, struck in black ink and, in its last year of use, battered and misshapen, it was intended to be struck only on the envelope or wrapper, leaving the adhesives to be cancelled by one of the Kingston date stamps. In practice this rarely occurred. Although uncommon on cover, contemporary stamps can very often be found bearing parts of this postmark and it is not so rare as is often stated

Kingston Type SLB2
9400.75 11.7.1892 13.8.1902
Type SLB2 is a postmark of the Double Circle classification, which has the normal double-circle format with a diameter of 26mm and about 1mm between the circles. The date is in two unit plugs reading "month-day" and "year" in two lines with an index figure and letter above it, all in sans-serif type 2 mm high. The legend at the top reads STREET LETTER BOX and at the bottom KINGSTON JAMAICA in sans-serif caps 3 mm high, with small dots separating the two legends

Kingston Type SLB3
9400.76 27.8.1902 10.9.1010
Type SLB3 closely resembles Type SLB2a in the size of the various units and in overall diameter, but it has dots at the sides and 11Ž2 mm between the circles, as in Type SLB2. The index combination above the date is replaced by a single central index letter ranging from A-Z; it is only known struck in black. The author considers that only a single dater of this type existed, and it would appear to have been issued at a later-date than the previous two types

Kingston Type SLB4
9400.77 19.9.1910 5.12.1919
Type SLB4 is another double-circle date stamp of 28mm diameter, with 11Ž2 mm between the circles. It has the legend STREET LETTER BOX KINGSTON around the top and JAMAICA at the bottom in small square capitals about 2 mm high; it is without separating dots at the sides.There is an index combination above the date in tall upright 3mm units, the figure being heavily seriffed. Six identical daters of this type were issued distinguished by the fixed figures 1 - 6, the index letters ranging from A - Z. These stamps are, found in either black or blue

Kingston Type SLB5
9400.78

Type SLB5 is very similar in format to SLB4, but with an overall diameter of 271Ž2 mm and with 1 mm between the circles. The lettering is 21Ž2 mm high, tall and slender, but the date units and index combinations are exactly as in Type SLB4. There are, however, dots at either side.In all probability a set of these daters was issued, but only one has been recorded, struck in black. The illustration M18 in 'Nicholson' is incorrect, and should be disregarded

Kingston Type SLB6
9400.79

The next dater closely resembles SLB4 with the same diameter and distance between the circles. The lettering is similar to that of SLB5 but is narrower and closer together, with a period after the word "BOX" but without the dots at the sides. A single central index letter above the date ranges from A-Z,, but this and the date are in smaller squarer type 21Ž2mm high Probably only one stamp of this type existed, and it is known, only in black

Montego Bay Type I
5620.16 16.11.1914 21.7.1915
Temp. Rubber Handstamp. Type - C2/27. Reads: "MONTEGO BAY / STREET LETTER BOX" with "14" of date in lower centre. In black after May 1915.

Montego Bay Type II
5620.17 17.9.1915 15.11.1954
Temp. Rubber Handstamp- C2/28. As 5620.16 but with lettering reversed. "STREET LETTER BOX" at top and "MONTEGO BAY" at bottom. Year digits in lower centre changed to "15".

Montego Bay Type III
5620.18 17.9.1915 15.11.1954
Double Ring Datestamp - with dots. Reads:. "STREET LETTER BOX / MONTEGO BAY" with dots either side.

Port Antonio Type I
6790.16 1.7.1911 18.5.1912
Temp. Rubber Handstamp. Type - R1/26. Reads: "Street Letter Box / .................. 1911 / Port Antonio, Ja." in three lines (xx.7.1911).

Port Antonio Type II
6790.17 27.8.1913 5.9.1927
Double Ring Datestamp. Reads: "STREET LETTER BOX. PORT ANTONIO / JAMAICA".

Port Antonio Type III
6790.19 14.9.1927 13.11.1967
Double Ring Datestamp. Reads: "STREET LETTER BOX - PORT ANTONIO / JAMAICA" as 6790.17 but with a hyphen between words rather than a full stop. Also has heavier lettering.

* Sources:

The Postal Markings of Jamaica. Potter IA (Ed.). 424pp. 1966. Privately published.
Jamaica: A Review of the Nation's Postal History and Postage. Johnson AN., American Philatelic Society, 62pp. 1964.

Jamaica: Its Postal History, Postage Stamps and Postmarks. Collett GW., Edwards WB., Morton CS & Nicholson LCC. Stanley Gibbons Ltd., London, 248pp. 1928.

The Street Letter Boxes of Jamaica, Thomas Foster, Monograph.

SLB Cancellation	No.	EKD	LKD	Notes
Kingston Type SLB1	9400.74	8.5.1889	2.4.1892	The first mark was a metal "TRD", which had a single-lined diamond frame with 23mm sides enclosing the legend "STREET LETTER BOX / JAMAICA" in three lines of slightly seriffed capital letters 21mm high. Undated, struck in black ink and, in its last year of use, battered and misshapen, it was intended to be struck only on the envelope or wrapper, leaving the adhesives to be cancelled by one of the Kingston date stamps. In practice this rarely occurred. Although uncommon on cover, contemporary stamps can very often be found bearing parts of this postmark and it is not so rare as is often stated
Kingston Type SLB2	9400.75	11.7.1892	13.8.1902	Type SLB2 is a postmark of the Double Circle classification, which has the normal double-circle format with a diameter of 26mm and about 1mm between the circles. The date is in two unit plugs reading "month-day" and "year" in two lines with an index figure and letter above it, all in sans-serif type 2 mm high. The legend at the top reads STREET LETTER BOX and at the bottom KINGSTON JAMAICA in sans-serif caps 3 mm high, with small dots separating the two legends
Kingston Type SLB3	9400.76	27.8.1902	10.9.1010	Type SLB3 closely resembles Type SLB2a in the size of the various units and in overall diameter, but it has dots at the sides and 11Ž2 mm between the circles, as in Type SLB2. The index combination above the date is replaced by a single central index letter ranging from A-Z; it is only known struck in black. The author considers that only a single dater of this type existed, and it would appear to have been issued at a later-date than the previous two types
Kingston Type SLB4	9400.77	19.9.1910	5.12.1919	Type SLB4 is another double-circle date stamp of 28mm diameter, with 11Ž2 mm between the circles. It has the legend STREET LETTER BOX KINGSTON around the top and JAMAICA at the bottom in small square capitals about 2 mm high; it is without separating dots at the sides.There is an index combination above the date in tall upright 3mm units, the figure being heavily seriffed. Six identical daters of this type were issued distinguished by the fixed figures 1 - 6, the index letters ranging from A - Z. These stamps are, found in either black or blue
Kingston Type SLB5	9400.78			Type SLB5 is very similar in format to SLB4, but with an overall diameter of 271Ž2 mm and with 1 mm between the circles. The lettering is 21Ž2 mm high, tall and slender, but the date units and index combinations are exactly as in Type SLB4. There are, however, dots at either side.In all probability a set of these daters was issued, but only one has been recorded, struck in black. The illustration M18 in 'Nicholson' is incorrect, and should be disregarded
Kingston Type SLB6	9400.79			The next dater closely resembles SLB4 with the same diameter and distance between the circles. The lettering is similar to that of SLB5 but is narrower and closer together, with a period after the word "BOX" but without the dots at the sides. A single central index letter above the date ranges from A-Z,, but this and the date are in smaller squarer type 21Ž2mm high Probably only one stamp of this type existed, and it is known, only in black
Montego Bay Type I	5620.16	16.11.1914	21.7.1915	Temp. Rubber Handstamp. Type - C2/27. Reads: "MONTEGO BAY / STREET LETTER BOX" with "14" of date in lower centre. In black after May 1915.
Montego Bay Type II	5620.17	17.9.1915	15.11.1954	Temp. Rubber Handstamp- C2/28. As 5620.16 but with lettering reversed. "STREET LETTER BOX" at top and "MONTEGO BAY" at bottom. Year digits in lower centre changed to "15".
Montego Bay Type III	5620.18	17.9.1915	15.11.1954	Double Ring Datestamp - with dots. Reads:. "STREET LETTER BOX / MONTEGO BAY" with dots either side.
Port Antonio Type I	6790.16	1.7.1911	18.5.1912	Temp. Rubber Handstamp. Type - R1/26. Reads: "Street Letter Box / .................. 1911 / Port Antonio, Ja." in three lines (xx.7.1911).
Port Antonio Type II	6790.17	27.8.1913	5.9.1927	Double Ring Datestamp. Reads: "STREET LETTER BOX. PORT ANTONIO / JAMAICA".
Port Antonio Type III	6790.19	14.9.1927	13.11.1967	Double Ring Datestamp. Reads: "STREET LETTER BOX - PORT ANTONIO / JAMAICA" as 6790.17 but with a hyphen between words rather than a full stop. Also has heavier lettering.