BROSELEY - CARMINE CROSS ON LOCAL COVER - 23 July 1840 EL to Shrewsbury with four margin 1d black, PG plate 4, tied by a light but largely solid MX in carmine and with very fine BROSELEY udc at upper left. Very attractive. Cross Reference: SHROPSHIRE, 1841 1d REDS (Image)

DUMFRIES - VERY SCARCE DISTINCTIVE CROSS INC. IN JUNE 1844 - Aug. 1843 E to Castledouglas and 7 June 1844 E (filing crease inc. through stamp) to Kirkcudbright each franked with a four margin 1d red tied by typically debris-laden distinctive MX strikes. Both recorded in Rockoff & Jackson. Listed but unpriced by SG. (2) Cross Reference: DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY, EDINBURGH, 1840s CANCELLATIONS (Image)

LONDON - 1840 MISSORTED 1d BLACK COVER WITH EXPERIMENTAL LONDON BLACK CROSS - 20 Nov. 1840 mourning EL (repaired tear) to Devizes franked with fine four margin 1d black, FH plate 6, plus faint "T.P/Tottenham Ct Rd" in red. London datestamps (2) on the back inc. for the District Office proving a missort of this letter before being correctly directed to the Inland Branch; very scarce thus, only a handful known. Cross Reference: LONDON POSTAL HISTORY, 1840s CANCELLATIONS, 1840 1d BLACKS, MOURNING COVERS (Image)

MANCHESTER - FISHTAIL CROSS ON 1d BLACK COVER - 22 May 1841 E to London franked with 1d black QI plate 2, three good margins and just shaved along the top, tied by a good strike of this distinctive cross. A relatively late date for this cross; SG £4500. Cross Reference: 1840 1d BLACKS, LANCASHIRE - MANCHESTER (Image)

MANCHESTER - COMMON CROSS GROUP OF COVERS - July and Dec. 1840 E/EL both to Bolton franked with four margin 1d blacks each tied by double MX strikes in different deep shades of red. Plus 13/17 May and 11 June 1841 trio of covers all with 1d red cancelled by black MXs from early in the second period of common cross use, and Sep./Oct. pair of Es similarly cancelled, later in the period. (7) Cross Reference: 1841 1d REDS, LANCASHIRE - MANCHESTER, 1840 1d BLACKS (Image)

PERTH - DISTINCTIVE CROSS COVERS - Dec. 1842 EL to Edinburgh franked with 1d red plate 26 with four margins (recorded in Rockoff & Jackson) and neat Aug. 1843 1d pink env. to Halifax both cancelled with fine strikes of this distinctive cross. Attractive pair; SG £1000 for the 1d red cover. (2) Cross Reference: PERTHSHIRE, 1840s CANCELLATIONS, POSTAL STATIONERY, Q.V. (Image)

PRESTON - EXTRA CROSS ON 1d BLACK COVER - July 1840 E to Manchester franked with fine four margin 1d black, QA (double Q) plate 1a, tied by red MX and with an extra strike alongside; PRESTON cds (2) on the back. Cross Reference: 1840s CANCELLATIONS, LANCASHIRE, LANCASHIRE - MANCHESTER (Image)

SHEFFIELD/CHAPELTOWN - COMBINATION 700 NUMERAL WITH LATE USE OF THE MALTESE CROSS - off-cover CH plate 78 (at press during 1848) with four good margins and cancelled with MX at Chapeltown sub-office prior to additional application of the Sheffield 700 numeral. A known and scarce combination.Cross Reference: YORKSHIRE, 1840s CANCELLATIONS (Image)

ST ANDREWS - FINE DOUBLE CROSS CANCEL ON 1d BLACK COVER - Dec. 1840 E to Edinburgh franked with four margin 1d black, EE plate 2, and tied by two fine crisp red MX cancels; ST ANDREWS and Edinburgh cds on the back. Cross Reference: 1840 1d BLACKS, FIFE, 1840s CANCELLATIONS (Image)

SPILSBY - THE ONLY KNOWN 1840 2d BLUE COVER WITH EXTRA CROSS - 7 Jan. 1841 env. (overall toning & faults, inc. small pinholes two of which are through the stamp) to Rochdale franked with 1840 2d blue AD plate 1, almost four margins just shaved at upper right (corner crease), and tied by a double strike of the MX in red with the extra MX strike placed at lower left of the env. and SPILSBY cds (2) on the back. This is the only 1840 2d cover noted in Rockoff & Jackson. Rare. Cross Reference: 1840s CANCELLATIONS, 1840 2d BLUES, LANCASHIRE, LINCOLNSHIRE (Image)

SPILSBY - EXTRA CROSS ON COVER TO CARLISLE - 14 Aug. 1841 to Carlisle franked with four margin 1d red, CE plate 8, and cancelled by MX, not tied but belongs, and with the extra cross alongside, the scarce and unusual "BURGH LINCSHIRE" udc plus CARLISLE cds on the front and SPILSBY on the back. Very attractive; ex 1994 Nigel Howard sale. Cross Reference: 1841 1d REDS (Image)

SPILSBY - RARE COVER WITH TWO EXTRA CROSSES - 18 Jan. 1842 part E (repaired split, slightly reduced) used locally to Louth with four margin 1d red, KJ plate 8, cancelled with a fine MX and with extra MX strikes both alongside and at lower left (it is possible the stamp either was moved when the cover was reduced, or has been replaced); SPILSBY cds (2) on the back one of which has had the day crossed through. Rare; Rockoff & Jackson record just one other cover with two extra crosses. Cross Reference: 1840s CANCELLATIONS, LINCOLNSHIRE (Image)

STIRLING - DISTINCTIVE CROSS LAST MONTH OF USE - 4 June 1844 env. to London with four close to good margin 1d red tied by a fine strike of this distinctive MX, in the last month prior to numeral cancel introduction; STIRLING and London ds on the back. SG £550. Cross Reference: STIRLINGSHIRE, 1840s CANCELLATIONS (Image)

WHITEHAVEN - RARE LATE USE OF THE DISTINCTIVE CROSS ON PERFORATED 1d REDS - 1854 1d red C1 (faults along the base, mostly noticeable on the back) and 1857 1d rose red C10 (trimmed perfs at left), both cancelled with this rare distinctive MX that can be proved to have been handed down to the nearby Egremont office. (2)Cross Reference: 1840s CANCELLATIONS, CUMBERLAND (Image)

WHITEHAVEN - VERY RARE USE OF THE DISTINCTIVE CROSS ON 1841 2d BLUE - attractive three margin off-cover example, TA plate 3, cancelled with large part plus small part strikes of this rare distinctive MX, that Rockoff & Jackson does not record on this stamp (one example only on the 1840 2d). Not listed by SG on this stamp (£2200 on off-cover 1841 1d red); very rare.Cross Reference: 1840s CANCELLATIONS, CUMBERLAND (Image)