Hong Kong PAID Circular datstamps

Webb (1) recorded and illustrated two similar single-ring circular datestamps measuring 20 mm with HONG KONG at top and PAID at bottom which he called type 14 and 14a. The distinguishing features of the datestamps are:-

Type 14 20 mm, index C 4.5 mm below the rim and distance between top left of "P" and "D" 6.75 mm, 1st and 2nd "O" 2 mm wide and "H" of HONG is horizontal. The "H" is almost in line with the "G".

Type 14a  20 mm, index C 3.5 mm below the rim (High Index letter) and distance between top left of "P" and "D" 7.5 mm 1st "O" 2 mm wide and 2nd "O" 1.5 mm wide and the "H" of HONG is slanting upwards.

Type 14   Type 14a

Webb commented that "This is another marking of which no strike appears in the G.P.O. records...." however, this is not true since two strikes dated FE 25 59 are found on a seperate page among other colonial datestamps. The two strikes are shown below:-

By careful comparison, the two strikes are actually identical, one wonders whether the G.P.O. London clerk made an error picking up the same cancel twice. The strike on the Proof Book appears to be the same as type 14a; the index letter was changed to C before it was taken into use.

Examples of type 14 and 14a on covers are plentiful. However, recently, a member has discovered what appears to be a new sub-type. The salient features of this "New Find" are:-

19.75 mm, index C 5 mm below the rim (Low Index letter) and distance between top left of "P" and "D" 6.75 mm, 1st "O" 2 mm wide and 2nd "O" 2 mm wide and the "H" of HONG is slanting upwards and above the plane of a horizontal line drawn between "H" of HONG and "G" of KONG 

To our knowledge, this sub-type is not on the existing G.P.O. record* and to date, four covers bearing this "new" sub-type have been recorded:-

1. 23 October 1860 letter from Hong Kong to Shanghai per P&O Formosa

2. 20 April 1861 letter from Hong Kong to Foochow per Manila

3. 11 Oct. 1862 letter from Canton to Hong Kong (HK PAID 31 OC 62) to Philadelphia carried on the P&O Colombo, also bearing the cachet 'Saved from the Wreck of the Colombo'. Sun Philatelic 15 Dec. 79 sale lot 422

4. 31 March 1863 letter from Hong Kong to Limbach, Saxony via Trieste

We propose to call this sub-type 14b and we believe that other examples will turn up in near future. Please let us know if you have any in your collection.

*The G.P.O. record in London is not complete, there are many colonial strikes missing from the existing pages.

References:-

(1) Webb - F. W. Webb, The Philatelic and Postal History of Hong Kong and the Treaty Ports of China and Japan published in 1961 by RPSL

(2) Proud - E. B. Proud, 2nd edition, The Postal History of the British Colonies, Hong Kong published by Proud Bailey Co. Ltd.