Postmarks

A postmark is an official mark applied by, or on behalf of, a postal services provider to an item or items of mail.They are most commonly used to cancel postage stamps affixed to items of mail; principally to ensure that the stamps are not re-used.

Postmarks are also applied to items of mail that do not bear any stamps at all but instead have postage printed on them to show that the appropriate rate of postage has been paid. Items such as this are known collectively as 'preprinted postal stationery'.

Postmarks are also referred to as 'cancels', 'cancellations', 'handstamps' or 'obliterations'. They always include a date and corresponding post town to give an indication of when and where a particular item of mail was posted or sorted.

Postmarks are only applied to genuine items of mail. This means that any item submitted for postmarking should conform in all respects with postal service conditions: it should be addressed and bear at least an amount of postage appropriate to the postal service being provided.