When did SF start using numbers

[dannmayo]

San Francisco was allocated examiner numbers 1461-1740 by General Order 4 on 19 December 1941, This allocation was continued in General Orders 24 and 56 on, 2 February and 1 May 1942, respectively.

In looking at early censored covers from SF, I have seen several with B&M C 1,1,3 used without numbers, with dates of arrival in SF ranging from late December to late January:





Right now my early number use dates from (probably mid-) March:



Would you please check your SF covers and let me know what dates you have that would close this gap.

Thanks,

Dann

[dmui]

Dann- The earliest I have located so far is a surface cover from Nicaragua cancelled Feb 1942 in Managua to SF address censor # 1519 inside a C1.1.3 handstand. I am sure I have others but they are in different subgrouping that I will have to dig out. I will report further as I locate them.

Dave

[dmui]

Here is an earlier item-
A surface mail cover from KY to Honolulu posted December 31, 1941 with C1.1.3 marking and censor number 1576 added.



Dann's assessment of this cover is that it seems that "some of the censors in SF were putting numbers in their handstamps not later than the first week in January. (12/31 in KY, allowing a couple of days in transit to SF puts it in the censor's hands over the weekend, Jan 3-4." Dann also notes that regulations required processing within 24 hours of receipt but there could have been a backlog of mail to Honolulu and airmail letters would have been processed first that could have delayed the processing of surface mail.

[jmgarcar]

i´ve checked all my SF censored covers (six with no number, two with number). The earliest I have (with no censor number) is dated Nov.20th, 1941 in Rio de Janeiro to Los Angeles. It was censored twice with San Francisco C 1.1.3 and Los Angeles C 1.3 marks.

1941 Rio to LA Calif.jpg

With number added, the earliest I have is a cover from New Jersey to Honolulu dated Mar 30th, 1942.

Best regards.

Jose M.

[dmui]

Dann- here is another SF number in a C1.1.3. post card mailed from Bay City MI December 30 addressed to Manila marked return to sender service suspended with SF examiner number 1489 inside the circles. The mailing date is a day earlier than my previous shown cover

Dec30wC1.1.3_000.jpg

Dec30wC1.1.3_001.jpg