Estonian Post Offices and Cancellations 1991 to Date

Estonian Post Offices and Cancellations 1991 to Date Outline of types
List of Post Offices and Cancellations since 1991 Click on the link to go directly to the actual list of post offices, but please be patient - the list is long
Provisional Date Cancellers
When Estonia became independent new cancellers that did not show Estonia as a USSR republic were needed. They were produced by re-engraving the standard Soviet types, as can be seen on top of the page. The layout had the place name in Estonian only on top and Eesti at the bottom. In a government resolution it was ordered that all Soviet insignia should be removed from official documents by November 1st, 1991. This also applied to cancellers. As time did not allow for a proper re-engraving of all of them, some post offices took it upon themselves to produce make shift cancellers, rather than placing the Soviet insignia on mail in independent Estonia. This was accomplished by removing the letters CCCP, CCP, the star emblem and also in some cases all other cyrillic lettering from the hither-to bi-lingual cancellers. The re-engravings show many variations. Common for all is that they do not exhibit the country name EESTI and that nothing has been added, only items removed. Most provisional cancellers were out of use by February 1992, but some lasted much longer. To the right the Haabneeme litera a canceller before and after conversion Some of the date stamps of the official re-engraved type described below, were clearly not made in a standardized manner either, but all had the country name EESTI in latin letters added. It should also be noted that completely unaltered Soviet cancellers were in use for some weeks after November 1st. In other former Soviet republics the use of unaltered cancellers is quite common and a vintage Soviet design was noted on a cover from Kazakhstan even in the new millenium. To the left the Keila machine canceller before and after conversion. It was in use as late as January 16th, 1998.
Date Cancellers Today
Eesti True to the tradition of the first republic, nearly all cancellers in Estonia have the country name EESTI at the bottom and the Post Office name at the top. Beginning in 2000, cancellers for new branch offices in Tallinn and Pärnu have been issued however, that show the branch name at the bottom, omitting the country name. The Start: Re-engraved Soviet Hand Cancellers «Big Circle» The «Big Circle» cancellers are re-engravings of standard Soviet types that were already in use. The normal size is 30 mm. The illustration on the left shows the main USSR post-war types starting with the oldest. All specimens are from Kehra. Below are the same types in re-engraved shape. The oldest one to the left is quite uncommon. These are all "clean" products where no parts of the old canceller remain visible. Those not showing the country name EESTI are considered provisionals. The re-engraved cancellers should have been returned to Eesti Post when the new small circle types had been distributed, but many still remain in use at local post offices.
Variations of the «Big Circle» Some crude re-engravings exist and the litera in cyrillic italic lettering below the lower horizontal line has not always been removed as in the Rakvere canceller shown on the left and the upper-most parts of the original lettering also remain. The standard Soviet hand canceller sometimes came in a smaller size and also in an "extra large" size, necessitated by a very long place name. The smaller type was the basis for the Kernu cancel shown on the right, along with only a handful of others. No extra large size canceller has been re-engraved to my knowledge, but there are some provisionals from Kohtla-Järve and Tallinn peapostkontor.
New Estonia Hand Cancellers «Small Circle» Dots This is the hand stamp type introduced by Eesti Post. It is smaller than the Soviet type and normally measures 23 mm, but sometimes 25 mm. It is very neat in appearence. The Luua canceller is shown here. There are at least two typefaces used for the literas - usually a sans-serif like the rest of the lettering, but also a serif type, like the Luua canceller here. Before and after the placename are dots. Asterisks and stars The Veriora cancel shown on the left is an experimental type with smaller, narrower typeface and asterisks replacing the usual dots before and after the place name. It is also known from Loksa. Beginning in the new millenium all cancellers issued seem to have the dots replaced by five-pointed stars, but otherwise they retain the original typeface. As the sub-post offices in Tallinn, Tartu and Pärnu are re-named from their former numbered status to an actual name, i.e. Tartu 2 becoming Tartu Kastani as shown on the right, the location name is found at the bottom and consequently Eesti is omitted
Roller Canceller A roller canceller used by Tallinn PK has been observed in 2001
Re-engraved Soviet Machine Cancellers «Old Machine Types» These are re-engravings of the machine cancellers used during the Soviet period. The circular stamp is 25 mm and the text can face both left and right. All have three wavy lines. Literas only exist at Tallinn PTK. There are two distinct types: Type A which has horizontal lines above and below the date Type B which lacks horizontal lines In the listing, the letters l and r after main type indicates if the text is facing left or right and an * that date or text has been inverted at some time.
New Machine Cancellers «New Machine Type I» These postmarks are bigger than the old type - the circular stamp measuring 28 mm - and the text is always upright. They have been issued to maakond post offices.
New Machine Cancellers «New Machine Type II» From 1998 maakond post offices have put into use three new types of machine cancellers. They all have wavy lines to the left of the circular date stamp. Stamp collectors requested this and Eesti Post kindly obliged. Now a postage stamp placed in the normal upper right hand corner of a letter, will be cancelled with the date and place visible on the stamp, rather than just the lines. The wavy lines are sometimes substituted for illustrated Christmas greetings and various slogans
Type IIA Small circular stamp 23 mm in diameter. Five wavy lines. This type has been observed in use by the maakond post offices
Type IIB Large circular stamp 28 mm in diameter. Five wavy lines. This type has only been observed in use by Tallinn and Tartu post offices.
Type IIC Large circular stamp 27 mm in diameter. Four closely set wavy lines. It has been observed in use by Kuressaare post office
Odd types Some illustrated cancellers are used for ordinary mail as this one from Viitna. A crude rubber hand stamp has appeared in Tallinn in 2000 with two different types of date.
Please click on the link to go to the actual list of post offices and be patient - the list is long Post Offices and Cancellations since 1991 ->>
All cancellers to show AS Eesti Post from 2002 All cancellers will be replaced starting 2002. According to reports on the Filateelia List all present cancellers will be withdrawn and new ones will be put in use, where AS Eesti Post is shown in date-canceler. The first one is reported to have been placed in use in Kolga, Harjumaa, on August 30, 2002 AS Eesti Post Cancellations 2002 -
First published in 1998 by Bert Hoflund * and updated continously