Errington & Martin, Stamp Importers: the 1898 Revenues Edition!
The battleship revenue stamp above appears to have a fuzzy and illegible handstamp cancel that renders the stamp barely interesting as a collectible item. However, further inspection changes everything. Turn the stamp over, and a clear and intriguing "cancel" appears:
ERRINGTON & MARTIN
STAMP
IMPORTERS,
SOUTH
HACKNEY
- N.E.-
Just a glance makes it clear that this is not a cancel but a backstamp applied by a stamp dealer, likely located in the United Kingdom. The stamp is nothing pretty, but the backstamp makes an interesting and collectible philatelic item.
London-based Edgar Frank Errington and Benjamin Ernest Marten were late 19th and early 20th century British stamp dealers who specialized in importing foreign stamps. Their business as a partnership lasted until 1919, when Benjamin Martin took over all operations.
The firm backstamped stamps from all over the world, and there are many examples still in existence. For example, this 2 cent Columbian, which shows they published stamp albums in addition to importing the stamps to fill them:
STAMP ALBUMS
AT ALL PRICES
ILLUSTRATED LIST
POST FREE & GRATIS
ERRINGTON & MARTIN
LONDON, N. E.
A 2009 Stampboards thread has a very interesting discussion on this subject and many more examples of Errington and Martin backstamps.
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