The Orb Postmarks of Canada
The orb postmarks are distinctive two- or three-ring circular date stamps that were introduced in Canada in the 1890s and used into the mid twentieth century. They are often thought of as related to the squared circles.
The PHSC orb database has been developed starting with the groundbreaking work of Jim Miller. Some editing of his classification scheme was necessary. The database has been updated continuously, and we welcome any interesting reports.
Click on a postmark image to see full information about that item.
Ottawa Orbs
| 3-O1 | 3-O2 | 3-O3 | 3-O4 | 3-O5 | 3-O6 |  |  |  |  |  |  | PRF:
ERD: 1905-12-18
LRD: 1910-12-20
5  | PRF: 1907-12-20
ERD: 1907-12-20
LRD: 1918-12-31
1 | PRF: 1910-04-29
ERD: 1910-05-02
LRD: 1915-03-28
1 | PRF: 1912-04-02
ERD: 1913-12-29
LRD: 1918-09-13
1 | PRF: 1915-03-13
ERD: 1915-04-15
LRD: 1919-08-03
1 | PRF: 1917-12-06
ERD: 1918-04-23
LRD: 1922-06-02
4 | 3-O7 | 3-O8 | 2-O1 | 3-O9 | 3-O10 | 3-O11 |  |  |  |  |  |  | PRF: 1919-08-29
ERD: 1919-10-27
LRD: 1928-08-24
4 | PRF: 1919-10-16
ERD: 1920-01-01
LRD: 1925-01-08
0 | PRF: 1923-12-15
ERD: 1924-03-27
LRD: 1930-12-13
5 | PRF: 1928-10-06
ERD: 1928-10-08
LRD: 1933-09-25
0 | PRF: 1930-06-02
ERD: 1930-06-09
LRD: 1932-01-27
0 | PRF: 1930-06-03
ERD: 1931-02-26
LRD: 1939-03-03
0 | 2-DLO1 | 2-DLO2 |  |  | PRF: 1913-03-10
ERD: 1913-08-13
LRD: 1919-04-12
1 | PRF:
ERD: 1913-10-22
LRD: 1918-05-15
2 |
Toronto Orbs
| 2-T1 | 3-T1 | 2-T2 | 3-T2 | 3-T3 | 3-T4 |  |  |  |  |  |  | PRF: 1891-02-19
ERD: 1891-03-05
LRD: 1897-07-22
3 | PRF: 1891-02-19
ERD: 1891-02-21
LRD: 1893-05-11
2 | PRF: 1892-07-26
ERD: 1892-07-29
LRD: 1901-04-03
0 | PRF: 1893-05-05
ERD: 1893-05-06
LRD: 1895-08-08
0 | PRF:
ERD: 1895-01-02
LRD: 1896-08-01
0 | PRF:
ERD: 1896-10-07
LRD: 1899-10-30
0 | 3-T5 | 2-T3 | 3-TA1 | 3-TB1 | 3-TC1 | 3-TC2 |  |  |  |  |  |  | PRF:
ERD: 1899-12-22
LRD: 1901-10-20
0 | PRF:
ERD: 1902-01-13
LRD: 1903-09-19
1 | PRF:
ERD: 1905-10-21
LRD: 1917-04-03
2 | PRF:
ERD: 1900-11-02
LRD: 1908-06-25
5 | PRF:
ERD: 1903-06-24
LRD: 1908-12-12
3 | PRF:
ERD: 1904-10-24
LRD: 1937-05-11
7 | 3-TC3 | 3-TC4 | 3-TC5 | 3-TC6 | 3-TC7 | 3-TE1 |  |  |  |  |  |  | PRF:
ERD: 1905-12-29
LRD: 1906-09-06
0 | PRF:
ERD: 1906-09-07
LRD: 1910-06-07
0 | PRF: 1909-02-17
ERD: 1909-02-20
LRD: 1912-01-29
0 | PRF: 1912-06-22
ERD: 1912-06-27
LRD: 1919-09-13
0 | PRF: 1919-12-20
ERD: 1920-05-03
LRD: 1936-09-05
0 | PRF: 1911-05-03
ERD: 1908-08-30
LRD: 1915-04-24
0 | 2-TF1 | 2-TF4 | 2-TF5 |  |  |  | PRF:
ERD: 1907-07-15
LRD: 1915-10-07
4 | PRF: 1909-12-06
ERD: 1909-12-22
LRD: 1915-02-28
0 | PRF: 1915-02-26
ERD: 1915-05-17
LRD: 1929-02-26
0 |
Montreal Orbs
| 3-MB1 | 3-MC1 |  |  | PRF:
ERD: 1905-02-28
LRD: 1911-05-22
4 | PRF:
ERD: 1908-08-26
LRD: 1910-11-19
5 |
Winnipeg Orbs
| 3-W1 | 3-W2 | 3-W4 | 3-W5 | 3-W6 | 3-W7 |  |  |  |  |  |  | PRF: 1909-03-16
ERD: 1909-06-07
LRD: 1921-03-07
0 | PRF: 1911-04-26
ERD: 1911-11-15
LRD: 1920-02-11
0 | PRF: 1913-06-26
ERD: 1913-11-24
LRD: 1928-12-10
0 | PRF:
ERD: 1920-10-27
LRD:
0 | PRF: 1921-04-26
ERD: 1921-06-04
LRD: 1925-10-22
0 | PRF: 1924-03-29
ERD: 1928-05-03
LRD: 1928-12-10
0 | 3-W8 | 3-W9 | 3-W10 | 3-W12 | 3-W13 | 3-W14 |  |  |  |  |  |  | PRF: 1925-11-02
ERD: 1927-04-12
LRD: 1967-04-28
0 | PRF:
ERD: 1926-09-09
LRD: 1967-02-08
0 | PRF: 1928-05-12
ERD: 1929-08-20
LRD: 1932-12-01
0 | PRF:
ERD:
LRD: 1954-08-04
0 | PRF: 1934-01-09
ERD: 1935-05-04
LRD: 1939-05-30
0 | PRF: 1939-06-16
ERD: 1939-07-27
LRD: 1972-05-28
0 |
London Orbs
| 3-L1 | 3-L2 |  |  | PRF:
ERD: 1896-07-11
LRD:
9 | PRF: 1921-04-19
ERD: 1922-03-31
LRD:
1 |
Hamilton Orbs
| 3-H1 |  | PRF:
ERD: 1896-04-13
LRD:
3 |
St. John's Orbs
| 2-SJ1 |  | PRF: 1943-10-30
ERD: 1944-04-04
LRD: 1976-05-12
0 |
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