GB QV SG54 1/- Pale green with 4 good clear mArgins and liverpool (466) registered spoon cancel (RA71). SG Cat £1000

Stamp still on original Lamonby & Allen dealer card. Before you ask me, the (RA71) is a reference number from 'English and Welsh Spoon Cancels 1853–70' by Richard Arundel. As a matter of interest, experimental spoon cancels were used as a method of more quickly processing mail, where one cancel would include both a date cancel and an obliterator instead of the use of 2 separate cancels doubling the speed of cancelling. The obliterator barred numeral to cancel the stamp and the date stamp to appear on the cover, obviously the date would appear to the left of the obliterator as stamps are usually placed at the top right hand corner of the item.