Period

• April 1, 1864 till about 1866 for the main postoffices

• April 1, 1864 till about 1890 for the sub-postoffices (after 1879 not all of them). (Situation prior to April 1, 1864 is described by W.S Wolff de Beer in his publication)

Color

Black: main postoffices. The sub-postoffices officially only black, but red, violet, blue, and Grenoble are quite common, after 1880 mainly black (however, a blue cancel is known on a 5 cent cypher stamp with numeral cancel 4 of Batavia. It is already unusual that it exist at all with a franco cancel, because this stamp wasn’t sold until 1890)

Use

The main postoffices till the half round cancels replaced them mid 1866. Their function was to obliterate the stamps, and in such a way that at least half of the cancel covered the stamp. The red round date cancel had to be placed next to the stamp. In exceptional cases used later than 1866, at some postoffices on franco letters without stamps. The sub-postoffices until 1890.

General regulation of 1864, article 72:

‘The stamps on letters, destined for a postoffice, or sent there for further expediting, will not be handled by the assistant-clerks. They will be forwarded to the postoffice in question, in the same condition they were lifted from the mailboxes, apart from the regular cancellation on the back with the name of the sub-postoffice.

Exception:

‘For exchange of letters between two sub-postoffices that  are located close to each other.

So for exchange of letters between two sub-postoffices  as described here the franco cancel was placed on the letter.

With the introduction of the halfround-franco date cancel for postoffice in 1866, art. 72 was not longer valid for the sub-postoffices and the sub-postoffices did put the francocancel on the stamps, prior to the letters  being sent  on to the postoffice. At the postoffice for these letters the date cancel (in 1874 this became the numeral cancel) was placed on ton of the franco cancel.

From 1879 till about 1890 franco cancels were not issued to all new sub-postoffices. In this  period the stamps were canceled  with the franco as well as the name  (straight) cancel.

Postcard from Soekaboemi where  the name and FRANCO cancel  was applied, via Tjiandoer that applied the numeral cancel# 41 and the date cancel 27/1/1876. Arrival cancel Batavia 29/1/1876.

1. on 7  Soerakarta
2. on 12 Bandoeng
3. on 18 Rembang
4. on 20 Banjoemas
5. on 22 Poerworedjo
6. on 22 Poerworedjo
7. on 29 Kediri
8. on 31 Bandjermasin
9. on 31 Bandjermasin
10. pair on 36 Pontianak
11. on 38 Anjer
12. on 41 Tjiandjoer
13. on 55 Fort de Kock
14. on 29 Kediri (collectionLeo Koning)
15. on 51 Modjokerto (collectionJappie Braaksma)
16. on 42 Sumedang with Na Posttijd (collection Jappie Braaksma)
17. on 86 Padangpandjang (collection Jappie Braaksma)
18. on 3 Soerabaija in red (collection Ab Stolk)
19. on cutout with 68 Padangpandjang in blue (collection Ab Stolk)
20. on 2 Semarang in red (collection Allan Westphal)
21. on 24 Madioen (collection Allan Westphal)
22. on 42 Sumedang (collection Allan Westphal)
23. on 8 Buitenzorg (collection (Allan Westphal)
24. on 37 Serang
25. on 98 Temanggoeng
26. on 4 Batavia in blue (collection Jappie Braaksma)
27. on 20 Banjoemas in red without frame (collection Jappie Braaksma)
28. on 20 Banjoemas (collection Leo Koning)
29. on 9 Makassar in red
30. on 14 Pekalongan (collection Peter Heim)
31. on 26 Probolingo (collection Wim Sengers)
32. on 68 Padang Pandang in blue (collection Wim Sengers)
33. on 28 Banjoewangie in red (collection Wim Sengers)