Purpose of Overprint: In the early 1880s, the British government was concerned that the public was washing off cancels to reuse stamps. To combat this, they switched to "fugitive" inks that would dissolve or fade if tampered with.

Cancel DetailsType: The cancels are Circular Date Stamps (CDS).Location: The cancel on the right clearly shows "CHIPPENHAM" (a town in Wiltshire, England).Date: The right stamp is dated "DE 31" (December 31) and appears to show the year "83" at the bottom, placing its use on New Year's Eve in 1883.Plate Number: These stamps were printed from Plate 21, which can be seen in the small circles on the left and right sides of each stamp's central design

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