First Scout Postal Cancels by Country

The following spreadsheet of first Scout postal cancels by country is designed to provide an authoritative reference and checklist for topical collectors seeking these items.  The comment "non-Scout" describes a cancellation that does not mention Scouting, nor has any Scouting illustrations but may be tied to a Scout stamp or on a Scout-related cachet.  Examples of this include many first day covers "FDCs" for Scout stamp issues or events.  A "machine cancel" is the same as a slogan cancel, and should not be confused with meter stamps.  During war or crisis periods, some Scout Local Posts operated with Field Post Offices or as substitute postal administrations.


Checkmark

Country

Date

Design

Comments
  Abkhazia none   non-Scout FDCs
  Aden none    
  Afghanistan none   non-Scout FDCs
  Aitutaki none   non-Scout FDCs
  Ajman none   non-Scout FDCs
  Algeria 14-Apr-1930 Camp National de Scoutisme, Alger National Scout Camp
  Anguilla none   non-Scout FDCs
  Antigua none   non-Scout FDCs
  Antigua & Barbuda none   non-Scout FDCs
  Argentina 12-Jan-1961 Oficina Postal Movil No. 1 - Buenos Aires 1st International Patrol Camp
  Armenia 27-Jul-1995 5. Pan-Armenian jamboree in Armenian(?)
  Aruba none   non-Scout FDCs
  Ascension none   non-Scout FDCs
  Australia 24-Dec-1934 Aust. Jamboree Frankston Vic. 3 types exist.
  Austria 17-Jul-1936 Jubiläumslager des Österr. Pfadfinderkorps "St. Georg", Laxenburg Jubilee camp of the Austrian Scout Association "St. George"
  Bahamas 22-Feb-1985 Girl Guides 75th Anniversary FDC. The 1967, 1970 and 1977 FDCs are non-Scout
  Bahrain none   non-scout FDCs
  Bangladesh 22-Jan-1973 Scout Post, Pulareat Camp Scout Local Post cancels with FPO during war of independence, April-December 1971
  Barbados 24-Jul-1987 Barbados with Scout badge FDC. The 1962-1982 FDCs are non-Scout
  Barbuda none   non-scout FDCs
  Belgium 4-Aug-1930   1916 Interscout - Liege - Luik - 1930 PFADINDERABTEILUNGNot a Belgian Postal Service Transit camp for Scouts visiting the international exhibition. German Scouts operating in occupied Belgium at FPO
  Belize 1978 40th anniversary of Guiding in Belize Machine cancel
  Benin 16-Aug-1976 Jamboree Africain FDC. See also Dahomey
  Bermuda none   non-Scout FDCs
  Bhutan 28-Mar-1967 Boy Scouts of Bhutan FDC
  Bolivia 28-Apr-1976 Scouts 60 Anniversario FDC. 1970 FDC is non-scout
  Bophuthatswana 29-Jan-1982 Boy Scouts 75 Years, Mafikeng FDC
  Botswana none   non-Scout FDCs
  Brazil 12-Oct-1941 1o. Semana do Transito, Ceara 1st Transport Week
  British Antarctic none    
  British Virgin Islands 18-Nov-1982 The Year of the Scout 1907-1982 FDC
  Brunei 14-Dec-1985 Scout badge FDC. The 17-Oct-85 International Youth Year FDC is non-Scout
  Bulgaria 2-Aug-1998 "Drastar 98", International Camp of Bulgarian and Rumanian Scouts In Bulgarian. 1942 FDC is non-Scout.
  Burkina Faso none   non-Scout FDCs. Formerly Upper Volta
  Burma 1-Nov-1960 Second Far East Regional Scout Conference  
  Burundi none   non-scout FDCs
  Cameroun 5-Oct-1981 Conference Africaine du Scoutisme FDC. The 1973 FDC is non-Scout
  Canada 20-Oct-1937 Buy an apple October 30th to help the boys Machine cancel
  Canal Zone none   non-Scout FDCs
  Cape of Good Hope none   Mafeking Siege 1900 local issues for Cadet Corps and Baden Powell
  Cayman Islands 24-Aug-1982 Cayman Islands FDC with Scout Year logo
  Central African Republic 27-Sep-1965 Scoutisme FDC
  Ceylon 1952 Jamboree Camp P.O., Ceylon See also Sri Lanka
  Chad 17-Oct-1967 Jamboree Mondial 1967 FDC
  Chile 21-May-1982 Santiago with Scout salute FDC. The 1971 FDC is non-Scout.
  China (Mainland) 12-Nov-1933 5th Municipal Scout Rally and Jamboree - 642nd Scout Troop In Chinese
  China (Taiwan) ??-Aug-1956 Golden Scout Meeting at the Sun-Moon Sea In Chinese
  Ciskei 3-May-1985 Girl Guides FDC
  Cocos Islands 21-Jul-1982 Cocos Keeling Islands - Indian Ocean with Scout badge FDC
  Columbia 26-Jul-1962 Consejo Interamericano de Escultismo FDC. A spelling error "Concejo" exists.
  Comoro Islands none   non-Scout FDCs
  Congo 29-Sep-1967 Jamboree Mondial 1967 FDC
  Cook Islands none   non-Scout FDCs
  Costa Rica 15-Mar-1968 Scout badge FDC. A free postage cachet with a Scout badge in 1959
  Croatia 10-Aug-1994 80th Anniversary of Scouting in Koprivnica and in Croatia In Croatian.
  Cuba 27-Dec-1954 Campamento Nacional FDC. Free postage cachets with a Scout badge seen from 1950.
  Cyprus 21-Aug-1963 Cyprus with Scout badge FDC
  Cyprus (Turkish) 15-Dec-1982 Izciligin Kurulusunun 75. Yli FDC
  Czechoslovakia 28-Oct-1918 Posta Skautu, Praha 1918 Scout Post, cancels used by the Scout Mail Delivery Service
  Czech Republic 6-Nov-1993 75 Vyroci Posty Ceskych Skauto, Praha 75th anniversary of the Czech Scouts' Mail Delivery Service
  Dahomey 17-Oct-1966 Scoutisme FDC. See also Benin
  Denmark 13-Jul-1930 Middelfart Fænø KFUM-Spejderne National camp for YMCA Scouts
  Djibouti 16-Jul-1981 Scoutisme FDC
  Dominica none   non-Scout FDCs
  Dominican Republic 7-Dec-1973 Scout badge FDC. The 1957 FDC is non-Scout
  Dubai 20-Jan-1964 Dubai 11th jamboree FDC
  Ecuador 1-Feb-1994 Scouts with Scout badge FDC
  Egypt 25-Jul-1956 2nd Arab Jamboree FDC in Arabic
  El Salvador 25-Jul-1968 Emision Scout FDC. Free postage cachets seen from 1961.
  Equatorial Guinea none   non-Scout FDCs
  Eritrea none   non-Scout FDCs
  Estonia 10-Jul-1936 Paralepa Eesti Skautide III Suurlaager 3rd National Camp of Estonian Scouts. Uncertain status of Scout field post cancels 1918-1920.
  Ethiopia none   non-Scout FDCs
  Falkland Islands none    
  Faroe Islands 14-Apr-1976 Leynavatnslegan, Tórshavn Camp of Faeroese Scouts at Leynavatn
  Fiji 1959 Girl Guides World Regional Gathering, Suva, Sep. Machine cancel
  Finland 20-Jul-1934 Lauttasaari Drumsö Partioleiri Scoutläger Camp of the Swedish speaking Scouts in Finland
  France 26-Jun-1938 Plein Jeu, Eclaireurs de France, Paris Interdenominational Scouts camp
  French Antarctic none   non-Scout FDCs
  French Polynesia 18-Dec-1971 2eme Rallye des Scouts et Guides de France FDC
  Fujeira none   non-Scout FDCs
  Gabon 17-Oct-1966 Scoutisme FDC
  The Gambia none   non-Scout FDCs
  Germany 1-May-1956 Pfadfinderlager Brexbachtal, Bendorf (Rhein) Camp for St. George Scouts
  Ghana 22-Jul-1971 Ghana Girl Guides 1921-1971 FDC. The 1967 FDC is non-Scout
  Gibraltar 27-Mar-1978 70th Anniversary of Boy Scouting in Gibraltar The 1968 and 1975 FDCs are non-Scout
  Gilbert Islands none   non-Scout FDCs. See also Kiribati
  Great Britain 31-Jul-1929 Arrowe Pk Camp, Wirral Ches 3rd World Jamboree
  Greece 19-Aug-1950 Pan Hellenic Jamboree, Athens In Greek letters
  Greenland 20-Jul-1967 Katangut-ekspeditionen, Sdr. Strømfjord The Katangut Expedition of Danish Scout Association
  Grenada none   non-Scout FDCs
  Grenada Grenadines none   non-Scout FDCs
  Guatemala 1-Jul-1985 75 Anos de Fondacion del Escultismo Mundial FDC. The 1966 FDC is non-Scout. Free postage cachets with a Scout badge are seen from 1940.
  Guernsey 11-Sep-1971 Guernsey Scout Association Diamond Jubilee 1911-1971  
  Guinea none   non-Scout FDCs
  Guinea Bissau none   non-Scout FDCs
  Guyana none   non-Scout FDCs
  Haiti 23-Mar-1951 Visite de Lady Baden-Powell Haiti 1951 Lady BP's visit to Haiti 1951
  Honduras 15-Dec-1992 XVI Camporee Scout Centroamericano 16th Central American Camporee
  Hong Kong 27-Dec-1961 Jamborette P.O. Hong Kong  
  Hungary 4-Sep-1925 I. Cserkész Keruleti Verseny, Ujpest-Népsziget Machine cancel. 1st Scout national camp and county display. 1925 FDC is non-Scout
  Iceland 28-Jul-1962 Landsmót Skáta, itingvellir Scouts and Guides National Congress
  India 1921 Indian Scout Village S.I.B.S.A  
  Indonesia 27-Jun-1955 Hari Penerbitan Pertana Indonesia was formerly Netherlands Indies
  Iran 3-Dec-1967 Logo FDC. The 1950-1965 FDCs are non-Scout
  Iraq 15-Dec-1967 Baghdad with Scout badge FDC in Arabic
  Ireland 18-Jul-1967 Boy Scouts Camp, Lismore Scout camp, 40th anniversary of the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland)
  Isle of Man 26-May-1977 70 Years of Scouting FDC
  Israel 21-May-1954 National Jamboree of the Union of Jewish Scouts in Israel In Hebrew
  Italy 11-Aug-1952 A.S.C.I. Campo Naz Rover, San Candido 1st National Rover Moot of the Catholic Scout Association of Italy
  Ivory Coast 16-Jul-1973 24 Conference Mondiale du Scoutisme FDC
  Jamaica 5-Mar-1952 1st Caribbean Jamboree FDC
  Japan 2-Aug-1935 All Nippon Boy Scout Camp In Japanese
  Jersey 1-Nov-1973 65 Years of Scouting in Jersey  
  Jordan none   non-Scout FDCs
  Kenya none   non-Scout FDCs
  Kenya Uganda Tanzania none   non-Scout FDCs
  Khor-Fakkan none   non-Scout FDCs
  Kiribati none   non-Scout FDCs. See also Gilbert Islands
  Korea, South 27-Feb-1957 50th Anniversary of Establishment of Boy Scouts FDC. Several different cancels on this date.
  Kuwait 14-Jan-1996   FDC. The 1966 and 1982 FDCs are non-Scout
  Latvia 20-Jun-1934 Latvijas Skauti, Gaida Jus, 3. Lielá Nometné Asaros II Machine cancel, "3rd National Camp, Asaros" is a translation
  Laos 1-Sep-1973 Vientiane with Scout badge FDC
  Lebanon 24-Aug-1974 Logo FDC. The 1962 FDC is non-Scout
  Lesotho 15-Mar-1982 Maseru with Scout badge FDC. The 1967 FDC is non-Scout
  Liberia 1-Sep-1979 Monrovia with Scout badge FDC. The 1961-1971 FDCs are non-Scout
  Libya none   non-Scout FDCs
  Liechtenstein 9-Jun-1981 Vaduz Ausgabetag with Girl Guide trefoil FDC. The 1932, 1953 and 1957 FDCs are non-Scout
  Lithuania 8-Jul-1938 A. Panemune, Tautiné Skautu Stovykla National Scout Jamboree is a translation
  Luxembourg 26-Jul-1948 Letzeburger Scouten Jamboree Bonnevoie (National camp)
  Madeira none   non-Scout FDC
  Madagascar (Malagasy) 6-Jun-1964 40 Anniv. du Scoutisme Malgache FDC
  Malaysia 12-Aug-1961 50th Anniversary of Malaysian Scouting This is the event, not the exact cancellation text. Machine cancel.
  Maldives, Republic of none   non-Scout FDCs
  Mali none   non-Scout FDCs
  Malta 21-Oct-1983 60 Years of Guiding in Malta 1923 - 1983, Valletta Machine cancel
  Manama none   non-Scout FDCs
  Marshall Islands none   non-Scout FDCs
  Mauritania 5-Jun-1967 Jamboree Mondial 1967 FDC
  Mauritius 25-Feb-1982 The Year of Scouting FDC
  Mexico 27-Dec-1960 IV Campamento Nacional Rover - 1 Rover-Moot Centro Americano y del Caribe 4th National Rover Camp, 1st Central American and Caribbean Rover Moot
  Monaco none   non-Scout FDCs
  Mongolia 3-Jul-1992 Boy Scouts FDC
  Montserrat 2-Apr-1979 60th Anniversary of Scouting FDC. The 1970 FDC is non-Scout
  Morocco 8-Aug-1962 V Jamboree Arabe FDC
  Namibia 2-Sep-1977 Windhoek, with Scout badge 60 year Scouting in Namibia, African Scout Conference
  Nauru 23-Feb-1982 Year of the Scout FDC. The 1-Dec-78 FDC is non-Scout
  Nepal 29-Dec-1967 Diamond Jubilee of World Scouting FDC.
  The Netherlands 1932 National Padvinders Kamp Wassenaar 2-12-Augustus 1932, s'Gravenhage Machine cancel. The "Padvinders Kamp" line cachet from 1913 is not an official postal cancellation.
  Netherlands Antilles 22-Feb-1957 Ned. Antillen FDC with Scout badge  
  Netherlands Indies 1-May-1937 Koopt Jamboree Zegels, Batavia Machine cancel, 1-May-37 is FDC, but the cancel was used until 30-Jun-37. See also Indonesia
  Nevis none   non-Scout FDCs
  New Caledonia Aug-1968 Noumea pacifique boum Machine cancel
  New Hebrides none   non-Scout FDCs. See also Vanuatu
  New Zealand 6-Jan-1954 Canterbury Jamborette, Motukarara N.Z. The 1944 and 1953 FDCs are non-Scout
  Nicaragua 27-Nov-1952 Primer Camporee de Scouts Centroamericanos FDC. First Central AMerican Scout Camporee. The 1949 FDC is non-Scout
  Niger 25-May-1967 Jamboree Mondial 1967 FDC
  Nigeria none   non-Scout FDCs
  Niuafo'ou none   non-Scout FDCs
  Niue none   non-Scout FDCs
  Norfolk Island none   non-scout FDCs
  Norway 6-Jul-1928 Landsleiren Romsdalen 1928 National Boy Scout Camp at Romsdalen
  Oman, State of none   non-Scout FDCs
  Oman, Sultanate of 30 Nov 1997 Scout Badge FDC
  Pakistan 30-Dec-1952 1st Pakistan National Jamboree Post Office  
  Panama 14-Apr-1988 Asociacion Nacional de Muchacha i Guias Panama FDC. The 1964-1985 FDCs are non-Scout
  Papua New Guinea 29-Dec-1970 Jamboree of New Endeavour  
  Paraguay 6-Feb-1962 Siempre Listo FDC
  Penrhyn none   non-Scout FDCs. Cancel text says "Northern Cook Islands, Penrhyn"
  Peru 8-Aug-1972 VIII Conferencia Scout-Interamericana 8th Inter-American Scout Conference. Free postage cachets seen from 1932.
  Philippines 31-Oct-38 Boy Scout Anniversary Period, October 31 -November 15 Machine cancel
  Poland 27-Jul-1914 Poczta Skautowa IV-L Scout Field Post from the part of Poland occupied by Austria
  Portugal 16-Aug-1956 X Acampamento Nacional do CNE, Avintes Portugal 10th National Camp of the Catholic Scout Association
  Qatar none   non-Scout FDCs
  Ras Al Khaima none   non-Scout FDCs
  Redonda none   non-Scout FDCs
  Rhodesia 25-Apr-1974 Ruwa Scout Park See also Rhodesia & Nyasaland and Zimbabwe
  Rhodesia & Nyasaland 4-May-1959 Scout Jamboree, Ruwa, S. Rhod. See also Rhodesia and Zimbabwe.
  Romania 5-Jul-1932 Sibiu, Jamb. Nat. 2nd National Jamboree. The 1931 and 1932 FDCs are non-Scout
  Russia none    
  Rwanda 20-Feb-1978 Scouts du Rwanda FDC
  Ryukyu Islands 31-Aug-1964 Ryukyu Caru-sukarto So-ritsu Ju-nen Ki-nen FDC. In Japanese. 10th Anniversary of Ryukyuan Girl Scouts, Trefoil
  St. Helena none   non-Scout FDCs
  St. Kitts none   non-Scout FDCs
  St. Kitts-Nevis none   non-Scout FDCs
  St. Lucia none   non-Scout FDCs
  St. Pierre & Miquelon 9-Dec-1987 Scoutisme FDC
  St. Thomas & Prince 31-Jul-1982 S. Tomé with Scout logo FDC
  St. Vincent none   non-Scout FDCs
  St. Vincent Grenadines none   non-Scout FDCs
  St. Vincent Grenadines Bequia none   non-Scout FDCs
  Samoa 29-Jan-1973 Boy Scouts, Apia, W. Samoa FDC
  San Marino 1-Aug-1995 ACEGS, 18. World Jamboree Participation in the 18th WJ by the Catholic Scouts Association
  Saudi Arabia none   non-Scout FDCs
  Senegal 11-Dec-1970 Conference Africaine du Scoutisme FDC
  Sharjah none   non-Scout FDCs
  Siam 6-Dec-1930 Scout Jamboree 1 January, Bangkok Machine cancel, in Thai. See also Thailand. 1920 cancels are non-Scout.
  Sierra Leone 6-Dec-1969 Boy Scout Diamond Jubilee Commemorative FDC
  Singapore 9-Jun-1974 9th Asia-Pacific Scout Conference FDC
  Slovakia 18-May-1995 Bratislava with scout badge FDC
  Slovenia 26-Sep-1995 Ljubljana with scout badge FDC
  Solomon Islands 15-Nov-1978 50 years of Scouting 1928-1978 FDC
  Somalia 15-Aug-1967 Serie Boy Scouts FDC
  South Africa 8-Jan-1936 Scout Camp EL EL is East London
  Spain 21-Apr-1975 Exposicion Filatelica Scout, Semana Escultismo, Sta. Cruz de Tenerife Scout week and Scout stamp exhibition
  Sri Lanka 24-May-1982 125th Birth Anniversary of Lord Baden-Powell The 1977 FDC is non-Scout. See also Ceylon
  Sudan none   non-Scout FDCs
  Surinam 19-Aug-1961 Paramaribo with camp fire FDC
  Swaziland none   non-Scout FDCs. A postage free cachet "Boy Scouts Association, Official Free" is from 1969
  Sweden 8-Jul-1927 Scoutlägret Stockholm National Boy Scout camp
  Switzerland 27-Jul-1925 I. Scweiz. Pfadfinderlager, Bern 1925 1st National Boy Scout camp
  Syria 12-Aug-1970 Logo FDC, 9th Pan Arab Jamboree. The 1958 FDC is non-Scout
  Tanzania 1963 Tanzania Girl Guides 40th Anniversary, Dar Es Salaam Machine cancel
  Thailand 1-Nov-1961 Scout badge FDC. See also Siam
  Togo 7-Oct-1961 Boys Scouts FDC
  Tonga 29-Jun-1973 Silver Jubilee, Tongan Scouting 1948-1973 FDC
  Transkei 14-May-1982 Umtata with Scout badge FDC
  Trinidad & Tobago 28-Mar-1961 Visit Boy Scout Jamboree Trinidad April 4th -14th Machine cancel
  Tristan da Cunha none   non-Scout FDCs
  Tunisia 9-Aug-1960 4 Jamboree Arabe FDC
  Turkey 22-Jul-1962 Türk Izciliginin 50. Yli, Istanbul FDC. The 1938, 1946 and 1949 FDCs are non-Scout
  Turks and Caicos none   non-Scout FDCs
  Tuvalu none   non-Scout FDCs
  Uganda none   non-Scout FDCs
  Ukraine 8-Aug-1993   International Jubilee Scout Meeting, and 80th Anniversary of Scouting in Ukraine in Ukrainian
  Umm Al Qiwain none   non-Scout FDCs
  United Arab Emirates 29-Nov-1988 logo FDC
  United States 8-Feb-1935 B.S.A. 1910 - 1935 U.S.N. Ship Cancels. 5 different cancels on this date.
  Upper Volta 15-Jun-1966 Scoutisme FDC. See also Burkina Faso
  Uruguay 24-Jan-1968 Uruguay with Scout and Scout badge FDC
  Vanuatu 1-Sep-1982 Scout badge FDC. See also New Hebrides
  Venezuela 20-Aug-1964 VIII Campamento Internacional de Patrullas 8th International Scout Patrols Camp. Free postage cachets seen from 1958.
  Viet Nam, South 25-Dec-1959 Scout badge FDC
  Wallis & Futuna 21-Jun-1982 Baden-Powell 1857-1941 FDC
  Yemen Arab Republic none   non-Scout FDCs
  Yemen PDR none   non-Scout FDCs
  Yemen Republic none   non-Scout FDCs
  Yugoslavia 1-Sep-1935 III. Tabor Skauta, Beograd 21 3rd National Scout Camp
  Zaire 29-Nov-1982 Kinshasa with Scout logo FDC. 1981 FDC is non-Scout
  Zambia none   non-Scout FDCs
  Zimbabwe 4-Jul-1982 Year of Scout logo See also Rhodesia and Rhodesia & Nyasaland
  Åland 1-Aug-1998 Mariehamn, with Boy and Girl Scout logos FDC
         
         
         
         
         
         

Scout Postmark Cancel Contributors:

This checklist was made possible by the collaboration of SOSSI members around the world entirely through the use of internet email.  Many thanks to Hallvard Slettebø, Philippe van Hille, Frederick Lawrence, Lee F. Shedroff, Berthold Sinaulan, Howard Kaplan, J. Alex Hadden, and Tony Manson for their contributions and reviews.  Created and edited by Keith Larson, 1999.

Scout Postmark Cancel Sources:

Comments and Updates:

This checklist is maintained with updates at the SOSSI web site.  You may also download this list in Microsoft Word97 and Adobe Acrobat PDF format.  Send your recommendations for changes to  This list may be freely distributed without charge or modifications.
First Scout Postal Cancels by Country, Edition 1.0, October 9, 1999, © SOSSI 1999.