The date sections of the stamps were replaceable - the rubber bands which formed the image of the actual date were limited in size so had to be replaced at the end of the final year. The 'fixed' face of the stamp remained for many more years until it too became obsolete and the whole stamp needed to be replaced. New faces for the stamps were not made for minor changes to keep costs down.

The date stamps were applied to any form, record, memo or document issued. The design of each stamp was, to a certain extent, in the hands of the officer in charge of the office.

The date stamp impressions here are reproduced on pages specific to the Headquarters Branch, Outdoor Service Collection or Waterguard Division in which the date stamp was used. This facilitates faster browsing and easier maintenance. The Date Stamps can be viewed in the normal way by selecting the appropriate 'button.'

The Outdoor Service of HM Customs & Excise - non-Waterguard - was divided into Collections, each headed by a Collector, and the work divided into districts and stations. Here are some examples of the date stamps they used. The images here are in Collection, rank, location and date order.

Due to many, ongoing re-organisations of HM Customs and HM Customs & Excise, the Collections, their names and boundaries, changed over time. The date stamps changed to reflect these changes. The dates in parentheses, following the Collection names, are intended to give some idea of the 'life times' of the Collection - 'circa' preceeding the date indicates that the Collection was in existence before that date - and (C&S) indicates the Collection was headed by a Surveyor.