Hello, I thought I would show something different today in as much as this county was a Crown Colony. A very brief history if you are not familiar with Labuan.

From the 15th century, the north and west coast of Borneo including the island of Labuan was part of the Sultanate of Brunei. In the 18th century, Labuan was acquired for Britain through the Treaty of Labuan with the Sultan of Brunei in 1846. The island became a Crown Colony in 1848.

In WW II Labuan was occupied by Japan until liberated by the Allied Forces in 1945 and the island  was administered under the British Military Administration.  Labuan joined the North Borneo Crown Colony in 1946 which in turn became a part of the state of Sabah and Malaysia in 1963. In 1984, the Government of Sabah ceded Labuan to the federal government and it was admitted as a Federal Territory of Malaysia. 

It is very interesting area of the world from a historical perspective as well as commercial and tourist and it offers many challenging philatelic collecting areas of interest. For example stamps of the Straits Settlements were issued and used from 1867 to 1879 until Labuan stamps were issued in 1879. The early issues through to the early 1890s commend some very respectable prices.

Some more Labuan stamps over the coming days which I hope you find interesting to see.

Enjoy your stamps and all they bring us.         Michael cddstamps.com

and  with thanks to my friend at  British Commonwealth Album  here   -  and you might enjoy a visit to his online store  the Used Stamp Collector here.

Hello,  today the last stamp I will show from Jamaica. Everyone has a favourite animal and perhaps some like the  beautiful and majestic giraffe, so this stamp is my  choice. 

 This is from the  QE II 1954 issue.  Rather stunning I think.  There was also a 10c value of the same design  just a different colour.

For this 50c value do look carefully at the colour as there was a second printing in 1957 in the colour claret,  rather this shade which is, by the SG colour guide, reddish purple.

Enjoy your stamps and all they bring us.         Michael cddstamps.com

and  with thanks to my friend at  British Commonwealth Album  here   -  and you might enjoy a visit to his online store  the Used Stamp Collector here.

Hello,  one more from the 1938 issue today.  Although still a pictorial definitive it is of a different design, with the Kings head prominent in the center of the stamp rather than in a smaller oval to the right or left of the design feature.

In this case the design shows the Nile Railway Bridge at Nipon Falls in Uganda. That is the title in the  catalogue but it is also called the Jinja Bridge at Nipon Falls.   The first issue of this design was on a George V issue in 1935, then this issue with George VI in 1938.

From a philatelic perspective you must check the perforations of any copy you have  or that you are thinking of buying. There are three different perfs ranging from £3.25 for a mint copy to £160. I won’t bore you with the details as they can be looked up easily enough. Similarly Used can be 10c  to £11.

As the for the bridge, well I cannot find any history to it which is a shame as I was looking forward to reading about it since it was used on both the GV and GVI stamps. All I can find are details about the new bridge that was opened in 2018.  Please correct me if I have missed something. 

Enjoy your stamps and all they bring us.         Michael cddstamps.com

and  with thanks to my friend at  British Commonwealth Album  here   -  and you might enjoy a visit to his online store  the Used Stamp Collector here.

 Hello, Today let’s look at a couple of stamps from the George VI period from Kenya Uganda and Tanganyika. 

This is one of the 1938 pictorial definitives. A very interesting  group of stamps with issues from 1938 through to 1954.   There are perforation varieties to keep you checking your copies for hours and  even longer to find those missing perforations.  And, some interesting varieties to collect as well.  This 50c stamp is one example.  The first  image shows a used copy and as I say there are a few perforation varieties. 

The second copy shows a different perf but also with the “dot removed” variety from a 1950 printing.  If you look just to the left of the letter K in Kenya in both stamps you will see the dot I am referring to is not there in the second stamp.

This 50c issue had quite a few printings. Using a Stanley Gibbons British Empire Stamps 1840 to 1970 catalogue you will also find there are 4 different shades listed. Actually 7 stamps to the SG 144 listing, well 8 if you include a watermark inverted copy which is catalogued at £5000 used in the 2021 edition.  So lets say we just try to keep our collection to the 7 stamps!

Enjoy your stamps and all they bring us.         Michael cddstamps.com

and  with thanks to my friend at  British Commonwealth Album  here   -  and you might enjoy a visit to his online store  the Used Stamp Collector here.

Hello again, Yes we will move on from Jamaica and look at a few stamps from KUT, Kenya Uganda and Tanganyika.   

The history for these countries makes for what I think is a very interesting collecting area.   The postal administrations of the three  were amalgamated on January 1^st 1933. and stamps issued until 1976 when the postal union was dissolved and each territory issued separate stamps. I won’t write anymore  but recommend this short read from the Stanley Gibbons page if you want to learn more.

The first stamps were issued in 1935, the George V pictorial definitives, and a few weeks later the Silver Jubilee issue.

The above shows the dhow and is a stamp always worth checking if you have a copy.   there is a printing variety where the rope of the dhow is joined to the sail  and also, and far more importantly, a perf variety which commands considerable sums both mint and used.  

Enjoy your stamps and all they bring us.         Michael cddstamps.com

and  with thanks to my friend at  British Commonwealth Album  here   -  and you might enjoy a visit to his online store  the Used Stamp Collector here.

Hello,  just one more from Jamaica  -  I thought this worth showing.  The title is such a tease, maybe?.

Where is the Rio Grande?  Well I expect most would say Mexico or the USA as we all know our geography and that the Rio Grande is one of the principal rivers in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico.   Probably well known because of the length of the river - 1,896 miles  and it originates in south-central Colorado and flows to the Gulf of Mexico 

Well, there is a Rio Grande also in Jamaica. It too is one of the longest rivers in Jamaica. It was named "Big River" by the Spanish, who controlled Jamaica in the 15th and 16th centuries. It is one of the many tourist attractions and is used mainly for rafting -  How long you ask,  Just about 20 miles. 😊

Enjoy your stamps and all they bring us.         Michael cddstamps.com

and  with thanks to my friend at  British Commonwealth Album  here   -  and you might enjoy a visit to his online store  the Used Stamp Collector here.

 Hello again, one more from Jamaica. I hope you enjoy seeing this stamp.   Titled Bamboo Walk and one more from the 1938  pictorial definitive series I mentioned previously.

You might think this is just a few bamboo trees colourfully named but in fact it is a special place. Also called Bamboo Avenue it is on the main South Coast Highway, between Middle Quarters and Lacovia.

The avenue was planted with Bambusa Vulgaris, a specie of Bamboo which was the largest variety introduced in Jamaica. The avenue is approximately two and a half miles long with the tall bamboo forming a canopy over it.

All this from a  simple stamp.  well not actually a simple stamp. If you have a copy check the watermark. It is multiple script CA  but if the A is missing you are going to be very financially happy I think.

Michael cddstamps.com

and  with thanks to my friend at  British Commonwealth Album  here   -  and you might enjoy a visit to his online store  the Used Stamp Collector here.

 Hello,  welcome back to this series and  another stamp from Jamaica.  

Now we are in the first series of GVI pictorial definitives. Some really lovely images on these stamps and some expensive stamps to collect if you pay attention to the catalogue.  This 2d value has a couple of varieties which are usually hard to find if one wanted to have a complete collection,  as well as perforation varieties.

Trivia:  in 1661 when the Spanish were leaving (fleeing perhaps is a better word)  the island after finding they could not overcome the British,  the Spanish leader Don Christobal de Ysassi  left from  this cove,   thus now known as Don Christopher’s Cove. By all accounts it is a beautiful location on the north of the island.

One day we may get there.   Until then enjoy your stamps and all they bring      Michael cddstamps.com

and  with thanks to my friend at  British Commonwealth Album  here   -  and you might enjoy a visit to his online store  the Used Stamp Collector here.

 

 

Hello, welcome to cddstamps blog and this time we are looking at some stamps from Jamaica.

 Rather be there of course but seeing the stamps gives one a sense of well, being there…. perhaps.

This one from the 1919-21 issue with the watermark multiple crown CA. I say that as there is another copy from the 1921- 29 issue which was issued in 1922 with a multiple script CA watermark.

As I have said before you really need a comprehensive catalogue  so you know  if there are various watermarks or perforations, and even colour shades. Some catalogue value differences especially in this case if you have an inverted watermark.

This stamp, as you can see, was to commemorate the 1494 landing by Columbus. An interesting history which you can read more about here.  Did you know he, Columbus that is, visited the island twice and on his second visit in 1503 he was stranded on the island for 12 months?.  All this from a beautiful stamp.

Enjoy your philately   Michael            cddstamps.com

and  with thanks to my friend at  British Commonwealth Album  here   -  and you might enjoy a visit to his online store  the Used Stamp Collector here.

 

 

Hello,  one more from  the Gold Coast as this is a lovely stamp and showing a castle with some interesting history.

It is actually Osu Castle  also  know as Christiansborg Castle and is found in Accra, Ghana.  You can read more if you are interested but in summary it is on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea and is a substantial fort built by Denmark-Norway in the 1660s.  It changed hands a few times with Portuguese then British ownership before Ghana took control after independence. 

Enjoy the history behind the stamps   Michel  cddstamps.com

and  with thanks to my friend at  British Commonwealth Album  here   -  and you might enjoy a visit to his online store  the Used Stamp Collector here. 

 Hello, one more from the Gold Coast today and this one from a 1918 GV issue. 

An interesting set of stamps  from the 1/2d through to the 20 shilling value.  Plenty to look out for and as always it is important to have a good catalogue to help you.

One thing to know is the  Die types of the Key Type design.   SG will explain this well but one very clearly distinction is the  angled or vertical cut of the line on each side of the crown above the Kings head -  notation A in this image.

A useful rule of thumb,  although with a few exceptions, is that the  watermark multiple crown issues are Die I and watermark multiple crown script are Die II.   Always worth checking very carefully as the catalogue prices for Die II issues are  generally much higher than Die I type.

enjoy your philatelic discoveries  Michael cddstamps.com

and  with thanks to my friend at  British Commonwealth Album  here   -  and you might enjoy a visit to his online store  the Used Stamp Collector here.

 

Hello, today I thought I would show a stamp from the Gold Coat. Today we know the country as Ghana.

 

The Gold Coast was the name for a region on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa. The country has Portuguese, Dutch and English history.  It was a British Crown Colony from 1821 until its independence in 1957.

Many stamps are similar in design style to many other British Commonwealth issues from Queen Victoria through to the early QE II issues, before independence.

This first one is from the 1907 – 1913 Edward VII issue.   This design is used on a few values and makes for a very nice  era to collect.

More over the coming days.   enjoy your stamps   Michael cddstamps.com

and  with thanks to my friend at  British Commonwealth Album  here   -  and you might enjoy a visit to his online store  the Used Stamp Collector here.

Hello,  Let's do one more from Gibraltar,  I showed a 1949 UPU issue a few days ago.  Here is the 2d value. A lovely carmine  colour.

Some history. You know there are 4 stamps in most issues but originally it was proposed only three stamps would be in the issue.

The first international postal congress was convened in Berne, Switzerland on 15 September 1874 (although a conference in Paris had been attended by the world's major postal administrations in May 1863). On 9 October 1874 Britain and 21 other nations signed a convention, effective from 1 July the following year, which embodied the agreements reached on the reciprocal exchange and unimpeded transit of letter posts and the uniformity of tariff levels. 

To maintain this co-operation the congress instituted the ‘Union Generale des Postes’; at the following congress, held in Paris in 1878, the name was changed to ‘Union Postale Universelle’ or UPU (Universal Postal Union). 

On 16 June 1947 the head of the Polish postal administration and his country's delegate to the congress, proposed that an identical series of three stamps be issued in all countries of the Union on its 75th anniversary, to draw attention to the principle that it constituted a single postal territory.

The issue was only the second British Empire Omnibus Collection not to mark a Royal anniversary. It is also the largest Omnibus collection ever issued – featuring a total of 310 stamps from 84 different countries. The uniform (Omnibus) design is featured on most issues 

The responsibility and distribution of the majority of the stamps went to the Crown Agents in London.  The stamps were designed in Great Britain, then approved by Buckingham Palace before being printed and then transported overseas.   Some countries such as Bahrain, Eastern Arabia and Kuwait, simply overprinted the British stamps. Whereas other countries such as Australia and South Africa issued their own designs. 

Have a lovely weekend.  more tomorrow.         Michael cddstamps.com

Hello,  one more from Gibraltar.  This from the 1953 issue. Another very nice issue with some very well presented  images.

Some history and trivia you might find interesting - Rosia Bay is the only natural harbour in  Gibraltar. 

It was formerly referred to as Rosia Harbour, it is located on the southwest side of Gibraltar. 

Rosia Bay was the site of the Royal Navy Victualling Yard complex which was constructed in the early 19th century, allowing vessels to anchor and obtain provisions, including food and water. Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson obtained supplies for his Mediterranean Fleet at Rosia Bay. It was to that same anchorage that his vessel HMS Victory was towed after Nelson's death in the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar.

    Enjoy your stamps.  Michael cddstamps.com

and  with thanks to my friend at  British Commonwealth Album  here   -  and you might enjoy a visit to his online store  the Used Stamp Collector here.

 

Hello,  today  let's move to Gibraltar.    Here is a  nice looking stamp from the 1938 GVI issue showing the Rock, actually Europa Point.  Nice  Field Post Office cancel as well.

A  Field Post Office ( often  it will just show as FPO in a cancel) is a post office set up during a time of war or when a military unit  in on manoeuvres.  FPOs can be on land or at sea.  Makes for an interesting collecting area.

This stamp like many other GVI British Commonwealth issues from this period provides plenty of opportunity to  enjoy the study of the stamps and to look for the various perforation, colour and watermark varieties.  Do look out for a mint copy of this stamp with a perf 14.  Very nice catalogue value.

Enjoy   Michael  cddstamps.com     and  with thanks to my friend at  British Commonwealth Album  here   -  and you might enjoy a visit to his online store  the Used Stamp Collector here.

   Hello,  staying with Fiji and the Map of the Island stamp but this time one from the QEII issue.

Yes the same as the GVI issue  but issued in 1954 as part of the QE II definitive series using the  images from the GVI issue I mentioned  in the previous post.  Not too much to look out for in this issue, just a few colour variations.

There was a second QE II issue in 1959 and this time the images were unique to QE II.   The 6d value for example is shown below. I picked this one (the same 6d value as the earlier QE II issue but showing a Fijan beating Lali.

So what is Lali?   In one word, it is a drum.   .... Don't you just love learning from stamps.  Next time you visit Fiji you can show off and say that is a nice lali when you see  them playing at your hotel!

Have a great weekend   Michael cddstamps.com

with thanks to my friend at  British Commonwealth Album  here   -    and you might enjoy visiting his online store the Used Stamp Collector here.

 Hello, weekend here, and time for some stamps perhaps?

 Here is one I hope you enjoy seeing.

This is from the 1938  George VI issue, actually an issue with a variety of stamps reprinted  through to 1955. although only one in 1955,  mostly were reprinted in 1946, 1948, and 1950.   Plenty of interesting stamps to look out for.   Flaw varieties, Die varieties and quite a few perforation differences all of which  can add a significant cost if you are looking to hold a complete issue in your collection. And, might I add  some are rather difficult to find.

A lovely issue in my view

Enjoy your stamps and have a philatelic weekend    Michel    cddstamps.com

Hello,  a few days ago I wrote about the  1949 UPU issue and showed a Ceylon stamp.  Here is the  more traditional Omnibus design I mentioned.  

Certainly a set I enjoy seeing and one to pay attention to because while most have a very low catalog value and can be found for a few cents in good used  or mint condition some do attract a small premium - this Falkland Islands set for example.

This again from my friends  British Commonwealth Album  here   -    and you might enjoy visiting his online store the Used Stamp Collector here.

Enjoy your philately    Michael   cddstamps.com 

Hello    here is a stamp you have to look out for.  It is a nice stamp of course, showing the Roman Theatre at Soli in Cyrus,   An interesting history in and of itself which I recommend  reading about.

But, from a philatelic point of interest check the perforations if you have a copy or copies. The  1938 issue is perf  12½   but there was another issue in 1944  with perf 13½ x 12½.

The 1938 issue has a catalogue value of 40p UK Used, the 1944 issue is £27.   You don't want to  get those mixed up do you!

You have a Mint copy, oh, maybe you are lucky.................    because the 1938 issue is cat 2021 at £3.25    while the 1944 issue is £550 

Enjoy your stamps, for the history they show and the  differences which are not so obviously seen but which can be extremely important.

Michael cddstamps and my friends British Commonwealth stamps here

 

Hello, I thought I would stay with Ceylon today and show this stamp from the 1949 75^th Anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) issue.

One of  3  issued by Ceylon for this anniversary.

 Different because the more common 1949 issues for the UPU anniversary from British Commonwealth countries were  generally in a set of 4  and in what is often referred to as an Omnibus issue. In total there were 310  stamps issued  from all  issuing administrations – a nice thematic collection.

     Happy New year    enjoy your philately.  Michael cddstamps and from Stamps of the British Commonwealth