Worldwide Stamps and Postal History continued...

Uganda 1896 (Nov) Typeset 8a black, overprint 'L' for local use, left marginal showing variety 'Small o in POSTAGE', SG74a.

A fine unused example, although rather roughly separated at right.

A key rarity.

Provenance: Ex Peter Chantry

Accompanied with a clear Royal Philatelic Society certificate of authenticity (1997) as former SG74B.

The Stanley Gibbons catalogue value is £1,600.

The first stamps of Uganda under the British Empire were only valid for internal postage. Then Reverend Ernest Millar at Mengo of the Church Missionary Society produced the first stamps on his typewriter from 1895-1896. These are some of the most crude and valuable pieces of paper ever created.

The Typeset stamps, which followed in 1896, are only slightly less crude and valuable. As they were only used locally, few examples have survived and most of those have serious condition issues.

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Virgin Islands 1867-70 4d lake-red on pale rose paper, complete sheet of 25, R3/1 showing the constant frame break at upper right, SG15/var.

A fine complete mint sheet with original gum. Slight reinforcement at top and bottom, and odd tone specks on gum, but lovely fresh appearance with 20 stamps unmounted mint.

A rare and beautiful philatelic showpiece of the first and most famous stamp issue from the British Virgin Islands. The stamp features a depiction of Saint Ursula who, according to legend, had 11,000 virginal handmaidens, after whom the islands had been named.

Stanley Gibbons catalogue value: £1,625+.

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Zanzibar 1926 (SP 21) incoming cover from Durban (blue and red embossed "UNION-CASTLE LINE" logo on flap), underfranked by 1926 1d black and carmine "Ship", tied by machine cancel, with "T/20c" oval tax mark applied on despatch (= 20 gold centimes) at lower left.

Type D9 "ZANZIBAR" arrival backstamp of "SP 21 26", the deficiency paid on face by 1926-30 12c black/green postage due, SGD7 (R5/1 on sheet), uncancelled as was the usual until mid-1929.

An attractive cover despite a small cover stain (and flap tears), and the 12c postage due with unobtrusive faults.

Minor condition faults can be forgiven as it is such an extremely rare and desirable early usage cover and one of only seven recorded from 1926, from which just two have the 12c value.

Provenance: Ex Griffith-Jones (Illustrated on p.289 as fig. 11.7; census listing F.4) and Harmer 3/1999 (lot 1617, where it realised £3,215).

Accompanied with a clear British Philatelic Association certificate of authenticity (1999).

Zanzibar 1930 (May) incoming unpaid Postage Due cover from Morondava, Madagascar, with "MAJUNGA" despatch backstamp of "23 (?) MAI 30" and type D9 "ZANZIBAR" arrival backstamp (MY 30), and triangular "T" tax mark on face (as well as a similar larger marking in pencil), SGD3,7,13.

The cover was sent from the Mortgage Bank of Madagascar (Credit Foncier) to its Zanzibar agent. Double deficiency apparently calculated as double the foreign letter rate (20c), with 1926-30 3c black/orange, 12c black/green and 25c black/magenta postage dues applied on face, and tied by three strikes of type PP3 "ZANZIBAR/PAR" circular date stamps, dated "MY 31 30", but the cover was "Refused" (red M/S endorsement at upper left) and subsequently returned to sender, with "MORONDAVA/MADAGASCAR" arrival circular date stamp (13 SEPT 30) on reverse.

Light cover fold, and the 3c (R4/1 from corrected setting) and 12c (R1/2, like the 25c) dues with small edge faults, but a unique and wonderful cover. The only recorded commercial cover of the 1926-30 issue with the rare 12c and 25c in combination, or indeed with a three-colour franking.

Provenance: Ex Griffith-Jones (illustrated as Fig. 11.17 on p.299 of his book with detailed discussion; census F.26).

Zanzibar 1930 (NO 15) pair of underpaid large Postage Due covers from Mubende, Uganda to 'J. Hodson, C/o G.P.O., Zanzibar', franked respectively by K.U.T. 1922-27 1c brown and 5c green (marked "T 60 Cents" in red crayon) and by 1c brown vertical pair (marked "T 90 cents" in red crayon), each with Kampala transit (20 SE 30) and Zanzibar arrival (squared circle "SP 25 30") backstamps.

Both with spectacular postage due frankings applied, the first with eight stamps comprising the 1926-30 1c, 2c, 3c, 9c, 15c, 20c black/orange, the rare 12c black/green and 1930-33 6c black/yellow and 25c black/rose, the second with the three 1926-30 top values (31c, 50c, 75c black/orange), each a large corner example, with all eleven stamps neatly tied by individual strikes of type D8 "ZANZIBAR" circular dat stamp, dated "NO 15 30" (52 days after the arrival of the covers !), SGD1/17, 21/3.

Evidently held to allow the addressee to arrange collection (and no doubt supervise the application of the postage dues, which were not yet available for sale to collectors), and totally philatelic and contrived, nevertheless a unique and wonderful pair, illustrating the full range of values now in use (except the 1926-30 18c and 21c) and providing the earliest recorded date of use for the 1926-30 2c, 9c and 20c values and the 1930-33 25c black/rose.

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