Update Note all my 4 copies ( plus 2 mint copies in June 2011 post) of this stamp with P14 has the overprint in more or less the same position on the right side indicating that they belonged to the same sheet of a hundred. They were overprinted in 2 rows of 10 at a time. Three of the stamps are probably from the same 2 rows. The P14.5 stamp has a slightly different position. Is this stamp unique as there is no record of another copy?
Update I have found another copy of the P14.5. It was catalogued but unpriced in last year's SG but we may get a price this year. It should be 2-3x that of the normal.
William Clarke Cowie with the Sultan of Sulu and his court. Also present at the porceedings were Baron Gustav Von Overbeck, William Hood Treacher and William Burges Pryer, though not in the picture, should be somewhere in the background.
For readers who are not familiar with the history of North Borneo, Von Overbeck and his party managed to persuade the Sultan of Brunei to cede the part of NB under his rule towards the end of 1877 . To complete the process and with the help of William Cowie, he met up with the Sultan of Sulu at Jolo a few weeks later in early 1878. The Sultan who has been under constant siege by the spanish was happy to sign away the eastern part of North Borneo for a yearly rent before he loses everything to the spanish.
Update The other European male person in the picture apart from Cowie was Alexander Cook, later to be treasurer general of North Borneo. Some said he might have been responsible for the "AC" cancel on the earliest of North Borneo stamps. Both these two pictures were probably taken a few years later in 1883 in Sandakan during a visit of the Sultan.
Treaty with Brunei Sultan
Treaty with Sulu Sultan
Keep up the excellent research work. You are a big credit to North Borneo philately.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and may the New Year bring more fine postings from you.
GE-KK
Thank you for your support.
ReplyDeleteHi, i want a permission to use that picture (Crowie and Sultan Sulu), thank you.
ReplyDeletemaruwiah
mariahns@yahoo.com
Maruwiah
ReplyDeleteIt is not my picture. Since It is so old, I am not aware of any copyright problems provided it is not used on a commercial basis. This blog has a small restricted readership.
ok, thanks
DeleteHi,I have been enjoying reading your articles on Borneo stamps plus some lovely pictures of the past.But being a book enthusiast,I am more into books on Borneo rather than stamps.There is one title on Borneo which I have been looking for,for quite sometime now and wonder if you can help? The title is,"British Borneo:Sketches of Brunai,Sarawak,Labuan,and North Borneo",authored by William Hood Treacher.The year of publication was 1891 and in fact was reproduced from the Journal of the Straits Settlements Brach of the Royal Asiatic Society.I am looking for an original copy and not a reprint or digital copy.Hope you can help or perhaps provide some clues as to where I might be able to obtain one.
ReplyDeleteThank you in anticipation.
Best regards,
Michael
Dear Michael
DeleteI have not come across the original copy.
It is prbably present in the British Library and the Library of Congress.
You best looking at book auctions or asking specialist bookshops.
From time to time, ebay comes up with wonderful things.
Sorry, not much help here but all the best.
is probably present in the British Library and the Library of Congress.