These few weeks I will try to include things that I shared or bought at our recent annual meeting. This set of BMA stamps which is mostly in pairs was a lucky break. I really should not get into the details how it came about. It was part of my short display at the meeting.
The Sandakan Straits Linotype cancellation is by no means uncommon but it would be rare to see a full BMA set with this cancellation. There are 2 main sub types from my recollection and it is to do with the position of the 3 lines with each other. Sandakan is probably the commonest of the linotypes from North Borneo. The others are Kudat, Lahad Datu, Tenom, Beaufort and Jesselton. The last 3 are rare and Jesselton is available only as a proof copy.
These cancellations were used as a temporary basis while awaiting the more sturdy cancellers which are the so called Australian types to arrive. The linotypes were assembled in Singapore and the replacements were presumably made in Australia. According to Proud, the range of use for Sandakan was between 31.12.45 to 21.6.46 . The date on this cancelled by favoured set is MAR. 1946/20. The stop or period after the month is not shown in Proud's book.
This is a much clearer version from my collection but alas the stamp is imperfect.
Hi, I thought the BMA was active till April 1946. Do you know if the stamps were locally sold after this date, and valid for postage throughout 1946? Your quote a range till June 1946, so maybe they were still valid for some time? Best regards, Kolbjorn.
ReplyDeleteThe BMA period lasted until 1 July 1946. The range of dates was from Edward Proud's The Postal History of British Borneo 2nd edition. The BMA stamps were valid until 1 10 1953.
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