Some Kudat cancellations

Kudat is rather unusual in having 2 different star type cancellations.

The more common type has the star unusually below the date part of the cancellation. This is listed in Proud's book as been used between 1955 and 1963. Somehow it was felt necessary to revert back to convention with the star above the date in the subsequent cds canceller as shown above. It is strange that it was not listed in Proud's book but it can be found in the Sarawak Journal with a LDS of 17 June 1964.

A cover with the Type1 star cancel from Kudat.

I show these two but they are not really good examples of the Kudat Linotype cancellations which were used almost immediately post war on the BMA issue. That is why a good clear cancellation carries a substantial premium. 

It is rather unusual that this Kudat Australian type cancel D22 is in violet. I wonder whether it was used as a fiscal chop but certainly not that common a finding. I do have a soft spot for those cancellations other than black.

Update This is another example.

Bandau cancellation and a Sembulan cover

They are probably not that common a cancellation from the early days of Sabah, Malaysia. Both these names are no longer present in current postmarks of Sabah

Quoting from the Sarawak Journal: "Bandau, a  town situated a few miles inland from the shores of Marudu Bay, on the north coast of Sabah. The name was changed to Kota Marudu in the early 1970's. A Post office, opening date unknown at present."
The initial cancellation was a 2nd Australian type cancellation. Latest date seen (LDS) was 3 Sept. 1963. The subsequent cancellation as shown above was with the change in name from North Borneo to Sabah. This was a Type A cancellation with a EDS of 23 DEC 1964 and a  LDS of 19 OCT 1971.

Though faint, we have here a full Sembulan KK star cancel with a date of 8 JU 73 on a stampless Government Service envelope from the assistant director of  the department of Trade and Industries to researchers in the forestry department in Sandakan.
Sembulam is situated about 5 km to the south west from the centre of KK. The post office opened on 9 April 1973. The above so called skeletal came in 3 variations and then followed by another 3 from after 1980 without the letters for "KK". Sembulan PO was re-named Rumah Persekutuan KK on 1 July 1989.