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Auction: 25014 - British Solomon Islands - The Simon Greenwood Collection
Lot: 9

British Solomon Islands
The Framed "british solomon islands paid" Handstamp
The Resident Commissioner was receiving cash from residents to pay the necessary postal fees for New South Wales stamps. He ordered a "Paid" handstamp from Sydney early in 1906, and on receipt it was used on mail matter indicating the postal fee had been received. The Commissioner then forwarded his personal bank cheque to the Sydney Postmaster for the total amount required to frank the letters included in the outbound mail bag. At Sydney the mail was received, and the correct New South Wales stamps were affixed and then postmarked with the Sydney datestamp. The custom was to place the postage over the Paid mark and then cancel the adhesives.
1906 envelope ("government residence, tulagi" imprint on flap) addressed, in the handwriting of Charles Woodford, to Basingstoke and re-addressed to London, showing boxed "british/solomon/islands/paid" h.s. with New South Wales 2d. affixed alongside cancelled by Sydney duplex dated 2 May, Basingstoke c.d.s. with London datestamp (11.6) on reverse. Rare. The earliest known date of use of the handstamp. Photo

provenance:
Ray Baldwin, February 1972
F.B. Howard-White, October 1985

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Sold for
£1,800