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LABUAN Queen Victoria issues

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Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the catalogue;
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Now part of the Federation of Malaysia. Labuan (on the island of Sabah, previously North Borneo) was ceded to Great Britain on 24th December 1846. From 1860 onwards Hong Kong and Indian stamps were used, later followed by stamps of Straits Settlements (1867). The first Labuan stamps were issued in May 1879. From 1892 on stamps of North Borneo could also be used in Labuan. In 1906 Labuan was incorporated in the Straits Settlements and stamps of the Straits Settlements were used from then on. (this information was found on http://home.freeuk.net/johnmorgan/sss.htm or http://britborneostamps.org.uk/, more information on Labuan can also be found here).

(left: cancelled to order with black bars, right: genuine cancelled stamp)

Cancelled to order stamps: the elliptic cancel with 9 or 14 bars was used to cancel stamps to order (see picture on the left above).

1879 Queen Victoria

  2 c green
  2 c red (1885)
  6 c orange
  6 c green (1892)
  8 c red (1882)
  8 c violet (1885)
  10 c brown (1885)
  12 c red
  12 c blue (1892)
  16 c blue
  16 c grey (1885)
  40 c yellow (ochre) (1892)

Surcharged

  '2 CENTS' on 8 c red (1885)
  '2 Cents'(diagonal) on 8 c red (1885)
  '2 CENTS' on 16 c blue (1885)
  '2 Cents' on 16 c blue (1885)
  'TWO CENTS' on 40 c yellow (1892)
  '6 Cents' on 8 c violet (1891)
  '6 6' (red) on 16 c blue (1880)
  '6 Cents' on 16 c blue (1891)
  'SIX CENTS' on 16 c grey (1892)
  '6 Cents' on 40 c yellow (1891)
  '8 -' on 12 c red (1880)
  '8 8' on 12 c red (1880)
  'Eight Cents' on 12 c red (1881)
  'EIGHT CENTS' on 12 c red (1881)

Two types of these stamps exist, engraved and lithographed ones. The engraved stamp have all thin lines very sharp and the edges of the lines are well defined. The lithographed stamps, on the contrary, have more fuzzy lines. The values 2 c red, 6 c green, 8 c violet, 10 c brown, 12 c blue, 16 c grey and 40 c yellow were issued lithographed in 1894 (all these values were issued engraved earlier in 1892 without watermark ).

The '6 6' on 16 c blue normally has the lower '6' lying on its back, however specimens exists where the '6' is standing up, like in the following images:

'8 8' on 12 c red, with the top '8' inverted. With a manuscript 'Paid' cancel.

A very rare manuscript overprint was made in 1883: 'One Dollar' on 16 c blue with the initials of Mr. A.S.H.Hamilton in red:

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

All the above stamps have perforation 14. The first 'CA Crown' watermark extends across two stamps. The 'cancelled to order' postmark with bars as for North Borneo was also used here.

(Inverted '8' on 12 c red)

12 c blue stamp with (slightly) different color of the head, as if the head and the rest of the design were printed seperately.

Postal stationary in this design exists and was issued in 1881: 4 c green, "3 cents" on 4 c green (RRR). In 1893/94 the values 1 c lilac and 3 c green were added.

Typical cancels:

Cancel consisting of red or black dots

A bar cancel that might be genuine?

I presume most barcancels are 'cancelled to order'.

Forgeries exist, examples:

Italian forgeries(?)

These forgeries are very deceptive. But according to the forgeries identification site of Bill Claghorn (the link is no longer working), the arrow at the lower right in the central frame is poorly formed. The line behind the lips is poorly formed and finally the hair curl below the ear lacks detail in these forgeries. These forgeries also have the same bars 'cancelled to order' cancel.

The Serrane Guide says that the first set of forgeries is of Italian origins and was printed in blocks of 10 (5 x 2 stamps). A second set was made by Fournier.

I've been told that these are Fournier forgeries of the 40 c value, I have no further information

Other Fournier forgeries?

As mentioned above, two main forgery types exist, one made by Fournier and an unknown forger (these forgeries are very deceptive). The forger Kamigata also appears to have made a third forgery type of these stamps (which is rather crude and has perforation 11 1/2). See also http://bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.sg/2013/06/LabuanandtheVictoriaForgeryStamps.html.

Another set of forgeries, presumably the above mentioned Kamigata forgeries. The 'S' of 'CENTS' is different. Traces of lines can be seen outside the main design (for example at the bottom right). The cancel consists of Chinese characteres.

For more issues of Labuan, click here.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer