(excl. accent)
Kelantan (1937)
Classification of specimen types |
Introduction page List of countries |
Most specimen and equivalent markings were applied to postal stationery by the printer. The main exceptions are items that were overprinted and/or surcharged locally.
The types of protective markings used in any one country or postal territory are described and illustrated on the relevant page below the list of items distributed by the UPU. Where markings have been attributed to a particular printer they are also detailed below.
Dimensions are usually given to the nearest ½ mm. It should be noted that measurements can vary by up to 1 mm or even more in length and ½ mm in height. In some instances more than one very similar overprint cliché was used or the overprint was set (and reset) in a forme from loose type over a period. Furthermore, by the very nature of the material overprinted the size of the impression may vary. There is also the difficulty that different individuals will record different measurements for identical items, sometimes as a result of excluding a full point at the end or the serif on the first or last letter.
The majority of items were printed by the foremost London security printers: Bradbury, Wilkinson; De La Rue (by far the most numerous); Harrison & Sons; Waterlow & Co.; and McCorquodale (registered envelopes and air letters only).
Exceptions include the Australian States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand.
For postal stationery of Great Britain overprinted for use in certain British Colonies and Protectorates the protective overprinting was carried out by the Inland Revenue.
Note that the type numbers shown in curly brackets are tentative and are subject to change, and that the ranges of dates of usage may be extended.
Very few items of postal stationery were printed for the British Colonies by Bradbury, Wilkinson.
It is possible that other non-British items will be identified as their production.
| type | dates used | image | dimensions | application | usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B{3} | 1914 | |
31 × 4 (excl. accent) |
overprinted diag BL to TR | Turkey |
| B{6} | 1934–41 | |
perforated horiz across envelope | Sarawak | |
| B{7} | 1931–37 | |
50 × 6 | overprinted diag BL to TR | Iraq (1931) Kelantan (1937) |
| B{8} | 1937 | |
82 × 9 | overprinted diag BL to TR | Kelantan |
| B{10} | 1938–51 | |
75 × 8 | overprinted diag BL to TR | St Vincent |
| B{14} | 1951 | |
73 × 10½ | overprinted diag TL to BR | Grenada |
De La Rue was the foremost printer of postal stationery for the majority of British Colonies.
| type | dates used | image | dimensions | application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D{2} | 1886–93 |  |
89– 90 × 8½–9 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| D{2a} | as above | 89– 90 × 8½–9 | overprinted diag TL to BR | |
| D{3} | 1893–??? |  |
overprinted diag BL to TR | |
| D{3a} | 1893–??? | as above | overprinted diag TL to BR | |
| D{4} | 1893–1928 |  |
91½–93 × 8½–9 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| D{4a} | as above | 91½–93 × 8½–9 | overprinted diag TL to BR | |
| D{4r} | 1901–28 | as above | 91½–93 × 8½–9 | overprinted diag BR to TL (inverted) on reverse |
| D{4ra} | as above | 91½–93 × 8½–9 | overprinted diag TL to BR on reverse | |
| D{4rb} | as above | 91½–93 × 8½–9 | overprinted diag TR to BL (inverted) on reverse | |
| D{4rc} | as above | 91½–93 × 8½–9 | overprinted diag BL to TR on reverse | |
| D{6} | 1925 |  |
85 × 9½ | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| D{7} | 1926–27 |  |
65 × 10 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| D{7a} | as above | 65 × 10 | overprinted diag TL to BR | |
| D{8} | 1928–37 |  |
56½ × 7½ | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| D{8a} | as above | 56½ × 7½ | overprinted diag TL to BR | |
| D{9} | 1937–48 |  |
41 × 4 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| D{9a} | as above | 41 × 4 | overprinted diag TL to BR | |
| D{12} | 1941 |  |
82½ × 4 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| D{15} | 1942–43 |  |
42 × 4 | rubber h/s diag BL to TR in violet |
| D{18} | 1946–47 |  |
41½ × 5 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
Types D{2}, D{3}, D{4}, D{8} and D{9}, and their variants, were used consecutively during the periods shown above and are by far the most plentiful.
Types D{2}, D{3}, D{4}, and their sub-types, appear to have been printed from loose type set in a forme. In consequence, whenever the type was reset the length of the overprint varies.
During the period 1902 to 1928, when the stamp impression was printed on the flap of registered envelopes, and the flap was folded onto the front of the envelope, type D{4} was printed on the reverse of the envelope.
There are four possible orientations of the overprint: D{4r}, D{4ra}, D{4rb} and D{4rc} which are illustrated below. However, no example of type D{4rc} has been recorded.
Type D{6} was used for Cyprus and Mauritius in 1925.
Types D{7} and D{7a} were used for Dominica, Federated Malay States, Fiji, Kedah, Leeward Islands, Straits Settlements, Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1926 and 1927.
Type D{12} was used for Bermuda in 1941.
Type D{15} was used for Barbados and British Honduras in 1942 and for Swaziland in 1943.
Type D{18} was used on air letters for Cyprus in 1946 and Jamaica in 1947.
The only postal stationery printed by Harrison & Sons for a British Colony are one post card and two envelopes issued by Gold Coast in 1928 and 1931. However, almost all Palestine postal stationery was printed by Harrison & Sons and overprinted or handstamped SPECIMEN by them.
It is possible that other non-British items will be recognized as their production.
| type | dates used | image | dimensions | application | usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H{1} | 1927–29 |  |
65 × 7½ | overprinted diag BL to TR | Palestine |
| H{2} | 1931 |  |
50 × 8 | overprinted diag BL to TR | Palestine |
| H{3} | 1928–45 |  |
57 × 8 | overprinted diag BL to TR | Gold Coast (1928–31) Palestine (1933–43) |
| H{4} | 1941–42 |  |
55 × 7½ | rubber h/s diag BL to TR in blackish purple | Palestine |
| H{4a} | 1943 | as above | 55 × 7½ | rubber h/s diag BR to TL (inverted) in blackish purple | Palestine |
| H{5} | 1946 |  |
71 × 8 | overprinted diag BL to TR | Palestine |
ALL WATERLOW TYPES HAVE BEEN RENUMBERED
Waterlow & Co used a different type of SPECIMEN overprint on almost every item of postal stationery that they printed. Items printed and overprinted SPECIMEN by them have been identified for seven British territories: Basutoland, Bechuanaland Protectorate, British Guiana, Malta, Northern Rhodesia, Sarawak and St Kitts-Nevis.
25 different types of SPECIMEN overprint have been identified. These were used on Basutoland and Bechuanaland (3 types), British Guiana (7 types), Malta (6 types), Northern Rhodesia (5 types), St Kitts-Nevis (1 type) and Sarawak (3 types).
These types are shown below in the same way as those for other printers: chronologically by date of first usage. As the types are specific to individual British Colonies they are shown again in a second table according to usage.
Waterlow types in chronological order of first usage
| type | dates used | image | dimensions | application | usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W{61} | 1924 |  |
22 × 3 | printed horiz across stamp impression | Northern Rhodesia |
| W{62} | 1924–30 |  |
29 × 5½ | printed horiz across stamp impression | Northern Rhodesia |
| W{41} | 1927 |  |
33 × 3 | overprinted diag BL to TR | Malta |
| W{42} | 1927 |  |
36 × 3½ | overprinted diag BL to TR | Malta |
| W{63} | 1930 |  |
66 × 5 | overprinted diag BL to TR | Northern Rhodesia |
| W{81} | 1931 |  |
76 × 7½ | overprinted diag BL to TR | Sarawak |
| W{82} | 1931 |  |
51 × 5½ | overprinted diag BL to TR | Sarawak |
| W{83} | 1931 |  |
86 × 8½ | overprinted diag BL to TR | Sarawak |
| W{64} | 1932 |  |
98 × 7½ | overprinted diag BL to TR | Northern Rhodesia |
| W{11} | 1932–38 |  |
41½ × 6 | overprinted diag BL to TR | Basutoland (1933–35) Bechuanaland Prot (1932–38) |
| W{21} | 1935–38 |  |
68 × 8½ | overprinted diag BL to TR | British Guiana |
| W{22} | 1935–38 |  |
76 × 7½ | overprinted diag BL to TR | British Guiana |
| W{43} | 1936 |  |
71½ × 6 | overprinted diag BL to TR | Malta |
| W{12} | 1937 |  |
56 × 6 | overprinted diag BL to TR | Basutoland |
| W{13} | 1937–44 |  |
85 × 11 | overprinted diag BL to TR | Basutoland (1937) Bechuanaland Prot (1944) |
| W{44} | 1938 |  |
54 × 7 | overprinted diag BL to TR | Malta |
| W{45} | 1938 |  |
91 × 12 | overprinted diag BL to TR | Malta |
| W{65} | 1938 |  |
94 × 8 | overprinted diag BL to TR | Northern Rhodesia |
| W{23} | 1938–39 |  |
88 × 7 | overprinted diag BL to TR | British Guiana |
| W{24} | 1939 |  |
41 × 5½ | overprinted diag BL to TR | British Guiana |
| W{25} | 1940 |  |
98 × 9½ | overprinted diag BL to TR | British Guiana |
| W{46} | 1943 |  |
46½ × 5½ | overprinted diag BL to TR | Malta |
| W{26} | 1944 |  |
85 × 9 | overprinted diag BL to TR | British Guiana |
| W{27} | 1945 |  |
59 × 6 | overprinted diag BL to TR | British Guiana |
| W{71} | 1952 |  |
46 × 5 | overprinted diag BL to TR | St Kitts-Nevis |
Waterlow types grouped by country of usage
| type | usage | dates used | image | dimensions | application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W{11} | Basutoland Bechuanaland Prot |
1933–35 1932–38 |
|
41½ × 6 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{12} | Basutoland | 1937 | |
56 × 6 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{13} | Basutoland Bechuanaland Prot |
1937 1944 |
|
85 × 11 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{21} | British Guiana | 1935–38 | |
68 × 8½ | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{22} | do. | 1935–38 | |
76 × 7½ | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{23} | do. | 1938–39 | |
88 × 7 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{24} | do. | 1939 | |
41 × 5½ | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{25} | do. | 1940 | |
98 × 9½ | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{26} | do. | 1944 | |
85 × 9 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{27} | do. | 1945 | |
59 × 6 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{41} | Malta | 1927 | |
33 × 3 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{42} | do. | 1927 | |
36 × 3½ | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{43} | do. | 1936 | |
71½ × 6 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{44} | do. | 1938 | |
54 × 7 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{45} | do. | 1938 | |
91 × 12 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{46} | do. | 1943 | |
46½ × 5½ | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{61} | Northern Rhodesia | 1924 | |
22 × 3 | printed horiz across stamp impression |
| W{62} | do. | 1924–30 | |
29 × 5½ | printed horiz across stamp impression |
| W{63} | do. | 1930 | |
66 × 5 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{64} | do. | 1932 | |
98 × 7½ | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{65} | do. | 1938 | |
94 × 8 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{71} | St Kitts-Nevis | 1952 | |
46 × 5 | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{81} | Sarawak | 1931 | |
76 × 7½ | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{82} | do. | 1931 | |
51 × 5½ | overprinted diag BL to TR |
| W{83} | do. | 1931 | |
86 × 8½ | overprinted diag BL to TR |
The types listed below were applied by the Inland Revenue to postal stationery of Great Britain and to postal stationery of Great Britain overprinted for use abroad.
| type | dates used | image | dimensions | application | usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB9 | 1892–93 |  |
14¾ × 2 | handstamped on stamp impression | Niger Coast (1892–93) |
| GB16 | 1902–03 |  |
15½ × 2¾ | handstamped on stamp impression | Bechuanaland Prot (1903) Gold Coast (1902) |
| GB17 | 1907 |  |
16 × 2¾ | printed on stamp impression | Bechuanaland Prot (1907) |
| GB26 | 1903–04 |  |
12½ × 2 | handstamped on stamp impression | Great Britain (1903–1904) |
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