Page 12 - BWISC 60th Anniversary Display at RPSL, November 2014
P. 12
Frame 7
ST. CHRISTOPHER – THE PROVISIONAL ISSUES (1884–1890)
from the collection of Brian Brookes, FRPSL
The ½d green overprinted ‘ONE/PENNY.’ in two lines.
The Post Office at various times found itself short of certain values of postage stamps. Their way of dealing
with the problem was to surcharge existing stamps, initially at the office of ‘The Advertiser’ newspaper and
later at the Basseterre Post Office itself. The first surcharge ‘FOUR/PENCE’ on the 1875 6d green was issued
in December 1884 when the 4d grey supplies were running low. In March 1885 due to a shortage of halfpenny
values and large supplies of the 1884 1d carmine-rose having arrived in February, a diagonal ‘Halfpenny’
surcharge was applied twice on a number of 1d stamps at the Basseterre Post Office. In June 1886, with stocks
of 1d and 4d stamps being very small and having large quantities of the 1875 6d green which were not needed
due to the reduction in postal rates, the Post Office decided to overprint them ‘ONE/PENNY’ and ‘4d.’. In May
1887 due to a delay in ordering supplies they found that the supplies of the 1d value were almost exhausted so
the Postmaster decided to overprint the June 1882 ½d green ‘ONE/PENNY.’ in two lines. The final overprint
in May 1888 was applied to the 1884 2½d ultramarine in two lines.
ST. CHRISTOPHER – THE PROVISIONAL ISSUES (1884–1890)
from the collection of Brian Brookes, FRPSL
The ½d green overprinted ‘ONE/PENNY.’ in two lines.
The Post Office at various times found itself short of certain values of postage stamps. Their way of dealing
with the problem was to surcharge existing stamps, initially at the office of ‘The Advertiser’ newspaper and
later at the Basseterre Post Office itself. The first surcharge ‘FOUR/PENCE’ on the 1875 6d green was issued
in December 1884 when the 4d grey supplies were running low. In March 1885 due to a shortage of halfpenny
values and large supplies of the 1884 1d carmine-rose having arrived in February, a diagonal ‘Halfpenny’
surcharge was applied twice on a number of 1d stamps at the Basseterre Post Office. In June 1886, with stocks
of 1d and 4d stamps being very small and having large quantities of the 1875 6d green which were not needed
due to the reduction in postal rates, the Post Office decided to overprint them ‘ONE/PENNY’ and ‘4d.’. In May
1887 due to a delay in ordering supplies they found that the supplies of the 1d value were almost exhausted so
the Postmaster decided to overprint the June 1882 ½d green ‘ONE/PENNY.’ in two lines. The final overprint
in May 1888 was applied to the 1884 2½d ultramarine in two lines.
