Page 22 - BWISC 60th Anniversary Display at RPSL, November 2014
P. 22
Frame 17
BAHAMAS POSTAL STATIONERY
from the collection of Keith Hanman
De La Rue was the original printer of this country’s early postal stationery: postcards, reply-paid cards,
envelopes and registered envelopes.
POSTCARDS: The first printing in March 1881 was for 10,150 postcards; this was followed by various
provisional and definitive issues up to the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Reply-paid postcards were first
introduced in 1883. Due to rate changes, there were local overprints of these cards with the inevitable
varieties. The last of these cards was issued on 25 August 1913.
ENVELOPES: The first postal stationery envelopes with a value of 4d were issued on 2 December 1880.
As with the cards there were local overprints. The later ‘Queen’s Staircase’ series were printed until 1927 with
a final printing in 1929.
REGISTERED ENVELOPES: De La Rue printed the first of these on 23 November 1893 and, in 1894, two
larger sizes were issued in small numbers. Inscriptions vary in colour from ultramarine to grey on buff
reinforced paper.
AIR LETTERS: The first of these was produced in July 1943 by De La Rue; later they were printed by Harrison
and by McCorquodale. Some of the Queen Elizabeth examples show striking varieties — missing vignettes,
missing colours, displacements etc. Air letters are still being produced.
A Die Proof of the head and frame with uncleared surround; the adopted design for the 4d postal envelope.
Die Proof of the 1930
King George V registered envelope in
orange-vermilion.
Cut-down Die Proof
of the 1½d postcard from the
De La Rue Collection.
BAHAMAS POSTAL STATIONERY
from the collection of Keith Hanman
De La Rue was the original printer of this country’s early postal stationery: postcards, reply-paid cards,
envelopes and registered envelopes.
POSTCARDS: The first printing in March 1881 was for 10,150 postcards; this was followed by various
provisional and definitive issues up to the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Reply-paid postcards were first
introduced in 1883. Due to rate changes, there were local overprints of these cards with the inevitable
varieties. The last of these cards was issued on 25 August 1913.
ENVELOPES: The first postal stationery envelopes with a value of 4d were issued on 2 December 1880.
As with the cards there were local overprints. The later ‘Queen’s Staircase’ series were printed until 1927 with
a final printing in 1929.
REGISTERED ENVELOPES: De La Rue printed the first of these on 23 November 1893 and, in 1894, two
larger sizes were issued in small numbers. Inscriptions vary in colour from ultramarine to grey on buff
reinforced paper.
AIR LETTERS: The first of these was produced in July 1943 by De La Rue; later they were printed by Harrison
and by McCorquodale. Some of the Queen Elizabeth examples show striking varieties — missing vignettes,
missing colours, displacements etc. Air letters are still being produced.
A Die Proof of the head and frame with uncleared surround; the adopted design for the 4d postal envelope.
Die Proof of the 1930
King George V registered envelope in
orange-vermilion.
Cut-down Die Proof
of the 1½d postcard from the
De La Rue Collection.
