The Project Gutenberg eBook ofGambiaThis ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.Title: GambiaAuthor: Frederick John MelvilleRelease date: September 12, 2008 [eBook #26601]Most recently updated: January 4, 2021Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Simon Gardner, Sankar Viswanathan, AdrianMastronardi, The Philatelic Digital Library Project athttp://www.tpdlp.net, and the Online DistributedProofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GAMBIA ***
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
Title: GambiaAuthor: Frederick John MelvilleRelease date: September 12, 2008 [eBook #26601]Most recently updated: January 4, 2021Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by Simon Gardner, Sankar Viswanathan, AdrianMastronardi, The Philatelic Digital Library Project athttp://www.tpdlp.net, and the Online DistributedProofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Title: Gambia
Author: Frederick John Melville
Author: Frederick John Melville
Release date: September 12, 2008 [eBook #26601]Most recently updated: January 4, 2021
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Simon Gardner, Sankar Viswanathan, AdrianMastronardi, The Philatelic Digital Library Project athttp://www.tpdlp.net, and the Online DistributedProofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GAMBIA ***
seal
I
n collecting the stamps of Gambia one cannot too strongly emphasise the necessity for guarding the stamps of the "Cameo" series against deterioration by the pressure of the leaves in an ordinary unprotected album. In their pristine state with clear and bold embossing these stamps are of exceptional grace and beauty. Sunk mounts or other similar contrivances, and a liberal use of tissue paper, should be utilised by the collector who desires to retain his specimens in their original state. A neat strip of card affixed to each side of the page in an ordinary album will have the effect of keeping the pages above from flattening out the embossing, but tissue paper should be used as an additional safeguard.
We have to express thanks to Mr. Douglas Ellis, Vice-President of the Junior Philatelic Society, for his notes on the postmarks—of which he has made a special study—and also for the loan of his entire collection of the stamps of Gambia for reference and illustration; to Mr. H. H. Harland for a similar courtesy in the loan of his collection; to Mr. W. H. Peckitt for the loan of stamps for illustration; to Mr. D. B. Armstrong for interesting notes on the postal affairs of the Colony; and to Mr. S. R. Turner for his diagrams.
To the first two gentlemen we are also indebted for their kindness in undertaking the revision of the proofs of this handbook.
T
he British West African possession known as the Colony and Protectorate of the Gambia occupies a narrow strip of territory (averaging 12 miles in width) on both sides of the Gambia river. The territory comprises the settlement of St. Mary, where the capital—Bathurst—is situated, British Cambo, Albreda, M'Carthy's Island and the Ceded Mile, a protectorate over a narrow band of land extending from Cape St. Mary for over 250 miles along both banks of the river.
The Gambia river was discovered by a Portuguese navigator in 1447; under a charter of Queen Elizabeth a company was formed to trade with the Gambia in 1588. In the reign of James II. a fort was erected by British traders at the mouth of the river (1686), and for many years their only traffic was in slaves. The territory became recognised as a British possession under the Treaty of Versailles, and on the enforced liquidation of the chartered company itwas incorporated with the Crown as one of the West African settlements. Until 1843, when it was granted separate government, it was administered by the Governor of Sierra Leone. In 1868 it was again annexed to Sierra Leone, and not until twenty years later was it created a separate Crown Colony with a Governor and responsible government of its own. At present the staple trade of the Colony is ground nuts, but efforts are being made to induce the natives to take up other products.
Postally there is little to record prior to 1866, which is the date ascribed by Mr. F. Bisset Archer, Treasurer and Postmaster-General, to an alteration in the scale of postage, the half ounce weight for letters being introduced. The rate to Great Britain was, we believe, from that date 6d. per half ounce.
Mr. Archer also gives this year (1866) as the date when the first postage stamps of the Colony were issued. This date was for a time accepted in the stamp catalogues, but it is now generally believed to be an error, the earliest records in the stamp journals of the period shewing the date to be 1869.
The postal notices we have been able to trace are of but little interest, the following being all that bear on matters of interest to collectors:—
On and from the 1st April, 1892, the Postage to all parts of the World on Letters, Newspapers, Books, etc., will be as follows:—
For Letters, 2½d. per ½ oz.For Postcards, 1d. each.For Reply Postcards, 2d. each.For Newspapers, books, printed papers, commercial papers, patterns and samples, ½d. per 2 oz., with the Postal Union proviso of a minimum payment of 2½d. for a packet of commercial papers, and of 1d. for a packet of patterns or samples.Fee for registration of any of the above named articles, 2d.Fee for the acknowledgment of the delivery of a registered article, 2½d.
For Letters, 2½d. per ½ oz.
For Postcards, 1d. each.
For Reply Postcards, 2d. each.
For Newspapers, books, printed papers, commercial papers, patterns and samples, ½d. per 2 oz., with the Postal Union proviso of a minimum payment of 2½d. for a packet of commercial papers, and of 1d. for a packet of patterns or samples.
Fee for registration of any of the above named articles, 2d.
Fee for the acknowledgment of the delivery of a registered article, 2½d.
By His Excellency's Command,(Signed) J. H. FINDEN,Postmaster.
By His Excellency's Command,
(Signed) J. H. FINDEN,
Postmaster.
Post Office, Bathurst, Gambia,3rd March, 1892.
Post Office, Bathurst, Gambia,
3rd March, 1892.
March 11th, 1897.
1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Post Office Ordinance, 1897, Inland Postal Regulations.
13. From and after the commencement of this Ordinance, postal packets may be sent by post between such places in the Colony of the Gambia and the Protected Territories adjacent thereto as may be from time to time notified by the Administrator.
14. The Administrator-in-Council may from time to time make in relation to the inland post hereby established such regulations as he may think fit—
For prescribing and regulating the places, times, and modes of posting and delivery.For fixing the rates of postage to be payable on inland letters and postal packets.For prescribing payment of postage and regulating the mode thereof.For regulating the affixing of postage stamps.For prescribing and regulating the payment again of postage in case of redirection.For regulating the dimensions and maximum weight of packet.For prohibiting or restricting the printing or writing of marks or communications or words.For prohibiting enclosures.For restricting the sending or conveyance of inland letters.
For prescribing and regulating the places, times, and modes of posting and delivery.
For fixing the rates of postage to be payable on inland letters and postal packets.
For prescribing payment of postage and regulating the mode thereof.
For regulating the affixing of postage stamps.
For prescribing and regulating the payment again of postage in case of redirection.
For regulating the dimensions and maximum weight of packet.
For prohibiting or restricting the printing or writing of marks or communications or words.
For prohibiting enclosures.
For restricting the sending or conveyance of inland letters.
and such other regulations as the Administrator shall from time to time consider desirable for the more efficient working of such Inland Post.
And may affix a penalty not exceeding ten pounds, to be recovered summarily before the Chief Magistrate, or two Justices of the Peace, or, in default of payment, imprisonment not exceeding two weeks for a contravention of any such regulation.
15. Any revenue derived from the Inland Post herein established shall be paid into the Colonial Treasury at such times and in such a manner as the Administrator shall direct, and shall be applied to the general purposes of the Colony.
Insurance of and Compensation for loss and damage to Parcels.
11. Subject to the provisions of this Ordinance, if any article of pecuniary value enclosed in, or forming part of, a parcel be lost or damaged whilst in the course of transmission through the post, it shall be lawful for the Administrator to cause to be paid out of the public revenues of the Colony to any person or persons who may, in the opinion of the Postmaster, establish a reasonable claim to compensation (having regard to the nature of the article, the care with which it was packed, and other circumstances), the following rates of compensation—
(a) In respect of an uninsured parcel, such sum, not exceeding twenty shillings, as he may think just.(b) In respect of an insured parcel the following scale shall apply—
(a) In respect of an uninsured parcel, such sum, not exceeding twenty shillings, as he may think just.
(b) In respect of an insured parcel the following scale shall apply—
We gather from the official handbook edited by Mr. Archer that a Government steamer maintains weeklycommunication between the Capital, Bathurst, and M'Carthy's Island both for passengers and mails. There is no house-to-house delivery of mails at either place.
Gambia joined the Universal Postal Union on January 1st, 1879; the Imperial Penny Postage rate was adopted from December 25th, 1898; and the unit of weight for colonial and foreign letter postage was raised from half an ounce to one ounce on October 1st, 1907. The Cash on Delivery system was introduced on October 15th, 1908.
The following table gives an outline of the postal business, the large fluctuations in the revenue being chiefly due to the fluctuations in the demand for postage stamps from dealers and collectors:—
Cameo Issue
T
hePhilatelistfor March 1, 1869, contained the first intimation of the preparation of stamps for the Colony of
"Gambia."We are proud to announce the preparation of stamps for this African settlement. In a central circle is Queen Victoria's coroneted head in white relief; in straight bands above is GAMBIA; below, the value, which, as well as the spandril ornamentation, is embossed in white. The stamp is nearly square, and the specimens possessed by our correspondent are imperforate. Values:
"Gambia.
"We are proud to announce the preparation of stamps for this African settlement. In a central circle is Queen Victoria's coroneted head in white relief; in straight bands above is GAMBIA; below, the value, which, as well as the spandril ornamentation, is embossed in white. The stamp is nearly square, and the specimens possessed by our correspondent are imperforate. Values:
The stamps were manufactured by Messrs. de la Rue & Co. by a double process of flat printing and of relief embossing, the flat printing being doubtless effected first and the embossing afterwards. This combination was unusually effective, and the finished stamps rank among the handsomest adhesive postage stamps known to collectors.
As embossing evenly over a large area presented considerable difficulties, the plates were made up of fifteen stamps only, in three horizontal rows of five stamps. The plates for both processes evidently fitted each other with precision, though in the printing occasionally the embossing is slightly out of register.
The paper is white wove and has no watermark, and the stamps were not perforated. There are two colours of the gum, one being the usual clear white: the other is a pale yellow colour, which may, however, be due to climatic influence, particularly as it is a noticeable feature of a number of the later issues.
The colour of the 4d. value varies in shade from a deep chocolate brown to brown and pale brown. The 6d. is pale to deep blue. There is a quite pale shade which is very rarely met with, most of the so-called "pale blue" specimens being an intermediate shade better described as "blue."
The sheets of both values shew one printer's guide dot in each side margin, opposite stamps No. 6 and 10 respectively (plate I).
Both values are known with the embossing shewing a distinct double impression.
There are some peculiarities in these stamps which, although their significance is uncertain, it may not be well to overlook.
Firstly, there frequently occurs throughout the embossed stamps of Gambia a small spot of colour on the back hair, which in later embossed stamps becomes a large spot, and even develops into a coloured indentation from the coloured circular ground.
In this issue the spot, when it occurs, is usually quite small, two copies of the 6d. examined shewing it somewhat enlarged.
Secondly, there are noticeable varieties of the pendant curl at the back. The normal design shews a fairly thick wavy curl with a hair branching out from it into the space between the curl and the neck. This sub-curl, as we may call it, is occasionally missing, broken, or as in No. 11 on the imperforate 6d. sheet (plate I), the curl and sub-curl have joined together, giving a very different appearance to the back hair. There are also varying lengths of the main curl.
In the sheet of the 6d. value the plates seem to have been slightly defective, and there is a gentle slope down from the centre to the outside stamp on each side (Nos. 1 and 5), the slope being more pronounced on No. 5, where the upper label containing the word Gambia is recognised as the variety with slanting label. The left side of stamp 5 is 22½mm. high, and the right side 22mm. That the peculiarity occurs reversed on stamp No. 1, though it is less pronounced, there can be no doubt. In later issues both stamps 1 and 5 shew the defect more prominently, as will be readily seen from an examination of platesI.,X., andXI. Curiously enough, the fault is not confined to the two outside stamps, as is generally supposed. The trouble is in the entire top row being ½mm. taller than the normal stamps of rows 2 and 3, except the left and right sidesrespectively of the end stamps (Nos. 1 and 5). The middle stamp of the top row shews a further peculiarity in the shape of the base of the neck. (Compare platesI.,X.,XI., withXIV.)
Copies of both values exist overprintedspecimen, and we have seen similar copies of all the regular issues of this Colony.
T
he introduction of watermarked paper for these stamps occurred in 1874, the paper being that familiar to collectors of British Colonial stamps as watermarked "Crown C.C." The paper was not readily adaptable for the small sheets of the Gambia stamps, and the method of cutting it to suitable sizes for these sheets has produced some varieties for the specialist.
Major Evans, writing in thePhilatelic Recordfor January, 1883, says:—
"Most collectors are probably aware that the stamps of the British Colonies printed in England are, as a rule, in sheets of 240, divided into four panes of 60, each pane consisting of ten horizontal rows of six stamps. The Crown and C.C. watermarks are arranged in the same manner upon the sheet of paper; each pane is enclosed in a single-lined frame. Down the centre of the sheet is a blank space of about half an inch wide; across the centre is a wider space, watermarked with the wordscrown colonies, which are also repeated twice along each side of the sheet."Some of my readers may have noticed that the watermark is not always very clearly shown in the Gambia stamps. This is due partly to the fact of their being embossed, and partly totheir being arranged in small blocks of fifteen—three horizontal rows of five—so that a row of five stamps is printed on a row of six watermarks, and in most cases a complete watermark is not found on any one of the stamps in a block. Very frequently the upper and lower blocks on a sheet encroach on the margins, and consequently some of the stamps show portions of the wordscrown coloniesin watermark; and I have seen a block which had been printed in the centre of one side of a sheet, and the middle row of which was watermarkedcolonies, while the upper and lower rows bore the Crown and C.C. Recent printings of some of the values of Gambia show the blocks printed sideways on the sheet, in which case each stamp will not show a complete watermark; and of these again I have seen a block with the vertical division of the sheet running across the central row."
"Most collectors are probably aware that the stamps of the British Colonies printed in England are, as a rule, in sheets of 240, divided into four panes of 60, each pane consisting of ten horizontal rows of six stamps. The Crown and C.C. watermarks are arranged in the same manner upon the sheet of paper; each pane is enclosed in a single-lined frame. Down the centre of the sheet is a blank space of about half an inch wide; across the centre is a wider space, watermarked with the wordscrown colonies, which are also repeated twice along each side of the sheet.
"Some of my readers may have noticed that the watermark is not always very clearly shown in the Gambia stamps. This is due partly to the fact of their being embossed, and partly totheir being arranged in small blocks of fifteen—three horizontal rows of five—so that a row of five stamps is printed on a row of six watermarks, and in most cases a complete watermark is not found on any one of the stamps in a block. Very frequently the upper and lower blocks on a sheet encroach on the margins, and consequently some of the stamps show portions of the wordscrown coloniesin watermark; and I have seen a block which had been printed in the centre of one side of a sheet, and the middle row of which was watermarkedcolonies, while the upper and lower rows bore the Crown and C.C. Recent printings of some of the values of Gambia show the blocks printed sideways on the sheet, in which case each stamp will not show a complete watermark; and of these again I have seen a block with the vertical division of the sheet running across the central row."
In addition the stamps have been found with the watermark reversed, indicating that occasionally a sheet has been fed into the press the wrong side up. Inverted watermarks of this Crown and C.C. type are also to be found.
Of this issue, which comprises the same two values—4d. brown and 6d. blue, imperforate—we get the following variations in the watermark—
The gum shews the same variation—white and yellow—as in the original issue. The 4d. stamp varies in colour from deep brown to pale brown; the 6d. deep blue to blue, the solid colour in this case presenting a very mottled appearance.
Again, both values are known with the embossing doubly impressed.
Very few copies of the 4d. of this issue examined shew the spot on the hair, but in the sheet of the 6d. (plate I.) there are faint spots on stamps Nos. 1, 4, 5, 9, 12 and 13.
No. 11 on the same sheet shews the curl and sub-curl joined.
The date of issue of these watermarked stamps is uncertain, but the 6d. was chronicled inLe Timbre Postefor December, 1874. The 4d. was not recorded in any of the contemporary magazines, and was probably not issued until some time after the higher denomination.
T
ogether with a number of other colonial possessions, Gambia was admitted to the Universal Postal Union on January 1st, 1879, and in June of the following year (1880) a more comprehensive series of postage stamps was issued, all modelled after the same fashion as the two denominations which had done service in the Colony for the previous twelve years. The convenience of perforation was adopted at the same time. The new series comprised the following values, the shades being given in the approximate order of printings—
[Footnote 1]The ½d. citron and ½d. pale ochre are generally believed to be changelings, due to atmospheric or other influences after the stamps were printed.
The ½d. citron and ½d. pale ochre are generally believed to be changelings, due to atmospheric or other influences after the stamps were printed.
The watermark on this issue appears variously upright or sideways, varieties of each being inverted. The normal "sideways" may be taken as from left to right. Portions of the marginal lettering and the vertical division lines of the panes are also to be found. The following is a synopsis of these varieties—
The subject of perforations is of peculiar interest in this and the next issue of the stamps of Gambia, as while to a certain extent the printings are to be differentiated by shade the chief distinctions may be made in the case of blocks and sheets by the perforations.
At first the stamps were perforated by a single line machine gauging 14. A single line machine, as its name implies, simply makes a single long row of holes in one direction—
In the present case, where the sheets were so small, the row is much longer than necessary, so in the sheets it extends through the margins on all sides, as inplate II.
The horizontal rows may be perforated first (one row at a time), and then the sheet is turned sideways and the vertical divisions are similarly perforated. A peculiarity of this style of perforating machine is that the points where the vertical lines cross the horizontal lines rarely fail to fall foul of each other, and an effect is produced like this—
In this manner it is possible to tell blocks and pairs of this perforation without any side margins. Single copies perforated in this manner can occasionally be detected by the distance between the vertical perforations. In the later perforation of this issue the distance is fixed (as will be shewn), and the distance is 20½mm.,measuring from perf. point to perf. point across the stamp. Any stamp differing in width to any extent more than ½mm. from 20½mm. may therefore be set down as perforated by the single line machine.
We have seen all the values except the 2d. rose and 1/- green perforated by the single line machine, in practically every case the C.C. watermark being upright, the exception being a strip of three 6d. with the sideways watermark. All the sheets with this perforation appear to have one printer's guide dot in the centre of each side margin.
The next form of perforating machine introduced in later printings of the Crown and C.C. 1880 issue is known as a comb machine. The comb machine perforates three sides of a stamp at once, and the form of the first comb machine was arranged thus—
The arrangement of the teeth of the comb fitted the arrangement of the panes of the regular Colonial postage stamps printed by Messrs. De la Rue & Co., the narrow spaced teeth in the centre marking the dividing space between two horizontal panes.
In perforating the stamps of Gambia in the small sheets of fifteen in three horizontal rows of five, both sides of the machine appear to have been used, the extreme end portion of the comb at either end running off the side margin of the small sheet. When the left portion of the machine was being used the sheet wasinserted upright and the top row of stamps perforated first, the effect being that the top margin is not cut through by vertical perforations, and the bottom row is (seeplate III.).
When the right-hand portion was in use the sheets appear to have been systematically inverted when placed in the machine. This left the bottom margin blank and the top margin cut through. Had the sheet been simply inverted and perforated by the same portion of the machine, as already described, the narrow spaced teeth would have been produced on the left hand margin instead of the right. A comparison of platesIII.andVI.will shew that the narrow spacing is on the right in both cases, but in III. the perforating has been started at the top on the left side of the machine, and in VI. from the bottom on the right side of the machine.
It is possible that sheets exist with the narrow spaced lines of perforation on the left side. We have searched in vain for such varieties, but they may exist. A sheet inverted when placed on the left side of the machine would shew the top margin perforated through, and narrow spaced perforation to left; while a sheet inserted top first on the right hand side would leave the top margin blank and the bottom one perforated through, and the narrow spaced perforation to left.
This comb generally perforates so evenly that there is no clashing of the perforations where the lines meet. Occasionally, however, a sheet may get off the straight and an irregular perforation occurs.
The sheets perforated in this machine generally have one guide dot in the left margin, and three at the right (see sheetsIII.-VII.,IX.-XI.,XIV.,XV.).
The ½d. pale orange vermilion exists doubly perforated at the top and sides.
A minor variety of the 2d. rose shews a small white spot ½mm. from the nose. The stamp is No. 6 on the sheet. The variety has been noted on several (not all) the sheets of this value, and in various blocks, pairs and singles.
The left and right hand top stamps (1 and 5) of the 6d. value shew the sloping label, which is now very prominent (seeplate X.).
All the values shew variations in the marks on the back hair and in the curls.
I
n 1886 a number of the stamps began to appear on the paper watermarked Crown C.A., the initials of "Crown Agents." The colours were changed, and a new value inscribed "2½penny" on the value tablet was added. The values and colours are—
All values exist with the embossing double; several with the embossing double, one of the impressions being inverted; part double and treble perforations; and the white and the yellow gum.
The watermark Crown C.A. is uniformly sideways in this issue, the normal position being from right to left (Fig. F.), but it may be found inverted (Fig. G.).