Tin Can Mail to Burma

Most collectors will be familiar with Tin Can Mails which is fascinating due to its nature of carrying method.  The cover I want to share with this post is a registered Tin Can Mail sent from doughnut-shaped Niuafo'ou Island of Tonga to Rangoon, Burma.  It was redirected to Rangoon Cantonment upon arrival to Burma.

The cover bears many handstamp cachets made by Walter George Quensell and postmarks.  Quensell created varieties of cachets in different languages and applied to the mails.  These can be seen on the example shown above.  It took about 11 months to deliver the mail to the addressee.  The datestamps on the covers read

• 10 Aug 1939 Put in the sea
• 28 Aug 1939 Niuafo'ou, Tonga
• 6 May 1940 GPO Sydney
• 20 May 1940 Perth, West Australia
• 12 Jun 1940 Rangoon GPO Registration Dept
• 14 Jun 1940 Rangoon Cantonment

The cachet on the upper left corner tell when the tin can containing this letter is dropped into the sea.  It reads "This letter, enclosed in a water-tight tin was put into the sea from the Union Line Cruise Steamer "Maunganui" off Niuafoou or "Tin Can Island", in the Tongan Group - Lat 15° 33' South. Long 175° 39' West. on the 10th August 1939.   G.B. MORGAN, D.S.C. COMMANDER"

Three stamps, recessed-printed by De La Rue, affixed on the cover depicted Queen Salote of Tonga and were issued to commemorate 20th anniversary of her accession.  One of the cachet reads "Jubilee Cover, HM Queen Salote of Tonga, 1918-1938, 11 Octb 1938".  HM Queen Salote Tubou, D.B.E., ascended the throne in 1918.  Regardless of being the philatelic cover, it is lovely and still hard to find one sent to Burma.

Who is/are Royalage?

Burma First Day Covers collectors may aware the term 'Royalage'.  The 1940 stamp centenary FDC prepared by Royalage - Rangoon is frequently seen in the market.  One of the example in my collection is addressed to Royalage, (Stamp Department), 218-37th St., Rangoon.

1940 Postage Stamp centenary FDC prepared by Royalage

But based on that cover, the identity of Royalage cannot be proved yet.  Richard recorded the Royalage as as Dealer. A firm trading at 218, 37th St., Rangoon, incorporating a “Stamp Dept.” that produced first day covers for the 1940 stamp centenary and the one pie stamp" in his book Who Was Who in Burma Philately.  The FDC prepared by Royalage for one pie stamp and comment from Steven Zwillinger in his exhibit is displayed below for your viewing.

<from Steven Zwillinger's exhibit>

So, who is/are the Royalage? The puzzle of the royalage is solved when I discovered earliest FDC prepared by Royalage.  Royalage also prepared FDC for 1938 KGVI definitive issue.  But, no pictorial cachet was created and simple pen writing marks said First Day Cover.  The rubber stamp impression identifies Royalage as bankers and traders.  So, it can be confirmed that Royalage is a group of bankers and traders.  They have their own stamp department, which may be helping them in posting of mail, and philatelic service for hobbyist.

Earliest cover with the word 'Royalage'

The cover is addressed to Mr Shamo Jamwa, C/O Rangoon Stamp Co., 138-30th Street, Rangoon.