Showing posts with label Postal Stationary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Postal Stationary. Show all posts

Friday, 27 October 2023

British Postal Stationery Card used by Forces in Burma

The Lady Provost's Comforts Fund for H.M. Forces was a charitable organization in the United Kingdom that operated during World War I and World War II.  The purpose of the fund was to provide comforts and necessities to British servicemen and women serving in the Armed Forces during times of war. 

The Lady Provost's Comforts Fund for H.M. Forces sent goody parcels from home to soldiers fighting in the war.  A returned thank you card, shown below, signed and send home.


The card was cancelled with FPO No 82, dated 22 Jan 44. The location of this FPO on that date was in Tidim, chin state, Burma.  The FPO 82 was in Tidim from 14 Nov 1943 to 4 Mar 1944.  This FPO moved in and out of Burma and India over the time.  It was disbanded at Kamptee India on 23 Jun 1947. 

Thursday, 23 February 2023

Variations of Workers' Day Postcards from 1964

In 1962, postcards from the King George VI era were unearthed and overprinted to celebrate Peasants' Day and Workers' Day of 1964. The overprint was done on the writing space of the divided card, while the other side featured a printed poem. On 1st May 1964, the Workers' Day overprinted cards were issued to commemorate the celebration in Chauk. However, there were three variations of the Workers' Day overprint that were discovered.

Type I, with shadow, with black box

The first variation appears to have been overprinted twice. The initial printing included an image with soldiers and students, along with the text "La Min Publishing House, 30,000 PCs" located below their feet. For some reason, the text was later covered with a black block. Upon close inspection, it's possible to see that the people in the image have shadows, suggesting that this was from the first batch of cards printed.

Type II, without shadow, with black box

The second variation is without shadows, but interestingly, it does not have any text. However, the black block is still printed, creating consistency across the card. It's unclear whether the 30,000 pcs printed on the first variation refers only to the first batch or to all the cards produced.

Type III, with shadow, without black box

The third variation is the most unusual, as it lacks the black block but retains the shadows. These raises questions about how many batches were printed and in what quantity.

In conclusion, the three variations of the Workers' Day overprint highlight the intricacies and uncertainties of historical printing processes and raise fascinating questions about the production and distribution of these postcards.

Tuesday, 27 July 2021

Chin couple PSE overprinted at Voluntary Service Camp

The 15 Pyas Chin couple PSE of 1988 were recorded overprinted too.  The following cover was overprinted at Nyaunglebin Township, People's Health Youth Voluntary Service Base Camp.  The camp was opened for one month from 4.4.1988 to 3.5.1988.  Three dotted address lines were also printed.

 

The envelope was sold to participants at 50 Pyas each.  The original envelope price without the overprint was 30 Pyas only. 

Thursday, 13 May 2021

Postcard from Burma, disinfected in Malta

The disinfected mail is the mail or postal item disinfected or fumigated by Postal Authorities to prevent the spread of epidemics via letters from infected area.  It is customary that Disinfection Marking is applied on the item to mark the disinfection process.  The postal articles sent from Burma are hardly seen with disinfected marking.  The following postcard was sent from Burma to Malta, apparently with Disinfection marking.


The 1A international postcard was sent from Fort Stedman by a British soldier on 4 Jan 1898, addressed to Malta.  Fort Stedman is the British Headquarters for the Southern Shan states of Burma.  The location is currently known as Maing Thauk, on the bank of Inle lake in Nyaung Shwe township.  The postcard was transited Rangoon on 8 Jan 1898, Sea Post Office Aden on 15 Jan 1898.  

It finally arrived to Malta and was fumigated upon arrival because of the outbreak of the pestilence (Plague) in India.  The double oval "Disinfected, Lazaretto Malta, 20 Jan 98" marking was applied.  The Lazzaretto is a former quarantine facility and hospital on Manoel Island in Gżira, Malta.  The Malta postmark is dated 30 Jan 1898.  As the result of the fumigation process, the card has some stains, but still a lovely postal history item in my collection.

The study about the quarantine and postal disinfection against this particular plague were documented by V.Denis Vandervelde.  The page related is shown below.




Saturday, 17 April 2021

King Edward VII One Anna Post Card of British India, used in Burma

The King Edward VII One Anna Postcard was issued in 1907 for international usage.  The card is sized 139 x 89 mm and printed with Carmine on Buff paper.  The post card rate for UPU at the time is one Anna.  5760 cards were distributed to Rangoon in 1908.

The following postcard was sent from Mohnyin on 22 Aug 1910 to Cape Town, south Africa.  South Africa is considered a rare destination of items from Burma.  The card arrived at Cape Town on 3 Oct 1910.  Proud has seen and recorded only one date for Mohnyin postmark (KD3), so this is the second recorded copy with this postmark.


The second example was sent from Rangoon on 27 Feb 1913, sorted and cancelled at the stationery Rangoon Railway Mail Section Sorting Office.  The card was addressed to Surabaya, Indonesia and arrived on 9 Mar 1913.  The arrival postmark is on the reverse.


In 1921, UPU postcard rate was increased to One Anna Six Pies.  Obsolete One Anna postcards stocks were surcharged with the figures 1½ in black and released as an emergency or provisional issue.   Total of 26,880 cards were distributed to Rangoon in 1922 and 1923.  The following card was sent from Rangoon on 5 May 1924 to Germany.  There is no arrival postmark on the card.



Wednesday, 6 January 2021

Prepaid registered envelope with QR codes

Following the prepaid DEMS smart envelopes, Myanmar Post issued prepaid registered smart envelopes on 5th Jan 2021.  Initially it was planned to issue on 1st Jan, but was actually issued on Jan 5 due as 1st to 4th Jan falls on public holidays in Myanmar.

New postal stationery issued

The envelopes are printed by Za Company.  The QR codes paper slips are also printed and pasted by Za before they deliver to Myanmar Post.  The envelopes are bundled of 100.

The envelope comes with the trackable QR code and receipt.  Once posted, the tracking information part is teared off and given to the sender as acknowledgement.   Although there is no stamp imprint, the postage and registration fees are prepaid.  The envelopes were sold at 600 Kyats (200 Kyats of domestic mail up to 20 grams, 300 Kyats for registration fees, 100 Kyats for envelope).

On the envelope, it is printed "Do not exceed 20g".  But, the up-rated usage was experimented by sending 50g mail.  The domestic rate for 50g is 500 Kyats.  Additional 300 Kyats adhesives were added to pay for the balance.  According to the officer at Mandalay GPO, the Za system only accept up to 20g.  

Up-rated usage (50 gram rate)

Another up-rated example is with air mail fees.  The mail sent from Sittwe, Kawthaung, Myeik, Dawei and Kengtung can be sent through internal mail service.  This stationery envelope needs to be affixed with another 100 Kyats for air mail fees.

 

Up-rated usage (with internal air mail service)

The envelopes were first on sale on 5th Jan at most of the major post offices.  Some experimental mails were posted since 1st Jan.


Tuesday, 3 November 2015

Study on PSEs (Pre-stamped Envelopes) with 15 pyas Chin Couple III

Study on PSEs (Pre-stamped Envelopes) with 15 pyas Chin Couple III

Pyin Oo Lwin, Mandalay Division, posted from Pyin Oo Lwin to Yangon (27 Jul 1993)
Error: 01.35 value instead of 00.35


Pyin Oo Lwin, Mandalay Division, posted from Pyin Oo Lwin to Yangon (21 Jul 1993)
Error: 02.45 value instead of 00.35


Other parts:
Study on PSEs (Pre-stamped Envelopes) with 15 pyas Chin Couple I
Study on PSEs (Pre-stamped Envelopes) with 15 pyas Chin Couple II

Tuesday, 9 June 2015

Study on PSEs (Pre-stamped Envelopes) with 15 pyas Chin Couple II

Study on PSEs (Pre-stamped Envelopes) with 15 pyas Chin Couple II

Hpaan, Kayin State, sent from Hlaingbwe to Yangon (17 Jul 1992)
Hpaan, Kayin State, mint example
Sittwe, Rakhine State, sent to Yangon (11 Aug 1993)
Loikaw, Kayah State used to USA
Taunggyi, Shan State, sent from Taunggyi to Yangon, 72 Hr Delivery
Myitkyina, Kachin State, sent to Yangon
Mawlamyine, Mon State, sent to Yangon (19 Sept 1994)


Other parts:
Study on PSEs (Pre-stamped Envelopes) with 15 pyas Chin Couple I
Study on PSEs (Pre-stamped Envelopes) with 15 pyas Chin Couple III

Thursday, 7 May 2015

Study on PSEs (Pre-stamped Envelopes) with 15 Pyas Chin Couple I

Study on PSEs (Pre-stamped Envelopes) with 15 pyas Chin Couple I

The pre-stamped envelope with the stamp called Chin couple is started selling at Yangon GPO on 1 Jan 1988.  The stamp imprinted is identical to the 15 Pyas value of 1974 national consume issues, "The Chin Couple".  Above the stamp, there is the the Burmese phrase "စာပို႔ခ ၁၅ ျပား၊ စာအိတ္ ၁၅ ျပား".  Its direct translation is "Postage 15 Pyas, Envelope 15 Pyas" and the envelope was sold at the price of 30 Pyas.  15 Pyas is the domestic rate for the mail up to half oz on that time.  The cover is frequently used for foreign air mail with additional postage [1].  The cover below is posted to France.  It is affixed with additional 3 Kyats.

Socialist Republic of Burma with the Text "Postage 15 pyas, Envelope 15 pyas"
The "Union of Myanmar" PSE was first appeared on 31 August 1990.  The name of the country is changed, and the inscription above the stamp is deleted [2].

Mint Example of "Union of Myanmar" PSE
Due to the postage rate increment in March-April of 1991, metered rate of 35 Pyas is franked to surcharge the "Union of Myanmar" envelop, making it 50 Pyas postage.  The previous domestic rate of 15 Pyas was increased to 50 Pyas.  The Yangon GPO started selling these envelopes on September 5, 1991 at the price of 1 Kyat [3].

GPO(Yangon), Yangon Division, Domestic used in Yangon (24 Oct 1994)
Mandalay (Type 1), Mandalay Division, posted from Amarapura to Yangon
Mandalay (Type 2), Mandalay Division, posted to Yangon
Meikhtila, Mandalay Division, mint example.
Pathein, Ayeyawaddy (Irrawaddy) Division, posted from Myaung Mya to Norway
 
Hinthada, Ayeyawaddy(Irrawaddy) Division, Posted to Yangon
Maubin, Ayeyawaddy (Irrewaddy) Division, Posted from Pyapon to Yangon (Aug 1993)
Magwe, Magwe Division, posted from Magwe to Yangon (12 May 1992)
Sagaing (Type 1), Sagaing Division, posted from Ayardaw to Yangon (25 Oct 1994)
Sagaing (Type 2), Sagaing Division, posted from Ayardaw to Yangon (5 Dec 1993)
Bago, Bago Division, posted from Bago to Yangon (14 Aug 1992)
Pyay, Bago Division, posted from Kyithe to Yangon (sent on 4 Oct 1994)


Other parts:
Study on PSEs (Pre-stamped Envelopes) with 15 pyas Chin Couple II
Study on PSEs (Pre-stamped Envelopes) with 15 pyas Chin Couple III


References
[1] "New Issues for 1988", The Burma Peacock, Vol. 9, No. 3, Whole Number 33, Fall 1988, pp. 60-61.
[2] T.A Mickey, Khin Tun, "Pre-stamped Envelope", The Burma Peacock, Vol. 11, No. 2, Whole Number 40, Summer 1990, pp. 28-29.
[3] Khin Htun, "Revalued postal stationary envelope", The Burma Peacock, Vol. 12, No. 3, Whole Number 45, Fall 1991, pp. 69.