An 1884 Straits Settlements cover is to lead a sale of south Asian postal history at Spink Singapore on September 20 with a $39,990-55,986 estimate.
The envelope is printed "S.J. Smith's Printing Office,/Bangk'olém Point, Bangkok, Siam", indicating it originates from a British post office, and is addressed to a residence in Germany.
 The cover was sent via a British post office in Bangkok |
It carries an 1883 CA 2c pale rose stamp alongside a Straits Settlements 1882 8c orange, both tied with a Bangkok circular datestamp.
The Straits Settlements, then British territories on the Malayan peninsula, began issuing their own stamps in 1867 after they became crown colonies.
Prior to this date Indian stamps or handstamps were used, as in the next lot - a cover sent from Singapore to Samarang in 1859.
It features a bisected 1856 4a black on white paper, one of only two known covers sent via the Dutch East India Company to feature this defect.
Another Straits Settlements cover, featuring an 1854 2a green block of four, is valued at $19,995-23,994.
In February last year, a Straits Settlements cover auctioned for $46,000 at Gartner Auctions in Germany.
We have our own Straits Settlements stamp available - this Malaya 1892 32c error.
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