Show here your Pacific Island stamped covers

norvic · Post by **norvic** » 08 Aug 2011 02:35

Over a year since we had anything in this thread, so here's a neat little item picked up yesterday, 1962. Always looking at things from the 50s and 60s.

norvic · Post by **norvic** » 14 Sep 2011 22:02

Gilbert & Ellice 2nd class airmail (unsealed) 1971 to GB with 2 x 6c dancers

huanga · Post by **huanga** » 30 Oct 2011 20:56

Tahiti. As usual the French [ did?] outshine all the others.

The front.

The back.

Huanga.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » 29 May 2012 00:27

Nice topic, maybe I have to scan that box of modern Tonga - commericial - covers one day to put it here.

No Tonga for today, even not a real cover send from the Pacific, he's just returned from it.

Belgium to French Polynesia and back in 1999.

Not that special if not for the writing on it. I do like the message urging the mailman not to deliver no matter where

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » 02 Jun 2012 07:33

A few covers from Tonga:

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » 05 Jun 2012 05:49

A couple of more Pacific covers:

Cook Islands, a bit toned and so on but the first one I got. Somehow there's some nostalgia around it.

What I really found interesting is how they made sure the overprint wouldn't ruin the royal's photographs by putting it sideways.

Tokelau, the first issue, found fairly easely but still a dream away issue.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » 05 Jun 2012 05:51

Something from Tonga:

Philatelic, but a nice item I think

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » 05 Jun 2012 05:56

And to close for today, a few covers from New Guinea, not PNG; Dutch New Guinea:

All philatelic, FDC's mailed to Dutch collectors just after they were issued:

The Dutch New Guinea itself is a rather small collecting area - not that much stamps issued and fairly inexpensive. But still, nice stamps, compared to modern Dutch stamps and an interesting piece of history - the Dutch trying to hold on a piece of their old East Indian empire but at the same time getting entangled in a complex part of Cold War history.

vikingeck · Post by **vikingeck** » 05 Jun 2012 06:41

lets not forget that Hawaii was once a stamp issuing Pacific Island in its own right!

vikingeck · Post by **vikingeck** » 05 Jun 2012 06:47

Samoa has not been very prolific in stamp issues recently and back at the end of the 20Th century , the use of cancellers sometimes left much to be desired .

This cover was cancelled at Sala'ilua village office on Savaii. The lady could not find her hand stamp so used the ( very worn) POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANK stamp -----2 March 1999---------

Similar thing happened at the Office at ASAU !

vikingeck · Post by **vikingeck** » 05 Jun 2012 06:52

Even the head office at APIA could not get the new date stamp right for several months

NOTHING REMARKABLE with this cover from AVARUA RAROTONGA in the Cook Islands

UNTIL IT GETS A BACK STAMP AT APIA!!!

manfaefife · Post by **manfaefife** » 06 Jun 2012 01:03

Just stuck this one on ebay, pity about the back of the Cover, Haapai, Tonga to Edinburgh.

tonga2 · Post by **tonga2** » 06 Jun 2012 18:43

Tonga 1984 Marine Life definitive 1s value x 4 pays airmail rate to Fiji

torstenweller · Post by **torstenweller** » 08 Jun 2012 13:24

I did not see a topic for Nauru Commercial Covers, so here is a cover to start us off -

"dead link removed"

Nauru 1955 (Jan) cover sent registered airmail to USA franked with Pictorials 2/6d Buada Lagoon and 1d Anibare Bay strip (3) tied NAURU / CENTRAL PACIFIC datestamps paying 2/- America airmail rate plus 9d registration fee

this item is currently available for sale in our current Torsten Weller Postal History Auction 11 (closing 19 June 2012) on our auction website http://www.torstenweller.com/auctions featuring 300+ lots of Australian and Pacific Postal History including material from Australia (KGVI and QE2 Pre-Decimal and Decimal), Christmas Island, Cocos Island, Nauru, Norfolk Island, and Papua & New Guinea.

Lakatoi 4 · Post by **Lakatoi 4** » 08 Jun 2012 14:09

Hi Torsten,

Don't forget I'm looking for those Austrian postal cards we talked about in Perth

Here's a Nauru cover (though philatelic):

danyeung · Post by **danyeung** » 11 Jun 2012 16:45

1975 Tonga to Tarawa, Gilbert & Ellice Islands (Bank of Tonga to Bank of NSW).

1974 Nouvelles Hebrides to LAE

1967 Westpac Samoa to LAE (from letter inside, it was the introduction of decimal currency)

1967 Fiji to LAE

1958 Soloman Islands to Sydney

1977 & 1981 Tuvalu to Sydney

1981 Cook Islands to Sydney (redirected)

Trinidad (front only) to Sydney

manfaefife · Post by **manfaefife** » 15 Jun 2012 10:28

I think this one was a good pick up for only £2, a nice hand drawn cover from British Solomon Islands, sender was Helene Colman, Secretariat, Honiara.

traralgon3844 · Post by **traralgon3844** » 15 Jun 2012 22:11

From the Pacific to The Indian Ocean.

Gilbert Islands to Christmas Island.

norvic · Post by **norvic** » 16 Jul 2012 06:52

Moving away from British Commonwealth islands, here's a New Caledonia cover I picked up today.

It might be 2000 but the date is very difficult to see; the stamps are 1985 (and priced in Gibbons at nearly £5)

torstenweller · Post by **torstenweller** » 30 Nov 2012 15:42

Here are a couple of further Nauru covers -

"Dead link removed"

Nauru 1924 registered to USA with Ships 5d brown and 2d orange and boxed violet PLEASANT ISLAND (NAURU) registered cachet alongside paying 4d foreign letter rate plus 3d registration fee

"Dead link removed"

Nauru 1968 airmail to Australia with single franking Pictorials 30c Poison Nut Flower carried by airmail via Fiji with violet boxed "Inaugural Flight Nauru to Fiji by Fiji Airways" cachet on face
[apparently commercial cover coincidentally carried on the first flight of this new service]

"Dead link removed"

Nauru 1975 airmail to Tarawa, Gilbert Islands with single franking Discovery of Phosphate 5c Albert Ellis

These items are available for sale in our current Torsten Weller Postal History Auction 11 (closing 11 December 2012) on our auction website http://www.torstenweller.com/auctions featuring 320+ lots of Australian and Pacific Postal History including material from Australia (Kangaroos, KGV, KGVI and QE2 Pre-Decimal and Decimal), Christmas Island, Cocos Island, Nauru, Norfolk Island, and Papua & New Guinea.

norvic · Post by **norvic** » 01 Dec 2012 02:02

torstenweller wrote:I did not see a topic for Nauru Commercial Covers,

We have a thread for 'Pacific not PNG', but not specifically for Nauru - and not many Nauru there either!

Rackrunner · Post by **Rackrunner** » 13 Dec 2013 14:24

Here is a Cook Islands cover to Canada which had postage added
when it got to New Zealand!

Would this be normal for items from Cook Islands and does anyone know
if it is paying the correct rate?

Thanks
Paul

vikingeck · Post by **vikingeck** » 13 Dec 2013 20:25

It looks like the 1/6d NZ stamp has not been accepted for mailing and from its position I'd say had actually been applied by the sender when in the Cook Islands rather than added later in Auckland.

The " L " line is UPU standard marking for NOT VALID FOR POSTAGE.

The 6d Cook Island is probably the rate.

The 1/6 has an AUCKLAND cancel presumably some sort of a check to prevent re use, though it has not actually done any postal service.

Frank_King · Post by **Frank_King** » 13 Jan 2014 07:54

Here are a couple I picked up recently out of a dollar box:

Rarotonga, Cook Islands

and Port Vila, New Hebrides

lesbootman · Post by **lesbootman** » 02 Jun 2015 00:08

I suspect that the 5c stamps on this 1972 cover may be SGF110a.

Inter-island cover

Global Administrator · Post by **Global Administrator** » 02 Jun 2015 00:17

lesbootman wrote:
I suspect that the 5c stamps on this 1972 cover may be SGF110a.

Yep a $US30 cover unless philatelic.

Global Administrator · Post by **Global Administrator** » 02 Jun 2015 00:31

I listed this hand painted Parrot cover up here for $US45 -

https://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=62133

FIJI 1959 4/- HAND PAINTED Parrot Bird FDC.

ANY hand painted FDC from anywhere in general is scarce. The Ogden hand painted Australian FDC from this era get $1,000s each – up to $A2,645 EACH! Detail here -

https://www.glenstephens.com/snfebruary08.html

I have NEVER seen a hand painted FDC from Fiji, and being a colorful PARROT design is a huge bonus of course, as Bird collectors go nuts over such things. A quite well executed watercolor painting.

This near identical Parrot cover from Australia shown above just sold for $1000s at Auction – literally $A2,316! And that is just an advertising envelope - link to that sale below.

https://www.glenstephens.com/snjanuary15.html

The 4/- was a high value, and even a printed FDC is scarce. The date of issue changed at late notice, hence the cover maker glued on the new date at base over original date.

Glen

lesbootman · Post by **lesbootman** » 02 Jun 2015 08:55

Global Administrator wrote:
lesbootman wrote:
I suspect that the 5c stamps on this 1972 cover may be SGF110a.

Yep a $US30 cover unless philatelic.

I don't have any reason to believe it was philatelic but I don't know.

I know that some addresses and addressees are tainted as being philatelic even though the covers might otherwise look authentic commercial items. Knowing stuff like that is down to knowledge and experience (I would be the first to admit that I have a lot less of either than most of the members of Stampboards).

A quick Google search reveals that L E Kieffer had some connection to the War Cover Club (as referenced by the Czechoslovak Philatelic Society of Great Britain Bulletin No 10 of May 1978).

Does a cover necessarily become philatelic if it is addressed to a philatelist? Another question!

I bought the cover from the sale (by auction) of the collection of a deceased collector held by the Pacific Islands Study Circle. I got it for rather less than US$30 (maybe because the 5c stamps were listed as being SGF110 rather than SGF110a) so I guess I am OK either way.

I've no real idea why but I've always had a philatelic soft spot for the 1963-72 New Hebrides series so I was pleased to add this cover to my collection ... and that was before I started to wonder if I was looking at a pair of SGF110a.

PBR · Post by **PBR** » 06 Jun 2015 22:30

Commercially used aerogramme forms from Tonga

5s rate to New Zealand, 23 DE 67

6d rate to New Zealand 13 MR 67

Cheers

pbr

PBR · Post by **PBR** » 06 Jun 2015 22:33

Commercially used Solomon Islands aerogramme forms.

15c rate to New Zealand (21 MR 78)

50 c rate to New Zealand (25. 11. 96)

Cheers

pbr

snowy12 · Post by **snowy12** » 07 Jun 2015 14:46

Here's one I received recently from Vanuatu.

Brian

PeterG · Post by **PeterG** » 10 Jun 2015 00:25

From Fanning Island (in Kiribati group) to the UK via Vancouver in 1917. Well travelled cover from a very remote location which housed a cable station which was damaged by a German cruiser in 1914 and then swiftly repaired. Picked this up in a large cover lot about 8 years ago.

ausfoo · Post by **ausfoo** » 03 Apr 2017 08:42

Going to a few Pacific islands on an extended trip this June.. Starting in Okinawa and all the way to Majuro (Marshall Islands), a roundtrip to Tarawa, and then extending toward Pohnpei and Yap (island of stone money) before heading "back" to Guam and then Saipan (N. Mariana Islands) and end in Hong Kong.

Anyone know how to hunt for stamped commercial mail on these islands?

laurie02 · Post by **laurie02** » 05 Apr 2017 11:03

I thought this would fit in here nicely!

Cheers

Laurie

laurie02 · Post by **laurie02** » 05 Apr 2017 11:12

And just one more,

This is one of my favourites

and back,

Cheers,

Laurie

laurie02 · Post by **laurie02** » 05 Apr 2017 19:57

Haha!

I found one more!

its not damaged, the scan cut the very edge off!

Cheers,

Laurie

Alan on Tyneside · Post by **Alan on Tyneside** » 05 Apr 2017 21:05

Two from the Solomon Islands in the mid sixties; top one is dated 24 May 1965, (first day of issue); the lower one is dated 13 Jan 1967. The surcharged stamps actually seem to have been in use longer than the original issue although my SG part 1 isn't very specific, giving the circulation dates as "1966 (14 Feb) - 67". The replacement definitive set didn't appear until May 68.

Solomon Islands 1965 and 1967 definitive covers

MrSamoa · Post by **MrSamoa** » 05 Apr 2017 23:12

Here is a 1/- bisect from Samoa used on a newspaper wrapper. It shows the 1p newspaper rate. Postmarked 16 May 1895. It is believed that only 1 sheet of the 1/- stamps were saved from a fire which destroyed the John Davis Post Office in Apia, Samoa.

The reverse shows the "S" from the masthead:

vikingeck · Post by **vikingeck** » 06 Apr 2017 00:13

Nice one Marty! This one is absolutely kosher!

They were also used as the 2½d letter rate on a few letters .

Info for anyone selling the Bisected perf 11 on piece with a BLACK postmark, these were done by Mr Davis cancelled by favour after the new stamps had arrived in Apia, to meet philatelic demand and not out of necessity as Marty's example was used.

MrSamoa · Post by **MrSamoa** » 06 Apr 2017 02:59

Alex-

how about these>>>>

John Davis went crazy.

MrSamoa · Post by **MrSamoa** » 06 Apr 2017 03:01

Alex-

Here are 2 cancelled in Black after valid usage>>>>

norvic · Post by **norvic** » 06 Apr 2017 05:08

laurie02 wrote:I thought this would fit in here nicely!

Cheers

Laurie

Not really in the spirit of the thread, considering there are already threads for New Zealand and that bigger island to the left.... can't remember its name

MrSamoa · Post by **MrSamoa** » 08 Apr 2017 01:58

Apia, Samoa. 26 February 1889. (2 1/2 weeks before the hurricane.) The USS Nipsic was present in Apia Harbor during the hurricane of 15 March 1889, during which the only ship to survive unscathed was the HMS Calliope.

USS Trenton United States Wrecked. One dead
USS Nipsic United States Beached and repaired, 8 dead
USS Vandalia United States Wrecked, 43 dead
HMS Calliope British Survived the storm
SMS Olga German Beached and repaired
SMS Eber German Wrecked and sunk, 73 dead
SMS Adler German Wrecked and sunk, 20 dead

Transit and arrival marks are on the reverse.

rochan2010 · Post by **rochan2010** » 10 Apr 2017 19:59

norvic wrote:
manfaefife wrote:This is a strange one it's a Pacific Island Stamp but used in GB !

Perfectly valid use. Any GB stamps which were overprinted but not surcharged could be used on inland post. So not Morocco Agencies Spanish or French, but Tangier was OK. Similarly with some of the Persian Gulf overprints, I think.

Does that extend to the higher value "Seahorses".. Ireland, Nauru, Bechuanaland Protectorate et al ?

satsuma · Post by **satsuma** » 11 Apr 2017 11:44

Here's a cover, posted 31 Dec 1971, unfortunately with no back stamp showing arrival date in Sydney.

It seems pretty expensive mail, the pink stamp is 5/-, the aqua stamp is 2/6 and the banana is 1/-; a total of 8 shillings and sixpence.

I'm not sure how you would classsify the usage; although it's addressed to a commercial organisation, the letter inside is from a staff member saying hello to the other staff.

It's a bit toned as is obvious from the scan.

satsuma · Post by **satsuma** » 11 Apr 2017 11:56

My mistake: the aqua stamp is 2/- not 2/6d. Eight shillings still seems expensive foe mail at the time.

vikingeck · Post by **vikingeck** » 11 Apr 2017 19:30

satsuma wrote:Here's a cover, posted 31 Dec 1971, unfortunately with no back stamp showing arrival date in Sydney.

It seems pretty expensive mail, the pink stamp is 5/-, the aqua stamp is 2/6 and the banana is 1/-; a total of 8 shillings and sixpence.

I'm not sure how you would classsify the usage; although it's addressed to a commercial organisation, the letter inside is from a staff member saying hello to the other staff.

It's a bit toned as is obvious from the scan.

Are you sure about that rate Satsuma? I can't find the Salote Memorial stamps in Gibbons at those values .

It seems to me that the value tabs have been obliterated . ....ie the 2/- and 5/- overprinted in black so not valid for postage anymore? Just memorial labels.

Also Decimal Currency was introduced in 1967 so were some shillings values demonetised ?

I only have a SG catalogue to 1970 , so what am I missing here ?

satsuma · Post by **satsuma** » 11 Apr 2017 20:22

According to info from the net:
These stamps came out in 1971.
There are six values in the heart shape: 2 shillings, 3 shillings, 5 shillings,
15 shillings, 25 shillings, and 50 shillings.
They are SG345/50

I have an image from ebay of the six but I keep getting the error message
It was not possible to determine the dimensions of the image

Brummie · Post by **Brummie** » 11 Apr 2017 20:49

There is a problem with loading images this evening.

satsuma · Post by **satsuma** » 11 Apr 2017 22:05

Here they are: