New Hebrides Interisland Locals - More Info?

Here are two New Hebrides Interisland local postage stamps. I believe that these are the only two values. I've looked for them for awhile for a nice price, and finally found them.





Klaseboer's catalogue site (well worth checking out at http://catalogue.klaseboer.com/vol1...l/newhe.htm) recites this excerpt:

In 1892, the Australasian New Hebrides Company, took on the responsibility for handling mails for the NSW Postal Agency, the local manager being appointed postal agent. In 1896, it issued their its own commercial notes. By 1897, because of changes in trade and increased competition by the French and their well-subsidised shipping, the Company decided to charge for delivering letters between the islands, Vila and Sydney.The NSW government objected to this last, as the Company was already receiving a subsidy for delivering mail between Vila and Sydney, but left the question of charging delivery for inter-island letters up to the Company. Two stamps had already been printed for the purpose. They were issued on 17 March 1897. The Company eventually failed, with Burns, Philp & Co. Ltd. taking over its assets, including the remainders of the stamps, on 30 September 1897. On 1 September 1900, Burns, Philp & Co. Ltd. took on a 10-year subsidised agreement to carry cargo and mail, and the use of the locals was specifically forbidden under the terms of the subsidy. The Government of the Commonwealth and the Presbyterian Mission both contributed a subsidy. The remainders of the locals (140,000 1d, 94,000 2d) were sold by tender in 1913 to T.H. Nicolle, a Sydney stamp dealer. There is no doubt that these locals were genuinely issued to prepay postage. However, there are relatively few used singles bearing cancellations dated prior to August 1897, and no commercial covers are known. Copies dated after 30 September 1897 are likely to be philatelically used."The islands called at were Anietyum (Aneityum), Aniwa, Aoba, Aurora, Epi, Erromanga, Futuna, Mai, Nguna, Pentecost, Tongariki, Tonga (Tongoa), Sandwich and Vannaleva (Vanna Luava), also at times other islands, notably in the Santa Cruz, Banks' and Torres' groups.

Sources: "Billig's Philatelic Handbook", Volume 04, page 205, the names in brackets are those Hals/Collas use on page 39. and: "All about Burns, Philp & Company, Limited, Their Shipping Agencies, Branches & Steamers. John Andrew & Company, Sydney, for Burns, Philp & Co. Ltd., 1903.

Any other information would be appreciated!

Good Post - lots of info here: http://www.ro-klinger.de/NH/

Great Post Collin, loved it!
Never seen them before.
Great scans.

If you are interested I have the story of the
Military Franchise Issue of 1893
I am not sure if I have posted this on SCF before

Originally brought to our attention 1971-Bridger and Kay

I'd love to see it. I'm not familiar with the military issue.

Even though they aren't KGV, I like the New Hebrides Condominium KEVII overprints...the first of the Scott-listed British N.H. stamps, as well as a few of the later issues.

C.

I havn't seen yet, the opts.
I recall reading Glen Stephens article of 5 or so years ago,
suggesting collecting a full set of New Hebrides,
affordable and not quite yet discovered.
I didn't follow his advice.

CONDOMINIUM
In a recent advertisement in a British stamp magazine the well
known 'London stamp firm of Bridger & Kay gave 'some interesting
information as follows about a little-known "unissued" stamp of the
South Pacific.
Here is the story of the 'stamp, which was illustrated :


The power-politics of the late 19th century were nowhere
more apparent than in the Western Pacific Islands, where Britain,
Germany, France and America all schemed to establish spheres
of influence.


One of the several results of these attempts at Empire building
was the 'surprisingly long-lived Condominium which was
established over the New Hebrides in 1906 - by Britain and France,
neither of whose Home Governments really wished to get Involved in
the particular group!


Whatever the policies of Home Governments might have been,
local rivalries between the two national interests were strong
enough to force the issue; but before the compromise of
Condominium, the ambitions of Local French Military Commanders
produced an unusual "unissued" stamp, known as the "Military Franchise Essay' '..


Designed by Lieut-Col. Delauney and lithographed in four colours
on unwatermarked wove paper at Noumea, the stamps were intended
for use by French troops who were to be sent from New Caledonia
to occupy certain islands in the New Hebrides in 1893. The planned
"invasion" never took place so the stamps never served the
purpose for which they were Intended.


It it's a simple matter to plate the issue which was in imperforate
'sheets of only four, each design differing slightly in the style of the lettering used. The heads are those of President Camot of
France and Queen 'Victoria, both being named in the border of
the medallion: above them is the motto "Honni (sic) Soit qui Maly Pense",
and "RF" is repeated six times below.


Forgeries exist in the form of hand-coloured photo-graphs and
rubber-stamped impressions in black on orange paper.


Australian Stamp News December 1971

I took the easy way out and borrowed a scan from ebay seller anthonysstamps...hope he finds it to be good advertising. Here is the 1 shilling, used. (I have a couple, but none are used.) A bit of fading, but still gives a good impression. These were overprinted on Fiji definitives.

Bee-

There are some nice pieces shown on the Virtual Stamp Album NH site for which you provided a link. I'd forgotten that I'd been there.

Worth a look to see a nice group of pages set up as a virtual album...

C.

Just lucked into these from a small lot that was purchased for something entirely different (Canadian G overprint covers). A search turned this thread up.

I am not skillfull enough to do this, but is there any way of putting your two and my two in the same frame?

It would be interesting to see if there are possibilities for plating the issue. From your article, there are few enough of them around to make a comparison interesting.

Ambitious, backroads.

Here are four more I have since acquired, in case they are useful. Two slightly different sizes, which I tried to show by keeping the enlargements in scale (and shades, too).

An interesting detail about the New Hebrides Interisland Postage stamps is that they were designed by the larger-than-life Arthur Francis Basset-Hull FRPSL (1862-1945), philatelist, author, naturalist and public servant.

http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hul...-basset-6763

Indeed it would be a huge project. However, even in this tiny sample there appears to be enough variation to accomplish it. Whether the variation is in any way constant is a completely different question.

If someone were to acquire a large enough sample, particularily multiples, it would be interesting though.

I did a quick comparison of the 4 in this thread and obvious changes in the engraving show up with a minimum of examination. For example, just looking at the "TWO CENT" tablet shows breaks and spurs in the outline along with minor variations in the letters, particularily in the "E".

Could be fun.

Another style of the overprinted Fiji. The earlier example I posted above was done in Suva, but this one was done by De La Rue. No band obliterating "Fiji" and no stops after each line.




(This is SG16, 1910, for those scoring at home.)

Fascinating. There is another set of local inter-island stamps issued in the New Hebrides. In 1903 the Syndicat Francais des Nouvelles Hebrides issued a set of four stamps but they were not in use for very long. If anyone has any of these I'd be delighted to know whether they have any with gum. If not, it's possible that they were originally issued without gum although the jury is still out on this one! I do have photos of these stamps but regret that I cannot work out how to copy and paste these on to this message!
Tony Finch

Would anyone have any idea of the value of the 1p variety of Port Vila stamps in mint condition, very fine centering, post office fresh and no faults? I found one in a small batch of stamps I recently purchased which was comprised mostly of pre-1940 world wide stamps both used & unused.