Need Help About This Overprint On Victoria Stamp

did any one have an idea what is this overprint

Schmidt, Kustermann & Co.

S.K & Co

You may wish to change your thread title to

Need Help About This Overprint On Straits Settlements Stamp
To assist students in the future


https://penang.fandom.com/wiki/Schm...ntang_Hotel)

The local establish- Schmidt e Co. This firm also embraces the houses of Messrs. Schmidt, Kustermann e Co., Pinang, and Messrs. Schmidt and Kustermann, Hamburg, as well as an establishment at Schaffhausen in Switzerland. The founders, e Co., a branch from Messrs. Thomas Barlow e Bro., of Manchester and London. Their business connection with Singapore dates back over thirty years, but for a number of years they traded through agents here, and it wase Co., a branch from Messrs. Thomas Barlow e Bro., of Manchester and London. Their business connection with Singapore dates back over thirty years, but for a number of years they traded through agents here, and it was
Bib:
Twentieth century impressions of British Malaya: its history, people, commerce, industries, and resources Page 676




A 1900s postcard of Weld Quay. The Schmidt Küstermann Building, coloured dark orange, is visible along the row of colonial office buildings.

https://penang.fandom.com/wiki/Schm...ntang_Hotel)

Very likely revenue use.

Postage use.
The violet is a "Commercial Overprint"
prevents unauthorised use.

Look closely and a barred postal cancelling hammer is shown.

The barred cancel also confuses me.

In the UK, underprints were allowed, overprints were not, as they cancelled the stamp for postal use.

Overprints were used on stamps used as proof of payment of some revenue charge. Since those stamps were not used to frank items of mail, they could be overprinted to avoid theft.

Perfins were allowed without it affecting postal validity.

The colour of the overprint also is a colour commonly used for revenue stamps.

Was this different in the colonies?
Could you, postally, use a defaced stamp?
Or was the barred cancel applied afterwards during an audit, or is either the cancel or the overprint (probably a handstamp) a fabrication?

Update: yes, this was done in the Straits Settlements.
The Commercial Overprint Society of Great Britain does not yet have this company on its list.

Firstly, I do not consider myself a Malaya specialist.
These are my observations as "best of my knowlege"
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Or was the barred cancel applied afterwards during an audit, or is either the cancel or the overprint (probably a handstamp) a fabrication?

I very much doubt either. Both are genuine in my estimation
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The colour of the overprint also is a colour commonly used for revenue stamps.

and, commonly used for Malaya states commercial overprints.

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Could you, postally, use a defaced stamp?

Certainly, it has been fairly common throughout the commonwealth

India has many
Ceylon has many example the famous CAVE overprints (In black)

Penang / Straits had around 30-40 commercial companies / firms that used
commercial overprints, the famous being the "H.&. S.B. Co" Hong Kong Shanghai
banking corporation.

The only OVAL barred hammer impressions I am aware of is DUPLEX 14 (Singaporre)
and DUPLEX 17 (Penang)

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My estimation is that these Opts were mainly used to prevent unauthorised use,
and used tying the stamp to the envelope.

Malayan states also used a vast array of perfins as well, in this regard.

Straits had a ample array of fiscal stamps, to address that requirement
ands postage stamps, used for fiscal were generally had pen handscript
to witness cancellation.

Happy to be corrected.

The Commercial Overprint Society of Great Britain website confirms this type of postal use. It does not list this company (yet).

In the UK, this was extremely rare, primarily for a short period in 1971.

Bear in mind this Commercial Opt is not "Proven"
(seen extant on a cover)

Just the most probable, due to the initials and size of the company.

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Any idea on these two?
I thought an SCF member cracked the CMB Opt, but dashed if I can find it.

The list of companies, is one of "Potential"
It begins with the "List of qualified Jurors, Penang 1904" (539 persons)
which detailed their names and employers name.

From that 89 "potential" company names were segregated

It broke down to 89

"S.K.& Co was number 80 on that list.

Bib:
"Markings on Straits Settlements Stamps"
Firm Lists
Author: Michael Houde 2014

COSofGB mentions the CMB one, but states the user is unknown.

Aha! Thank you.

Sent to Commercial Overprints of great Britain
for their consideration to add to the list / database.

I'll report if I get an answer.

Rod, H & S B C is probably Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Company. Stuck on the others.

Cheers Tim,
That's what I had it as.
(Albeit, with the "No......" I suspect that was Fiscal, on a cheque or document)
Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Company used PERFINS mostly, I find.

The others are new to Philately, sent off for consideration

Always good to see information added to databases for the good of all.
Very satisfying.

Rod said...




The C.M.B. security overprint is found on Hong Kong stamps going diagonally downhill instead of uphill, used by the Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London, & China.

Rod, you might have been thinking of this thread:

https://goscf.com/t/65672

Here is an example from the rodsell.com website:




In my opinion, your Straits Settlement C.M.B. overprint is from the Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London, & China.

Linus