Falkland Philately

Registration Labels from New Island

2012-01-23T21:54:00.000-08:00

Type N1

Leppard: 10 known. Dates 5 Dec 1913 (1 cover), 15 July 1915 (4 covers)

and 22 Nov 1915 (as above, 5 covers).

The label is reported used without alteration at South Georgia in 1914, 1920(2)

and 1921 (5) and likewise in Stanley unaltered in 1920 (3).

Denson: 3 images: 2 on piece from 15 July 1915, and 1 cover from 22 Nov 1915,

So, we actually have more examples of this label used in offices other than New Island than we have used at New Island.

Beautiful cover, isn't it? Covers addressed to Mr. Wilson often are.

Type N2

NEW ISLAND on top

Falkland Islands on bottom

This label was never in use at New Island but is known without erasure at Fox Bay in 1926(3) and 1927(1), and in South Georgia in 1920(1), 1921(3), and 1922(1). Used as in this example, at Port Stanley, with ~~NEW ISLAND~~ struck out it is type 11A and, I believe, Hugh Osborne has 30 examples recorded in 1944 and 1945.

South Shetlands Registration Labels

2012-01-14T15:46:00.000-08:00

I had thought that there were no registration labels from the South Shetlands. I located this cover in a Shreve auction catalog. According to Hugh Osborne the cover first surfaced in a Feb 2004 auction by the Victoria Stamp Company. He believed it was bought by David Flaat, whose collection was later sold by Shreve.

Here is the label, enlarged as well as I can do, given the quality of the initial image.

Type SS1

One fact which is instantly obvious is that the "So. SHET." was added after the label was affixed to the envelope, as is shown by the writing extending onto the envelope. Labels of from Stanley with the office name struck out and replaced in writing are known on Fox Bay covers, and South Georgia covers. This label seems to be a Stanley type 6B, which is known in use in Stanley from 1928-1933, and in 1945. I don't know if any other labels are tied to the cover by the writing. A type 6B label on a cover dated in 1929 is nothing extraordinary. It is the writing that makes this remarkable. The obvious question is: whose writing is it? Is this a label that has been "improved" by a collector, or is this a label which was modified by the postal authorities so that it would accurately reflect the office of origin of the letter, as required by the UPU? I'll let you know if any further information turns up.

Meanwhile, according to Hugh Osborne he has seen a photocopy of the back of the cover, which shows an arrival cancel in Oakland, Ca, USA on April 10, 1930. His best guess is that the cover went from the South Shetlands to Port Stanley on the William Scoresby, arriving on 11 Jan 1930. From the Falkland Islands it went to Punta Arenas, Chile, on the PSNC Orduna which departed from Port Stanley on 3 Feb 1930. From there the route gets sketchy as the cover might have gone directly to the US, or via England.

2012-01-08T18:18:00.000-08:00

Registration labels of Port Stanley (article in progress)

Port Stanley, or Stanley, as the post office is now designated, is the major center for processing not only the mails from the Falkland Islands, but also from some of the outlying bases. As you might imagine, it has the most complex series of registration labels of all of the offices that use them. There are 30 or more major types, and a number of varieties of those types. In time I hope to have them all illustrated and discussed here. I've posted a few covers addressed to famous collectors: Mr. Wilson and Rev. Iremonger. Many of the most attractive covers from this period are addressed to one or the other of them.

The earliest cover I have an image of which bears a Falkland Islands registration label

dated by Stefan Heijtz as 2 December 1907

CONTENTS

I. The Early Labels, Issued in Sheets (Types 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E, 6, 6A, 6B, 6D?, 7, 7A

II. The Pre-war Four Digit Coil Labels: Types 5F, 6C, 8, 9, 9A, 9B, 9C, 10, 12)

III. Makeshift labels After the 1944 post office Fire: Type 11, 11v1, 11A

IV. Post-War Four Digit Labels: 12A, 12B, 12C, 13, 14, 15, 15A

V. The Six Digit Labels

VI. The Larger Labels

VII. The Bar Code Labels

VIII. Timeline

SECTION I: The early labels, issued in sheets.

1907-1938

Type 1

Characteristics: Single line text, title case. ‘No.” tocenter

Known dates of use: 13 Aug 1907 - 9 Sep 1912.

Information: Leppard: 14 seen. Dates 13 Aug 1907 to 6 June1912

Mitchell: [1]15Recorded examples. Same date range

Highestnumber 225.

Denson: 7 images. Dates: 2 Dec 1907 – 9Sep 1912. (#181)

This month is unclear on the image, could be April instead of September.

This simple design seems to be the beginning of the registration labels in the Falkland Islands and the areas associated with them. Here are the earliest listed dates of labels from the early days:

Falkland Islands (Stanley) - 13 Aug 1907

South Georgia - 10 July 1910

Falkland Islands (Fox Bay)- 19 Sep 1914

Falkland Islands (New Island) - 5 Dec 1913

[1] I haveMitchell’s listing, which mentions Leppard’s death, courtesy of Hugh Osborne. Ido not have the date of Mitchell’s listing, but it must postdate that ofLeppard.

Type 2

Charactertistics: Single line of text, all caps. Number to center.

Known dates of use: 06 Aug 1908 to 12 Jan 1913

Information:

Leppard: 12 seen. Dates 6 Aug 09 to 15 May 11

Mitchell: 12 known. Dates 17 Mar 1909[1]to 5 Aug 1911.

Since there are no new covers, these dates must reflect arevision of dates on known covers,

suggesting that they are as difficult toread as images of them on ebay show. Highest number 174.

Denson: 6 images. Dates 7 Sep 1910– 12 Jan, 1913 (+1 not readable) Highest number 157

This label seems to have been in use at the same time as type 1.

[1] See theRegistration Label article in the UG June 1986, Vol VIII, #4, page 121 afterLeppard’s death where this date is announced and attributed to Mr. W. M. Barberwith a note saying Leppard thought it was the earliest known use.

Type 3

Characteristics: Single line text, title case,"Island" is singular, no “s”. Number to center.

Known period of use: 12 Aug 1912 - 23 Aug 1913

Information: Leppard 18 seen: 12 Aug 1912 to 8 Aug 1913

Mitchell: 24 recorded. Dates: 12 Aug 1912 to 23 Aug 1913

Highestnumber 244.

Denson: 12 images: Dates: 12 Sep1912-3 Aug 1913

(but I believe the auction house listed the imperfect cancelstrike as 1915 on this cover)

This label contains a typo. Nevertheless the data indicate at least 3 sheets were used.

Type 4

Characteristics: 2^nd line text “Stanley” in title case, and in parenthesis, period follows.

Known period of use: 23 Aug 1913 to 5 Nov 1914

Information: Leppard 13 seen. Dates: Oct 1913 to 5 Nov 1914
Mitchell: 14 recorded . Dated 23 Aug 1913 and 5 Nov 1914

Highest number seen: 197

Denson: 7 images: Dates: 20 Nov1913 – 10 Sep 1914

Highest number 239

This is the first label to designate the office of use in addition to the colony. Around this same time the New Island labels came into use, and soon thereafter, Fox Bay also got labels. Each office was designated. Here are the earliest known use dates:

Falkland Islands (Stanley) - 23 Aug 1913
Falkland Islands (Fox Bay)- 19 Sep 1914
Falkland Islands (New Island) - 5 Dec 1913

These dates are not necessarily the dates the labels were first introduced, of course.

As you can tell from the highest number listings,
I have at least one image that Leppard and Mitchell did not.

Type 5 Group of labels

There are 7 types in the type 5 family. All of them share these characteristics: The text is all caps, the office is in parentheses and there is no following period (unlike type 4). They are designated types 5, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E, 5F. I must confess that I have not yet determined how to distinguish all of them. I will post what I know, and hope for expert assistance with the others. As you can see from the table below, I am having trouble with Types 5, 5A, and 5B. I have examined 40 images of covers with type 5 labels on them cancelled between 1914-1924 and I still do not have a clue what differences there are between types 5, 5A, and 5B. I am not alone in this, and will try to get coherent descriptions together. Meanwhile here is the published information.

5 1915-1922

5A 1914-1924

5B 1919-1926

5C larger "N" in "No." 1923-1926

5D "No" set near divider bar at left. 1928-1935

5E no left parenthesis before "STANLEY" 1928-1931

5F -(coil) 4 digit number with leading zeros if necessary 1935-1936

As you see a label on a cover dated prior to 1919 could be type 5 or 5A, and from 1919-1922, 5, 5A or 5B, and from 1923-1924, type 5A or 5B. These last covers could also be type 5C - but I can distinguish type 5C from the others.

Type 5

Characteristics: Shorter "No."

Information: Leppard: 12 seen. Dates: 14 Sep 1915 to 9 Jun1922

Mitchell: 14 recorded . Dates: 14 Aug 1915 and 9 June 1922(same)

Highestnumber seen 140.

Type 5A

Characteristics: same as type 5

Information: Leppard: 40 seen. Dates 30 Aug 1914 to 18 Dec1924

Mitchell: 42 recorded. Dates: 30Aug 1914 and 18 Dec 1924 (same)

Highestnumber seen 236.

Type 5B

Characteristics: Same as types 5 and 5A.
The “N” is shorter than thenumber

(or at least not taller as is the “N” of type 5C, and its right uprightis thinner than the left)

Information: Leppard 18 seen. Dates: 18 Dec 1919 to 12 Aug26.

Mitchell: 20 recorded. Dates: 22Oct 1918 and 12 Aug 1926.

Highestnumber seen: 196

Type 5, or 5A, or 5B cover.

"N" same size as numerals. An interesting cover to Mr. Wilson. It has two different dates in the cancels. The cancel to the left is AP 24 20, the other three are FE xx 20. Perhaps the mails were held up?

Type 5C

Characteristics: "N" larger than numbers, and bold.

Known period of use: 28 Apr 1923 - 22 Apr 1926

Information: Leppard 13 seen. Dates: April 1923 to March1926.

Mitchell: 16 recorded. Dates: 28Apr 1923 and 22 April 1926

Highestnumber seen 241.

Denson: 17 images: Dates: 30 August 1923 - 4 March 1926.

Type 5C on a cover cancelled in the South Shetlands 1 March 1924.

Rev. Iremonger, like Mr. Wilson, is the receipient of several interesting early covers. This one would have had the label affixed in Stanley as no labels are believed to have been available at Deception Island, which was the location of the post office in the South Shetlands,

Type 5D

Characteristics: "No." set at left rather than centered, shaped differently too.

Known period of use: 10 Jan 1928 - 7 Jun 1935

Information: Leppard “Many seen” Dates: Aug 1929 to June 1935

Mitchell: 44 recorded. Dates: 10Jan 1928 and 7 June 1935.

Highest numberseen: 238

Denson: 27 images. Dates: 5 Oct 1928 – 30 Dec1933.

Highestnumber: 231. Number of rolls: 7.

I have one example with an unreadable date, from a Nova auction. Their date in the sale catalog was 13 November 1924, and presumably Stefan Heijtz dated it, but I am reluctant to accept a date which moves the earliest known use back 5 years, when I can't read it on the image. I will try to confirm this date.

Type 5D cover 11 Sep 1929

A nice cover. Mr. Wilson caused a considerable number of Falkland Islands covers to be made, and they tend to be good looking covers. Philatelic, perhaps, but nice to look at.

Type 5E

Characteristics: Type 5D but no leftbracket before “STANLEY”

Period of known use: 10 Jan 1928 - 6 Mar 1931

Information: Leppard. 14 seen. Dates 2 Sep 1929 to 16 Dec1930

Mitchell: 20 recorded. Dates: 9July 1929 and 6 March 1931.

Highestnumber seen: 206

Upland Goose, Dec 87 p 45 reportfrom Aubrey Halpern 10 Jan 1928.

Denson: 1 image. 13 Nov 1929.

Type 5F

Type 5F is listed with the coils, in the next section. It has a 4 digit number with leading zeros where necessary.

Type 6

Charactertistics: Title case, "S" under "an"

There are 4 members of the type 6 group of labels and they differ from one another in the placement of

"(Stanley)" relative to "Falkland Islands." You will have noticed that the type 6 group has the type in title case where as the type 5 group is all caps. Here is a list of the type 6 group members and their characteristics.

Type 6 - "S" under "an"

Type 6A - "S" under "lk"

Type 6B -"S" under "k"

Type 6C - "S" under "la"

Type 6D? - No period after "No"

Type 6 information:

Known period of use: 15 Feb 1925 - 15 Feb 1929

Leppard: 22 seen. Dates 16 Sep 1925 to 5 Oct 1928.

Mitchell: 25 recorded. Dates: 15Feb 1925 and 16 Nov 1928.

Highestnumber seen: 247

Denson: 10 images: Dates: 15 Mar 1927 – 15 Feb1929 (59//227)

Type 6A

Characteristic: "S" under "lk"

Information: Leppard. 40 seen. Dates 14 Feb 1928 to 3 March 1938

Mitchell: 40 recorded. Dates: 14Feb 1928 to 3 March 1938. (Same)

Highestnumber: 232

Denson: 2 images: 10 March 1932 (Stanley use), 14 March 1932 (Fox Bayuse)

Type 6B

Type 6B #60 with lower sheet margin

Information: Leppard. 34 seen. Dates 15 Feb 1929 to 9 Feb1945

Mitchell: 40 recorded. Dates: 15 Feb 1929 to 9 Feb 1945.

Highestnumber: 250.

Denson: 11 images. Dates: 2 March 1928- 3 Feb 1933. Numbers: 39//231

Type 6C is a 4 digit coil and will be discussed in the next section.

Type 6D?

Characteristic: No period after "No"

This label is probably a variety of type 6B. Only one copy has emerged so it might just be a freak. I could not rotate it enough to level it out due to its angle on the cover.

Type 7

Characteristic: "I" under "F"

Type 7v1 (Type 7A)

Characteristic: "I" left of "F"

Type 7 information

Reported date range: 27 March 1926 - 29 Jan 1936

Leppard. “Many seen”. Dates: 27 Mar 1926 to 8 Nov 1933

“Used in conjunction with Fox Bay mail in 1927, 1929, 1930.

Used in conjunction with South Shetlands mail in 1927”

Mitchell: 50 recorded, Dates: 27 Mar 1926 to 28 Dec 1935.

Highestnumber seen: 247

Denson: 20 images: 1 Mar 1927 to 29 Jan 1936. Highest number= 247

Type 7v1 (7A) information

Leppard. 19 seen. Dates: 21 May 1928 to 29 Jan 1936

Mitchell; 23 recorded. Dates: 14 Sep 1926 to 29 Jan 1936

Highestnumber seen: 223

Denson: 3 images: 21 Aug 1929 to 7 May 1935. Highest = 240 (1 May31)

Type 7v2 (7B) ?

One copy of a type 7 group label has been reported with the "I" right of the "F".

Information: Leppard. 1 seen. Date: 8 Nov 1933

Mitchell does not record single examples.

Denson: no image.

This label was mainly used on mail cancelled in Fox Bay, and is discussed more in the Fox Bay article.

SECTION II: THE 4 DIGIT COILS

Four digit coils are easy to identify. The vertical sides are imperforated, and the number is always expressed in 4 digits, often with a leading zero. The labels from sheets, in use prior to the coils, are perforated on all 4 sides, and their numbers have no leading zeros. Thus the first label in a coil roll will be number 0001, in a sheet it will be number 1. The first registration labels issued in coils, instead of sheets, were possibly type 6C, or else, type 8. Here is the cover bearing a registration label coil with the earliest postmark. The next earliest reported use is 30 Dec 1933, 3 years later. Within a bit more than a year the type 5F coils are known in use, followed in several months by the type 6C coils. To simplify use of this article, I am going to illustrate and discuss these labels in the order of their type numbers rather than their introduction to use. Why there are 3 designs of labels in use in the same period is a question I will speculate about in section VII of this article.

Type 6F cancelled xx MR 1930

This cover, if the label is original to it, suggests that the coil labels were introduced in 1930 as an experiment, for it was over 3 years until a second type of coil label was introduced, and no other examples of coil labels on covers postmarked between this one and the Dec 1933 type 8 cover are known. If this cover is not authentic, then the cover shown below is the first clearly dated cover with a registration label coil on it. I discuss the 1930 cover in section VII of this article.

Type 8, cancelled 2 July 1934.

Type 5F

Characteristics: Text is all caps, parentheses around office name.

Information: Range of reported dates: 9 Feb 1935 -10 Jan 1936
Numbers known range: 0024/2976

Leppard. 9 seen. Dates 9 Feb 1935 to 31 Dec1935.

Mitchell: 9 recorded. Dates: 9Feb 1935 and 31 Dec 1935. (same)

Highestnumber 2648.

Denson: 13 images: 10 July 1935– 10 Jan 1936

Highestnumber 2976

(all but one of my examplesare franked with Jubilee stamps)

Type 6C

Characteristics: Text is in title case, parentneses around office name.

Information: Range of reported dates: 3 May 1935 - 27 June 1937

Leppard. 4 seen. Dates ~~12 May 1935~~ 3 May 1935[1]to 27 June 1935 “RARE”

Mitchell: 9 recorded. Dates: 19 Nov1936[2]and 27 June 1937.

Highestnumber: 0482

Denson: 10 images: 31 Dec 1935 – 12 May 1937 (Coronation FDC) //0495

The March 1930 cover seems too anomalous to put forward as a earliest known date of use.

[1] Reported byMr. G. Guzzio in the UG June 1986, Vol VIII, #4, page 121 after Leppard’sdeath.

[2] This islater than the earliest Leppard reported. Why?

Type 8

Characteristics: Text all caps, comma after ISLANDS, no parentheses around STANLEY.
Type 8A is the same, except it has no comma.

Information: Range of reported dates: 30 Dec 1933- 5 Sep 1935

Leppard. 17 seen. Dates 30 Dec 1933 to 11 July1934. “Earliest coil”

Mitchell: 18 recorded. Dates: 30Dec 1933 to 5 Sep 1935.[1]

Highestnumber seen: 730

Denson: 5 images: Dates 5 Jan1934 – 14 May 1938.

Highestnumber seen: 500

Type 8A

Information: Leppard. 19 seen. Dates 7 May 1935 to Jan 1936

Mitchell: 23 recorded. Dates: 7May 1935 to 27 Jan 1936.[1]

Highestnumber 413.

Denson: 18 images: Dates 7 May1935 to 2 Apr 1936

Highestnumber: 451.

[1] Reported byMr. W.M. Barber in the UG June 1986, Vol VIII, #4, page 121 after Leppard’sdeath.

[1] The 5 Sep 35date reported by Mr. C. P. Corney in the UG June 1986, Vol VIII, #4, page 121after Leppard’s death.

Type 9 Group:(types 9, 9A, 9B, 9C)

Group characteristic: "STANLEY" in top line of text. Smaller typeface than type 12.

Type 9 - “S” over “L” thin divider

Type9A – S over LK, thick divider

Type9B – S well over LK, thin divider.

Type 9C -Thick divider, S right over L stem, tall N

Type 9

Characteristics: S over L, thin divider

Known use: 7 May 1935 - 14 July 1941*

Information: Leppard. “Many seen”. Dates: 7 May 1935 to May1939,

but also Aquila Airmail, April-May 1952.

Mitchell: 52 recorded. Dates 7May 1935 and 1 May 1952. (same?)

Highestnumber seen: 497.

Denson: 47 images. 14 May 1936- 14 July 1941.

Highestnumber 492 (twice)

*I have examined the images of several of the 1952 airmail covers, and they were all type 9A. These were label numbers 0055, 0096, 0136 0144, and 0375. However, the flight was an event that created a philatelic stir similar to a First Day, and doubtless many registered covers were processed so possibly an old roll of type 9 was pressed into service. I hope to see an image of such a cover.

Type 9A

Characteristics: S a bit left of L, thick divider

Range of known use: 1 Nov 1948- 12 Jan 1957

Information: Leppard. “Many seen”. Dates: Nov 1948 to Jan 1957.

Mitchell: 63 recorded. Dates 1Nov 1948 to 12 Jan 1957 (same?)

Denson images: 41. Dates: 3 Jun 1949 to 25 Oct 1956.

Type 9B

Characteristics: S over KL, thin divider

Denson: 3 images. 17 February 1940 – 16 March 1940

Numbers0278, 0457, 0466

1 blurry ebay image of 0489 appears to be this type, from 1952

This type is new to my listing, and I'm guessing that there might have been only 1 roll of it, except that I'm puzzled by the ebay image. It is not clear enough for me to be certain of its type.

Type 9C

Characteristics: thick divider, "S" over "L"

Denson: 12images. Date range: Around Dec 1947 – 21 July 1949

Highestnumber: 483

Another new type. The image here is from a cover where it was applied at an angle and my computer will not straighten it entirely.

Type 10

Characteristics: "ISLES"

Reported range of use: 5 Feb 1942 - 31 Mar 1944

Information: Leppard; 12 seen. Dates: 26 Feb 1942 to 31 Mar1944

Mitchell: 14 recorded. Dates 25Feb 1942 – 31 Mar 1944

Osborne: 78[1]recorded, between 5[2] Feb 1942 and31 March 1944.

Highestnumber seen 394.

Denson: 22 images: 5 Feb 1942 -31 March 1944

[1] Osborne Sep15, 2010 (lists them)

[2] Osborne Sep15, 2010

SECTION III: EMERGENCY LABELS LATE IN THE WAR

Late in WWII the registration label stocks were destroyed in a fire at the post office. Obsolete labels were put into use until a new supply of labels could be obtained. Regular labels, of the type 12 group, went into use around 1 May 1945.

Type 11

~~Fox Bay~~ crossed out in black

Information: Leppard: 11 seen. (5 type 11, 4 type 11A) Dates: 18 Aug 1944 to 15 Mar1945

Mitchell: 12 recorded. Dates: 18 Aug 1944 and 29 Mar 1945.

Denson: 9 images. Dates 18 Aug 1944 – 23 Mar 1945

Osborne list:

Highest number seen: 0~~452~~ 0484(452 is Mitchell, what source is 0484?)

Probably only one roll of500 used

Type 11v1

~~Fox Bay~~ crossed out in blue

As I have recorded examples of the cross out in black, and in blue, cancelled on the same date, and the other examples' dates are mixed together, I believe that the color of the strike out simply resulted from which pencil the postal clerk picked up, rather than from some postal purpose.

Type 11A

"~~NEW ISLAND~~" crossed out in blue

Cancelled 8 Dec 1944, label affixed in Port Stanley on 15 Dec 1944 or thereafter.

Leppard. 5 seen. Dates 4 Feb 1945 – 4 Feb 1945

Mitchell: 5 recorded. Dates: 5Dec 1944 to 4 Feb 1945.

Osborne list: 30 recorded. Dates5 Dec 1944 to 28 Feb 1945

Highest number 245.

Denson: 3 recorded: Latest date28 Apr 1945, highest number 245.
The first use of type 12E is 1 May 1945.

The cover illustrated here is the only one cancelled in Grahamland which I've seen. Hugh Osborne reports a Grahamland cover of the same date with a type 11 label, number 54. These covers were presumably transported on the William Scorsby, which arrived in Port Lockroy on December 7, 1944 with mail, departed December 9 and arrived in Port Stanley at 11 a.m. on December 15, 1944. The registration labels were applied in Port Stanley. (Hugh Osborne)

SECTION IV: FOUR DIGIT COILS AFTER WWII

Types 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D, 13, 14, 15, 15A

TYPE 12 Group

Although type 12 itself was in use in the war years, there are 6 types in the group and it will be easier to see the distinctions if they are all discussed in one place, so see below

1. Type 12: Right leg of R tapered at top,tall N

2. Type 12A: taller thin “N”, thiner "R"

3. Type 12B : wider space between lines oftype

4. Type 12C: “S” appears out of alignment.

5. Type 12D: Short thick N, divider oftenthicker at bottom

6. Type 12E: N tall, thick, but narrower than Type 12D.

Type 12

Probably the 1st type 12 label put into use. 14 July 1941

Characteristics: thin divider, short thin "N", wider "R"

Information: Leppard.[1]33 seen. Dates: July 1941 to 1950

Mitchell: 39 recorded. Dates: 14July 1941 to 3 March 1950[2]

Highestnumber: 497.

Denson 9 examples Dates: 14 July 1941 to 16 April 1943

Highest number: 0444

This label is first known on First Day covers of 3 stamps in the pictorials set. I know of 7 examples numbers 0001 to 0444. It appears that most if not all of the 1st roll of type 12 labels was used on the first day of use, registering first day covers.

[1] Leppard andMichell’s tallies include labels I classify as types 12, 12D, and 12E.

[2] Reported byMr. G. Guzzio in the UG June 1986, Vol VIII, #4, page 121 after Leppard’sdeath.

From 1945 to 1952 type 12 group labels were in use. They differ from type 12 labels used from 1941-1943 in, at the least having a thick "No" but many of them differ drastically. I've been uncertain as to whether there are two types, or one type with a major variety. If both occur in the same roll, they are varieties. If each roll contains only one, then they are types. It is looking like on the roll where the breakdown was worst there were still some undamaged labels,so it may well end up as one type.

Here is one of the labels showing differences. I'm calling it Type 12D, and the "normal" label, Type 12E for now, subject to change. Anyone having images of Type 12 group labels from 1945-1952 could be very helpful by emailing them to me. I prefer seeing the entire cover in the image. edenson@asis.com.

Type 12D

Characteristics: Divider thicker in lower half, "No" thick and crude, shorter.

Type 12E

Characteristics: "R" broader, "No" while thicker than in types other than 12D, narrower than type 12D. Divider bar not thicker at bottom half. Many of the images I have from the period 1945-1952 which have the type 12 group lables on them are of such low resolution that I can not determine the label types.

One of the more astonishing things I've learned about these labels is that, at least in the roll in use in October 1946, there are 5 repeating varieties which clearly are in the original plate (if plate is the word) from which the printing is done. Thus every label with a number ending in 1 or 6 shows the charactistics of v1, labels ending in 2 or 7 show v2 etc. The labels ending in 3 or 8 show v3 which has an "N" in "No" that is 4mm high, vs 4.5 mm for the 4 other varieties. I am going to do a separate article on these labels but here's a taste:

7 October 1946

10 October 1949

I hope you can see that the "N" is shorter in the 1946 label. Otherwise it is very similar in its left foot tilted down at the left. But the "R's" are quite different. The '46 R has a short blunt flag, the '49 R is longer,the '49 R's left foot tilts left and the '46 does not. These look like just printing variations, but in fact they are constant through the rolls, every 5th number. I'll get into much more detail in the separate article on these labels.

Type 12A

Characteristic: Tall thin "N", thinner "R", text lines close together, "S" over "L"

Range of known dates: 6 Feb 1957 - 10 Feb 1983*

Information: Leppard. “Many seen”.Dates: 1957 to Feb 1971

Mitchell: 139 recorded. Dates: 6Feb 1957 to 13 Sep1982.

Highestnumber seen: 2000.

Denson: 167 images. Dates: 30Aug 1961 to 10 Feb 1983.

Highestnumber: 2000.

*There are two covers from 1942 in Grovesner sale #65 listed with this label. The images do not allow me to confirm this, but it will be quite surprising if the description is correct and the uses authentic. The big question would be: why didn't they use type 12A labels after the 1944 fire at the post office, if they had them, instead of the makeshift type 11 labels. It is not impossible that the type 12A labels which I have images of are reprints from plates made before the war, but in view of the disasterous type 12D labels which were in use in 1946 you have to ask why make crude new plates instead of using the existing 12A plates? Take a look at the 12D labels below and see what you think.

Type 12B

Characteristics: as 12A but lines of type widely spaced.

Information: Leppard. 17seen. Dates: 11 Feb 1957 to ~~12 Sep 1974~~ 9 Oct 1982[1]

Mitchell: 26 recorded. Dates 11Feb 1957 to 9 Oct 1981.

Highestnumber 1555.

Denson: 45 images between 2 Sept1957 – September 1979

Highest number 0487

Oneexample seen on ebay was reported there as 1952, but I can’t verify that fromthe poor image I have. The number is489 and I think it is type 12B, but can’t be sure.

[1] Leppard,Postscript to Part 1, UG March 1986, p 88.

Type 12C

Characteritics: As 12A but initial "S" of "STANLEY" out of alignment.

This one is tricker than it seems. With many labels it is most obvious at a distance but gets questionable when you examine the label close up.

Type 13

Characteristics: 1^stline of text is “Stanley Falkland”

Range of reported dates: 24 April 1972- 27 March 1975

Information: Leppard. 21 seen.Dates ~~13 May 1972~~ 8 May1972[1]to 24 Mar 1975

Mitchell: 25 recorded between 24Apr 1972 to 27 Mar 1975.

Highestnumber seen: 475

Denson: 10 images, Dates: 17 Aug74 to Feb 19,1975

Numbers0033//0489

[1] Leppard,Postscript to Part 1, UG March 1986, p 88.

Type 14 PORT STANLEY/FALKLAND ISLANDS

Characteristic: Top line of text is "PORT STANLEY"

Reported Date Range: March 1973-31 Dec 1975

or, 21 Nov 1954, March 1973-31 Dec 1975 (see note)

Information: Leppard. 10 seen.Dates: March 1973 to Sep 1975.

Mitchell: 14 recorded between 21 Nov 1954 to 17 Sep 1975.

Highestnumber seen: 392

Denson: 3 images 11 April 73 to 31 Dec 1975.

Note: Two covers bearing this label, and cancelled Deception Island, South Shetlands 21 Nov 1954 were shown to Mr. Leppard by Mr. Jeffery as reported in the Upland Goose (Sept 1984) Vol VII, #5, page 174. Leppard reports this in UG Dec 1985 p 46 as one cover, with no indication of whether this is forgetfulness or a correction. There was a Deception Island cancellation in use from 1953 to 1967 (See Heijtz catalog, 5th edition, page 185)

I am unaware of any other uses of this label predating 1973, and having a number of after-affixed labels of other types turn up in my collection, I am hoping for more clarification of how this, or these, uses could be authentic.

Type15 Group: STANLEY, / FALKLAND ISLANDS

Group characteristics: less wide than other labels, numbers barely fit in space provided for them and a frequently out of alignment with each other, thin divider line, wide spacing between lines of text.

Types (3)

Type 15: Leftside of N to left of F.

Type 15 v1. Comma is a blob

Type 15A Leftside of N is flush with left side of F.

Type 15

Characteristics: Left side of "N" is to left of "F". Text tends to slant upwards to right.

Reported date range: 16 Dec1975-13 March 1986

Information: Leppard. “Many seen”. Dates: late 1975 – ongoing

(Still in use December 85 whenLeppard’s article written.)

Mitchell: 35 recorded. Dates 16 Dec 1975 to 22 Nov 1985.

Highest number 2713. (2874 in my collection)

Denson: 64 examples. Dates from 27 April 1976 – 13 March 1986

NB: Type 15A was in use longer than type 15. Leppard andMitchell do not distinguish type 15A from type 15 so it is not possible to saywhich type their dates refer to.

Type 15v1

Characteristics: Comma is blob.

Information: Leppard – Not listed.

Mitchell: Not listed.

I have 20 examples with dates from 8 March to 14 Aug1980. They come in sequences unbroken by type 15 examples. None of my examples occurs on type 15A labels.

Note: Given the range of dates I would guess that the commaflaw is found on the master for printing the labels, and that every 5^throll of labels was of this variation, until corrected probably around 1980. More data is needed.

Type 15A

Characteristics: as type 15, but "N" of "No' lines up with "F" of "FALKLAND", Text straighter than type 15

Information: Leppard – not listed.

Mitchell: Not listed.

Denson: 33 images, including 2 questionable uses. ReliableDates: 5 June 1976 to 11 Sep 1989.

Questionable dates: 2 examples from Jan 2008.

Highest number 2906

The latest reliable use is some 2 years after the 6 digit labels wereintroduced. (Type 16 eku 6 No 86). It is on a OHMS cover to Hill Cove – i.e. local. Perhaps the surplus 4 digit Type 15Alabels were reserved for local use? Or for OHMS use? The 3 examples which I have that are later than 30 Dec 1985 are all on OHMS covers. Type 15A occurs

SECTION V: THE SIX DIGIT COILS

Types 16, 17, 18. 19, 20, 21

TYPE 19

Characteristics: 6 large digits, 1st two leading zero's fixed in place

Denson: 2 examples from late 1998.

Geoffrey Barber has examples on which the 4 digits to the right are in various positions relative to the leading zeros

SECTION VI: LARGER LABELS

Types 22, 23, 24, 25

SECTION VII: BAR CODE LABELS

Type 26

June 2010 -At Mount Pleasant.

Type ??

This label was used to supplement the Stanley labels from sometime in the 1990s until recently.

I do not know of any covers where this was the only label. The meaning of the numbers is not perfectly known to me, but I believe the actual label number is the second group of 4. In this case "7794."

SECTION VIII: TIMELINE

Type 1 13 Aug 1907 - 09 Sep 1912

Type 2 06 Aug 1908 12 Jan 1913

Type 3 12 Aug 1912 23 Aug 1913

Type 4 23 Aug 1913 05 Nov 1914

Type 5,A, B 30 Aug 1914 12 Aug 1926.

Type 5C 28 Apr 1923 22 Apr 1926

Type 5D 10 Jan 1928 07 Jun 1935

Type 6 15 Feb 192 15 Feb 1929

Type 7 27 Mar 1926 29 Jan 1936 Mostly on covers from other offices

Type 10 5 Feb 1942 31 Mar 1944

Type 13: 24 Apr 1972- 27 Mar 1975

Type 14: xx March 1973- 31 Dec 1975

Type 15 - 16 Dec 1975- 13 Mar 1986

Type 19: 1998 - 1998

SECTION IX. VARIOUS QUESTIONS

1. Why were 3 types of labels in use as coils in the mid-1930s, or more generally, why would there be two different styles in use during any period? Take a look at the first coils: Types 5F, 6C, and 8.

illustrations

These are very similar designs. Why any changes at all? Why have two different cases, why have labels with and without parentheses around the office name at the same time. What occurs to me is that the various formats may identify different producers. This explains variations in cancellations used in the USA in the 20th century, and now even varitions in the designs of stamps are used for this purpose. Anyone with another idea?

Are these covers authentic?

A type 6C label on a cover postmarked xx Mar 1930. Lot numbere 529 in Grovesnor Sale 50, 23 September 2009, and from the Roger Mazillius collection. This clearly dated cover, if genuine, is not only the 1st use of a coil registration label by about 3 years, it is 5 years earlier than the 2nd earliest use of a type 6C label. We have records of about 70 covers with registration labels cancelled at Stanley, dated between 1 Jan 1930 and 1 Jan 1936. That's about 1 for each month, on average, but since the total number of covers from 1931 and 1932 is only 5, there is plenty of room for new discoveries. So, while I'm not ready to declare the label was not affixed to this cover by the postal authorities, I suspect it.

A type 12A label on a cover postmarked 17 SP 31. Seen in the catalog of Grovesnor Sale 28, Lot 2706, 19 May 2006, ex Marsden. The type 12A label is otherwise unknown prior to 1961. No registration label had "STANLEY" as the top line of text until mid-1935 when type 9 labels appear. I believe this label was added to this envelope after it was mailed, probably several decades after.

Registration Labels of Fox Bay

2011-12-30T10:51:00.000-08:00

(a start)

Contents:

1. Introduction

2. The label types

3. The emergency labels

4. Timeline

5. Variations in the same roll of labels.

6. Nomenclature: names of the parts of the label.

1. INTRODUCTION

Fox Bay is a post office of long standing and few customers, opening in 1899 on West Falkland Island. The settlement has a small population, but the office serves other West Falkland farms and settlements as well. I can't find current population figures but it seems that less than 500 people live in the Falkland Islands, outside of Stanley and Mount Pleasant where the colony's other two post offices are situated. Closed from 1904, the Fox Bay office reopened for mail purposes in 1914. That year, and the next, the office used registration labels with it's name printed on them, and over the appromately 1 year that these labels are known on cover, perhaps 500 pieces of registered mail originated at the office. The years from 1915- 1926 are a dark age in this study, with one example of a makeshift label known, and that on a small piece, then labels came into use which showed the colony name of the Falkland Islands, but not the office name, Fox Bay. Finally in the early 1930s, the words "Fox Bay" again appeared on registration labels, and a variety of such labels were used into the first decade of the 21st century. This article concerns the labels of the 20th and early 21st century, used on Fox Bay mails. There are perhaps 11 major types of Fox Bay registration labels - depending upon how you think of some of the varieties. They are not difficult to distinguish, once you know what you are looking for. I'll explain the less obvious features.

II. THE LABEL TYPES

Type FB1

21 June 1915

Leppard: 9 known. Dates 19 Sep 1914- 2Sep 1915

Highest number seen: 238

Issued insheets (Osborne)

Denson: 9 images: 18 Sep 1914 – 15 Sep 1915.

Number range: 2//228.

Heijtz says the first registration labels arrived in Fox Bay in 1914. My records suggest that two sheets of 250 labels were used, for a total of 500 pieces of registered mail. It would appear from the dates above that at least 10 examples are known.

-------------------The makeshift Labels 1915-1930: Types FB2 and 7FB-----------------

“It was not until January 1931that the Fox Bay Post Office was able once again to issue its own pre-printedregistration labels, type FB3, some fifteen years after the last recorded useof FB1. In the intervening period labels from other Falkland post offices wereused, principally those of Stanley. For a short while, however, New Island TypeN2 labels were used with ‘New Island’ typically deleted and ‘Fox Bay’ added byhand….New Island N2 labels were never used at the New Island post office whichwas closed in 1917 as a result of the demise of the local whaling station.” –Osborne exhibit.

Type FB2A

Stanley Type 5A label with Stanley struck out and Fox Bay written in in red.

1 example: 18 Mar 1918

This remarkable piece of envelope with the registration label tied with a Fox Bay cancel is the only known example of this useage of a Stanley label in Fox Bay. If genuine, and there is no reason to think it is not, it indicates that a supply of Stanley type 5A labels were available at Fox Bay in 1918 to be used on registered mails. The label could not have been applied at Stanley as it is tied with the Fox Bay cancel. We have no other example of a Fox Bay registration label beween 15 Sep 1915 and 5 Dec 1926. A Stanley label on a Fox Bay cover is known dated 2 Aug 1924, according to Hugh Osborne.

Type FB2

5 Dec 1926

Leppard. 2 seen. Dates 1926-1928

Osborne (exhibit) 7 known. Dates Dec 1926 –May 1928.

Issued in sheets (Osborne)
Grovesnor Auction Catalog Sale 65 Lot 1604 says
"Only 4-5 covers known with this label, all sent on this date" [5 Dec 1926]

Denson: 2 images: 5 Dec 1926. Numbers: 10//12

Type 7FB, 7FBv1, and 7FBv2

10 Oct 27

Leppard. “Many seen”. Dates: 27 Mar 1926 to 8 Nov 1933

“Used in conjunction with Fox Bay mail in 1927, 1929, 1930.

Used in conjunction with South Shetlands mail in 1927”

Mitchell: 50 recorded, Dates: 27 Mar 1926 to 28 Dec 1935.

Highestnumber seen: 247

Denson: 31 examples: 3 Jan 1927- 29 Jan 1936

Numbers: 11/247

The examples are covers with Falkland Islands type 7 labels, which are treated as part of the series used in Port Stanley, but which are cancelled at Fox Bay. Not all of these labels were used on Fox Bay covers, but it appears that most of them were. The labels themselves are not altered at all to show Fox Bay use. You need to see the cancellation to know you have an example. However, they are not uncommon. Two varieties of the label exist. Type 7 with the "I" below the "F" and type 7v1 (7A) with the "I" to the left of the "F." Of the 30 images I have, 26 are type 7 and 4 are type 7v1 (7A). Twenty-four examples are Fox Bay covers, 1 is cancelled South Shetlands, 2 are Port Stanley, and 3 have unreadable cancels. More details are in the study section below. I also expect to discuss this cover in the Port Stanley article on this blog.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE FOUR DIGIT COILS: 1931-1982

Type FB3

12 May 1935 (FDOI Jubilee Issue)

Leppard - 14 seen. Dates 2 Jan 1931 to 15 Jan 1938

Osborne: Jan 1931 to August 1939.

Issued in coils.

Denson: 15 images: 27 Sep 1935 to (17) July 1939.

Highest number seen 478 (17) July 1939?

Labels of this type were used inStanley with “Fox Bay” crossed out, as a stop-gap measure after a firedestroyed the Stanley labels in 1944. See Stanley type 11.

This is the last FB type with Falkland Islands in the top line;all successive types have “Fox Bay” in the top line.

Types 4-6,Introduction:

Fromapproximately August 1939 (date according to Osborne) until the beginning of 1982 the Fox Bay registrationlabels were 4 digit coils with Fox Bay in the top line of type and FalklandIslands in the second. As ofLeppard’s update (c 1981) there were 4 types of these labels recognized. Threehad small type and were, and are, types 4, 4A, and 6. The 4^th label in use in thisperiod had larger type – something collectors of the Port Stanley registrationlabels will recognize as occurring in type 12 when compared with type 9. Here the larger type wasdesignated TypeFB5 .My study has revealed one new type (Type 5A – “F” just right of “L”) with avariety (Type 5Av1- “F” further right of “L”.) and possibly a type 5B.

Thetypes 4, 5 and 6 were never in use at the same time, and the type 5s do notshow up until 1963 or 64, some 20+ years after the Type 4 went into use. HoweverType 4 shows an odd pattern: in use exclusively from c. 1939 to 1946, replacedby type 4A, but then back in use in 1978 when it appears that one last roll wasfound and put into use.

Ido not know why these labels, and the Port Stanley labels, were printed withtwo sizes of type. Possibly to distinguish printers? Possibly because there wasno type of the original size about? The variation in type size is also seen in Stanley labels where Type 9 corresponds to Types FB4 and FB6, and Type 12 to type FB5

Types FB4 and 6 - smaller type Type FB5 - larger type

Types FB 4 and; 6: Distinguishing the "Small type" labels

Types 4 & 6 – thesmall font types (words in redshow distinguishing characteristics)[1]

Type	“N” of “No”	Divider	Position of “F”	Examples	Date range
FB4	Short	Thin	Over “KL”	11 05 = 16	8 Aug 1939-4 Feb 1946 8 Aug 1978-19 Feb 1979
FB4A	Tall	Thick	Over “L”	24	14 Jan 1948-17 Feb 1970[2] 22 July 1979-22 July 1978
FB6	Tall	Thick	Over “KL”	28	10 Feb 1969-28 Sep 1981

[1] I suspectthat the type FB4s that appear in the last 1970s differ from those in the1940s, but I haven’t been able to tell in what way yet. It seems incredible that one roll ofthe original printing would remain in the drawer for decades. For now. I’m calling both the early andthe late ones type FB4.

[2] There is an 11year gap in my images of Fox Bay labels from 1950 to 1961. Type FB4A was in usebefore and after that gap.

Here are illustrations of the 3 small type labels

Type FB4 - Thin divider, F over KL

Type FB4A - Thick divider. F over L

Type FB6 - thick divider, F over KL

Type 4 uses:

Leppard: 26 seen. Dates: Oct 1941-Nov 1969.

Osborne: “Type FB4 registered labels have been in continuous use atFox Bay Post Office for over 30 years with the earliest recorded use on 8 AU 39and the latest on 3 DE 69. (Write up notes cover with label 0014.)

Denson –15 images. I believe them in use in two periods rather thancontinually,

Period 1: 8 Au 39 (2 Sep41 my 1^st image) – 4 Feb 1946. The sequence of numbers suggests this period’s usage was one roll of500. (11 examples 0014-0359)

Period 2: 8 Aug 1978- 19 Feb 1979. Again thenumber sequence suggests 1 roll of 500 labels. (5 examples: 0060 -0342)

Type 4A uses

Leppard - 3 seen. Dates Feb 1962 to Dec 1979

Osborne: Jan 14, 1948 is “an early example.”

Denson: 23 images 23from Jan 14, 1948 to 17 Feb 1970,and 2 of them on 22 July 1981 (Diana wedding). Unless some intervening datesturn up, I suggest that a roll which was sitting around

was pressed intoservice for the FDC of the Royal Wedding.

3 or 4 periods of use:

1. Jan 1948- Sep 1950: 5 images:from 0055//0287 in sequence.

2. Oct 8, 1961 to May 9, 1962. I have no examplesof any Fox Bay labels at all fromSep 1950 to Oct 1961 so Type 4A may have been in continual use from 1948 to1961. Three images: Numbers135//307 in sequence.

3. Oct 1, 1968 to Feb 17, 1970: 13 images: Numbers 022 // 0478 with nonumber out of sequence. Suggests 1 roll of 500.

4. July 22, 1981: 2 images: 0052 & 0077 used onFDC of Royal Wedding issue. On Sep28, 1981 a Type 6 exists on a FDC for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards issue, soone imagines a great many Royal Wedding FDC were registered.

Type 6 uses:

Leppard: 18 seen. Dates: June 1972 to Feb 1978. “In useintermittently with Type FB5”

Denson: 14 16 seen: Dates 10 FE 69 (year unclear but probably correct) to 28 Sep 1981.

------------------------

Type FB 5 - larger type -the varieties

Information: All types have alarger font of type than was used for types 4 and 6.

Leppard: Listed type 5 only,which would include all variations that I have listed.

Examples: “many seen”. DatesDec 1964 to September 1979.

I have 64 images, includingall types, dates from 17 Feb 1964 to 27 Aug 1979.

Leppard’s comment “Mr. C.Maddocks, when postmaster of Fox Bay,

stated that he had a drawer full of rollsof this type”[i.e. the Type 5s].
My records suggest that at least 9 rolls of 500 were used based on
the sequences of numbers of which I am aware.

Type 5 - F over L stem, B over space

Type FB5A - F over L foot, B over space

Type FB5B - F just right of L stem, B over space and I

Type FB5C - F over L foot, B over space (?????)

Type 6 (see above small type labels)

==========THE 6 DIGIT LABELS==========

Type FB7

Leppard: “Manyseen” Earliest Dec 1981 – “stillin use” when he wrote in 85.

Denson: 47 images. Numbers 000071// 004986. Numbers are indate sequence.

Dates seen: 15 Feb 82 to 30 Mar 1988. Last reported date c. 20 Apr 1988.

Almost certainly issued in one roll of 5000, as the numbers found are in date sequence. Number 5000 wasused on, or just before April 20, 1988.[1]

[1] UplandGoose, Bill Wattling reporting on correspondence from Fox Bay Postmaster Ken H.

Type FB8

Thick, fancy numbers

Denson: 21 examples. Highest number 000916

Dates 26 Feb 1989 to 3 July 2000

Probably issued in rolls of 1000.

This label was officially put intouse on 20 April 1988 according to Bill Watling’s report of correspondence withFox Bay Postmaster Ken Halliday. The first label was used on a letter to Mr.Fernandez in Buenos Aires. The last label of type FB7, number 5000, was used ona letter to Mr. Duding in Chile. [1]

However,the earliest cancel on a cover bearing this label is 11 Apr 1988 and it is aFirst Day Cover of the old cars set. The label is 000043. Watling explains and defends this useas valid in UG June 1989 page 235 like this: Port Stanley makes up the FDC by putting the stamps onthem and sends them to Fox Bay for cancelling and forwarding. Fox Bay’s postmaster has a lot of workto do with these FDC, and he takes care of the run of the mill coversfirst - i.e. those that are bulkorders – and “it is obvious that not all the FDC will be posted on the date ofissue.” Since this particular cover was to be sent registered mail, andrequired individual work, he did it later. I think Watling’s idea is a good one, but am puzzled by thereport of label 000019 being dated 18 May 1988. That suggests the FDC were notcompleted for 5 weeks. I don’t have any examples myself but surely there wasmore than one FDC of the cars issue sent registered from Fox Bay, so more information may beforthcoming.

Type FB9
Thin, plain numbers

FB9 #000460 June 29, 2006

5 examples seen

dates: 7 June 2006 - 8 May 2007

Numbers: 000357//000540

A series of 5 covers sent from Fox Bay to Mr. Russell appeared on ebay. Each was registered, and clearly was franked with the stamp collector in mind. It is difficult to see in this image but the cover bears plate singles of the Night Heron and Queen Elizabeth's 80th birthday issues, in addition to the souvenir sheet for the birthday. The US catalog value of these stamps is $37.00 not adding in anything extra for being plate singles. It is a miracle that they were not soaked. I did not win all 5 lots, but 3 of those I did win have Philatelic Bureau oval cachets on the back, which are dated from 2-4 days earlier than the date of the Fox Bay cancel. One has a handwritten message at the lower right corner "To be cjax + reg @FxB" ("cjax" might be "canx"). I believe these covers were prepared at the Philatelic Bureau and forwarded to Fox Bay for cancellation and registration. No markings indicate the date of recept in the UK. The dates of these 5 covers spans 11 months, and in that time Fox Bay processed 84 pieces of registered mail. Presently, I do not know when the FB9 label came into use, or when it ceased being used, but what I do know suggests that it is going to be more difficult to locate than earlier labels - especially on letter or legal sized covers.

[1] UG March1989, page 205.

4. TIMELINE

Type FB1 19 Sep 1914 - 15 Sep 1915 FALKLAND ISLANDS/(Fox Bay).

Various makeshifts 1915-1928

Unknown Sep 1915-1918

Type FB2A 1918 STANLEY crossed out, Fox Bay written in in red
Unknown 1918-1924
Type (Stanley) 2 Aug 1924 STANLEY label known on Fox Bay cover.
Type FB2 Dec 1926 –May 1928 NEW ISLAND crossed out, Fox Bay written in

Generic labels 1927-1936

Types 7FB + 7v1FB 1927-1936 FALKLAND/ ISLANDS

Fox Bay labels 1931-2000

Type FB3 1931-1939 Falkland Islands/ (Fox Bay)
Type FB4 1941-1946
1978-1979
Type FB4A 1948-1950
Unknown 1950-1961
Type FB4A 1961-1970
Type FB5 1964-1979
Type FB4 1978-1979
Type FB4A 1978-1979
Type FB6 1969-1981
Type FB7 1981-1998 FOXBAY (one word)
Type FB8 1989-2000 FOX BAY (imperf, thick fancy type)
Unknown 2000-2006
Type FB9 7 June 2006 - 8 May 2007 FOX BAY (imperf-thin plain type)

5. VARIATIONS WITHIN THE SAME ROLL OF LABELS

8 De 1964

This interesting label, found on a first day cover for the Battle of the Falklands issue, shows something which should prove important in studying the Fox Bay type FB5 labels. The "No", the number, and the name, were each printed separately. If the "No" and the number were locked together they would be lined up. Instead the number is sitting on the bottom frame while the "No" is considerably above it. If the name and the "No" were locked together the "N" would not be colliding with "FAL". As each of these three elements of the label can move about independently we should be able to track their separate movements in the roll. I should say that I suspect the "No" is fixed to the "R" as they appear to be lined up. If so then the name and the number will vary in relation to each other and the "No" but it will not vary in relation to the divider bar or the bottom frame.

A characteristic of these labels from the 50s and 60s the movement of the various elements seems to be regular. A couple of label types I have studied have had 5 varieties which appeared regularly through the roll. In other words if number 0189 touches the bottom frame, as it does, then 0194 would also be very low, as would 0199 etc. It remains to be seen if the Fox Bay labels do the same, but I would imagine they do.

The Falkland Islands Type 7 labels.

Registration labels used in the Falkland Islands identify the town of use, normally. For the first few years only the colony name was used (Stanley types 1-3) but from 1913 on labels identified the town. The one exception is the type 7 which reverted to using the colony name only. These labels were in use from 1927-1936 and are almost all found on covers postmarked somewhere other than Port Stanley. That description could be misleading - 1 is known postmarked South Shetlands, all other non-Stanley uses are Fox Bay. During this period registered covers cancelled at Port Stanley have labels that include the word "Stanley," with a couple of exceptions where type 7 labels were used. It seems reasonable to think that the type 7 labels were for use on the mails originating outside of Port Stanley, and those covers which were cancelled in Port Stanley arrived from other offices with no cancel.

Supporting that idea is the fact that the Port Stanley covers make up 2 of the 27 covers with legible town names in the cancels, and those two are from 1927 and 1936. Were these labels in general use in Port Stanley one would expect more examples, and dates which are closer together.

One cover, however, creates puzzles.

This attractive cover, which was offered on eBay, has a remarkably clear South Shetlands cancel, Heijtz type B2, in use 1923-1931. It is unique among the examples of type 7 label use of which I have images in that it is cancelled South Shetlands, rather than Fox Bay or Port Stanley. If the cover is authentic, it suggests that the type 7 labels were for non-Stanley use, rather than being confined to mail cancelled at Fox Bay. But the cover raises questions.

Our first question might be: is the cover worth enough to justify creating it as a fake? The Heijtz catalog is our source for values. He values a cover with this cancel at 150 pounds (page 184), but notes that registered covers are "often worth considerably more " (page 11), always assuming correct postage. In 1927 postage to England was 1d per ounce, and registration 3d (page 236). The stamp is a 6d, so either this cover reflects an unusual, but not impossible, 3 ounce rate (3d postage + 3d registration) which would pay for any weight in excess of 2 ounces and less than 3, or it is philatelic. Without the contents or any weight marking on the envelope, who can tell? So it could be a postal use, and quite valuable, or as the clarity of the cancel suggests, a philatelic use, "worth little more than" the stamp. The stamp is worth 30 pounds used. The cover might well be non-philatelic, and worth several hundred dollars, or it might be philatelic and hardly worth the increase in value a forged cancel would add. Either way the label could be original to the cover.

But is the cancel authentic? Heijtz note forgeries exist, but they are dated 20 March 1927. (page 184). The forgery is illustrated on page 223 of his catalog. Like this cancel, it gives the date in the format DD MM YY. The 2 illustrations of the geniune cancel show the date in the format familar to American readers: MM DD YY. So, it resembles a known forgery in the date format, and is supiciously clear. But it is not dated on the same day as the forgery, and the forgery is thought to have a fixed date (vs. a changeable date in the authentic cancelling device) and, at least with a superficial look, the forgery illustrated is very similar to the actual cancel in aspects other than the date. For now, lets accept this cancel.

What about the label? Like almost all Falklands registration labels, it is not tied to the cover. However, while covers with labels applied by persons other than the postage authorities exist, I think one has to presume labels on covers are genuine uses unless something else throws suspicion on them. The difficulty with this label, and this cover, is coming up with a reasonable explanation for this type of label being on a cover with this cancel. Where was the label applied? Three possibilities come to mind: South Shetlands, Port Stanley, and Fox Bay.

The South Shetlands, for postal purposes, indicates the Deception Island office. According to Wikipedia a whaling station was established there in 1906. By 1914 there were 13 such stations, the last of which was abandoned in 1931. Enough population was there for the cemetary to have 45 burials, but we do not know the amount of mail generated. I am unaware of any other registered cover from the South Shetlands in this period, so there is nothing to compare it with. But, it seems doubtful that the post office there would have a supply of registration labels We know, for instance, that "Covers cancelled 'South Shetlands' were mailed at Deception Island, and the labels drawn in South Georgia. It is reported that of the 7 mail dispatches from Deception Island in the 1929/1930 whaling season 6 went to Stanley where the registered items would receive Stanley labels. One went to Grytviken, South Georgia. That would have been the dispatch of March 18, 1930 from the study of South Georgia registration labels on this blog. (citation??). Hugh Osborne tells me that the South Shetlands "had no registration labels ever. " The post office there "did not offer a registered mail service as such but accepted mail to be registered, if fully franked for such service, and routed that mail to go via either" the South Georgia or Port Stanley post office. No record exists to suggest any South Shetland's mail was registered at Fox Bay.

If, in 1930, there were 7 mail dispatches, and 6 went to Stanley, that indicates Stanley as a very probable place that the label was applied in 1927. This supposition requires that a supply of this type of labels be kept at Stanley for such use. I imagine that, with the labels, a registration list is kept, noting the details of each piece of registered mail, including the label number. And I would imagine that care was taken to use in the labels in numeric order, to prevent chaos in the listing. Would the type 7 labels have their own listing, to prevent duplicate numbers in the listings of registered mail originating at the Port Stanley office? Seems likely. Assume that, then. Does this mean that the registered covers cancelled at Fox Bay in this period also got their labels applied at Stanley? In other words did the Stanley office have a system of labels and documentation which was used for non-Stanley registered mail? This is possible. Perhaps someone knows, but I don't. Meanwhile, I am inclined to accept this cover as genuine, and hope that more examples of this use turn up to assist in confirming it.

Type 7A or Type 7v1?

This type is numbered in the Stanley sequence, but as it was primarily used on Fox Bay mail I am discussing some of its variations in the Fox Bay posting rather than the Stanley posting.

As you may know, I feel that variations which occur within a roll of labels are "varieties" and variations which occur from roll to roll are "types." In the standard nomenclature two type 7 labels have been distinguished: type 7, in which the I is undeer the F, and type 7A in which the I is a bit left of the F. Here are 4 labels from covers all of which were cancelled on 7 May 1935 - first day covers for the Jubilee set. In each pair the top label is type 7, the bottom label is type 7A, or, as I call it, since these labels seem to all be from the same roll, Type 7v1

The "tilted F" on this label may be a constant variety, also. But I'll have to see more examples to know for sure.

Type 7v2

A variety in the feet of the "R" marked by the left leg having the left side of the foot missing.

3 Jan 1927

10 Oct 1927

31 August 1929

When I first saw the numbers of these labels, I thought I had a series from one roll. But number 125 was used almost 2 years after number 133, so it then seemed that more than one roll was affected. But, was this feature found on every label in the roll? Apparently not. Below is a cover to Mr. Wilson, also the recipient of the cover bearing label number 31.

This cover mailed March 11, 1927, which is a little more than 2 months after the cover bearing label number 31 was mailed, shows an "R" with the left foot intact. It seems very likely that the two labels, numbers 31 and 59, are from the same roll given their sequential dates, and common recipient, and thus, that the damaged left foot occurs within the roll but not throughout the roll. It is, then, in my nomenclature, a variety and not a type. Finding 3 examples of this variety on a selection of only 30 covers makes me confident that it is not a freak - i.e. not something unique to one label. It is interesting to consider this variety and type SG5A together.

(Sorry about the tilted images, but my photo editing software will only change the angle of an image to a limited degree and these labels were applied to the covers at a larger angle than it can completely deal with)

6. A WORD ABOUT NOMENCLATURE

The label consists of parts, and it is convenient to name them to save time and space. There is a frame, and the space within it is divided into two boxes by a vertical bar: the "divider". The left box contains the "R" indicating that the label is a registration label, and I call it the "R box." The right box contains the name of the registering jurisdiction - in this case the town and country: FOX BAY and FALKLAND ISLANDS. I call that the name. It also contains the "No" and the number. So we have:

Frame

Divider

R box

Name

Number

The reason these parts are named is that they are important in distinguishing label types and varieties.

Registration Labels of South Georgia

2011-12-11T11:58:00.001-08:00

This posting is a summary of what is presently known about the registration labels in use in South Georgia. All of the known types are illustrated, and where it seemed likely that one might be confused with another, I give information to allow the types to be distinguished. But this is a work in progress, so check it every so often to see if new information has been added, or corrections made.

The earliest known example of a South Georgia registration label -10 July 1910.
They went into use 5 July 1910.

There are relatively few types of registration labels known from South Georgia, a place now so thinly populated that it makes Stanley in the Falkland Islands look like a metropolis. Here are the 10 main types, and the known variations. Here also is information as to how many examples are known and what the range of use age dates is. I cite R.J.B. Leppard and Frank Mitchell for almost every label. They published this information in the Upland Goose, see "Sources" at the end of this post for page references. Below the information from Leppard and Mitchell, I give the information currently known to me. Leppard and Mitchell had access to the Falkland Islands Philatelic Study Group's files concerning these labels. I have had only limited access to those files, being located several thousand miles from them. Thus if I have fewer images than they, it doesn't mean covers have gone missing, it just means I haven't seen all of the covers my predecessors have. My information is based primarily on covers in my collection for the post-war items. I have photographed these and put the images into a computer file. That is augmented by images of covers I have found on-line in ebay auctions, auction catalogs, and the like, which I have added to my computer file. Hugh Osborne has been most generous in supplying information and images from the FIPSG files when I have sought his assistance. Still my files of some 300 images of covers with South Georgia registration labels on them is somewhat independent of the FIPSG files and represents a second stream of information, albeit one with much overlap. I hope to add what I know to the FIPSG files when I figure out how move it across the continent and over ocean between me and Hugh Osborne. Meanwhile, the information concerning number of items and range of dates which I attribute to myself, to Denson, is accurate as of December 20, 2011.

One important note: While I illustrate registration labels in isolation, they are collected on cover, or on a piece of a cover which includes a cancellation and the illustrations are cropped from examples on covers. I can not think of any circumstance which would justify soaking a label off of a cover, as the stamps on the cover, the destination, and the date and place of the cancellation are very important to understanding the label's use. Or, more properly perhaps, the label is important to understanding the postal history of the cover.

SECTION I. THE PRINCIPAL TYPES

PART 1: 1 to 3 DIGIT LABELS (Types 1-5A)

Type SG1.

Leppard reported 14 copies known. Dates: July 1910-April 1913.
Mitchell: 19 copies. Dates: 4 July 1910* -12 April 1923
Highest number: 225

Denson: 10 images. Dates: 10 July 1910 to 5 December 1914.

According to Wilf Vevers the first registration labels arrived at South Georgia on 23 June 1910, and the first registered mail was dispatched 5 July 1910. The post office received 2000 labels, which comprised 8 sets numbered from 1-250. A total of 155 registered items were sent in 1910. (Upland Goose, Vol XXI, No 4, Weekend Supplement 3, Summer 2011, page WE 5). *Note Mitchell's earliest date is one day prior to Vevers.

Type SG1A

1 example. 16 December 1911.

We are not sure what this label is.See discussion in Section II below.

Type SG2.

Leppard reported 5 copies. Dates: September 1913* to 1916.
Mitchell reports 7 copies: Dates: 25 Aug 1913 - 9 December 1928.
Highest number: 221

Vevers says 12 copies are known. Dates: 18 Aug1913 to 12 Sep 1928.(Upland Goose, page WE4)

Denson: 3 images. Dates: 25 August 1913 to 26 Nov 1917, 12 Sep 1928.

*Note: Due to atypo the date actually printed in Leppard's article was 1973, but only 1913 makes sense.

SG3 and NI types: Improvised labels

There are at least 9 types of redesignated registration labels used in South Georgia which seem to have come into use when stocks of regular South Georgia labels ran out. These labels were printed for use in New Island or Stanley, and supplied to South Georgia to fill in the gap. Registration labels must show the office of origination, so various seemingly spontaneous ways were used to indicate South Georgia use. These are rare, they are valuable, and they are illustrated and discussed at length in Section II, below. Here is a basic list of the types:

New Island labels with New Island Crossed out:

Type 3: Handwritten abbreviation "S. Geo"

Leppard says 2 examples known, both 28 Aug 1914.

Mitchell reports 3 examples: 28 Aug 1914, 1923. Highest number: 221

Type 3v1: Handwritten abbreviation "sg"

Denson: 1 image. Date: 22 Dec 1921

Type 3A: Handwritten "South Georgia".

Leppard knew of 4 copies, all from 1920

Mitchell reports 9 copies: 20 Feb 1920 to 27 Sept 1922

Includes 5 without striking out "New Island"(My type N1SG).

Type 3Av1: Handwritten in red (illustrated above) "So Georgia" I have one image, from fall 1923

Type 3B: Hand stamped "South Georgia"

Leppard notes 3 copies. Two from 1919, 1 from 1922.

Mitchell says 3 copies: 15 Oct 1919 -25 Nov 1923

Type N1(SG): "New Island"crossed out. Two varieties: v1 crossed out in red, v2 crossed out in blue.

"New Island" not crossed out

Type N1SG: "New Island" not crossed out, but used in South Georgia

Mitchell reports 5 copies, no information as to date.

Upland Goose p 119 (issue?), p 86 (likewise) says 7 copies known: 1914(1), 1920(2), 1921(5).

Type N2SG: "New Island" not crossed out, but used in South Georgia

Upland Goose p 119 reports 5 copies: Dates 1920(1), 1921(3), 1922(1). Page 86 listing does not mention any copies.

Stanley labels with Stanley Crossed out:

Type 3C: Hand stamped "South Georgia"

Leppard lists 1 copy 13 Dec 1913 (Stanley label type 5B)

Mitchell concurs.

Type 3D: "Falkland Islands" also crossed out. "South Georgia" handwritten.

Leppard lists 1 copy 20 Jan 1924,. (Stanley label type 5C)

Mitchell concurs.

Note: I don't know how good an idea it is for each variation to be given a major type number, but this is the system in use.

Type SG4

Leppard: "Many seen". Dec 1925-1929
Mitchell: 65 copies. Dates: 6 Dec 1924 to 31 Dec 1929
Highest number: 235.

Denson: 22 images: 17 Nov 1925 - 31 December 1929 (3 on this date)

How to distinguish Types SG1 and SG4:

Type 1, No 95

Type 4, No 185

Type 1 has a smaller "N" in "No." than type 4. It is shorter than the number, while Type 4 has an "N" which is taller than the number. The Type 4 "R" is thinner than that of Type 1. If your example is on dated cover, the date should also help determine the type as the labels were in use more than a decade apart.

Type SG4A

Hand drawn representations of the printed registration labels which have been found on a few covers are designated as Type 4A, which are discussed and illustrated in Section II below, "Emergency and Make-shift Labels"

Mitchell first designated this type. He knew of 9 examples dated: 18 Feb 1930- 21 June 1930
Highest number: 312.
Denson: images of 9 covers with Type 4A labels drawn on them.

Dated: 3 March 1930 to 9 April 1930
This type may have been used from January to early August 1930

Type SG5

Leppard: Many seen. Aug 1930- 1941
Mitchell: 105 copies. Dated: 23 Aug 1930 - 20 Feb 1945
Highest number: 256

Denson: 41 images: 23 Aug 1930 – 11 Dec 1944 (8//248)

How to Distinguish Type SG5 labels from Types SG1 or SG4.

There are several distinguishing characteristics, but the most obvious to me is that the "No. XX" is configured differently. In type 5 the "No." is shifted to the left side while the number is shifted to the right. In types 1 and 4 both elements are set towards the center. Other differences include a broader "N" in type 5, larger lettering and an "R" which is thicker than that of type 4. Dates will be useful except those in 1929-1930 for we are not sure when the type 4's ran out and the type 5s appeared, or whether there was any overlap.

Type SG5A

Leppard: 5 copies. Jan 1933-Dec 1936
Mitchell: 11 copies. Dated: 2 Jan 1933 - 22 Dec 1936
Highest number 206.

Denson: 19 images: 2 Jan 1933-28 June 1944 (30//179)

This label is like type SG 5 but with a damaged or missing right foot on the "R." I have not been able to determine if type SG 5A labels occur in the same rolls as SG 5 labels, but I think not. In the 56 examples which I have, it is clear that many rolls are involved, but there are no duplicate numbers, which would argue for both types being in the same rolls. On the other hand there are sequences of type SG5A labels recorded, whereas I would expect them to have repeating last digits if they were in the same rolls. That is, every 5th or 10th label would be type SG 5A, for reason which I will explain when I discuss the Falkland Islands type 12 labels.

PART TWO

THE FOUR AND SIX DIGIT LABELS

The 4 and 6 digit labels were issued in coil rolls rather than sheets, as had been the practice for types SG1-5.

The numbers are always expressed in 4 or 6 digits, even if that requires leading zeros. Types SG 6-8 are 4 digit labels, Types SG9-10 are 6 digit labels. As coils, types SG6-9 are imperforate on the vertical sides. Type SG10 is imperforate on all sides.

Type SG6

Leppard: 28 seen. May 1946-October 1950
Mitchell: 35 copies. Dated: 8 May 1946 - 12 Sep 1950.
Highest number: 2371.

Denson: 18 images: 14 May 1946 – 17 Jan 1950
Numbers from 0123//2171

Aside from the 4 digit number, this type and type SG7 differ from the earlier types in that there is no period after "No" on these labels. I believe one roll of 2500 was all that was used before Type SG7 arrived. This belief is based on the fact that all 17 records I have of type SG7 uses show that the higher the label number the later the usage date. This should help in dating covers with cancels that have indistinct dates.

Type SG7

Leppard: 34 seen. Dec 1950 – Nov 1972
Michell: 41 copies: 12 Dec 1950 - 20 Nov 1972
Highest number: 3396.

Denson: 37 Images: 30 Mar/May 1951– 10 Apr 73
Highest number: 3013

Probably 2 rolls used:
First roll: Numbers between 0209 and 3013. Dates 30 May 1951 - 19 Feb.1958
Second roll: Numbers known between 0671 and 2920. Dates: early 1962 -10 Apr 1973

Type SG 7 labels are most easily distinguished from Type SG 6 labels by the "N" of "No". On type SG 7 labels is is tall and slender, contrasted with the shorter, blockier "N" of type SG 6. The type SG 7 "R" also appears taller and, due to a reshaped right leg, narrower than that of the type SG 6.

Type SG8

Leppard: 7 copies. Dec 1973-1975
Mitchell: 9 copies. Dated: 1 Dec 1973 - 18 Dec 1975.
Highest number: 0860.

Denson: 6 images: 14 Dec 1974 – 18 Dec 1975 (Numbers 0364//0814)

Probably only 1 roll used.

This type is the second, and last, type of label printed for use in South Georgia which includes the words "Falkland Islands." It is also, in terms of known copies, the scarcest of the South Georgia labels (excepting the improvised Type 3s, and Type 4A), although far from the most valuable. It appears that South Georgia had been part of the Falkland Islands Dependencies for some years when this label appeared, and I have no satisfactory explanation for the change in wording. The label appears to be less well designed than the preceding type, suggesting some hurry to get it in service. It also appears to be the type with the shortest period of service of any of the South Georgia labels. There are still serious gaps in the chronological record of South Georgia labels, so it is possible that this label went into service as early as May 1973 and remained in use until December 1976 - a period of over 3.5 years. You would think more copies would be known.

On some copies FALKLAND ISLANDS is darker than SOUTH GEORGIA. This label, and type SG9 below have frames which appear almost hand drawn. They have rounded outer corners, and they are the thickest frames used on registration labels in South Georgia, or the Falkland Islands.

Type SG9

This is one of the more interesting South Georgia labels, and one of the most common. There are three varieties; normal frame, frame distorted at the top, and frame distorted at the bottom. The distorted frames are illustrated below. The straight framed labels all end in even numbers, although not all labels which do so have straight frames, until 1987 when they are also known with numbers ending in 1 or 3. See Section IV below for more details.

Leppard: Many seen. Dec 1976 – still in use at time he wrote.(1986).
He was aware of SG9v1 but not of SG9v2.
Mitchell noted 60 copies from 4 April 73 - still in use.
Highest number 000910. He illustrates SGv2 but did not give it a designation.
Both Leppard and Mitchell include SGv1 and SGv2 in their totals.

Denson: SG9 - 37 images. Dates:11 Dec 1976 to 29 June 1993

SG9v1 - 44 images. Dates: 21 Dec 1976 to 2 July 1991. Nos 00005//000963

SG9v2 – 15 images. Dates:3 Nov 1978 to 5 Dec 1987. Nos 000040//000754

Probably issued in rolls of 1000, as no higher number has been found.

Type SG9v1

This distortion of the lower frame occurs only on labels which end in odd numbers, however from 1987 on at least some labels ending in 1 or 3 have straight frames.

Type SG9v2

All type SG 9v2 labels have the distorted top frame, and all end in even numbers. Not all even numbered labels show the distortion, and this is the scarcest of the SG9 varieties.

Type SG10

Previously unreported, so no data preceding mine.

I have 30 images: 13 Dec 1998-15 Nov 2007

There is a gap in my images from 1993-1998, and the earliestexample of this label I have is number 07292, so usage probably started closerto 1993 than 1998.

This label is imperforate, and was probably peeled from the backing and affixed to the cover.

Caution: I have in my collection covers from 1980 with type SG 10 labels on them. There are 2 possibilities: Either these are a remarkable early use of this label, 18 years before the otherwise earliest known use, or these labels were not on the covers when they were cancelled. I believe these to be labels later added to the covers either in at attempt to make the covers more valuable, or to confuse future historians. As I write there is a Falkland Islands cover on ebay with a label on it which did not exist at the time of cancellation. These are examples of fakes, in my opinion.

A second problem arises from auction listings. Often the cancellations, especially on early covers, really can't be read and the dates given in the auction catalogs are inspired guesses. You can avoid problems by checking your covers with registration labels against known uses. Discrepancies of a month, even possibly a few months, may be actual uses - there is a lot we don't know about these labels yet. But discrepancies of several years or more probably indicate an error in the auction listing due to an incorrect guess as to what the cancellation date is. Caveat emptor.

Section II. Emergency or Makeshift Labels

Type 1A

We are not sure what this perforated label is. Only one copy has ever been found, and it is on a cover addressed to the great Antarctic explorer, Ernest Shakleton, from the captain of the ship Deutschland, mailed South Georgia, dated 16 DE 11, back at the dawn of South Georgia registration labels. The cover and label are shown and discussed in the Upland Goose, Vol VII, #2, page 63 (December 1983) in a brief article by Leppard. Frank Mitchell later wrote in the Upland Goose that he thinks absence of an “R” means this is not a registration label, and he deleted it from the type list. "Possibly the label was intended to indicate origin or destination of non-postal material. I was also influenced by the first Falkland Islands registration mark which was dominated by a large 'R'." (Upland Goose, Vol? No? page 188. (date?). Stefan Heijtz examined the actual cover and label, and published the results in the Upland Goose, Vol XIII, No. 2, Dec 1995, page 76. He found that the label had had the left end torn off and replaced "using another label to make up the missing part." In other words this is a normal type SG1 label which was torn and repaired in such a way as to leave off the left side which contained the box with the large "R" in it that indicates registration. So this is not a distinct type of label, nor a label with mysterious purpose. It is simply a regular South Georgia registration label, type SG1, which has been altered.

To add to the discussion about this label: since the South Georgia post office had received 2000 labels in June 1910, and only used 155 of them in the first 6 months of use (see discussion of Type 1) there is no reason for them to have printed new labels in 1911. Moreover. one cover with the date 6 De 11, and another dated 16 De 11 are known with Type 1 labels. 16 DE 11 is the same date as the cover with Type 1A label. Just to add to the confusion both the Type 1A cover and the 6 DE 11 cover have labels from the Deutsche Sudpolar Expedition, and the 6 DE 11 cover is handstamped with this inscription: "Polarschiff Deutschland/Sud-Georgien (unreadable)/Grytviken/ 10 Dezember 1911." This seems to mean that the cancelled cover was on the ship, and the ship was still at Grytviken 4 days after the cover was cancelled.

Type 3:
Emergency use of New Island and Stanley Labels

I. New Island labels, most with New Island Crossed out:

Type 3: Handwritten abbreviation "S. Geo"

Leppard - 2 examples both from 28 Apr 1914.

Denson, same.

As the two examples are numbers 47 and 201 it appears there may have been quite a few of these labels used, but these are the only two we know of today.

Type 3v1: Handwritten abbreviation "sg" I have 1 image 22 Dec 1921

Type 3A: Handwritten "South Georgia". Leppard knew of 4 copies from 1920

Type 3Av1: Handwritten in red "So Georgia"

I have an image of one example fall 1923

Type 3B: Hand stamped "South Georgia" Leppard notes 3 copies 1919, 1922

19 Jan 1920

19 Oct 1919

"New Island" struck in red, black South Georgia hand stamp, also called "underprint" in the literature. The fact that the label with the higher number (No 177) was used 3 months prior to the lower number (No 96) suggests that more than one roll of New Island labels was used at South Georgia.

Type N1(SG): "New Island"crossed out. Two varieties:

N1(SG)v1 crossed out in red

v2 crossed out in blue

Used 17 July 1921

Type N1SG: "New Island" not crossed out, but used in South Georgia

17 July 1921

Mitchell says 1 example is known from 1914
2 from 1920, and 5 from 1921. That's 8.
Denson: 7 images. 1 March 1921 (3), 17 July 1921 (2) and unreadable dates (2)

It is not clear from his writing but it seems that 5 of the uses Mitchell notes have "New Island" not struck out but some version of "S. Geo" written in. He is silent about the other 3. Note that this label, number 175, is next in order after number 174 illustrated above, which does have "New Island" struck out.

Type N2SG

This label has "NEW ISLAND" in caps as the 1st row of type,
and "Falkland Islands" in title case as the second.

Mitchell says that there are 5 of these labels known from South Georgia, without "New Island" struck out: 1 in 1920, 3 in 1921, and 1 in 1922. That is 5 more than were ever used in New Island, for the label never was put into use there. It was however used without erasure in Fox Bay and 4 examples are known.

Strictly speaking such a use is against regulations, but it seems that the strike outs were done label by label and sometimes the striker just missed the label. You have to check the cancel to be sure you have one of these.

II. Stanley labels with Stanley Crossed out:

Type 3C: Hand stamped "South Georgia"

Leppard lists 1 copy 13 Dec 1913
Mitchell concurs
I have no image of it.

Type 3D: "Falkland Islands" also crossed out. "South Georgia" handwritten.

Leppard lists 1 copy 20 Jan 1924.
Mitchell concurs.
I have no image of it.

Type 4A: Hand drawn labels

A shortage of labels in early 1930 resulted in the South Georgia post office at Grytviken hand drawing "labels" on the registered covers. This type was recorded by Leppard, but given its type designation later by Frank Mitchell. He illustrated two examples in the Upland Goose, one of which differs somewhat from those shown here (#312), and said that one cover with a Type SG4A label had received a printed label in Stanley. I have images of 10 covers bearing Type SG4A labels. Of these 7 are from the South Shetland mails of 18 March 1930, and 5 of those were addressed to Mr. White and 1 to Mr. White-Cooper. I'm so glad they did not soak the covers to get the stamps for their albums.

You might expect 10 hand-drawn "labels" to either all be more or less the same or all quite different, but in fact we find 3 main variations. The most examples have the words "South Georgia" handwritten. I'm going to call that type SG4A

Type SG4A -Handwritten "South Georgia"

Type SG4A #237 18 March 1930 -South Shetlands (Deception Island)

Seven examples known. All canceled SOUTH SHETLANDS MR 18 30

Numbers 237//251

Type SG4Av1 -Hand printed "South Georgia"

1 example known. Canceled South Georgia MR 3 1930

Type SG4Av2 drawn in red, "S.G."

Type SG4Av2 #156 - 9 April 1930

Type SG4v2 #311 - FE 8 1930

(from an exhibit, with a second cover overlaying the first, in the lower right corner, showing a printed label on the 2nd cover)

2 examples known. Both cancelled at South Georgia

Number 311 cancelled FE 8 30 and number 156 cancelled 9 AP 30.

These are the earliest known cancel on a Type 4A cover, and the latest known cancel.

The notation in pencil beneath the drawn label on cover 311 says "No Registered Labels available." When it was written and by whom is not known.

Covers cancelled "South Shetlands" were mailed at Deception Island, and the labels drawn in South Georgia. It is reported that of the 7 mail dispatches from Deception Island in the 1929/1930 whaling season 6 went to Stanley where the registered items would receive Stanley labels. One went to Grytviken, South Georgia. That would have been the dispatch of March 18, 1930. One cover with a handdrawn label is known backstamped Grytviken, 11 May 1930. If that is the arrival date, then that is also the approximate date of the hand drawing of the registration labels on the South Shetland mail cancelled in the South Shetland office 18 March 1930. A number of these South Shetland's 18 March 1930 covers are known, for according to Kim Stuckey Mr. White arranged with a whaler for the covers to be taken to the South Shetlands, stamped, and mailed to him. All are dated 18 March 1930 but if the labels were drawn in May that would explain why the cover above, dated 9 April 1930, but cancelled in South Georgia, has a lower number in the label. It does not explain why the cover with the highest number, number 311, has the earliest cancel. Possibly there were two series of covers? Possibly all of the covers were labeled at the same time, and in the order they came to hand rather than the order in which they were cancelled? I would guess that 3 different people drew the labels.

One of the South Georgia covers has transit markings indicating arrival in Grytviken (South Georgia) on 9 (M)Y and in England on 17 JU 30. The arrival date for South Georgia would thus have to be 9 May 30,

Cropped from back of the cover with hand-drawn label 241

The earliest known cover with a preprinted registration label cancelled at South Georgia after the handrawn labels is from August 23, 1930, and is Type SG5, #9. That suggests the labels went into use that day or not too many days prior.

Type SG5 label #9, 23 AU 30

SECTION IV. DETAILED STUDIES

Bent Frames of type SG9

You would think that with about 100 examples of the SG9 labels there would be few secrets that could not be found out. But this turns out not to be the case. These labels seem to have been used in the thousands and there are gaps in the known dates large enough for material to turn up which would change my thoughts on the labels. So everything here is tentative and, like all good science, subject to change if new evidence appears.

I have no idea why the frames of so many, or actually, any, of these labels are bent. Here is what I have been able to determine.

1. Bottom Frame Bent (SG9v1)

I have images of 45 examples of this variety. Every one has a an odd number, that is, no even numbers are known.

About 47% of the type 9 labels that I have are SG9v1, which means almost all of the odd numbered labels show this variation. But the following labels with odd numbers and normal frames are known:

14 Dec 1983: 000513.
23 Oct 1986: 000049
24 Apr 1987 000591 (FDC Birds issue)
24 Apr 1987: 000593 (FDC Birds issue)
7 Dec 1991: 000601

The other 32 example of normal frames known to me have even numbers.

Tantalizingly, label 000591 was also used 23 Dec 1983 on a First Day Cover of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Manned Flight commorative. (South Georgia registration labels were used in the FID). I have an ebay image of it and the quality is so poor that I can't tell whether the lower frame is bent or not.

Fortunately I do have two label number 000521s, illustrated below:

9 March 1979

31 July 1989

These labels, used 10 years apart, appear close to identical. On the 1979 use the 1 touches the lower frame, and the number is centered to the left. On the 1989 label the 1 doesn't touch the lower frame and the number is centered more to the right. But on both the SOUTH GEORGIA is crammed into the upper right corner, and most importantly the bend in the frame appears identical. The labels indicate that the varieties are constant on the rolls of labels. Every label 000521 would be expected to be type SG9v1.

Here is another pair:

3 Jan 1981

3 Sep 1984

Again, with minor differences, these two labels are the same variety, used 3+ years apart. I'm pretty sure that these two pair of labels show the lower frame bent variety is constant.

2. Top Frame Bent

All of the labels showing a bent top frame have even numbers, but since only about 16% of the labels that I have images of show this variety, it is clear that most even-numbered labels have normal frames. I have found one pair of labels in which one shows this variation and the other does not.

11 Apr 1979

31 July 1989

So, either the original from which this label was printed got repaired in the 10 years between them, or whatever was causing the distortion in the frame doesn't occur every time the number comes up. Neither explanation is really satisfactory. If fixed, why not fix the lower frames too? I have no examples of bent upper frames after 1987, but I have seen several labels showing the bent lower frame on covers dated on or later than 31 July 1989, the latest of which is label 000929 from July 1991. If the distortions are not in the originals, but occur in the printing, why are so many distorted with numbers that seem to show a pattern? Strange as it seems, while I have almost 100 examples of the type 9 label, I need more before I can understand these varieties. This is a hint to any reader who has a type 9 label on a dated cover. I'd like a digital image if you can send one: edenson@asis.com.

SECTION V: TIMELINE

A list of the periods of known use of the various types. This might be useful to collectors considering purchases of covers with South Georgia registration labels on them who want to compare the date of the cover with the known period of use of the label.

10 July 1910 to 5 December 1914: Type 1 labels
25 August 1913 to 26 Nov 1917: Type 2 labels

1913-1914 emergency labels

(13 Dec 1913: Type 3C label- one copy known

1914: type N1SG

28 Apr 1914: Type 3 - 2 copies this date.)

1918 - no labels known.

1919-1923: emergency labels:

(3 copies 1919, 1922: Type 3B labels.

1920 (2), 1921 (5): Type N1SG labels.

17 July 1921: Type N1(SG) label

1 in 1920, 3 in 1921, and 1 in 1922: Type N2SG labels
4 copies from 1920, 1 from 1923: Type 3A labels
20 Jan 1924: Type 3D label)

Feb 1924-Oct 1925: No labels known

17 Nov 1925 - 31 December 1929: Type 4 labels
12 Sep 1928: Type 2 label - one known.

Oct 1928-Feb 1930: No labels known

Hand drawn labels
March - April 1930: Type 4A labels.

23 Aug 1930 - 20 Feb 1945: Type 5 and 5A labels
(9 Dec 1944: Type N2(SG) -1 copy known.)

March 1945 - April 1946: No labels known

8 May 1946 - 12 Sep 1950: Type 6 labels

12 Dec 1950 - 10 Apr 73: Type 7 labels

1 Dec 1973 - 18 Dec 1975:Type 8 labels

Jan -Nov 1976: No labels known but Mitchell reports Type 9 in 1973

11 Dec 76 - 29 June 1993:Type 9 labels

July 1993-Nov 1998: No labels known

13 Dec 1998-15 Nov 2007: Type 10 labels.

SECTION VI: SOURCES

Leppard is R.J.B Leppard. The number of known examples of each type are from his "Registration Labels Part II, in the Upland Goose, Vol VIII, number 3, page 85.

Mitchell is Frank Mitchell, I believe his information concerning numbers of examples, and highest numbers came from the Upland Goose, Vol X, No. 4, p 118-119 (August 1990)

Special thinks to Hugh Osborne for his generous assistance with advice, information, and images. Likewise I am indebted to Kim Stuckey for information and digital examples of several rare covers.

Anyone interested in the philately of South Georgia, the British Antarctic Territory, or the Falkland Islands should consider joining the Falkland Islands Philatelic Study Group, publisher of the Upland Goose and a number of monographs on aspects of the philately of these areas.

more to come

Falkland Island Registration Labels: An Overview of Determining Types

2011-11-27T13:28:00.000-08:00

This is an example of the design of the registration labels of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the British Antarctic Territory from the beginning of their use in 1907 until sometime in the early 1990s when a series of radical design changes began. A good deal of work has been done on the labels issued prior to the 1960s, and earlier students have identified a number of types. Unfortunately the system of designating these types is not very adaptable to new information, so we have types 1-16, most of which have additional types appended to them. Type 5, for example, has similar designs designated as 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E, and 5F. To add to the confusion the initial type 5 has no letter appended to it. In other words 5A is the second type in this group of designs. I am not presently proposing changing this system, as that would overthrow most earlier work and require revising almost all of the literature concerning the labels, but I don't like it.

The label shown above is an example of type 12, first known used on covers dated 14 July 1941. These were first day covers for several revised designs of the King George VI pictorial issue of 1938. First day covers are a great boon to students of registration labels, for many of them in the first half of the 20th century were registered. Being philatelic covers they tend to end up in the hands of stamp collectors, and thus to survive and come down to us in much higher numbers than ordinary registered covers. Better yet, all of the examples for any given stamp are dated on the same day, and sometimes we even find sequences of numbers among the surviving covers. I am aware of 9 covers bearing the type 12 label, 7 of which are dated 14 July 1941. Earlier listings mention as many as 39 such covers, but they include an unknown number posted after 1943 with labels that I am classifying as a different type. No doubt more covers with type 12 labels exist, as complete censuses are not possible to conduct.

We need to discuss what constitutes a type of label. The problem is similar to that of what constitutes a major number stamp for a catalog, vs a minor number or something which is just a footnote. I think there is agreement that a major design difference makes a different type. Amongst these labels, for instance, the issuing jurisdiction is expressed on some labels with "FALKLAND ISLANDS" as the top line of type, and that is recognized as being different from the type with "STANLEY" as the top line. Moreover some labels have one or both lines of type in title case, ("Stanley") instead of all caps, and these are considered as different types. Recognition as a type can involve smaller alterations in the type as well. Type 8 has the top line of type as "FALKLAND ISLANDS," with a comma. Type 8A differs only in that there is no comma.

Until around 1935 it appears the labels were printed in sheets of 250. Type 5F was introduced in that year, existing covers suggest, and it was the first type of label printed in coils. The vertical sides are imperforated. The type 5F coils have numbers all expressed in 4 digits. You see the example above, which is a coil, has 3 leading zeros before the actual number, which is 1. This would allow coil rolls of as many as 9999 labels, although in fact rolls of 3000 seem to have been used for type 5F, and the type 12, illustrated above, is not known with a number above 497.

A problem for classifiers emerges when studying these coils. It may exist on the sheet labels as well, but I have not studied them. On 7 October 1946 the Peace, or Victory, stamps were issued. I have images of 33 first day covers from this date with registration labels on them. Many are sequential, and no numbers are duplicated. They range from number 0085 to 0466. These fact strongly suggest the labels are all from the same roll. There are 5 variations in these labels - each variation includes a different shape of the 'R", the "N" in "No", the positions of "FALKLAND ISLANDS," and of the numbers, than the other 4 variations. These 5 variations occur in sequence. Every label with a number ending in 1, or 6, shows variation #1, labels with numbers ending in 2, or 7, show variation #2, and so forth up to numbers ending in 5 or 0 which show variation #5. The question for the classifier is: are these 5 different types of labels, or are they varieties within a type. Put another way: shall these be types 12 D-H (types 12A-C are already designated) or are they types 12Dv1-v5?

The answer to this question depends upon what the function of the type system is. To me the goal of my study of the labels, other than the pleasure of doing it, is twofold: 1) to distinguish different printings of the labels, and 2) to determine the dates of usage for each printing. As all of the variants occur in the same roll of labels, distinguishing one from another tells me nothing about the dates the variant was in use. Therefore these variations are minor, and would get typed as 12Dv1-5. In another post I will explain what type 12D is, since it is not mentioned in earlier literature, and what the variants are. Today I only wished to discuss how and why I determine type designations.

The information I am hoping to learn from my study has practical value. It allows better dating of covers, many of which have poorly struck cancels in which the date is established by mentally filling in the missing portions of the visible strike and making a best guess. It also allows detection of what we would have to call fakes - covers bearing labels which were not affixed at the time of mailing. The financial implications of accurate dating are large because collectors want covers bearing correct postage for the date of mailing. Covers which are under or over franked are usually considered philatelic and are useless for illustrating rates. The principal catalog for Falkland Islands philatelic is that of Stefan Heijtz and he prices correctly franked covers in that catalog for many issues. On page 10 he discusses valuing covers and says "Philatelic items with incorrect postage rates.... are normally worth little more than the stamps on them." To give an example of what this can mean, the 1/2d of 1912 is cataloged at about $4 used, and over $100 properly used on cover. I believe I have detected at least one offering of a misdated cover at auction, and, to my surprise, I possess several fakes. I imagine more exist.

In the future I hope to be posting some results of my study. You may ask why I am not publishing in the Upland Goose, the leading Falkland Islands philatelic publication. The answer is that it seems to me that my work takes up too much room for the Upland Goose's limited number of print pages, yet is not advanced or complete enough to justify separate publication in the Falkland Island Philatelic Study Group's monograph series. I hope to publish summaries in the Upland Goose and reference this blog for details. Some advice, therefore, to people interested in this work. Download it or print it out. Blogs are transient, the blog provider may decide to go out of business and just pull the plug. Once that is done, the information is gone from the web. I hope for a long presence but you never know.

A List of Offices Which Have Their Names on Registration Labels from the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and the British Antarctic Territory:

British Antarctic Territory

British Antarctic Territory (entire)

British Antarctic Territory -individual bases

Falkland Islands

Port Stanley, or Stanley

Fox Bay

Mount Pleasant

New Island

South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands

South Georgia (entire)

South Shetlands

Comments are always welcome.

Mr. F. Jordan

2010-11-21T16:00:00.000-08:00

I began to notice that I had a number of covers from the 1961-1971. Today I have 26 of them. Some from the Falklands, others from South Georgia, and the British Antarctic Territory, with one from the Falkland Islands Dependencies. Since I hadn't deliberably bought a cover because it had his name on it, I thought that was rather extraordinary. It is around 9% of all of the covers I have from those places in that time frame.

I put a request for information about F. Jordan in the Upland Goose and did receive some responses. No one knew who he was but people seemed to feel that he was a collector and not a dealer.

In the past 2 weeks I have seen perhaps 70 or more of his covers on ebay, being sold in large lots of more or less 30. The write ups for the lots have been very well done, as have the illustrations for there is a photograph for every cover. Unfortunately one effect of this happy display is that the lots have gone for quite a bit of money, and so far I have been outbid on the first two. I think the seller is getting about 5 pounds a cover, which for a bulk sale is quite high. I probably have not paid that much for any of the 26 that I own. I'm bidding on lot #3 now.

Eleven of the 3rd (and final) lot are from the 1970s with the latest being 21 Jan 1979, so F. Jordan was active from at least Oct 8, 1961 to Jan 21, 1979 and quite interested in the Adelaide Island base, that at Signy, and Halley, Deception Island, and the Argentine Islands, as well as "South Georgia" whatever base that refers to, and the Falklands.

But who was (or is) he. The enormous number of his covers that just came on the market seem to all be from the same collection. Is it his collection, or the collection of someone he supplied? Was he crew or captain of one of the supply ships, did he work at a base, or did he get all of these covers by remote control from England? F. Jordan remains a mystery, but like every collector of Antarctic covers I am grateful that he made these covers. They provide documentation difficult if not impossible to duplicate.

Incoming covers

2010-03-25T09:49:00.000-07:00

I am collecting the Falkland Islands, and associated areas including what is now the British Antarctic Territory. I just was able to win a major collection of BAT covers and am daily expecting their arrival. These covers should bring me to about 3000 covers from all areas in the collection - mainly Falkland Islands, of course. My covers go back into the 1930s, but not very often. Mostly my covers are from 1960 onwards - which should suggest my limited budget for while it is the rare cover from that date to the present that sells for $10 or more, it is unusual for covers from the 1940s to the 1960s to be that inexpensive, and except the Coronation covers, almost unheard of for covers prior to the 40's to be that cheap.

I'm not too picky about the covers. All I ask is that I can read or determine the place and date of cancellation. There are collectors who want proper amounts of postage, to rule out "philatelic" covers, I suppose, but I am not among them. My present goals are:

1. To get a complete set of first day covers, and if possible to get FDOI uses from each office which had the stamps available. In the Falklands since the mid-80s this means Port Stanley (or "Stanley" as it is now called), Fox Bay, and Mount Pleasant. If one is not in a hurry the Fox Bay and Mount Pleasant cancels will turn up on ebay sooner or later. For the Falkland Island Dependencies there seems to be little choice: South Georgia is the cancel. But get into the BAT and you've got several offices. The official FDC release seems to move among them. But it is possible to consider that each office has a first day of release on the day that the supply ship arrives with the stamps. Even finding the ship schedules is a major problem, so far, but I saw a series of these covers for one release at an auction & have hopes that they exist.

2. To get an example of each stamp on a cover, other than a first day cover. I bought a collection last year that a Mr. Barker put together which included many complete sets on cover, and that partly satisfies me. Having each stamp as the high value on a cover would be the next step, and having each stamp be the sole stamp (even if several copies) on a cover would be the ultimate. I am far from even the complete sets so far.

3. Ships often either cancel covers on board, or place a handstamp cachet on covers to be posted at the stops they make in the FI and south. It is possible to follow the ships courses with these cancels. I'm working on that, and expect the new collection to go a long ways towards that goal. Supply ships are the easiest, cruise ships the more difficult.

More later.

Bent Frames on South Georgia Registration labels

2010-03-04T12:34:00.000-08:00

Registration labels

As you may know I've been obsessed with registration labels from the Falklands, South Georgia, and the British Antarctic Territory. No particular reason, but I've accumlated a good number of them and images of more - about 470 to date. I'm trying to distinguish the types of labels, and the periods they were in use. So far, while the work is preliminary, I have found a couple of covers in my collection with labels that seem clearly to have been put on the covers by someone other than postal officials.

I just got some SG and BAT registered covers bearing labels, and I'm delighted to find two covers from 3 JAN 1981 from South Georgia with different types of the South Georgia 6 digit labels. My theory is they ran out of the first type, and opened up a new roll (I think these are coils) and began using it. What happens at these remote post offices is that they generate almost no "drop in" mail. There may be 20 people in Grytviken most of the summer (ie Oct -Apr) and they probably send relatively few registered letters. But when the supply ship comes in making its (perhaps once a year) stop there it brings in mail to be canceled. Mail from collectors.

Cover #1 has a cachet from the RRS John Biscoe - a Royal Research Ship. It is on the "1980-81 Antarctic Relief Voyage" -i.e. it is bringing in people and supplies (and mail) and taking out people, trash, and mail. The cachet says the cover was "Posted on Board" the ship. It is registered South Georgia #000961, and shows a bottom border that is bent downward. I haven't figured out what happened but there are frequent examples of labels from South Georgia with deformed frames - especially at the bottom. The cancel is -3 JAN 1981.

Cover #2 is addressed to the same people, and has a Grytviken cachet, and South Georgia registration label #000030. The frame is not distorted. The cancel is -3 JAN 1981.It appears identical to the cancel on cover 1.

The difficulty now that I look over my other bent frame listings is that I have one from 1976, and several from 1981, 1983, 1984 even 1991. So, while I think I've found a roll change, I'm not sure that it was a change to a roll with no frame distortion.

15 November 1972 - registration labels

2009-12-26T11:16:00.000-08:00

I have gotten a series of covers prepared by, or for, Mrs Page of England, franked with the decimal flower set, and cacheted and cancelled for the first airmail from the temporary aerodrome. I assume Mrs. Page hoped to sell these covers, for she had something like 100 of them made. I'm sorry to say the cancels are almost all poorly struck. However, all the covers were registered, which is where my interest arises. I purchased quite a few of them and have an almost complete run from registration label number 0578 to 0670 (more or less, I'm posting from memory). I purchased this run in order to be able to study the registration labels hoping to be able to tell which varations amongst the labels were found in the same roll, and which might distinguish one roll from another. I'm still doing that, and have been surprised to find that the position of the numbers - all are 4 digits with the first being a leading zero - follow a pattern in groups of 5. I first saw that every 5th label in the series had the number tilted down to the right so that the last digit would touch or even overlap the bottom frame. Then I saw that the number prior to the tilt was also in a constant position - and so are the other 3 in each group of 5. I'll post pictures as soon as I can. Also occuring on every 5th label there is a blue dot attached to the the bar dividing the R box from the rest of the label, and located next to the top of the N of "No". The only explanation for these phenomena I can think of is that the plate from which the numbers, and probably the "No" as well, were printed, covered 5 labels. I also imagine, with no evidence at all yet, that the labels were printed in sheets and cut into coils as this is the way coil stamps are normally printed.

Final note: I have a cover addressed to someone other than Mrs Page, registration label 0029, and the label is an entirely different type of layout. Lord knows how many registered covers were prepared for this First Flight.

What It's About

2009-11-13T17:09:00.000-08:00

I have collected stamps often during the past 50 years. For the last 5 or so I have been intensely interested in the Falkland Islands and associated (in my mind) philatelic areas such as South Georgia, and the British Antarctic Territory.

My current project is to study the registration labels used in these areas. I hope to create an illustrated list of the more recent (since about 1935) types of these labels. Why? you might ask. Well, because it is interesting. And because it adds to the knowledge of the philately. And because it assists in validating covers - I have alread discovered several in my collection which are not what they seem to be - and these are covers with no special value in dollars. The tampering seems to be more on the lines of a prank, and yet tampering it is. How do I know? The registration labels are not the types in use when the cover was canceled. But enough justification. All stamp collectors know that making the collection is its own justification. Justification through pleasure is enough.