More pictures of St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha you can find here
The sub page St. Helena, UPU PPCs Innes is password proteced. You may enter that page only as a St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Philatelic Society (SHATPS) or as a West Africa Study Circle (WASC) member by typing a username and password:
SHATPS members: username and password you will find in the November Chronicle p. 11, 4th line, 2nd word
WASC members: username and passoword you will find in the October Cameo p. 120, 3rd word
Type lower case letters only!
SH is geologically part of an old volcano and is larger than TdC. Currently close to 4200 islanders live in what is a beautiful environment lush with tropical vegetation.
Touristic highlights on the Christmas Issue 2010 as Jacob's Ladder, Dianas Peak, High Knoll Fort and Heart Shaped Waterfall with tropical flowers and orchid
SH history yields a plethora of topics for any stamp collector or postalhistorian. Like TdC, SH was discovered by the Portuguese, the first recorded sighting being by navigator Joao da Nova Castella on 21 May, 1502 as he was returning from a visit to India; this sighting fell on the anniversary of St. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine. SH was used for decades as a victualising and health-restoring base by Portuguese sailors but for some reason wasabandoned in 1588. Used by many nations in subsequent years, iteventually was annexed by Britain in 1659 when the East India Company obtained a Royal Charter to hold the island. Thus SH postal history goes back to the early 17th Century with these early English settlers brought by on a vessel commanded by Cpt. John Dutton. More colonizers were to arrive and these were of many nationalities and ethnicities from all over the world. After 1834 SH became a Crown Colony yet in the years ahead, extreme poverty characterized island life. This was due to a number of events: slavery was abolished in 1832 and furthermore when authority was transferred from the East India Company to the Crown, many public servants were dismissed, contributing to the rising unemployment. The opening in 1869 of the Suez Canal and the conversion of sail to steam in the world’s oceanic economy resulted in more lost revenue from the resultant reduction in shipping and marine trade that passed by.
Few these days manage to complete early schooling without learning in their history classes about the eventual exile and death under suspicious circumstances of Napoleon Bonaparte on SH after his military defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. He arrived in SH in October of that year and remained a prisoner until his death in 1821. Although buried on the island, his remains were disinterred in 1840 and returned to France in 1840. Rather less widely known compared with the era of Napoleonic imprisonment, is that during the first years of the last century (1900-’02), thousands of Boer War prisoners lived in two camps on SH: Deadwood and Broad Bottom. Owing to this aspect of SH history, mail items from this period caused a significant growth in matters postal
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Even unspectacular OHMS covers povides much interesting research on instuctional and departemental markings.
The OFFICIAL PAID marking on the 1898 QV OHMS cover (Type I) is scarce and in use from 9th May 1898 to 6th
May 1901.
_____________________
and this spilled over as well into “collectible” are as such as Pictorial Postcards, the time of WWII, censored mail and a variety of specialist areas for historians and collectors.
Two other little-known instances of SH being used as a prison for political reasons exist. In 1890, Prince Dinizulu, son of the great Zulu chieftain Cetshwayo, was exiled to SH for seven years for leading a Zulu army against the British from 1883 to 1884. He and a few retainers lived at Rosemary Cottage, in a fertile part of the island, and he was reputed to eat nothing but meat! He returned to South Africa at the end of the seven years, and died there in 1913. Much later in 1957 three Bahreini prisoners were exiled to SH for three years, being released in 1960 after ‘questions in the House’. Another suitable topic for postal historical study is the use of the island’s local postal service. This was only established on 4th. January 1965: up until then, there had been no perceived need. One cannot but conjecture that had the authorities been the people who had to climb St. Helena’s hills to deliver messages, the decision might have been taken much earlier. See below some of the censor marks of the Boer POW used on St. Helena.
If you can help with additional scans (150 dpi) - your pictures are very welcome. The list will be completed the next months.
Another website page shows the UPU Picture Postcards of St. Helena. Please use the link on the left side.
The copyright of that article published on the website of HAHNSTAMPS remains with the author (Philip Hicks) - my thanks goes to Philip for providing that text.
St. Helena -
Philatelic information:
new stamp issues available from:
CASCO Philatelic Service Ltd.
288 House
1 Aston Way
Poole
Dorset BH12 4FE
U.K.
https://www.cascophilatelic.com/
or directly
Ascension Post Office
Georgetown
Ascension Island
South Atlantic
ASCN 1ZZ
https://www.postoffice.gov.ac
-- available are all new issues from Ascension, St. Helena & Tristan da Cunha --
no Philatelic Bureau available on St. Helena since 2011
Philatelic Societies
St. Helena is covered by 2 philatelic societies:
SHATPS - St. Helena, Ascension & Tristan da Cunha Philatelic Society
Postal datestamps of St. Helena since 2000- still under construction - all support is very much appreciated - if you know of other postmarks or of other date of usage, please write to the Webmaster, thanks!
Jamestown oval datestamp
missing "Post Office"
37,5 x 27 mm
15 MR 2000 - only in 2000 ??
Jamestown oval datestamp
missing "Post Office"
34 x 27 mm
11 MY 2000 - 15 FEB 2001
Jamestown oval datestamp
missing "Post Office"
31,5 x 26 mm
known 22 DEC 2000
Jamestown circular datestamp
used by favour on a cover to
England, normally used for
documents/postal orders, 25 mm
Jamestown circular handstamp
28 mm, first usage seen 13 JA
20 NOV 2013 - still in use 2015
Jamestown oval datestamp
31 x 25 mm
18 AP 2000 - 25 NOV 2008
Jamestown oval datestamp
34 x 27 mm
27 MR 2001 - still in use 2015
Jamestown oval datestamp
36 x 29 mm
1 FEB 2008 - 2 MY 2013
oval datestamp 33 x 27 mm
Sub Post Office Bluehill
7 FEB 2009 - today
oval datestamp 33 x 27 mm
Sub Post Office Guinea Grass
St. Pauls, 7 FEB 2009 - today
oval datestamp 33 x 27 mm
Sub Post Office Redhill St Pauls
7 FEB 2009 - today
oval datestamp 33 x 27 mm
Sub Post Office Half Tree Hollow
7 FEB 2009 - today
oval datestamp 33 x 27 mm
Sub Post Office Levelwood
7 FEB 2009 - today
oval datestamp 33 x 27 mm
Sub Post Office Longwood
7 FEB 2009 - today
oval datestamp 33 x 27 mm
Sub Post Office New Ground
St. Pauls. 7 FEB 2009 - today
oval datestamp 33 x 27 mm
Sub Post Office Sandy Bay
7 FEB 2009 - today
Boer Prisoners of War Censor Markings
Censor marks
Type
Usage
Censor
Colour
I E.W.
14-6-1900 - 3-9-1900
14-6-1900 - 2-5-1902
E. Walton
grey/blue
violet
30-11-1900
E-Walton
with full family name
rare
I V.A.
16-3-1902 - 8-5-1902
Baron von Ahlefeldt
red
I A.W.P.
only 5-1-1901
20-3-1901 - 26-4-1901
A.W.P. (name unknown)
violet
grey/black
???
used on a PC to Germany 19-1-1901
Wn or Wm
name of the censor unknown, the initial only known in conjunction with Type 1
grey/black
IIa A.W.P.
6-7-1901 - 28-9-1901
30 mm / diameter
with initials as a separate handstamp instead of manuscript
text: Prisoners of War Broadbottom Camp / Censor
violet
III E.W
Deadwood
16-9-1901 - 6-3-1902
E. Walton
violet
III V.A.
March 1902 -13-3-1902 (as far as I know)
Baron von Ahlefeldt
red
VI
Head
Office
1-5-1902 - 5-8-1902
uninitialled
violet
VIII
Deadwood
January 1901 - 20 July 1901
one line cachet
black
please enjoy the wonderful Boer Prisoner post cards which are NOT for sale
Painting of a POW for Colonel von Braun on a UPU postcard to Germany
Picture side of a UPU PPC - PPC9 - published by A.L. Innes, showing Kent Cottage, where the Boer Leader General Cronje and his staff was imprisoned. The PPC written by Colonel Adolf Schiel, signed by P.A. Cronje.
German Reply Postcard, censored by Baron von Ahlefeldt 22th April 1902 with type I censor handstamp in red
that private Letter Card came to light recently - it's the 3rd known style of a St. Helena Letter Card and includes postcard sized pictures of Napoleons imprisonment on St. Helena
The cover with the Castle handstamp Type CH 9 bears the first known date of 8th NOV 1934 (in use until 10th NOV 1936). The OFFICIAL PAID cancellation is Type V and still in use.
"REGISTERED LETTER" in serif letters, dividing line between "E" and "R" of REGISTERED, imprinted registration square
B1
R
199 x 129
Serif
125
104
114
3rd line in capital letters
curved/front
Serif / 26
15-1-02
17-1-03
"REGISTERED LETTER" in block letters,
dividing line between both words -
dividing vertical line dividing "to | an" &
"and | a"
"R" beside imprinted text
text in samll letters except 3rd line
B2
R
132 x 82
Serif
60
72
74
curved/front
Serif / 24
13-1-02
12-2-02
"REGISTERED LETTER" in serif letters, dividing line between both words
vertical line dividing "given | to" &
"and | a"
large "R"
text in small letters
C1
R
139 x 85
Block
77
49
59
59,0
Square
curved/front
Block / 19,5
23-10-03
23-10-03
"REGISTERED LETTER" in block letters, dividing line between "E" and "D" of REGISTERED
vertical line dividing "an| officer" (see greater C1 scan below.
large "R"
text in capital letters
C3
R
250 x 149
Block
109,5
79
85
Square/front
?
13-2-28
13-2-28
"REGISTERED LETTER" in block letters, dividing line between "E" and "D" of REGISTERED
vertical line dividing "a|n>
text in capital letters
C4
R
238 x 115
Block
117,5
?
?
Square/front
Block / 22,5
15-1-38
15-1-38
"REGISTERED LETTER" in block letters, dividing line between "E" and "D" of REGISTERED
vertical line dividing "a|n"
text in capital letters
C2
R
135 x 83
Block
53,5
54
56,5
59,0
Square
Serif / 29
14-9-07
24-3-40
"REGISTERED LETTER" in block letters, dividing line between "E" and "D" of REGISTERED
"R"
20x27
text in capital letters
D1
B
221 x 99
Block
127
101
N
THE STAMP TO PAY THE POSTAGE MUST BE PLACED HERE
22 x 27
block flap
N
11-11-49
July 1957
Imprint only 3 lines,
"REGISTERED LETTER" in block letters, dividing line between both words
"R"
20x27
D2
B
150 x 94
Block
82,5
67
N
18 x 21,5
block flap
N
20-11-53
20-11-53
Imprint only 3 lines,
"REGISTERED LETTER" in block letters, dividing line between both words
"R"
20x27
D3
B
223x101
Block
9 7
75
N
THE STAMP...
20x?
N
22-1-57
Imprint only 3 lines,
"REGISTERED LETTER" in block letters, dividing line between both words
"R"
20x27
D4
B
222 x 121,5
Block
89,5
75
N
21 x 24
block flap
N
16-1-76
16-1-76
Imprint only 3 lines,
"REGISTERED LETTER" in block letters, dividing line between both words
"R"
20x27
still under construction - you can help to finish - see below
Type A1
Type B1
Tpye B2
Type C1
A lot of FRE were produced locally and came to usage between the beginning of the 20th century and the 1970s. Because the FRE were more expensive as normal envelopes, only few were used. In consequence FREs of St. Helena are very rare, especially the old ones.
There is much need to research the different types of these envelopes. Any help to complete that list is helpful (scans, size etc.) - please be free to contact me.
Even if most or all FREs were provided from England to most colonies, perhaps there was special usage of some types only on St. Helena.
The listing here is done for WASC (Cameo) or SHATPS (South Atlantic Chronicle) for a forthcoming article - thanks to all members who helped since July 2009 (Barry B., Dennis E., Bernard M., Stefan H., ).
(all scans pictured with kind permission of the owners)
