Brief History
1826-1867
The Straits Settlements were established as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, which was based in Calcutta, India.
1867-1941
The Straits Settlements became a British Crown colony, making the Settlements answerable directly to the Colonial Office in London.
1942-1945
The Straits Settlements, along with much of the rest of Asia, fall into Japan Occupation.
1945
Following surrender by Japan, the Straits Settlement with the rest of British Malaya and British Borneo were placed under British Military Administration
1946
The Straits Settlements were dissolved.
Settlements
The Straits Settlements originally consisted of the 3 individual settlements : Malacca, Prince of Wales Island ( Penang Island ) with the Province Wellesley ( Seberang Perai ), and Singapore.
Prince of Wales Island with Province Wellesley
1874-1935 Dinding ( Manjung ) incorporated into Penang
Singapore
1900-1958 Christmas Island was incorporated into Singapore
1903-1955 Cocos Island (Keeling ) was incorporated into Singapore
1907-1912 Labuan was incorporated the Singapore.
Labuan
1912 Upgraded became the 4th Settlement.
1946 Transferred to the North Borneo Crown Colony
Postal Service – Permanent Issues
When the Straits Settlement ( SS ) were established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the EIC, thus postage stamps of India were used from 1854 until 1867.
When the SS became a separate Crown Colony on 1 April 1867. On 1 September 1867, existing stock of Indian stamps were overprinted with a crown and a new value in cents.
The provisional issue was replaced by a new set of postal stamps in late 1867.
The new Straits Settlements’ own postal stamps were printed by De La Rue, with a prominent white frame around the profile of Queen Victoria, inscribed “STRAITS SETTLEMENTS POSTAGE”. The set of 9 values, consisting of 2cents, 4c, 6c, 8c, 12c, 24c,30c, 32c, and 96c.
Shortages from 1879 through 1882 forced the production of various surcharges, i.e. 5c, 7c and 10c. New 5c and 10c were issued in 1882.
Receipt Stamps
In the 1860s simple taxes on such instruments as receipts were introduced and initially Indian 1a. stamps overprinted with ‘SS’ in a diamond were used. In time a universal receipt stamp become imperative and naturally Government of India 1a. receipt stamps were sent. On 17 April 1867 the administration of the Straits Settlements was transferred from the East India Company in Bengal to Penang and ten years later to Singapore and the receipt stamps were overprinted with the Crown and a new value.
The first Straits receipt stamps were issued on 27 November 1874 and were similar in size to the Indian ones and printed by the same printer, De La Rue and Co Ltd, in a similar singly fugitive ink.
1874
Postage Due Stamps
1824
Foreign Bill Stamps
Straits Settlements Foreign Bill stamps were issued in 1869 in a vertical format, three times the size of regular De La Rue stamps of the time and hence having three Crown CC watermarks on most stamps. Eighteen values are known, and all of them are rare.
1869
Revenue Stamps
The first Revenue stamps were issued in 1874 and they were modelled on the Foreign Bill stamps. Upright in design with the head of Victoria in the middle, they were similar in many respects to the 1854/5 Foreign Bill stamps of Great Britain, the 1868 Small Cause Court stamps of India and Antigua revenues of 1870.
1867
1874
Denominations :
3c, 5c, 10c, 15c, 20c, 25c, 30c, 50c, 60c
Denominations :
$1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $10, $25 & $50
1882
3c, 5c, 10c, 15c, 20c, 25c, 30c, 50c & 60c
Denominations :
$1, $2, $3, $5 &,10, $25, $30
Judicial Stamps
Judicial stamp are generally used for a legal purpose or for court cases. The Judicial stamp are also commonly known as court fee stamp. The judicial stamp are used for payment of court fee in the court to avoid cash transactions. The case may not be admitted without payment of court fees.
The earliest Judicials are on similar Crown CC paper and have the values in violet on a brown background stamp. In 1870 this value colour was changed to green and in 1874 the crown CC paper ran out and Crown CA was used.
1868
Denominations :
10c, 25c, 50c, 75c,
$1, $1.50, $2, $2,50, $3, $3.50, $4, $4.50
$5, $5.50, $6, $6,50,
$10 & $15
Marine Policies Stamps
Stamp duty on marine insurance was fixed for Great Britain and the Colonies by Act of Parliament, The Straits Settlements being taxed after its Crown Colony status was confirmed in 1867.
1869
8c, 12c & 24c
Entertainments Duty Stamps
