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Postal Currency of the World; An Overview.
Currency has a way of faithfully reflecting the times in which it was issued and bad times sees the rise of emergency currency. When not merely "collectors' issues", postal currency was just such emergency money. The inspiration for the very first postal currency took the form of small fractional paper notes issued by the United States federal government on 17 July, 1862 during the Civil War as a replacement for the minor silver coin (5-, 10-, 25- and 50-cents) which were in short supply. Pictured on these notes were facsimiles of the current U.S. 5- or 10-cent stamps. In quantities of $5, they were exchangeable for U.S. federal notes.
U.S. fractional note for 25-cents. First issue: 17 July 1862 . There were five issues of fractional notes, the last in June, 1864. Still, this was not true postal currency, since it made use of the images rather than the stamps themselves. The laurels for the first is attributed to John Gault, a New York businessman/inventor, who was granted a patent ( 12 August 1862 ) for "Encased Postage Stamps" consisting of actual stamps enclosed by a case with a thin metal back and a transparent mica face. There was, of course, no way for him to sell them for less than face since mint stamps were enclosed but in his case, the thin metal back (brass) was die-stamped with an advertising message and it was this that made it attractive to his potential customers. Even though there are a fair number of varieties known, his operation didn't last long. Except for 5- and 10-cent stamps, the other denominations (12-, 24-, 30- and 90-cents) didn't lend themselves well as "coin values". Nor was the government enthusiastic about another "private currency" and brought pressure on Gault by making it difficult for him to acquire mint stamps in the denominations and quantities he needed. Today, one of the commoner Gault "types" are his own "salesman samples". Other types, such as that shown below are very scarce and there also exist others that are in a rectangular, rather than round, case enclosing two or more mint stamps. All of these are very scarce or rare and with their demise, the use of postage stamps in connection with currency ceased for decades.
Gault issue for Ellis McAlpine & Co., Cincinnati . 10 Cents. (enlrgd)
The only encased postage stamp issue for Canada : 10-Cents. Weir & Larminie, Bankers and Specie Brokers, Montreal . ( enlrgd.) This was probably just an "advertising gimmick" since U.S. stamps had no postal value in Canada and the country was awash with U.S. silver coin (the reason the U.S. wasn't ).
Bulawayo . 2s6d denomination. Signed by H. Marshall Hole and rubberstamped.
The next use of "postal currency" was in Bulawayo , a railway center in what was to become Rhodesia . During the Boer War, with the town more or less isolated (being 1380 miles north of Cape Town ) a need for small change arose in August, 1900. To fill it, a simple expedient was resorted to: postage stamps of Cecil Rhodes' company, the British South Africa Company, were afixed to small pieces of cardboard, the reverse of which carried a text and the hand-signature of the Resident (something like the mayor), the whole overstamped with a rubber stamp. Because of the primitive methods used, the different denominations (ten known from 2d to 10/), four stamp issues and the fact the rubber stamp may read ADMINISTRATOR'S * OFFICE BULAWAYO or just ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE, all of these scarce issues have a wide range of types and varieties. All were valid only until October 1, 1900 . (Example shown above).
Orange Free State . £1 "Post Noot"issued Bethlehem , O.F.S in 1898. (Redeemed)
Just prior to and during the same war, there was another "postal issue" but this time it was used throughout the whole Orange Free State by the "burghers". It took the form of post office money orders (or "post noots") which were conveniently printed in even sums from 1-shilling to 1 pound (nine denominations are known). Some were simply made out to "Bearer", others to an individual, but by common consent could pass from hand to hand until cashed. Today, all of them are reasonably scarce but those that have not been cashed are several times scarcer. * * * * The greatest use of postal currency was a direct result of the First World War and its immediate aftermath. The first instance was in Britain . When war broke out in early August, 1914, Britain was caught completely flat-footed insofar as currency was concerned. Immediately she went off the Gold Standard and the gold sovereigns and half-sovereigns disappeared from circulation just as quickly. This left a tremendous "currency hole" between the largest silver coin in normal circulation, the halfcrown (2s6d), and the lowest paper banknote allowed, £5. Working with feverish haste, the government managed to legislate, design, manufacture and issue rather crude 10-shilling "Treasury Notes" (backed by nothing but "the credit of the nation") in only ten days or so, soon followed by corresponding £1 notes. But in the brief interim, the gap was filled by British Post Office postal orders in denominations of 10-shillings and £1, payable to "bearer". As soon as the Treasury notes (nicknamed "Bradburys" due to the signature) became available, the postal orders were redeemed. Today, if any of these "bearer postal orders" from August, 1914 still exist, they're obviously very rare. * * * *
Austria . 100-kronen "advertising" EPS. Issued during inflationary period 1922-5.
The period immediately following WW1 saw the greatest use of encased postage stamps. As the former warring countries struggled to stabilize the values of their currencies, reality caused severe devaluation as the prices of bullion gold and silver skyrocketed. In some cases, the small minor coins - even when struck in "junk metals" such as zinc or iron - still cost more than face to mint. Into this vacuum flowed such substitutes as private tickets, tokens - and encased postage stamps. Austrian EPS were of three types: using the old "Imperial-type" stamps overprinted "Deutschosterreich" (until 1919); stamps printed with the same name (1919-22) and "Osterreich" (such as the above) thereafter. Austria used a fairly wide variety of EPS, the backs of various metals (usually aluminum or thin iron ["tin"] but also brass) which could be die-struck or, more usually, lithographed. It's hard to say how many actually served the purpose for which they were intended; as inflation hit, some of the later ones may have been produced entirely for the collectors' market. Germany was the king when it came to the number of EPS ("briefmarkengeld") issues. All were very much like the Austrian example above in that most were of the "advertising" type - although some purport to be "official" municipal issues. There are two general types: the earliest (to mid-1919) use the old Imperial "Germania"-type stamps; thereafter, the stamps are of the Weimar Republic . As the inflation hit in 1922/3, many German issues were entirely directed at the collectors' market since no such stamp denomination could keep up with the rate of inflation. The cases were usually of celluloid or aluminum, usually lithographed but occasionally die-struck. France and her colonies fell into the same category as Austria or Germany although to a much smaller extent. At war's end, the franc fell so that the old rather large 5- and 10-centime bronze pieces ceased to be struck, costing more than face, and replaced with much smaller copper-nickel coins. The bronze 1- and 2-centime pieces ceased to be coined altogether. Most French EPS appeared during the period 1919-22 and most used the old "Sower"-design stamps backed by multi-colored (lithographed) steel or plain aluminum shells. If things were difficult in France , they were worse in some of her smaller colonies. As silver peaked in 1919/20, dragging copper along with it, no new supplies of minor coin was available and some were forced to temporary expediencies, types of postal currency among them.
Comoros Islands . 50 centimes, (1920). "Mohéli" stamp.
In 1920, the Comoros Islands were forced to a postal currency in denominations of 50-centimes and 1-franc. These were simply mint stamps on thin cardboard, the stamps either of the "Mohéli" type (as above) or similar " Madagascar et Dependances" type. Most have the dog-design on the reverse although one 50-ctm has a zebu. All are rare.
Madagascar . 25-centimes (1916). Type 1 reverse.
Madagascar switched to a postal currency in 1916 - even earlier than most. There are a huge number of types, all scarce. The stamps used were all of the "Filanzane" type (as shown) pasted on cardboard (usually gray or brown). Denominations from 5-centimes to 2-francs were released. The reverse design was either the Dog-design shown or a zebu. As a further subdivision, the Dog design is of three types: (a) with no additional wording as shown; (b) with the denomination such as " O,1O " (for the 10-centimes) printed vertically on the right or (c) as last but with the addition of " Variftoventy " vertically at left. The Zebu-reverse are all of Type (c).
New Caledonia . Top: "Stamp Card" for 50-centimes. Bottom: 25-centime EPS (1922)
Located on the far side of the world, the French colony of New Caledonia was thrown on its own resources even as early as 1914. At that time - and extending to 1923- , the island issued small cardboard cards in denominations of 25- and 50-centimes, 1- and 2-francs, afixing mint stamps on one side and stamping the backs with " TRESORIER PAYEUR DE LA NOUVELLE CÁLEDONIE " and " SECRETARIAT GENERAL ". In 1922, the Bank of Indo-China issued true EPS in denominations of 25- and 50-centimes. The cards didn't stand up well and are rare today; the EPS scarce. As early as 1917, the African colony of French Guinea was forced to have printed notes of 50-centimes and 1-franc denominations but by 1920, even smaller values were required as shipments from France dwindled. In that year an emergency postage stamp issue was made, taking the form of French Guinea stamps (all of the vertical "Ford at Krim" type) being afixed to plain cardboard cards of various colors ( 5 ctm = orange; 10 ctm = green; 25 ctm = red) with the value in an ornate frame on the back. All the stamps were overprinted " VALEUR / D'ECHANGE ". All such notes are rare.
French Guinea . 5 centimes, (1920) * * * * Shortage of coin during the war was also responsible for the issue of postal currency in Taiwan , then a possession of Japan , in 1917/18. All consisted of the appropriate-denomination Japanese stamps applied to forms called "Tokubetsu Yubin Kitte Daishi" ("Special Postage Stamp Cards"). The 1917 issue (shown) had Japanese text and a black circle on the back (5-, 10-, 20-, 50-sen); those of 1918 only the circle (1-, 3-, 5-sen). All are very rare.
Taiwan . 10-sen "Special Postage Stamp Card", issue of 1917.
Russia . 3 kopeks. Left: back of 1915/16. Right: back of 1917. Face common to both. In 1915, Czarist Russia began issuing postage stamp currency that today is the most common of all. They consisted of stamps printed on thin cardboard with a back identifying them as legal tender and were issued in denominations of 1-, 2-, 3-, 10- 15- and 20-kopeks, the first two with and without a large 1 or 2 overprint on the face. After the fall of the czar and the setting up of the provisional government in 1917, similar 1-, 2- and 3-kopeks were issued, the backs lacking the imperial eagle. All of these are counted as being relatively common.
Ukraine . 20 shahiv. Issued 1918.
Russia proper was not the only one to issue such postal currency; a number of the constituent republics also did in about 1919 while they were independent of the home government. A typical one is shown above, being a 20-shahiv issued in 1918 (similar 10-, 30-, 40- and 50-shahiv were also issued as well as a 5-karbowanez in 1919). At about this time, other such issues were made for: (a) the Northern Army in Northwest Russia (1919); (b) Odessa, Ukraine ; (c) Rostov, South Russia ; (d) "Terek Republic", North Caucasus ; (e) Baku, Transcaucasia ; and (f) Uralsk, Siberia . * * * * The next instance of postal currency was from a couple of decades hence: Spain , just at the end of the Civil War, specifically 1938. By this time, practically no minor coinage had been struck in Spain for ten years (and those dated 1937 usually actually released in 1938). Authorized 24 February, 1938 , the first "postal coins" were released, consisting of a stamp afixed to a circular cardboard disc with the Spanish coat of arms and PLUS ULTRA on the back. There were three different types: (a) those with "numeral stamps" (5- to 25 centimos); (b) those with portraits on the stamps (5- to 60-centimos) and (c) those using Revenue stamps (5- to 50-centimos). All are considered reasonably common.
Spain . 20 centimos "Portrait" stamp disc (1938)
Barcelona , Spain . 15 centimos. EPS private issue for "Almacene's Jorba". (1938-40)
During the brief period after Franco took over in 1938 and continuing until the rather massive issues of aluminum 5- and 10-centimos aluminum coins in 1940, there also appeared true EPS, all advertising pieces and all by private persons. The cases used were struck aluminum or thin steel ("tin") as well as lithographed "tin" and celluloid. Most were from the Barcelona area. * * * * German occupation in WW2 resulted in the last two wide-spread instances of postal currency. When the Nazis invaded and occupied Denmark in April, 1940, an almost immediate end came to the use of the bronze Danish 1-ore coins. Withdrawn for war use, they were soon replaced by iron pieces. In the meantime, there was a shortage of this denomination and the lack was filled by postage stamps. In general, these were mint 1-ore stamps afixed to cardboard and cut to size, the reverse printed with advertising messages - sometimes quite colorfully - and the whole wrapped in tight-fitting cellophane.
Norway . 1 Ore, ca 1940. A.C. Nielsen, Kristiana. For exactly the same reason as the Danish, the Norwegians also had to replace bronze 1-ore coins with interim postage currency following the invasion and occupation of their own country by the Germans. Their examples are much less common than the Danish and tend to be true EPS such as that shown above. Although at least one issue of a 10-centesimi EPS is known from Italy from the 1920s or '30s, the above are nearly the last of the postal issues - or at least those that were filling a real need. No doubt there are many "for collectors' only" issues.
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May 2007Postal Currency of the World; An Overview The Marquis Wheat Commemorative; $100, 2003
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