This page is designed to be a reference to the issues of British New guinea and Papua. It is envisaged that readers of this site will contact me via email to discuss issues raised in this web site, or to add their own knowledge to this fascinating area of philately.
I will endeavor to provide information about the relative scarcity of items, and will possibly incorporate a guide as to the value of specific items as well. Any information on prices realised of any British New Guinea material would be greatly appreciated. Special thanks to James Backhouse, who designed the title page.
This cover is generally thought to be the first day of issue of the two cancellers used on the face of the cover. There is more than one cover, of which it is believed all were addressed to the same PO Box in Brisbane.
28 August 1891.
(This particular cover realised $A750 in the March 2002 Premier Philately( http://www.premierphilately.com )Auction, Melbourne (excl. buyers comm.).
and another from the roger lee collection
Stamps of British New Guinea were first issued on June 1st 1901. Before that, stamps of Queensland were used in the Territory. These stamps were distinguishable from the ordinary Queensland issues only by the Postmark on the stamp. Prior to 1891, the handstamp "N.G." was used, and after that "B.N.G." was used. A variety of circular date stamps and other cancellers were used throughout this period, but the eight bar and nine bar cancellers of BNG and the NG canceller are the more common. The circular date stamps of Port Moresby and Granville of the NG period are some of the rarest items of BNG philately, especially if found genuinely used for postage.
The "N.G." cancel is very scarce, and stamps put up for sale in Australia have been estimated to sell for around $A200.-. Two or three covers only have been reported; prices realizing over ten thousand dollars on the few occasions when they have appeared on the market.
The relative scarcity of the "N.G." cancellation on particular postage stamp values is given by Roger Lee on page 5 of his book the Postal History of British New Guinea and Papua 1885-1942 . He lists in order of ascending scarcity 2d, 4d, 1d and 6d. The picture at right of the one shilling value with "N.G." may be an oversight. His overall rarity rating of the cancellation as a whole is 'D', which means approx. 251 to 500 examples exist.
The stamps of Queensland used in BNG were striked with a variety of both obliterators and circular date stamps ( cds's). These included the following(source Hamilton Croaker):
1890- 1906 'PORT MORESBY/BRITISH NEW GUINEA' cds
1899- 1905 'TAMATA/BNG' cds
1899- 1905 10 bars 'BNG' Obliterator ( two types were in use- Tamata and Kulumadau (Woodlarks)).
1899- 1902 'NIVANI/BNG' cds ( No covers have been recorded. Lee states " A few philatelic examples ..only seen".)
Post Offices were opened on the following dates (Source: Stanley Gibbons):
More information on particular issues of British New Guinea and Papua stamps are contained in the following links:
the Stamps of British New Guinea ....................................................................Auction News
A registered hand stamp (h/s) was also in use during the period 1885- 1903. It was inscribed: 'REGISTERED/ PORT MORESBY N.G.' A strike on cover of this example realised $A10,500.- in 1997.
1889- 1890 'GRANVILLE/BNG' cds
1889- 1905 'REGISTERED/GRANVILLE BNG' h/s
1890- 1906 8 bars 'BNG' Obliterator
1888- 1901 'SAMARAI/BNG' cds
1888- 1907 9 bars 'BNG' Obliterator
1895 'HM CUSTOMS,/DARU, BNG' Crowned Oval Datestamp ( only three copies recorded)
1899- 1902 'REGISTERED/NIVANI BNG' h/s
Daru (1894);
Kulumadau (Woodlarks) (1899);
Nivani (1899);
Port Moresby (1885);
Samarai (1888);
Sudest (1899);
Tamata (1899).
the overprint issues of BNG
the Lithograph issues of Papua
the Monocolour isuues of 1912-1915
the Pictorial Issues of 1932
the 1916-1931 Bi-Colour Issues
the Stationery Issues
-Papuan Philatelic Society-
