Postal orders of British North Borneo facts for kids

This is a 6d postal order from 1909. It was issued in Lahad Datu in British North Borneo. It was sold online in 2005 for £980!

Postal orders of British North Borneo are special paper documents. They were like a safe way to send money through the mail. People used them in a place called British North Borneo. This area later became part of Malaysia in 1963 and is now known as Sabah.

These postal orders are very interesting to collectors. They are listed by groups like the GB Overprints Society. These groups keep track of rare and unique postal items.

What is a Postal Order?

Imagine you wanted to send money to someone far away before banks were common. A postal order was a great solution! You would buy one at a post office for a certain amount of money. Then, you would mail it to the person. They could then take it to their local post office to get the money.

It was a safe way to send money. This was because the postal order itself was a document. It was much safer than sending cash in an envelope.

The Oldest Known Postal Order from British North Borneo

The oldest postal order we know from British North Borneo was issued in 1909. It came from a town called Lahad Datu. This particular order was for "6d," which meant six pence. This was a small amount of money back then.

The order had a special round stamp on it. This stamp showed where it was issued (Lahad Datu) and the exact date (September 15, 1909). It also had a message printed on it. It said "Poundage payable in British North Borneo." This meant any extra fees for the service had to be paid there.

The postal order also featured a picture of Edward VII of the United Kingdom. He was the King at that time. His picture was often used on stamps and postal orders in the United Kingdom. It was also used in many British colonies around the world.

Why Are They Collectible?

Postal orders from British North Borneo are very rare today. This makes them highly valued by collectors. For example, the 1909 postal order from Lahad Datu is a famous example. It was sold online in 2005 for a lot of money, £980!

Groups like the GB Overprints Society keep records of these items. They help collectors identify and value them. These societies list British North Borneo as a unique issuer of postal orders. This shows how special they are in the world of collecting.

See also

• Postal orders of Brunei
• Postal orders of the United Kingdom