Postal orders of Cyprus facts for kids
A Postal order is like a special kind of money order. It's a paper document you buy from a post office to send money safely to someone else. Instead of sending cash, which could get lost, you send this paper. The person who receives it can then take it to their post office to get the money.
Cyprus, an island country, has used postal orders at different times in its history. Finding detailed information about them can be a bit tricky!
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Postal Orders in Cyprus
Cyprus has used postal orders that were linked to the British postal system. These were special because they were used in Cyprus but were part of a bigger system.
British Postal Orders in Cyprus
It's not exactly known when Cyprus started using these British postal orders. However, we know they were still being used as late as the 1970s. Sometimes, these postal orders were overprinted. This means extra words or designs were stamped onto them, often to show they were specifically for use in Cyprus or for a certain purpose.
BFPO Postal Orders: Secret Mail
Some postal orders in Cyprus were issued by something called a BFPO. This stands for British Forces Post Office. These are special post offices that serve the British Armed Forces, like soldiers and their families, who are stationed in other countries.
What is a BFPO?
A BFPO acts just like a regular post office, but it's for military personnel. They handle mail and sometimes even issue postal orders. BFPO 567 was one such office located in Nicosia, Cyprus. It has since closed down.
Collecting BFPO Postal Orders
Collectors really like BFPO postal orders. For example, a 50 Pence postal order from BFPO 567 in Nicosia, dated '04. AP 05', is now in a private collection. This postal order is special because its date stamp also said 'UN NICOSIA BFPO 567'. This showed that this specific BFPO was also working as an official United Nations field post office.
BFPO locations are usually kept secret by the British Armed Forces for security reasons. This makes postal orders from these places quite rare and interesting for people who collect them.
