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British Guiana

British Guiana

British Commonwealth Stamps from British Guiana

A British colony on the northern coast of South America,

A privately run packet services for mail existed in British Guiana 1796, and continued for a number of years. Postage stamps of Britain were used at Georgetown and Berbice. inland Postal system opened 1850

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British Guiana 1898 2c Brown & Indigo SG217 Fine & Fresh Lightly Mtd Mint

£17
17 £
British Guiana 1889 set of 9 to 72c SG193-203 Fine Mtd Mint

£70
70 £
British Guiana 1889 96c Dull Purple & Carmine SG205x Wmk Reversed Fine Mtd Mint

£375
375 £
British Guiana 1881 2 on 12c Pale Violet SG155 Fine Mtd Mint

£40
40 £
British Guiana 1898 5c Dp Green & Sepia SG219 Mtd Mint

£24
24 £
British Guiana 1915 96c Black & Vermilion-Yellow SG269 Fine Mtd Mint

£15
15 £
British Guiana 1878 1c Slate SG139 Good Used

£22
22 £
British Guiana 1905 4c Dull Purple & Ultramarine SG242 Good Used

£10
10 £
British Guiana 1889 72c Dull Purple & Yellow-Brown SG204 Fine Used

£35
35 £
British Guiana 1950 $2 Purple SG318a P.14 x 13 Fine Used

£18
18 £
British Guiana 1923 72c Dull Purple & Ornge-Brown SG181 Fine Used

£40
40 £
British Guiana 1913 96c White Back SG269a V.F.U

£28
28 £
British Guiana 1889 72c Dull Purple & Red-Brown SG203 Fine Mtd Mint

£14
14 £
British Guiana 1889 96c Dull Purple & Rosine SG206 Fine MNH

£75
75 £
British Guiana 1881 2 on 24c Emerald Green SG157 Fine Mtd Mint

£50
50 £
British Guiana 1905-07 set of 12 SG240-250 V.F Lightly Mtd Mint

£120
120 £
British Guiana 1952 $3 Red-Brown SG319b P.14 x 13 Fine MNH Pl 1

£20
20 £
British Guiana 1938-52 Extended set of 19 SG308-319b V.F Very Lightly Mtd Mint

£85
85 £
British Guiana 1934 set of 13 SG288-300 V.F Very Lightly Mtd Mint

£84
84 £
British Guiana 1921-27 set of 11 SG272-282 V.F Lightly Mtd Mint

£60
60 £
British Guiana 1907 6c Grey & Black SG256 Fine Mtd Mint

£6
6 £
British Guiana 1931 Centenary set of 5 SG283-287 Fine & Fresh Mtd Mint

£30
30 £
British Guiana 1881 2 on 12c Pale Violet SG155 Fine Mtd Mint

£44
44 £
British Guiana 1881 1 on 48c Red-Brown SG154 Fine Mtd Mint

£95
95 £

British Guiana

A British colony on the northern coast of South America,

A privately run packet services for mail existed in British Guiana 1796, and continued for a number of years. Postage stamps of Britain were used at Georgetown and Berbice. inland Postal system opened 1850.

Cottonreels. The London government established an inland postal system on 1 July 1850, but postage stamps had not yet been produced, so the postmaster in Georgetown went to the local newspaper Royal Gazette and had them print imperforate stamps in the form of an outline circle, with "BRITISH GUIANA" inside the rim, and a denomination, from 2c to 12c, in the middle. The printing was in black, on different colors of paper depending on denomination. These became known as the "Cottonreels", because of the type of printing press used, and are some of the rearest stamps in the world.

The first issue from London finally came in 1852, a very simple typeset design depicting a sailing ship and the colony's motto DAMUS PATIMUS QUE VICISSIM ("we give and expect in return"), also quite rare. Better stamps from London showed up in 1853, engraved and correctly inscribed using PETIMUS instead.

The numbers were apparently insufficient, and in 1856 the postmaster had new 1c and 4c issues printed locally, crudely typeset and imitating the design of the London stamps, motto and all. These are among the rarest of all stamps, and the British Guiana 1c magenta is the rarest, with only one copy known to exist.