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.

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  • British Guiana 1938 24c Blue-Green SG312 Fine Mtd Mint
    Sale
    Regular Price £10.00 Special Price £5.00
  • British Guiana 1878 1c Slate SG139 Good Used
    Sale
    Regular Price £22.00 Special Price £11.00
  • British Guiana 1935 12c Green & Indigo SG303f Diag Line by Turret V.F Mtd Mint
    Sale
    Regular Price £95.00 Special Price £47.50
  • British Guiana 1961 48c Ultramarine & Brown-Lake SG341ab D.L.R V.F MNH Block of 4
    Sale
    Regular Price £110.00 Special Price £55.00
  • British Guiana 1865 6c Greenish Blue SG70var Stop Before VICISSIM Fine Used
    Sale
    Regular Price £55.00 Special Price £27.50
  • British Guiana 1865 12c Grey-Lilac SG65a P.10 Good Used Ex-Fred Small
    Sale
    Regular Price £38.00 Special Price £19.00
  • British Guiana 1865 12c Grey-Lilac SG65a P.10 Good Used Ex-Frederick Small
    Sale
    Regular Price £38.00 Special Price £19.00
  • British Guiana 1867 12c Grey-Lilac SG75 Fine Used
    Sale
    Regular Price £22.00 Special Price £11.00
  • British Guiana 1866 24c Yellow Green SG103 P.10 Fresh & Fresh Mtd Mint Ex- Sir Ron Brierley
    Sale
    Regular Price £135.00 Special Price £67.50
  • British Guiana 1867 48c Red SG105 P.10 Fine Used
    Sale
    Regular Price £20.00 Special Price £10.00
  • British Guiana 1876 8c Dp Rose SG112 P.15 Fine Used Ex-Frederick Small
    Sale
    Regular Price £50.00 Special Price £25.00
  • British Guiana 1881 1 on 48c Red-Brown SG154 Fine Mtd Mint EX-Sir Ron Brierley
    Sale
    Regular Price £100.00 Special Price £50.00
  • British Guiana 1881 2 on 12c Pale Violet SG155 Type 23 Fine Mtd Mint
    Sale
    Regular Price £45.00 Special Price £22.50
  • British Guiana 1889 96c Dull Purple & Carmine SG205x Wmk Reversed Fine Mtd Mint
    Sale
    Regular Price £375.00 Special Price £187.50
  • British Guiana 1923 72c Dull Purple & Orange-Brown SG281 Fine Used
    Sale
    Regular Price £40.00 Special Price £20.00
  • British Guiana 1862 12c Lilac SG49 P.12 Fine Used.
    Sale
    Regular Price £23.00 Special Price £11.50
  • British Guiana 1863 6c Milky Blue SG72 Fine & Very Fresh Lightly Mtd Mint Regummed
    Sale
    Regular Price £100.00 Special Price £50.00
  • British Guiana 1863 12c Brownish Purple SG76 P.12.5 x 13 Good Used
    Sale
    Regular Price £22.00 Special Price £11.00
  • British Guiana 1866 12c Brownish Grey SG99 P.10 with Paper Makers Wmk Good Used
    Sale
    Regular Price £24.00 Special Price £12.00
  • British Guiana 1867 12c Grey-Lilac SG75 P.12.5 x 13 Fine Used
    Sale
    Regular Price £22.00 Special Price £11.00
  • British Guiana 1871 8c Pink SG95 P.10 Fine Used.
    Sale
    Regular Price £23.00 Special Price £11.50
  • British Guiana 1860 5d in Red on 12c Lilac Postage Payable to Great Britain For Overseas Letters SG36
    Sale
    Regular Price £195.00 Special Price £97.50
  • B. Guiana 1860 5d in Red on 12c Lilac Postage Payable to GB For Overseas Letters
    Sale
    Regular Price £190.00 Special Price £95.00
  • British Guiana 1860 5d in Red on 12c Lilac Postage Payable by Colony to Great Brtain SG36 Fine Mint
    Sale
    Regular Price £195.00 Special Price £97.50

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