Military and Army Telegraphs
British Army telegraphers normally used stamps with "Military Telegraphs" or "Army Telegraphs" on the "unappropriated die" revenue stamps. However there was no ½d value in that series so to cover the needs in the Boer war and during training exercises in the UK the ½d "jubilee" stamps were overprinted.
A more detailed study of these items is on the Egypt Study circle web pages, given that they were used in Egypt and Sudan.
Note: that is also the reason why the ½d "jubilee" stamp was the only one in that set to be overprinted "British Bechuanaland" or "Bechuanaland Protectorate".
Note: this numbering system was drawn up by the Society for the website, and may not be used without permission.
Army Telegraphs
Queen Victoria
First issue
1896
1 ½d orange
Changed colour
1900
7mm and 8mm overprints
2 ½d green, 7mm overprint
note: the first printing used the same overprint as that on the orange ½d stamp above.
3 ½d green, 8mm overprint (possibly 1901)
The two settings on the green stamps can be most easily recognised by the first setting having the "M" exactly over "R" (as on the vermilion stamp), whereas the second setting has the "M" between the "R" and the "Y".
Provisional on keytype
The 2/6d and 5s values of the unappropriate die "Army Telegraphs" series used for values other than ½d were used for temporary provisionals in 1900.
1900-1901
(image courtesy of Matthew Hancock "stampsulike")
(image courtesy of Cavendish Auctions)
4 "TWOPENCE" on 2/6d green & blue
5 "ONE SHILLING" on 5s green & purple
Military Telegraphs
From September 1884 till the introduction of the "Army Telegraphs" stamps shown above, the British army in South Africa used stamps of the unapproprated die series, designated as "Military Telegraphs". It is not immediately obvious why the designation was changed. The 6d and 1s Cape of Good Hope stamps were also overprinted for this use.
one of the Cape stamps overprinted for Military Telegraphs in 1885.
Handwritten provisionals (used in Bechuanaland), on previous unappropriate die stamps
1885
6 "6d" on 1d violet & black
7 "6d" on 10s green & red
8 "1s" on 5s green & violet
9 "1s" on £1 violet and black
Overprints in other currency for use in Cairo (Egypt)
Egyptian Piastres
July 1886
withdrawn February 1887
10 "P.T. 0.1" (ie 10 paras) in two lines, each showing twice, on 1d violet and black, for use bisected
11 "P.T. 0.25" (ie 25 paras) in two lines, each showing twice, on 3d violet and brown, for use bisected
12 "ONE PIASTRE" in two lines reading up at left and right, on 6d violet and green
13 "FIVE PIASTRES" in two lines in an arc above and below the portrait, on 1s green and black
14 "TEN PIASTRES" in two lines an arc above and below the portrait, on 2s green and blue
15 "TWENTY FIVE PIASTRES" in two lines in an arc above and below the portrait, on 5s green and violet
16 "FIFTY PIASTRES" in two lines in an arc above and below the portrait, on 10s green and red
17 "HUNDRED PIASTRES" in an arc below the portrait, on £1 violet and black
Revised currency
The Egyptian currency was redesignated as "dimes" and "piastres".
1887
18 "ONE DIME" in two lines reading up at left and right, on 1d violet and black
19 "TWO DIMES" in two lines, reading up at left and right, on 2d violet and blue
20 "FIVE DIMES" in two lines, reading up at left and right, on 3d violet and brown
21 "ONE PIASTRE" in two lines reading up at left and right, on 6d violet and green
22 "TWO PIASTRES" in two lines reading up at left and right, on 8d violet and red
23 "FIVE PIASTRES" in two lines above and below the portrait, on 1s green and black
24 "TEN PIASTRES" in two lines above and below the portrait, on 2s green and blue
25 "TWENTY FIVE PIASTRES" in two lines above and below the portrait, on 5s green and violet
26 "FIFTY PIASTRES" in two lines above and below the portrait, on 10s green and red
27 "ONE HUNDRED PIASTRES" in two lines above and below the portrait, on £1 violet and black
For further information on these see Hiscocks SER, "Telegraph and Telephone stamps of the World", 1982, and some Gibbons catalogues before about 1940.
page last updated: 8 May 2009, 23 Feb 2012, 6 March 2013
Gbos: GB Overprints Society