Hong Kong Study Circle Wilde Cup for new discoveries 2007-8.

Last Updated: 3 Sept. 2009

Wilde Cup Entries 2009

The members listed below have submitted their best new finds for the year 2008-9, to be voted on at the AGM in Repton on 5 Sept 2009.

Email voting has closed.

No. 1

An unrecorded type of Sha Tau Kok branch post office cancel and the earliest use of any cancel from that office.

Harmon Fine

Of the Sha Tau Kok branch post office, Webb (page 114-115) wrote that nothing was known about the opening of the sub-office and that it did not apparently have any canceller to start with. Proud (page 859) indicated that the office opened at the Police Station and showed a date of 1912 as a possible opening date. Wellsted (page 19) wrote that a postal agency existed in the Police Post in the village on the Chinese border for some time in the 1920’s and continued for some years after 1931. These authors including Schoenfeld all indicated the first known Sha Tau Kok branch post office cancel to have been of the Intaglio Seal of which an example is known dated August 8, 1930. There are examples at other offices with double line circular date stamps with the branch name at the top, short and thick killer bars on the side and “X” in the bottom center of the cancel between the double circular lines. The use of these cancels precede the August 1930 use of the intaglio seal. Examples of these cancels include Aberdeen Webb Type A (1912-1928), Au Tau Webb Type A (1918-1920) and Tai O Webb Type A (1909-1914). These markings should not be confused with similar cancels using a narrower killer bar in the early 1930’s such as Sheung Shui Webb Type B (June 1932 to July 1934) or Ping Shan Webb Type B (May 1934 to September 1934). The Sha Tau Kok example shown dated May 14, 1918, has the same short and thick killer bars as the earlier markings. It is an unrecorded type of Sha Tau Kok branch post office cancel and is also the earliest recorded marking from that office.

No. 2

Unrecorded proof of the 25¢ Type B (SG 109)

Nick Halewood

To the best of my knowledge this is a previously unrecorded proof of the 25¢ purple & magenta Type B (SG 109) issued in August 1919. It is also a type of proof, bicolour working die proof, I have never seen before. The colours resemble those of the $2 carmine-red & grey-black (SG 113 & 130).

The vendor’s description for the proof was as follows: “1919 25c type B, bicolour working die proof, stamp size in red and black on glazed paper. Insignificant blemishes but attractive and very rare.”

No. 3

Only know 'late fee' in conjunction with printed matter (book post) from Hong Kong

Eddie Lawrence

No. 4

New find: Wei-Hai-Wei first issue cover

Thomas Lera

The cover is postmarked Dover, England 1:30 PM November 25, 1898, and backstamped with a circular Singapore to Hong Kong December 19, 1898 date stamp. The letter was sent to Chefoo where the red 2c Wei-Hai-Wei courier stamp was affixed, and then carried to Wei-Hai-Wei and delivered to Captain W.A. Harrison, R.E.

The Singapore to HK date indicates that this cover was carried by the P&O Chusan, according to Kirk and Proud records (Proud type D8, index A, recorded used on this voyage). Probably stayed on Chusan from HK, Christmas day, to Shanghai, 29.12, then private ship to Chefoo.

This cover is not listed in the census of recorded covers of the first issue of Wei-Hai-Wei covers by Michael Goldsmith in his publication “The Crown Colony of Wei-Hai-Wei.”