Shortened to GBOS, the society was founded in 1970 and is a study group for the stamps and postal history of the regions and occupation post offices abroad that used the stamps of Great Britain and were overprinted for use. The society continues to explore the ways in which, and reasons why, British stamps and other postal material have been overprinted for use outside the UK or for special functions within the UK.

The GBOS specialises in the study of the stamps and postal services of the British Postal Agencies in the Arabian Gulf, Bechuanaland, British Levant, British Occupied Italian Colonies, Cyprus, Ireland, Morocco Agencies, Nauru, Oil Rivers and Zululand.  We also have members specialising in the GB Departmental issues and Commercial overprints.

From the first officially produced G.B. Overprints for Cyprus in 1880, right through to the closing of the very last Overseas British Post Office, at Abu Dhabi in the Arabian Gulf on 31st December 1966, we find not only stamps, but many of the other services, offered by the British Post Office. Registered Letter Envelopes, Printed Postcards, Parcel Labels, Postal Orders and Airletters; all overprinted or used in one or more of the Overseas BPO’s.

The Society can offer support and knowledge on these collecting areas of interest in a friendly and informal way whether you are an experienced collector or just looking to branch out into a new area. We welcome new members.

Contents

TitleArticle AuthorPage
Editorial and Front CoverEditor31
Officers’ Reports and MessagesOfficers32
Obituary for Barrie CookTony Stanford FRPSL34
A comment on the parcel tag shown in the Overprinter 2025/1Marius Wlodarczyk34
De La Rue SeahorsesTony Smith35
Bechuanalands: The David Spivack collection of Queen Victoria Overprinted for use in the Bechuanalands Auction Report,Ricky Verra40
British Levant: Twin Halfpenny Postal Stationery Post Cards from SmyrnaAlexios Papadopoulos &
Tony Crowther
42
British Levant: Stamboul sub-Post Office and Antoine DoursounMelville Trimble42
BOIC: B.M.A. SOMALIA 15c on 1½d pale red-brown with missing top marginal arrowMike Sanders FRPSL43
M.E.F. 3d postage dues used on incoming mail from Italy to RhodesMike Sanders FRPSL44
BOIC: Sample BagEric McFarlane46
BOIC: Unusual Usages of Italian Period PostcardsRon Winter47
British POs in Eastern Arabia: New QEII Cylinder DiscoveryNail Burr48
The Postmarks and Registration Labels of the British Postal Agencies in the GulfThomas Johansen49
Morocco Agencies: A Comment on GV Silver Jubilee stampsMarius Wlodarczyk54
Morocco Agencies: Cover franked with Spanish Currency Overprints on Gibraltar issueDr Peter V Taberner FRPSL55
Niger Coast: Royal Niger Company Lokoja Depot DatestampRicky Verra55
Niger Coast: Usage of Provisionals on CoverMalcolm Hughes56