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Auction: 18051 - The Yen Boon Swee Collection of Straits Settlements Queen Victoria Postal Stationery
Lot: 1019

Straits Settlements Queen Victoria Postal Stationery
1879 3c. Blue Card (HG 1)
Disinfected Mail
To minimize the spread of infectious diseases by travelling mail via endemic regions various measures were devised to cleanse mail. These included the use of steams or acid vapours, heat, vinegar splashing and fumigation with chemicals such as sulphur and chlorine. Letters were often pierced or cut in order to facilitate the disinfection procedure.
In 1883, following a serious of outbreak in Egypt, the Italian authorities refused to accept mail carried by British Packets offloaded in Brindisi, since mail passed through Egypt which was an endemic area. These ships were redirected to Poveglia quarantine station, near Venice, while the French Packets were allowed to discharge their mail at Naples. Letters to Great Britain, France and beyond were not disinfected individually and letters went into Germany and Swiss postal systems were disinfected by their post authorities.
To minimize the spread of infectious diseases by travelling mail via endemic regions various measures were devised to cleanse mail. These included the use of steams or acid vapours, heat, vinegar splashing and fumigation with chemicals such as sulphur and chlorine. Letters were often pierced or cut in order to facilitate the disinfection procedure.
In 1883, following a serious of outbreak in Egypt, the Italian authorities refused to accept mail carried by British Packets offloaded in Brindisi, since mail passed through Egypt which was an endemic area. These ships were redirected to Poveglia quarantine station, near Venice, while the French Packets were allowed to discharge their mail at Naples. Letters to Great Britain, France and beyond were not disinfected individually and letters went into Germany and Swiss postal systems were disinfected by their post authorities.

To minimize the speard of infectious diseases by travelling mail via endemic regions, various measures were devised to cleanse mail. These included the use of steams or acid vapours, vinegar splashing and fumigation with chemicals such as sulphur and chlorine. Letters were often pierced or cut in order to facilitat the disinfection procedure.
In 1883, following a serious outbreak in Egypt, the Italian authorities refused to accept mail carried by British Packets offloaded at Brindisi, since mail passed through Egypt which was an endemic area. These ships were redirected to Poveglia quarantine station, near Venice, while French Packets were allowed to discharge their mail at Naples. Letters to Great Britain, France and beyond were not disinfected individually and letters that went into the German and Swiss postal systems were disinfected by their post authorities.
1884 (7 Jan.) 3c. blue card to Germany, cancelled by undated "singapore/p.o.", showing "singapore/paid" c.d.s. in red (PD11) on front. It was taken by SS Pekin (14/1) to Colombo (20/1), and SS Shannon (24/1) via Suez Canal to Port Said (7/2) and Malta (11/2). One 20mm chisel disinfection slit showing damage to the blade appearing "rugged". Photo

Sold for
SG$400