Papua's 2/6d Lakatoi stamps 1907-1932

One of the most iconic stamps to come out of the nation now known as Papua New Guinea was the 2/6d brown and black stamp featuring a Lakatoi. Initially issued for British New Guinea in 1905, during 1906 the stamp was overprinted Papua and then, in that same year, released with a Papua banner head, replacing British New Guinea. The stamp then remained in circulation in various forms until the end of 1932, when a new definitive series was released. The follow article outlines some of the history of the stamp and its numerous varieties. As it stands, various 2/6d Lakatois are some of the rarest and most sought after of all PNG stamps, with SG45 the most highly valued by Stanley Gibbons of all the stamps of Papua, listed at £19,000 mint.

Printings

  1. Steel engravings - printed by Thomas de la Rue Ltd., London. Comprises the original 1901-05 British New Guinea series, and for the 2/6d value includes SG8 - SG45a and SGO1 - SGO2a as described below.
  2. Lithographs - printed by J.B. Cooke at the Stamp Printing Office, Melbourne. Comprises the Territory of Papua series 1907-11, from SG48 to SG83.
  3. Typographs / electrotypes - printed at the Note Printing Branch, Melbourne, by T.S. Harrison, John Ash and A.J. Mullett. Comprises the Territory of Papua series 1911-32, from SG 91 to SG 126.

Varieties 

There are ten different printings of the 2/6 stamp to be found in the general Stanley Gibbons catalogue. Within these are printing errors, different papers, differing watermark orientations, and plate / stone flaws which have been included in specialist listings. The majority of the simplified descriptions and illustrated examples below are from Rosenblum (1968), Franklin (1970), Croaker (1979, 1983), the Stampboards discussion site, and recent auction notices and internet sales sites such as eBay and the Stamp Auctions Network.

* British New Guinea

1) SG8 - 1905 British New Guinea 2/6d brown and black, thick paper, horizontal watermark, perf 14. The printing of this stamp using engraved steel plates occurred on thick or thin paper with horizontal or vertical rosette watermarks, giving rise to three varieties - SG8, SG16 and SG16a. Though a total of 15,660 were printed by the British firm of Thomas de la Rue, only 2,234 were issued of these three varieties prior to the stamp receiving a 'Papua' overprint in Brisbane the following year. SG cat. value UK£650 mint (2018).

SG8

1901 Lakatoi series, SG1 - SG8.

2) SG16 - 1905 British New Guinea 2/6d brown and black, thick opaque paper, vertical watermark, perf 14. SG cat. value UK£6,000 mint (2018); Richard Juzwin 2/2022 retail value Aus$8,950. According to a Ceremuga certificate for this rare variety: [This stamp] originates from sheets of the 1st type of thick paper, which were meant for printings with watermarks horizontal (SG8). Of this paper, several sheets were printed on in error with watermark orientated vertically.

SG16

3) SG16a - 1905 British New Guinea 2/6d brown and black, thin paper, vertical watermark, perf 14. Illustrated used with Port Moresby postmark, 22 March 1906. SG cat. value UK£600 mint (2018). Example offered on eBay 2/2022 as 'unique watermark variety'(?) for Aus$3,000.

SG16a

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* Papua overprint

Overprinted 'Papua' in black at Brisbane during November 1906, following the official adoption of a new name for the Territory of Papua. Available with both large and small Papua overprint.

4) SG20 - 1906 British New Guinea 2/6d brown and black, thick paper, horizontal watermark, perf 14, large Papua. Number printed: 2,730. SG cat. £170 (2018).

SG20 - full sheet, large Papua.

5) SG28 - 1906 British New Guinea 2/6d brown and black, thick paper, vertical watermark, perf 14, large Papua. SG cat. £18,000 (2018). This is the second most highly valued Papuan stamp after SG45.

SG28

6) SG37 - 1906 British New Guinea 2/6d brown and black, thick paper, horizontal watermark, perf 14, small Papua. SG cat. 50/- (2018).

SG37

7) SG37a - 1906 British New Guinea 2/6d brown and black, thick paper, horizontal watermark, perf 14, small Papua overprint reading downwards. SG cat. £7,500 (2018).

SG37a

8) SG37b - 1906 British New Guinea 2/6d brown and black, thick paper, horizontal watermark, perf 14, small Papua double overprint. SG cat. £6,000 (2018).

9) SG37c - 1906 British New Guinea 2/6d brown and black, thick paper, horizontal watermark, perf 14, small Papua triple overprint. SG cat. £4,500 (2018).

10) SG45 - 1906 British New Guinea 2/6d brown and black, thick paper, vertical watermark, perf 14, small Papua. SG cat. £19,000 (2018). This is the most highly valued Papuan stamp.

11) SG45a - 1906 British New Guinea 2/6d brown and black, thin paper, vertical watermark, perf 14, small Papua. SG cat. 55/- (2018). 


SG45a - small Papua overprint

12) SGO1 - 1906 2/6d British New Guinea brown and black - punctured OS (October 1908), small Papua, thick paper, horizontal watermark, perf 14. SG cat. 37/- (2018).

SGO1

This is the only British New Guinea Lakatoi stamp perforated OS and issued. The stamp was originally released in 1905, and in punctured form around October 1908. According to Croaker / Stanley Gibbons, the 2/6d OS is known in three versions:

  • thick paper, horizontal watermark - SGO1
  • thick paper, vertical watermark (extremely rare) - SGO2
  • thin paper, vertical watermark (rare) - SGO2a
Early Lakatoi OS perforations, SGO1,4-7,9.

13) SGO2 - 2/6d brown and black -  punctured OS, thick paper, watermark vertical, perf 14. SG cat. £6,500 (2018). Apparently all the 2/6d BNG small Papua sheets were subsequently perforated OS at Port Moresby, except for one. A copy of an unperforated stamp was offered for sale on eBay during February 2022 for $11,500.

14) SGO2a - 2/6d brown and black - punctured OS, thin paper, watermark vertical, perf 14. SG cat. £1,700 (2018).

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* Papua

All subsequent Lakatois were printed with the words Papua in the upper border. Once again, there are both large and small versions of this printing. Lithograph printing by J.B. Cooke at the Stamp Printing Office, Melbourne, using two stone plates, with one for the frame and word 'Papua', and another for the internal vignette of the lakatoi canoe. The typograph method was used for later printings.

15) SG48 - 1907 Papua 2/6d black and brown - large Papua, sideways watermark, perf 11. Issued December 1909.

16) SG48a - 1907 Papua 2/6d black and brown - large Papua, sideways watermark, perf 11. With Postagie flaw in left border.

SG48a

17) SG82 - 1907 Papua 2/6d black and brown - large Papua, printed on watermarked paper with a crown and double-lined A upright, perf 12½. SG cat. value 60/- (2018).

SG82

SG82b. Small Papua.

18) SG028 - 1907 Papua 2/6d black and brown. SG cat. £181.50 eBay (2/2022).

SG028. OS perforation.

19) SG83 - 1910-11. Perforation 12 1/2. Type C - upright or inverted watermark.

SG83. Large Papua.

20) SG91 - 1911 Papua 2/6d rose-carmine / red (mono-colour). Printed by J.B. Cooke on paper watermarked crown and single-lined A. Perforation 12 1/2 and 14. SG cat. £48 (2016). This printing was not popular with the public and collectors. Inverted watermark known c. Aus$1,000.

SG91. Mono-chrome.

21) SG103 / SG103a - 1916. Papua 2/6 maroon and pink. SG103/3a (illustrated), cat. £23 (2016).

SG103a
SG103a

SG95 - SG103

22) SG104 - 1916 - Papua 2/6d maroon and pink.

SG104

23) SG111 - 1917 Papua 2/6d rose-carmine overprinted ONE PENNY. This was carried out in order to use up the unpopular mono-colour printings of the Lakatoi series from 1911-15. SG cat. £2.75 (2016). Known with reverse watermark i.e. crown pointing left when viewed from the rear.

SG111

24) SG??? - 1919-31 Papua 2/6d maroon and pink. Typographed at the Note Printing Branch, Melbourne in paper watermarked crown and single-lined A sideways. Perforation 14. Variously printed by T.S. Harrison, A.J. Mullett and John Ash.

[IMAGE]

25) SGO66 - 1919-31 Papua 2/6d maroon and pink, overprinted 'OS' in black. Issued 29 July 1931.

SG066 - Harrison print

26) SGO66a - 1919-31 Papua 2/6d maroon and bright pink (Ash) overprinted 'OS' in black. Issued 29 July 1931.

SG066a - Ash print

27) SG126 - 1931 Papua 2/6d red and pink overprinted 9d. / NINE PENCE. Number printed: 32,000. SG cat. £5.50 (2016).

SG126, Daru, 10 June 1932.

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References

Croaker, Hamilton, Lakatoi I - British New Guinea and De la Rue, New Century Press, Sydney, 1979.

-----, Lakatoi II & III - Territory of Papua , New Century Press, Sydney, 1983, 54p.

Discuss the Papua Lakatoi issue, Stampboards, 2007+. Available URL: https://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=3067. 

Franklin, Matt, Franklin's Guide to the Stamps of Papua New Guinea, Reed, Sydney, 1970, 152p.

Kelly, Ray,  The stamps of Papua perforated OS, Stamp News, Papuan  December 1971.

Lee, Robert, The Postal History of British New Guinea and Papua, 1885-1942, Pall Mall Stamp Co., 1982.

Rosenblum, Alec A., Stamps of Papua, Horticultural Press, Carlton South, 1968, 55p. [Contains a comprehensive, though outdated, listing of the stamps of Papua and the numerous variants, along with detailed historical notes.] 

Stanley Gibbons, Australian Stamp Catalogue, 11th Edition [Online], London and Ringwood, 2018, 373p.

-----, Western Pacific Catalogue, London and Ringwood, 4th edition, 2021.

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Australia: Airmail 1931 | Australia in Space 2024 | Souvenir Covers 1970-1997 | Souvenirs Covers 1997+ | WWF 50 Years |

Papua New Guinea: 1934 3½d Pink | 1952 6½d | 1952 7½d | 2/6 Lakatois | FDCs | Forgeries | Hutt PNCs | Japan | Leaflets | OS Lakatois | Overprints | Peter & Horse | Philatelic Bureau | PSEs/PSPs/Aerogrammes | Rare | Revenue & Postage Due | Souvenir Covers |

Last updated: 2 January 2023

Michael Organ, Australia

 







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