Editing Labuan (section)

==Postage stamps and postal history==
[[File:Stamp Labuan 1885 2c.jpg|upright=0.55|thumb|1885 2c stamp]]
[[File:2c stamp of labuan north borneo.jpg|upright=0.55|thumb|Stamp of North Borneo overprinted "Labuan", 1897]]

A post office was operating in Labuan by 1864, and used a circular date stamp as [[postmark]]. The postage stamps of [[British Raj|India]] and Hong Kong were used on some mail, but they were probably carried there by individuals, instead of being on sale in Labuan. Mail was routed through Singapore. From 1867, Labuan officially used the postage stamps of the Straits Settlements but began issuing its own in May 1879.

Although initially the design for the first stamp issue was proposed to be depicting a clump of [[sago palm]]s, for economic reasons, the queen heads design was finally adopted, having been used initially for postage stamps of [[Grenada]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://stampsjournal.com/labuan/labuan-stamps/|title=Labuan Stamps|website=The Stamps Journal|access-date=2 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stampworldhistory.com/country-profiles-2/asia/labuan/ |title=Labuan {{!}} Stamps and postal history |website=StampWorldHistory |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180303052114/http://www.stampworldhistory.com/country-profiles-2/asia/labuan/|access-date=12 August 2018|archive-date= 3 March 2018}}{{title missing|date=May 2022}}</ref> The first stamps of Labuan therefore depict the usual profile of [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]] but are unusual for being inscribed in Malay-Arabic ([[Jawi script|Jawi]]) and Chinese scripts in addition to "LABUAN POSTAGE". Perennial shortages necessitated a variety of [[fee|surcharges]] in between the several reprints and colour changes of the 1880s. The original stamps were engraved, but the last of the design, in April 1894, were done by [[lithography]].

Beginning in May 1894, the stamps of North Borneo were overprinted "LABUAN". On 24 September 1896, the 50th anniversary of the cession was marked by overprinting "1846 / JUBILEE / 1896" on North Borneo stamps. Additional overprints appeared through the 1890s. In 1899 many types were surcharged with a value of 4 cents.

The last Labuan-only design came out in 1902, depicting a crown and inscribed "LABUAN COLONY". After incorporation into the Straits Settlements in 1906, Labuan ceased issuing its own stamps, although they remained valid for some time. Many of the remainder were [[cancelled-to-order]] for sale to collectors and are now worth only pennies; genuine franked/post used stamps are worth much more.