myStampJourney

The stamp fair organized by Philatelic Society Malaysia (PSM) that was held on 10th and 11th December 2022 is a great way to transition to 2023 with a lighter wallet. At the usual spot, the Petaling Jaya Community Library once again becomes an assembly ground for people of all ages with a similar mindset: stamp hunting.  It is the second stamp fair held this year in conjunction with PSM's 75th Anniversary. The first was held earlier in September.  Pos Malaysia also participated with a Stamp Week program. Here is a short wrap-up of the stamp fair: Visible upon entering the library's main gate, Stamp Week buntings erected by Pos Malaysia. The entrance to the hall where the stamp fair was held. Line quickly forms at Pos Malaysia's booth. Patrons here to get the latest stamp issue but a better tip by KY Shum (not in picture) was to queue at the other side of the booth to get the limited miniature sheets overprinted with PSM's 75 anniversary logo.  Pos Malaysia's staff w

It could be postally used, it could also be just a mere CTO. This is the duality of bar cancels on North Borneo stamps. Bar cancels refer to obliterators similar to those dumb types used in place of a datestamp. Usually with they are used prior to the introduction of a 'proper' datestamp that includes the town name.  As CTOs are common in North Borneo stamps due to its marketability to collectors, this dilutes the number of what is truly 'postally used'. It further complicates the situation when taken into consideration that forgeries of bar cancels do exist.  Without a proper guide, bar cancels are tricky although they are sometimes unique to each other. They have varying widths, number of bars, bar thickness, lengths, and sometimes even pointed tips. Ultimately, it brings forth the question: when do I consider bar cancels to be postally used? This is a question difficult to answer when only a fraction of the bar cancel appear on the stamp. Hence, it is best to assume