Terengganu Borneo-Malaya Exhibition 1922

I managed to acquire another set of the states that showcased their stamps during the Straits Settlement Malaya-Borneo Exhibition of 1922. This time that of Terengganu though the set is complete compared to the other states' collections that I had shown before this.

Kedah Malaya-Borneo Exhibition 1922

In 1922, Brunei joined the Straits Settlements states exhibiting its products in the Borneo-Malaya Expo which was held in Singapore. It is not known whether Brunei actually exhibit its products and who actually went to the expo. But what is known is that during the expo, all the Malaya states plus Singapore, North Borneo (present day Sabah), Sarawak and Brunei all produced overprinted stamps - stamps with the words Malaya Borneo Exhibition. In Brunei's case, it was Malaya Borneo Exhibition 1922. Most of the other states just overprinted with the words 'Malaya Borneo Exhibition'.

These stamps were not in the earlier form accepted as new stamps as they are old stamps with the overprints. But over time, these have been accepted as a special print and are now recognised. I have been trying to collect the other staes ever since I completed the Brunei set a few months earlier. The other day I was able to buy additional stamps for the Kedah set. I am only short of the $1 stamp for the Kedah state. If you happen to have that particular stamp, please let me know.

Iran 2000 Riyals

For those who have been keeping up with what I do would know that I was away in Tehran for a few days. What did I get there?

Plenty of knowledge especially numismatically. The Iranians still keep their old currencies, coins and stamps. I was able to get what I thought was the entire set of the Shah Reza Pahlavi, the former King who lost the throne to the Islamic revolution in Iran. But when I checked back, there was a couple of notes missing. The price was pretty reasonable.

The note I am showing here is not that of the old one. In fact this is the current 2,000 riyals worth around US$0.30. I found it amazing that the note shows the Kaabah. Even the Saudis, it was only recently that the Kaabah appeared on their notes.

US $1 billion?

When I was in Singapore, I found this note and several versions of it including the million dollar. These sold for $2 each. I am not sure of the legality of selling these notes or even buying them.

US Dollars are currently printed denominations are $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100. Notes above the $100 denomination ceased being printed in 1946 and were officially withdrawn from circulation in 1969. These notes were used primarily in inter-bank transactions or by organized crime; it was the latter usage that prompted President Richard Nixon to issue an executive order in 1969 halting their use. With the advent of electronic banking, they became less necessary. Notes in denominations of $500, $1,000, $5,000, $10,000, and $100,000 were all produced at one time but never the $1,000,000 or the $1,000,000,000 which is reproduced above.

ASEAN-Japan Exchange Year 2003

In 2003, ASEAN countries and Japan had an ASEAN-Japan Exchange stamp issue to commemorate the ASEAN-Japan Cooperation. Each ASEAN country was supposed to come up with their own stamp designs.

Japan did a whole set on their own where they depicted one particular scene of each country. If you look at the stamp for Brunei, you would see the dome of SOAS Mosque. This probably marked the first time that the SOAS mosque appearing in another country's stamps. I don't think there has been another ocassion for that.

Kelantan Malaya Borneo Expo 1922

During my trip to Singapore a couple of weeks ago, I went round the philatelic shops there. I did not have anything specific but I just wanted to see if there are any gems that other people have overlooked or something which I have not bought before. I came across a few stamp collections of the Malaya Borneo Exhibition. The Malaya Borneo Exhibition of 1922 was when the Straits Settlement Government in Singapore decided to have a big expo with products from the Federated Malay States, the Unfederated Malay States pus a different sort of federation like Brunei.

Anyway, all the states produced 'new' stamps which are their existing stamps and overprinted that with the words 'Malaya Borneo Expo'. I have the complete Brunei set and now I am slowly builing up on the other states as well. This one is the 'cents' values of the Kelantan set.

Brunei's New Stamps of 2008

This post is slightly late (5 days) but so is the commemorative issue (2 years late). On Thursday, 24th April 2008, the Post Office issued the first of this year's commemorative stamps. This issue is to celebrate 100 years of moving Brunei's capital to dryland. Prior to 1906, Brunei's capital or administrative centre was always on the water. Though reading some of the older books, it may have been that the palace was not always on water, but tre rest of the administrative capital was always on the water.

Prior to that Bandar Seri Begawan or Pekan Brunei as it was then known was a city on water. Peter Blundell in his book ‘City of Many Waters’ published stated that the “town was unique, the only one in the world built almost entirely over the water, and the Bruneis were justly proud of it. They were folks who live a semi aquatic life, and their methods of living, household arrangements, family life, and town government, adapted as they had been to life over the water.”

When did the capital move to dry land? The official record was that of the first British Resident, McArthur, who wrote in his report the following words “I want a clean, dry village with suburbs of kampong houses. I also want to discourage building on the water village.”

The government persuaded a group of Pengirans to move out to dry land and to build their houses in the Tumasek area. His Majesty Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam built the first Istana on dry land in 1909. This was followed by some of the populace who started to build their houses in the Kianggeh and Sumbiling areas.

A group of Chinese businessmen moved out from Kampung Pekan Lama (then known as Kampung Bakut China) which served as the business area in Kampong Ayer, and started to build their shops on dry land. In 1910, there were six shops, the year after, in 1911, there were 26 shops and just before the Second World War in 1941, that number has increased to more than 80 shops. The shops are built along the current Jalan Sultan.

As for the population, it was not only in Kianggeh and Sumbiling, but they have also moved to Sultan Lama, Barangan, Sungai Kedayan, Tasik, Tungkadeh and Pusar Ulak. Although there were a number of houses now built on those areas, there were still many more left on Kampong Ayer.

The Post Office was quite innovative this year compared with other previous issues. You can buy the First Day cover with stamps, the miniature sheet of the four stamps, a sheet of 20 stamps for each stamp in a mounted frame and also a booklet of stamps. The stamps commemorated the beginning of modern Brunei and I think it is worthwhile to keep them. The stamps are available at the Philatelic Unit at the General Post Office, go there, get the stamps and visit the stamps gallery at the same time. You can see the earliest stamps of Brunei including that of the 1895 stamps.

The stamps are issued in denomination of 20 cents, 30 cents, 60 cents and $1.00. The designer is Awang Abd Ajihis bin Haji Terawih. They are printed by Secura Singapore Pte Ltd through offset lithograph using 106 gsm yello green phosphor coated stamp paper with perforation of 13 per 2 cm. The stamps size are 30 mm x 48 mm.