The 1d Provisional stamps of British Central Africa, also known as Cheque stamps or tokens

Setting 1           Setting 2 Imperforated       Setting 2 Perforated

 

  British Central Africa - BCA - 1898 1d Provisional Setting 2

 The Control Characters Setting 1 & 2
 For possible security purposes control characters were stamped on the back of each stamp. 4,320 were issued in Setting 1, whilst 24,000 were issued in setting 2. The stamps were printed in a sheet of 15 by 2 rows. The following table shows the control characters as seen from the back of the sheet. There are many variations of these controls, they can be found without control at all, part of a control missing, stamped on the front or double.

1
F 		2G
 		3
X 		4
M 		F
5 		6
P 		7
H 		F
8 		9
C 		10
Z 		XA
11 		12
WX 		13
D 		14I
 		15
K
16
FY 		E
17 		Q
18 		Z19
 		T
20 		21
WP 		S
22 		23
N 		24A 25
J 		Z
26 		27
B 		28
FA 		XQ
29 		30
S

 Setting 2
Due to the problems of 2 print runs to make Setting 1 which resulted in mismatching of vertical frames with horizontal frames, a new set of frames and type was set up which could be printed in one run. In this printing the vertical frame lines to not cross the central margin between the 2 rows except at the end. The word "POSTAGE" was moved much closer to the left hand margin at a distance of between 1 and 3mm. Setting 2 came into use about 15th March at Zomba and around 18th March at Blantyre. Other offices continued to use Setting 1 (SG55) until much later.

SG56 vermillion and deep ultramarine from Setting 2. Upper right corner horizontal strip with controls, 3/X,2G and 1F. Tied to piece by 3 good strikes of Fort Johnston for May 9th 1898. Multiple use such as this are considered scarce.


Setting 2 early use, SG56 in Vermillion and Deep Ultramarine with control 9C. Note malformed date stamp for 24th March. 8 of 98 is inverted, this is found on all early Blantyre CDS. Lower bar of E of Blantyre showing wear towards an F Settting 2 early use SG56 in Vermillion and Deep Ultramarine with control 10Z on reverse 26th March 1898, showing inverted 8 of 98
 SG56 in Vermillion and Ultramarine (intermediate colour), Upper Shire 14th July 1898. Lower marginal with control 25/J. Scarce cancel



The vertical pair below are SG56 Vermillion and  Ultramarine (Intermediate colour) with controls XA11 and Z26. Zomba May 21st 1898. In these 2 we can see the controls from the front of the stamps in what appears to be a vermillion colour. Whether some ink got on to the control machine is not clear without soaking the stamps off the piece, which may of course also soak any colour off. Notice also the stamp embossing  is displaced well off to the left








 
1

SG56 Tshiromo Double Circle May9th 1898

SG56 Tshiromo Double Circle June 8th 1898

SG55b Vermillion and Pale Ultramarine, Kota-Kota July 18th 1898 with inverted 18. Possible inverted 8 in 98. Embossing very low into Postage

SG55b Vermillion &  Ultramarine Zomba cancel

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