Straits Settlements Queen Victoria 1885 Surcharge

Straits Settlements · 1885 · 2¢ on 5¢

This stamp features the left-facing profile of Queen Victoria, a common design for British colonial issues of the era. It is a 5¢ blue stamp originally issued in 1883, which has been overprinted with a 'TWO CENTS' surcharge in black ink. The surcharge was a practical measure to meet the demand for a specific postal rate when stocks of the original 2¢ stamp were low.

Issued under British colonial rule, this stamp from the Straits Settlements (modern-day Singapore, Penang, and Malacca) reflects the administrative and postal needs of the expanding British Empire in Southeast Asia during the late 19th century.