Today in Postal History

Barbados to Southern Nigeria
November 10, 1900

This O.H.M.S. cover was sent from Barbados at
the south eastern end of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean.
There are two single ring cancels.

The addressee was with Customs in Old Calabar in Southern Nigeria.

The Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria  was formed January 1, 1900.
This cover was in the first year that Southern Nigeria existed.

 The cover arrived in Old Calabar River on December 21 as noted on the receiver datestamp on the rear.

The cover has another interesting CDS on the rear which is a small circle with an L
and a larger circle with the ring between the two divided in quarters.
This CDS is a London Foreign Branch Packet Letter mark transit mark dated November 22.
The mark classified as 14/24 in Whitney was in use from 1864-1902.*
The African Steam Ship Company, Limited, whose home port was Liverpool,
was formed in 1852 and held a contract at this time to carry mails from
London via Plymouth to Madeira, Tenerife and the West Coast of Africa.

The script 26/12/900 probably indicates the date (December 26) action was taken by the recipient.
 The cover is franked with two ½d. dull green Barbados seals of 1897 (probably SG 117).

*Thanks to Jim Whitford-Stark for this added information on the London Foreign Branch mark.

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