The designs were by Victor Whiteley, de-picting the butterflies against their natural food sources.

First day covers, which contained a descriptive insert in English and Bahasa (Malay), describing the issue in detail, were produced and serviced by the Post Office.

Bradbury Wilkinson State issues, 1970Each individual Malaysian state had seven values, which were identical for the same value with the exception of the state name, ruler’s portrait where relevant and the state crest. The 13 States were Johore, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Penang, Perak, Perlis, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor and Trengganu.

The designs of the seven values for each state are given in the table below.

The stamps were issued without plate numbers although 4mm colour blocks for all printing colours surrounded with a cyan frame appear in the bottom corner of the left or right margins.

Few varieties occurred during this print-ing, the major ones being the Kelantan 15c. and Selangor 10c. with customising black printing omitted (Fig 1). Both of these stamps are attributed to their states based on information from collectors as to where they were purchased at the time. It is pos-sible that these missing colours could have emanated from more than one state.

The Penang 6c. value is reported to exist with missing yellow caused by a large shift of that colour, leaving the right-hand column of the set with the error. This is not currently

catalogued and has not been seen by the au-thor. Values are known where the customis-ing black colour was severely misaligned, in particular the Selangor 5c. and 10c. values (Fig 2). The 5c. from Selangor exists with imperforate right-hand margin (Fig 3).

A few constant flaws have been reported, the first a break on the inside of the last ‘a’ of ‘Malaysia’ on stamp eight in row nine. It is not known on how many values this occurs but it can be found on the Perlis 1c. The second flaw is a 2mm circle with a black spot below the Sultan’s chin on the Kedah 1c. value, on stamp three, row seven. Illustrated is the Perlis variety (Fig 4).

Bradbury Wilkinson State low value proofsPrior to full colour printing, imperforate col-our separation proofs were produced in small units, the size of which is currently unknown. These proofs were to enable the printer to develop the design for each colour individu-ally, and in combination up to full colour. These would have been the basic units that went to compiling each complete plate or

G.S.M. April 2009 59

The Butterfly Definitives of Malaysia, 1971 to 1978—Part 1Mac McClaren reviews an attractive, modern issue which provides a number of challenges for the specialist

Value English Latin Malay(Bahasa)*1c. Malayan Jezebel Delius ninus Kupu-Kupu Jezebel Malaya2c. White or Black Danaus melanippus Kupu-Kupu harimau Veined Tiger hegesippus berlorek–lorek hitam5c The Clipper Parthneos sylvia Kupu-Kupu pelayangt

lilacinus6c. Chequered or Papilio demoleus Kupu-Kupu kapor

Lime Swallowtail malayanus10c. Great Orange-tip Hebomoia glaucippe Kupu-Kupu hujong kuning aturia yang besar15c. Blue Eyed Pansy Precis orithya wallacei Kupu-Kupu pansy biru

or Blue Argus20c. The Wanderer Valeria valeria lutescens Kupu-Kupu pengembara*Generally, there are no traditional Malay names for different Malaysian butterfly species and the names given are translations of the English ones. ‘Kupu-Kupu’ is Malay for Butterfly.

On31August1970, thefirstpartof anew setofhigh value stampswas issued forusethroughoutMalaysiaandon1February1971newsetsoflowvaluestampswere

issuedforuse in the individualStates,replacing thepreviousBirdsandOrchidsstampissue.ThenewstampsfeaturedMalaysianbutterfliesonallvaluesandwereprintedbyBradburyWilkinson.

Fig 1 Kelantan 15c. and Selangor 10c. with customising black omitted

Fig 2 Selangor 10c. with the customising black colour misaligned

Fig 3 Selangor 5c. with imperforate right-hand margin

Fig 4 Break in the last ‘a’ of ‘Malaysia’

Fig 5 Kedah 10c. colour proofs of the cyan, yellow and magenta

Fig 6 colour proofs in cyan and yellow, cyan yellow and magenta and blackt

Fig 7 colour proofs in cyan, yellow, magenta and black, the customising black and all five colours

Fig 8 (far left) Proof showing the portraits of the Sultans of Perak and Pahang

Fig 9 (left) The portraits proofed against pink and blue panels

Fig 10 15c. colour proof with misaligned magenta that would normally have been printed in black

Fig 11 Colour proofs in cyan black, magenta and cyan for the 1c.

Fig 12 The 1c. showing a different sequence for combining the colours: cyan and black, cyan, black and magenta and cyan, black, maganta and yellow

60 G.S.M. April 2009

cylinder. When approved in-house, the full colour proofs would have been submitted to the Crown Agents for final approval.

The method of production adopted for the state low values was to produce identical values in four colour lithography, cyan, ma-genta, yellow and black, and then customise each printing with a second black cylinder, containing the state name, crest and ruler’s portrait. Negri Sembilan, the old Straits Set-tlements states of Penang and Malacca and the two new states of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo Island did not use the images of their state rulers. All remaining states had stamps issued with rulers’ portraits and state crests. Due to the design of the 5c. stamp, the state name for Negri Sembilan and Pulau Penang (Penang Island) had to be printed in two lines of text, the remaining values being a single line as for the other states. As a result, two different proofs exist for the state name for both states.

Proofs were produced for the basic design, for the additional customising black cylinder and all in combination. It should be possible to find every value for every state in full col-our proof format although they have not all been seen by the author. The ones illustrated are for the 10c. value of Kedah, showing the

sequence in which the colours would have been combined for the base stamp up to 10c. and for the Kedah additional black cylinder for customisation (Figs 5, 6 and 7).

Some proofs were combined from dif-ferent states, when producing designs for the portraits and background colours. Of note are two proofs with the portraits of the Sultan of Perak and the Sultan of Pahang printed side by side in black (Fig 8). A sim-ilar black proof with a pink panel over the portrait of the Sultan of Perak and a blue panel over the portrait of the Sultan of Pahang also exists (Fig 9).

A strange proof for the 15c. value, pro-duced as a single unit with very wide margins all round exists printed in cyan, yellow and magenta. The panel for the portrait and crest is blank. The magenta colour has printed high and right by a considerable amount, this colour normally being printed in black on the issued stamp. It is difficult to understand what purpose this proof served (Fig 10).

When the basic design had been ap-proved, the complete sheet of two or four panes, in its constituent colours, was laid down using the approved masters. Checking for colour and alignment was again by col-our separation proofs, this time as complete sheets. The difference between these proofs and the smaller units produced earlier, was that the margins bleed into each other, there being no white spaces between each stamp. The earlier proofs were individual units with plain margins and are the scarcer of the two as considerably lower numbers were printed. Illustrated are proofs for the 1c. value up to the stage prior to state customisation. The sequence for combining the colours has changed from that adopted for the single units illustrated earlier (Fig 11 and 12).

After approval and prior to printing, cards were produced for each State to which all values were affixed. The one illustrated is for Kedah and is annotated ‘AS SUBMITTED 12.8.70’ and ‘APPROVED CABLE 26/8/70’. These cards were for use by the printer on the shop floor for colour matching during the printing operation. Finger and thumb-prints can be seen in the various printing colours all over the card’s surface (ex De La Rue archives) (Fig 13, reduced).

Bradbury Wilkinson ‘Malaysia’ high values, 1970The first four values, 25c. to 75c., were is-sued on 31 August 1970 and the other four on 16 November 1970. They were printed in 300-screen, four-colour lithography, cyan, yellow, magenta and black in sheets of two panes of 100, 10×10, on unwatermarked paper and comb perforated 13.1×13.6. The paper was white fluorescent coated. The ink used was glossy, and did not take post-marks well. At some stage, the stamps were reprinted with a ‘varnish’-like coating which rendered the stamps non-reactive to ultra-violet light, this variety currently being re-corded from 1975 onwards. The panes were printed without plate numbers in the sheet margins although 4mm colour blocks for all printing colours surrounded with a black frame again appear on the bottom corner in the left or right margin for the left- or right-hand pane. The designs of the eight values are shown in the table below.

Value English Latin Malay(Bahasa)25c. Black-banded Euploea leucostictus Raja Gagak biru King Crow leucogonis30c. Saturn Zeuxidia amethystus Bintang Zuhal amethystus50c. Common Nawab Polyura athamas samantha Timbelan Raja Biasa75c. Great Mormon Papilio memnon agenor Mormon Besar$1 Orange Albatross Appias nero figulina Burong Albatross Kuning$2 Raja Brooke’s Trogonoptera brookiana Kepak burong Raja Brook Birdwing albescens$5 Centaur Oak Blue Narathura centaurus Kuda Semberani Oak Biru centaurus$10 Royal Assyrian Terinos terpander robertsia Assyrian Di-raja

Fig 13 Card used for colour matching during printing, finger prints mark the surface

G.S.M. April 2009 61

These values were later printed by Har-rison & Sons but are difficult to tell apart as singles. The main identifier are the per-forations on the left or right margins on marginal copies if not perforated through; Bradbury Wilkinson have two-pin exten-sions and Harrison and Sons only one. The illustration shows the differences of the pin extensions and arrangements of colour blocks (Fig 14).

Bradbury Wilkinson high value proofsAs with the low values, the same imperforate colour separation procedure was adopted for the high values, again produced as small units and as full sheets of two or four panes. As these stamps were not customised for each state, only one black cylinder was re-quired. Illustrated are single proofs for the 50c. value and full colour sheet proofs for the $10 value (Fig 15).

Harrison ‘Malaysia’ Coil Stamps, 1976On 19 January 1976, coil stamps for the values of 10c. and 15c. were placed on sale at 58 locations throughout Malaysia, includ-ing Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur (approximately ten machines), Penang and several in Sarawak. Unusually, they were printed by Harrison & Sons in five-colour photogravure, and not by Bradbury Wilkinson. The stamps were produced as coils of 1000. Often, the per-forations were trimmed on the left or right as the coils were mechanically cut from rolls during production (Figs 16 and 17).

The coil stamps had a design adapted from the State stamps of the same value, but inscribed ‘Malaysia’ and were perforated 13.8×13.6 on unwatermarked paper.

The British-made ‘single value’ coil ma-chines were designed to accept 10c. coins, one 10c. stamp for 10c. or two 15c. stamps for 30c., these being the most heavily used values for local unsealed and sealed letter rates. The machines often failed to accept the coins, deliver the number of stamps paid for, or deliver any stamps at all when coins were accepted. As a result, the major-ity of stamps sold appear to have been as a result of the machines being opened by a postal official, who dispensed stamps by hand, mainly to philatelists. After the initial stocks were used up, this service was, not surprisingly, discontinued. One of the main problems appeared to be humidity, causing the stamps to stick together on the roll. Re-cently, a variant of the gum used has come to light, showing a series of ribs along the stamp gum, which is much darker than the normal. It is possible that several gums were used experimentally during this period.

As a result of the difficulties of obtaining coil stamps, genuine commercial usage is scarce, most used examples being philatelic, and the experiment with coil stamps was never repeated. (It is interesting to note that similar trials took place on later issues with booklet dispensing machines, with very similar results.)

Harrison coil stamp proofsBoth values appear as full-colour imper-forate proofs on cards 10.1mm wide and 12.7mm high with rounded corners. The

Fig 14 Blocks of Bradbury Wilkinson (two extension holes) and Harrison (one extension hole) printings. The arrangement of the colour blocks also differs

Fig 15 Colour separations of the 50c. high value stamp and a full colour sheet proof of the $10

62 G.S.M. April 2009

cards were embossed with the ‘Harrison & Sons Ltd.’ Royal Warrant in gold and the printer’s address of ‘38 Warren Street, Lon-don, W.1.’ Similar cards exist for the state low values printed in 1977, discussed later. It appears that at least two of these cards were issued, one for the Harrisons archive and one for the Malaysian postal authorities. The cards exist for other commemorative issues in toned format with a reference number in red biro, which appear to be from Malaysia or as clean untoned cards as with the cards described here which appear to be from the printer’s archive. Illustrated is the 10c. proof (Fig 18).

Harrison reprints, 1977–1978Circa 1977, the printing contract for the but-terfly stamps passed from Bradbury Wilkin-son to Harrison and Sons for a brief period, covering the changeover to the new Orchid issue on 30 April 1979. Not all values were reprinted and some were printed very late, being replaced with the Orchid issue soon after going on sale.

The stamps differed from the earlier Bradbury Wilkinson printings in that they were produced by photogravure. The dif-ferences are clear to see with magnification, the earlier printings having straight edges to the value numerals and jagged (pixelated) ones on the reprints. Illustrated are the two 20c. values for Kedah (Fig 19).

The stamps were printed in sheets of two panes of 100, 10×10, on unwatermarked paper with cylinder numbers appearing on the bottom right-hand margin on each sheet, being either 1A or 1B for each col-our. A variant occurs on the Perak 1c. and 20c. values on the 1B panes where the customising black cylinder number is miss-ing, although the colour block is present, the 1A panes being normal. Not all 1A and 1B cylinders have been confirmed for every value for each state, although they probably existed.

The table below shows all values pro-duced in the two separate Harrison and Sons printings known to have taken place, based on information provided to Malaya Study Group member Len Stanway by the company Archivist, Mr J F Harley, in 1990. The second printing appears to have been

First and second printings of the Harrison and Sons issue (grey panels indicate values not printed; *= new value)

1st printing, 1977–78 2nd printing, later 1978

State and value 1c. 2c. 5c. 10c. 15c. 20c. 1c. 2c. 5c. 10c. 20c.

Johore × × × × × × × × ×

Kedah × × × × ×* ×

Kelantan × × × × ×

Malacca × × × × × × ×

Negri Sembilan × × × × ×* ×

Pahang × × × × × ×

Penang × × × × × ×

Perak × × × × × ×

Perlis × × ×*

Sabah × × × × × × ×

Sarawak × × × × × ×* × ×

Selangor × × × × × ×

Trengganu × × × ×

Fig 16 10c. coil showing cut perforations at left and right

Fig 17 Part of a 15c. coil strip showing the coil leader

Fig 18 Harrison proof card for

the 10c. coil stamp

Fig 19 Enlargement showing the differences between the Bradbury Wilkinson (left) and Harrison reprint

G.S.M. April 2009 63

a small top-up of existing values, although a few new values appeared for the first time, indicated in the table with an asterisk. The scarcest of the second reprint values is the Perlis 10c. mint (Fig 20), very few having been reported, and it may have been with-drawn soon after issue to be replaced by the new Orchids. Amongst the first printing, the Sabah 20c. mint is very difficult to find and may have been a small printing as usage within the State would have been small. This is known with cylinder number 1B for each colour, see illustration (Fig 21). Pahang and Sarawak are unusual, as the designs changed for the Harrison and Sons printings. The portrait of the new Sultan, Haji Ahmad Shah, replaced that of his late father, Sultan Sir Abu Bakar, on the Pahang issue and the old State Shield was replaced with a new State emblem featuring a hornbill on the Sarawak issue. The Pahang 2c. value is quite difficult to find mint.

Missing colours are to be found on a few values, notably missing black (value and ‘Malaysia’) on the Selangor 10c. Illustrated is a strip of four showing the gradual depletion of ink across the sheet, demonstrating how the majority of errors of this kind occur with modern printing methods (Fig 22). The 10c. value for Pahang also occurs in this form.

As with the Bradbury Wilkinson printings, the two black colours could become mis-aligned during printing. Illustrated are the 15c. values for Pahang, showing the base col-our misaligned and the second with the cus-tomising black misaligned. On both stamps the other black colour is normal (Fig 23).

Harrison state low value proofsAs was the case with the coil stamps, proof cards were produced, one for each indi-vidual value, having an imperforate full colour proof attached. All issued values are

thought to exist although not all have been seen by the author. The cards were again embossed with the ‘Harrison & Sons Ltd.’ Royal Warrant in gold but with the printer’s address now being ‘Harrison House, Coates Lane, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England’.

Harrison high valuesAll of the high values were reprinted by Har-rison and Sons in lithography, possibly using the old Bradbury Wilkinson masters. As this was the printing method used for the earlier Bradbury Wilkinson printings, the two issues are harder to tell apart. As stated earlier, the main positive identifier is the perforations on the left or right margins on marginal copies if not perforated through, Bradbury Wilkinson printings having two-pin exten-sions and Harrison and Sons only one.

Different phosphor reactions have been recorded and identification by shade at-tempted, but nothing yet appears to be con-sistent. The Harrison and Sons printings will be in the minority and well worth collecting if positively identified.

Harrison high value proofsAs was the case with the low values, proof cards were produced, one for each value, having an imperforate full colour proof at-tached. All issued values have been seen by the author.

To be concluded

Cylinder numbers known to date (grey panels indicate values not reprinted)

State and value 1c. 2c. 5c. 10c. 15c. 20c.

Johore 1A – 1A 1B – 1B – 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B

Kedah 1A 1B 1A – – 1B – 1B 1A 1B

Kelantan 1A 1B 1A – 1A – 1A 1B

Malacca – 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B – 1B 1A 1B

Negri Sembilan 1A – 1A – 1A – – 1B 1A 1B

Pahang – 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B

Penang 1A 1B 1A – 1A – 1A – 1A 1B

Perak 1A 1B 1A 1B – 1B 1A – 1A 1B

Perlis – – 1A 1B – –

Sabah – 1B 1A – 1A 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B – 1B

Sarawak 1A 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B – 1B

Selangor 1A 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B

Trengganu – 1B 1A 1B 1A 1B

Fig 20 The Perlis 10c. is the scarcest of the the second reprints Fig 21 Sabah 20c. cylinder 1B block

Fig 22 Selangor 10c. showing loss of the black

Fig 23 Pahang 15c. with misaligned colours

64 G.S.M. April 2009