Today in Postal History

   
     
South Georgia to Falkland Islands
March 30, 1938

At first glance, one thinks this registered cover is from the Falklands;
however, when one notes the three CDS, it is seen that it was sent from South Georgia.
It is a registered first day of use cover in South Georgia for three
colorful King George VI definitives of the Falkland Islands.

South Georgia is nearly 2000 km east of the Falklands and
less than 400 km from the Antarctic ice shelf at East Scotia.
South Georgia has been a way station for Antarctic explorers.

Stamps of the Falkland Islands were first used at the Grytviken
whaling station on South Georgia on December 3, 1909.
This practice continued until separate stamps were issued
for the Falkland Islands Dependencies starting in 1946.

Falkland Islands stamps used in South Georgia can only be identified by a confirming cancel.
Such stamps carry a nice premium.
Early usages were cancelled with a Falkland Islands handstamp;
however stamps on cover are indicated by the
addition of a straight line SOUTH GEORGIA handstamp.
It was not until 1963 that Sough Georgia had its own stamps.

The stamps used here are the Falkland Islands 1938
½d black and green whales jaw bones, the 1d. black and carmine black-necked swan,
and the 2½d black and bright blue flock of sheep (SG 146, 147,  and 151).
These stamps are separately listed by Gibbons for South Georgia use as Z73, Z74, and Z78.

This registered cover has a nice preprinted registry label for South Georgia.

The addressee was in Stanley, the principal city in the Falklands.

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