Today in Postal History

For a change, I'll show a  trio of First Day Covers for the series of
pictorial stamps issued for Western Samoa on this date.

Western Samoa was another of the German Pacific Islands groups
captured by Comonwealth Forces at the start of World War I.

In 1920 the four islands of Savaii, Upolu, Apolimo, and
Manono were placed under New Zealand civil control.

The islands along with American Samoa were important staging points during World War II.

After WW II the islands became a United Nations trust territory under New Zealand.

The islands became independent on January 1, 1962, as Samoa I Sisifo.
Incidentally, at the time of independence there were only 17 post offices in the islands.

The first cover was franked with 2x1d black and carmine
and 2x2d black and orange (SG 181 and 182).
The cover was addressed to Auckland, New Zealand.

The second cover was franked with all values from ½d through 6d (SG 180-185).
Incidentally, the 6d shows the home of Robert Louis Stevenson.
The destination of the second cover was Huddersfield, Yorkshire.

The last cover was franked with only a single 2d black and orange (SG 182).
It was addressed to Brighton.
This cover included a souvenir card for the issue shown below.

All covers were cancelled with Apia CDS for the event.
Apia is on Upolo.

Today in Postal History
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Pastnotes Index - The First 300 and the Next 208
provides more tidbits about stamps and collectors.

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