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Brunei

FIRST STAMPS ISSUED 11 October 1906.

CURRENCY
1906, 100 cents = 1 dollar (Straits).

After exercising power over all Borneo in the 16th century the sultanate of Brunei declined to a seaboard state beset by pirates. Much of its territory was ceded during the 19th century to form Sarawak and British North Borneo. What survived remained independent under British protection after 1888, though a British Resident was not appointed until 1906. Brunei decided to remain independent rather than join Malaysia, and invoked British aid against invasion from Indonesia in 1962-6. Became fully independent in 1985.

Any postal connections were via Labuan until a Sarawak PO was opened at Brooketon c.1888. The first Brunei PO opened in Brunei Town on 11 October 1906. Brunei joined the UPU on 1 January 1916, but Brunei stamps had been accepted as valid since 1906.

Changes of town names in Brunei:

Brooketon, later Muara.
Belait, later Kuala Belait.
Temburong, later Bangar.
Brunei Town, later Bandar Seri Begawan.

Local stamps of 1895 are not accepted by all authorities as genuinely issued, though some accept that they paid postage on mail via the Sultan's yacht to Labuan.