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Labuan

FIRST STAMPS Straits Settlements 1867.
FIRST STAMPS ISSUED May 1879.

CURRENCY
1879, 100 cents = 1 Straits dollar.

Previously uninhabited island off the north coast of Borneo used from 1840 as a British naval base for anti-piracy patrols and as a station on the Singapore-Hong Kong cable, Labuan was ceded to Britain by the Sultan of Brunei in 1846. Became a Crown Colony in 1848. Placed under North Borneo on 1 January 1890, but on 30 October 1906 joined the Straits Settlements. After occupation by Japanese forces (December 1941-June 1945), it came under military administration until rejoined on 15 July 1946 to North Borneo. With North Borneo, Labuan is now part of Malaysia.

A PO existed in 1864 and used a circular date stamp, passing mail through Singapore. Labuan joined the UPU in 1889.

Used stamps of Straits Settlements from 1867. (Stamps of India and Hong Kong exist on mail from Labuan in 1864, but were probably not on sale there.)

Used stamps of Straits Settlements October 1906. After 1946 used stamps of North Borneo.