Catalogue of British Commonwealth postal notes.

[Guest Aidan Work]

A catalogue of British Commonwealth (& related ) postal notes & postal orders is coming soon.Postal notes & postal orders were first declared legal tender as an emergency currency by the Orange Free State & the South African Republic during the 2nd Boer War (1899-1902).The 4 nations of Great Britain,plus Ireland declared postal orders to be legal tender during World War I (1914-18).This was a measure enacted to save on both paper & labour.The 4 nations of Great Britain again declared postal orders to be legal tender during World War II (1939-45) for the same reason.

 

Postal notes & postal orders are classified as numismatic items,not only for the reasons above,but it must be remembered that all British postal orders printed prior to the end of 1923 were printed at the Bank of England's printing works.Even today,the British postal orders strongly resemble banknotes,so a classification as numismatic items is perfectly legimate on these grounds.

 

Aidan.