- £50.00
Thailand. (Siam Steam Navigation Company - Postmarks). Circa 1909. Siam SG 135, 12s on 8a olive and black cancelled by straight-line 'S.S. "Asdang" in black and cancelled additionally with 'BAMBOO' chop.
Stamps cancelled with the 'S.S.N.CO' marks can sometimes be found additionally obliterated with a circular Bamboo chop. These Bamboo cancellations appear to have been applied at the Post Office of arrival where the Purser's fancy hand-stamp was regarded as insufficient.
The company was formed as the 'Danish East Asiatic Company' in 1897. The company had a steamer calling port to port from Bangkok down the Malay Peninsula with passengers, goods and had a contract to carry the mail. More vessels were added until the 'Siam Steam Navigation Co.' was founded in 1909. The steamers would carry mail from port to port in the ships mail bag. Loose letters were cancelled by the Purser's fancy rubber hand-stamp and cancelled on board ship are very rare indeed.
The 'S.S. "Asdang" (640 tons) was built in 1906 for the 'Siam Steam Navigation Company. She was wrecked on the Kemaman Bar on 23rd October 1936.
Ex John Garner collection. John made a wonderful study of these elusive items for over 50 years. He wrote an article for the P.A.T. Journal in 2009 on the history of the little shipping lines that traded along the coast of the Gulf of Siam.
