Printed matter wrappers of Malta

Abstract

The post office postal stationery wrappers of Malta were of three types: the 1885 1/2d green QV, the 1902 or 1903 1/2d green KEVII and the more elusive 1913 1/2d green KGV. The author has maintained a database of used copies of worldwide post office postal stationery wrappers that have been listed for sale on the internet site eBay. These have been hand-collected daily since September 2003 and the database has approximately 48,000 different images worldwide. Of these, 108 copies are of the post office wrappers of Malta: 84 copies of the QV issue, 16 copies of the KEVII issue and eight copies of the KGV issue. Specimen overprinted copies exist of each of these issues. There are no recorded cases of post office postal stationery wrappers with additional private printing. The post office wrappers of Malta ceased after the 1913 KGV issue. A story about the wrappers of Malta would be incomplete without an understanding of those that showed the addition of private printing. Further insights may be gained by looking at non post office wrappers used for mailing printed matter. Another database developed by the author since March 2006 is used non-post office wrappers. During the past decade this database stands at almost 6,000 images of worldwide printed matter wrappers. Of these there are 11 from Malta, and some of these are discussed and illustrated here. More specifically, this paper examines postally used wrappers of Malta that are of a private or commercial nature that have not been purchased at a post office.