The History of Stamps in Perak from 1874 to the Present

The early history of stamp usage for correspondence in Malaya is known to have begun in the 19th century when British stamps from India were first used.

In 1874, the state of Perak came under British protection after the Pangkor Treaty was signed. In reality, the use of stamps in Malaya for correspondence had already begun before 1874.

This is evidenced by the Queen Victoria stamps issued for the first time in December 1867 following the establishment of the Straits Settlements, which included the Dinding area in Perak as a British colonial territory.

Before the establishment of the Straits Settlements, all postal affairs in these states were under the control of the Indian Post Office located in Calcutta, India.

1878 – Straits Settlements stamp (Queen Victoria) overprinted with a crescent and star emblem and the letter P

1880 – 1891 – Straits Settlements stamp (Queen Victoria) overprinted with the word PERAK

1892 – Malayan Tiger Pouncing stamp with the name PERAK

1895 – 1899 – Malayan Tiger Head stamp with the name PERAK (Low value) and Marching Elephant stamp with the name PERAK (High value)

1900 – The beginning of the use of Federated Malay States stamps.

1901 – 1934 – Federated Malay States Malayan Tiger (low value) and Marching Elephant (high value) stamps

1935 – 1937 – Portrait stamp of Sultan Iskandar of Perak (side profile) with values from 1 cent - $5

1938 – 1941 – Portrait stamp of Sultan Iskandar of Perak with values from 1 cent - $5

1941 – Japanese Occupation

1942 – Sultan Iskandar of Perak stamp (side profile and Sultan's face) overprinted with the words Dai Nippon 2602 Malaya or Japanese characters

1943 – 1944 – Japanese Malaya stamps

1945 – Straits Settlements stamp (King George VI) overprinted with the letters B.M.A (British Military Administration)

1948 – Special Silver Wedding Jubilee stamp of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (10 cent and $5 values only) with the words MALAYA - PERAK

1949 – Special 75th Anniversary stamp of the Universal Postal Union (10c, 15c, 25c, and 50c values only) with the words MALAYA PERAK

1950 – Portrait stamp of Sultan Yusuff Izzuddin Shah (values 1c to $5) with the word MALAYA, while PERAK is written in Jawi

1953 – Special Coronation stamp of Queen Elizabeth II (10c value only) with the words MALAYA PERAK

1957 – 1964 – Local motif stamp with a small portrait of Sultan Yussuf Izzuddin Shah (values 1c to $5) with the words MALAYA PERAK

1963 – Special Coronation stamp of Sultan Idris Shah II (10c value only)

1965 – 1970 – Orchid motif stamp with a small portrait of Sultan Idris II (values 1c to 20c) with the words MALAYSIA PERAK

1971 – 1978 – Butterfly motif stamp with a small portrait of Sultan Idris II (values 1c to 20c) with the words MALAYSIA PERAK

1979 – 1985 – Floral motif stamp with a small portrait of Sultan Idris II (values 1c to 25c) with the words Malaysia Perak

1985 – Special Coronation stamp of Sultan Azlan Shah (values 15c, 20c, $1)

1986 – 2006 – Agriculture motif stamp with a small portrait of Sultan Azlan Shah (values 1c to 30c)

2007 – 2015 – Floral motif stamp with a small portrait of Sultan Azlan Shah (values 5 sen to 50 sen)

2009 – Special Silver Jubilee stamp of Sultan Azlan Shah's reign

2015 – Special Coronation stamp of Sultan Nazrin Shah (values 60 sen, 80 sen, RM 1.20)

2016 – 2018 – Floral motif stamp with a small portrait of Sultan Nazrin Shah (values 10 sen to 60 sen)

2018 – Wild Orchid motif stamp with a small portrait of Sultan Nazrin Shah (values 5 sen to 50 sen)

As shown in the images included in this article, the evolution of stamp design in Perak can be seen to have developed from various angles, and through them, we can indirectly learn the narrative of the administrative eras in Perak to this day.

This is what makes old stamps valuable and a passion for collectors of vintage stamps. Perhaps for some, these old stamps are just useless scraps of paper because they do not delve into the history behind them.