North Borneo

North Borneo was part of the island of Borneo off Malaya. It was administered by the British North Borneo Company until 1946.

Please note that the section divisions below are completely arbitrary.

1883-90

 * Its first stamps were issued in 1883 featuring the shield portion of its coat of arms, perf 12. Surcharged EIGHT / CENTS and 8 Cents. were released the same year. Two large high values with a full coat of arms were also issued the same year.
 * In 1886, the first definitives reappeared perf 14, with new values added to the set. These were inscribed BRITISH NORTH BORNEO. The ½c and 10c were overprinted and / Revenue that same year. 3c and 5c surcharges also were produced.
 * Later in 1886, a new definitive series was issued, with the values up to 10c now with a banner with "POSTAGE" below the shield.
 * In 1887-92, the shield values to 10c were now inscribed POSTAGE & REVENUE below the shield. The higher values were issued in redrawn designs.
 * In 1889, large $5 and $10 definitives were released.
 * In 1890, more surcharges were issued in the same style as before.



1894-1918

 * In 1894, the first pictorial definitives, each in two colors, were issued up to the 24c value. Higher values were in the various arms style employed before. All of these were now inscribed STATE OF NORTH BORNEO. There are various perfs.
 * In 1895, the definitives to 24c were overprinted POSTAGE DUE vertically for use in that way.
 * In 1895, surcharges in various values on the $1 red were released.
 * Beginning in 1897, the 1894 designs were released in new colors. The 18c and 24c values now had changed inscriptions, changed again later to "POSTAGE & REVENUE". A 4c value was finally added in 1899. In 1902, 10c and 16c values were also added to the set.
 * Meanwhile, most values up to the $10 value were surcharged 4 / CENTS once again.
 * In 1901, another vertically overprinted postage due series on current definitives was released.
 * In 1903-11, a horizontally overprinted postage due series on current definitives was introduced.
 * Definitives up to the $2 value were overprinted BRITISH / PROTECTORATE. in 1901-05.
 * In 1904, values up to the $10 value were once again surcharged, this time as 4 / cents.
 * Beginning in 1909, a new pictorial series was introduced. This had its high values in new engraved designs. This was generally in perf 14 but with many values also perf 15 and a few perf 13½.
 * In 1916, a semipostal series overprinted with a red Maltese cross was issued.
 * 1916 and 1923 saw more surcharges in 2c and 3c values.
 * In 1918 a semipostal set surcharged RED CROSS / TWO CENTS was released.
 * Also in 1918 another semipostal set was issued, this time surcharged in red with a red cross over FOUR CENTS.



1921-1941

 * In 1921-31, postage due overprints were issued using the then-current definitives.
 * In 1926-28, most of the previous definitive series was reissued in perf 12½.
 * Overprinted officials were also released around the same time.
 * In 1931, new larger pictorial definitives were issued.
 * In 1939, a new pictorial definitive series was released returning to the older sizes.
 * Also, officials in a design of two arms holding the company flag were issued.
 * In 1941, two stamps overprinted "WAR TAX" were issued.
 * North Borneo was occupied by Japanese forces in January 1942.



1942-45, under Japanese occupation
 File:North Borneo 12c occ.jpg|1943 12c value. File:North Borneo occup A.jpg|enlarged example of the 1944 overprint. 
 * In 1942, North Borneo definitives were handstamped or printed with a single line overprint. Violet overprints are from Jesselton, black from Sandakan.
 * 3 postage due values were similarly overprinted.
 * In 1944, A 3-line overprint was used on values to the $1. The $2 and $5 high values had large Japanese characters of value with two line overprints otherwise.
 * In 1943, two country-specific stamps were issued inscribed North Borneo kanji.png (reads right to left).
 * In 1944, Japanese stamps were used with overprints in the wording used above.

1945-63

 * Australian forces invaded North Borneo beginning in June 1945. After war's end, the previous definitives were overprinted BMA (British Military Authority).
 * In 1947, those definitives were again overprinted when North Borneo became a colony, this time with the cypher of George V and with bars crossing out the old country name.
 * Beginning in 1948 with the Silver Jubilee issue, North Borneo followed the Commonwealth scheme of omnibus issues.
 * In 1950, A George V series of pictorial definitives was issued, now inscribed NORTH BORNEO.
 * In 1956, an engraved commemorative set for the 75th anniversary of the North Borneo Company was released.
 * In 1961, engraved Elizabeth II definitives in two colors each was issued.
 * In September 1963, North Borneo joined the Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia), becoming the state of Sabah.