New B.p.o. Catalogue.

The new British Postal Order catalogue was launched at the Annual General Meeting of the Postal Order Society in London,England on the weekend of the 1st. & 2nd. of October 2005.The catalogue is in the process of being sent free to the members of the Postal Order Society.
However,non-members can buy the catalogue for 10 Pounds Sterling each plus postage,or 35 Pounds,plus postage for 5 copies.To place an order,
you can send an email to the Secretary of the Postal Order Society,Mal
Tedds,whose email address is here; mtedds@btinternet.com .

The collecting of postal orders is gaining in popularity,especially in Great Britain.Some banknote collectors such as myself collect them for the following reasons;

1. They were used as currency in the Orange Free State & the South African Republic (2nd. Boer War (1899-1902).),& in Great Britain (both
World Wars.).

2. Their designs strongly resemble banknotes.

3. All British postal orders were printed at the Bank of England's printing works prior to the end of 1923.

4. Some British Commonwealth countries issued neither coins nor banknotes,but postal orders were their only numismatic items.

5. Some British Commonwealth countries issued both their own postal orders (postal notes) & British postal orders at their local post offices.New Zealand was one such country - B.P.O.'s were issued until March 1985,& postal notes were issued until the 31st. of July 1986.
Fiji still issues their own local postal orders & B.P.O.'s,as do Brunei,Malaysia,& Singapore.

Aidan.