Introduction

The internal mail within the Marshalls was handled by small sailing ships operated by the Jaluit Gesellschaft. These vessels serviced the various trading stations, dropped trade goods and picked up copra. During the early period captains would take on the mail as a matter or courtesy, hand it to the postmaster on Jaluit who would then frank it, cancel it and send it on its way. The system seems to have relied on the preparedness of individual captains to handle mail.

This was formalised on 25 June 1902 by the acting district administrator von Bunsen who decreed that (i) mail service was the prerogative of the German Post Office in Jaluit, and that (ii) captains of vessels visiting atolls of the Marshalls were obliged to carry mail and had to announce their departure 24hrs in advance (see here for full text ).[1] A directive issued by the German Post Office in Jaluit, dated the same day, specified that the letters had to be franked with the correct stamps and that the captain of the vessel had to cancel these letters by writing on them the name of the vessel and the date of receipt (see here for full text ).[2] This was the genesis of the famous Atollenpost of the Marshalls, which attracted much attention in collector circles, and which led to widespread abuse at a later stage.

On 16 June 1903 an agreement between the German administrator and the Jaluit Gesellschaft saw the establishment of formal procedures, whereby a single (white) trader was authorised to collect as well as to receive all mail from and to a given atoll (see here for full text ).[3]

The table below lists the traders who were appointed postal agents on the atolls (see here for biosketches)

In addition to the formal shipping services provided by the captains of the Jaluit Gesellschaft, we also need to be aware that some traders may well have owned small vessels that may have carried their own mail if and when they went to Jaluit. Further, the Jaluit Gesellschaft vessels carried paying deck passengers, who may have carried mail on behalf of traders, mail that was handed to and paid for at the postmaster in Jaluit.

Handwritten cancellations exist from other German colonies as well, some created in response to the Marshall Islands atoll post covers.

 

Genuine Mail Items

 

Philatelic Covers

 

Mass Production

 

Documentation

Ailinglaplap

Arno

Ebon

Jaluit

Kwajalein

Likiep

• "Neptun 26/2 03 Likiebt", on 10Pfg Yacht; ;[Laup 1929, op cit. p. 2610 no 65]
• "Likieb 28/3 03 p. Triton", received Jaluit 23 February 1903 (date?); on 10Pfg Yacht; handwriting Krümling;[Laup 1929, op cit. p. 2610 no 66]
• "Likieb 12 II 1904", received Jaluit 15 February 1904; on 10Pfg Yacht; handwriting deBrum.[Laup 1929, op cit. p. 2607 no 33]
• "Likieb 27 VIII 1904", received Jaluit 31 August 1904; on 2x 5Pfg Yacht; handwriting deBrum.[Laup 1929, op cit. p. 2607 no 34]
• "Likieb 10/12 1905", received Jaluit 13 December 1905; on 10Pfg Yacht; sent to Landeshauptmann Jaluit, [Laup 1929, op cit. p. 2607 no 32]
• "Likieb 27/4 09 "Vilma" ", received Jaluit 29 April 1909 (registered to); on 2 x 10Pfg Yacht; handwriting C. Jeschke[Laup 1929, op cit. p. 2611, n½ 76]

• "Likieb 25/5 1908", received Jaluit 3 June 1908; on 10Pfg Yacht;[Charles Leski Auctions, Auction 185 no 495C (not sold). Same item: Premier Philately Auction #88 General Public Auction Saturday 23rd June 2001; http://www.premierauctions.com.au/auction88/88gercol.htm]
• "Likieb 25/5 1908", received Jaluit 3 June 1908; on 2x 5Pfg Yacht;[Nutmeg stamp Sale 33 - April 9, 2001. http://www.nutmegstamp.com/Sale_33/33_28.html]

• "Likieb 8. III 07;" received Jaluit 23 March 1907; on 2x 5Pfg Yacht; handwriting E.Heyne;[Laup 1929, op cit. p. 2602]

Majuro

Maloelap

Mile

Ujelang (Providence)

Nauru