The First Series, or "Solot" Series
The series consisted of six face values, each of one Solot (½ att), an Att, a Sio (2 atts), a Sik (4 atts), one Fueang (8 atts) and a Salung (16 atts), currency units before the decimalization of the baht. The Tical, which was superseded by the baht, was worth 64 atts and one can find it overprinted on the Solot at a later date. These stamps were printed by Waterlow and Sons in London from dies line engraved by William Ridgeway, and they were first issued on August 4th, 1883 for internal use, coinciding with the launch of Siam’s postal service. The stamps were printed in line perforations of 15, but Waterlow’s perforation machine was faulty at the time and some rarer examples at 14.5 perforations or compound values can be found originating from the same sheets as the 15 perforation postage stamps (according to research conducted on full sheets by Harold Rowe). Earlier stamps were printed on thicker woven stock where dark brown gum was applied. Philip Ward (1914) writes that later stamps used lighter gum more appropriate for the Thai climate: “The paper upon which they are printed is somewhat thick, and in the case of the earlier stamps, a dark brown gum was used. On later deliveries, a light gum was used which without doubt proved more suitable to the climate.” Although most of these stamps were printed on white paper, some of the stock was also produced on brown paper. The genuine brown paper is not to be confused with the topicalized paper that some stamps display. It is very different in consistency and texture from paper effected by the tropical climate.
All the stamps in this series were unwatermarked and came in different shades. The Att, for example, comes in 6 shades and the darker shades are far more valuable. Of note also is the slight variations in the size of the stamps. Harold Rowe writing in “Stamp Lover”, remarked that there was an 8% size variation.
Each value was printed in sheets of eighty stamps arranged in ten horizontal rows of eight. In total, 500,000 stamps of each denomination were printed. It is the only Thai series to refer to each of the old currency units; subsequent issues had their values denominated in att. Genuine cancelled specimens of all these stamps, except the 1 Att which was used for the Government Gazette, are quite rare as they were not widely used. The Fueang stamp never officially entered circulation and only a few rare cancelled copies exist as this stamp was not delivered in time for the postal service’s opening.
Although this series did not comply with the standards of the Universal Postal Union which Siam had joined on July 1st, 1885, it was officially accepted for foreign postage until Thailand was able to procure one that did. The postal business was expanded to various provinces. The postal service opened its first location in Samut Prakan on August 26th, 1885, and on October 19th, 1885, the other provinces were formed. Post offices were opened in the later stages respectively, until all provinces throughout the country, and subsequently, new services were opened to the public. As usage grew, so did the demand for foreign postage. Ultimately, membership of the Universal Postal Union necessitated the series’ replacement on March 30th, 1887, to comply with international standards.
The Lost Treasure
On January 4th, 1887, the Minister of Posts and Telegraphs issued a notification that the Solot Series would be replaced with a second set of definitive stamps compliant with international standards. The first series of stamps were to be withdrawn from external use on March 30th, 1887, but could be used until June 1887. After that date, letters using them for international postage to other countries under UPU regulations would be taxed as if no stamp were present. These stamps may have been used to send postage to other non UPU countries.
This withdrawal of the series did not apply to inland postage where it would continue to be used in parallel to the second issue. This went on right up until 1900 when the first issue stamps were officially demonetized in 1900. Even then, first issue post cards were still used.
Although many Solot and Sio stamps had been used for overprinting, large stocks of all values remained, except for the Att which had become exhausted even though, similar to the Solot, it was also below the minimum postal rate for a letter, which was 2 atts (cf. Siam Philatelic Society (1920) Descriptive Catalogue of the Postage Stamps of Siam). The main use of the Att stamp was for the transmission of the government gazette and also as the step amount for letters. Looking at current practices today where postage stamps are printed with repeating sheet numbers and then mostly diverted, a possible explanation could be that this stamp was used by civil servants as extra currency to supplement their low salaries and to fulfil departmental budgets shortfalls. If this were the case, it would explain why a high number of these mint stamps are available to collectors today whereas a 1 Att surcharge was needed on the Sio at the time.
In 1900, a large sale of the remaining stamps took place to collectors. According to Dr. Pipat Choovoravech (2003), these packs were sold in sets for the price of 2 Salung per set. The packs included five denominations, notably, the Solot, the Sio, the Sik, the Salung, and the Fueang. This fact accounts for the existence of a large number of mint stamps available for collectors.
The large remainder of the unsold stamps were destroyed. According to a well-placed sourced though, there are a many of these and other old stamps held by the Treasury today. The government may well choose to release them at some future date.
What happened to the collector presentation packs of 1900 remains a complete mystery. Were one to surface, it would represent a veritable treasure.
This withdrawal of the series did not apply to inland postage where it would continue to be used in parallel to the second issue. This went on right up until 1900 when the first issue stamps were officially demonetized in 1900. Even then, first issue post cards were still used.
Although many Solot and Sio stamps had been used for overprinting, large stocks of all values remained, except for the Att which had become exhausted even though, similar to the Solot, it was also below the minimum postal rate for a letter, which was 2 atts (cf. Siam Philatelic Society (1920) Descriptive Catalogue of the Postage Stamps of Siam). The main use of the Att stamp was for the transmission of the government gazette and also as the step amount for letters. Looking at current practices today where postage stamps are printed with repeating sheet numbers and then mostly diverted, a possible explanation could be that this stamp was used by civil servants as extra currency to supplement their low salaries and to fulfil departmental budgets shortfalls. If this were the case, it would explain why a high number of these mint stamps are available to collectors today whereas a 1 Att surcharge was needed on the Sio at the time.
In 1900, a large sale of the remaining stamps took place to collectors. According to Dr. Pipat Choovoravech (2003), these packs were sold in sets for the price of 2 Salung per set. The packs included five denominations, notably, the Solot, the Sio, the Sik, the Salung, and the Fueang. This fact accounts for the existence of a large number of mint stamps available for collectors.
The large remainder of the unsold stamps were destroyed. According to a well-placed sourced though, there are a many of these and other old stamps held by the Treasury today. The government may well choose to release them at some future date.
What happened to the collector presentation packs of 1900 remains a complete mystery. Were one to surface, it would represent a veritable treasure.
William Ridgeway (1830 to 1900)
William Ridgeway, whose surname he also sometimes spelt as “Ridgway” in his personal correspondence; cf. ‘The Perkins Bacon Records‘ by Percy De Worms (1957); was born in 1830. According to his biography at the engravers’ guild, he attended the Charles Heath School of Engraving. Afterward, he worked as a freelance engraver. When London printer Perkins & Bacon were asked to produce a new five-shilling definitive for St. Vincent in 1880, they entrusted the engraving job to Ridgeway. He finished his work within a month. He worked both in recess engraving and surface printing for stamps and banknotes for various printing houses. In 1881, he undertook the engraving of the dies for the first series of Thailand’s definitives for Waterlow and Sons Ltd, and then in 1895, those of Sarawak. He also undertook other engravings; for example, “Justice, with flaming sword,” for Waterlow & Sons’s die 2176. When his second wife suddenly died, Ridgeway never really recovered. He passed away in late January/early February 1900. It was not until 1923 when, according to C.W. Fawdry (1939), when the first concept sketches were discovered among his effect, that the connection was made between the artist and the engraving of this stamp.