BOOKLET PERFINS

As early as 1880 various trials were conducted by the Inland Revenue for distribution of stamps in a booklet form. However on the 3rd November 1890, the Stamp Distribution Syndicate were given a concession by the Postmaster General to issue stamps from vending machines. Prior to this it had been illegal to purchase postage stamps from anywhere other than a post office.

Thus in 1891, the Stamp Distribution Syndicate issued a book of 64 pages, some of which had full page advertising. Other pages included a dated memoranda. The back cover had a diagonal slit into which a single 1d lilac stamp, perforated "SDS", was placed. The booklet was enclosed in an envelope and sold from automatic vending machines.

These books proved very popular, with Post Office records showing that some 160,000 books were sold between 2nd May and 6th August 1891. However the vending machines proved unreliable which finally cause the Postmaster General to withdraw the concession in May 1892.

The concession was passed on to a new company, the Stamp Distribution (Parent) Company Limited. This new company used a similar style of booklet, containing a single 1d lilac stamp perfinned SDC, which was distributed from improved vending machines.

These books continued to be distributed until early 1895 when the company was forced into liquidation.

It was not until 1904 that the Post Office officially released their first booklet.