Date of use : 1934 Singapore

N.V. Straits Java Trading Company: Agfa Distributor in Singapore

N.V. Straits Java Trading Company was a company based in Singapore that operated between 1922 and 1941 in the Straits Settlements region. The company was known for distributing various products and acting as an agent, including products from the renowned German company Agfa. N.V. Straits Java Trading Company played a crucial role in connecting the manufacturer with the local market in Southeast Asia by distributing Agfa products, which included photographic materials and possibly other imaging technologies essential for both professional and amateur photography.

The envelopes used by the company featured Straits Settlements stamps. These stamps were issued for the British Empire's Straits Settlements colony in Southeast Asia. The Straits Settlements comprised Penang, Malacca, Singapore, and later Labuan. The colony's stamps are particularly interesting from a postal history and philatelic perspective. Initially, Straits Settlements was part of the Indian Postal Service and used Indian stamps. However, on April 1, 1867, when it was transferred to the British Royal Postal Service, it began issuing its own stamps.

The first stamps featured portraits of Queen Victoria, similar to the Indian stamps. After Queen Victoria's death, stamps featured portraits of King Edward VII, and later, King George V. During this period, there were some design changes, and more colorful prints were used. With the accession of King George VI, new stamps were issued. During World War II, postal services were disrupted due to the Japanese occupation, and stamps under Japanese occupation were also used. After the war, the Straits Settlements returned to British control and new stamps were issued. In 1946, the Straits Settlements was dissolved and reorganized into Singapore, the Malayan Federation, North Borneo, and Sarawak.

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