The Fredericksburg Post Office, located on the east side of Wakenaam Island in the West Coast Demerara River Postal District, was opened by 1850 as a Receiving House at the Police Station. By 1860, it had been upgraded to a District Post Office. It became a money order office on May 1, 1894, and remained in operation until its closure on April 1, 1902. After the closure, a letterbox was erected in the village, and mail services were provided by letter carriers from the Good Success Post Office.

Initially, the Fredericksburg Post Office used the Second Series Coded Postmark “W.” After the Belle Plaine Post Office opened on the west coast of Wakenaam Island in 1878, the Wakenaam 1 circular date stamp (C.D.S.) was used until 1880, when a Named Date Stamp for Fredericksburg was introduced.

The following are the Date Stamps used at Fredericksburg with EKD prior to 22 January 1901, the day marking the end of the reign of Queen Victoria. In addition to listing the Panda Type #, for reference, we also list the T&H Type from The Postage Stamps and Postal History of British Guiana by Townsend & Howe, the Type and referenced page from The Postal History of British Guiana by Edward B. Proud, and the referenced pages from British Guiana Coded Postmarks – Study paper No 3 by Michael Rego, for code-marks.

---

---

→ Panda Type # E 1 . 3  Fredericksburg

T&H Type 1 p. 298;     Proud Fredericksburg D4 p. 172

EKD: 1 Dec 1877 / LKD: 1 Apr 1880 (New LKD)

The Wakenaam 1 Circular Date Stamp (C.D.S) is a Panda Type E1 postmark.  The Panda Type E1 is Single Ring (S.R.), 21-22mm, 2 line date (2 L.D.) with year abbreviated (Y.A.).  Colony not shown.  It is similar to the Demerara postmark Panda Type 3 without the code.

The Panda Type E1.3 was used at Fredericksburg. It is cataloged as Type1 and is listed as “Rare” in The Postage Stamps and Postal History of British Guiana by Townsend & Howe. In The Postal History of British Guiana by Edward B. Proud, it is listed as Fredericksburg Type D4 (p. 172).

The new LKD of 1 Apr 1880 is a strike in the Wood Collection (see image below).

---

---

→ Panda Type # E  4. 7 – Fredericksburg

T&H – Type 3 p. 300 ; Proud – Fredericksburg D5 p. 172

EKD: 23 Apr 1880 / LKD: 5 Nov 1901

The Fredericksburg Circular Date Stamp (C.D.S) is a Panda Type E5 postmark.  The Panda Type E5 is Double Ring (D.R.), 22.5-24mm, 2 line date (2 L.D.) with year abbreviated (Y.A.).  Colony not shown.

The Panda Type E4.7 is cataloged as Type 3 and is listed as “Rather Common” in The Postage Stamps and Postal History of British Guiana by Townsend & Howe.

The EKD strike of 23 Apr 1880 is in the Panda Collection. See image below.