A resurgence of interest in Pewter First Day Covers were recently seen from numerous discussions in various platforms. This article documents the history of a collaboration between Royal Selangor and Pos Malaysia to produce not just Pewter First Day Covers but other precious metals such as Niobium, Tantalum, Gold and Silver!

Royal Selangor first collaborated with Pos Malaysia to launch a Pewter First Day Cover on 23 August 1997 for the International Year of the Reef ’97 issue. A total of 10,000 FDCs are issued at a price of RM 16.00. It was sold in the Philatelic Bureau in ready made form with a certificate from Royal Selangor. The pewter cover is essentially a FDC with an inlaid pewter featuring one of the stamps in the issue.

*Note: From 22 July 2000 Bird of Malaysia issue, the inlaid precious metal might feature a stamp from a past related issue!

Since it was popular, a second issue was released on 01 December 1997 for the Stamp Week ’97 Protected Wildlife issue.

This time 50,000 Pewter FDCs were released and it was way too much for the market to absorb! Overhang stocks continued for decades! They were sold at RM 20.00 each.

In addition, a Niobium FDC was also released with a quantity of 10,000 pieces at a price of RM 98.00. Again, it was an overkill.

Subsequent issues saw the quantities being reduced tremendously.

*As a side note, a Pewter FDC was launched by Royal Selangor (Singapore) for the Singapore Zodiac Series – Tiger on 09 January 1998 with a quantity of 25,000 pieces at a price of RM 59.00. Subsequent Zodiac Series issues were also sold at the same price.

Royal Selangor subsequently released a Tantalum FDC on 10 January 1998 for the Rare Fruits Series 1 issue. This would be the ONLY Tantalum FDC every issued. A total of 5,000 pieces were issued at a price of RM 98.00.

On 27 June 1998 for the Opening of KLIA issue, there was a Pewter commemorative cover with a single 30 sen stamp was released at a price of RM 16.00. No information on quantities was given.

A special Pewter and Niobium (2 on one FDC) was issued on 11 September 1998 for the XVI Commonwealth Games KL 98 Opening Ceremony issue. It was sold at a price of RM 120.00. A total of 5,000 were produced.

In May 1999, a Cover Club was launched by Royal Selangor!

Here is the first order form:

Cover Club members received a special album and information sheets to keep the FDCs. The first album came with a pewter name plate.

Every member will receive a certificate of membership.

Members can receive the FDCs mailed to their address or collected from a designated Royal Selangor showroom or mailed at RM 3.00 per cover. Members earn CoverPoints to redeem for Royal Selangor gifts. A Pewter FDC earns 5 CoverPoints whereas a Niobium FDC ears 25 CoverPoints.

The first Silver with 24K Gold Plating FDC was issued on 23 September 1999 on the occasion of the Installation of His Majesty the XI Yang di-Pertuan Agong issue. A total of 3,000 were issued at a price of RM 135.00. It was very popular.

Another special issue was the 31 December 1999 Millennium Series 1 and 01 January 2000 Millennium Series 2 MS FDC pair. The Pewter FDCs also came in a special folder sold at RM 50.00.

A total of 20,000 pairs were produced. A Niobium pair was also released at a price of RM 196.00 with 2,000 issued!

From 06 January 2000 Year of the Dragon issue, Cover Club members receive matching serial number to the Cover Club membership number in the Standing Order Scheme (SOS). Thus serial numbers up to over 3,000 are usually reserved for the SOS members. “Special Issue” not in the SOS will not have the matching serial numbers but members will still receive the information sheet to keep the cover in the special album.

There was a sudden departure from featuring a stamp from the actual stamp issue to a throwback of a stamp from a historical issue on 22 July 2000 for the Birds of Malaysia issue where the Pewter and Niobium featured the 1965 National Definitive (Bird) – 25 cents Burong Siul stamp!

In 2002, the Cover Club was rebooted with new membership numbers and a member card.

However the covers’ serial numbers are still the same as the original number when the serial number was introduced on 06 January 2000.

From 27 March 2001, Scented Flowers of Malaysia issue, the Pewter FDC was sold at RM 25.00 and Niobium FDC was sold at RM 110.00.

A Silver with 24K Gold Plating FDC was also issued for the XXI SEA Games at a price of RM 148.00 with a Bukit Jalil Kuala Lumpur special cancellation.

The price of Pewter FDC went up to RM 30.00 and Niobium FDC went up to RM 125.00 from 27 June 2002 Tropical Birds (Malaysia – Singapore Joint Issue).

A Pewter with 24K Gold plating FDC was released for the 17 December 2002: Stamp Week ’02 The Tame & The Wild issue at a price of RM 78.00

A Premier Edition Silver with 24K Gold Plating FDC for the Coronation of HRH Sultan Selangor IX issue was released at a price of RM 178.00 on 08 March 2003. The metallic design was extra large!

A Premier Edition Silver FDC for the Silver Jubilee of the Reign of HRH Sultan of Kelantan was released at a price of RM 148.00 on 28 February 2004. It was again an extra large metallic design.

I would like to record my special appreciation to Encik Nasrul Hadi for the valuable information in the 2004 gap year as well as correcting some omissions. This enabled a complete tabulation of this unique series.

Here is a listing of the Royal Selangor FDCs issued and where available, the quantities:

23 August 1997: International Year of the Reef ’97 (Pewter: 10,000)

01 December 1997: Stamp Week ’97 Protected Wildlife (Pewter: 50,000)

01 December 1997: Stamp Week ’97 Protected Wildlife (Niobium: 10,000)

10 January 1998: Rare Fruits Series 1 (Pewter: 15,000)

10 January 1998: Rare Fruits Series 1 (Tantalum: 5,000)

27 June 1998: Opening of KLIA commemorative cover (Pewter: unknown quantity)

27 June 1998: Opening of KLIA (Pewter: 25,000)

27 June 1998: Opening of KLIA (Niobium: 5,000)

28 November 1998: Stamp Week ’98 Insects of Malaysia (Pewter: 10,000)

28 November 1998: Stamp Week ’98 Insects of Malaysia (Niobium: 3,000)

28 May 1999: Protected Mammals (Pewter: 10,000)

28 May 1999: Protected Mammals (Niobium: 3,000)

24 July 1999: P. Ramlee (Pewter: 10,000)

24 July 1999: P. Ramlee (Niobium: 3,000)

30 August 1999: Petronas Twin Towers (Pewter: 10,000)

30 August 1999: Petronas Twin Towers (Niobium: 3,000)

11 September 1998: XVI Commonwealth Games KL 98 Opening Ceremony (Pewter and Niobium: 5,000)

23 September 1999: Installation of His Majesty the XI Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Silver with 24K Gold Plating: 3,000)

18 November 1999: World Cup Golf ’99 (Pewter: 10,000)

18 November 1999: World Cup Golf ’99 (Niobium: 3,000)

31 December 1999: Millennium Series 1 and

01 January 2000: Millennium Series 2 (Pewter pair: 20,000)

31 December 1999: Millennium Series 1 and

01 January 2000: Millennium Series 2 (Niobium pair: 2,000)

06 January 2000: Year of the Dragon (Pewter: 10,000)

06 January 2000: Year of the Dragon (Niobium: 3,000)

22 July 2000: Birds of Malaysia (Pewter: 5,000)

22 July 2000: Birds of Malaysia (Niobium: 2,000)

26 August 2000: Protected Mammals Series 2 (Pewter: 5,000)

26 August 2000: Protected Mammals Series 2 (Niobium: 2,000)

09 October 2000: Stamp Week 2000 Highland Flowers of  Malaysia Series II (Pewter: 5,000)

09 October 2000: Stamp Week 2000 Highland Flowers of  Malaysia Series II (Niobium: 2,000)

27 March 2001: Scented Flowers of Malaysia (Pewter: 5,000)

27 March 2001: Scented Flowers of Malaysia (Niobium: 2,000)

11 June 2001: Cultural Instrument and Artefact (Pewter: 5,000)

11 June 2001: Cultural Instrument and Artefact (Niobium: 2,000)

09 July 2001: Malaysian Made Vehicles Series 2 (Pewter: 5,000)

09 July 2001: Malaysian Made Vehicles Series 2 (Niobium: 2,000)

01 August 2001: Malaysian Bantams (Pewter: 5,000)

01 August 2001: Malaysian Bantams (Niobium: 2,000)

08 September 2001: XXI SEA Games (Silver with 24K Gold Plating: 3,000)

10 November 2001: Stamp Week ’01 Marine Life Series V (Pewter: 5,000)

10 November 2001: Stamp Week ’01 Marine Life Series V (Niobium: 2,000)

05 February 2002: Rare Flowers (Malaysia – China Joint Issue) (Pewter: 5,000)

05 February 2002: Rare Flowers (Malaysia – China Joint Issue) (Niobium: 3,000)

24 April 2002: 17th World Orchid Conference (Pewter: 5,000)

24 April 2002: 17th World Orchid Conference (Niobium: 2,000)

27 June 2002: Tropical Birds (Malaysia – Singapore Joint Issue) (Pewter: 5,000)

27 June 2002: Tropical Birds (Malaysia – Singapore Joint Issue) (Niobium: 2,000)

24 August 2002: Malaysian Unity (Pewter: 5,000)

24 August 2002: Malaysian Unity (Niobium: 2,000)

17 December 2002: Stamp Week ’02 The Tame & The Wild (Niobium: 2,000)

17 December 2002: Stamp Week ’02 The Tame & The Wild (Pewter with 24K Gold plating: 2,000) 

06 February 2003: XIII Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Movement (Pewter: 5,000)

06 February 2003: XIII Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Movement (Niobium: 2,000)

22 February 2003: Roses in Malaysia (Pewter: 5,000)

22 February 2003: Roses in Malaysia (Niobium: 2,000)

03 March 2003: Father of Independence (Silver with 24K Gold Plating: 2,000)

08 March 2003: Coronation of HRH Sultan Selangor IX (Silver with 24K Gold Plating: 2,000)

24 May 2003: Historical Place – Clock Tower (Pewter: 5,000)

24 May 2003: Historical Place – Clock Tower (Niobium: 2,000)

28 June 2003: Islands & Beaches of Malaysia Series II Ligitan and Sipadan Islands (Pewter: 5,000)

28 June 2003: Islands & Beaches of Malaysia Series II Ligitan and Sipadan Islands (Niobium: 2,000)

19 August 2003: 46th Independence Celebration (Silver with 24K Gold Plating: 2,000)

03 October 2003: 10th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference (Pewter: 5,000)

03 October 2003: 10th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference (Niobium: 2,000)

16 December 2003: Stamp Week ’03 Primates of Malaysia Red Leaf & Proboscis Monkey (Pewter with 24K Gold plating: 2,000)

31 January 2004: Historical Buildings Lighthouse (Pewter: 5,000)

31 January 2004: Historical Buildings Lighthouse (Niobium: 2,000)

28 February 2004: Silver Jubilee of the Reign of HRH Sultan of Kelantan (Silver: 1,000)

22 May 2004: National Service Programme (Pewter: 5,000)

22 May 2004: National Service Programme (Niobium: 2,000)

14 June 2004: Wildlife in the Malaysian Forest (Pewter: 5,000)

14 June 2004: Wildlife in the Malaysian Forest (Niobium: 2,000)

18 August 2004: Traditional Transportation (Pewter: 5,000)

18 August 2004: Traditional Transportation (Niobium: 2,000)

09 October 2004: Stamp Week ’04 Marine Life Series VI (Pewter: 5,000)

09 October 2004: Stamp Week ’04 Marine Life Series VI (Niobium: 2,000)

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