Following are discussions on the N A / S C  Perfin.

Email from Frank Drake 17th July
Dear Rodney,
Can you find out if there be any supporting reason/evidence/proof  for
Group  III, type 47, NA /SC perfin, to be identified as the Nestle Anglo-Swiss
Condensed Milk Ltd. I had lunch with Malcolm Hammersley today and he is of
the strong view that perfins ending with the initials "S C" would in most
cases be referring to "shipping company". I tend to support his  reasoning.
More so as the name Nestle Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Ltd does give the
impression of being too "modern' or recent to fit in with the perfin era of use.

Email from Rod Sell 17th July
Dear Philippe,
Can you answer Frank's question on the NA/SC perfin.

Email from Philippe Orsetti 17th July
Dear Peter,
Could you answer this question, I got this information initialy from you.

Email from Peter Pugh 22nd July
Dear Philippe,
 In answer to Frank Drake's query, some time ago my friend the late Bill
 Vuisting from Holland put forward the suggestion that the perfin NA/SC was
 Nestlé Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Ltd.   At the time I had not seen any
 copies of the said perfin and like Frank was of the opinion that this could
 not be so however since then I have come across a couple of copies both are
 date stamped late 1920's and I have researched a little about the company.

 The company was formed in 1905 by the merger of Nestlé's original Swiss
 company and the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk company formed in 1866 by the
 Americans Charles & George Page.  These two companies remained fierce
 competitors marketing various milk products until the merger in 1905.  By
 then Nestle had already opened factories in the United States, Britain,
 Germany and Spain and had introduced chocolate into its range of milk
 products.  Condensed milk exports increased rapidly as the company replaced
 agents with local subsidiary companies.  Soon the company began
 manufacturing in Australia which became its second largest export market.
 Warehouses were built at Singapore, Bombay and in 1912 a branch was opened
 at Hong Kong which became the headquarters for the whole of the firms
 business in South China.

 As you can now see there is some logic to the argument that this company
 could probably be the correct one, as the dates would correspond, especially
 if it was known as Nestlé Anglo-Swiss Chocolate !

 With regard to Malcolm Hammersley's idea about SC referring to shipping
 companies when used on perfins as yet we have no perfins listed that end SC
 nor have I found any shipping company that begins NA.  The probability in
 that case would be that it would be British or American as shipping
 companies of other nationalities would not use SC as the abbreviation but
 most of the British & American companies are already well known.

 Hope this is of use but obviously we are open to suggestions or verification by cover

Email from Peter Pugh 26th July
Further thoughts on Mr Hammersley's theory of SC standing for Shipping Company I think the reason that we have no shipping company's perfins listed is the fact that the main line shipping companies all used other firms as agents.  I have a complete list of the shipping companies listed in the China Year Book 1924 and I don't think one of them ends SC.
 

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