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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

BRITISH HONDURAS (BELIZE) 1866-1890

Return To Catalogue - British Honduras 1891-1920

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Currency: 12 Pence = 1 Shilling ; After 1888: 100 Cents = 1 Dollar

The cancel "A06" was used in British Honduras (also on stamps of Great Britain before 1866).

1866 Queen Victoria

  1 p blue
  1 p red
  3 p brown
  4 p violet
  6 p red
  6 p yellow
  1 Sh green
  1 Sh grey

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Surcharged in "CENTS"(1888 onwards)

  '1 CENT' on 1 p green
  '2 CENTS' on 1 p red (2 types; small and fat overprint)
  '2 CENTS' on 6 p red 
  'TWO' (red) on '50 CENTS' on 1 Sh grey
  '3 CENTS' on 3 p brown (2 types; small and fat overprint)
  'FIVE' on '3 CENTS' on 3 p brown
  '6' (red) on '10 CENTS' on 4 p violet
  '6' (black) on '10 CENTS' on 4 p violet
  '6 CENTS' on 3 p blue
  '10 CENTS' on 4 p violet (2 types; small and fat overprint)
  '15' (red) on '6 CENTS' on 3 p blue
  '20 CENTS' on 6 p yellow (2 types; small and fat overprint)
  '50 CENTS' on 1 Sh grey (2 types; small and fat overprint)

These surcharges became necessary after the currency changes to 'CENTS'. The 'small' overprints were made locally, the 'fat' ones were made in London.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

The value 50 c on 1 Sh exists overprinted "REVENUE".

"REVENUE" overprint on 50 c on 1 Sh

The values 2 c on 1 p red and 2 c on 6 p red exist bisected as shown here:

I have seen many envelopes and a piece of an envelope, all adressed to Mr. W.G.Aikman in Belize. In A Postal History of Belize, by E.W.King (page 32), it is said that William George Aikman, a merchant, became friends with the Postmaster W.F.McKinney and possibly to postal clerk Carl Metzgen. He send hundreds of letters with bisects to himself and to his relatives (including errors etc.). They are still quite common today.

Typical cancels:

Bar pattern with "O" in the center.

Postal stationary in the same design; 1 1/2 p brown.

Forgeries:

The above stamps are probably Spiro forgeries, first of the cancel is a typical 'forgers' cancel (note the often occuring four-ring and the New South Wales cancel), furthermore the word "PENCE" is written much too low in the 1 p and 3 p stamps. They have no watermark. Note that the buckle is different for different values in the genuine stamps. The 1 p, 6 p and 1 Sh of the forgeries have the buckle of the genuine 1 p, the 3 p of the forgeries has no buckle at all.

In the above forgeries the left stamp has the inscription "SIX SPENCE" (with an additional "S"!) and the middle stamp has the inscription "THREE PENNY" instead of "THREE PENCE". Also note the bogus numeral cancels, like "905" numeral cancel, a giant circle with parallel lines, a "53" numeral cancel.

The same "905" bogus cancel on Sierra Leone, St.Christopher, Nevis and Western Australia. Also the "53" numeral forged cancel on stamps of Sierra Leone and St.Vincent.

Some other bogus cancels; a grill cancel and a cancel with squares.

An imperforate forgery and perforated forgery (from the same forger?) and even a non-existing 6 p green forgery, all with very large pearls on the crown:

Some other forgeries, apparently made by the same forger. Note the "V.F." cancel on some of these forgeries.

And two other forgeries with the side ornaments different, also the Queen looks very 'sour'.

Another forgery of the 1 Sh value with the side ornaments different. Note the strange "G" of "SHILLING". This looks like an Oneglia product to me. They even exist with different perforation gauges.

A forged "10 CENTS" overprint on a forged 4 p stamp (the "F" of "FOUR" is too close to the star just above it). This looks like an Oneglia product to me.

Forged inverted overprint:

.

An overprint with "TWO" in black (instead of red) on "50 CENTS" on 1 Sh grey is a bogus issue.

Sperati forgeries

Sperati made forgeries of the 6 p and 1 Sh values.

Front and backside of a cancel as used by the forger Sperati:

Front and backside of a forged "A06" cancel as used by Sperati. Sperati also forged another cancel similar to the above one, but with "O" in the center.

Sperati forgery of the 6 p value; this forgery is very deceptive.

For issues of British Honduras from 1891 to 1920 click here.

Stamps - Timbres-Poste - Briefmarken

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer