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CAMEROONS (Kamerun)

Cameroun

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Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the cd's;
contact me if you want to purchase them: .

Stamps of Germany used in Cameroons

Stamps of Germany, used in Cameroons:

These stamps are called 'forerunner' or 'Vorlaufer' in German.

German colony

1897 Stamps of Germany surcharged 'Kamerun'

On numeral issue:

  3 p brown
  5 p green

Different design, eagle

  10 p red
  20 p blue
  25 p orange
  50 p brown

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

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

These stamps exist cancelled to order, if I'm well informed these cancels should be with the dates '29 10 01' and '23 10 01'.

Forgeries:

(Fournier forgeries)

The forger Fournier has made forgeries of these stamps (both stamps and overprints are forged), for more information click here. He has used the cancel 'KAMERUN 3 2 98 *' on his cancelled forgeries (see image above).

1900 German colony type (ship)

Small size

(Reduced size)

  3 p brown
  5 p green
  10 p red
  20 p blue
  25 p orange and black
  30 p orange and black
  40 p red and black
  50 p violet and black
  80 p red and black on red

Large size

  1 M red
  2 M blue
  3 M violet
  5 M black and red

The small stamps have perforation 14 x 14 1/4, the Mark values 14 1/4.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
No Watermark (1900)
3 p	c	c
5 p	*	*
10 p	**	*
20 p	*	*
25 p	c	**
30 p	c	*
40 p	c	*
50 p	c	***
80 p	*	*
1 M	***	***
2 M	**	***
3 M	**	R
5 M	R	R
With watermark 'Lozenges' (1905)
3 p	c	-
5 p	c	c
10 p	c	c
20 p	c	***
1 M	*	-
5 M	***	RR

The values 3 p and 1 M with watermark 'Lozenges' were only available for sale in Berlin. They were never used in Cameroons.

Forgeries:

(Fournier forgery)

The forger Fournier has made forgeries of the pfennig stamps, for more information click here.

I have seen so-called Hialeah forgeries of the 20 c value, the 1 M imperforate, 3 M and 5 M imperforate value. The cancelled forgeries are all badly perforated and badly executed. They seem to have been made with a computer scanner and printer and are offered in great quantities on Ebay (2003-2004). I have also seen some vertically bisected 20 c values on a piece of an envelope with a 'LONGJI 17 5 11' cancel and besides it a black seal with text 'KAISERLICHE DEUTSCHE POST LONGJI KAMERUN'.

(Some Hialeah forgeries, reduced sizes)

Bogus issue, a 10 p stamp of Germany, overprinted with 'KAMERUN' and 'PIASTER', such a stamp was never issued:

French and British occupation

1915 British occupation, stamps of German Cameroons overprinted 'C.E.F' (Cameroon Expeditionary Force) and value

(Reduced size)

  '1/2 d.' (blue) on 3 p brown
  '1/2 d.' on 5 p green
  '1 d.' (blue or black) on 10 p red
  '2 d.' on 20 p blue
  '2 1/2 d.' on 25 p orange and black on yellow
  '3 d.' on 30 p orange and black 
  '4 d.' on 40 p red and black
  '6 d.' on 50 p violet and black 
  '8 d.' on 80 p red and black on red
  '1 Sh.' on 1 M red
  '2 Sh.' on 2 M blue
  '3 Sh.' on 3 M violet
  '5 Sh.' on 5 M black and red

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

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

It seems that in the British occupation zone, the stamps of Lagos and Nigeria (also North and South Nigeria) were also valid for postage.

1915 French occupation, stamps of Gabon overprinted 'Corps Expeditionaire Franco-Anglais CAMEROUN'

  1 c red and brown
  2 c brown and black
  4 c blue and violet
  5 c green and brown
  10 c red 
  20 c violet and brown
  25 c blue and brown
  30 c black and red
  35 c violet and green
  40 c brown and blue
  45 c red and violet
  50 c blue and black
  75 c red and brown
  1 F olive and brown
  2 F red and brown

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

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

Many forged overprints exist! I've been told that the next stamp has a forged overprint:

(The basic stamp is different from the above stamps, pretending to be a major error)

1916 French occupation, stamps of Middle Congo and French Congo overprinted 'Occupation Francaise du Cameroun'

(Reduced sizes)

  1 c olive and brown
  2 c violet and brown
  4 c blue and brown
  5 c green and blue
  15 c violet and yellow
  20 c green and orange
  30 c orange and yellow
  35 c brown and blue
  40 c brown and green
  45 c violet and red
  50 c violet and lilac
  75 c red and yellow
  1 F grey and olive
  2 F red and brown

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

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

Attention: forged overprints exist, example:

1916 Stamps of Middle Congo overprinted 'CAMEROUN Occupation Francaise'

  1 c olive and brown
  2 c violet and brown
  4 c blue and brown
  5 c green and blue
  10 c red and blue
  15 c lilac and red
  20 c brown and blue
  25 c blue and green
  30 c red and green
  35 c brown and blue
  40 c green and brown
  45 c violet and red
  50 c green and red
  75 c brown and blue
  1 F green and violet
  2 F violet and green
  5 F blue and red

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

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

French colony

1921 Stamps of Middle Congo overprinted 'CAMEROUN', colours changed

  1 c olive and orange
  2 c brown and red
  4 c grey and green
  5 c red and orange
  10 c green
  15 c blue and orange
  20 c brown and olive
  25 c black and yellow
  30 c red
  35 c grey and blue
  40 c green and orange
  45 c brown and red
  50 c blue
  75 c red and green
  1 F black and orange
  2 F green and red
  5 F red and grey

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

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

Surcharged

  '25 c' and bars on 15 c blue and orange
  '25 c' and bars on 2 F green and red
  '25 c' and bars on 5 F red and grey
  '65 65' and bars on 45 c brown and red
  '85 85' and bars on 75 c brown and green

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

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

In 1925 a new permanent serie was issued in Cameroons, it consists of 20 stamps in three different designs. Many more additional values and overprints were issued in the years after. Also in 1925 postage due stamps (CHIFFRE-TAXE) were issued (13 values)

Literature

Volume 3 of the series German Colonies: Kamerun, Togo, by Hans-Henning Gerlach and Andreas Birken, published by Philathek-Verlag, Germany (2000), hard cover, 91 pages: 34 full page color maps including the ship routes, 24 pages History and Postal History, with priced catalogue of all Cameroon and Togo cancels. (I haven't seen this book myself)

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer

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