Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

CEYLON (Sri Lanka) 1868-1902

Return To Catalogue - Ceylon 1857-1867 - 1903-1920 issues - Queen Victoria surcharges - Ceylon miscellaneous

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For earlier issues of Ceylon (1857-1867), click here.

1867 Queen Victoria, smaller sizes, various frames, value in pence

1 p blue 3 p red

  1 p blue
  3 p red

These stamps have watermark 'CC crown' and perforation 14 (the 3 p also exists with perforation 12 1/2).

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
1 p	***	***
3 p	RR	RR

Forgery of the 3 p value. The second stamp might have a "408" cancel, similar to some earlier forgeries of Ceylon.

The above stamp is probably the forgery mentioned in the book 'Album Weeds'.

A very badly done imperforate forgery of the 1 p stamp (in the design of the 2 p).

1872 Queen Victoria, value in cents

2 c brown 2 c green, typical cancel 4 c grey 4 c lilac 8 c yellow 16 c violet 24 c green 32 c blue 48 c red Image thanks to Bill Claghorn.

  2 c brown
  2 c green
  4 c grey
  4 c lilac
  4 c red
  4 c yellow
  8 c yellow
  16 c violet
  24 c green (exists in lilac?)
  32 c grey
  36 c blue
  48 c red
  64 c brown
  96 c brown

Many of these stamps were surcharged, click here to see these surcharges.

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
Watermark 'CC crown' (1872), normally perforated 14
2 c brown	***	*	Perforated 14, 12 1/2 or 12 1/2 x 14 Two shades of brown were issued: brown and red-brown
4 c grey	R	*	Perforated 14, 12 1/2 or 12 1/2 x 14
4 c lilac	RR	*
8 c	R	***	Perforated 14 or 12 1/2 x 14
16 c	R	***
24 c	R	***
32 c	RR	R
36 c	RR	R
48 c	RR	***
64 c	RR	RR
96 c	RR	R
Watermark 'CA crown' (1883), normally perforated 14
2 c red brown	RR	**	Also exists in yellowish brown
2 c green	*	*	Also exist with perforation 12 1/2
4 c red	***	***
4 c lilac	**	*
4 c yellow	**	**	1899?
8 c	***	***
16 c	RRR	RR
24 c lilac	RRR	?	Non issued?

Often these stamps are heavily cancelled:

Reduced size, with normal cancel and company chop

Some small "CINNAMONGARDEN" and "MATURATA" cancels.

Forgeries, example:

Primitive forgery of the 2 c value?

First tow images obtained with permission from Forgeries idenfication site of Bill Claghorn. The 96 c forgery probably has a "408" forged cancel.

I presume the above two forgeries are the ones described in Album Weeds. Both forgeries don't have any watermark (it should be 'CC crown'). The 48 c has the face of the queen very badly drawn. The "F" of "FORTY" is placed too far to the right. In the 96 c the front pearl on the crown of the queen points to the "N" of Ceylon (it should point to the "O"). I presume they are Spiro forgeries, the 96 c has the typical 'Spiro' cancel, which can be found on many of the Spiro Brothers forgeries.

The forger Sperati made forgeries of the 4 c, 16 c and 24 c values (with the rare 'CA Crown' watermark), probably only used together with surcharged stamps.

This Sperati forgery of the 16 c has a dent in the upper frameline above the "AG" of the word "POSTAGE".

1879 Queen Victoria, larger size value in Rupees

1 R 12 c red 1 R 50 c red 2 R 25 c blue 2 R 50 c lilac on red

  1 R 12 c red
  1 R 50 c red
  2 R 25 c blue
  2 R 50 c red
  2 R 50 c lilac on red

Some of these stamps were surcharged, click here to see these surcharges.

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
Watermark 'CC crown'
1 R 12 c	R	***	1885, Perforated 14
1 R 50 c	RR	R	1899? Perforated 14
2 R 25 c	RR	RR	1899? Perforated 14
2 R 50 c red	RRR	RRR	1879, Perforated 12 1/2 or 12 1/2 x 14
Watermark 'CA crown'
2 R 50 c lilac on red	RR	RR	1899, Perforated 14

Forgeries:

Primitive forgeries. Note the red dots on the head and shoulder of the Queen on the last two stamps.

Forgery of the 2.50 R stamp in the wrong color blue and with printed perforation. This forgery was made by the forger Fournier, probably only to illustrate his pricelists and not to be sold as an actual forgery.

1886 Queen Victoria

  5 c lilac

This stamp has watermark 'CA crown' and perforation 14.

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
5 c	*	c

The stamp forger Smeets also made forgeries of the Gambia 1904 King Edward VII 2 Shilling stamp, the 1 Sh value of St.Lucia, the 5 Sh value of St.Vincent, a Leeward Island 5 Sh Victoria stamp, some Seychelles higher values and probably others. He removed the design of the above shown cheap Ceylon Queen Victoria 5 c stamp and replaced it by the desired design. In this way, the paper, watermark and perforation were correct.

1886 Queen Victoria, small head

3 c green 3 c orange-brown and green, 'SLAVE ISLAND' cancel 6 c red and black 15 c olive

  3 c green
  3 c brown and green
  6 c red and black
  12 c olive and red
  15 c blue
  15 c green
  25 c brown
  28 c grey
  30 c lilac and orange
  75 c black and brown

The 25 c exists with '25' in yellow:

Some of these stamps were surcharged, click here to see these surcharges. These stamps have watermark 'CA crown' and perforation 14.

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
3 c green	**	*
3 c brown and green	*	*
6 c	*	*
12 c	***	***
15 c blue	***	*
15 c green	**	*
25 c	***	**	Value in yellow: RR
28 c	***	**
30 c	***	**
75 c	***	***

3 c orange-brown and green, 'SLAVE ISLAND' cancel
With cancel "SLAVE ISLAND"

Stamps - Timbres Poste - Briefmarken - Postzegels