Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

CYPRUS 1880-1902

Chypre - Zypern

Return To Catalogue - Cyprus 1903-1920 and miscellaneous

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contact me if you want to purchase it.

1880 Stamps of Great Britain surcharged "CYPRUS"

1 p red

  1/2 p red
  1 p red
  2 1/2 p lilac
  4 p green
  6 p black
  1 Sh green

Surcharged

30 p on 1 p red 'HALF PENNY' on 1 p red

Larger overprint
(Reduced size)

  'HALF-PENNY' on 1 p red
  '30 PARAS' on 1 p red

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
1/2 p	R	R	Smaller overprint than the other values
1 p	**	***	Double overprint: RRR
2 1/2 p	*	**
4 p	***	R
6 p	RR	RR
1 Sh	RR	RR
Surcharged
1/2 p on 1 p	***	***	Cheapest type (see below)
30 pa on 1 p	RR	RR

For the specialist: the 'HALF-PENNY' on 1 p red exists in 3 types, 1): the overprint is 18x3 mm, 2): the overprint is 16 1/2x3 mm and finally 3): the overprint measures 13 1/2x2 mm.

These overprints have only been applied to stamps with a restricted number of plate numbers. Any overprints on other plate numbers than stated here, are forgeries.

The 1/2 p red has the plate numbers 12, 15 or 19.
The 1 p red has 174, 181, 184, 196, 201, 205, 208, 215, 216, 217, 218 or 220.
Plate numbers in the 1/2 p and 1 p are often difficult to distinguish!

The 2 1/2 p has the numbers 14 or 15.
The 4 p only has the plate number 16.
The 6 p also has the plate number 16.
Finally the 1 Sh was only issued with plate number 13.
The overprint 'HALF-PENNY' on 1 p was issued with the following plate numbers: 174, 181, 201, 205, 208, 215, 216, 217, 128 and 220.
The '30 PARAS' on 1 p has the numbers 201, 216, 217 or 220.

Plate number 15
Example of plate numbers: 14 and 15

Forgeries:

Forged Cyprus stamps; the plate number is 5 in the first stamp and 13 in the second!

Other forgeries:

Forgery!
In this stamp the letters are of the wrong type and the 'P' is too low.

Forgery!
In this stamp the word 'CYPRUS' is much too small!

Other forgeries:

(These forgeries have a completely different 'y')

Overprint with a large 'C'

Forged overprints made by the forger Fournier; image taken from a 'Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries'

The forger Oneglia made forgeries of these stamps, this might be such a forgery. I think it has a bars with "G" cancel that Oneglia often used.

Cancels:

('942': Larnaka, Cyprus)

The following number cancels were used in Cyprus: 098 (Platres), 942 (Larnaka or Larnaca), 969 (Nikosia or Nicosia), 974 (Paphos), 975 (Famagusta), 981 (Limassol), 982 (Kyrenia), D47 and D48. There exists also a circular cancel with ornaments in the corners to make it look like a square (see 1881 issue for some examples).

1881 Queen Victoria

'975' number cancel 4 pi olive with typical Cyprus cancel 12 pi brown

  30 pa lilac
  30 pa lilac and green
  1/2 pi green
  1/2 pi green and red
  1 pi red
  1 pi red and blue
  2 pi blue
  2 pi blue and lilac
  4 pi green
  4 pi green and lilac
  6 pi grey
  6 pi brown and green
  9 pi brown and red
  12 pi brown
  12 pi brown and black
  18 pi grey and brown
  45 pi lilac and blue

These stamps have 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
Watermark 'CC crown' (1881)
1/2 pi green	***	***
1 pi red	RR	R
2 pi blue	RR	***
4 pi green	RR	RR
6 pi grey	RR	RR
Watermark 'CA crown' (1883)
30 pa lilac	***	***
30 pa lilac and green	*	*
1/2 pi green	*	*
1/2 pi green and red	*	*
1 pi red	***	*
1 pi red and blue	*	*
2 pi blue	**	*
2 pi blue and lilac	**	*
4 pi green	***	***
4 pi green and lilac	***	***
6 pi grey	***	***
6 pi	***	***
9 pi brown and green	***	***
12 pi brown	RR	RR
12 pi brown and black	***	***
18 pi	R	R
45 pi	RR	RR

Surcharged

'1/2 1/2' on 1/2 p green, close variety '1/2 1/2' on 1/2 p green, '1/2's further apart

  '1/2 1/2' on 1/2 pi green
  '30 PARAS' on 1 pi red

For the specialist: Two varieties of the '1/2 1/2' on 1/2 p green exist, the first one has the '1/2' quite close to each other, in the second variety the two '1/2's are further apart (see pictures above).

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
1/2 pi on 1/2 pi	R	***	Watermark 'CA Crown' or 'CC Crown' (R) both types exist on both watermarks
30 pa on 1 pi	RR	R	Watermark 'CC Crown'

Postal stationary

Postal stationary in this design exists in the 10 pa red, 1/2 Pi green, 1 Pi brown, 1 Pi red and 1 1/2 Pi brown values.

Forgeries

The next forgery of the 1/2 Pi blue can be found in 'Fourniers Album of Philatelic Forgeries'. I don't think Fournier actually sold this forgery, but merely used it to illustrate his pricelists etc. The perforation is printed. When the album was made, 'reprints' were made of all the plates that were found, including this one:

Fournier 'forgery'

Forged overprints made by the forger Fournier; image taken from a 'Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries'

A very primitive forgery of the 1/2 Pi green value.

Forged overprints exist, example:

The forger Sperati made forgeries of the 45 Pi value.

Sperati forgery, image obtained from a Stanley Gibbons auction. The cancel is probably genuine.

Left genuine, right probably forgery of the 45 Pi. Note the different shape of the first 'S' of PIASTRES', the slightly dull printing and the irregular diamond shaped ornaments left and right. This forgery was offered as genuine on a prestigous Internert auction in 2010.

Cancels

Examples:

'975' number cancel
"D47", "969", "975" and "981" (Pahphos) cancels

square "LIMASSOL", "NIKOSIA" and "RIZOKARPASO" cancels

Circular cancels "FAMAGUSTA" and "TROODOS"

"RURAL SERVICE" cancel with "V.R." and townname in the middle; here "LIONARISSO" and "ORMIDRIA".

Larnaca parcel cancel.

For stamps of Cyprus issued from 1903 to 1920 and miscellaneous, click here.