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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

CYPRUS 1903-1920 and Miscellaneous

Chypre - Zypern

Return To Catalogue - Cyprus 1880-1902

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

For stamps of Cyprus issued before 1902, click here.

1903 King Edward

  5 pa yellow and black
  10 pa orange and green
  30 pa violet and green
  1/2 pi green and red
  1 pi red and blue
  2 pi blue and lilac
  4 pi green and lilac
  6 pi brown and green
  9 pi brown and red
  12 pi brown and black
  18 pi black and brown
  45 pi lilac and blue

These stamps have perforation 14.

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

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

The forger Sperati is known to have made forgeries of the 9 Pi, 18 Pi (5 reproductions) and 45 Pi stamps.

Sperati forgeries of the 9 Pi value.

Sperati forgeries of the 18 Pi and the 45 Pi stamps.

Sperati forgeries of the 45 Pi values, images obtained from a Stanley Gibbons auction

1912 King George

  10 pa orange and green
  10 pa grey and yellow
  30 pa violet and green
  30 pa green
  1/2 pi green and red
  1 pi red and blue
  1 pi violet and red
  1 1/2 pi orange and black
  2 pi blue and lilac
  2 pi red and blue
  2 3/4 pi blue and lilac
  4 pi green and lilac
  6 pi brown and green
  9 pi brown and red
  12 pi brown and black
  18 pi black and brown
  45 pi lilac and blue
  10 Sh green and red on yellow
  1 Pound lilac and black on red

These stamps have perforation 14.

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

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

Numeral '6' railway cancel?

1924 King George in a shield

  1/4 pi grey and brown
  1/2 pi black
  1/2 pi green
  3/4 pi green and red
  3/4 pi black
  1 pi lilac and brown
  1 1/2 pi orange and black
  1 1/2 pi red
  2 pi red and green
  2 pi orange and black
  2 1/2 pi blue
  2 3/4 pi blue and lilac
  4 pi green and lilac
  4 1/2 pi black and orange on green
  6 pi brown and green
  9 pi brown and lilac
  12 pi brown and black
  18 pi black and orange
  45 pi lilac and blue
  90 pi green and red on yellow
  1 Pound lilac and black on red
  5 Pounds black on yellow

The 5 pounds black on yellow was merely used for fiscal purposes. All the above stamps have watermark 'Multiple Script CA Crown' (except 1 pound, which has watermark 'Multiple CA Crown'. All stamps have perforation 14.

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

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

I have seen a block of eight forged 5 Pounds stamps (with cancel), they were very badly perforated (the horizontal and vertical perforation doesn't 'match', I have no further information who made these forgeries). I've also seen an uncancelled forgery and the next block of 4 forged 5 Pounds stamps (probably made by the same forger?):

(Forgeries)

If my information is correct, this forgery was made in Italy somewhere in the 1960's. However, I posess a whole sheet of these forgeries with the inscription 'CIPRUS 18-07-2000 Pagina 3' in grey on the backside top margin of this sheet (possibly indicating a Hungarian origin of these forgeries?). I've also seen these forgeries pasted on pieces of envelopes with cancel 'RURAL SERVICE V.R. POLEMI'

Forgery sheet from the back, note the inscription on the top.

1928 a new pictorial design with inscription '1878 1928'

10 values, ranging from 3/4 pi to 1 Pound:
  3/4 pi lilac (silver coin of Amathus)
  1 pi blue and black (Zeno of Kitium philosopher)
  1 1/2 pi red (map of Cyprus)
  2 1/2 pi blue
  4 pi brown (cloister Bella Paise)
  6 pi blue (badge of the colony)
  9 pi lilac (Tekke of Um Haram)
  18 pi brown and black (Coeur de Lion)
  45 Pi blue and black (St.Nicholas Famagusta)
  1 Pound olive and blue (head of King George V)

A very badly done forgery of the 1 Pound value. The design is very blur.

1934 New designs

  1/4 pi orange and blue (Vouni Palace ruins)
  1/2 pi green (King George V and Salamis)
  3/4 pi lilac and black (King George V and Peristerona church)
  1 pi brown and black (King George V and Soli theater)
  1 1/2 pi red (King George V and Kyrenia harbour)
  2 1/2 pi blue (King George V and Colossi ruins)
  4 1/2 pi red and black (Sophia church in Nicosia)
  6 pi blue and black (Bairakdar mosque)
  9 pi lilac and brown (St.Hilarion)
  18 pi olive and black
  45 pi black and green (forest scene) 

1935 Silver Jubilee of King George V, inscription '1910-1935'

For stamps in the same design, but for another British colony, click here

A 3/4 pi grey and blue, 1 1/2 pi red and black, 2 1/2 pi blue and brown and 9 pi lilac and black were issued in a design identical to many other British colonies (Windsor castle).

1937 Inscription '12th MAY 1937' portrait of King and Queen

For stamps in the same design, but for another British colony, click here

The values 3/4 pi grey, 1 1/2 pi red and 2 1/2 pi blue were issued (design identical to that of many other British colonies).

1938 King George VI with various designs

  1/4 Pi orange and blue (Vouni Palace ruins)
  1/2 pi green (Salamis)
  1/2 pi violet (Salamis, 1951)
  3/4 pi violet and black (Peristerona church)
  1 pi orange (Soli theater)
  1 1/2 pi green (Kyrenia harbour, 1951)
  1 1/2 pi violet (Kyrenia harbour)
  1 1/2 pi red (Kyrenia harbour)
  2 pi red and black (Peristerona church)
  2 1/2 pi blue (Kolossi castle)
  3 pi blue (Kolossi Castle)
  4 pi blue (Kolossi castle, 1951)
  4 1/2 pi grey (map of Cyprus)
  6 pi blue and black (Bairakdar mosque)
  9 pi lilac and black (Citadel Othello's tower Famagusta)
  18 pi olive and black (Buyuk Khan, Nicosia)
  45 pi black and green (forest scene)
  90 pi black and violet (portrait of King George VI)
  1 Pound black and red (design as 90 pi) 

1946 Victory issue, identical to sets issued in many other British colonies, inscription '8th JUNE 1946'

For stamps in a similar design, but for another British colony, click here

  1 1/2 pi violet
  3 pi blue

1949 Royal Silver wedding, identical to sets issued in many other British colonies, inscription '1923-1948', image of King and Queen

For stamps in a similar design, but for another British colony, click here

  1 1/2 pi lilac (smaller size)
  1 Pound grey

1949 UPU issue (design similar to many other British colonies)

For stamps in a similar design, but for another British colony, click here

  1 1/2 pi blue
  2 pi red
  3 pi blue
  9 pi lilac

1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth, inscription 'CORONATION JUNE 1953', design identical to many other British colonies

  1 1/2 pi green and black 

For stamps in a similar design, but for other British colonies, click here.

1955 Queen Elizabeth II definitive set, various designs

Small sized stamps
  2 m brown (carobs)
  3 m violet (grapes)
  5 m orange (oranges)
Larger sizes
  10 m green and brown (copper pyrite mine)
  15 m black and olive (Troodos forest)
  20 m blue and brown (the beach of Aphrodite)
  25 m green (ancient coin of Paphos)
  30 m red and black (Kyrenia)
  35 m blue and brown (harvest in Mesaoria)
  40 m brown and green (Famagusta harbour)
  50 m brown and blue (St.Hilarion Castle)
  100 m green and red (Hala Sultan Tekke)
  250 m brown and blue (Kanakaria church)
  500 m lilac and black (Salamis, Paphos, Citium and Idalium)
  1 Pound grey and black (design as 500 m)

The whole set exists overprinted (1960) with text: 'KYPPIAKH DHMOKPATIA KIBRIS CUMHURIYETI'.

1960 Constitution of republic (map of Cyprus)

10 m brown, 30 m blue, 100 m lilac.

1962 Europa set, doves

10 m lilac, 40 m blue, 100 m green (all same design).

1962 Malaria Eradication

10 m green, 30 m brown (same design as 10 m).

1962 Definitive set views

13 values.

1963 Europa (tree)

3 values

1963 Freedom from hunger

2 values.

1963 Boy Scouts Conference

3 values: 3 m, 20 m and 150 m.

1963 Red Cross

2 values: 10 m and 100 m (both multicoloured).

1963 Europa CEPT emblem

3 values.

1964 onwards, not implemented.

Postal Stationery

1881 Queen Victoria in an octogonal

In this design I have seen 10 pa red, 1/2 Pi green, 1 Pi brown, 1 Pi red and 1 1/2 Pi brown.

I have seen a 'REGISTRATION' cut in a different octogonal design (Queen Victoria embossed) in the value 2 Pi blue.

Post card of Great Britain, overprinted 'CYPRUS':

(Reduced size)

I have also seen a 1 1/2 p brown post card of Great Britain with the same '--- CYPRUS ---' overprint.

As Great Britain post cards with the image of Queen Victoria, but with additional 'CYPRUS' inscription

Fiscal stamps

1878 Queen Victoria

(Reduced sizes)

1 Sh on 3 p

The following values exist: 1 p lilac and black, 2 p lilac and blue, 3 p lilac and green, 6 p lilac and green, 8 p lilac and red, 1 Sh green and black, 2 Sh green and blue, 2 Sh 6 p green and brown, 5 Sh green and lilac and 10 Sh green and red. Some provisional surcharges were made in 1883: 1 pi on 2 p, 4 1/2 pi on 1 p and 1 Sh on 3 p and in 1898 these stamps were surcharged in brown: 1 Sh on 1 Sh, 2 Sh on 2 Sh 2, Sh 6 p on 2 Sh 6 p, 5 Sh on 5 Sh and 10 Sh on 10 Sh.

1898 New design, inscriptions in greek and arabic below.

With Queen Victoria (1898): 1 pi lilac, 2 pi lilac, 4 1/2 pi lilac.

Similar designs with King Edward and King George exist.

Revenue stamp with overprint 'POSTAL SURCHARGE'.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer