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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

FIJI 1891 onwards

Return To Catalogue - Fiji 1871-1890 - Fiji Times Express

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 issues of Fiji prior to 1891 click here.

1891 Canoe issue

  1 p black
  1 p lilac
  2 p green
  5 p blue

Exists with various perforations.

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

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

Fancy cancels:

A red 'Sunburst' cancel.

Postcards: I 've seen a 1 p lilac postcard in the above design.

1903 King Edward VII

  1/2 p green
  1 p lilac and black on red
  1 p red
  2 p lilac and orange
  2 1/2 p lilac and blue on blue
  2 1/2 p blue
  3 p lilac and violet
  4 p lilac and black
  5 p lilac and green
  6 p lilac and red
  6 p lilac
  1 Sh green and red
  1 Sh black on green
  5 Sh green and black
  5 Sh green and red on yellow
  1 Pound grey and blue
  1 Pound lilac and black on red

All these stamps have perforation 14.

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

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

Cancels:

"CICIA" straight line cancel. I've seen other straight lines cancels on this and the next issues, examples "DAVUTU", "ELLINGTON", "LAKEBA", "LAUTOKA", "LODONI", "LOMA LOMA", "NADARIVATU", "NAILAGA", "NAVOLA", "RABI", "RAKI RAKI", "SOMO SOMO", "VUNA". They correspond to the individual islands(?).

Fiscal stamps:

Some fiscal stamps exist with a large 'R' overprint and a bar through the word 'POSTAGE' on the left side of the stamp (similar to the ones shown after the 1912 issue).

Forgeries:

On the website http://www.pisc.org.uk/fijiforgeries.html, a forgery of the 1 Pound grey and blue can be seen on genuine watermarked paper. However, in this forgery, the value is in blue on a white background, while in the genuine stamps, it should be white on a blue striped background.

This looks like a forged stamp with the value inscription erased and replaced by 5 Sh.

A very primitive forgery of the 1 Pound stamp.

1912 King George V

  1/4 p brown
  1/2 p green
  1 p red
  1 p lilac
  1 1/2 p red
  2 p grey
  2 1/2 p blue
  3 p lilac on yellow
  3 p blue
  4 p black and red on yellow
  5 p lilac and olive
  6 p lilac and violet
  1 Sh grey and black on green
  2 Sh violet and blue on blue
  2 Sh 6 p black and red on blue
  5 Sh green and red on yellow
  1 Pound violet 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

Surcharged 'WAR STAMP'

  1/2 p green
  1 p red

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

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

The 1/2 p war stamp was to be used for inter island letters and the 1 p for overseas letters. I've seen an inverted 'WAR STAMP' overprint on the 1 p value:

The 1 p War Stamp also seems to exist printed together with a normal 1 p stamp (RRR).

Postage stamps overprinted with bar over 'POSTAGE' and 'R' to be used as revenue stamps, example:

I have also seen the 1 Sh stamp with the same overprint, more values exist.

The cancel "SUVA PACINSCO" (no date) is a fiscal cancel used by the Pacific Insurance Company and is sometimes found on these stamps (source: http://www.pisc.org.uk/fijiforgeries.html).

"PACINSCO SUVA" fiscal cancel. It looks like "SUVA" was barred out on the first two stamps?

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

A 1 1/2 p red and blue, 2 p grey and blue, 3 p blue and brown and 1 Sh 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 1 p lilac, 2 p grey and 3 p blue were issued (design identical to that of many other British colonies).

1938 King George VI, various designs

The two varieties of the 1 1/2 p red

1/2 p green (local boat), 1 p blue and brown (local huts), 1 1/2 p red (local boat; two varieties exist; with and without man in the boat), 2 p green and brown (map), 2 p red and green (government buildings), 2 1/2 p green and brown (design as 2 p; two varieties exist; with and without '180' in the right lower corner), 3 p blue (local boat), 5 p red and blue (sugar cane field?), 5 p red and green (sugar cane field?), 6 p black (design as 2 p), 8 p red (arms), 1 Sh black and yellow (man fishing), 1 Sh 5 p red and black (design as 8 p), 1 Sh 6 p blue (design as 8 p), 2 Sh violet and orange (view of see and islands), 2 Sh 6 p brown and green (river scene), 5 Sh violet and green (local hut), 10 Sh green and orange (papaya tree), 1 Pound lilac and bue (man blowing horn, local policeman?).

Surcharged '2 1/2 d.' and bar on 2 p green and brown.

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

  2 1/2 p green
  3 p 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

  2 1/2 p green (smaller size)
  5 Sh violet

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

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

  2 p lilac
  3 p blue
  8 p red
  1 Sh 6 p blue

1951 Health issue, with portrait of King George VI, various designs

1 p + 2 p green, 1 p + 1 p brown.

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

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

  2 1/2 p green and black 

1953 Royal visit 1953 Queen Elizabeth II, with arms

8 p red (stamp identical to 1938 design, but with portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and inscription 'ROYAL VISIT 1953'); this stamp was re-issued without this inscription in the permanent set of 1953 (see there).

1953 Queen Elizabeth II, various designs similar to 1938 issue, large sized stamps

  1/2 p green (local boat)
  2 p red and green (government buildings)
  3 p lilac and brown (loading copra)
  6 p black (map)
  6 p black and red (Fijian beating lali)
  8 p red (arms)
  10 p red and brown (Yaqona ceremony)
  1 Sh black and yellow
  1 Sh blue (map)
  1 Sh 6 p green and blue (sugar cain train)
  2 Sh red and black (bananas for export)
  2 Sh 6 p brown and green (river view)
  2 Sh 6 p lilca and black (airport)
  5 Sh blue and yellow (gold industry)
  10 Sh green and orange (papaya tree)
  10 Sh brown and green (sugar cane field)
  1 Pound lilac and bue (man blowing horn)
  1 Pound orange and black (arms)

Overprinted 'ROYAL VISIT 1963': 1 Sh blue.

1954 Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, small size

1/2 p green, 1 p blue, 1 1/2 p brown, 2 p red, 2 1/2 p brown, 2 1/2 p blue.

In 1959 the design was slightly changed by adding turtles or shells at both sides of 'FIJI': 1 p blue, 1 1/2 p brown.

1954 Health issue, Queen Elizabeth II with various desings

1 1/2 p + 1/2 p green and brown (river scene), 2 1/2 p + 1/2 p black and orange (Fiji war memorial anti- tuberculosis campaign).

1959 Queen Elizabeth with various designs, multicoloured

8 p (flower), 9 p (hibiscus), 1 Sh 6 p (180 meridian international dateline), 2 Sh (white orchid), 4 Sh (parrot bird), 5 Sh (orange dove).

1962 Queen Elizabeth II in uniform

3 p multicoloured.

1963 Opening of Compac cable

1 Sh grey

1963 First South Pacific Games

1 p, 3 p, 9 p, 2 Sh 6 p.

1963 Red Cross issue

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

  2 p black and red
  2 Sh blue and red

1963 Freedom from hunger

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

  2 Sh blue

1964 Scouts issue

3 p, 1 Sh.

1965 International Collaboration Year

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

  2 p blue and brown
  2 Sh 6 p violet and green

1966 Winston Churchill (design similar to many British colonies)

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

  3 p blue, black, gold and red
  9 p green, black, gold and red
  1 Sh brown, black, gold and red 
  2 Sh 6 p violet, black, gold and red

1966 World Cup Championship England 1966

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

  2 p lilac, violet, orange and green
  2 Sh lilac, grey, orange and blue

Postage due stamps

1917 Inscription 'POSTAGE DUE FIJI'

  1/2 p black (2 types, '1/2' different)
  1 p black
  2 p black
  3 p black
  4 p black

These stamps have perforation 11, they were printed locally on thick paper.

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

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

1918 Inscription 'FIJI POSTAGE DUE', value in circle

  1/2 p black
  1 p black
  2 p black
  3 p black
  4 p black

These stamps have perforation 14 and watermark 'Multiple CA Crown'.

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

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

In 1940 postage due stamps in a similar design were issued in the colour green: 1 p, 2 p, 3 p, 4 p, 5 p, 6 p and brown: 1 Sh, 1 Sh 6 p.

Unlisted stamps

Inscription 'By Authority GOVERNMENT FRANK PRINT. OFFICE Fiji.', used for official wrappers?:

(Reduced size)

Fiscal Stamps

Besides the 'D' overprints on the 1871 issue (see there) and the 'R' overprints on the stamps with King Eward VIII and King George V, some special fiscal stamps exist. They have the inscription 'FIJI STAMP DUTY' and the face of Queen Victoria. The following values seem to exist: 1 p, 3 p, 6 p, 1 Sh, 2 Sh, 3 Sh, 4 Sh, 5 Sh, 10 Sh and 1 Pound, all in the colours brown and black. Example:

(Fiji Stamp Duty)

The values 1 p and 3 p seems to have been used for postal purposes in 1884.

Parcel Stamps

I've been told that the next labels with inscription "G.P.H. No" and value are parcel stamps of Fiji. I have no further information. If anybody posesses information, please contact me!

Stamps - Timbres-Poste - Briefmarken

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer