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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

MALTA 1860-1902

Return To Catalogue - 1903-1920 issues - Later issues and miscellaneous - Stamps of Great Britain used in Malta and cancels on the first issues of Malta

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.

Stamps of Great Britain, used in Malta and cancels, click here.

1860 Queen Victoria, Various frames

  1/2 p brown
  1/2 p orange
  1/2 p green
  1 p red
  2 p grey
  2 1/2 p blue
  4 p brown
  1 Sh violet

Larger size

  5 Sh red

Surcharged

  'One Penny' on 2 1/2 p blue
  

An erroneous overprint exists: 'One Pnney' (right hand side)

For the specialist, the 1/2 p brown have been issued on non-watermarked paper and on paper with watermark 'Crown CC', the 1/2 p orange has been issued on watermarked paper; 'Crown CC' and 'Crown CA'. The 5 Sh is issued only on 'Crown CC' watermarked paper. All the other values have been issued on watermarked paper 'Crown CA'.

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

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

There were several printings and colours of the 1/2 p brown, specialists distinguish:
1) pale-buff on bluish paper (01-Dec-1860, no wmk, line perf. 14),
2) brown orange (Sept-1861, no wmk, line perf. 14)
3) buff (1863, no wmk, line perf. 14)
4) pale-buff (1863, no wmk, line perf. 14 )
5) buff (June-1863, wmk 'CC Crown', line perf. 14)
6) bright-orange (Nov-1864, wmk 'CC Crown', line perf. 14)
7) brown red (1867, wmk 'CC Crown', line perf. 14)
8) buff-brown (1868, wmk 'CC Crown', rough perf. 12.5)
9) dull-orange (Apr-1870, wmk 'CC Crown', perf. 14)
10) orange-buff (May-1872, wmk 'CC Crown', perf. 14)
11) yellow green (1872, wmk 'CC Crown', perf. 12.5)
12) golden-yellow (Oct-1874, wmk 'CC Crown', comb perf. 14)
13) yellow-buff (Sept-1875, wmk 'CC Crown', comb perf. 14)
14) pale-buff (March-1878, wmk 'CC Crown', comb perf. 14)
15) bright-orange-yellow (1880, wmk 'CC Crown', comb perf. 14)
16) yellow (Apr-1881, wmk 'CC Crown', comb perf. 14)
17) yellow-buff (July-1878, wmk 'CC Crown', line perf. 14x12.5)
18) yellow (1-Feb-1879, wmk 'CC Crown', line perf. 14x12.5)
19) orange-yellow (1882, wmk 'CA Crown', comb perf. 14)
20) red-orange (1884, wmk 'CA Crown', comb perf. 14)
Information obtained thanks to Emmanuel Cesare.

A typical cancel for this country is "A25".

Duplex cancel "MALTA" and "A25"

Towncancel "VICTORIA GOZO" (=Rabat, the capital of Gozo, the second largest island of Malta) and a "VALETTA MALTA" cancel

These stamps with overprint 'REVENUE' or 'Revenue' were used as fiscal stamps. I've personally seen with 'REVENUE' the values 1/2 p green, 1 p and 1 Sh. The values 2 p, 4 p, 1 Sh and 5 Sh should also exist. I have also seen the following surcharged stamps (also with 'REVENUE'): '3d' on 1 Sh violet and '6d' on 1 Sh olive (colour changed!), a black bar is placed on the old value.
With 'Revenue' overprint I have seen the values 1/2 p and 1 p, the values 4 p, 1 Sh and 5 Sh should also exist.

Forgeries, example:

Two different primitive forgeries of the 5 Sh stamp. Both have too small pearls in the borders, a printed perforation which was later cut out. The face of the Queen is very primitive.

Another primitive forgery of the 5 Sh stamp.

A forgery of the 1/2 p yellow with 'crown CC' watermark (impressed since it can be seen from the front). This is most likely an Oneglia 'product':

Another engraved forgery, but with normal perforation, made by the same forger? This forgery is otherwise very well done, there is a smudged area below the chignon though.

The perforation on the first stamp also seems 'strange' to me. I've also seen this forgery imperforate with very large margins. Also an unfinished imperforate forgery. The next forgery of Lagos seems to have been made by the same forger (it also has the impressed watermark):

The misprint 'One Pnney' has been known to be forged (information obtained thanks to Emmanuel Cesare). some forged overprints are easy to distinguish since they are used before 4th July 1902 (the date of issue of this stamp).

I know that Sperati also made a forgery of the 1/2 p yellow stamp (on bluish paper). A picture can be found on: http://www.seymourfamily.com/rfrajola/Sperati/speratiindex.htm. If somebody knows the distinghuishing characteristics for this forgery, please contact me! Sperati also made a forgery of the 5 Sh stamp (only two known to exist? Both are unused).

Sperati forgery of the 5 Sh stamp, image found at http://www.linns.com/howto/refresher/fakes_20050808/refreshercourse.aspx, I do not know the distinguishing characteristics.

1899-1900 Various designs

('Postage Revenue', image obtained thanks to Emmanuel Cesare)

  1 f brown (harbor at La Valetta)
  4 p black (harbor at La Valetta)
  4 1/2 p brown (sailship)
  4 1/2 p orange (sailship)
  5 p red (sailship)
  5 p green (sailship)
  2 Sh 6 p olive (Brittania)
  10 Sh black (shipwreck of st.Paul)
  10 Sh black (inscription 'postage revenue', 1919)

Overprinted 'SELF-GOVERNMENT' (1921)

  2 Sh 6 p olive
  10 Sh black (overprint red)
  10 Sh black (inscription 'postage revenue', overprint red)

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

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

The 2 Sh 6 p and the 10 Sh ('Postage') exists with overprint 'REVENUE' to serve as fiscal stamps. Furthermore the following surcharge and overprint 'REVENUE' was applied to 2 Sh on 2 Sh 6 p orange (colour changed).

The higher values with a punched round hole are used for telegraphic purposes.

The 1/4 p stamp ('one farthing') was re-issued in 1938 with the emblem of King George Vi in the upper right hand corner and inscription 'GRAND HARBOUR' added in the upper left part:

1938 1/4 p re-issue

Forgeries, example:

For stamps of Malta issued from 1903 onwards, click here.

I would like to thank Emmanuel Cesare here for sharing much of his information and pictures of Malta with me! Check out his website with much more information concerning the stamps of Malta: http://cesare392.tripod.com.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer