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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

NYASALAND (Malawi) 1891-1897

Nyasaland protectorate (British Central Africa)

Return To Catalogue - British Central Africa 1898-1920 and miscellaneous

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.

1891 Stamps of Rhodesia overprinted "B.C.A."

  1 p black
  2 p green and red
  4 p brown and black
  6 p blue
  8 p red and blue
  1 Sh brown
  2 Sh red
  2 Sh 6 p lilac
  3 Sh brown and green
  4 Sh grey and red
  5 Sh yellow
  10 Sh green
  1 Pound blue
  2 Pounds red
  5 Pounds green
  10 Pounds brown

Surcharged

  "ONE PENNY" and bar on 2 p green and red
  "THREE SHILLINGS" on 4 Sh grey and red
  "FOUR SHILLINGS" on 5 Sh yellow

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

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

Cancels:

I know at least the following numeral cancels exist:
"851" Tshiromo
"852" Port Herald
"854" Blantyre
"855" Fort Johnston
"858" Karonga
"859" Fort Rosebery
"860" Tanganyika/Abercorn
"861" Fort Lister
"863" Zomba
"864" Tshinde
"871" Abercorn
"872" Deep Bay
"874" Bandawe

Numeral cancels "854" and "859"

Forgeries:

In the Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries a forged "B.C.A." overprint and a forged cancel "BRITISH * CENTRAL * AFRICA * WESTSHIRE" can be found. The forged cancel often has the central part badly visible.

Most likely a Oneglia forgeries. Similar unoverprinted forgeries exist as well. Note that the overprint reads "SCHILLINGS" (with "C") instead of "SHILLINGS"

Primitive forgery of the 1 Pound value. The other values are likely to exist as well (since they exist without the 'B.C.A.' overprint).

1895 Inscription "BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA", central part black on coloured background

  1 p black
  2 p green and black
  4 p orange and black
  6 p blue and black
  1 Sh red and black

Larger size

  2 Sh 6 p lilac and black
  3 Sh yellow and black
  5 Sh olive and black
  1 Pound yellow and black
  1 Pound blue and black
  10 Pounds orange and black
  25 Pounds green and black

These stamps have perforation 14.

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

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

Forgeries exist of these stamps, example:

Forgery of the 5 Sh and 10 Pounds values.

(A photolithographed forgery, made in 1920)

According to Robson Lowe in the Philatelist 1972, these forgeries are photo-lithographed. Due to this the horizontal lines in the central portion of the design are not as sharp as in the originals. The 2 Sh 6 p, the 5 Sh, the 1 Pounds and the 10 Pounds were forged.

1897 Inscription "BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA", new type arms on white background

  1 p blue and black
  1 p red and lilac (1901)
  2 p yellow and black
  4 p red and black
  4 p green and lilac (1901)
  6 p green and black
  6 p brown and lilac (1901)
  1 Sh lilac and black

Larger size

  2 Sh 6 p blue and black
  3 Sh green and black
  4 Sh red and black
  10 Sh green and black
  1 Pound lilac and black
  10 Pounds yellow and black

Surcharged

  "ONE PENNY" (red) on 3 Sh green and black (1898)

These stamps have perforation 14.

Erroneous surcharge "ONE PNNEY"

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

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

The 1 p on 3 Sh became necessary, since a shipment of 1 p stamps got lost and the postmaster ran out of 1 p stamps.

These stamps with overprint "CONSULAR" are fiscal stamps, example:

Red "CONSULAR" overprint on a 2 Sh 6 p blue and black stamp, reduced size

For stamps of British Central Africa (Nyasaland) issued after 1897, click here.

Fiscal Stamps

1891 Inscription "REVENUE BCA"

(1 Sh on 1 Pound, reduced size)

These revenue stamps were issued in 1891. The values 2 Sh 6 p lilac and red, 4 Sh black and red, 10 Sh green and red, 1 Pound blue and red, 10 Pounds orange and red, 25 Pounds blue and 50 Pounds green exist. Furthermore the surcharges 1 Sh on 10 Sh green and red, 1 Sh on 1 Pound blue and red (above picture), 6 Sh on 1 Pound blue and red and 6 Sh on 10 Pounds orange and red.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer