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OBOCK

(French Colony in Africa)

Return To Catalogue - French Somali Coast and Djibouti

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

1892 Stamps of the French colonies, overprinted in two types, type I: 'OBOCK' curved, type II: 'OBOCK' straight

  1 c black (I)
  2 c brown (I)
  4 c brown (I)
     (type II)
  5 c green (I)
     (type II)
  10 c black (I)
     (typeII)
  15 c blue (I)
     (type II)
  20 c red on green (II)
  25 c black (I)
     (type II)
  35 c black on yellow (I)
  40 c red (I)
     (type II)
  75 c red (I)
     (type II)
  1 Fr green (I)
     (type II)

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

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

Surcharged in type II with additional value

  '1' (red) on 25 c black
  '2' (red) on 10 c black
  '2' (red) on 15 c blue
  '4' on 15 c blue
  '4' on 25 c black
  '5' (red) on 25 c black
  '20' (red) on 10 c black
  '30' (red) on 10 c black
  '35' (red) on 25 c black
  '75' (red) on 1 Fr green
  '5 Fr' (violet) on 1 Fr green

Many of the surcharges exist with inverted numbers.

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' on 25 c	***	***
'2' on 10 c	RR	RR
'2' on 15 c	R	R
'4' on 15 c	***	***
'4' on 25 c	***	***	Black or red overprint
'20' on 10 c	RR	RR
'30' on 10 c	RR	RR
'35' on 25 c	RR	RR
'75' on 1 F	RR	RR
'5 F' on 1 F	RRR	RRR

Reprints:

(Reprints?)

I've been told that the above stamps are reprints, made at the demand of a Paris dealer. I have no further information.

Forgeries exist, examples of Fournier forgeries:

For more information on these forgeries click here or http://members.tripod.com/claghorn1p/Obock/Obock08.htm.

The second stamp bears the cancel 'OBOCK 26 SEPT 92 COLONIE-FRANCse', the first one probably 'OBOCK 27 MARS 92 COLONIE FRANCse' as they can be found in the Fournier Album of Philatelic forgeries. It should be noted that in most cases the cancels are not completely visible in Fourniers forgeries. The perforation is in most cases a giveaway (the corner perforation should not be irregular as in Fourniers products).

Fournier also forged the curved overprint:

(Picture obtained from Bill Claghorn's forgery site: http://members.tripod.com/claghorn1p/Obock/index.htm)

(Forgery, reduced size)

1893 French colonies Tablet type, inscription 'OBOCK' coloured

  1 c black
  2 c brown on yellowish
  4 c brown
  5 c green
  10 c black
  15 c blue
  20 c red on yellow
  25 c black
  30 c brown
  40 c orange
  50 c red
  75 c lilac
  1 F green

These stamps have perforation 14 x 13 1/2. For stamps in the same Tablet design, but for other French colonies, click here.

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 c	**	*
2 c	**	**
4 c	*	*
5 c	**	**
10 c	***	***
15 c	***	***	With lined background pattern
20 c	R	R
25 c	R	R
30 c	R	R
40 c	***	***
50 c	***	***
75 c	R	R	Seems to exist with double 'OBOCK' and inverted 'OBOCK': RR
1 F	R	R

I've seen a postcard 'CARTE POSTALE' in the value 10 c black ('OBOCK' in blue) with the same design. I've also seen a 'CARTE-LETTRE' in the value 15 c blue ('OBOCK' in red).

These stamps were used overprinted in Djibouti:

(Reduced sizes)

  'DJ' on 5 c green
  'DJ' and bar on 'OBOCK' on 5 c green
  'DJIBOUTI' (blue) and '25' on 2 c brown on yellow
  'DJIBOUTI' (red) and '50' (blue) on 1 c black

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

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

Forgeries:

Fournier made forgeries of these stamps, I suspect the following stamps to be a Fournier forgery. Note that the perforation in the corners is not perfect as in the genuine stamps:

For more information on these forgeries click here.

(Forged overprints and forged cancel taken from a Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries)

Another Fournier product? 75 c with inverted country name

1893 Triangular stamps with a camel, imperforated

  2 F black
  5 F red (different size) 

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

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

Overprinted 'DJIBOUTI' for use in Djibouti

  'DJIBOUTI 1', 1 F on 5 F red
  'DJIBOUTI' on 5 F red

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

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

I've been told that the next stamp is a forgery (I'm not sure if the above stamps is genuine by the way):

(Forgery)

1894 Large stamps, people from Obock, imperforated

  1 c black and red
  2 c brown and green
  4 c brown and orange
  5 c green and brown
  10 c black and green
  15 c blue and red
  20 c orange and brown
  25 c black and blue
  30 c brown and green
  40 c red and green
  50 c red and blue
  75 c lilac and brown
  1 F green and lilac

These stamps have a network like underprint (papier quadrillé).

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 c	*	*
2 c	**	**
4 c	**	**
5 c	***	***
10 c	***	***
15 c	***	***
20 c	***	***
25 c	***	***
30 c	RR	RR
40 c	***	***
50 c	***	***
75 c	***	***
1 F	***	***

Surcharged
  '0.05' on 75 c lilac and brown (1902)

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

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

Overprinted 'DJIBOUTI' and surcharged

(Reduced sizes)

  '5 centimes DJIBOUTI' on 30 c brown and green (1902)
  '10 CENTIMES DJIBOUTI' (red) on 25 c black and blue (1902)

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

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

Bisected stamps were used in Djibouti due to a shortage of stamps. Each half of the 10 and 20 c were used as 5 or 10 c stamps. The right hand half of the bisected 25 c was used as a 5 c stamp and in 1903 the other half could be used as a 2 c stamp. It seems that the 30 c and 50 c also exist bisected. Example:

(A bisected 10 c and 20 c stamp)

1894 Triangular stamps with camels

  2 F lilac and orange
  5 F blue and red
  10 F red and lilac
  25 F brown and blue
  50 F red and green

The sizes of these stamps are larger with increasing value.

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
2 F	RR	RR
5 F	RR	RR
10 F	RR	RR
25 F	RRR	RRR
50 F	RRR	RRR

Surcharged

  '10 CENTIMES DJIBOUTI' on 2 F violet and orange (1902)
  '10 CENTIMES DJIBOUTI' on 10 F red and lilac (1902)
  '5 CENTIMES' on 25 F brown and blue (1902)
  '10 CENTIMES' on 50 F red and green (1902)

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

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

Postage due stamps

1892 Postage due stamps of France overprinted in two types I:'Obock' in a curved label, II: 'Obock' in a straight label

  1 c black (type II)
  2 c black (type II)
  3 c black (type II)
  4 c black (type II)
  5 c black (type I and II)
  10 c black (type I and II)
  15 c black (type II)
  20 c black (type II)
  30 c black (type I and II)
  40 c black (type II)
  60 c black (type I and II)
  1 F brown (type II)
  2 F brown (type II)
  5 F brown (type II)

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

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

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer

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