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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

NATAL (South Africa) 1857-1895

Return To Catalogue - Natal 1874 issue - Natal 1902 and miscellaneous - South Africa

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1857 Embossed stamps, crown, on coloured paper, imperforate

(Reduced sizes, The embossed stamps are very badly visible)

  3 p red paper
  6 p green paper
  9 p blue paper
  1 Sh brown paper

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

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

Reprints seem to exist.

1859 Embossed stamps on coloured paper, crown in a rectangle, imperforate

  1 p red paper
  1 p brown paper
  1 p blue paper

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

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

Similar fiscal stamp

1 p yellow paper (perforated or imperforated)

Reprints seem to exist.

(I've been told that this is a forgery)

Some primitive forgeries:

Forgeries printed with colour instead of embossing! They often appear with a "N.T." cancel. I've also seen the 1 p red in the above shown design with a numeral "A01" cancel. These forgeries were most likely were modelled after illustrations from the Moens catalogue (Les Timbres-Poste Illustres' by J.-B.Moens 1864, Plate 23)

Another pair of forgeries obtained from the Transvaal Study circle with the same "N.T." cancel. This cancel also exists on forgeries of Cook Islands.

Embossed revenue stamps.

1859 Queen Victoria

  1 p red
  3 p blue
  6 p violet

For the specialist: these stamps were first issued without watermark in 1859 (all values). The 1 p exists with watermark 'star' (issued 1862). The 1 p and 6 p were issued with watermark 'CC crown' in 1864. I have seen an imperforate stamps of the 3 p value (however, I have also seen forged imperforate stamps of the 1 p and 3 p values, made from genuine stamps, with attached new borders!).

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

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

Stamps in other colours are fiscal stamps.

(6 p red and 1 p yellow fiscal stamps)

Forgeries:

Forgeries with a very peculiar cancel. Beneath them similar forgeries from Grenada, Bahamas and Queensland.

Forgeries, the Queen has a dot on her forehead. Next to it a similar forgery from Grenada and Bahamas.

A forgery of Queensland, probably made by the same forger (note that the same type of cancel is used as on one of the 3 p forgeries shown above)

Another forgery with a "1602" cancel.

Forgeries with a slightly different facial expression, probably of Italian origin (Oneglia). In his 1906 pricelist Oneglia lists many different types of forgeries of the overprints. The pair appears to be two loose stamps pasted together on one piece of paper.

Part of the page from the Fournier Album (reduced size)

Fournier forgery

In 'The Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries' a 6 p forgery can be found (imperforate) sold by Fournier. Apparently this forgery was not made by him, the text reads: 'Faux fabriques en Italie en 1920-1921 par la Maison V.E.U. à Gênes par un nouveau procédé' (forgeries made in Italy in 1920-21 by the house of V.E.U. in Genova with a new technique. So these forgeries were produced after Fournier had died.

Probably another forgery.

In this imperforate 3 p blue forgery, the Queen looks suspiciously to the left.

1867 Queen Victoria, facing the left

  1 Sh green

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

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

Stamps in other colours are fiscal stamps.

(1 Sh lilac fiscal stamp)

1869-1895 Queen Victoria issues of 1859 and 1867 surcharged 'POSTAGE' or 'Postage'

"POSTAGE" or "Postage" horizontally:
  1 p red (7 types of overprint)
  1 p yellow
  3 p blue (5 types of overprint)
  6 p lilac (6 types of overprint)
  1 Sh green (6 types of overprint)

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

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

"POSTAGE" curved:

  1 Sh green ("POSTAGE" in green, red or black)
  1 Sh yellow ("POSTAGE" in red)

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

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

"POSTAGE" twice and vertically

  1 p red (2 types of overprint)
  3 p blue (red overprint)
  6 p lilac

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

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

"POSTAGE" once, vertically:

  1 Sh lilac

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

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

"POSTAGE" and value

  'Half-Penny' on 1 p yellow
  'Half Penny' on 6 p violet
  'One Penny' on 6 p violet
  'One Penny' on 6 p red

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

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

The "Postage" overprints were made to remove the confusion between fiscal and postage stamps among the public.

Genuine stamp with forged "Postage." overprint.

Forged stamps with forged overprints (made by Oneglia). Note the impressed watermark. In these forgeries, the corner flowers(?) are slightly different from the genuine stamps, also there is a green outline in front of the face of the Queen.

For issues of Natal of 1902 and miscellaneous click here or Natal 1874 issue, click here.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer