Home Catalogue index Volume 1 index Volume 2 index

Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

SAMOA 1887 onwards

Return To Catalogue - Samoa Express - Samoa (German colony)

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.

Samoa is an island in the Pacific.

For Samoa Express issue, click here

1887 King Malietoa Laupepa

  2 1/2 p red
  2 1/2 p black

These stamps have watermark 'NZ star', various perforations exist.

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

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

1894 star and crown

  5 p red

Overprinted 'PROVISIONAL GOVT.' (1899)

  5 p red (in blue)

These stamps have watermark 'NZ star'

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

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

Not sure exactly what this is: imperforate stamp, the design is also slightly different. It seems to have been cut from a card with images of stamps of Samoa.

1887 Palm trees

  1/2 p brown
  1/2 p green (1899)
  1 p green
  1 p brown (1899)
  2 p yellow
  4 p blue
  6 p brown
  1 Sh red
  2/6 lilac

Surcharged

  '5 d.' (red, two types) on 4 p blue
  'FIVE PENCE' (two types) on 4 p blue
  'Surcharged 1 1/2 d.' on 2 p yellow
  'Surcharged 2 1/2 d.' (red) on 1 p green
  'Surcharged 2 1/2 d.' (red or black) on 1 Sh red
  'Surcharged 2 1/2 d.' on 2/6 lilac
  'R 3 d.' (two types) on 2 p yellow

Overprinted 'PROVISIONAL GOVT.' (1899)

  1/2 p green (in red)
  1 p brown (in blue)
  2 p orange (in red)
  4 p blue (in red)
  6 p brown (in blue)
  1 Sh red (in blue)
  2/6 violet (in red)

These stamps have watermark 'NZ star', various perforations exist. I have seen a Postcard (reply card) with the impression of a 1 p red design, similar to the above stamps.

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

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

Note: most of these stamps were sold to collectors or stamp dealers.

The 1 Sh red (no overprint) exists bisected (due to a great fire in April 1895 that destroyed almost all stamps):

(Bisected stamp, cancelled to order, reduced view)

The owner of this postal service, Davis, also created more bisected stamps, specially for collectors. The original provisional bisected stamp has perforation 12 1/2 and blue cancels (the later ones created for collectors have perforation 11 and black cancels according to the website mentioned below). More information about these bisected stamps can be found at: http://home.prcn.org/~pauld/samoa1.htm.

(Genuine cancel?)

The forger Fournier seems to have made forgeries of the '5 d.' (red) on 4 p blue and 'FIVE PENCE' on 4 p blue surcharges. These forged overprints can be found in the Fournier album of philatelic forgeries:

Forged Fournier overprints, as found in the Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries.

Samoa as a German colony

For stamps of Samoa as a German colony and the British occupation of this colony, click here.

SAMOA, NEW ZEALAND MANDATE

1914 Stamps of New Zealand overprinted 'SAMOA'

King Edward

  1/2 p green
  2 p lilac
  6 p red
  1 Sh red

Various designs

  1 p red (woman)
  2 1/2 p blue (Lake Wakatipu)

Queen Victoria

  2 Sh blue
  2 Sh 6 p brown
  3 Sh lilac
  5 Sh green
  10 Sh brown
  1 Pound red
  2 Pounds lilac

King George V (1916)

  1/2 p green
  1 1/2 p grey
  1 1/2 p orange
  2 p yellow
  2 1/2 p blue
  3 p brown
  6 p red
  1 Sh red

Victory Stamps (1919)
 

  1/2 p green
  1 p red
  1 1/2 p orange
  3 p brown
  6 p lilac
  1 Sh red

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

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

A letter card of New Zealand(?) (King Edward 1 p) also received a 'SAMOA' overprint (quantity of cards overprinted: about 11000).

1921 Flag and hut, inscription 'SAMOA POSTAGE REVENUE'

  1/2 p green
  1 p red
  1 1/2 p brown
  2 p yellow
  2 1/2 p blue
  3 p brown
  4 p violet
  5 p blue
  6 p red
  8 p brown
  9 p green
  1 Sh red

For the specialist: hese stamps have watermark 'NZ star' and are perforated 14 x 13 1/2 or 14 x 14 1/2.

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

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

1935 Overprinted 'SILVER JUBILEE OF KING GEORGE V 1910 - 1935.'

  1 p red
  2 1/2 p blue
  6 p red

1926 Stamps of New Zealand (1926 King George V admiral issue), overprinted 'SAMOA'

  2 Sh blue
  3 Sh lilac

1932 Stamp Duty stamps of New Zealand (arms type), overprinted 'SAMOA'

  2 Sh 6 p brown (blue overprint)
  5 Sh green (red overprint)
  10 Sh red (blue overprint)
  1 Pound red (blue overprint)
  2 Pounds lilac (red overprint)
  5 Pounds blue (red overprint)

1935 Stamp Duty stamps of New Zealand (arms type), overprinted 'WESTERN SAMOA'

  2 Sh 6 p brown (blue overprint)
  5 Sh green (blue overprint)
  10 Sh red (blue overprint)
  1 Pound red (blue overprint)
  5 Pounds blue (red overprint)

1935 Various designs, inscription 'WESTERN SAMOA'

  1/2 p green (girl with bowl)
  1 p red and black (view of Apia)
  2 p orange and black (river scene)
  2 1/2 p blue and black (Samoan chief and wife)
  4 p brown and grey (Samoan canoe and house)
  5 p blue and black (Apia post office, 19??)
  6 p lilac (Vailima, Stephenson's home)
  1 Sh brown and violet (Stephenson's tomb)
  2 Sh brown and green (lake Lanuto'o)
  3 Sh orange and blue (falls)

'3 d 3 d' on 3 p brown (a Samoan chief, 19??)

1939 Inscription '1914 1939', various designs

  1 p red and green (coastal scene)
  1 1/2 p brown and blue (map)
  2 1/2 p blue and brown (Samoan dancing party)
  7 p black and violet (Robert Louis Stevenson)

1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, inscription 'Coronation'

  2 p brown (Queen Elizabeth facing the left)
  6 p black (Westminster Abbey)

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer