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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

SEYCHELLES

Return To Catalogue - Mauritius

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Between 1861 and 1890 Mauritius postage stamps were used with the cancel "B64". Examples:

1890 Queen Victoria

  2 c green and red
  2 c brown and green
  3 c lilac and orange
  4 c red and green
  6 c red
  8 c lilac and blue
  10 c blue and brown
  12 c brown and green
  13 c grey and black
  15 c brown and lilac
  15 c blue
  16 c brown and blue
  18 c blue
  36 c brown and red
  45 c brown and red
  48 c yellow and green
  75 c yellow and violet
  96 c lilac and red
  1 R lilac and red
  1 R 50 grey and red
  2 R 25 lilac and green

Surcharged

  '2 cents' on 4 c red and green
  '3 cents' on 4 c red and green
  '3 cents' on 10 c blue and brown
  '3 cents' on 16 c brown and blue
  '3 cents' on 36 c brown and red
  '6 cents' on 8 c lilac and blue
  '12 cents' on 16 c brown and blue
  '15 cents' on 16 c brown and blue
  '18 CENTS' on 45 c brown and red
  '30 cents' on 75 c yellow and violet
  '30 cents' on 1 R lilac and red
  '36 CENTS' on 45 c brown and red
  '45 cents' on 48 c yellow and green
  '45 cents' on 1 R lilac and red
  '45 cents' on 2 R 25 lilac and green
  '90 cents' on 96 c lilac and red

For the specialist: A variety of the "45 cents" on 2 R 25 stamp exist, with narrow "5" (see above for normal "5"):

(Narrow "5" variety)

The "30 cents" surcharge also exist with a variety: narrow "0".

All these stamps have perforation 14 and the watermark of these stamps is 'CA crown':

('CA Crown' watermark')

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

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

Typical cancel:

("B64" cancel)

French "LIGNE T" Pacqueboat cancel

Besides the "B64" cancels, circular cancels with text "SEYCHELLES" exist.

Forgeries:

I've been told that the above stamp is a forgery (with watermark 'Crown CA'!), the value inscription and the word "SEYCHELLES" are slanting. A similar forgery of the 1R50 value is shown on http://www.fipfakesforgeries.org/fip/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Lucien-Smeets-forgeries-42.pdf, made by Lucien Smeets

The values 8 c, 96 c and 2R25 (and perhaps others) are known to have been forged by bleaching out a cheap 5 c stamp from Ceylon and reprinting the Seychelles design on top of it. The above forgery might be such a bleached out stamp. In many instances the postmark of Ceylon is still present.

Forgery printed on a bleached out Ceylon stamp, the Ceylon cancel "BADULLA" is still visible.

Here a forged 8 c with Ceylon "TALAWAKELE" cancel. The design is quite crude when compared to a genuine stamp.

(Forged inverted "12 cents" on 16 c stamp, and forged inverted "3 cents" on 4 c stamp; I have no further information)

A forged cancel "SEYCHELLES B AU 6 1903" is known.

Fiscal stamps: postage stamps overprinted "REVENUE"

This revenue stamp was issued in 1894; the following values exist: 4 c on 3 c, 4 c on 6 c, 4 c on 8 c (two types 'cents' or 'CENTS'), 4 c on 10 c and 4 c on 15 c. In 1902 the 2 c brown and green stamp was overprinted 'Revenue'.

1903 King Edward VII

  2 c brown and green
  3 c green
  6 c red
  12 c olive and green
  15 c blue
  18 c olive and red
  30 c lilac and green
  45 c brown and red
  75 c yellow and lilac
  1 R 50 black and red
  2 R 25 lilac and green

Surcharged

  '3 cents' on 15 c blue
  '3 cents' on 18 c green and red
  '3 cents' on 45 c brown and red

These stamps have perforation 14, they have watermark 'CA Crown' or 'Multiple CA Crown'.

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

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

A 30 c violet and green stamp with overprint "4 cents Revenue" exists for fiscal purposes (issued 1904).

Cancel "LA DIGUE" (one of the islands of Seychelles)

1912 King George

Inscription "POSTAGE POSTAGE"

  
  2 c brown and green
  3 c green
  6 c red
  12 c brown and green
  15 c blue
  18 c green and red
  30 c violet and green
  45 c brown and red
  75 c yellow and violet
  1 R 50 c black and red
  2 R 25 c lilac and green

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

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

Inscription "POSTAGE & REVENUE" (1917)

  2 c brown and green
  3 c green
  3 c black
  4 c green
  4 c green and red
  5 c brown
  6 c red
  6 c lilac
  9 c red
  12 c grey
  12 c red
  15 c blue
  15 c yellow
  18 c lilac on yellow
  20 c blue
  25 c black and red on yellow
  30 c lilac and green
  45 c lilac and orange
  50 c lilac and black
  75 c black on green
  1 R lilac and red
  1 R 50 c lilac and blue on blue
  2 R 25 c green and lilac
  5 R green and blue

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

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

1935 Silver Jubilee of King George V, inscription "1910-1935"

For stamps in the same design, but for another British colony, click here

A 6 c olive and blue, 12 c blue and green, 20 c blue and brown and 1 R lilac and black were issued in a design identical to many other British colonies (Windsor castle).

1937 Inscription "12th MAY 1937" portrait of King and Queen

For stamps in the same design, but for another British colony, click here

The values 6 c green, 12 c orange and 20 c blue were issued (design identical to that of many other British colonies).

1938? King George VI in an ellipes facing the right, with various designs

  2 c lilac (coco-de-mer palm)
  3 c green (giant tortoise)
  3 c orange (giant tortoise)
  6 c orange (fishing pirogue)
  6 c green (fishing pirogue)
  9 c red (design as 2 c)
  9 c grey (design as 2 c)
  12 c violet (design as 3 c)
  15 c red (design as 3 c)
  18 c lilac (design as 2 c)
  20 c blue (design as 6 c)
  20 c orange (design as 6 c)
  25 c orange (design as 2 c)
  30 c lilac (design as 3 c)
  30 c blue (design as 3 c)
  45 c brown (design as 6 c)
  50 c violet (design as 2 c)
  75 c blue (design as 3 c)
  75 c violet (design as 3 c)
  1 R green (design as 6 c)
  1 R grey (design as 6 c)
  1.50 R blue (design as 2 c)
  2.25 R green (design as 3 c)
  5 R red (design as 6 c) 

Madame Joseph is known to have applied the forged postmark "VICTORIA 8 NO 16 43 SEYCHELLES" or "VICTORIA B SP 14 42 SEYCHELLES" to these stamps.

1946 Victory issue, identical to sets issued in many other British colonies, inscription "8th JUNE 1946"

For stamps in a similar design, but for another British colony, click here

  9 c blue
  30 c grey

1949 Royal Silver wedding, identical to sets issued in many other British colonies, inscription "1923-1948", image of King and Queen

For stamps in a similar design, but for another British colony, click here

  9 c blue (smaller size)
  5 R red 

Madame Joseph is known to have applied the forged postmark "VICTORIA C 11NOV48 SEYCHELLES" to these stamps.

1949 UPU issue (design similar to many other British colonies)

18 c red, 50 c violet, 1 R grey and 2.25 R olive.

For stamps in a similar design, but for other British colonies, click here

1952 Portrait of King George VI in an ellipse facing forwards, with various designs

  2 c violet (sail fish)
  3 c orange (giant tortoise)
  9 c grey (coco-de-mer palm)
  15 c green (fishing pirogue)
  18 c lilac (map)
  20 c orange (design as 15 c)
  25 c red (design as 3 c)
  40 c blue (design as 2 c)
  45 c brown (design as 15 c)
  50 c lilac (design as 9 c)
  1 R grey (design as 18 c)
  1.50 R blue (design as 9 c)
  2.25 R olive (design as 3 c)
  5 R red (design as 18 c)
  10 R green (design as 2 c) 

1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth, inscription "CORONATION JUNE 1953"

For stamps in a similar design, but for other British colonies, click here

  9 c blue and black

.................

1963 Freedom from hunger, design identical to many other British colonies

For stamps in a similar design, but for another British colony, click here

  70 c violet

1963 Red Cross issue

For stamps in a similar design, but for another British colony, click here

  10 c black and red
  75 blue and red

1965 International Collaboration Year

For stamps in the same design, but for another British colony, click here

  5 c blue and brown
  ? c violet and green

1965 ITU issue

For stamps in the same design, but for another British colony, click here

  5 c blue and red
  1.50 R green and lilac

1966 Churchill issue

For stamps in a similar design, but for another British colony, click here

  5 c blue, black, gold and red
  15 c green, black, gold and red
  75 c brown, black, gold and red 
  1.50 R violet, black, gold and red

1966 World Cup Championship England 1966

For stamps in a similar design, but for other British colonies, click here

  15 c lilac, violet, orange and green
  1 R lilac, grey, orange and blue

Postal Stationery

Example:

8 c brown.

Fiscal stamps

Several fiscal stamps of Mauritius were overprinted "SEYCHELLES", to be used in Seychelles. For example the series with "FIRST OF EXCHANGE", "SECOND OF EXCHANGE" and "THIRD OF EXCHANGE" of 1897:

In the above design were issued: 5 c green, 10 c green, 25 c green, 40 c red and 1.25 R brown. Some proviosional overprints were made in 1897: "4 CENTS" on 5 c green, "Five cents" on 40 c, 5 c on 25 c (bar on "FIVE"), "8 CENTS" on 40 c (exists with "8 CENTS" twice), "16 CENTS" on 40 c (exists with "16 CENTS" twice), 33 c on 40 c, "42 CENTS" on 1 R25, "83 CENTS" on 1R25. See also https://www.revrevd.com/seychelles-supplementary-information.html

Furthermore some internal revenues were overprinted, example of such an internal revenue stamp of Mauritius (1898):

This overprint exists on the values 5 c lilac and blue, 10 c blue, 12 c blue, 15 c blue, 25 c blue, 50 c blue, 1 R brown and lilac, 2 R 50 brown and lilac and 5 R brown and lilac.

Futhermore several postage stamps of Seychelles with Queen Victoria and King Edward were overprinted for fiscal use with 'Revenue'.

This revenue stamp was issued in 1894; the following values exist: 4 c on 3 c, 4 c on 6 c, 4 c on 8 c (two types "cents" or "CENTS", the "cents" variety reading upwards or downwards), 4 c on 10 c and 4 c on 15 c (reading upwards or downwards). In 1902 the 2 c brown and green stamp was overprinted "Revenue".

In 1906 and 1920 special fiscal stamps were issued with the portraits of King Edward and King George respectively.

1906: Fiscal stamps with King Edward, the following values were issued 4 c lilac and green, 50 c lilac and green, 1 R green and blue, 2.50 R green and black and 5 R green and red. Also a "4 cents Revenue" on 30 c lilac and green.

The three King George stamps are mainly provisional and quite rare: 4 c lilac and green (as King Edward VII stamp), "Revenue Stamp Duty 6 cents" on 12 c red and "Issued by the Stamp Office" on 12 c grey.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer