Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

TIBET

Thibet

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.

1912 Lion in circle

(I've been told that the above stamps are genuine)

  1 kha green
  1 ka blue
  1 ch violet
  1 sh red
  1 ta orange

A value of 1 Sang green(?) also seems to exist (only discovered in 1950 according to: http://www.tibet.com/Stamps/1912.html or http://fuchs-online.com/tibet/ma1912e.htm), but was mainly used for fiscal purposes.

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 kha green	*	*
1 ka blue	**	**
1 ch violet	**	**
1 sh red	***	***
1 ta orange	***	***

Reprints of all values (except 1 Sang) were made by a certain J.Crow & Co (http://www.jcrows.com/Tibetstamps.html) in sheets of 12 (3 rows of 4 stamps).

Postal stationery in the same design

Forgeries of these stamps are abundant and rather dangerous!

1914 Lion in a circle

  4 t blue
  8 t red

Forgery, the lines in the corners should go inwards instead of outwards in the 4 t blue value; this forgery has them going outwards as in the 8 t value. Source: http://fuchs-online.com/tibet/ma1914e.htm

1933 Lion in a rectangle

(I've been told that the above stamps are genuine)

(Reduced sizes)

  1 ka orange
  1 sh blue
  1 ta red
  2 ta orange
  4 ta green

I've been told that the next stamps are forgeries:

Forgeries, these are all printed rather too clearly.

Forgery with the word "TIBET" placed too low.

I've also seen two sheets (2 rows of 5 stamps) with green and red stamps with 'FREE TIBET' above the individual stamps. They seem to have been printed in the 1990's in New Zealand.

(Later forgeries of official stamps?)

Telegraph stamp

A telegraph stamp in the value 1 Sang

Literature

'The Postage Stamps of Tibet' by H.R. Holmes, F.R.P.S.L, originally published 1941, reprinted 2003. With information about forged postmarks etc.

'The Postage Stamps and Postal History of Tibet' by H.D.S. Haverbeck, originally published 1952, reprinted 2003 (52 pages). Includes: The Geography and History of Tibet; The Postal History of the Tibetan Border Commission of 1903; Table of Postmarks of the Tibetan Frontier Commission, April – December 1903; The Younghusband Expedition; Table of Postmarks of the Younghusband Expedition, December 1903 – November 1904; The British Indian Postal Agencies in Tibet; The Chinese Post Offices in Tibet; The first issue of Tibetan postage stamps in 1912; Forgeries; The second stamp issue of 1914; The third stamp issue of 1933; The fourth issue of 1939; Cancellations and Postal History; Appendices: The Tibetan Radio Telegraph stamps; the Tibetan monetary system; the Tibetan alphabet and its pronunciation; The Mount Everest Expedition label of 1924; and an Addenda on the "Official stamps" (inscribed "STAMP".)

THE POSTAL HISTORY OF TIBET, by A.C. Waterfall deals with the stamps (and forgeries) and postal history of Tibet.
1965, 1st edition, 174 pages
1981, 2nd Edition, 188 pages

More information on forgeries can be found at: http://fuchs-online.com/tibetfakes/.

CHINES OFFICES IN TIBET

1911 Stamps of China, surcharged in 'Pies', 'Annas' or 'Rupies' and Chinese text

These stamps are listed in Cd 2.