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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

TOGA (Tonga) 1887-1896

Return To Catalogue - Tonga 1897 onwards and miscellaneous

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1887 King George I

  1 p red
  2 p lilac
  6 p blue
  6 p yellow
  1 Sh green

Surcharged

  'FOUR PENCE.' on 1 p red
  'EIGHT PENCE.' on 2 p lilac
  'SURCHARGE  2 1/2 d.' on 1 Sh green (1894)

I've seen some printing errors: "FOUR PENCE" with no dot behind "PENCE" and "EIGHT PENCE" with a short "T".

Overprinted with two little stars

  1 p red
  2 p lilac
These stamps also exist with three or more little stars:

For the specialist: these stamps have watermark 'NZ star', example:

(N.Z star watermark)

They exist with various perforations.

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

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

(Imperforate stamp? or Postal Stationery?)

Cancels, examples:

A barcancel with "TONGA" in the center seems to be the most common cancel. The second stamp has a "VAVA'O"? barcancel. I've also seen a "HAAPAI" barcancel.

Left forgery, right probably a forgery as well.

1892 Arms of Tonga

  1 p red
  4 p brown

Surcharged

  '1/2 d.' (red or black) on 1 p blue
  'SURCHARGE HALF-PENNY' (red) on 4 p brown
  'FIVE PENCE' (red) on 4 p yellow
  

Overprinted "G.F.B." (Official stamps)

  'G.F.B.' (red) on 1 p blue
  'G.F.B.' (red) on 4 p blue

Further surcharged

  '1/2 D' on 1 p blue
  '5 D' on 4 p blue

These stamps have watermark 'NZ Star' and various perforations.

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

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

Exists bisected, example 1 p red:

(Reduced size)

1892 King George I, new design

  2 p brown
  8 p lilac
  1 Sh brown

Surcharged

  '2 1/2 d.' (red or black) on 2 p green
  '7 1/2 d.' (red) on 8 p red
  'SURCHARGE HALF-PENNY' on 1 Sh brown
  'SURCHARGE' and 1 d (red) on 2 p blue
  'SURCHARGE' and 1 1/2 d (red) on 2 p blue
  'SURCHARGE' and 2 1/2 d (red) on 2 p blue
  'SURCHARGE' and 2 1/2 d. on 8 p lilac
  'SURCHARGE' and 7 1/2 d (red) on 2 p blue

Double surcharge

  'Half Penny' on 'SURCHARGE' and 1 1/2 d (red) on 2 p blue
  'Half Penny' on 'SURCHARGE' and 7 1/2 d (red) on 2 p blue

Overprinted "G.F.B." (Official stamps)

  "G.F.B." (red) on 2 p blue
  "G.F.B." (red) on 8 p blue
  "G.F.B." (red) on 1 Sh blue

Overprinted "G.F.B." and surcharged with value

  "2 1/2 D" on 2 p blue
  "7 1/2 D" on 8 p blue
  "10 D" on 1 Sh blue

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

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

Forgeries, presumably made by the forger Oneglia. The designs are clearly slightly different from the genuine stamps.

1895 King George II

  1 p green
  2 1/2 p red
  5 p blue
  7 1/2 p yellow

Surcharged

  'SURCHARGE' and 1/2 p on 2 1/2 p red
  'SURCHARGE' and 1 p on 2 1/2 p red
  'SURCHARGE' and 7 1/2 p on 2 1/2 p red

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

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

Example of a bisected stamp (1 p green):

(Reduced size)

For stamps of Tonga issued from 1897 onwards and miscellaneous, click here.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer