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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

ZANZIBAR 1895-1903

Return To Catalogue - Zanzibar 1904-1920 and miscellaneous - French Post offices in Zanzibar

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Zanzibar is an island not far from the coast of east Africa. British Indian Post was used from 1875 to 1895 in Zanzibar. It then became a British Protectorate. German post operated in Zanzibar from 1890 to 1891 and French post from 1889 to 1904. Zanzibar is now part of Tanzania.

Stamps of India used in Zanzibar

1895 Stamps of India overprinted "Zanzibar"

  1/2 a green (overprint black or blue)
  1 a brown (overprint black or blue)
  1 a 6 p brown
  2 a blue
  2 a 6 p green
  3 a brown
  4 a green
  6 a brown
  8 a lilac
  12 a lilac on red
  1 R grey
  1 R red and green
  2 R brown and red
  3 R green and brown
  5 R violet and blue

Surcharged

  '2 1/2' 1 a brown
  '2 1/2' (red) on 1 a 6 p brown
  '2 1/2' (red) on 2 p blue

6 different types of overprint exist (not all types were used on all stamps). Some other overprints exist, but were not used, they are very rare, example red overprint instead of black:

Some stamps exist with the second 'z' of 'Zanzibar' smaller, examples:

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

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

Some misprints exist, for example "Zanzidar" instead of "Zanzibar":

(Zanzidar with 'd' misprint)

Forged overprints:

The next stamp has a forged 'Zanibar' overprint, the cancel 'BOMBAY' (India!) can still be faintly seen:

Forged blue overprints:

(Forged blue overprints)

Some forged overprints were made by the forger Fournier. In his 1914 pricelist he offers 11 stamps (1/2 a to 1 Rupee) for 8 Swiss Francs. The basic stamps were probably genuine. In the Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries an imprint of the forged overprints for this country can be found, example:

The first overprint '3 ANNAS ZANZIBAR' might have been used to make forged overprints for the French post offices in Zanzibar.

Forged cancel made by Fournier "ZANZIBAR MA. 17 96"

A forgery of the 'Zanzidar' with 'd' misprint

In the 1906 pricelist of the stamp forger Oneglia, the following text can be found under Zanzibar: "Timbres Anglais, avec surcharge Zanzibar imitations, prix à convenir"

1896 Stamps of British East Africa overprinted "Zanzibar"

  1/2 a green
  1 a red
  2 1/2 a blue (overprint red)
  4 1/2 a orange
  5 a brown
  7 1/2 a lilac

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

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

Some forged overprints were made by the forger Fournier. In his 1914 pricelist he offers 2stamps (1/2 a and 1 a) for 3 Swiss Francs. The basic stamps were probably genuine. In the Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries an imprint of the forged overprints for this country can be found, example:

1897 Sultan Hamed bin Thwain

  1/2 a green and red
  1 a blue and red
  2 a brown and red
  2 1/2 a blue and red
  3 a grey and red
  4 a green and red
  4 1/2 a orange and red
  5 a yellow and red
  7 1/2 a lilac and red
  8 a grey and red

These stamps have watermark 'Single Rose' or 'Multiple Roses' and perforation 14.

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

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

Surcharged

  '2 1/2' (3 types of overprint) on 4 a green

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

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

Larger size

  1 R blue and red
  2 R green and red
  3 R violet and red
  4 R brown and red
  5 R brown and red

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

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

1899 Sultan Hamud bin Mohammed

  1/2 a green and red
  1 a blue and red
  1 a red
  2 a brown and red
  2 1/2 a blue and red
  3 a grey and red
  4 a green and red
  4 1/2 a orange and red
  4 1/2 a blue and red
  5 a yellow and red
  7 1/2 a lilac and red
  8 a grey and red

These stamps have watermark 'Multiple Roses' and perforation 14.

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

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

Surcharged

  'One' on 4 1/2 a orange and red
  'One' (red) on 4 1/2 a blue and red
  'Two' (red) on 4 a green and red
  'Two & Half' on 7 1/2 a lilac and red
  'Two & Half' on 8 a grey and red

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

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

Larger size

  1 R blue and red
  2 R green and red
  3 R violet and red
  4 R red
  5 R brown and red

These stamps have watermark 'Single Rose'.

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

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

(Reduced size)

I have seen newspaper wrappers in the same design: 1/2 a green and 1 a red (only 1 colour, no red lines for both wrappers). The inscription on the wrapper reads: 'This wrapper may only be used for Newspapers, or for such documents as are allowed to be sent at the Book-rate of postage, and must not enclose any letter or communication of the nature of a letter (whether seperate or otherwise). If this rule be infringed, the packet will be charged as a letter.'

Forgeries

The next 'stamps(?)' in one colour 1/2 a red and 1/2 a green have printed perforation (which has been cut out with scissors later):

I don't know anything about the provenance of these forgeries. The design is also diffferent from the wrappers above.

For stamps of Zanzibar issued from 1904 to 1920 and miscellaneous, click here.

Stamps - Timbres Poste - Briefmarken - Postzegels

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer