GERMAN COLONIES
KAMERUN
OFFICIAL POSTCARDS
The area of the Kamerun under German control was occupied on 14th Jul 1884. The first post office was set up in Duala on 1st Feb 1887 and remained in operation until early 1916. There were a total of 53 Post Offices in all with the last one opening in Ngoa on
12th Jan 1915.
VORLAUFER
Initally postcards printed in Germany with Empire issue pre-printed stamps were used in the Kamerun. Eventually postcards with pre-printed stamps inscribed 'Kamerun' were made available. These early un-inscribed postcards are knwon as Vorlaufer and can only be differentiated from postcards used in Germany by the postmark. There is no such thing as an unused Kamerun vorlaufer. Their usage was from 1st Feb 1887 until 1897 and the only viable cancellations are from 'KAMERUN', 'KRIBI' and 'VIKTORIA'.Vorlaufer pre-printed stamps are either the 1880 German Empire pfennig or the later 1889 issue Crown/Eagle stamps.
MICHEL P1 to P7
KRONE/ADLER - Crown/Eagle
(1897-1900)
P1 to P4 can have angles for the overprint between 45 and 53 degrees.
MICHEL P1
Printed 1897. This card measures 140 x 90mm. Features a single 5RPf green krone/adler stamp. P1 has a diagonal 'Kamerun' overprint from bottom-left to top-right of the stamp as well as a watermark but no print date.
MICHEL P1
MICHEL P2
Printed 1897. This card measures 140 x 90mm. Features a single 10RPf green krone/adler stamp. P2 has a diagonal 'Kamerun' overprint from bottom-left to top-right of the stamp as well as a print date but no watermark. MICHEL P2
Look out for P2 PF III which has a plate fault where the right part of the currency "PF" has a short foot.
MICHEL P3
(Answer Card)
Printed 1897. This card measures 140 x 90mm. Features two 5RPf green krone/adler stamps. P3 has a diagonal 'Kamerun' overprint from bottom-left to top-right of the stamp as well as a print date but no watermark. P3 is an answer, or reply card, so can be found either as a single half of the card or as a complete piece with both halves still joined together.
MICHEL P3
There is minor version of P3 that is blackish-green.
MICHEL P4
(Answer Card)
Printed 1897. This card measures 140 x 90mm. Features two 10RPf carmine krone/adler stamps. P4 has a diagonal 'Kamerun' overprint from bottom-left to top-right of the stamp as well as a print date but no watermark. P4 is an answer, or reply card, so can be found either as a single half of the card or as a complete piece with both halves still joined together.
MICHEL P4
MICHEL P5
Printed 1899. This card measures 140 x 90mm. Features a single 10RPf carmine krone/adler stamp. The same as P1 but this card has a print date but no letter and is without watermark.MICHEL P5
Look out for P5 PF III which has a plate fault where the right part of the currency "PF" has a short foot.
MICHEL P6
Printed 1899. This card measures 140 x 90mm. Features two 5RPf green krone/adler stamps. The same as P3 but this card has a print date but no letter and is without watermark.
MICHEL P6
MICHEL P7
Printed 1899. This card measures 140 x 90mm. Features two 10RPf carmine krone/adler stamps. The same as P4 but this card has a print date but no letter and is without watermark.
MICHEL P7
Michel P7 Fd is a variation with a white line in the frame.
MICHEL P8 to P21
KAISER's YACHT SERIES
P8 to P21 were issued from 1900 and depict the Kaiser's yacht with the inscription 'KAMERUN' in an arc across the top. The postcards were issued to coincide with the new Kamerun stamps which have the same design as the pre-printed stamps on these postcards. Unfortunately there are a lot of Fake versions of these postcards available on the internet. Not only have the Kamerun postcards been forged, but also all other colonial issues of these postcards as well. However the forgeries and the real versions can be differentiated by looking closely at the pre-printed stamps. Below are two close up views of forged postcards (the genuine one is the Kamerun image and the forged is the Togo image) in the Kaiser's yacht series to assist with determining which are fake and which are genuine.
Genuine
Forged
The genuine stamp has clearly defined white lines running up the two smoke stacks (chimneys), two parallel lines on each chimney. The fake versions are much less visible and almost disappear on the second smoke stack. The horizontal shading lines each side of the denomination are also much clearer on the genuine stamp. Finally the smoke emitting from the genuine chimneys is much sharper than the blurred smoke of the fake version.
If you are looking to buy any of these postcards on the internet and the image posted is too small for you to make a positive identification, then it should be noted that the fake postcards look much newer and fresher than the genuine items. These postcards are over 100 years old and should not look like they are fresh of the printing press.
MICHEL P8
(POST CARD)
Printed from 1900 with pre-printed, green, 5Rpf Kaier's yacht stamp. Type II version of "Wohnung | (Straβe unf hausnummer". This card does not have any control date in the bottom right-hand side.
MICHEL P8
MICHEL P9
(POST CARD)
Printed from 1900 with pre-printed, carmine, 10Rpf Kaier's yacht stamp. This card does not have any control date in the bottom right-hand side.
MICHEL P9
MICHEL P9
SPECIMEN overprint
SPECIMEN overprint
MICHEL P10
(REPLY CARD)
Printed from 1900 with two pre-printed, green, 5Rpf Kaier's yacht stamps. This card does not have any control date in the bottom right-hand side.
MICHEL P10
Reply Card
2x 5Pf, green
Reply Card
2x 5Pf, green
MICHEL P11
(REPLY CARD)
Printed from 1900 with two pre-printed, carmine, 10Rpf Kaier's yacht stamps. This card does not have any control date in the bottom right-hand side.
MICHEL P11
MICHEL P11
SPECIMEN overprint
SPECIMEN overprint
MICHEL P12 & P13
KAISER's YACHT SERIES
As before, but type I with open "K" in the word "Karte" in the footnote at P13.
MICHEL P12
(POSTCARD)
Printed from 1902 with pre-printed, green, 5RPf Kaier's yacht stamp.
MICHEL P12
MICHEL P13
(REPLY CARD)
Printed from 1902 with two pre-printed, green, 5Rpf Kaier's yacht stamps.
MICHEL P13
MICHEL P14
(POSTCARD)
Issued from 1904 with pre-printed, green, 5Rpf Imperial yacht stamp. P14 has the word 'Postkarte' on the top left and no dividing line. There are 4 dotted lines for the address and a solid line, just below the 3rd dotted line. There is no print date data and the only other text is 'Wohnung (Strasse und hausnummer)' on the bottom left starting at the left-hand side of the 4th dotted line of the address.
MICHEL P14
MICHEL P15
(POSTCARD)
Printed from 1908 with pre-printed, green, 5Rpf Kaier's yacht stamp. Unlike P14 this card has no other text than the word "Postkarte".
MICHEL P15
MICHEL P16 & P17
KAISER's YACHT SERIES
MICHEL P16
(POSTCARD)
Printed from 1912/17 with pre-printed, green, 5Rpf Kaier's yacht stamp. With watermark.
MICHEL P16
MICHEL P17
(REPLY CARD)
Printed from 1912/17 with two pre-printed, green, 5RPf Kaier's yacht stamps.
MICHEL P17
MICHEL P18 & P21
KAISER's YACHT SERIES
MICHEL P18
(POSTCARD)
This postcard was issued in 1917/1919 and has a single 5Rpf 'Kaiser's Yacht' stamp. The only inscription is the word 'Postkarte' positioned directly above the centre divider. There are 4 dotted lines without gaps in the dots and a single, thick, solid line.
MICHEL P18
MICHEL P19
(POSTCARD)
Printed from 1917/19 with a pre-printed, carmine, 10RPf Kaier's yacht stamp.
MICHEL P19
MICHEL P20
(REPLY CARD)
Printed from 1917/19 with two pre-printed, green, 5Rpf Kaier's yacht stamps.
MICHEL P20
MICHEL P21
(REPLY CARD)
Printed from 1917/19 with two pre-printed, carmine, 10Rpf Kaier's yacht stamps.
MICHEL P21
FROM MY COLLECTION
MICHEL PP1 & PP2
PRIVATE POSTCARD
MICHEL PP1
Printed 1899. Features a single 5Rpf green krone/adler pre-printed stamp. MICHEL PP1
MICHEL PP2
Printed 1899. Features a single 10Rpf carmine krone/adler pre-printed stamp. MICHEL PP2
MICHEL PP3 & PP4
PRIVATE POSTCARD
MICHEL PP3
Printed 1917/19. Features a single 3RPf brown pre-printed stamp. MICHEL PP3
MICHEL PP4
Printed 1917/19. Features a single 5RPf carmine pre-printed stamp. MICHEL PP4
MICHEL P1 to P3
BRITISH OCCUPATION
MICHEL P1
Printed 1915. Features a single ½d on 5RPf green pre-printed stamp overprinted C.E.F. MICHEL P1
MICHEL P2
Printed 1915. Features a single 1d on 10RPf carmine pre-printed stamp overprinted C.E.F.
MICHEL P2
MICHEL P3
Printed 1915. Features two ½d on 5RPf green pre-printed stamps overprinted C.E.F.
MICHEL P3