GERMAN COLONIES
SÜDWEST AFRIKA
STAMPS
1888 / 1892
German possession since 7th Aug 1884 with the Post Office starting on 16th July 1888.
German Southwest Africa, present day Namibia, is located on the west coast of South Africa. The postal network started in July 1888 and almost 100 post offices were created up until the First World War. German Southwest Africa was handed over to the South African Union on the 9th July 1915.
Post Offices in German Southwest Africa were established in many towns and cities, here are some postmarks to look out for: ABABIS, ALBRECHTSHÖHE, ARAHOAB, ARIS, AROAB, AUS, BARBY, BETHANIEN, BRACKWATER, BRACKWASSER, CAP CROSS, CHAIROS, EKUJA, EMPFÄNGNISBUCHT, EPUKIRO, FAHLGRAS BRAZER WINDHUK, GHAN (KHAN), GIBEON, GOBABIS, GOCHAGANAS, GOCHAS, GROOTFONTEIN, GROSS BARMEN, HARIS, HASIS, HASUR, HASUUR, HATSAMAS/HATZAMAS, HOACHANAS, HOHEWARTE, JAKALSWATER, KALKFELT, KALKFONTEIN, KALKFONTEIN (SÜD), KANANDI, KANUS, KAPENOUSSEU, KARIBIB, KEETMANSHOOP, KLEIN-NAUAS, KOES, KOLMANSKUPPE, KUB, KUBAS, KUBUB, KUIBIS, KUIS, LÜDERITZBUCHT, IDEM, HESSELMANN, MALTAHÖHE, MARIENTHAL, NAUCHAS, NEUHEUSIS, OKAHANDJA, OKASISE, OKATJOMBOA, OKAUKWEJO, OKOWAKUATJIWI, OKOMBAHE, OLUKONDA, OMARURU, OMITARA, ONGUATI, OTAVI, OTAVI EISENBAHN, OTJIMBINGWE, OTJIWARONGO, OTJOSAZU, OTJOSONDU, OTJOSO(N)JATI, OTJUNJAURA, OUTJO, OWIKOKORERO, POMONA (HÜGEL), PRINZENBUCHT, RAMANSDRIFT, REHOBOTH, RICHTHOFEN, RÖSSING, SCHIFFPOST, SEEPOST, SEEHEIM, SWAKOPMUND, SWAKOPMUND-WINDHOEK ZUG, SWAKOPMUND RAILWAY, TSUMEB, UHABIS, WALDAU, WALFISHBAY, WARMBAD, WATERBERG, WILHELMSTHAL, WINDHOEK, WINDHUK.
Forerunners are stamps of the German Empire that were in circulation in foreign countries and the colonies without any special identification (i.e. not overprinted "China"), until issue of their own stamps. 'Proper' forerunners were officially delivered to post offices and were sold from postal counters, stamps that were not used or not officially issued are non-proper forerunners (e.g. Michel V39 and V43). All forerunners and interim stamps can only be recognised by the cancellation and as such there is no such thing as an unused forerunner.
MICHEL VO37 to VO44
OTYIMBINGUE FORERUNNERS (VO)
From 16th Jul 1888 to Mar 1892, the German office in Otyimbingue used German Empire stamps. Michel Nr 37 (internal service: number in oval). Michel Nr 39 to 44 (number and/or imperial eagle in oval, so-called "Pfennig".
