GERMAN COLONIES
TOGO
STAMPS
1889 / 1901
Togo became a German Protectorate from 5th Jul 1884 with the German post Office starting from 1st Mar 1888.
Togo was located on the western coast of Africa and occupied a thin 50Km wide strip of the "Slave Coast". The area expands into the hinterland for about 560Km and is 175Km wide from north to south at its widest part. As the area was so small it was difficult to defend militarily and so was forced to surrender to British and French troops on 26th Aug 1914.
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 "Togo"), 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. 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 V48
FORERUNNER
The German Post Office in Togo used regular German Empire issue stamps V48, crown/eagle.
Mi V48
20Pf
ultramarine
(variations)
20Pf
ultramarine
(variations)
VARIATIONS
Mi V48a
medium ultramarine
(1889/92)
medium ultramarine
(1889/92)
Mi V48b
medium blue
(1891/95)
medium blue
(1891/95)
Mi V48c
bright cobalt blue
(1892)
bright cobalt blue
(1892)
Mi V48d
violet ultramarine
(1894 to Jul 1897)
violet ultramarine
(1894 to Jul 1897)
PLATE FLAWS
REQUIRES ADDITIONAL RESEARCH
STAMPS FROM MY COLLECTION
(1)
Mi V48
cancelled, used
"LOME"
"TOGOGEBIET"
"9/4 95"
Mi V48
cancelled, used
"LOME"
"TOGOGEBIET"
"9/4 95"
(1) This stamp is cancelled with the first LOME cancel used from 1st Mar 1890 to 13th Nov 1906 (there is some later usage of this cancel) and there are also instances of no year on the cancel.
