GERMAN POST OFFICES ABROAD
CHINA
STAMPS
1890

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.

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Michel V37e and V37f

Forerunner: Issued 1890/1891: Interior Service Numeral in oval - 1875 Michel 37.

MiV37e
2 Mark
dark red carmine (see variations).

VARIATIONS

MiV37e
dark red carmine (1891-1901).

MiV37f
reddish carmine (1901).

PLATE FLAWS

MiV37 II
white horizontal line under "U" of "DEUTSCHE" and oblong white in the lower left guilloche.

MiV37 III
frayed line under "REICHS-" and broken frame at bottom left.

MiV37 V
large break in the guilloche at bottom left corner.

MiV37 VII
white wedge in the oval line under "HS" of "REICHS-".

MiV37 VIII - small horizontal dash at upper left of frame.

MiV37 IX - PF V and PF VIII on one stamp.

VALID FORERUNNER POSTMARKS

Michel V37e

"1"
"SHANGHAI KDPAg"
(Until beginning June 1894)

"2"
Small "SHANGHAI"
(From June 1894)

"3"
"SHANGHAI"
(From 18.7.98 to 31.8.00)

"4"
"SHANGHAI DEUTSCHE POST a"
(1.12.98 to 31.8.00)

"5"
"SHANGHAI DEUTSCHE POST b"
(1.12.98 to 31.8.00)

"6"
"TIENTSIN KAISERL.DEUTSCHE POSTAGENTUR"
(1.4.93 to Nov 1899)

"7"
"TIENTSIN DEUTSCHE POST a"
(15.10.99 to 31.8.00)

"8"
"TSCHIFU DEUTSCHE POST"
(1.1.00 to 31.8.00)

"9"
"HANKAU"
(1.4.00 to 17.4.00)

"10"
"HANKAU DEUTSCHE POST"
(27.4.00 to 31.8.00)

"11"
"FUTSCHAU DEUTSCHE POST"
(18.6.00 to 31.8.00)

STAMPS FROM MY COLLECTION

(1)
Mi V37e
Cancelled
"KAISERL DEUTSCHE POSTAGENTUR
TIENTSIN
23/7 98"

(2)
Mi V37e
Cancelled
"TIENTSIN
DEUTSCHE POST
4/11 00"

(3)
Mi V37e
Cancelled
"DEUTSCHE POST
SHANGHAI
2/3 00"

(1) This stamp is cancelled with the first Tientsin cancel. Inscribed 'TIENTSIN KAISERL.DEUTSCHE POSTAGENTUR' this cancel was used from 1st April 1893 until Nov 1899. The cancel is black but was blue on the first day of use.

(2) This stamp is cancelled with the second Tientsin cancel. It is inscribed 'TIENTSIN a DEUTSCHE POST' and was used from 15th Oct 1899 until 16th Mar 1917. This cancel was also used during the Boxer Rebellion as a FELDPOST cancel.

(3) This stamp is cancelled with the 3rd Shanghai cancel. It is inscribed 'SHANGHAI a DEUTSCHE POST' and was used from 1st Dec 1898 until 1905.

(4)
Mi V37e
Cancelled
"KAISERLICH DEUTSCHE POSTAGENTUR
SHANGHAI
17/3 93"

(5)
Mi V37e
Cancelled
"TIENTSIN DEUTSCHE POST
18/3 01"

(6)
Mi V37e
Cancelled
"SHANGHAI
4/10 99"

(4) This stamp is cancelled with the first Shanghai cancel. Inscribed 'KAISERLICH DEUTSCHE POSTAGENTUR SHANGHAI' this cancel was used from 28th Aug 1896 until 1st Jun 1894.

(5) This stamp is cancelled with the second Tientsin cancel. It is inscribed 'TIENTSIN a DEUTSCHE POST' and was used from 15th Oct 1899 until 16th Mar 1917. This cancel was also used during the Boxer Rebellion as a FELDPOST cancel.

(6) This stamp is cancelled with the 5th Shanghai cancel. It is inscribed 'SHANGHAI b DEUTSCHE POST' and was used from 1st Dec 1898 until 1905. This cancel was also used as a FELDPOST cancel during the Boxer Rebellion.

(7)
Mi V37e
Cancelled
"SHANGHAI
7/2 96"

(8)
Mi V37
Cancelled
"SHANGHAI
27/2 99"

(9)
Mi V37e
Cancelled
"KAISERLICH DEUTSCHE POSTAGENTUR
SHANGHAI
12/5 93"

(7) This stamp is cancelled with the second Shanghai cancel. Inscribed simply 'SHANGHAI' this cancel was used from 8th Jun 1894 until 5th Dec 1898.

(8) This stamp is cancelled with the 4th Shanghai cancel. It is inscribed 'SHANGHAI b DEUTSCHE POST' and was used from 1st Dec 1898 until 1905. This cancel was also used as a FELDPOST cancel during the Boxer Rebellion.

(9) This stamp is cancelled with the first Shanghai cancel. Inscribed 'KAISERLICH DEUTSCHE POSTAGENTUR SHANGHAI' this cancel was used from 28th Aug 1896 until 1st Jun 1894.

(10)
Mi V37 (x2), V47, V49 and V50
Cancelled
"SHANGHAI"
"5/12 94"

(10) This stamp is cancelled with the second Shanghai cancel. Inscribed simply 'SHANGHAI' this cancel was used from 8th Jun 1894 until 5th Dec 1898.