GERMAN COLONIES
SOMOA
STAMPS
1886
Samoa became a German Protectorate from 1st March (Upolu) and 8th June 1900 (Sawaii) with the German post Office starting from 21st Sep 1886.
The South Sea Islands of Samoa are approximately 3,500Km east of Australia. A German Post Steam Ship Agency was established on 21st Sep 1886 in Apia to protect German business interests in the South Seas. On the 2nd Dec 1899 the German-American Samoa Treaty was signed in Washington giving the western area, including the two main islands of Upolu and Sawaii, as well as two smaller islands to Germany. The eastern part of the islands including Tutulia and some smaller islands came under American control. England waived all interest in the islands.
Forerunners (V) 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 (V) 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 (V) (e.g. Michel V42 and V43). All Forerunners (V) and interim stamps can only be recognised by the cancellation and as such there is no such thing as an unused forerunner.
MICHEL V42
FORERUNNER
The German Post Office in Apia used regular German Empire issue stamp V42, so-called ("Pfenning").
MiV42
20Pf
ultramarine
(variations)
20Pf
ultramarine
(variations)
VARIATIONS
MiV42b
medium ultramarine
(1886-89)
medium ultramarine
(1886-89)
MiV42c
dark ultramarine
(1889-91)
dark ultramarine
(1889-91)
PLATE FLAWS
MiV42 PF III
white diagonal line to the left and/or through the '2' of the right denomination '20'
white diagonal line to the left and/or through the '2' of the right denomination '20'
STAMPS FROM MY COLLECTION
