GERMAN COLONIES
SUDWEST AFRIKA
STAMPS
1892 / 1901
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 "Southwest Afrika"), 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 VS37 to VS50
FORERUNNERS (VS) REMAINING POST OFFICES
1892-1901: The remaining post offices in German Southwest Africa used German Empire stamps. Michel 37 (internal service: number on oval) and Michel 45 to Michel 50 (so-called "crown/eagle").
MICHEL M45 to M50
STAMPS VALID for POSTAGE (M)
(replaced by new issue)
Michel 45 to 48 with cancel date starting from July 1897, Michel 49 with cancel date starting from Jun 1900 and Michel 50 with cancel date starting from October 1898.
