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.
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
FORERUNNERS (VS)
(Remaining Post Offices)
1892-1901: The remaining post offices in German Southwest Africa used German Empire stamps. Michel Nr 37 (internal service: number on oval) and Michel Nr 45 to Michel Nr 50 (so-called "crown/eagle")
MiVS37
2 Mark
red carmine
(variations)
2 Mark
red carmine
(variations)
VARIATIONS
MiVS37e
2 Mark
dark red carmine
(1892/1901)
2 Mark
dark red carmine
(1892/1901)
MiVS37f
2 Mark
reddish carmine
(1899-1901)
2 Mark
reddish carmine
(1899-1901)
PLATE FLAWS
MiVS37 PF V
large interruption in the guilloche at lower left
large interruption in the guilloche at lower left
STAMPS FROM MY COLLECTION
(1)
VS37
Used, Cancelled
"SWAKOPMUND
5/4 99"
VS37
Used, Cancelled
"SWAKOPMUND
5/4 99"
(2)
VS37
Used, Cancelled
"SWAKOPMUND
3/3 99"
VS37
Used, Cancelled
"SWAKOPMUND
3/3 99"
There are four versions of Swakopmund cancel, the examples in (1) and (2) above are examples of the simple CDS cancel used from 30th May 1895 through 22nd Oct 1904.
