Jaipur-Chariot of the Sun God Postage Stamps-Indian Princely States

Illustrated below are a partial set of Stamps from Jaipur. The stamps shows the Chariot of the Sun God Surya. These stamps were issued in various forms between 1904 and 1928. The set illustrated below was the 1912-22 issue. The values of the set were a quarter anna( pale olive-yellow), half anna (pale ultramarine), 1 a (carmine), 2 a (green), 4 a (pale brown). The detail below the set is of the 4 anna issue.

Sirmoor-Indian Elephant Postage Stamp-1894-99-Indian Princely States

Shown below are three of values in the Sirmoor Indian Elephant postage stamp issue of 1849-99. The set consisted of , 3 pies (orange). 6 p (green), 1 anna (blue), 2a (rose), 3a (yellow-green),4a (deep-green), 8a (deep-blue), 1 rupee (vermilion). With a  detail of the 1 anna blue.

Travancore Stamps-Indian Feudatory States-Some of the Variety of Overprints

Shown below are some of the stamps of Travancore, one of the Princely or Feudatory states of  India during the British Raj. Illustrated are some of the varieties of official and value overprints issued. Mainly printed between 1889 and 1936. The values were in "Cash" and "Chuckrams" . 16 Cash=1 Chuckram, 28 Chuckrams=1 Rupee. However after 1949 values were expressed in "Pies" and "Rupees"

Two Album Pages of Old Egyptian Postage Stamps

Illustrated below are two album pages of Egyptian stamps. The earliest are from the French Occupation of Egypt. The legend on these stamps is Postes Egyptiennes.

The 1898 Canadian Christmas stamp-British Empire Postage Stamps

Illustrated below is the Canadian Christmas stamp of 1898 issued on the 7th of December. The design was in black with the red of the Empire and colour in the oceans added by typo.  There are three variations of the stamp due to a change of colour in the oceans

being  printed in lavender, greenish-blue and blue. The example below is of the lavender printing.

This was the first Christmas postage stamp ever produced.

Zanzibar Postage Stamps

Illustrated below is a partial set of Zanzibar stamps issued in 1936. Issued in the new currency of 100 cents = 1 shilling. The portrait is of Sultan Kalif bin Harub. The last Sultan of Zanzibar. The values in the set were, 5 cent (green), 10 c (black), 15 c (carmine-red), 25 c (purple-yellow), 30 c (ultramarine), 40 c (sepia), 50 c (claret) 1 shilling (yellow-green), 2 s  (slate-violet), 5 s (scarlet), 7 s 50c (light-blue), 10s (green and brown).

Official Overprint Variations On Early South Australian Q.V. Postage Stamps

Some examples of  the varieties of official overprints on early South Australian Queen Victoria stamps are illustrated below. The bold OS is the earliest  version of the overprint and dates from the 1860's, the next  a finer lettering from the the 1890's and the widely spaced variety from the early 1900's. Many may have been stamped by hand as the variation in position shows in the final example.

Example of Early Imperforate South Australian Postage Stamps

Illustrated below are some examples of early South Australian  imperforate

postage stamps. Issued in the mid to late 1800's.Values range from 1 penny to 1 shilling

Queen Victoria 2 Shilling and Sixpence Postage Stamp Issued in Queensland

A joined pair ( still on original card) of the Queensland 2 shilling and Sixpence

with a young Queen Victoria head. These stamps were first  issued in 1907 and discontinued in 1911. Perforated for official use. These are the reddish -orange variety listed in Stanley Gibbons no. 309b

Large and Small Official Perforations on Australian Kangaroo Postage Stamps

Illustrated below are 2 examples showing the large and small official perforations

used on the  Australian 1 penny Kangaroo issues .

Queen Victoria Postage Stamps of South Australia-used officially

Illustrated below is a partial set of Queen Victoria postage stamps used officially

in South Australia, issued between mid to late 1800's.

Two Postage Stamps of Edward the 8th with Overprint Errors

The postage stamps illustrated below are Edward the 8th definitives for use abroad. These particular stamps were for use in Morocco and were normally overprinted with the geographical location and the equivalent value in local currency. In the two error stamps illustrated the location is overprinted but the equivalent value is omitted. The stamps are shown with the normal overprint for comparison.

Gambia Postage Stamps of George the 6th-British African Empire

Between 1938 and 1946 a set of postage stamps for Gambia were printed in values from 1 halfpenny to 10 shillings. The design was of an elephant and palm tree with a portrait of George the 6th in an oval to the left side of the stamp. The design was the same for all the values with different colours used for each value. The colours were 1 halfpenny (black and emerald-green), 1 penny (purple and brown), the 1 penny/halfpenny was printed in 3 different colours (brown-lake and bright carmine/brown-lake and scarlet/brown-lake and vermilion-with a fourth added in 1945-shown here), 2 penny printed in two different colours (blue and black/lake and scarlet in 1943-shown here), 3 penny (light blue and grey-blue) 5 pence (sage-green and purple-brown), 1 shilling (slate blue and violet), 1 shilling and threepence (chocolate and light-blue), 2 shillings (carmine and blue-in 1946), 2 shillings and sixpence (sepia and dull-green),4 shillings (vermilion and purple), 5 shillings (blue and vermilion), 10 shillings (orange and black).
 Illustrated below are the watermark used in the issue and the penny/halfpenny, 2 penny, 3 penny and 1 shilling and threepence values from the set, with a larger detail of the 2 penny value.

Falkland Islands and Dependencies George the 6th Postage Stamp Overprints

Postage stamps of the Falkland Islands and Dependencies were issued in 1944 with a red overprint (Dependency Of) for South Georgia, South Shetlands, South Orkneys and Graham Land (with bolder lettering). The values were 1 halfpenny (black and green), 1 penny (black and violet), 2 penny (black and carmine-red), 3 penny (black and blue), 4 penny (black and purple), sixpence (black and brown), ninepence (black and grey-blue), 1 shilling (deep blue). Values and colours were the same for all Dependencies with the red overprint identifying their origin. Below are illustrations of some of these values and overprints. The first illustration shows the watermark used.

Falkland Islands Dependencies Postage Stamps of George the 6th

Illustrated below is a partial set of postage stamps for the Falkland Islands and Dependencies during the reign of George the 6th. The set was issued in 1946 and the values were 1 halfpenny (black and green), 1 penny (black and violet), 2 penny (black and carmine) 3 penny (black and blue), 4 penny (black and claret), 6 penny (black and orange), 9 pence (black and brown), 1 shilling (black and purple). The watermark was multiples of CA sideways. The set had many faults with missing letters, "extra islands", with the map being redrawn again to correct some of the faults.This set was issued in 1948 with the map drawn thinner and clearer. Below are illustrated the halfpenny, 2 penny/halfpenny,(added in 1949) 3 penny, 9 pence and 1 shilling values of this issue. Below that are some details showing another fault, the map not aligned properly and printed so overlapping the border and stamp value. With the 1 shilling showing the proper alignment. This set has a higher value than the original issue.

Pitcairn Islands Postage Stamps of George the 6th

Illustrated below is a partial set of Pitcairn Islands postage stamps issued in 1940 in the reign of George the 6th. The set contains values 1 halfpenny (orange and green), 1 penny (mauve and magenta), 1 penny/halfpenny (grey and carmine), 2 penny (green and brown), 3 penny (yellow-green and blue), 4 penny (black and emerald-green), 6 penny (brown and grey-blue), 8 penny (olive-green and magenta), 1 shilling (violet and grey), 2 shillings and six pence (green and brown), The 3 pence issue is known to exist with watermark inverted and can command a very high price. Illustrated here are the halfpenny, penny, penny/halfpenny, 2 penny, 3 penny and sixpence values. Below them is an illustration of the watermark used for the issue.

Locating the Plate Number on the British Penny Red Postage Stamp

Illustrated below is an example of the British Penny Red postage stamp. The plate number is located on the side of the stamp within the linear curves running down the edge of the stamp, The first example shows the plate number 157. The second example shows the plate number 160. The numbers can be located on both left and right edges of the stamp. Plate numbers were introduced on April 1st 1864.

Postage stamps of the Japanese Occupation of Burma during World War 2

Illustrated below is a partial set of postage stamps issued by Japanese occupation forces in Burma during World War 2. Issued in 1943 and litho'd by G Kolff & Co of Batavia. The values were a 1cent (red-orange), 2 cent (yellow green), 3 cent (deep-violet and variety in bright-violet), 5 cent (carmine), 10 cent (blue),15 cent (red-orange) 20 cent (yellow-green), 30 cent (olive-brown), 1 rupee (red-orange) and 2 rupee (bright-violet). The illustrations used for the stamps "A Burmese Woman" "An Elephant Carrying a Log" and "A Watchtower in Mandalay". Missing from the illustrations below are the 1,3 and 10 cent issues.