BENIN, GOLFE DE BENIN

(French Colony in West Africa)

Return To Catalogue - Benin 1892 issue - France

Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the cd's;
contact me if you want to purchase them: evert@klaseboer.com.


Unsurcharged stamp of the French Colonies used in Benin.

For stamps of the French colonies, overprinted "BENIN" see: Benin 1892 issue.

 

1893 French colonies Tablet type, inscription "GOLFE DE BENIN" coloured

20 c red on green 

  1 c black
  2 c brown on yellow
  4 c brown
  5 c green
  10 c black
  15 c blue
  20 c red on yellow
  25 c black
  30 c brown
  40 c orange
  50 c red
  75 c lilac
  1 F green

These stamps have perforation 14 x 13 1/2. For stamps in the same Tablet design, but for other French colonies, click here.

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
1 c c c  
2 c * *  
4 c c c  
5 c * *  
10 c * *  
15 c ** ** With underprint
20 c * *  
25 c *** **  
30 c ** **  
40 c * *  
50 c * *  
75 c * *  
1 F *** ***  


With cancel "COORESPce MILITAIRE GRAND POPO BENIN"

Forgeries:


Fournier forgeries


(Fournier forgery, reduced size)

The above stamps are Fournier forgeries (note the perforation in the corners!)? For more information on these forgeries click here. I've seen a 1 F forgery with the forged cancel "COTONOU 17 NOV. 92 BENIN" (see also the above 2 c Fournier forgery).


Fournier Album with forged cancels. The cancel "COTONOU 17 NOV. 92 BENIN" can be found in the third row, first can


Probably a modern forgery of Benin.

 

1894 French colonies Tablet type, as 1893 issue but inscription "BENIN"


  1 c black
  2 c brown on yellow
  4 c brown
  5 c green
  10 c black
  15 c blue
  20 c red on green
  25 c black
  30 c brown
  40 c orange
  50 c red
  75 c lilac
  1 F green

These stamps have perforation 14 x 13 1/2. For stamps in the same Tablet design, but for other French colonies, click here.

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
1 c c c  
2 c c c  
4 c * *  
5 c * *  
10 c * *  
15 c * c With underprint
20 c ** **  
25 c ** **  
30 c ** **  
40 c ** **  
50 c ** **  
75 c ** **  
1 F ** **  

Forgeries:


Fournier forgeries


Fournier forgeries (note the perforation in the corners!)? For more information on these forgeries click here.

 

The territory of BENIN was incorporated in the territory of DAHOMEY in 1899. The remaining stocks of the stamps of BENIN were used in this country.

Dahomey took up the name Benin and started re-issuing stamps again in 1976.

Postage Due stamps

1894 French Colonies postage due stamps overprinted 'BENIN'

Image obtained from a Harmers auction 

  5 c black
  10 c black
  20 c black
  30 c black

The overprint exists horizontally, upwards or downwards.

Value of the stamps

 
vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon
 
*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
5 c R ***  
10 c R ***  
20 c R ***  
30 c R ***  

The cancel on the next stamps is 'PORTO NOVO 17 MARS 94 BENIN'. The size of the overprint is also different from the one above, could they be forgeries?

The forger Fournier also made forgeries of these stamps, he offers the set of 4 stamps for 2 Swiss Francs in his 1914 pricelist. Sorry, no image available yet.


Bogus block of four 3 c and 5 c stamps with forged "DIEGO SUAREZ", "TAHITI", "BENIN" and "OBOCK" overprints. The basic stamps are also forged.

Cancels

I've seen cancels of the towns of Cotonou, Grand-Popo and Porto-Novo.

15 c red overprint

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer