BRITISH HONDURAS (BELIZE) 1866-1890

Return To Catalogue - British Honduras 1891-1920

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.

Currency: 12 Pence = 1 Shilling ; After 1888: 100 Cents = 1 Dollar

The cancel "A06" was used in British Honduras (also on stamps of Great Britain before 1866).

1866 Queen Victoria

  1 p blue
  1 p red
  3 p brown
  4 p violet
  6 p red
  6 p yellow
  1 Sh green
  1 Sh grey

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Surcharged in "CENTS"(1888 onwards)

  '1 CENT' on 1 p green
  '2 CENTS' on 1 p red (2 types; small and fat overprint)
  '2 CENTS' on 6 p red 
  'TWO' (red) on '50 CENTS' on 1 Sh grey
  '3 CENTS' on 3 p brown (2 types; small and fat overprint)
  'FIVE' on '3 CENTS' on 3 p brown
  '6' (red) on '10 CENTS' on 4 p violet
  '6' (black) on '10 CENTS' on 4 p violet
  '6 CENTS' on 3 p blue
  '10 CENTS' on 4 p violet (2 types; small and fat overprint)
  '15' (red) on '6 CENTS' on 3 p blue
  '20 CENTS' on 6 p yellow (2 types; small and fat overprint)
  '50 CENTS' on 1 Sh grey (2 types; small and fat overprint)

These surcharges became necessary after the currency changes to 'CENTS'. The 'small' overprints were made locally, the 'fat' ones were made in London.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

The value 50 c on 1 Sh exists overprinted "REVENUE".

"REVENUE" overprint on 50 c on 1 Sh

The values 2 c on 1 p red and 2 c on 6 p red exist bisected as shown here:

I have seen many envelopes and a piece of an envelope, all adressed to Mr. W.G.Aikman (the postmaster) in Belize. If anybody knows more about these Aikman covers, please contact me.

Typical cancels:

Bar pattern with "O" in the center.

Forgeries:

The above stamps are probably Spiro forgeries, first of the cancel is a typical 'forgers' cancel (note the often occuring four-ring and the New South Wales cancel), furthermore the word "PENCE" is written much too low in the 1 p and 3 p stamps. They have no watermark. Note that the buckle is different for different values in the genuine stamps. The 1 p, 6 p and 1 Sh of the forgeries have the buckle of the genuine 1 p, the 3 p of the forgeries has no buckle at all.

In the above forgeries the left stamp has the inscription "SIX SPENCE" (with an additional "S"!) and the middle stamp has the inscription "THREE PENNY" instead of "THREE PENCE".

An imperforate forgery and perforated forgery (from the same forger?) and even a non-existing 6 p green forgery, all with very large pearls on the crown:

Some other forgeries, apparently made by the same foger.

Another forgery of the 1 Sh value with the side ornaments different

And two other forgeries with the side ornaments different, also the Queen looks very 'sour'. I have seen this particular forgery cancelled with a pattern of square dots.

Forged inverted overprint:

Most likely a forged "10 CENTS" overprint on a genuine 4 p stamp.

An overprint with "TWO" in black (instead of red) on "50 CENTS" on 1 Sh grey is a bogus issue.

Sperati forgeries

Sperati made forgeries of the 6 p and 1 Sh values.

Front and backside of a cancel as used by the forger Sperati:

Front and backside of a forged "A06" cancel as used by Sperati. Sperati also forged another cancel similar to the above one, but with "O" in the center.

Sperati forgery of the 6 p value; this forgery is very deceptive.

For issues of British Honduras from 1891 to 1920 click here.

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