CAMEROONS (Kamerun), German colony

Cameroun

Return To Catalogue - Cameroons, French occupation and French colony

Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the cd's;
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Stamps of Germany used in Cameroons

Stamps of Germany, used in Cameroons:

These stamps are called 'forerunner' or 'Vorlaufer' in German.

German colony

1897 Stamps of Germany surcharged 'Kamerun'

On numeral issue:

3 p brown and 5 p green 

  3 p brown
  5 p green

Different design, eagle

  10 p red
  20 p blue
  25 p orange
  50 p brown

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
3 p * *  
5 p * *  
10 p * *  
20 p * *  
25 p *** ***  
50 p ** ***  

These stamps exist cancelled to order, if I'm well informed these cancels should be with the dates '29 10 01' and '23 10 01'.

Forgeries:


(Fournier forgeries)

The forger Fournier has made forgeries of these stamps (both stamps and overprints are forged), for more information click here. He has used the cancel 'KAMERUN 3 2 98 *' on his cancelled forgeries (see images above).


Forgery with too small overprint.

 

1900 German colony type (ship)

Small size


(Reduced size)

  3 p brown
  5 p green
  10 p red
  20 p blue
  25 p orange and black
  30 p orange and black
  40 p red and black
  50 p violet and black
  80 p red and black on red

Large size


  1 M red
  2 M blue
  3 M violet
  5 M black and red

The small stamps have perforation 14 x 14 1/4, the Mark values 14 1/4.

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
No Watermark (1900)
3 p c c  
5 p * *  
10 p ** *  
20 p * *  
25 p c **  
30 p c *  
40 p c *  
50 p c ***  
80 p * *  
1 M *** ***  
2 M ** ***  
3 M ** R  
5 M R R  
With watermark 'Lozenges' (1905)
3 p c -  
5 p c c  
10 p c c  
20 p c ***  
1 M * -  
5 M *** RR  

The values 3 p and 1 M with watermark 'Lozenges' were only available for sale in Berlin. They were never used in Cameroons.

Forgeries:


(Fournier forgery)

The forger Fournier has made forgeries of the pfennig stamps, for more information click here.

I have seen so-called Hialeah forgeries of the 20 c value, the 1 M imperforate, 3 M and 5 M imperforate value. The cancelled forgeries are all badly perforated and badly executed. They seem to have been made with a computer scanner and printer and are offered in great quantities on Ebay (2003-2004). I have also seen some vertically bisected 20 c values on a piece of an envelope with a 'LONGJI 17 5 11' cancel and besides it a black seal with text 'KAISERLICHE DEUTSCHE POST LONGJI KAMERUN'.


(Some Hialeah forgeries, reduced sizes)

 

Bogus issues:

Bogus issues, a 10 p stamp of Germany, overprinted with 'KAMERUN' and 'PIASTER' and a 10 p stamp with 'Kamerun' only, such stamps were never issued:

French and British occupation

1915 British occupation, stamps of German Cameroons overprinted 'C.E.F' (Cameroon Expeditionary Force) and value


(Reduced size)

  '1/2 d.' (blue) on 3 p brown
  '1/2 d.' on 5 p green
  '1 d.' (blue or black) on 10 p red
  '2 d.' on 20 p blue
  '2 1/2 d.' on 25 p orange and black on yellow
  '3 d.' on 30 p orange and black 
  '4 d.' on 40 p red and black
  '6 d.' on 50 p violet and black 
  '8 d.' on 80 p red and black on red
  '1 Sh.' on 1 M red
  '2 Sh.' on 2 M blue
  '3 Sh.' on 3 M violet
  '5 Sh.' on 5 M black and red

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
1/2 p on 3 p * *  
1/2 p on 5 p * *  
1 p on 10 p * * Blue overprint: *
Black overprint: **
2 p on 20 p * *  
2 1/2 p on 25 p * *  
3 p on 30 p * *  
4 p on 40 p * *  
6 p on 50 p * *  
8 p on 80 p * *  
1 Sh on 1 M R R  
2 Sh on 2 M R R  
3 Sh on 3 M R R  
5 Sh on 5 M R R  

It seems that in the British occupation zone, the stamps of Lagos and Nigeria (also North and South Nigeria) were also valid for postage.

Cancels

The cancels that I've often seen on stamps of Cameroons are: 'Kamerun', 'Kribi' and 'Duala'.


Cancel "DEUTSCHE SEEPOST LINIE HAMBURG WESTAFRIKA"

Mourning labels for the German colonies

Labels commemorating the loss of the German colonies exist, including for Cameroons. They have the size of the large 'Hohenzollern' yacht issue. The stamps have a coloured center surrounded by a black design.


Reduced sizes

Literature

Volume 3 of the series German Colonies: Kamerun, Togo, by Hans-Henning Gerlach and Andreas Birken, published by Philathek-Verlag, Germany (2000), hard cover, 91 pages: 34 full page color maps including the ship routes, 24 pages History and Postal History, with priced catalogue of all Cameroon and Togo cancels. (I haven't seen this book myself)

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer