COOK ISLANDS (Rarotonga)

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The Cook Islands consist of: Aitutaki, Niue, Penrhyn and Rarotonga.

1892 Stars, inscription 'POSTAGE COOK ISLANDS FEDERATION'

  1 p black
  1 1/2 p violet
  2 1/2 p blue
  10 p red

These stamps have perforation 12 1/2.

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

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

Postal stationery in the same design, 1 p blue:

This postcard is quite rare (only 8643 were printed).

Cancels:

The cancel 'COOK ISLANDS P.O. RAROTONGA' in a circle (see first two images above) seems to be the most common. From 1893 to 1896 the following cancel was used (third image): 'RAROTONGA' in a straight line with the date above or below, the whole in a single circle (RAROTONGA below the date is rare and only used from May to July 1893). I've also seen 'POST OFFICE COOK ISLANDS' and date in a box (see 10 p image above) and several mute cancels. I don't know if the 'RAROTONGA' in between 7 bars is genuine.

Forgeries:

Example of a Fournier forgery:

Fournier forgery with cancel 'REGISTERED 2 SP 92 PALMERSTON'. I've also seen the 1 p and 10 p values with this cancel.

The forger Fournier offers deceptive forgeries of these stamps in his 1914 pricelist. He offers 3 values only (1 p, 2 1/2 p and 10 p) for 1.50 Swiss Francs. Apparently Fournier did not forge the 1 1/2 p value. The Fournier forgeries are too small. In 'The Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries' these stamps can be found cancelled with the above registration cancel 'REGISTERED 2 SP 92 PALMERSTON' or a numeral cancel '12' with dots at the sides and two lines above and below the '12'. I've also seen 'EGISTERED' in a straight line (probably part of 'REGISTERED'). Uncancelled and imperforate Fournier forgeries can also be found in this album. Apparently, Fournier did not make any forgeries of the 1 1/2 p value.

Two Fournier forgeries. The first numeral cancel '12' can be found in the Fournier Album, the 10 p bears the cancel 'REGISTERED 2 SP 92 PALMERSTON' once more.

Fournier forgeries of the 2 1/2 , 1 p and 10 p value as they can be found in 'The Fourier Album of Philatelic Forgeries' (reduced sizes)

Another set from a Fournier album.

Distinguishing characteristics for the 10 p (dot in front of 'E') and 2 1/2 p Fournier forgeries (line in lower right corner).

A 'REGISTERED' cancel taken from a Fournier Album (in the 'OBLITERATIONS DIVERSES' section); this cancel was probably used to cancel some of the above Fournier forgeries.

Distinguishing characteristics of the Fournier forgeries (according to the Serrane guide):
1 Penny: The 'Y' of 'PENNY" has the right hand top part too short. The 'N' of 'FEDERATION' also has a too short right hand leg at the top. There is a small dot in the lower part of the 'R' of this word.
2 1/2 Pence: the lower right corner has a blue vertical line in the ornaments that is not present in the genuine stamps.
10 Pence: There is a small dot in front of the 'E' of 'POSTAGE'

I've seen an imperforate 1 p stamp, is this a forgery?:

(Imperforate stamp)

I've been told that the next forgery has a watermark 'Script Crown CA' (which was never used on the genuine stamps; they have no watermark!). The watermark is larger than the genuine 'Script Crown CA' watermark.

(Forgery with watermark)

The same forgery as shown above, but now uncancelled. The outer frameline appears to be too thin and the lettering is slightly different; 'K' of 'COOK' etc. The 'P' of 'POSTAGE' has a very squeezed top part.

Another forgery (I've been told from Fournier, but it doesn't resemble the above forgery). It has the '2' in the '1/2' different. The 'S's of 'ISLANDS' are more open. The word 'POSTAGE' is thinner. A similar 1 p forgery is shown on http://www.numonesidentifier.com/country/35/, where the same 'APIA' cancel is used (Apia is situated in Samoa!). Both forgeries have a very thin outer frameline. The outer framelines also do not exhibit the typical breaks of the genuine stamps. Also note the 'P' of 'POSTAGE' which is similar to the 10 p forgeries shown above.

Another highly dubious item, the perforation is slanting and not far away enough from the design.

A nice site concerning these stamps can be found at: http://home.prcn.org/~pauld/ (site no longer active). The number of stamps issued was obtained from this site. The date of issue of all 4 stamps was 19 April 1892 (same source).

1892 Queen Makea

  1 p brown
  1 p blue
  1 p red
  1 1/2 p violet
  2 1/2 p red
  2 1/2 p blue
  5 p olive
  10 p green

Surcharged

  'ONE HALF PENNY' on 1 p blue

Overprinted with a crown

  1 p brown

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

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

I have seen a postcard in a similar design (1 p blue).

Forged crown overprint on a genuine stamp.

1894 Bird

  1/2 p blue
  1/2 p green
  2 p brown
  6 p lilac
  1 Sh red

The value of these stamps was printed seperately from the stamps, so the value has not always the same position on the stamps. The 2 p exists without value inscription:

(Misprint with no value inscription, only 60 of these misprints were issued)

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

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

Later issues, inscription 'RAROTONGA'

Rarotonga is the capital of the Cook Islands.

1919 Stamps of New Zealand overprinted 'RAROTONGA' and value

(Reduced size)

  'APA PENE' on 1/2 p green
  'TAI PENE' (blue) on 1 p red
  'TAI PENE E TE APA' (red) on 1 1/2 p orange
  'RUA PENE' (red) on 2 p yellow
  'RUA PENE E TE APA' (red) on 2 1/2 p blue
  'TORU PENE' (blue) on 3 p brown
  'A PENE' (blue) on 4 p violet
  'A PENE E TE APA' (blue) on 4 1/2 p green
  'ONO PENE' (blue) on 6 p red
  'ITU PENE E TE APA' (blue) on 7 1/2 p brown
  'IVA PENE' (red) on 9 p green
  'TAI TIRINGI' (blue) on 1 Sh red

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

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

1920 Pictorials

  1/2 p green and black
  1 p red and black
  1 1/2 p blue and black
  3 p brown and black
  6 p orange and black
  1 Sh violet and black

These stamps have perforation 14.

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

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

Two new stamps with a pictorial design were issued in 1926: 2 1/2 p brown and blue and 4 p violet and green.

Stamps with inverted center are most likely printer's waste.

1921 In 1921 some fiscal stamps of New Zealand were overprinted with 'RAROTONGA' in red or blue

  2 Sh blue (overprint red)
  2 Sh 6 p brown (overprint blue)
  5 Sh green (overprint red)
  10 Sh red (overprint blue)
  1 Pound red (overprint blue)

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

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

From 1932 on new stamps with inscription 'COOK ISLANDS' were issued again. The stamps of Aitutaki, Penrhyn and Rarotonga stopped issuing stamps, while Niue continued to issue its own stamps.

1932 Inscription 'COOK ISLANDS'

1/2 p green and black (captain Cook landing), 1 p red and black (portrait of Cook), 2 p brown and black (local ship), 2 1/2 p blue and black (hut at the beach), 4 p blue and black (island view), 6 p orange and black (steamer), 1 Sh violet and black (King George V)

Overprinted 'SILVER JUBILEE OF KING GEORGE V 1910 1935': 1 p red and brown, 2 1/2 p blue (red overprint), 6 p orange and green.

Stamps with inverted center are most likely printer's waste.

1936 Stamps of New Zealand (admirals), overprinted 'COOK ISLANDS'

2 Sh blue, 3 Sh violet.

1936 Fiscal stamps of New Zealand, overprinted 'COOK ISLANDS'

2 Sh 6 p brown, 5 Sh green (red overprint), 10 Sh red, 1 Pound red, 3 Pounds green (red overprint 1943).

1937 Coronation stamps of New Zealand, inscription '12th MAY 1937' portrait of King and Queen, with overprint 'COOK IS'DS'

For stamps in the same design, but for another British colony, click here

The values 1 p red, 2 1/2 p blue and 6 p orange were issued

1938 Various designs

1 Sh violet and black (King George VI), 2 Sh brown and black (hut with palm trees), 3 Sh green and blue (canoe and palm trees).

Unissued(?) stamp surcharged '3' on lilac and black (mountain with palm trees).

1946 Stamps of New Zealand (victory or peace issue), overprinted 'COOK ISLANDS'

1 p green (parliament house), 2 p lilac (Royal family), 6 p orange and brown (victory), 8 p red and black (knight).

1949 Local scenes

10 stamps were issued.

Forged Cook Islands cancel

A forgery of a 2 1/2 p Solomon Islands stamp with a bogus 'COOK ISLANDS' cancel

Websites, literature

An excellent site with much more information than I can ever give on the Cook Islands can be found at: http://home.prcn.org/~pauld/ (highly recommended!).

Cook Islands by B.W.H.Poole, Mekeel Philatelic Handbooks (1911), 24 pages.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer