DIEGO SUAREZ

Return To Catalogue - Diego Suarez, postage due stamps - Madagascar

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.

Diego Suarez is a city in the north of Madagascar.

1890 Stamps of the french colonies, surcharged by hand in violet

  "15" on 1 c black
  "15" on 5 c green
  "15" on 10 c black
  "15" on 20 c red on green
  "15" on 25 c black

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

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

At least the forger Fournier made forgeries of the '15' surcharge. According to the Serrane guide, the horizontal top of the '5' extends too far to the right.

Fournier forged overprints and surcharge as they can be found in the 'Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries'.

1890 Various designs, large sizes, imperforate

I presume the above stamps are genuine, but I am not 100 % sure....

  1 c black (ship)
  5 c black (two persons)
  15 c black (two persons)
  25 c black (person with helmet)

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

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

Cancels: besides circular "DIEGO-SUAREZ MADAGASCAR" cancels with date in the center (almost all with September and October 1890 dates, of which many could be forged), I have also seen some "CORPS D'ARMEES DIEGO SUAREZ" in an octogonal shape.

Forgeries exist of these stamps. Many of them are rather deceptive (photo-lithographed?). The Serrane guide says that the color of the genuine stamps should be greyish instead of black. It also says that the genuine stamps have white spots in the black lines (due to thick ink or the quality of the paper). The site http://www.geocities.com/claghorn1p/DiegoSuarez/index.htm also provides useful information.

Example of a block of forgeries sold by the forger Fournier as they can be found in 'The Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries':

Fournier forgeries. As taken from a Fournier Album. On the back the words "FAC-SIMILE" are printed. On Bill Claghorn's forgery site a similar album is pictured, but now each stamp is cancelled with a forged cancel "DIEGO-SUAREZ 15 MARS 90 MADAGASCAR".

I've seen these Fournier forgeries with cancel "DIEGO SUAREZ MADAGASCAR 15 MARS 90", for a picture of such a cancel from a Fournier Album click here. The forged cancels that can be found there are "DIEGO-SUAREZ 15 MARS 90 MADAGASCAR", "DIEGO SUAREZ 28 SEP 91 MADAGASCAR" and "DIEGO-SUAREZ 1 SEPT 92 MADAGASCAR"
Distinguishing characteristics of the Fournier forgeries:
1 c: The mast just above the "1" should have an (almost) vertical left part. In the Fournier forgery, it is clearly slanting. The highest wave should touch the ship (there is no opening between the wave and the ship) in the genuine stamps.
5 c: If my information is correct, there is a dot above the "R" of "REPUBLIQUE". The hair of the second woman should have a hole in the front part (which is lacking in the Fournier forgeries).
15 c: The bottom of the "R" of "SUAREZ" is too close to the bottom of the "E" of this word. The hair of the person on the left has openings in the top (the hairline should not be a continuous line).
25 c: The left bottom part of the "2" should have a vertical part. The Fournier forgery is sharply pointed here instead of being blunt. In the above Fournier forgeries the "-" between "DIEGO" and "SUAREZ" is missing. The genuine stamp has only 8 shading lines on the helmet, the Fournier forgery has more shading lines (about 11). The bottom of the "C" of "FRANC" (almost) touches the bottom frameline (it is quite far from the frameline in the genuine stamps).

A Fournier forgery of the 1 c; this stamp has the "DIEGO SUAREZ MADAGASCAR 15 MARS 90" cancel

Other set of primitive forgeries. Note the badly done lettering and the dented upper left and lower right corner of the 25 c value. I've seen these forgeries printed in blocks of four (one of each value), the 1 c and 5 c on top and the 15 c and 25 c printed below.

Rather deceptive forgeries of the 1 c, there is an opening between the back of ship and the uppermost wavy line just beside it. The cancels "DIEGO SUAREZ 27 SEPT 90 MADAGASCAR" (mentioned in the Serrane guide) and "DIEGO SUAREZ 3 OCT 90 MADAGASCAR" are highly suspicious. The left hand vertical side of the value label (with 1 c.) appears too thick in this forgery.

In my opinion, the cancel "DIEGO SUAREZ 26 SEPT 90 MADAGASCAR" is also highly suspicious. Many stamps (forgeries?) appear with this date.

Most likely a forgery, sail too rounded, "c" of "1 c." slanting, "R" of "REPUBLIQUE" too far to the left, waves different etc.

Another forgery of the 15 c? It has the 3 OCT 90 cancel.

Forgery of the 5 c, with a continous hairline of the left person (it should have breaks). The lines above the "EP" of "REPUBLIQUE" are different as well. This forgery exists with cancels "28 FEV 91" or "15 MARS 90" as well (see Claghorn's forgery site for an example).

Highly suspicious item, the '2' has a pointed left bottom part (it should be blunt).

Reduced size; the central mast is much lower than in the above stamp (forgery?)

Similar fiscal stamp 'OCTROI', issued in 1890.

1891 Mythical figure, inscription "POSTE 1891", imperforate

  5 c black

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

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

I've been told that these are forgeries, I don't know the distinguishing characteristics

The forger Fournier offers forgeries of this stamp in his 1914 pricelist.

1891-1892 Stamps of the french colonies overprinted

Overprinted "1891 DIEGO-SUAREZ 5 c" diagonally

(Reduced size)

Inverted overprints

  5 c (red) on 10 c black
  5 c on 20 red on green

Overprinted "DIEGO-SUAREZ" diagonally

  1 c black (overprinted in red)
  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 (overprinted in red)
  35 c violet on yellow
  75 c red
  1 F green (overprinted in red)

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

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

The values 1 c, 2 c, 5 c, 10 c, 25 c, 30 c and 35 c also exist with inverted overprint. The following stamp is a fake inverted overprint:

The forger Fournier made forgeries of these stamps (both the stamps and overprint is forged). He often used the forged cancel "DIEGO SUAREZ 28 SEP 91 MADAGASCAR" on his forgeries. For a picture of such a cancel from a Fournier Album click here. See also under French colonies, forgeries for distinguishing characteristics of the basic French Colonies stamps.

Fournier forged overprints and surcharge as they can be found in the 'Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries'.

Fournier forgery, the stamp, the overprint and the cancels "DIEGO SUAREZ 28 SEP. 91 MADAGASCAR" or "DIEGO SUAREZ 1 SEPT 92" are forged.

1892 French colonies type, inscription "DIEGO SUAREZ ET DEPENDANCES" in red or blue

  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 brown on yellow
  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.

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

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

In 1903 stamps of Madagascar and Diego Suarez exist bisected and cancelled with the inscription: "Affranchissement exceptionel (faute de timbres)" or "Affranchissement special faute de figurines.-" or "Affranchi ainsi Faute figurine" or "ffranch. except, faute de Timbres" or "Affranchi ainsi faute figurine" or "Affranch.t exceptionnel faute de Timbres" or "Affranch. except. faute de Timbres" or ":0,05 Affranchi ainsi faute de figurines".

("Affranchi ainsi Faute figurine" overprint on bisected stamp, reduced size)

"Affranchissement special faute de figurines"

"Affranchissement exceptionnel (faute de Timbres.)"

For a similar overprint on Madagascar click here.

Forgeries:

(Fournier forgery)

Fournier has made forgeries of these stamps, for more information on these forgeries click here.

1893 French colonies type, inscription "DIEGO SUAREZ" in red or blue

  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 brown on yellow
  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.

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

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

Forgeries:

(Fournier forgery, reduced size)

Some other Fournier forgeries

Fournier has made forgeries of these stamps, for more information on these forgeries click here.

From 1998 on the stamps of Madagascar were used.

In 1902 the remainders were surcharged with a "0,05" or "0,10" (actually an issue for Madagascar):

1902 Stamps of 1893 surcharged

  '0,05' on 30 c brown
  '0,10' on 50 c red

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

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

Forgery:

A forgery, probably made by Fournier.

For Diego Suarez, postage due stamps, click here.

Bogus issues

Arthur Maury (stamp dealer in Paris, who also issued a stamp catalogue) made bogus Diego Suarez stamps by overprinting the current French stamps with the initials D.S. and a line (see http://www.doig.net/Maury.html). I have never seen this bogus issue myself.

(Another bogus issue, stamp of French Colonies with overprint "D.SUAREZ")

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer