British post offices in Turkey

Return To Catalogue - Great Britain

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I've seen stamps of Great Britain cancelled with a 'C' in a pattern of lines; this is a cancel used in Constantinopel. Other cancels that were used are 'G06' (Beirut) and 'F87' (Smyrna):

'C' cancel: Constantinopel (now called Istanbul), 'F87' Smyrna (Turkey) and 'G06' Beyrout.

1885 Stamps of Great Britain of 1883 surcharged in 'PARAS' or 'PIASTRES'

  40 pa on 2 1/2 p lilac
  80 pa on 5 p green
  12 Pi on 2 Sh 6 p lilac

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
40 pa on 2 1/2 p	***	***
80 pa on 5 p	R	***
12 Pi on 2 Sh 6 p	R	R

In the Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries, the following forged surcharge of '12 PIASTRES' can be found that was used by the forger Fournier:

Fournier forged surcharge

I've been told that this is a forgery, probably a fiscally used stamp with forged overprint and cancel. The '1' of '12' appears to be different from a genuine stamp (top left part too wide).

1885 Stamps of Great Britain of 1887 surcharged in 'PARAS' or 'PIASTRES'

  40 pa on 1/2 p orange (1893, only used a few days)
  40 pa on 2 1/2 p lilac on blue
  80 pa on 5 p lilac and blue
  4 Pi on 10 p red and lilac

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
40 pa on 1/2 p	RR	RR	See remarks below
40 pa on 2 1/2 p	**	c
80 pa on 5 p	***	**
4 Pi on 10 p	***	***

The 40 pa on 1/2 p orange was issued as a provisional issue due to a lack of 40 pa stamps. The overprints were done manually. 6000 stamps were made and they were only valid from 25 February to 1 March 1893. Thousands of reprints were made by a postal employee using the original overprint and cancelling equipment. These reprints show a fully damaged 'S'. See also: http://www.oneps.org/Journal/Art01/BrOff.htm.

I have seen forged surcharges of the 40 pa on 1/2 p orange:

Two forged '40 PARAS' surcharges

In the Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries, the following two forged surcharges of '4 PIASTRES' and '40 PARAS' can be found that were used by the forger Fournier:

Forged sucharges made by the forger Fournier

Fournier offers 3 forged stamps of 1885-1903 in his 1914 pricelist for a total amount of 1.50 Swiss Francs (presumably the two above surcharges and the one of the previous issue). The following cancels 'BRITISH POST-OFFICE STAMBOUL 5 IY 94' and 'BRITISH - POST - OFFICE STAMBOUL C FE 28 93' can also be found in this album:

Forged cancels of the forger Fournier as found in 'The Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries'. He might also have used these cancels on forgeries of the previous issue

Forged '40 PARAS' overprint and forged cancel on a 1/2 p orange stamp

1902 King Edward stamps of Great Britain, surcharged in 'PARAS' or 'PIASTRES'

(reduced sizes)

(Reduced size)

  30 pa on 1 1/2 p lilac and green (1909)
  40 pa on 2 1/2 p blue
  80 pa on 5 p lilac and blue
  1 Pi on 2 1/2 p blue (1906)
  1 Pi 10 pa on 3 p lilac on yellow (1909)
  1 1/4 Pi on 3 p lilac on yellow (1909)
  1 Pi 30 pa on 4 p brown and green (1909)
  1 Pi 30 pa on 4 p orange (1909)
  1 3/4 Pi on 4 p orange (1909)
  2 Pi on 5 p lilac and blue (1906)
  2 Pi 20 pa on 6 p lilac (1909)
  2 1/2 Pi on 6 p lilac (1909)
  4 Pi on 10 p red and lilac
  5 Pi on 1 Sh red and green (1909)
  12 Pi on 2 Sh 6 p lilac
  24 Pi on 5 Sh 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
30 pa on 1 1/2 p	**	**
40 pa on 2 1/2 p	**	*
80 pa on 5 p	***	***	Exists with small '0'
1 Pi on 2 1/2 p	**	c
1 Pi 10 pa on 3 p	R	R
1 1/4 Pi on 3 p	**	**
1 Pi 30 pa on 4 p brown and green	R	R
1 Pi 30 pa on 4 p orange	R	R
1 3/4 Pi on 4 p	**	**
2 Pi on 5 p	***	***
2 Pi 20 pa on 6 p	R	R
2 1/2 Pi on 6 p	**	**
4 Pi on 10 p	***	***
5 Pi on 1 Sh	***	***
12 Pi on 2 Sh 6 p	R	R
24 Pi on 5 Sh	RR	RR

In the Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries, the following forged surcharge of '24 PIASTRES' can be found that was used by the forger Fournier:

Forged Fournier sucharge

1905 King Edward stamps of Great Britain, overprinted 'LEVANT'

  1/2 p green
  1 p red
  1 1/2 p lilac and green
  2 p green and red
  2 1/2 p blue
  3 p lilac on yellow
  4 p brown and green
  5 p lilac and blue
  6 p lilac
  1 Sh red and green

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	*	*
1 p	*	*
1 1/2 p	***	***
2 p	**	**
2 1/2 p	R	R
3 p	***	***
4 p	***	R
5 p	R	R
6 p	R	R
1 Sh	R	R

Surcharged (issue for Beyruth)

Image reproduced with permission from: http://www.sandafayre.com

  1 Piastre on 2 p green 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 Pi on 2 p	RRR	RRR	Only 480 stamps issued

Some forged overprints:

(Forged 'LEVANT' overprints, reduced sizes)

In the Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries, the following forged overprint 'LEVANT' can be found that was used by the forger Fournier:

Forged 'LEVANT' overprint of the forger Fournier

Fournier offers the 10 forged values of this issue for a total amount of 5 Swiss Francs in his 1914 pricelist.

The forger Sperati made these two forged 'REGISTERED A 14 AP 10 SMYRNA' cancels. I do not know on which forged stamps he used them.

1911 King George stamps of Great Britain, overprinted 'LEVANT'

1 Sh brown

  1/2 p green
  1/2 p green (different type)
  1 p red
  1 p red (different type)
  2 p orange (1921)
  3 p violet (1921)
  4 p green (1921)
  5 p brown (1921)
  6 p lilac (1921)
  1 Sh brown (1921)
  2 Sh 6 p brown (1921)

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	*	*	Overprint exists on both basic types of this stamp
1/2 p	*	*	Other type
1 p	*	*	Overprint exists on both basic types of this stamp
1 p	*	*	Other type
2 p	*	*
3 p	*	*
4 p	**	**
5 p	**	**
6 p	**	*
1 Sh	***	**
2 Sh 6 p	R	***	'LEVANT' larger?

A similar overprint 'Levant' also exists on the values 1/2 p, 1 p, 2 p, 3 p, 4 p, 6 p, 9 p and 1 Sh (local issue of Saloniqi in 1916, all RR to RRR):

1911 onwards King George stamps of Great Britain, surcharged with Paras or Piastres

(Reduced sizes)

  30 pa on 1/2 p green
  30 pa on 1 1/2 p brown
  1 Pi on 2 1/2 p blue (1911) 
  1 1/4 Pi on 3 p violet
  1 1/2 Pi on 1 p red
  1 3/4 Pi on 4 p green
  3 3/4 Pi on 2 1/2 p blue
  4 Pi on 10 p blue
  4 1/2 Pi on 3 p violet
  5 Pi on 1 Sh brown
  7 1/2 Pi on 5 p brown
  15 Pi on 10 p blue
  18 3/4 Pi on 1 Sh brown
  45 Pi on 2 Sh 6 p brown
  90 Pi on 5 Sh red
  180 Pi on 10 Sh blue

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
30 pa on 1/2 p	c	*
30 pa on 1 1/2 p	**	**
1 Pi on 2 1/2 p	*	*
1 1/4 Pi on 3 p	***	***
1 1/2 Pi on 1 p	*	*
1 3/4 Pi on 4 p	***	***	Two types of the '4'
3 3/4 Pi on 2 1/2 p	*	*
4 Pi on 10 p	***	***
4 1/2 Pi on 3 p	*	*
5 Pi on 1 Sh	R	R
7 1/2 Pi on 5 p	*	*
15 Pi on 10 p	**	**
18 3/4 Pi on 1 Sh	***	***
45 Pi on 2 Sh 6 p	***	***
90 Pi on 5 Sh	R	***
180 Pi on 10 Sh	R	R