GREAT BRITAIN OFFICIAL STAMPS

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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.

Note: many stamps with forged overprint exist!

For example, the forger Francois Fournier, has made forged overprints of almost all official stamps of Great Britain (on cheap genuine stamps).


(Forged Fournier overprints, taken from a Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries)


Forged stamps as taken from a Fournier Album.

Many other forgers have been active in this field.

ADMIRALITY OFFICIAL

1902 King Edward overprinted "ADMIRALITY OFFICIAL"

Certified genuine overprint 

  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

There are two types of this overprint, differing mainly in the "M" and "D". In type I, "ADMIRALTY" has a size of 15 3/4 mm, in type II it has 16 1/4 mm.

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

Type I
1/2 p *** ***  
1 p *** *  
1 1/2 p RR R  
2 p R ***  
2 1/2 p RR R  
3 p RR R  
Type II
1/2 p *** ***  
1 p *** *  
1 1/2 p RR RR  
2 p RRR RR  
2 1/2 p RRR RR  
3 p RR R  

ARMY OFFICIAL

1896 Queen Victoria, overprinted "ARMY OFFICIAL"

  1/2 p orange
  1/2 p green (1900, can be decoloured to blue)
  1 p lilac
  2 1/2 p lilac on blue
  6 p lilac on red (1900)

The overprint is similar on the 1/2 p and 1 p values. The overprint on the 2 1/2 p and 6 p is of a different type.

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 orange * c  
1/2 p green * c  
1 p * c  
2 1/2 p ** **  
6 p *** ***  

 

1902 King Edward, overprinted "ARMY OFFICIAL"

6 p lilac "ARMY OFFICIAL"

  1/2 p green
  1 p red
  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
1/2 p * c  
1 p * c  
6 p *** *** A very rare overprint in a different type exists: RR

BOARD OF EDUCATION

1902 Queen Victoria, overprinted "BOARD OF EDUCATION"

  5 p lilac and blue
  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
5 p RR RR  
1 Sh RRR RRR  

 

1902 Kind Edward, overprinted "BOARD OF EDUCATION"

5 p lilac and blue "BOARD OF EDUCATION" 

  1/2 p green
  1 p red
  2 1/2 p blue
  5 p lilac and blue
  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 R ***  
1 p R *  
2 1/2 p RR R  
5 p RRR RRR  
1 Sh RRR RRR  

Forgeries, example:


Forged 'BOARD OF EDUCATION' overprint on a 5 p stamp

BOARD OF TRADE

Some stamps of Queen Victoria and Edward VII exist with a perforation 'B.T ' and a crown.


'B.T Crown' perfin on 2 1/2 p blue Victoria stamp


Forged 'B.T Crown' perfin on a 1 p King Edward VII stamp

GOVERNMENT PARCELS

1883 Queen Victoria, overprinted "GOVt PARCELS"

4 1/2 p red and green 1 Sh red and green 1 Sh green

  1 p lilac (1897)
  1 1/2 p lilac
  1 1/2 p lilac and green (1887)
  2 p green and red (1887)
  4 1/2 p red and green (1887)
  6 p green
  6 p lilac on red (1887)
  9 p green
  9 p blue and lilac (1887)
  1 Sh orange
  1 Sh green (1887)
  1 Sh red and green (1901)

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 p *** *  
1 1/2 p lilac R ***  
1 1/2 p lilac and green *** *  
2 p *** **  
4 1/2 p R ***  
6 p green RRR RR  
6 p lilac on red R **  
9 p green RR R  
9 p blue and lilac R **  
1 Sh orange RR R  
1 Sh green R ***  
1 Sh red and green RR R  

 

1902 King Edward, overprinted "GOVt PARCELS"

  1 p red
  2 p green and red
  6 p lilac
  9 p blue and 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 p *** ***  
2 p R ***  
6 p R ***  
9 p R ***  
1 Sh RR R  

I.R. OFFICIAL (Inland Revenue)

1882 Queen Victoria, overprinted "I.R. OFFICIAL"

1/2 p green, discoloured to blue 1/2 p green 1/2 p blue 6 p black

1/2 p blue "I.R. OFFICIAL"

10 Sh blue "I.R. OFFICIAL", overprint 'SPECIMEN' 

  1/2 p green
  1/2 p green (different type, 1901)
  1/2 p blue (1885)
  1/2 p orange (1888)
  1 p lilac
  2 1/2 p lilac (1885)
  2 1/2 p lilac on blue (1888)
  6 p grey-brown
  6 p lilac on red (1901)
  1 Sh green (1885)
  1 Sh green (different type 1888)
  1 Sh red and green (1901)
  10 Sh blue (1885)
  1 Pound lilac (1885)
  1 Pound green (1890)

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 green *** **  
1/2 p green *** * 1901
1/2 p blue *** *  
1/2 p orange * c  
1 p * c  
2 1/2 p lilac RR R  
2 1/2 p lilac on blue R **  
6 p grey-brown R ***  
6 p lilac on red RR ***  
1 Sh green RRR RR  
1 Sh green R *** 1888
1 Sh red and green RRR RR  
10 Sh RRR RRR  
1 Pound lilac RRR RRR  
1 Pound green RRR RR  

 

1902 King Edward, overprinted "I.R. OFFICIAL"

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

  1/2 p green
  1 p red
  2 1/2 p blue
  1 Sh red and green
  5 Sh red
  10 Sh blue
  1 Pound 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 *** c  
2 1/2 p RRR RR  
1 Sh RRR RR  
5 Sh RRR RRR  
10 Sh RRR RRR  
1 Pound RRR RRR  

Forgeries, example:


(Forged overprints)


(Forged 'I.R. OFFICIAL' overprint on a telegraph stamp)


Usually the overprints are forged, but this forgery of the 6 p grey-brown Queen Victoria has the basic stamp forged as well. The face and lettering are different from a genuine stamp, the perforation was originally printed, but appears to have been cut out later (see for example the bottom of the stamp).

O.W. OFFICIAL (Office of Works)

1896 Queen Victoria, overprinted "O.W. OFFICIAL" 

  1/2 p orange
  1/2 p green (1901)
  1 p lilac
  5 p lilac and blue (1901)
  10 p red and lilac (1901)

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 orange R ***  
1/2 p green R R  
1 p R ***  
5 p RR RR  
10 p RR RR  

The next stamp is a forgery, the cancel is applied over the postmark!

Forgery!

Other forgeries:

Forgery!

 

1902 King Edward, overprinted "O.W. OFFICIAL"

'O.W. OFFICIAL' Image reproduced with permission from: http://www.sandafayre.com

  1/2 p green
  1 p red
  2 p green and red
  2 1/2 p blue
  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
1/2 p R ***  
1 p R ***  
2 p RR R  
2 1/2 p RR R  
10 p RRR RRR  


(Forged overprint, there is a small dot below the first 'I' of 'OFFICIAL' in this forgery)

R.H. OFFICIAL (Royal Household)

1902 King Edward, overprinted "R.H. OFFICIAL"

1 p red "R.H. OFFICIAL"

  1/2 p green
  1 p 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 RR RR  
1 p RR R  

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer