HONG KONG

Return To Catalogue - Miscellaneous - 1903-1920 issues - Queen Victoria, forgeries - cancels

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.


Hongkong was ceded to Great Britain at the end of the Opium-war in 1842. Hongkong was then leased for a period of 99 years in 1898. In 1997 Hongkong was returned to China.

Before the introduction of special stamps for Hongkong in 1862, stamps of Great Britain were used with cancels "B56", "B57" and "B62". In the post office of Hongkong in Macao a cancel with a "M" was used.

1862 Queen Victoria

2 c green Shanghai cancel 4 c grey, Singapore cancel 5 c yellow 10 c blue 10 c violet 10 c green 12 c blue 30 c lilac Certified genuine 96 c brown, image obtained from http://www.sandafayre.com 96 c brownish grey


(The rare 4 c with perforation 12 1/2, image obtained from http://www.sandafayre.com)

  2 c green
  2 c red
  2 c brown
  4 c red
  4 c grey
  5 c blue
  5 c yellow
  6 c lilac
  8 c brown
  8 c yellow
  10 c lilac on red
  10 c blue
  10 c lilac
  10 c green
  12 c blue
  16 c yellow
  18 c violet
  24 c green
  30 c red
  30 c lilac
  30 c green
  30 c brown
  48 c red
  48 c brown
  96 c brownish grey
  96 c brown (olive bistre)

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
With no watermark, perforated 14 (1862)
2 c brown RR R  
8 c brown RR R  
12 c blue RR R  
18 c RR R  
24 c RRR RR  
48 c red RRR RR  
96 c grey RRR RR  
With watermark 'CC Crown', perforated 14 (1863 onwards)
2 c brown R **  
2 c red *** ***  
4 c grey *** ** Exists with perforation 12 1/2: RR
5 c blue R ***  
6 c RR ***  
8 c yellow RR **  
10 c lilac RR ***  
12 c blue *** ***  
16 c RRR R  
18 c RRR RR  
24 c RR ***  
30 c red RR R  
30 c lilac R ***  
48 c red RR ***  
48 c brown RR RR  
96 c brown RRR RRR  
96 c grey RR ***  
With watermark 'CA Crown', perforated 14 (1882 onwards)
2 c red ** c  
2 c green * *  
4 c grey ** *  
4 c red * *  
5 c blue ** *  
5 c yellow *** **  
10 c lilac RR ***  
10 c green R *  
10 c lilac on red ** *  
10 c blue ** *  
12 c *** ***  
30 c green *** ***  
30 c brown *** ***  
Surcharged

Postcard stamp Variety with short 'T' in 'CENTS', image obtained from a Cavendish auction '5 cents.' on 18 c lilac Image obtained from a Cavendish auction '10 cents.' on 24 c green Image obtained from a Cavendish auction '14 cents.' on 30 c lilac '20 CENTS' on 30 c red

  '3 CENTS.' on 16 c yellow (postcard stamp)
  'THREE' on '5 CENTS.' on 18 c lilac (postcard stamp)
  '5 cents.' on 8 c yellow
  '5 cents.' on 18 c lilac
  '5 CENTS.' on 18 c lilac (postcard stamp)
  '7 cents.' on 10 c green
  '10 cents.' on 12 c blue
  '10 cents.' on 16 c yellow
  '10 cents.' on 24 c green
  '10 CENTS' on 30 c green
  '14 cents.' on 30 c lilac
  '16 cents.' on 18 c lilac
  '20 CENTS' on 30 c red
  '20 CENTS' on 30 c green
  '28 cents.' on 30 c lilac
  '50 CENTS' on 48 c brown
  '50 CENTS' on 48 c lilac
  '1 DOLLAR' on 96 c olive
  '1 DOLLAR' on 96 c grey
  '1 DOLLAR' on 96 c lilac on 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
'3 CENTS.' on 16 c yellow RR RR Watermark 'CC Crown'
'THREE' on '5 CENTS.' on 18 c lilac RRR RRR Watermark 'CC Crown'
'5 cents.' on 8 c yellow RR R Watermark 'CC Crown'
Exists with inverted overprint: RRR
'5 cents.' on 18 c lilac RR R Watermark 'CC Crown'
'5 CENTS.' on 18 c lilac RR RR Watermark 'CC Crown'
'7 cents.' on 10 c green *** *** Watermark 'CA Crown'
Exists with double overprint: RRR
'10 cents.' on 12 c blue RR *** Watermark 'CC Crown'
'10 cents.' on 16 c yellow RRR RR Watermark 'CC Crown'
Exists with inverted overprint: RRR
'10 cents.' on 24 c green RR R Watermark 'CC Crown'
'10 CENTS' on 30 c green R R Watermark 'CA Crown'
'14 cents.' on 30 c lilac R R Watermark 'CC Crown'
'16 cents.' on 18 c lilac RRR RR Watermark 'CC Crown'
'20 CENTS' on 30 c red R *** Watermark 'CA Crown'
'20 CENTS' on 30 c green R *** Watermark 'CA Crown'
'28 cents.' on 30 c lilac RR R Watermark 'CC Crown'
'50 CENTS' on 48 c brown RR *** Watermark 'CA Crown'
'50 CENTS' on 48 c lilac R R Watermark 'CA Crown'
'1 DOLLAR' on 96 c olive RR R Watermark 'CA Crown'
'1 DOLLAR' on 96 c lilac on red RR RR Watermark 'CA Crown'
'1 DOLLAR' on 96 c grey RR RR Watermark 'CA Crown'
Surcharged with value and chinese signs at the left

'50 CENTS' + Chinese text on 48 c lilac

  '10 CENTS' + chinese text on 30 c green
  '20 CENTS' + chinese text on 30 c green
  '50 CENTS' + chinese text on 48 c lilac
  '1 DOLLAR' + chinese text on 96 c lilac on red
  '1 DOLLAR' + chinese text on 96 c grey

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
'10 CENTS' + chinese text on 30 c green *** *** Watermark 'CA Crown'
'20 CENTS' + chinese text on 30 c green *** *** Watermark 'CA Crown'
'50 CENTS' + chinese text on 48 c lilac *** *** Watermark 'CA Crown'
'1 DOLLAR' + chinese text on 96 c lilac on red RR *** Watermark 'CA Crown'
'1 DOLLAR' + chinese text on 96 c grey R *** Watermark 'CA Crown'
Surcharged "1841 Hong Kong JUBILEE 1891"

  2 c 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
2 c red R R Watermark 'CA Crown'

The Jubilee overprint was only in use for three days. Literature: 'The 1891 Jubilee Overprint of Hong Kong' by D. S. H. Chan: the 1st setting, 2nd setting and all the printings and positions are illustrated. The double overprints, the numerous varieties, cancellations, treaty port cancellations and forgeries are described (I have not seen this book myself).

Stamps with overprint "S.O." + chinese characters (Stamp Office: 2 c red or 10 c lilac on red) or "S.D." + chinese characters (Stamp Duty; 2 c red) are fiscal stamps issued in 1891.


Probably genuine overprints


Forged 'S.O.' overprint

Stamps with vertical overprint "Service." (reading upwards or downwards) are probably bogus issues (I've seen the values 2 c brown and 12 c blue with this overprint). See http://www.hkpsoc.com/articles/service_stamps.html for pictures and more details.

 

For forgeries of this issue, click here and for cancels click here.


Postal Fiscals

The values 2 $ green, 3 $ lilac and 10 $ red of the 1867 fiscal issue were allowed for postal usage in 1874. The surcharged stamps 5 $ on 10 $ lilac on red and 1 $ on 2 $ green could also be used for this purpose as well as a 2 c lilac in a smaller design (fiscal stamp of 1873). Other values can be found with postal cancels, but are either forgeries or unauthorised usage of fiscal stamps.

3 $ violet, used in Shanghai
(Postally used? fiscal stamp of $3, reduced size)

P.S. The cancel 'HONG KONG PAID ALL' in black is a fiscal cancel and not a postal one. This cancel in red was used on envelopes only (not on stamps) on mail from the USA from 1868 to 1877:


(Fiscal cancel 'HONG KONG PAID ALL)

For more info on these fiscal stamps click here.


Copyright by Evert Klaseboer