NOSSI-BE

Nossi-Bé (French Colony in Africa)

Return To Catalogue - Nossi-Be, postage due stamps - Madagascar - France

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Nossi-Be is a small island close to the northwest coast of Madagascar.

"NSB" Nossi Be cancel and circular date cancel "NOSSI-BE" on stamps of the French colonies.

1889 Stamp of the French Colonies of 1876 'Peace and Commerce' surcharged

  "25" (blue) on 40 c red
  "25 c." on 40 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
'25' on 40 c	RRR	RRR
'25 c.' on 40 c	RRR	RRR

1889 Stamps of the French Colonies of 1881, surcharged

  '5 c.' (blue) on 10 c black
  '5' (blue) on 10 c black
  '5 c.' (blue) on 20 c red on green
  '5' (blue) on 20 c red on green
  '15' (blue) on 20 c red on green
  '25' (blue) on 30 c brown
  '25' (blue) on 40 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
'5 c' on 10 c	RRR	RRR	Exists with surcharge in a smaller type?
'5' on 10 c	RRR	RRR
'5 c' on 20 c	RRR	RRR	Exists with surcharge in a smaller type?
'5' on 20 c	RRR	RRR
15 c on 20 c	RRR	RRR
25 c on 30 c	RRR	RRR
25 c on 40 c	RRR	RRR

Smaller '5 c' on 20 c surcharge

I've noticed that the cancel is often blue (the same color as the overprint). Also note that the '8' of the year appears to be inverted in the cancel.

Forged overprints exist, example:

(Forged overprint, reduced size)

Very dubious item, most likely a forged overprint. It appears to have a Senegal cancel.

Fournier forgery, the stamp, overprint and cancel "NOSSI-BE 10 OCT 95 MADAGASCAR" are all forged. Next to it the same forged cancel, but taken from a Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries. Note that the perforation of the stamp does not match in the corners.

Other forgery.

1890 Stamps of the French colonies, surcharged "NSB" and value:

Image reproduced with permission from: http://www.sandafayre.com 25 on 75 c red with border

  'NSB 25 c.' on 20 c red on green
  'NSB 25 c.' and border on 20 c red on green
  'NSB 25 c.' on 75 c red
  'NSB 25 c.' and border on 75 c red
  'NSB 25 c.' on 1 F green
  'NSB 25 c.' and border on 1 F green
  'NSB 0 25' on 20 c red on green
  'NSB 0 25' on 75 c red
  'NSB 0 25' on 1 F 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
25 c on 20 c	RRR	RRR	Without border, only 400 stamps issued
25 c on 20 c	RRR	RRR	With border, only 200 stamps issued
25 c on 75 c	RRR	RRR	Without border, only 400 stamps issued
25 c on 75 c	RRR	RRR	With border, only 200 stamps issued
25 c on 1 F	RR	RR	Without border
25 c on 1 F	RRR	RRR	With border, only 200 stamps issued
025 on 20 c	RRR	RRR	Only 400 stamps issued
025 on 75 c	RR	RR
025 on 1 F	RR	RR

Apparently, some of these types were printed together, here a strip of three stamps with all the 25 c on 20 c types:

(Reduced sizes)

Forged overprints exist, example:

(Forged overprint, reduced size)

The forger Fournier made forgeries of these stamps.

Page with forged Fournier overprints, at the bottom the forged Nossi-Be overprints. Image obtained from http://asppi.org/faux.php?affichage=fournier_fr

This might be a Fournier forged overprint on a genuine stamp. Note the short right leg of the "N", the very open "S" and the closed corners of the rectangles.

Handmade(?) primitive forgery.

1893 Stamps of the french colonies surcharged "Nossi-Be" or "NOSSI BE" (some with additional surcharge)

  10 c black (overprint in red)
  15 c blue
  20 c red on green (overprinted in black or blue)
  25 on 20 c red on green
  50 on 10 c black
  75 on 15 c blue
  1 F on 5 c 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
10 c	R	***
15 c	R	R
20 c	RR	RR	Blue overprint (different type): RR
25 c on 20 c	RR	RR
50 c on 10 c	RR	RR
75 c on 15 c	RR	RR
1 F on 5 c	RR	RR

Forgery, stamp, overprint and cancel are forged (note that the perforation in the corners does not 'match').

1893 French colonies type, inscription "NOSSI-BE" coloured

  1 c black
  2 c brown on yellowish
  4 c brown
  5 c green
  10 c black
  15 c blue
  20 c red on yellow
  25 c black
  30 c brown
  40 c orange
  50 c red
  75 c lilac
  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.

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 c	*	*
2 c	*	*
4 c	**	**
5 c	**	**
10 c	***	***
15 c	***	***	With network underprint
20 c	***	***
25 c	***	***
30 c	***	***
40 c	***	***
50 c	***	***
75 c	R	R
1 F	***	***

I have seen an envelope in the same design (5 c green, Nossi-Be in red).

Fournier has made forgeries of these stamps, example:

Note that the perforation is different in the corners compared to genuine stamps. For more information on these forgeries click here.

Forged cancel made by Fournier "HELVILLE 22 AVRIL 09 NOSSI-BE" as taken from a Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries.

This might be a more modern forgery; note that the accent on the "E" of "BE" is in the wrong direction.

Stamp of Madagascar of 1895 with 'NOSSI BE' cancel.

For Nossi-Be, postage due stamps "chiffre taxe" or "A PERCEVOIR", click here.