PAPUA (New Guinea)

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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.

GERMAN NEW GUINEA

Before the introduction of its own stamps, the stamps of Germany (2 M 1875 and 1880 and 1889 issues) were used in German New Guinea (from 1888 onwards), example:

(10 p forerunner used in Stephansort in 1895)

Stamps thus used are called 'forerunners' or 'Vorlaufer'.

1897 Stamps of Germany overprinted 'Deutsch-Neu-Guinea'

On numeral issue:

  3 p brown
  5 p green

On eagle issue

  10 p red
  20 p blue
  25 p orange
  50 p brown

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 p	***	***
5 p	**	***
10 p	**	***
20 p	***	***
25 p	***	***	With inverted overprint: RRR
50 p	R	***

The misprint with inverted overprint, 25 p, was issued in one sheet of 100 stamps only. This sheet was not issued at the post office.

Stephansort cancel

If I'm well informed some stamps exist cancelled to order with the following cancels: 1/11 01, 17/2 02 and 25/10 01.

These stamps have been forged. Example of Fournier forgeries (both stamp and overprint are forged, I've seen all values of this particular forgery):

Fournier offered these forgeries in his 1914 pricelist for 2 Swiss Francs (all 6 values). For more information on forgeries of the German colonies click here. If the Fournier forgeries are cancelled, they often (always?) have the cancel 'STEPHANSORT 16 5 99 *' (as in the above 20 p forgery).

Forged 'Deutsch Neu-Guinea' overprints on genuine German stamps also exist, example:

(Forged overprint on genuine German stamp cancelled 'KESKASTEL', nowadays situated in Alsace, France)

1900 Ship of the Emperor

Small size

  3 p brown
  5 p green
  10 p red
  20 p blue
  25 p orange and black on yellow
  30 p orange and black
  40 p red and black
  50 p lilac and black
  80 p red and black on red

Large size

  1 M red
  2 M blue
  3 M violet and black
  5 M black and red

These stamps are peforated 14 and issued without watermark. Stamps with watermark were only available at the philatelic stamp office in Berlin (they could not be shipped to the colony due to World War I).

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
No Watermark
3 p	c	*
5 p	*	*	Inscription 'DEUTSCH-NEUGUINEA'
10 p	*	*	Inscription 'DEUTSCH-NEUGUINEA'
20 p	c	*
25 p	c	***
30 p	c	***
40 p	c	***
50 p	c	***
80 p	*	***
1 M	**	***
2 M	***	R
3 M	***	RR
5 M	R	RR	Inscription 'DEUTSCH-NEU-GUINEA'
With watermark 'Lozenges'
3 p	c	-
5 p	c	-	Inscription 'DEUTSCH-NEUGUINEA'
10 p	c	-	Inscription 'DEUTSCH-NEUGUINEA'
5 M	***	-	Inscription 'DEUTSCH-NEUGUINEA'

Fournier has made forgeries of the small ship design. For more information on forgeries of the German colonies click here.

(Fournier forgery)

1914 British occupation, stamps of 1900 surcharged with 'G.R.I.' and value

Genuine?

Small size
  1 d on 3 p brown
  1 d on 5 p green
  '1' on 2 d on 10 p red
  '1' on 2 d on 20 p blue
  2 d on 10 p red
  2 d on 20 p blue
  2 1/2 d on 10 p red
  2 1/2 d on 20 p blue
  3 d on 25 p orange and black on yellow
  3 d on 30 p orange and black
  4 d on 40 p red and black
  5 d on 50 p lilac and black
  8 d on 80 p red and black on red

There are two types of this overprint: Type 1: 3 1/2 to 4 mm between 'G.R.I' and the value or type 2: 3 1/2 to 4 mm between 'G.R.I.' and the value. All overprints are on stamps without watermark.

  'O.S. G.R.I. 1d.' on 3 p brown (Official stamp)
  'O.S. G.R.I. 1d.' on 5 p green (Official stamp)

Large size

  1 Sh on 1 M red
  2 Sh on 2 M blue
  3 Sh on 3 M violet and black
  5 Sh on 5 M black 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 p on 3 p	***	***
1 p on 5 p	***	***
2 p on 10 p	***	***
2 p on 20 p	***	***
2 1/2 p on 20 p	R	R
3 p on 25 p	RR	RR
4 p on 40 p	RR	RR
5 p on 50 p	RR	RR
8 p on 80 p	RR	RR
1 Sh on 1 M	RRR	RRR
2 Sh on 2 M	RRR	RRR
3 Sh on 3 M	RRR	RRR
5 Sh on 5 M	RRR	RRR
Official stamps
1 p on 3 p	*	*
1 p on 5 p	***	***

Stamps of the Marshall Islands with similar overprints were also used in New Guinea.

Be careful with forged overprints on this issue!

Example of an obvious forgery:

(Forged overprint on a stamp with watermark and inscription 'NEUGUINEA' instead of 'NEU-GUINEA')

1914 British occupation, registration labels overprinted with 'G.R.I. 3 d.', with names of various cities; Deulon, Friedrich-Wilhelmshafen, Herbertshohe, Kawieng, Kieta, Manus, Rabaul and Stephansort

Rabaul genuine

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
Rabaul	R	R
Friedrich-Wilhelmshafen	R	R
Herbertshöhe	R	R
Käwieng	R	R	2 types
Manus	RRR	RRR
Kieta	R	R

Later issues for this country can be found under Papua.

Mourning labels for the German colonies

Labels commemorating the loss of the German colonies exist, including for German New Guinea. They have the size of the large 'Hohenzollern' yacht issue. The stamps have a coloured center surrounded by a black design.

Reduced sizes

Unissued Stamp

1913 Inscription 'DEUTSCH - ENGLISCHE LUFTSCHIFFEXPEDITION Z. ERFORSCHUNG V. NEU-GUINEA', expedition to explore New Guinea, however World War I prevented the expedition from taking off

  2 p blue

Neu Guinea Compagnie

I have seen an unused 'Parcel Adress' (Packetadresse) card of this company, with an imprinted value impression (lion with one front leg up) in the value 2 M red. I don't know when these cards were issued. The company was founded in 1884.