'RHODESIA 1890-1895

(British South Africa Company)

Return To Catalogue - Rhodesia 1896-1920 - Northern Rhodesia - Southern Rhodesia

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1890 Arms of Rhodesia, inscription: 'BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA COMPANY'

  1/2 p blue and red
  1 p black
  2 p green and red
  3 p black and green
  4 p brown and black
  6 p blue
  8 p red and blue
  1 Sh brown
  2 Sh red
  2 Sh 6 p lilac
  3 Sh brown and green
  4 Sh grey and red
  5 Sh yellow
  10 Sh green

Larger size

(Reduced size)

  1 Pound blue
  2 Pounds red
  5 Pounds green
  10 Pounds brown

Surcharged

  '1/2 d.' on 6 p blue
  '2 d.' on 6 p blue
  '4 d.' on 6 p blue
  '8 d.' on 1 Sh brown
  'One Penny' on 3 p grey and green
  'One Penny' on 4 Sh grey and red
  'THREE PENCE' on 5 Sh yellow

Most of these stamps are perforated 14. The 2 p and 4 p also exist with perforation 12 1/2. The 2 Pounds value was issued with perforation 15 and slightly different colour shades in 1897. The higher values (1 Pound above) were mainly used for fiscal purposes. Often the fiscal cancel was removed from these stamps and they are offered as unused (or even with forged cancel, see picture below). Fiscally used stamps are worth much less than postally used ones.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Higher values exist, but are fiscal values: 50 Pounds on 2 Pounds red, 100 Pounds on 5 Pounds green and 200 Pounds on 10 Pounds brown (only one copy known to exist!).

'One Penny' on 4 Sh with 'P' inverted error (genuine) and 'THREE PENCE' on 5 Sh with inverted 'R' (genuine); both images obtained from a Sotheby's auction

Forgeries:

Ongelia/Panelli forgeries:

Oneglia forgeries (overprint totally different from a genuine overprint), Oneglia also forged the 8d. on 1 Sh stamp.

The overprints are completely different from the genuine overprints in the above forgeries. Note that the stamps themselves are forged also (see the 'S' of 'SIX', the 'C' of 'PENCE' and the strange perforation). They also exists with "B.C.A." overprints.

These forgeries appear lithographed to me. They often appear with the cancel 'GULAWAYO JY 20 92 RHODESIA', although other cancel exist on Oneglia forgeries.

Some other primitive (lithographed?) forgeries of the 2 Pounds, 5 Pounds and 10 Pounds values. They also exist with blur cancels (the same GULAWAYO cancel as shown above? See also next image). The 1, 2 and 5 Pounds value can be distinguished, in my view, by the upper left corner of the value tablet which has an extension to the upper left hand side connecting it to the vertical line besides it. Also compare the 'S' of 'POUNDS' which is totally different from a genuine stamp.

Note the broad smile on the face of the lion on this forgery of the 2 Pounds value (a characteristic of the Ongelia forgery, see: http://www.cjrstamps.com/forgeries-database/81-forgery-database/111-oneglia.html). This forgery is the same as the previous set. Next to it a 1 Pound forgery with 'B.C.A.' overprint (British Central Africa).

Oneglia also forged the 1 Sh brown and 2 Sh red (both badly done bottom inscription). He also forged the 2 Sh 6 p brown stamp.

A forged cancel (probably the fiscal cancel was removed):

(forged cancel)

Forged surcharge of the '8d.' and forged cancel 'FRANCESTOWN 1 MY 95 S-AFRICA.' in a single circle, made by the forger Fournier as they can be found in 'The Fournier Album of Philatelic forgeries'

The large amount of remainders of this issue were cancelled to order (after 1917 with backdated cancels).

These stamps with overprint 'B.C.A.' were used in Nyasaland (British Central Africa).

1897 Arms, value in 4 corners

  1/2 p grey and lilac
  1 p red and green
  2 p brown and lilac
  3 p brown and blue
  4 p blue and lilac
  6 p lilac and red
  8 p green and violet on lilac
  1 Sh green and blue
  2 Sh blue and green on lilac
  2 Sh 6 p brown and violet on yellow
  3 Sh green and lilac on blue
  4 Sh red and blue on green
  5 Sh red and green
  10 Sh grey and red on red
  1 Pound black and brown on green

(The two types)

For the specialist: two types of these stamps exist: In type 1 the ribbon with text goes behind the outer legs of the two animals and there are dots in the corners (behind the values). In type 2 the ribbon stays in between the legs and there are rays. The values 1 Sh, 2 Sh, 2 Sh 6 p, 3 Sh, 4 Sh and 10 Sh only exist in type 1, the value 1 Pound only exists in type 2. The other values exist in both types. Fiscally used stamps are worth much less than postally used ones (c to *).

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

For the issues of Rhodesia 1896-1920 click here.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer