JOHORE (JOHOR)

Return To Catalogue - Straits Settlements - Other Malay states

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.

1876 Stamp of Straits Settlements overprinted with moon and star

This stamp as sold by a Harmers auction (image obtained thanks to Kok-Kiong Loh)

(Certified genuine, reduced size)

  2 c brown (extremely rare)

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

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

The status of this stamp was for a long time questionable. Due to the extreme rarity of the stamp, it was considered bogus or a cancel. Even the fact that it came from Johore was disputed. Only in 1923 it was proven that it was genuine and most certainly from Johore. It is not clear how many stamps were (manually) overprinted in this manner, but only a few have survived. The cancel is usually a rectangle consiting of 8x9 dots. Source: The Postage Stamps of the native protected States of Malaya by F.E. Wood, F.R.P.S.L. Part II Johore, Kedah, Kelantan, Trengganu, Federated Malay States, page 3-4. The number of stamps that still exist is about ten.

From 1878 to June 1884 no overprinted stamps were used in Johore (the post office even stopped to exist...).

1884 Stamps of Straits Settlements overprinted (different types of overprint exist)

("JOHORE" on Straits Settlements)

(Reduced sizes)

  'JOHORE' on 2 c red (6 types)
  'JOHOR' on 2 c red (6 types)
  'JOHOR Two CENTS' (4 types of 'Two CENTS') on 24 c green

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

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

Typical cancel, double circle with crescent and star and 'JOHOR BAHRU' written between the two circles.

"CENST" misprint.

1892 Sultan Abu Bakar

(Reduced sizes)

  1 c lilac
  2 c lilac and yellow
  3 c lilac and red
  4 c lilac and black
  5 c lilac and green
  6 c lilac and blue
  1 Dollar green and red

These stamps have perforation 14 and no watermark.

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

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

Surcharged (1891)

  '3 cents.' and bar on 4 c lilac and black
  '3 cents.' and bar on 5 c lilac and green
  '3 cents.' and bar on 6 c lilac and blue
  '3 cents.' and bar on 1 Dollar green and red

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

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

Coronation issue, previous stamps overprinted "KEMAHKOTAAN" (1896)

(Reduced sizes)

  1 c lilac
  2 c lilac and yellow
  3 c lilac and red
  4 c lilac and black
  5 c lilac and green
  6 c lilac and blue
  1 Dollar green and red

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

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

1896 Sultan Ibrahim

  1 c green
  2 c green and blue
  3 c green and lilac
  4 c green and red
  4 c yellow and red
  5 c green and brown
  6 c green and yellow
  10 c green and black
  25 c green and violet
  50 c green and red
  1 Dollar lilac and green
  2 Dollar lilac and red
  3 Dollar lilac and blue
  4 Dollar lilac and brown
  5 Dollar lilac and yellow

These stamps have perforation 14 and watermark 'Lotus Flower'. Many of the higher values (25 c and above) are more common fiscally used than postally used.

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

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

Surcharged

  '3 cents.' on 4 c yellow and red
  '10 cents' on 4 c green and red
  '10 CENTS.' on 4 c green and red
  '10 CENTS.' on 4 c yellow and red
  '50 Cents.' on 3 Dollar lilac and blue
  '50 CENTS.' on 5 Dollar lilac and yellow
  'One Dollar' on 2 Dollar lilac and red

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

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

1904 Sultan Ibrahim wihout moustache

  1 c lilac and green
  1 c lilac and black
  2 c lilac and orange
  2 c lilac and green
  2 c lilac and brown
  2 c green
  3 c lilac and black
  3 c green
  3 c lilac and brown
  4 c lilac and red
  5 c lilac and green
  6 c lilac and brown
  8 c lilac and blue
  10 c lilac and black
  10 c lilac and blue
  10 c lilac and yellow
  12 c lilac and blue
  12 c blue
  21 c lilac and orange
  25 c lilac and green
  30 c lilac and orange
  40 c lilac and brown
  50 c lilac and red
  1 Dollar green and lilac
  2 Dollar green and red
  3 Dollar green and blue
  4 Dollar green and brown
  5 Dollar green and orange
  10 Dollar green and black
  50 Dollar green and blue
  100 Dollar green and red
  500 Dollar blue and red

Surcharged

  '3 CENTS.' on 8 c lilac and blue

These stamps have perforation 14. Many of the higher values (50 c and above) are more common fiscally used than postally used.

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

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

Stamp with fiscal cancel:

(Stamp with fiscal cancel)

Overprinted 'DAI NIPPON 2602', issued during the Japanese occupation, also exists with additional surcharge; 29 different values exist. Also with additional Japanes overprint (4 Japanese characters in a straight line), one value: 1 $ on 1 c lilac and black.

Forgery of the 100 Dollar and 500 Dollar stamps.

1935 Commemorative stamps with the Sultan and his wife

  8 c black and violet

1940 a stamp with portrait of the Sultan

  8 c blue and black

This stamp exists overprinted 'DAI NIPPON 2602' and surcharged '25 cts.' (issued under Japanese occupation).

1948 Royal Silver Wedding (King and Queen of Great Britain), inscription 'MALAYA JOHORE'

For stamps in a similar design, but for another British colony, click here

  10 c violet (smaller size)
  5 $ green

1949 New permanent set with the image of Sultan Sir Ibrahim (with military hat, 21 values ranging from 1 c to 5 $)

  1 c black
  2 c orange
  3 c green
  4 c brown
  5 c lilac
  6 c grey
  8 c green
  8 c red
  10 c lilac
  12 c red
  15 c blue
  20 c green and black
  20 c blue
  25 c orange and lilac
  30 c lilac and red
  35 c lilac and red
  40 c lilac and red
  50 c blue and black
  1 $ lilac and blue
  2 $ red and green
  5 $ brown and green

1949 UPU issue, inscription 'MALAYA-JOHORE' (design similar to many other British colonies)

For stamps in a similar design, but for another British colony, click here

  10 c lilac
  15 c blue
  25 c orange
  50 c grey

These UPU stamps were issued in the following Malayan states (all with different country name): Johore, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negri-Sembilan, Perak, Perlis, Selangor, Singapore and Trengganu.

1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth, inscription 'CORONATION JUNE 1953 MALAYA JOHORE', design identical to many other British colonies

For stamps in a similar design, but for other British colonies, click here

  10 c lilac and black

These coronation stamps were issued in the following Malayan states (all with different country name): Johore, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negri-Sembilan, Pahang, Penang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor, Trengganu.

1955 Diamond Jubilee of Sultan Sir Ibrahim

  10 c red

1960 Coronation of Sultan Sir Ismail

  10 c yellow, brown and black

1960 Permanent set, various designs with image of Sultan Sir Ismail

  11 values

1965 Orchid issue

  7 values

Postage Due Stamps

1938 Postage due stamps were issued in 1938

  1 c red
  4 c green
  8 c orange
  10 c brown
  12 c lilac

In 1942, these stamps received a Japanese overprint (during the Japanese occupation).

Bogus issue made by the stamp forger Moquette

The stamp forger Moquette (from Dutch East Indies) made a forgery of Johore. It is listed in 'Handbuch fur Postmarkensammler' by Ferdinand Meyer (1881, publisher G.Zechmeyer). This book says (page 237):

1878 Wappenschild mit Stern und Halbmond, darüber die Jahreszahl 1295 (1878) in persischen Zifferzeichen inmitten eines zweilinigen Kreises auf farbigem Grunde. Grosses Quadratformat mit ausgerundeten Ecken (Achteck), oben >Postage< unten rechts und links >One - Anna<, links die Werthangabe in Sanskrit, rechts in neuindischer und unten in persischer Schrift, zweifarbiger Dr., dünnes gelbliches, indisches P. verge, ungezähnt.
1. One (1) Anna schwarz, Mitte orange.....

Sorry no imagea available of a real stamp (black and orange). This black and white image was obtained from 'Le Timbre Poste' by Moens, September 1879, No 201, page 76.

The following text can be found in Le Timbre Poste:
JOHORE. Il nous vient tant de timbres indiens depuis quelque temps qu'il est bon d'être sur ses gardes, en présence surtout des mystifications dont nous avons parlé le mois dernier. Le timbre ici présent, que nous accueillons avec méfiance, nous est communiqué par M. Moquette; le cadre est noir, le centre orange, imprimé sur papier indien mince vergé et jaunâtre ; au milieu est le millésime 1295 (1878). 1 anna, noir et orange.

According to Moens, essais in other colors also exist.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer