Return To Catalogue - Zanzibar 1904-1920 and miscellaneous - French Post offices in Zanzibar
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.
Zanzibar is an island not far from the coast of east Africa. British Indian Post was used from 1875 to 1895 in Zanzibar. It then became a British Protectorate. German post operated in Zanzibar from 1890 to 1891 and French post from 1889 to 1904. Zanzibar is now part of Tanzania.
Stamps of India used in Zanzibar
1/2 a green (overprint black or blue) 1 a brown (overprint black or blue) 1 a 6 p brown 2 a blue 2 a 6 p green 3 a brown 4 a green 6 a brown 8 a lilac 12 a lilac on red 1 R grey 1 R red and green 2 R brown and red 3 R green and brown 5 R violet and blue
Surcharged
'2 1/2' 1 a brown '2 1/2' (red) on 1 a 6 p brown '2 1/2' (red) on 2 p blue
6 different types of overprint exist (not all types were used on all stamps). Some other overprints exist, but were not used, they are very rare, example red overprint instead of black:
Some stamps exist with the second 'z' of 'Zanzibar' smaller, examples:
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 |
1/2 a | *** | *** | Blue overprint: RRR |
1 a | *** | *** | Blue overprint: RRR |
1 a 6 p | *** | *** | |
2 a | *** | *** | |
2 a 6 p | *** | *** | |
3 a | *** | *** | |
4 a | *** | *** | |
6 a | *** | *** | |
8 a | *** | *** | |
12 a | *** | *** | |
1 R grey | RR | RR | |
1 R red and green | R | R | |
2 R | R | R | |
2 R | RR | RR | |
5 R | RR | RR | |
Surcharged | |||
2 1/2 on 1 a | RR | RR | All types |
2 1/2 on 1 a 6 p | RR | RR | All types |
2 1/2 on 2 a | RR | RR | All types |
Some misprints exist, for example 'Zanzidar' instead of 'Zanzibar':
The next stamp has a forged 'Zanibar' overprint, the cancel 'BOMBAY' (India!) can still be faintly seen:
Forged blue overprints:
(Forged blue overprints)
Some forged overprints were made by the forger Fournier. In his 1914 pricelist he offers 11 stamps (1/2 a to 1 Rupee) for 8 Swiss Francs. The basic stamps were probably genuine. In the Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries an imprint of the forged overprints for this country can be found, example:
The first overprint '3 ANNAS ZANZIBAR' might have been used to make forged overprints for the French post offices in Zanzibar.
Forged cancel made by Fournier 'ZANZIBAR MA. 17 96'
A forgery of the 'Zanzidar' with 'd' misprint
1/2 a green 1 a red 2 1/2 a blue (overprint red) 4 1/2 a orange 5 a brown 7 1/2 a lilac
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 |
1/2 a | R | R | |
1 a | R | R | With double overprint: RRR |
2 1/2 a | R | R | |
4 1/2 a | R | R | |
5 a | R | R | |
7 1/2 a | R | R |
Some forged overprints were made by the forger Fournier. In his 1914 pricelist he offers 2stamps (1/2 a and 1 a) for 3 Swiss Francs. The basic stamps were probably genuine. In the Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries an imprint of the forged overprints for this country can be found, example:
1/2 a green and red 1 a blue and red 2 a brown and red 2 1/2 a blue and red 3 a grey and red 4 a green and red 4 1/2 a orange and red 5 a yellow and red 7 1/2 a lilac and red 8 a grey and red
These stamps have watermark 'Single Rose' or 'Multiple Roses' and perforation 14.
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 watermark 'Single Rose' (1897) | |||
1/2 a | ** | ** | |
1 a | ** | ** | |
2 a | ** | ** | |
2 1/2 a | ** | ** | |
3 a | *** | *** | |
4 a | *** | *** | |
4 1/2 a | *** | *** | |
5 a | *** | *** | |
7 1/2 a | *** | *** | |
8 a | *** | *** | |
With watermark 'Multiple Roses' (1898) | |||
1/2 a | ** | ** | |
1 a | ** | ** | |
2 a | ** | ** | |
2 1/2 a | ** | * | |
3 a | *** | *** | |
4 a | *** | *** | |
4 1/2 a | *** | *** | |
5 a | *** | *** | |
7 1/2 a | *** | *** | |
8 a | *** | *** |
Surcharged
'2 1/2' (3 types of overprint) on 4 a 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 |
2 1/2 on 4 a | RR | RR | Watermark 'Single Rose' |
Larger size
1 R blue and red 2 R green and red 3 R violet and red 4 R brown and red 5 R brown 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 |
Watermark 'Single Rose' | |||
1 R | *** | *** | |
2 R | R | R | |
3 R | R | R | |
4 R | R | R | |
5 R | RR | RR |
1/2 a green and red 1 a blue and red 1 a red 2 a brown and red 2 1/2 a blue and red 3 a grey and red 4 a green and red 4 1/2 a orange and red 4 1/2 a blue and red 5 a yellow and red 7 1/2 a lilac and red 8 a grey and red
These stamps have watermark 'Multiple Roses' and perforation 14.
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 |
1/2 a | * | * | |
1 a blue and red | * | * | |
1 a red | * | * | |
2 a | * | * | |
2 1/2 a | ** | ** | |
3 a | *** | *** | |
4 a | *** | *** | |
4 1/2 a orange and red | *** | *** | |
4 1/2 a blue and red | *** | *** | |
5 a | *** | *** | |
7 1/2 a | *** | *** | |
8 a | *** | *** |
Surcharged
'One' on 4 1/2 a orange and red 'One' (red) on 4 1/2 a blue and red 'Two' (red) on 4 a green and red 'Two & Half' on 7 1/2 a lilac and red 'Two & Half' on 8 a grey 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 a on 4 1/2 a orange and red | *** | *** | |
1 a on 4 1/2 a blue and red | *** | *** | |
2 a on 4 a | R | R | |
2 1/2 a on 7 1/2 a | R | R | |
2 1/2 a on 8 a | R | R |
Larger size
1 R blue and red 2 R green and red 3 R violet and red 4 R red 5 R brown and red
These stamps have watermark 'Single Rose'.
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 R | R | R | |
2 R | RR | R | |
3 R | RR | RR | |
4 R | RR | RR | |
5 R | RR | RR |
(Reduced size)
I have seen newspaper wrappers in the same design: 1/2 a green and 1 a red (only 1 colour, no red lines for both wrappers). The inscription on the wrapper reads: 'This wrapper may only be used for Newspapers, or for such documents as are allowed to be sent at the Book-rate of postage, and must not enclose any letter or communication of the nature of a letter (whether seperate or otherwise). If this rule be infringed, the packet will be charged as a letter.'
The next 'stamps(?)' in one colour 1/2 a red and 1/2 a green have printed perforation (which has been cut out with scissors later):
I don't know anything about the provenance of these forgeries. The design is also diffferent from the wrappers above.
For stamps of Zanzibar issued from 1904 to 1920 and miscellaneous, click here.
Stamps - Timbres Poste - Briefmarken - Postzegels