15 Centimes – Combination V+C1

Stuart Smith

Back to square one!

It isn’t surprising that my findings, observations and commentary as published in the last Bulletin - would prompt a response and we are very appreciative of that from Léo Tavano. Whilst Mr. Tavano confirms and agrees all the detail in my article, he clearly and justifiably does not support the view that what we currently attribute as combination V+C1 – is actually IV4+C1.

I am inclined to agree and there is a moral to the story. If one wants a response to the possible one should suggest the improbable.

We are presumably of a similar opinion in that whilst it might have been a good idea to have produced a new transfer roll for the new plate ‘V’, this was not to be. It is supported by his opinion that the transfer roll with the two ‘tiny green circles’ had been introduced for the central column of ‘IV3’ (#5,15,25,35,45) and then used in producing the subsequent plate ‘V’. Mr. Tavano is confident that:

1. The positioning of a further state of ‘IV’, there would surely be some trace somewhere of the re-entries in positions 5,15,25,35 and 45 of ‘IV3’.

2. the ‘lay marks’ in ‘IV’, dividing positions18,19/28,29 and 12,13/22,23 are different to those in ‘V’.

If plate ‘V’ had been

Nysten covers – part 2

By – Walter Deijnckens - Continuation from Bulletin 132

Figure 1.

In November 2002 a number of covers addressed to Nysten were sold by ‘Rinen Auctions’ with nice foreign ship cancellations on Belgian Congo stamps. The first illustration was one of them, and had on it eight 30 c. and two 5c. stamps, making up the 20 gram - 2,50 fr. postal rate to Belgium which wasintroduced 7^th January 1946.

The Antwerp harbour PAKETBOOT/PAQUEBOT cancellation (Fig.1) was in use 1938 to 1969.

As well as other conclusions, which are summarised at the end of this article, it is apparent, that having no ‘receiving office’ mark and still remaining unopened, this cover is a Nysten produced philatelic item.

Deutsche Seepost Linie

Hamburg-OstAfrika and Hamburg-Westafrika

It has been suggested that both the card and envelope illustrated below, have forged cancellations. This opinion is based on lack of sharpness and the fact that the ink is grey rather than black, but whether this confirms forgery is a matter of opinion as everything else appears normal.

Figure 2. Figure 3.

The upper right hand picture postcard bears a painting of the interior of Antwerp ’s cathedral by Rubens with a manuscript S.S. Ubena on the picture side. The S,S. Ubena was a modern passenger ship (9,550 tons) in service from 1928 to 1945. Philip Cockrill in ‘The Woermann Steamship Line of Hambourg’confirms correct use of the ‘Type VI’ canceller (Fig.2). However the postal rate is completely out of order as it should have been a total of 0.75 fr. and not a modest 25c.

The IMPRIME - printed matter card, to Nysten at 156, Ave. des Petits Coqs, Anvers has been self addressed to himself as confirmed by the senders same name and address on the reverse side. The letter B at the base of the postmark (Fig.3) indicates use on the S.S. Wagogo, in service 1924 to 1936 and according to Philip Cockrill - this ‘Type III’ cancel is scarcer than the others because only six ships are recorded as using it.

Figure 4.

At the same auction I obtained one cover and one picture card of the ‘Hamburg-Westafrika Linie’ from the earlier period 1903-1904 along with two Belgian Houyoux stamps on piece dated 1935 (Fig.4). This latter I consider to be a Nysten product and whilst the cancel is slightly darker than the earlier period items, all three are definitely grey.

RANDAD & STEIN, LONGJI

Cover from Cameroon

Deutsches Schutzgebiet to Neubranderburg, Germany

The letter was posted in 1903 on board the S.S. Adolph Woermann II, confirmed by a ‘XX’ index (Fig.5) at the base of the cancel and recorded as in use in 1901, 1903 and 1906.

Figure 5.

Carte Postale

Picture card of Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast.

The ‘Carte Postale’ picture card was posted on board the Woermann S.S. Marie’ (Fig.6), indexed cancellation ‘XXIV’. in 1904, arriving in Metz 17 January 1905.

Figure 6.

-------------------------

French shipping lines

The French line ‘Compagnie de Navigation Fraissinet’ secured the connection from Marseille to Cotonou , ( Benin ) with extensions to Libreville ( Gabon ) from 1912 to 1932. Later, ‘Cie Fraissinet’ amalgamated with another company, ‘Fabre’ and it is recorded that their ships called at both Boma and Matadi from 1933 until the beginning of World War II.

Raymond Salles in ‘La Poste Maritime Française Vol.III’ refers to the shipping line ‘Cie Fraissinet’ and provides two examples of administrative cancels - however the one illustrated (Fig.7) is not included.

Figure 7 is the canceller of the S.S. Touareg. At that time, the postal rate for printed matter was 0.25 fr.

Figure 7. Figure 8.

The same type of ‘administration canceller’ was also being used by the ship owner ‘Chargeurs Réunis’ on the ship Brazza. This type of cancellation (Fig.8.) is shown on the cover to Mr de Villiers at Brasschaat, Anvers

-------------------------

Plymouth Ship Letters

PAQUEBOT

POSTED AT SEA

Illustrate are two covers with ‘Krag’ (Fig.9) and ‘two ring circular’ (Fig.10) Plymouth Devon , Paquebot cancellers. The ‘Krag type ’ PAQUEBOT/POSTED AT SEA was well chosen – being the rarest of its type – and once again self addressed by Nysten to himself. Whilst both items are undeniably philatelic, they have nevertheless passed legitimately through the postal system and carry genuine cancellations. The only unanswered question is how did Nysten get these two envelopes bearing Belgian Congo stamps cancelled, with their respective Paquebot marks?

Figure 9. Figure 10.

Conclusions

As a result of my studies I have tried to come to some sort of conclusion with regard to Walter Nysten’s working methods. We know he was well informed about Belgian Congo ’s postal services and that he found a way of servicing and presumably satisfying philatelic needs in this niche market. It was his business!

I have been unable to find any ‘Nysten’ covers with ‘Compagnie Maritime Belge’ cancellations and presume, albeit surprisingly, he considered these marks as being of no interest. Perhaps there was a sufficient abundance of material without the need to add even more philatelic material.
He was very well informed and familiar with postal routes, rates and the cancellers used ‘on board’ as well as at ‘post office administrative ports.’ It is a reasonable presumption that he had inside access to ‘on board servicing of prepared correspondence’. Certainly friends and employees of the shipping lines were helpful - perhaps this assistance included members of his own family!
‘Cancelled to order’ and passed back over the counter of any under value rated material had to have been facilitated with the connivance of a friendly post office insider. The occasional over value rating I believe to have little relevance, other than a convenient use of postage stamps available at the time.
It hasn’t been established when or if Nysten retired, but we do know he was still alive and active in 1946 when he moved to a new address - ‘Rue van Schoonbeke 81, Antwerp .
Editor’s comment - Whilst Nysten has been described by many as ‘a dubious and dangerous character’, it is fair to say that of the covers illustrated in these two articles, there is little or no confirmatory evidence that he acted as a forger. One could argue that he provided a philatelic service to willing customers. We are perhaps fortunate that he made available material, of which we might otherwise have been denied! The abundance of self-addressed covers suggests openness and therefore no serious intention to deceive. (A similar service was provided by several U.K. based dealers, none of whom was ever categorised as being either dangerous or a forger.)

That Nysten did sometimes deceive and forge is not apparent in this study by Walter Deijnckens - something no doubt that others may be able and wish to contribute to.

References:

Roger Hoskins Paquebot Cancellations of the World, 3^rd edition 2000

Raymond Salles La Poste Maritime Française. Tome III

Les Paquebots de l’Atlantique Sud, Brésil-Plata

Cote Accidentale d’Afrique (1992)

Philip Cockrill The Woermann Steamship Line of Hamburg . (1980)

Traanberg & Cockrill Netherlands and Colonies. Maritime markings

and ship Cancellations (1793-1939)

Gallant & Stockmans Besluiten en ordonnanties betrffende de Postlarieven

in Belgisch Kongo en Ruanda-Urundi 1886-1960

J.T.Whitney Collect British Postmarks. (1983

Foreign Censor Marks

A cover from Michael Wright / By – Walter Deijnckens

Applied in Gold Coast - later withdrawn as considered undesirable

Following my plea in Bulletin 131 for help to establish a list of foreign censor marks on Belgian Congo covers, I received some information from our editor Stuart Smith, from G. Nicholls and an enormous quantity from Michael Wright.

In two letters, Michael Wright enclosed so many photocopies and comments that it will take me quite a time to collate and prepare a new article on the subject. I would like however to devote this contribution to our Bulletin and talk about one cover in particular that Michael has sent me. It is one of the most travelled and unusual covers I have come across so far.

“One of my favourite covers, which poses some interpretation problems, is a cover with an official cachet addressed to the Commander of British Forces in Lagos , Nigeria , West Africa . It bears an 8^th July 1940 postmark. This was during the short period following the establishment of the Vichy government in France and before some colonies began to declare they would follow the appeal of General de Gaulle to continue the war under his leadership – rather than submit to the Armistice and the Vichy government of Marshal Petain.

The first French African colonial government to repudiate the Vichy regime and acknowledge de Gaulle’s leadership was Chad - who’s Governor was a black French West Indian. This repudiation of the Vichy government was followed by that of the mandated territory of Cameroon , then the other French Equatorial African colonies of Ubangui-Chari, the Middle Congo and finally Gabon . (Brazzaville, the capital of Middle Congo, diplomatically represented the whole of French Equatorial Africa ).

French West Africa, and the mandated territory of Togo, continued to recognise and stayed loyal to the Vichy government under Pétain for the next two years or so until after Allied landings in North Africa during November 1942 and the German occupation of southern France .

The letter was written in Leopoldville and there was clearly no attempt to send it by airmail – it may not have been urgent or there may have been no such service available at the time. As was no doubt usual, the Belgian Congo post office sent it across the river to Brazzaville , where it received a 1940 transit mark of which more precise dating is not legible. It bears a Cotonou , Dahomey mark of 15^th February 1941 and a Lome , Togo strike that appears to be 19^th February 1941. How it travelled and whether it had been held over in Brazzaville after being postmarked, or in Cotonou before being postmarked is not known.

It was opened and censored in Cotonou – there is the large mark of ‘Commission G’ (ironically Telegraph,

which was used occasionally) and also another small circular one with a ‘G/o’, which we know to have been used there. Censorship under the Vichy regime was no longer designated as military and the resealing tape does not include ‘MILITAIRE’, but the handstamp which ties it to the cover on both sides had apparently not yet been replaced in Dahomey .

The Vichy censor must have decided (perhaps he caused the delay) that it was harmless; it seems not to have been allowed to pass the Dahomey-Nigerian border but sent in the “wrong” direction – that is westwards to Togo where a control mark was applied. It then crossed the Togo-Gold Coast border and was forwarded by the Gold Coast censorship to Lagos - probably by a British ship. There it received the common Nigerian Censor Mark N°. 12 – the number used only in Lagos . It was not opened.

All this would be interesting enough by itself, but the Gold Coast censorship applied to it a rare censor mark NOT OPENED / BY / CENSOR. Eventually the ‘Imperial’ censorship authorities in London sent a circular to all colonial censorships not to use such marks, deeming them as unnecessary and undesirable.”

Michael Wright

Not only has Michael Wright provided us with an outline of the political situation at the time but also for us, details of unknown censor marks and places where they were in use.

Interesting Covers

S.S. Kearsarge, 1862-1894

By – Walter Deijnckens

Named after a mountain in New Hampshire , the first ‘Kearsarge’ was built at the Navy Yard in Kittery , Maine , under the 1861 Civil War emergency shipbuilding program. The new 1550-ton ‘Steam Sloop of war’ was commissioned in January 1862 and soon after started hunting for Confederate raiders in European waters.

On the 22^nd April 1884 Chester A. Arthur, President of the United States, recognised King Leopold’s claim on the ‘Association International du Congo’ and subsequently sent the S.S.Kearsarge to the Congo in support of W.P.Tisdel who was undertaking an information seeking mission as America’s special agent. The ‘Kearsarge’ arrived off Banana in 1885.

…………………………………

Whilst anchored in the River Congo, a letter was written to Frank Bartlett in Detroit but unfortunately two British stamps are missing and therefore it is not possible to confirm the postage paid for this obviously heavy letter. (Figure 1.)

Figure 1.

The envelope bears the following manuscript instructions:

S. Str.Kearsarge

Congo River ’

------------------------

‘ England stamps - to be procured

at the Congo ’

The postage stamps are cancelled with the French harbour cancellation

‘UNION PAYS D’OUTREMER’,

LE HAVRE

15 MAI 1885

Since France joined the U.P.U. 1^st January 1876, a canceller with the words ‘ UNION PAYS D’OUTREMER’ was produced. This confirmed such correspondence as coming from ships without proper postal facilities on board, but registered in countries which were members of the U.P.U.

This cancellation was in use from 1877 to 1893.

Note: ‘PAID/K’ applied on arrival in Michigan .

After leaving for Monrovia on 2^nd May the Kearsarge docked at Le Havre 15^th May and is confirmed as arriving in Detroit , Michigan later the same month – no doubt assisted by a good following wind!

Extracts from a paper read before

The Royal Philatelic Society, 19^th November 1970.

Previously published in full in ‘The London Philatelist’.

By - R.H.Keach

Historical Notes

The first knowledge that Europe had of the Congo was when in 1483 the Portuguese explorer, Diego Cão, sailed down the west coast of Africa to the mouth of the River Congo and then up the river for some hundred miles to where lies the present port of Matadi.

By Morden 1688

Thereafter and intermittently there were trading stations, particularly for slaves, as well as missions along the coastal strip and for a few miles up river, but no effort was made to explore the interior of the country.(Traders were clearly active in the region as it must have been their wanderings and knowledge that contributed to the creation of this map.)

Commencing in the 1860’s organised European exploration of Central Africa began and probably the culmination was the work of H.M.Stanley. In 1876 Stanley set sail down the River Aruwimi, which has its source in the Great Lakes of East Africa, and a river thought at the time to be the source of the Nile . However instead of continuing in a northerly direction the river turned westward and after 1700 miles by river and 140 miles overland in order to by-pass rapids, Stanley’s journey lasting 281 days, reached the Atlantic Ocean. During the next few years further and more detailed exploration of the River Congo and its principal tributaries was undertaken; permanent trading stations were set up along the banks of the Congo .

In 1885 a succession of international meetings culminated in the treaty of Berlin , establishing the Independent State of the Congo with Leopold II, King of the Belgians as its monarch. Thereafter Leopold had two independent royal functions, Constitutional King of the Belgians and king and virtual owner of the Congo . Leopold died in 1908 and bequeathed the Congo to the Belgian people, the territory then becoming a colony, the Belgian Congo , and it remained so until 1960 when independence was restored, now with native rule.

From the late 15^th Century until about 1875 there must have been correspondence between missionaries, traders and their European headquarters but as far as I know little if any has survived. Although there was no official postal organisation a few covers of the period 1875-1886 exist, some with Angola stamps and some stampless.

A Portuguese BANANA Post Office mark 17 November 1884

The Stamps

With the advent of the Independent State in 1885 it was thought necessary to have an issue of stamps. In order to accelerate production it was decided not to wait for a new design but as a provisional issue to adapt the dies used for the Belgian issue of 1869-78 by altering the inscription and in certain cases the values. The first issue appeared in 1886.

The stamps were surface printed by the Belgian Government Printing Works in Malines . The plate had fifty impressions and in the case of the ‘centimes’ values was made up of five clichés of ten.

The plate of the 5 franc value, issued six months after the ‘centimes’ values was for some unknown reason, prepared from individual electrotypes.

The sheets of paper used for the stamps were large enough to take three impressions of the plate side-by-side, but only a third of the paper was used. Some values were printed on the left of the sheet, some on the right and some in the middle, the 5c value and probably the 50c in two alternate positions. The sheets were distributed to the post offices with two blank panes attached. The narrow perforation did not fit the size of the stamps very well and well-centred stamps are in the minority. The two blank panes were perforated at the same time as the stamps. The paper was intended for other stamps and the value inscribed in the margin of the sheet bears no relation to the value of the stamps printed thereon.

One of each of the clichés of ten was stolen from the Brussels archives during or soon after the Great War and illicit reprints were made. These (Lenoir) forgeries are not at first sight easy to detect.

In 1887 the first specially designed stamps were issued, again surface printed by the Belgian Government Printing Works. Plates of all values comprise clichés of ten but this time made up into three panes of fifty, that is 150 stamps to the sheet. Together with those of the first issue, clichés were stolen and all values reprinted from them.

About the same time (1887) a parcel post service to Europe was started, the rate being 3,50 francs for 5 kilogram’s. There being no stamp of this value the first 5 francs value was surcharged by a rubber handstamp ‘COLIS POSTAUX 3,50 Fr’. Subsequently the 5 franc value of the second series was similarly surcharged. Later the handstamp was changed for one in metal with a double-lined frame and this was applied to both the violet and the grey 5 franc values of the second issue. Although specifically intended for the ‘parcel post’, the stamps were available for use on letters.

The second handstamp was stolen at the same time as the clichés of ten and applied freely to the forged reprints and to genuine originals. As a result we find the unusual circumstances of forgeries with genuine overprint and a scarcity of the genuine stamps without overprint.

In 1893 an international exhibition was held in Antwerp at which were displayed various diorama, produced by the painters ‘Mols’ and ‘Van Engelen’, showing scenes from the Congo . At the same exhibition Waterlow & Sons Ltd. had a stand and were probably showing their recently printed bi-coloured pictorial stamps of North Borneo . The Congo authorities were impressed and doubtless thought that an equally attractive issue for their country would earn a few honest francs in sales to collectors. Waterlow’s were commissioned to prepare a series with designs based on the diorama at the exhibition

There then appeared in 1894 the first of the ‘Mols’ issues, its values from 5c to 5 francs, engraved and printed from plates of fifty impressions, all values with black centres. Initially the 5c. and 10c. were printed with turquoise and brown frames respectively, but these were replaced in 1895 by the same values with colours transposed. At the time this created something of a scandal, it being reported in the philatelic press that the stamps in the first colours were all sold in Brussels with none sent out to the Congo . This may have and probably was the case but one occasionally finds stamps, apparently non-philatelic, used on cover. With some additional values and colour changes this series remained in use until 1909

Waterlow’s line-perforating machines must have been in a bad state between 1894 and 1909. One finds perforations from 12 to 16 with all sorts of incredible combinations, even different perforations on all four sides or two different on a single side. Lines of perforation were occasionally omitted and imperforate between and imperforate margin copies exist. These are all rare as only one or two sheets were perforated at any one time.

Many fresh entries, re-entries, deficient and errant entries exist on this issue. The 25c. frame and 5 franc frame were on the same transfer roll. If in preparing the plate the roller was rocked too far, part of the impression of the other value was impressed on the plate and this occurred without correction five times in the 5 franc value and three times in the 25c. frame. Similarly the 10c. and 50c. frame were on a single transfer roll; traces of the 10c. frame are found on nine of the 50c. stamps and traces of the 50c. on nine of the 10c. stamps.

The 3,50 francs value appeared in 1898, primarily for the parcel post and a 10 francs primarily for telegrams and gun licences. For some unknown reason the order for these two values was sent to Waterlow Bros. and Layton , possibly due to confusion with the names of the two printers. These stamps have constant 14¼ line perforation.

Probably in 1905, Waterlow Bros. and Layton printed the 10 francs stamp with the name of the printer added four times in the selvedge, on paper-makers watermark and perforated 12. Stamps of both 3,50 francs and 10 francs exist with compound perforations of 11 or 12 and 14 but were not issued in this condition.

With the changes in 1908 in the status of the territory, the existing stamps of the Independent State were overprinted ‘CONGO BELGE’. Fifteen hand stamps were prepared, eight retained in Brussels for overprinting the stocks held there and seven sent out to the colony. An eighth was produced locally in the Congo for use by the ‘Compagnie des Chemins de Fer du Congo ’.

Local handstamp – type 4

The hand stamps in Brussels were applied carefully and inverted; misplaced and double overprints are all rare. Different overprints se-tenant are found, these probably being due to the operator after lunch picking up a different handstamp from that used earlier in the day. In the Congo the overprinting was much less scrupulously done, little pride being taken in the work. Double and inverted overprints are plentiful, mostly emanating from the Boma post office using the so-called handstamp ‘Local 4’; these varieties were undoubtedly made intentionally at the request of dealers and local collectors.

Hand stamping in Brussels proved a laborious business and relatively few sheets were treated in this way. All were sold in Brussels and none sent to the Congo . Using the handstamp known as ‘ Brussels 5’ as a pattern, probably six papier mâché moulds were made and from each of these probably ten castings. Fifty of the castings were mounted into a frame and the remainder of the sheets were typographically overprinted from them. These typographed overprints are of some interest. Papier mâché shrinks on drying so that the first casting from each mould was about ¼mm. shorter than the original ‘ Brussels 5’ pattern and all subsequent castings were about ¼ mm. shorter than the first. The stamps of horizontal format were overprinted first and the clichés were then methodically transferred to a second frame for the stamps of vertical format.

Princes printing - Brussels handstamp – type 2

The ‘Princes printing’ - In May 1909 there was a re-printing of 100 sheets, of the Independent State issue, (5000 stamps of each value) all in slightly different shades and consistently perforated 14. The reason for the reprinting is obscure. Tradition has it that the Countess of Flanders, sister-in-law of Leopold II and mother of Albert, the new king, encouraged the two young princes, Leopold and Charles, in their stamp collecting

The boys wanted the attractive Congo stamps and none without overprint were available. The Countess persuaded the Ministry of Colonies to oblige and reprinting orders were sent to both Waterlow & Sons and Waterlow Bros. and Layton . Whatever the truth of the story it is clear that for each value two sheets were left without overprint, six received a Brussels ‘CONGO BELGE’ handstamp and ninety-two the typographed overprint.

These last are of interest because the over printing plate used originally had been dismantled and the clichés had joined those previously unused. This time the vertical stamps were overprinted first. Initially the operator transferred the clichés methodically from the vertical to the horizontal frame but soon got tired of this and then transferred them haphazardly, probably by removing all before re-fixing in the second frame. Of the Princes’ stamps only those with the typographed overprints were sent out to the Colony for normal use. Some of the un-overprinted stamps got into the hands of an unscrupulous Brussels dealer. He, not realising what they were, applied his own ‘CONGO BELGE’ hand stamp and sent them out to the Colony to be posted back to himself.

In June 1909 there appeared four values of a new definitive issue, centres as before but with the frames incorporating the name of the new colony in French only. The Flemish speaking members of the Belgian Parliament took exception to this preference for the French language and the stamps were replaced in 1910 by a full series with inscriptions in French and Flemish.

Two values, 3 francs and 10 francs, were again ordered from Waterlow Bros and Layton as they held the centre plates as used for the 1898 issue; both these values were printed on paper with the paper-maker’s watermark. All stamps and indeed all the succeeding Mols stamps are normally perforated 14. All of those printed by Waterlow & Sons, with the exception of the 1909 issue and the francs values of 1918 are also found perforated 15.

In 1914 Belgium was occupied by Germany and the Brussels stock of Congo stamps were in alien hands. To prevent the misuse of these stamps early demonetising was thought necessary. The dies of the 5c., 10c and 25c, (the U.P.U. denominations) were altered by the inclusion in the frames of the values in words. The remaining Waterlow & Sons values were reprinted with the frames in different colours. The 3 francs and 10 francs Waterlow Bros and Layton stamps were not reprinted and the values were abandoned.

Probably in 1917 - the four lowest values appeared in booklets, the stamps printed from special plates consisting of four panes of ten impressions. Of these there were three distinct printings, (each readily identifiable by shade) the last included stamps perforated 15 and, in the case of the 10c. and 25c. values, perforated 14x15.

A quite unnecessary charity issue was produced in 1918 with surcharges, intended for the Red Cross, of the same values of the stamps. In this issue the centres are blue instead of black and a 10 francs value is included. This last was printed by Waterlow & Sons and necessitated new centre and frame dies copied fairly closely from the 1910 stamps produced by Waterlow Bros and Layton .

In 1921 a considerable measure of inflation with a depressed value of the franc and increased postal rates was seen., Having been recovered intact after the liberation of Belgium, the Brussels stock of the 1910 issue was put to good use by surcharging the centimes values, and overprinting the francs values with the date ‘1921’. Some sheets of ‘ CONGO BELGE’ overprinted stamps and of the 50c. 1909 definitives also received the new overprints. Whereas these exceptional stamps were permitted by the wording of the order to overprint, they were not issued to the colony and are of doubtful status.

Surcharging of the 1915 issue occurred in 1922 and early 1923 in order to comply with the U.P.U. colours for the overseas postal rate and to fill the needs of the more frequently used values. Surcharging was undertaken typographically in London (previously and still attributed to Malines) and later in Leopoldville .

Booklets were again issued in 1922 made this time of blocks of ten split from the normal sheets of fifty and stapled in the one selvedge. The values included were the 15c. of 1915 and all five values of the 1922 ‘ London ’ surcharges.

At this time there was a local shortage of stamps in Boma and after an acrimonious exchange of correspondence between this office and the Colonial Ministry, approval was given in January 1922 to overprint the 1915 5c. and 40c. stamps. These were respectively surcharged 10c. and 25c. using locally produced handstamps. – commonly referred to as the ‘Boma’ overprints.The shortage continued and approximately twelve months later the two high values,1 franc and 5 francs, were also overprinted 10c. and 25c.

Finally in January 1923, Elizabethville similarly ran short of the 25c. stamps and had prepared locally, two handstamps for overprinting the current 30c. stamps of which there were two –

1910 10c. surcharged 30c. in 1921

1915 10c. surcharged 30c. in 1923

Two hundred sheets of each of these stamps received the 0,25c. handstamp. Each of the two handstamps was used solely on one stamp (1921 or 1922). Later there was a reprinting of unknown size but with a large number of sheets of the 1910 10c. surcharged 30c. in 1921 and in this reprinting the two handstamps were transposed.

These ‘Elizabethville’ overprints were forged in large quantities.