A Pacific Selection
Comments on a display from the Royal Philatelic Collection given by gracious permission of Her Majesty The Queen to the Royal Philatelic Society London on 25th September 2008
By Michael Sefi, FRPSL Keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection
The 2008 display covers some of the Pacific material in the Collection. I had not realised until I started reviewing what the Collection has, just how widespread British and Australian influence was in the Pacific especially between the two World Wars.
Focussing in the main on the extensive collection of material from Papua and New Guinea territories, German issues for New Guinea (and the Marshall Islands, which never came under British or Australian control but overprinted German stamps of which were used in the N W Pacific area) also feature together with the GRI overprints. During and after the First World War some of the former German territories in the Pacific came under the "North West Pacific Islands" umbrella administered from Australia and the very extensive N.W. Pacific Islands collection is shown in entirety. Nauru is also included - although far to the east, N.W. Pacific Islands stamps were used for a time and then overprinted GB stamps.
It does not appear that any of the material in this display has been presented at the "Royal" previously, unless included in selections shown in the late 1930s and early 1940s or "First War Rarities" shown in 1958, for none of which do I have immediate details of content. Other British/Australian/New Zealand interests in the Pacific have not been included for reasons of space - places such as the Solomon Islands, the Gilbert & Ellice Islands, New Hebrides (Anglo- French), the Fiji Islands, Niue, the Cook Islands and Western Samoa (all to the south or south east of Nauru) have been omitted and could be presented in a display in another year.
As observed in previous displays, King George V (or possibly/also Sir Edward Bacon) was not much interested in watermark varieties and virtually none are included in the collections for these territories. However, a number of other scarce varieties are to be found, many of which are annotated below.
The running order is:
- New Guinea
- Marshall Islands
- N.W. Pacific Islands
- Mandated Territory of New Guinea
- Papua (British New Guinea)
- Nauru
NEW GUINEA
New Guinea itself is a very large island to the north of Australia. The western part was under the control of the Dutch and does not form part of this story. The eastern half of the island was divided in two, the northern part being occupied by Germany together with the Bismarck Archipelago (which included New Britain and New Ireland) and it is this area which came under Imperial Forces soon after the start of the First World War and was transferred to Australian administration a short while later, becoming a League of Nations Mandated Territory after the First World War. Before overprinted Australian stamps became available, German New Guinea stamps and registration labels overprinted G.R.I. were in use.
After Japanese occupation during the Second World War (for which there is no material in the Collection), New Guinea and Papua (see later) were combined and eventually became independent in 1975. However, the display ends with the start of the Second World War.
Frame 1: The German New Guinea issues, comprising the 1897 overprinted German stamps and the "Yacht" colonial issue of 1900. (The earlier German stamps unoverprinted and only identifiable by circular postmarks are not in the Collection.) The watermarked stamps on the last page are said only to have been available for sale in Berlin, but see the letter on the opening page which suggests otherwise.
Frame 2: The "G.R.I." overprints were done locally in Rabaul on New Britain; Sir Edward Bacon did not go into the detail that specialists do today, so only the basic settings are described. In the first two rows are several recognised varieties, though a number are not in the Collection. Those that are include double overprints on the 3d on 30pf, 4d on 40pf & 5d on 50pf and the double overprint with albino G.R.I. on the 2d on 20pf. As regards the higher values, the no stop after I error on the 3s on 3m & 5s on 5m are present as is the large "S" variety on 5s on 5m. But most of the other errors are not present. The last row has the 1d overprints of the next printing of the overprint, with the double overprint of the 1d on 3pf in a strip of three. Again, a number of listed varieties are not present but one notable error is the inverted "d" on the 1d on 5pf.
Frame 3: A complete sheet of the 1d on 5pf is shown. Sir Edward's caption for this says: "Sheet of 100 stamps shewing the Setting of the surcharge in horizontal lines of ten." - and a number of the known constant varieties are present. Also in the frame are the 2d on 10pf - with used copies of the double overprint. (The double overprint with one inverted was thought by Sir Edward to be forged but may in fact be genuine.) Also present are: the stop before instead of after G with 1d instead of 2d; the 2d on 20pf - with used copies of the R inverted and the 1d instead of 2d; the 2½d on 10pf and 20pf - with an unused vertical pair of the 20pf with 2d and 2½d overprints - but the error 3d on 20pf is not present. The last page has the 3d on 25pf and 3d on 30pf overprints - with used copies of double overprint, double overprint with one inverted and 1d instead of 3d. There is also a somewhat battered used copy on piece of the unlisted "d" inverted.
Frame 4: The first row has the conclusion of the overprintings, with few of the listed varieties but of note on the second page for the 5d on 50pf are two used copies, one missing 5 and the other with a differently shaped 5 inserted where the 5 was missing. The Collection has neither of the 1d on 2d on 10pf and the 1d on 2d on 20pf overprinting. The second row has two pages of the "OS" overprint and the double overprint variety of the 1d on 3pf is present in a vertical pair. There is a corner block of four of the 1d on 5pf; in the vertical margin, relatively faintly in blue are what may be accountancy marks - but I look to a specialist in German stamps to tell me what the markings are for.... Finally, the frame has the 1915 German Registration labels overprinted G.R.I. Not all towns/islands are in the Collection - missing are Deulon and Stephansort (and non-serifed Friedrich Wilhelmshaven). Of those that are in the Collection, of note are the double overprint on the Rabaul label, the missing G in the overprint on Herbertshöhe and double overprint on Manus.
MARSHALL ISLANDS
These islands, (to the north of Nauru (see later) which formed part of the Marshall Islands under German administration), were occupied by Japan in 1914 and continued to be administered by Japan under a League of Nations Mandate after the First World War until 1944. However, stocks of the German stamps were found on Nauru by Australian occupation forces and sent to New Guinea for use there - they were not returned to Nauru. In New Guinea the Marshall Islands stamps were also overprinted with the G.R.I. overprint and used in there until Australian stamps overprinted N.W. Pacific Islands became available.
Frames 5 & 6: The initial 1897 and 1899 "Marschall" (the 3pf brown is particularly scarce) and "Marshall" overprinted German stamps are shown, followed by the standard "Yacht" design for "Marshall-Inseln" of 1900. The watermarked lozenges 3pf and 5m values are said only to have been on sale in Berlin. The last row in Frame 5 shows the 3pf and 5pf overprinted G.R.I. Controversially the first page in the row has the 3pf overprinted with a slightly thicker overprint, with G.R.I. and the value 6mm apart and is said by some to be a forgery. Certainly Sir Edward Bacon thought so. The remainder of the G.R.I. overprints are said to be of the 5mm or 4mm apart type and will need to be remeasured as other measurements are today also recognised. Of interest is the double overprint on the 2d on 20pf; a used copy of double overprint 3d on 25pf and a used copy of the double overprint, one inverted also on the 3d on 25pf; no "d" on the 5d on 50pf and a double 5d on the same value; and for the 2s on 2m value there are a used copy of double overprint, one inverted and a complete pane with several examples of no stop or partial stop after "I". The 3s on 3m also has an example of the no stop after "I" flaw. However a number of the other recognised scarce varieties are not in the Collection. The last page in Frame 6 also has a used example of the inverted 1 on 1d on 10pf.
N. W. PACIFIC ISLANDS
After initial difficulties of obtaining supplies of stamps for use (see Frame 7), between 1915 and 1925 stamps used in the former German colony of New Guinea were of Australian issues overprinted N. W. Pacific Islands and these are shown in full. All overprinting was done in Melbourne,
Four basic types of N.W. Pacific Islands overprint are recognised, the first three available 1915 to 1918, the fourth from 1918. The types are: a. The two "S" in Islands are the same; b. The first "S" in Islands has a small top loop; c. Both "S" in Islands have the small top loop; d. As for a., but with "P" of Pacific more to the left.
At the time Sir Edward Bacon wrote up the pages five overprint settings in panes of 30 were recognised - to do with positioning of the types of overprinted listed above. However, today a sixth setting is known of which I do not immediately have details....
Overprints are said to be in either purple or black and Sir Edward showed that distinction. However, it does seem very difficult to make that differentiation and Stanley Gibbons in its catalogue no longer distinguishes the colour of the overprints
Frame 7: Between November 1914 and certainly as late as 1919 Australian stamps perforated "OS" and not overprinted were in use in the former German colony and covers and used examples on piece are shown from various places, but mainly Rabaul and Herbertshöhe (later named Kokopo). Also in the frame (on the last page) are two pieces posted in Norfolk Island (in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand), which really do not belong in this display!
Frame 8: The three earlier types of overprint are shown se-tenant (first page) followed by the ½d and 1d values, including several panes of 30. Sir Edward recorded March 1915 as the issue date but it is known that at least two values in the series were available in January that year. The 1d pane, setting 2, has Die 2 stamps in the second and third columns. Also shown are unlisted ½d and 1d double overprints.
Frame 9: This frame has the 4d & 5d (King's Head design) and 2d & 2½d ('Roos). The 4d has a strip of the rare chrome-yellow shade and three examples of "line through Four Pence".
Frame 10: Continuing with the 1915 issues, the remainder of the values to £1 are shown in blocks, strips and singles, all Gibbons Type W2 watermark (broad Crown and broad A). The 3d Die II is not present, however, nor is an example of retouched "E" in Six Pence.
Frame 11: The October to December 1915 'Roos overprints were on Gibbons Type W5 watermark (broad Crown and narrow A) and all values issued are shown including two copies of the 2½d. The reason for the great scarcity of this value is that much of the stock is supposed to have been destroyed in a fire at the Rabaul Post Office, leaving most of the surviving copies with some pink staining. Note that the pane of the 6d value also has some pink staining.
Frame12: Further overprints on 'Roos occurred and were issued from December 1915. These stamps (2d, 3d, 2/- & £1) were on Gibbons Type W6 watermark paper (narrow Crown and narrow A). The last row in the frame has the 5d and 1/- locally overprinted "One Penny" of May 1918.
Frames 13 to 15: From the end of 1918 the fourth type of overprint began to appear (Sir Edward referred to this as "Setting 5") and the frames show all values to £1, including at least one pane of 30 for each value. Of particular note is the third page in the second row in Frame 13 - with vertical strips of Die II within the pane and examples of substituted clichés in a pair. In Frame 14, second row, the error of the missing 1 in ½ on the 2½d is shown in a block. Despite Sir Edward's acceptance of it I am doubtful and will be subjecting it to "engine" analysis. Frame 16: This frame has the ½d on Multiple Crown and A watermark paper (SG 6a) together with the colour changes and new value.
Frames 17 & 18: These two frames deal with such "OS" and overprint type d. examples as are in the Collection, albeit in panes of 30! Sir Edward grouped these by King's Head followed by 'Roos which I have followed but some colours and values are not present - the 1d violet, 2d grey ('Roo), 2d rose-scarlet, 2½d, 4d yellow-orange and the 4d ultramarine. It is suggested the £1 value was not actually issued, although some sheets are supposed to have been sent to the Territory. The first page in Frame 17 has a 1d used pair in rosine on rough unsurfaced paper, Dies I and II.
MANDATED TERRITORY OF NEW GUINEA
The League of Nations granted a Mandate over the former German colony of New Guinea in 1921, but stamps for the Territory only appeared from 1925.
Frame 19: Recess printed in Melbourne (and known to philatelists as the "Huts" design) this series appeared in January 1925; all values to £1 are present in singles and blocks of four, including three shades of the 6d.
Frame 20: In 1931 the "Huts" design was overprinted for Air Mail and all values are shown in singles and blocks of four. Unlisted but noted by Sir Edward Bacon, stamp no. 1 in each block for each value has a short "I" in Mail in the overprint.
Frame 21: Also in 1931, commemorating the tenth anniversary of Australian administration, a new design was issued. This included the years 1921 and 1931 in the design. The frame also shows the same design overprinted for Air Mail, plus the ½d value. Melbourne recess printed
Frame 22: The same design, but re-drawn to omit the year dates, appeared in 1932 and also appeared overprinted for Air Mail as with the 1931 issue.
Frame 23: The Bulolo Goldfields were the subject of the next issue, of the £2 and £5 high values which presumably had not been needed previously. These two values appeared in 1935. The frame also includes the special overprinted stamps for King George V's Silver Jubilee. All Melbourne recess printed.
Frame 24: New Guinea had a special issue for King George VI's Coronation, which duly came out in May 1937, blocks of which are shown. The frame follows on with the Bulolo Goldfields design, now used for the full range of lower values, to £1, but with the inscription "Air Mail Postage" instead of the value in words. Singles and blocks of four are in the frame.
Frames 25 & 26: The "OS" overprints of 1925, 1931 and 1932 in blocks of four are in these two frames, except the ½d value from the "Huts" issue.
PAPUA (BRITISH NEW GUINEA)
Originally know as British New Guinea, the south-eastern segment of the island of New Guinea, (closest to Australia) was a British Protectorate from 1888, albeit managed from Australia. Queensland stamps were in use but in 1901 the "Canoe" design stamps were issued with the British New Guinea name. In 1905/06 technical changes took place such that the administration was transferred formally to the Government of Australia and in 1906 stamps appeared with the Papua name, at first as overprints on the 1901 issue but from 1907 the same "Canoe" design with the substituted name appeared. There are some complexities in paper and perforation....Papua and the Mandated Territory of New Guinea were combined as an Australian Trust Territory under the United Nations from 1946, following the Second World War. The post-War philatelic changes are largely beyond the period of this display.
Frames 27 & 28: The "Canoe" design of 1901. Printed by De La Rue in recess with a "rosettes" watermark, this issue appeared on a thick paper with values to 2/6d. Most of the values in the frame are in blocks, from which it will be observed the perforation was line 14. The watermark was horizontal. To be noted are the examples of the 1/- value which were prone to colour change, probably due to oxidisation of the orange colour. Frame 28 has the vertical watermark paper printings in the first two rows (including the 2/6d); all the blocks appear to be line perforated although some values were comb perforated. The last row of the frame has thin paper printings; the horizontal watermark printing appearing on this paper for the ½d and 2½d values. Thin paper printings with the vertical watermark are also shown, including the unlisted 1d value. No examples of the deformed "d" at left flaw are in the Collection.
Frame 29: In 1906 the "Canoe" stamps appeared with "Papua" overprint, done locally in Port Moresby. The thick paper with horizontal watermark values are shown first (note the partial oxidisation of the 1/- block), with paper with vertical watermark stamps next, including the scarce 2/6d.
Frame 30: A slightly smaller "Papua" overprint (done in Brisbane) appeared in 1907. Overprints on thick and thin horizontal watermark paper are shown on the first two pages - of note are the two overprint errors on the 2/6d, with overprint reading downwards and not horizontally. The double overprint of that is mentioned but not listed by Gibbons. The other pages in the frame have the vertical watermark stamps variously on thick and thin paper as shown. Of note are the listed double overprint on ½d, and 6d, with the unlisted double overprint on 2½d. However, the other double overprints (2d) and diagonal (1s) are not present. The scarce thick paper 2/6d value is shown in a somewhat tropicalised block of four and a pair of the 1d stamp with upwards vertical overprint is shown on the last page. A constant flaw in the overprint in which an inverted "d" for the second "p" appears is known and a number of examples are identified on the pages.
Frames 31 to 33: The "Canoe" design with Papua instead of British New Guinea appeared in 1907, litho printed in Melbourne, and continued to 1911. The paper used was the Crown over double-lined A watermark type as used at that time for several Australian States. The perforations varied, either 11 or 12½, but compound or mixed perforations are known for some values. In some values "Papua" is larger than on others. The 2/6d value had three types of the 2/6 value and these are identified on the pages. Following the Stanley Gibbons listings, Frame 31 has the perf. 11 upright watermark stamps except the 2/6d which is sideways. Frame 32 has the upright watermark stamps perf. 12½ stamps in the first row, followed by the sideways watermark perf. 11 printings in the remaining rows. Frame 33 shows the sideways watermark perf. 12½ stamps (including the scarce 6d value). To be noted, the first page in the second row has the ½d, 2d and 4d with compound/mixed perforations. The remaining five pages in the frame have the upright watermark perf. 12½ litho printings in Melbourne from new stones.
Frame 34: No longer bi-coloured, a typographed Canoe design appeared in 1911 on the Crown over single-lined A sideways watermark paper perf. 12½. The last row in the frame has (first page) the 1d value of 1915 perf. 14 and (second page) some values said to be of 1915 on non-watermarked paper which may possibly be colour trials.
Frames 35-36: These two frames show the re-introduced bi-coloured printings, this time typographed and not litho, between 1916 and 1931 (although Sir Edward wrote these up as to 1925). All values to 10/- are shown.
Frame 37: In the first two rows the 1917 One Penny overprints appear (shown by Sir Edward as 1918). These were on the mono-coloured stamps of 1911-15. The overprint was done in Melbourne and I assume this was because there was a shortage of the bi-coloured 1d even though that had only appeared a year or so earlier. The last row shows the 1929 Air Mail overprint on bi-coloured 3d done in Port Moresby, including the overprint omitted in a strip of three on J B Cooke printing. While the overprint errors on Ash printings of the 3d are not present, an unlisted double overprint is.
Frame 38: The 1930 Air mail overprint in carmine (also done in Port Moresby) is shown in this frame; I am not wholly convinced the unused corner single 3d is the scarce Harrison printed stamp. The inverted overprint on 1/- is not present. The next two rows show colour trials for the overprint....
Frame 39: In 1931 it would seem supplies of the 2d and 5d ran out, so "Two Pence" was overprinted on the 1½d value and 5d/Five Pence overprinted on 1s.. At the same time new values of 9d and 1s 3d were required, and these were overprinted on the 2/6 and 5/- respectively. Finally, in 1932 the 9d and 1/3 stamps appeared.
Frame 40: The Official Stamps are poorly represented, with only the 1931 series in the Collection.
Frame 41: At long last the long-lived "Canoe" design was dispensed with! In 1932 a wholly new pictorial series appeared, recess on paper with no watermark, and all values are shown in singles and imprint blocks of four. It has to be said the designs are a bit of a mish-mash, though, which is hardly surprising as different designers were involved. The last page in the frame has a cover flown between Sydney and Port Moresby commemorating the first "Official Air Mail". It does not appear the cover went on to Lae in New Guinea and back, however.
Frame 42: In 1934 the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of British Protectorate was commemorated by an short issue of stamps recess printed in Melbourne with no watermark, shown in this frame in singles and complete sheets. The last row has a cover registered in Port Moresby, posted in November 1934, which was flown on the first direct Air Mail from Australia to England in December. It should be noted the cover is addressed to The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII.
Frame 43: To commemorate King George V's Silver Jubilee in 1935, some values from the 1932 issue were overprinted and these are shown in singles, blocks and complete sheets.
Frame 44: The Coronation issue of May 1937, in the same design as used for New Guinea, is in the first row, with an issue of stamps in 1938 commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of British Possession in the second row. I am unclear how a Protectorate can be declared before declaration of a Possession (see Frame 42). Finally the last row shows the Air Mail Postage set of 1939/41.
Frame 45: Although strictly outside the scope of this display, the frame shows the artwork for the 1952 Papua & New Guinea stamps following the United Nations declaration of the combined territories as an Australian Trust Territory.
NAURU
As commented earlier, Nauru was originally part of the Marshall Islands German possession. The Japanese took over the main islands in 1914 but Nauru was occupied by Australian forces and for a brief period N.W. Pacific Islands overprinted stamps were in use, no obvious used examples being apparent in the Collection. A temporary Mandate was granted to Great Britain in 1916 and from that date GB stamps overprinted Nauru were used. All overprinting was done at Somerset House. Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand were granted a joint Mandate in 1919 by the League of Nations and from 1924 Nauru had its own stamp issue. This part of the display concludes with the Coronation issue of 1937. As a matter of interest, when the Japanese occupied the island in 1942 virtually all the inhabitants were deported and only returned early in 1946. Use of Australian stamps then continued until Nauru had its own issue from 1954 under Australian administration; Nauru became an independent Republic in 1968 and a member of the Commonwealth.
Frames 46 & 47: The GB overprinted stamps of the Harrison 1912-22 series and the Waterlow, De La Rue and Bradbury, Wilkinson "Seahorse" high values are in these two frames. A number of the listed varieties are present - the broken "R" on the 1d, 2d Die 1, 2½d, 3d & 4d - but there are no examples of that flaw on the ½d, 5d & 6d. On the higher values, a number of the varieties are not present. However the second block of the 2/6 ascribed to De La Rue by Sir Edward is now thought to be from the Bradbury Wilkinson's printing. Also, on that page the 2/6 single is "treble overprint, two albino". The second last page has the De La Rue 10/- printings. The lower block is very close to, but not quite the same as, the well known "Cambridge Blue" shade.
Frames 48 & 49: Presumably mounted up by either Sir Edward or Sir John Wilson, but not written up, these two frames hold the 1924-48 Nauru "steamship" issue. Recess printed in Melbourne but with no watermark, two papers are recognised - initially on rough surfaced paper, shiny white surfaced paper was introduced from 1937. Both paper types can be seen on the pages, the whiter paper printings show partial plate numbers in the top left hand corner of the corner marginal blocks. "Used" singles of each value are also on the pages.
Frame 50: This frame has the Silver Jubilee overprinted issue in 1935 and the 1937 King George VI Coronation issue. The last page in the frame has a cover addressed to our present Queen when Princess Elizabeth and comes from her first day cover collection. It took two months to reach Sandringham, and then was forwarded to Buckingham Palace.
My thanks are due to Ian Greig and Rod Vousden for their help in putting up the display in the frames and standing "guard" and to Ian Greig especially for his assistance in putting the display together and helping with these Notes.
Michael Sefi
September 2008
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