Nauru is the smallest state in the South Pacific, only 8.1 sq miles. The front cover of the book  is a representation of their flag: blue for the Pacific Ocean, yellow for the Equator and the white star is symbolic of the 12 tribes of Nauru.

Although small in size it has a diverse and interesting philatelic history, initially using German Marshall Island stamps, followed by Australian ‘North West Pacific Islands’  overprints and from 1916 to 1924 the ‘NAURU’ overprints on GB stamps before having their own designs from 1924.

This study provides a detailed examination covering production from design, paper and ink, to printer, and distribution to Nauru for the definitive King George V Profile Head (½d to 1s) and Seahorse (2/6 to 10/-) stamps of Great Britain overprinted for use in Nauru.

Profile Head controls are key to the study. They establish a chronological series of samples to which other stamps were organised and compared. The sample included all press runs believed to survive. They identify the individual printings within the controls.

The book is relevant to a wider audience than just Nauru collectors, it is more about the production of British stamps supervised by the GB Inland Revenue Stamping Department.

Bob Stein has been a member of The Royal Philatelic Society London since 2000, and was given Fellowship in 2011. His philatelic interest is Australia and dependencies, especially all periods of Nauru (from German colony to contemporary) which he has collected for about 45 years. Bob is also a member of the Collectors Club of New York, The GB Overprints Society and was past-president of the Society of Australasian Specialists/Oceanea.

Bob was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1931. In the 1950s he obtained a BA at St Olaf College Minnesota, followed by a Masters and PhD at Cornell University becoming Emeritus Professor of Biology at the State University College at Buffalo (NY). Bob’s specialist subjects are Ornithology, Bio-acoustics, Avian and Plant Taxonomy and Ecology. Naturally, he is a Life Member of several renowned ornithological Societies.

Bob is a widower, with a daughter and two grandchildren and lives in Tonawanda, NY. He loves to travel, having visited the seven continents and seven seas, especially Australia and the Brazilian Amazon.

Preface and Acknowledgements

Section A. Introduction

Chapter One. History

German Colonial Administration

Australian Administration

Chapter Two. Literature Review

Fiscal and Population Statistics

Chapter Three. Methods and Observations

Definitions

Methods

Computers and Attachments

Section B. KGV Definitive Profile Head stamps ½d to 1s

Chapter Four. Base Stamps

Production

Paper

Printing

Controls

Gum

Perforation

Storage and Distribution

Chapter Five. Controls and Batches

Controls

Missing Controls

Chapter Six. ‘NAURU’ Overprints

Overprinting

Multiple Overprint Impressions

12.5 mm Overprint

13.5 mm Overprint (Eighth Batch only)

Chapter Seven. Value and Batch Accounts

Halfpenny (Green)

One Penny (Red)

Three Halfpence (Brown)

Two Pence (Orange)

Two Pence Halfpenny (Dark Blue)

Three Pence (Bluish Violet)

Four Pence (Dark Green)

Five Pence (Brown)

Six Pence (Purple)

Nine Pence (Agate)

One Shilling (Bistre)

Section C. KGV Seahorses 2/6 to 10/-

Chapter Eight. Base Stamps

Distribution and Batches

Pane Composition

Printing Anomalies

Chapter Nine. ‘NAURU’ Overprints

Overprint Plate Forme

Multiple Overprints

Chapter Ten. Batch Accounts

2/6 (Half Crown)

5/- (Five Shillings)

10/- (Ten Shillings)

Section D. Proofs and Specimens

Chapter Eleven. Archives, Proofs and Specimens

Distribution

[British] Postal Museum

British Library Philatelic Collection

Universal Postal Union

Major Sales with Archival Material

Specimen Accounts by Value: Profile Head

Specimen Accounts by Value: Seahorses

Chapter Twelve. Epilogue

Section E. Literature Cited

Appendices

Appendix 1. Forgeries and Anomalies

Profile Heads

Seahorses

Appendix 2. Postal Markings and their Forgeries

Cancellers

Registration Marks

Censor Marks

Appendix 3. Significant KGV Nauru Auctions and Sales

Index