FI Guinness Page 9
 

 

First Country Commemorative Airmail Post Due Official Charity Other


1870
Sc2 SG?
1 shahi black
$110 / $22.50

see note 16.1

 

Afghanistan

1920
Sc220 SG173
10 paisa red
1st anniv. of the War of Independence
£22 / £22


1939
Sc-C1 SG280a
5 afghani orange
Potez
25A2 over Kabul
£3.50 / £4.50

-

1909
Sc-O1 SG-O17
red
£1.10 / £1.10

1938
Sc-RA1 SG25
10 p green
Anti-Cancer Fund
Aliabad
Hospital
£3.25 / £5

 

1952
Sc-B1 SG358
40p + 30p red
100th anniv of the birth of Avicenna (physician)
surch
. Sc373 SG326
£3.25 / £5

 


image source 1
1870
Sc-N1 SG1
1 centime green
£45 / £100

see note 16.16


1870
Sc-N5 SG10
10 c brown
£45 / £10

Alsace & Lorraine

Stamps used in German-occupied France during the war of 1870-1.

Scott lists these under France - Occupation stamps

see also 1940

-

-

-

-

-

 


1870
Sc1 SG7
5 reis black
£1 / 95p

Independent Republic
1975

Sc594 SG730
1c50 multi
10p / 10p

Angola

Portuguese Colony


1938
Sc274 SG383
1 c  olive
Vasco da Gamma issue
10p / 10p


1938
Sc-C1 SG401
10 c red
20p / 15p


1904
Sc-J1 SG-D150
5 r green
15p / 15p

-

1925
Sc-RA1 SG-C343
15 c  violet
Portugal Pombal issue
25p / 25p


1929

Sc-RA4 SG-C347
50 c blue
£2 / 75p

 

 


1870
Sc1 SG1 Mi1
5 centavos blue
£2.75 / £2.75

Cundinamarca

(Colombia)

-

-

-

-

-

 


image source 11
1870
Sc1 SG1
1 d black on rose
£2,750 / £3,000

see note 16.2


1882 Sc40 SG39
1 d blue
£55 / £3

Fiji


1935
Sc110 SG242
1½ d blue and red
Silver Jubilee
80p / £4.25

-

SCAN
1917
Sc-J1 SG-D5a
½ d black
£450 / £225

see note 16.2


1918
Sc-J1 SG-D6
½ d black
£3 / £19

-


1916
Sc-MR1 SG138
½ d green
War Tax
35p / £2


1951
Sc-B1 SG276
1d + 1d brown
Health
10p / 40p


1970 SG432 and 433
4c and 20c multi
15p / 10p
40p / 15p


image source 1
1870
Sc1 SG1
1 shahi violet
£70

see note 16.5

Iran (Persia)


1915
Sc560 SG426
1 chahi blue and red
Coronation of Shah Ahmed
10p / 10p

see note 16.6

1927
Sc-C1 SG642
1 c purple and orange
o/p Sc448 SG612
30p / 20p


1930
Sc-C34 SG686
1 blue and yellow
10p / 10p

 

-


1902
Sc-O5 SG-O224
5 c on 1 k red
surch. on Sc145 SG157
£4 / 50p

see note 16.7


1948
Sc-B1 SG899
50 dinars + 25d green
Fund to rebuild Avicenna's Tomb
20p / 35p

 


1870
Sc1 SG1 Mi1
1 reale red
£4 / £2.25

Paraguay

1892
Sc31 SG41 Mi26
10 centavos violet
400th anniv. of discovery of America by Columbus
o/p SG46
£5.75 / £1.50

see note 16.3


1911
Sc201 SG218 Mi188
1 c black and olive
Independence Centenary
10p / 10p


1929
Sc-C1 SG345 Mi305
2.85 pesos on 5 centavos purple
surch. Sc-O87 SG-O239
20p / 20p

see note 16.4

1929
Sc-C7 SG352 Mi311
2.85 p green
35p / 30p

 

1904
Sc-J1 SG-D106 Mi1
2 c green
30p / 30p

1886
Sc-O1 SG-O32 Mi1
1 c orange
£3.50 / £2.25

1930
Sc-B1 SG385 Mi343
1p50 + 50c lilac
Red Cross Society of Paraguay
£1.10 / 70p

 


1870
Sc1 SG13
1 d red
£1 / £1.40

see note 16.8

St. Christopher

One of the Leeward Islands. The latter's stamps were used after 1890.

-

-

-

-

-

 


Image source 1
1870
Sc1 SG6 Mi1
5 centavos black
£25 / £20

Tolima

(Colombia)

-

-

-

-

-

 


1871
Sc1 SG1
1 centavo bistre
50p / £6.50

Guatemala


1897
Sc60 SG62
1 c black on grey
Central American Exposition
60p / 45p

1929
Sc-C1 SG239
3c on 15 peso black
surch Sc229 SG222
£2.25 / £2.25


1929
Sc-C7 SG254
Fokker Super Trimotor overd Mt. Agua
6 c red
75p / 55p

 

1902
Sc-O SG-O127
1 c green
£2.50 / £1.25


1919
Sc-RA1 SG158
12½ c red
Obligatory Tax, GPO Rebuilding Fund
20p / 15p

see note 16.9


1937
Sc-B1 SG325
1c + 1c red and brown
Philatelic Exhibition Fund
90c / 70c

 

Express

1940 Sc-E1 SG-E411
4 c orange
o/p Sc237 SG231
85p / 35p


1948

Sc-E2 SG-E479
10c on 4c black and green
£1 / 60p

see note 16.11

 


1871
Sc1 SG8
2 krajczar yellow
£55 / £14.50

Issues of the Soviet Republic

1919
Sc196 SG324
20 filler red and brown
Karl Marx
20p / 20p

 

Hungary


1916
Sc104 SG267
10 filler mauve
Coronation of King Charles IV and Queen Zila
70p / 70p

see note 16.12


1916
Sc105 SG268
15 filler red
Coronation of King Charles IV and Queen Zila
70p / 70p


1918
Sc-C1 SG271
1k50 on 75f blue
o/p SG247
£18 / £18

1924
Sc-C6 SG433
100 k pink and brown
£1.25 / £1.60

1903
Sc-J1 SG-D170
1 filler green
10p / 15p

1921
Sc-O1 SG-O428
1o f black and purple
10p / 15p


1913
Sc-B1 SG136
1f + 2f grey
Flood Relief
65p / 60p

 


1871
Sc1 SG1
48 mon brown
£180 / £225

Japan


1894
Sc85 SG126
2 sen red
Silver Wedding anniv. Emperor Meiji and Empress Haru
£20 / 30p


image source 6
1919
Sc-C1 SG
1½ s blue
o/p Sc129 SG232
£275 / £100

1929 Sc-C3 SG257
8½ s brown
Passenger plane over Lake Ashi
£50 / £40

see note 16.13


1929
Sc-C6 SG260
18 s blue
£16 / £8

 

 


1937
Sc-B1 SG336
2s + 2s red
Aerodrome Fund
£2.25 / £1.25

see note 16.14

 


image source 1
1871
Sc1 SG1
10 reis black
£275 / £175

1873
Sc24 SG25
10 reis black
£7 / £5
 

Portuguese India


1898
Sc189 SG275
1½ r green
Vasco da Gamma issue
65p / 55p


1938
Sc-C1 SG534
1 tanga red
60p / 35p

 


1904
Sc-J1 SG-D337
2 r green
40p / 40p

 


1919
Sc-MR1 SG-C491
War Tax
0:00:05.48 rupia green
£2 / £1.60


1925
Sc-RA1 SG-C495
Charityr Tax
6 r rose
20p / 20p

 

First Country Commemorative Airmail Post Due Official Charity Other

Table 16

Notes:
16.1 Afghan first issues are clearly tricky customers. Gibbons (Simplified) starts in 1893 and  ignores the first 16 designs, referring the user to the specialised volume. My Scott classic is more helpful and the details above are from Scott. I will regard my stamp as "early Afghanistan or a copy thereof". Tim Balm, one of the FICC luminaries has offered the following identification advice on the FICC Forum:

Test 1: Does it have 4 large ornaments at 90 degree positions around the outer edge. If so, then it is from Sc#2-Sc#10. If the stamp is cut close around, pass on it.
Test 2: This is the one Jesper has cited from Scott. Are there dots in the inner circle around the tiger's head. This is absolutely necessary. This narrows it to Sc#2-Sc#4.
Test 2a: The ornaments at the 12:00, 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00 positions should have 3 "leaves" at the outer edge. Subsequent varieties do not have these. This helps confirm Sc#2-4
Test 2b: The Islamic calendar date (1288) should be located between the 3 o'clock and 4 o'clock position -- mid way between the inner dotted circle and the outer dotted circle. It might be easier to study the picture in the Scott catalog (graphic A2 under Afghanistan). This confirms only that you are in Sc#2-Sc#7. [The 1289 dates for Sc#8-9 are found between the 11:00 and 12:00 positions. The 1290 dates for Sc#10 are extremely poorly readable, but located in the 4:00 position.]
Test 2c: An easy test to sort out the Sc#8-9 stamps is that the outer large ornaments are located at the 1:30, 4:30, 7:30 and 10:30 positions.
Now you have to distinguish between Sc#2, 3 and 4. The denominations are located inside the inner circle, right above the tiger's head. These take a fair bit of agonizing. The 1 shahi denomination stamp is shown in graphics A2 and A5 under Afghanistan (in my Scott 2000 catalogs). The 1 sanar denomination is best shown above the tiger head in graphic A6. The 1 abasi denomination is similar to the 1 shahi - it is shown in graphic A3
We have not even touched upon the forgeries of these stamps. This is very ugly in that there are 5 major varieties of the Sc#2 - all with different numbers of dots in the outer circle that range from 77 to 86 dots. All in all, this is the job for a true expert.

Tim adds the following advice, "All free advice carries a money-back guarantee."  These tests are not likely "fool-proof" because I've been shown too many times what things fools can do with my advice/guidance.

16.2 None of the first design of Fiji are affordable, nor the Post Due. The second issue is more reasonable, hence the purchase.
16.3 Paraguay's first commemorative, Sc31 SG41, is a hand-stamped overprint sold only on the day of issue. The stamp features Candido Barreiro and the overprint reads '1492 / 12 DE OCTUBRE / 1892'.
16.4 Paraguay's first airmail is an surcharged 1913 Official Sc-O87 SG-O238. The first real airmail is the 1929 Sc-C7 SG352 2.85p green -  the whole of the C7-C12 SG352-356 set is beautifully designed and inexpensive.
16.5 Persia / Iran #1 looks like a tricky issue with many variants, high prices and reprints and forgeries commonplace. Scott and Gibbons date the first as 1868, Mackay as 1870.
16.6 For Iran's first commemorative, a 19-stamp set was printed but not issued, being sold in 1923 to dealers. 1915 brought another coronation issue.
16.7 Iran officials O1-O4 were printed but not issued.
16.8 Scott's St. Christopher A1-A4 (1858-60) are GB stamps differentiated by cancellation. Scott dates the ½d green (Sc8, SG11) as 1882 and the 1d mauve (Sc4, SG2) as 1875.
16.9 Guatemala Charity - Scott's B1 is a 1937 issue for the first Philatelic Exhibition held in Guatemala.
16.10 None of the early Portugese India issues Sc1-9, 1871-72 are affordable. All share the same design.

16.11 Guatemala's first Express is  a definitive overprint. The graphic E2, to be shown here, was issued for ordinary postal use as Sc33B SG517 and surcharged 10c for express use as E2. I'll show the original while looking for an E2.
16.12 On Hungary's first commemorative, I might as well go for the pair for balance.
16.13 Given the cost of Japan's first three airmails, a better option might be the SC-C6 or C7, SG260 or 261 at £8 and £5 used, both using the same design as the C3.
16.14 For Japan charity, Scott starts with the 1937 B1 above. Mackay states 1942, which is probably the Surrender of Singapore surcharge Sc-B4 SG385.
16.15 removed
16.16 Alsace Lorraine's #1 is rather expensive. The first set of seven stamps are all of the same design and so I am going with the 10 centimes #5.

 

First Country Commemorative Airmail Post Due Official Charity Other


1872
Sc1 SG1
¼ groschen
£170 / £80

Weimar Republic

1919 Sc105 SG107
10 pf red
National Assembly, Wiemar
10p / £1.25

Third Reich
1933 Sc398 SG490
6 pf green
Opening of the Reichstag
55p / 90p

Germany

see also Federal Republic, 1949


1924
Sc340 SG380
10 pf green 50th anniv. UPU
60p / 10p


1919 Sc-C1 SG111
10pf orange
10p / £2.50

-


1903
Sc-OL1 SG-O83
2pf grey
£1.25 / £6

see note 17.2


1920
Sc-O1 SG-O117
5pf green
30p / £2.50


1919
Sc-B1 SG105
10pf + 5pf
War Wounded Fund
surch on Sc83d SG85d
50p / £6

 


1873
Sc1 SG13
2½ cents green
£3.25 / £7

see note 17.3

Curaçao

Netherland Antilles

 see 1949

1923
Sc75 SG98
5 c green
Queen Wilhemena Silver Jubilee
55p / £1.75


1929
Sc-C1 SG123
50c on 12
½ c red
£11 / £12

see note 17.4

1931
Sc-C6 SG127
20
c red
75p / 15p

1889
Sc-J1 SG-D42
2½ c green

£1.60 / £2.25

-

1941
Sc-CB1 SG175
10c + 10c red
Prince Bernhard Fund to equip Dutch Forces
£2.75 / £3.25

1947
Sc-B1 SG282
1½c + 2½c on 6c purple
Social Welfare Fund
surch Sc132 SG160
80p / 80p

 


1873
Sc1 SG1
2 skilling blue
£750 / £1,600

Iceland


1911
Sc86 SG96
1 aurar green
Centenary of Jon Sigurdsson, author an statesman
£1.75 / £1.10


1928
Sc-C1 SG156
10 a red
50p / £9


1930
Sc-C3 SG173
10 a blue
£19 / £50

-


image source 6
1873
Sc-O1
4 s green
$6,000 / £7,500

see note 17.5

1876
Sc-O5 SG-O21b
5  a brown
£5.75 / £9.25


1933
Sc-B1 SG201
10 aurar + 10 aurar brown
Shipwreck and rescue
£1.60 / £4.75

Stamps on Stamps

1973
G504 45p


1976 G548 30p

1873
Sc1 SG1
25 cents grey
£30 / 80p

see note 17.6

1877
Sc13 SG14
5 c brown
£5.25 / £1.75

 

Puerto Rico

SCAN
1893
Sc133 SG110
3 c green
400th anniv. of Columbus' discovery of America
£160 / £40

-


image source 1
1899
Sc-J1 SG-D207
1 c red
US o/p
£18 / £6

-

1898
Sc-MR1 SG-W182a
1 c brown
War Tax
£6.50 / £4

 


1873
Sc3 SG14 Mi1
2½ cents red
£1.40 / £1.40
see note 17.1

Surinam

1923
Sc109 SG169c Mi110
5 c green
Queen Wilhemena Silver Jubilee
90p / 55p


1930
Sc-C1 SG276 Mi152
10 c red
£2 / 80p

1885
Sc-J1 SG-D36 Mi1
2½ c mauve and black
£2 / £2

-

1927
Sc-B1 SG192 Mi133
2c + 2c green and slate
Green Cross Fund
£1 / £1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


1874
Sc1 SG5
1 d lilac
£1.75 / £7.50

Commonwealth of Dominica
1978
 
Sc608 SG626
10 c multi
60p / 15p

Dominica


1935
Sc90 SG92
1 d blue and red
Silver Jubilee
75p / 20p

-

-

-


1916
Sc-MR1 SG55
½d on ½d green
War Tax
10p / 30p

 


Image source #1
1874
Sc1 SG1
1 d on 4 d blue
Cape of Good Hope pen and ink surcharge
£760 / £1200

Griqualand

-

-

-

-

-

LAST
1877
Sc102 SG29
5s orange
CoGH o/p
£275 / £6

 


1874
Sc1 SG1
1 centesimo green
60p / £4.50

Italian Offices in the Turkish Empire (Levant)

see note 17.7

-

-

1922
Sc? SG-D100
10 c mauve and orange
£2 / £5

-

-

 

Feudatory State
1874

Sc-1 SG-J1
½ anna blue
£6 / £3

Convention State

1885
Sc33 SG1
½ anna green
50p / £2.50

Jind
(Jhind)

India Feudatory and Convention State

see note 17.9

-

-

-

1885
Sc-O1 SG-O1
½ anna green
30p / 30p

-

 


1874
Sc1 SG17
1 d mauve
£2 / 80p

Lagos

-

-

-

-

-


1974 Nigeria Sc? SG323
18 kobo green, mauve and black
50p / 70p

1874
Sc1 SG38
2 novcic yellow
Prince Nicholas
£2 / £2

see note 17.8

1941
Sc2N1 SG1
25 para black
30p / 65p

Montenegro

1893
Sc22 SG81
2 n yellow
400th anniversary of printing in the country
o/p SG38
£24 / £2.75


1896 Sc45 SG90
1 novicc
Bicentenary of the ruling dynasty
30p / £1

1941
Sc2NC1 SG15
50 para brown
issued under occupation, Yugoslavia o/p
£8 / £6

1943
Sc2NC18 SG70
50 para brown
35p / £1/25


1894
Sc-J1 SG-D90
1 n red
£2.25 / £1.40

-

1944
Sc-3NB1 SG95
15pf + 85pf on 8d red
Refugee Fund
Yugoslavia o/p
£7 / £150

 

Firs Country Commemorative Airmail Post Due Official Charity Other

Table 17

Notes:
17.1
Surinam Sc#1 and Sc#2 (2c yellow) were issued in 1885. Sc#3 was the first stamp in 1873.
17.2 Scott's first German Official is the 1920 Sc-O1  SG-O117 5pf green. Mackay and Guinness start in 1903, with SG-O82, Scott's OL1, listed as a Local Official 2pf slate for use in Prussia.
17.3 Scott begins Netherlands Antilles in 1873. Gibbons starts that year with Curacao, which 'later became part of the Antilles'; the latter starts in a separate section in Gibbons in 1949, although the numbering is contiguous, SG1-SG305 for Curacao, SG306 onwards for Netherlands Antilles.
17.4 Netherlands Antilles first real airmail was the 1931 C6 20c red. The C4 and C5, to the same design, were issued in 1924 and 1938 respectively.
17.5 Iceland Official. Scott's O1 lists in my 2001 Classic as $6,000 / $7,000. Gibbons O8 is £48 / £250 and must be the Sc-O3 with a perforation variation. Both too expensive for me. There is a clear winner for the
.
17.6 From 1873 until 1876, Puerto Rico used Cuban stamps with an overprinted squiggle. 1877 saw the first issue inscribed PTO RICO.
17.7 There are an awful lot of Italian Offices Abroad and I do not intend to pay a great deal of attention to them. The first from the Levant (or Turkish Empire) is in dispute. Gibbons and Mackay opt for an 1874 General Issue as SG1, Scott for a 1908 issue printed at Turin. For the rest, most are numbered sequentially in Gibbons, many are given #1s in Scott.  In a change of heart (March 2004), I will now try to deal with these in detail:

Year (SG) Stamp

Gibbons

Scott (with year if different)
1874 Italian o/p A. General Issues SG1  
    B Offices in Turkish Empire Offices in Turkish Empire
1902 Italian surch    (a) Albania SG18    Albania Sc1
1908 Italian surch    (b) General Offices in Europe and Asia SG32    General Issue Sc1
    C. Individual Offices in Europe and Asia  
1908 Italian surch    (a) Constantinople SG40    Constantinople Sc1 (dated 1909)
1909 Italian surch    (b) Durazzo SG109    Durazzo Sc1
1909 Italian surch    (c) Janina SG117    Janina Sc1 (dated 1902)
1909 Italian surch    (d) Jerusalem SG125    Jerusalem Sc1
1909 Italian surch    (e) Salonica SG133    Salonika Sc1
1909 Italian surch    (f) Scutari SG141    Scutari Sc1
1909 Italian surch    (g) Smyrna SG151    Smyrna Sc1
1909 Italian surch    (h) Valona SG159    Valona Sc1
    D. Offices in Africa Offices in Africa
1901 Italian surch    (a) Benghazi SG169    Bengasi Sc1
1909 Italian o/p    (c) Tripoli SG171    Tripoli Sc2


17.8
On Montenegro, Gibbons starts in 1874, restarts at no. 1 in 1941 under Italian Occupation, then continues sequentially from 1943 (SG76) under German Occupation.
17.9 Jind, as Faridkot, issued stamps as both a Feudatory and a Convention state. The Feudatory period was  1874 to 1885 and includes stamps Sc1 to Sc32; SG-J8 to SG-J25 (Simplified); SG-J1 to SG-J53 (Commonwealth and Empire). The Convention period was 1885 to 1943 with issues Sc33 to Sc167; SG1 to SG149 (both editions).