The Second Condominium Series 1910
The Second Provisional British Issue - Fiji Stamps Overprinted

1910


According to a notice in the De La Rue Collection the Crown Agents ordered the surcharging of Fiji stamps, specially printed, on 29th April 1910.

Seven sheets of 60 stamps (10 rows x 6 columns) of this second type of British New Hebrides were overprinted SPECIMEN, creating the first Specimen set of this country. In position 41 (R7/5) of the overprint setting, the letter "M" had a break in it's left leg. Only seven of each value could have existed.
Info thanks to "DEG"

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Supplies of the first overprints were running low and, with the design for the proposed definitives still to be finalised, one printing of another set of provisional overprints was made, issued on 15 December 1910. The same values were overprinted, this time by Thomas De La Rue and Co. The basic stamps were in the new universal colours on MCA paper, the 5d, 6d and 1/- values being on chalk paper. Sheet format was as for the first issue. It appears that the overprint, in black or red, was prepared from a setting of one line repeated in stereo 10 times, the lines locked into a forme. Overprints printed out of parallel can be found.

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Watermark: one Crown + CA, Overprint: NEW HEBRIDES CONDOMINIUM
 

 

 

Michel: 20 - 26 *****: ** - ** Yvert: 20 - 26 S.-G.: 10 - 16

Printed Quantities:
½d 1d 2d 2½d 5d 6d 1s
24 120 23 760 61 080 ?18 240? 18 240 18 240 17 880
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We know of two 6d proofs of this issue on thick unwatermarked paper. The left one thanks to the "Aore" and the right one thanks to the "Mele" collection. The left one surely originates from the De La Rue collection.

Click for blow-up

1910 6d proof

1910 6d proof

1910 6d proof

1910 6d proof

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13(?) November 1913
Continuous coloured marginal "Jubilee" lines surrounded each pane. The plate number "1" was printed in each of the four corners of the sheet above and below the second and second-last columns. This contrasts with the French practice of printing millesimes to show the year of printing. 5d from top of sheet, showing plate number and Jubilee line. PCH type 5. 		number 1
Overprint variety
There exists an overprint variety on the 1s stamp: broken right leg of the "W" and broken lower right part of the "D". I do no know the position on the sheet.
The picture is in wrong colors so the variety can be seen more easily.
Thanks to "SeSi" for the picture!
number 1

 

Nice type 83 with inverted date block
Type 83 SERVICE MARITIME with inverted date block
9 FEVR 13 on a ½d stamp. Thanks to Jeff in Australia for the image.
type 83 inv.





Mich 20 Mich 21 Mich 22 Mich 23
Mich 24 Mich 25 Mich 26

Watermark: one Crown + CA, Overprint: NEW HEBRIDES CONDOMINIUM
"Specimen" stamps of the issue above. The De La Rue Overprint on these stamps is Type D12. (Oswald coll.)
These "Specimen" stamps had a constant plate variety, the broken "M" on plate position 41 (R7/5). Here shown as blowups from a ½d and a 6d stamp. Only seven examples of each value were possible.

Mich 24       Mich 20       Mich 24       Mich 24




Mich 20 Mich 21 Mich 22
Mich 24 Mich 25 Mich 26

And here is a nearly complete set of the "broken M" type from the DEG collection.

SM10 - SM16

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