The New Hebrides: Postal History & Stamps

The 1938 Definitive Series

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1938

1938 Stamps

1938 Stamps Varia

According to our friend Jacques Merot (†) reprints of the 1938 stamps were made in July / August 1949:

British: 20cg (*)

French: 10cg carmine, 20cg (*) & 1Fg orange.

(*) He said ultramarine for the F & GB 20cg but that was surely a typo.

As to the 10cg, 20cg & 1Fg stamps:

S.G. says:
GB:
10cg - orange
20cg - scarlet
1Fg - red/green
and the same for the Dues:
F:
10cg - orange
20cg - scarlet
1Fg - lake/pale green (shades)
F 1941: 10cg - orange
20cg - scarlet
1Fg - lake/pale green
and the same for the Dues:

Yvert says:
GB:
10cg - orange
20cg - red
1Fg - carmine on blue
Dues:
10cg - orange
20cg - red
1Fg - red on green
F:
10cg - orange
20cg - orange
1Fg - carmine on pale blue
F 1941:
10cg - orange
20cg - orange
1Fg - carmine on blue
Taxe:
10cg - orange
20cg - red
1Fg - red on green

Michel says:
GB:
10cg - orange
20cg - red
1Fg - red on green
Dues:
10cg - orangered
20cg - carminepink
1Fg - red on green
F:
10cg - orange
20cg - orange
1Fg - red on green
Taxe:
10cg - orangered
20cg - carminepink
1Fg - red on green
F 1941:
10cg - orange
20cg - orange
1Fg - red on green

I cannot says here what Sc*tt says as they barred me from telling information here.

As I'm red-green colourblind these catalogue informations are not very helpful for me.

"The stamps issued on June 1, 1938 were designed to overcome the exchange difficulty in relation to stamp prices" (Hals/Collas). As there were two currencies in use in the New Hebrides, the denominations of the stamps were now fixed in a "gold basis" currency of francs and centimes.
Engraving: J.G. Hall
Design: adapted from a drawing of the French artist Jean Kerhor, graveur du département des colonies, (Hals Collas wrote "Jean Kehor" in error)
Recess printing: Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., Ltd, New Malden, Surrey, England Format: Sheets of 30 (3 x 10) First Day: 1 June 1938 ♦ first day recorded: 1 June 1938
Perforation: 12 ♦ Watermark: Multiple Script CA / RF in sheet
This series exists with the perforated word "SPECIMEN" in the form of an arc. See below.

The 1938 British Watermark Mult. Script CA stamps

1938 5cg

S.-G.: 52-Yv: 112
Sc. : **-Mi: 97

1938 10cg

S.-G.: 53-Yv: 113
Sc. : **-Mi: 98

1938 15cg

S.-G.: 54-Yv: 114
Sc. : **-Mi: 99

1938 20cg

S.-G.: 55-Yv: 115
Sc. : **-Mi: 100

1938 25cg

S.-G.: 56-Yv: 116
Sc. : **-Mi: 101

1938 30cg

S.-G.: 57-Yv: 117
Sc. : **-Mi: 102

1938 40cg

S.-G.: 58-Yv: 118
Sc. : **-Mi: 103

1938 50cg

S.-G.: 59-Yv: 119
Sc. : **-Mi: 104

1938 1Fg

S.-G.: 60-Yv: 120
Sc. : **-Mi: 105

1938 2Fg

S.-G.: 61-Yv: 121
Sc. : **-Mi: 106

1938 5Fg

S.-G.: 62-Yv: 122
Sc. : **-Mi: 107

1938 10Fg

S.-G.: 63-Yv: 123
Sc. : **-Mi: 108

The 1938 French Watermark RF in sheet stamps

1938 5cg

S.-G.: F53-Yv: 100
Sc. : **-Mi: 109

1938 10cg

S.-G.: F54-Yv: 101
Sc. : **-Mi: 110

1938 15cg

S.-G.: F55-Yv: 102
Sc. : **-Mi: 111

1938 20cg

S.-G.: F56-Yv: 103
Sc. : **-Mi: 112

1938 25cg

S.-G.: F57-Yv: 104
Sc. : **-Mi: 113

1938 30cg

S.-G.: F58-Yv: 105
Sc. : **-Mi: 114

1938 40cg

S.-G.: F59-Yv: 106
Sc. : **-Mi: 115

1938 50cg

S.-G.: F60-Yv: 107
Sc. : **-Mi: 116

1938 1Fg

S.-G.: F61-Yv: 108
Sc. : **-Mi: 117

1938 2Fg

S.-G.: F62-Yv: 109
Sc. : **-Mi: 118

1938 5Fg

S.-G.: F63-Yv: 110
Sc. : **-Mi: 119

1938 10Fg

S.-G.: F64-Yv: 111
Sc. : **-Mi: 120

The 1938 POSTAGE DUE - CHIFFRE TAXE stamps.

June 1, 1938 (?) : The 1938 "Postage Due" overprinting was performed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., Ltd, New Malden, Surrey, England, it is smaller than the 1925 overprinting and more in the left upper corner of the stamp. Sold mint in Vila in Jan., 1939. They are rare on cover. (Hals/Collas). The stamps exist perforated "Specimen". See below.

1938 5cg

S.-G.: D6-Yv: T16
Sc. : **-Mi: P11

1938 10cg

S.-G.: D7-Yv: T17
Sc. : **-Mi: P12

1938 20cg

S.-G.: D8-Yv: T18
Sc. : **-Mi: P13

1938 40cg

S.-G.: D9-Yv: T19
Sc. : **-Mi: P14

1938 1Fg

S.-G.: D10-Yv: T20
Sc. : **-Mi: P15

1938 5cg

S.-G.: FD65-Yv: T11
Sc. : **-Mi: P16

1938 10cg

S.-G.: FD66-Yv: T12
Sc. : **-Mi: P17

1938 20cg

S.-G.: FD67-Yv: T13
Sc. : **-Mi: P18

1938 40cg

S.-G.: FD68-Yv: T14
Sc. : **-Mi: P19

1938 1Fg

S.-G.: FD69-Yv: T15
Sc. : **-Mi: P20

Jeff Blinco found an article in the 22 February 1938 issue of "Paris-soir" about this issue:

22 February 1938

Article about the 1938 issue.

Here the name of the famous stamp artist is correctly written as "Jean Kerhor". The article tells us in February 1938 that the issue is about to leave the print presses. It states that they are issued with nominal value in Franc gold which corresponds to 10 Francs paper for 1 Fg or about 32 shilling paper.
So the high value 10 Fg equals 100 F paper or 320 shilling paper = 16 BP or in todays value inflation included about 101 BP. This may show that these high values were not really needed in the New Hebrides postal system.

(this part of the page added in Feb 2018)

Kerhor's design

Jean Kerhor designed the stamp with double values pence and cents. Later this was changed in Franc gold.

Jean KERHOR (Langres 2.4.1876 - Paris 6.1.1974) est le pseudonyme d'André DUPUIS artiste graveur, dessinateur et illustrateur (arrière petit neveu du philosophe DIDEROT).
Il arrive à NANCY en 1886 lors de la prise de fonction de son père militaire de carrière nommé Commandant au 37è régiment d'infanterie. Il entre à l'école des beaux arts de Nancy le 4.1.1901. Il quitte la ville en 1906 pour Paris où il entre au ministère des colonies en tant que secrétaire. Il en devient le dessinateur attitré sous le pseudonyme de Jean Kerhor. En 1912 il se marie avec la fille de Pierre Mahé, premier des grands philatélistes français, créateur et conservateur de la fameuse collection FERRARI DE LA RENOTIERE. Il a crée des timbres pour le Togo, Cameroun, Niger, Tunisie, Tchad, Congo belge, Nouvelles Hébrides, Guinée,Côte des Somalis.
(source: André Dupuis alias Jean Kerhor)
Information and artist design image supplied by "SeSi" - thanks!

Kerhor's design - coll. F.Petit
(new 5/2020)

And here is another copy of the Jean Kerhor design. - Signed by him at the bottom of the sheet. (Coll. Fred Petit)

The 1938 SPECIMEN stamps.

1938 British Issue Specimens. This is the "Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. Ltd." specimen punching Type B9.

1938 5cg

S.-G.: 52s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 10cg

S.-G.: 53s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 15cg

S.-G.: 54s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 20cg

S.-G.: 55s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 25cg

S.-G.: 56s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 30cg

S.-G.: 57s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 40cg

S.-G.: 58s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 50cg

S.-G.: 59s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 1Fg

S.-G.: 60s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 2Fg

S.-G.: 61s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 5Fg

S.-G.: 62s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 10Fg

S.-G.: 63s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 French Issue Specimens.

1938 5cg

S.-G.: F53s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 10cg

S.-G.: F54s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 15cg

S.-G.: F55s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 20cg

S.-G.: F56s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 25cg

S.-G.: F57s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 30cg

S.-G.: F58s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 40cg

S.-G.: F59s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 50cg

S.-G.: F60s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 1Fg

S.-G.: F61s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 2Fg

S.-G.: F62s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 5Fg

S.-G.: F63s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 10Fg

S.-G.: F64s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

The 1938 POSTAGE DUE - CHIFFRE TAXE SPECIMEN stamps.

1938 5cg

S.-G.: D6s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 10cg

S.-G.: D7s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 20cg

S.-G.: D8s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 40cg

S.-G.: D9s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 1Fg

S.-G.: D10s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 5cg

S.-G.: FD65s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 10cg

S.-G.: FD66s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 20cg

S.-G.: FD67s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 40cg

S.-G.: FD68s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

1938 1Fg

S.-G.: FD69s-Yv: --
Sc. : **-Mi: --

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