Nigerian Stamps and Postal History

Today's post will deal with the sixth and final value in this first issue of Lagos: the one shilling orange. This stamp had the fewest number of printings, with only four dispatches between November 18, 1874 and May 13, 1875. This post will attempt to explain how to distinguish the four printings of these stamps using the following characteristics: 1. Cancellations. 2. Colour shades. 3. Paper differences. 4. Plate characteristics. The discussion in my first post about the 1d, where I talk about the significance of the various cancellations used on this issue applies equally to this value as well. I am not going to repeat the details of that discussion here, but will instead provide a link to that discussion: http://naijastamps.blogspot.ca/2016/10/distinguishing-six-printings-of-1d.html However, the dates found on the Lagos CDS cancellations can be utilized to distinguish the various printings as follows: First printings will generally be cancelled before May 1875. ...

Those of you who read this blog may now notice a Paypal donation button has been added in the right margin of the navigation bar. I want to emphasize to all of you that I am not expecting anything from my readers. I write this blog because of my desire to share my philatelic knowledge and experience with the philatelic community at large. Nevertheless I do recognize that there are some of you who may feel that you have derived such enjoyment or value from reading my posts that you wish to contribute to my ability to continue to write them in some way. Therefore after much discussion with my partner, I have added a donate button to the blog. But, please, please. please do not interpret its presence as a request for a handout. It is not. I want everyone to enjoy reading my posts without feeling that they are in any way obligated to donate anything.

Today's post will deal with the fifth, and along with the 4d, one of the most complicated denominations of this first issue of Lagos, the 6d green. Seven printings were made of this stamp between May 12, 1874 and May 13, 1875. This post will attempt to explain how to distinguish the seven printings of these stamps using the following characteristics: 1. Cancellations. 2. Colour shades. 3. Paper differences. The discussion in my first post about the 1d, where I talk about the significance of the various cancellations used on this issue applies equally to this value as well. I am not going to repeat the details of that discussion here, but will instead provide a link to that discussion: http://naijastamps.blogspot.ca/2016/10/distinguishing-six-printings-of-1d.html However, the dates found on the Lagos CDS cancellations can be utilized to distinguish the various printings as follows: First printings should be cancelled between late July 1874 and September 1875, though ...

Hello everyone! In my last post I had said that I would publish my next post by now. Unfortunately we ran into considerable problems in closing our home purchase here in Saint John. These problems delayed our move by 9 days, so that we only just got to move into our new house on December 9, instead of November 30 like we planned. I have managed just yesterday to get our new office organized, and I will show you where we keep our stock, on which these posts are based: A view from the door showing our desks with lots of space.  My work area, with supplies and accessories behind me.  The stock closets and shelving with Nigerian postal history. There is more in the closets, but there are over 50,000 covers here, all from the Youth Mission in Finland, and all dating from 1972 onwards. So there is a major basis for a detailed study of postage rates, postmarks and frankings.  Viktor watching me from my desk.  The British West Africa ...