1849-50. 10, 15, 20, 20, 40 c., 1 fr. Genuine Very nicely engraved, on thickish wove paper, more or less tinted, but never quite white. In the large majority of copies, the paper presents a very strong yellowish tinge, probably due to age. The shading under the eye and on the neck consists of well-defined, […]
The first stamps issued for this country were envelopes only; and it was not till 1856 that adhesives came into use. The earliest envelopes used to be rather puzzling to collectors, not only because of their rarity, but also because it was believed that there were two issues of 1845, the second issue being in […]
1871. No surcharge; 1d., 3d. & 6d. One Penny. Genuine Engraved in épargne, on thin, soft, white wove paper, badly perforated 125, watermarked FIJI POSTAGE through the middle row of stamps in the sheet. The dark shading at the bottom of the crown is in a perfectly straight line. The ends of all the white […]
1866. 5, 10, 20 Paras; 1, 2, 5, 10 Piastres. Genuine As the design varies for each separate value, I shall have to describe them one by one; but first I may take the tests common to all the values. Typographed (?) in colour, on thin, greyish-white wove paper; watermarked (all but the 1 Piastre) […]
1865-72. Medio Real, blue. Genuine Lithographed, in slate-blue, and also in ultramarine, on thin, greyish-white wove paper. The sun’s face has several dots on it, but they cannot be said to resemble eyes, nose, and mouth, as, in all legible copies, there is merely a straight row of dots, touching each other, where the eyes would […]
1864. 10 Cents, brownish-carmine. This stamp was first issued unperforated; but in 1865 it was machine-perforated 12 1/2 x 12. The type of both perforated and unperforated is exactly the same. Genuine Finely engraved in taille-douce, on soft, thin, yellowish- white wove paper, the face of which almost invariably shows a tinge of the […]
1862. Medio Real, rose; Un Real, deep green. Un Real. Genuine Typographed, in black, on medium, rather coarsely-wove, deep yellow-green paper. The four lines forming the frame do not touch each other, but leave wide gaps at the corners. A straight-edge, laid along the top edge of the book in the shield, would cut centrally […]
1874 & 1877. 1d., 6d. & 1s Genuine Engraved in épargne, on thin, white wove paper, slightly surfaced; perforated 12 1/2 or 14, as above; watermarked with a Crown and CC. All the values are from the same die. The circle containing the name does not touch the value-label. The T of POSTAGE is very […]
1851. 2 R.B.S., blue. Genuine Typographed, on stout, decidedly yellowish-white wove paper; backed with thick, yellow gum; watermarked with a crown. This watermark is particularly distinct, and can very often be traced even on the face of the stamp as it lies on the table. There is a net-work pattern, in pale brown, over the […]
1866. 17 Soldi, vermilion. Genuine Rather nicely lithographed, on thin, white wove paper; very badly perforated 9 1/2. I have seldom seen worse perforation on any genuine stamps; but probably the extreme thinness of the paper prevented the little punches from cutting out clean holes. The wavy lines which compose the groundwork, outside the central […]