Postage Stamp Chat Board & Stamp Bulletin Board Forum
 

Does anybody have the story as to why these Cameroun stamps from 1962 (Y&T 329/34) have such high catalogue value (EUR 581)? I added them to my Cameroun collection today (paid a fair amount of cat value), and I would like to understand if anyone knows what the issue numbers of these are (probably low), and why this is the case.

The overprint in the last three stamps seems to indicate British face values ?





Thanks! Hendriks

Hi Hendriks,

Yes, they are surcharged in British currency. They were used in the former UK Trust Territory of Southern Cameroons in the period in late 1961 after the territory joined Cameroun but before Cameroun's franc currency came into use.

_________________
Nigel

hendriks,

I am not sure about the issue numbers but, they were in circulation only for a few days thus the high price.

Thanks for the good information. I got some good pointers, to figure out what exactly happened there. Issue numbers for the overprint must be really low for the price to be that high.

Does this mean this would fit into both French and British colonial collections?

The stamps show President Ahidjo and Prime Minister Foncha.

The story goes that President Ahidjo at a reception was approached by a foreign diplomat, who congratulated him on the fine portraits of himself and his wife on the stamps. Mr Ahidjo was not amused and the stamps were quickly withdrawn.

Phil

I suppose each collector will have their own criteria. These stamps were issued by an independent country that was created in its current form when a former British colony joined a much larger former French colony. Cameroon/Cameroun is now a member of both the Commonwealth and Francophonie.

_________________
Nigel

That's a great story. I hadn't heard that one. I'm sure Mr Foncha wasn't that impressed either!

_________________
Nigel

Great! That means that besides a huge amount of French former colonies, I now also have a small collection of British ones.
Thanks for the information and background everyone!

I like your avatar stamp Hendriks. It's a thought-provoking one given the current troubles in Syria.

_________________
Nigel

Yes indeed, especially with the French aching to get back in to fix things.

I collect British Commonwealth and Empire, and for Cameroon(s), I would collect:

1. 1915 German Kamerun stamps overprinted "C.E.F." (Cameroons Expeditionary Force) and value in British currency (I only have the 2d on 20pf)

2. 1960-1961 Nigerian stamps overprinted "CAMEROONS U.K.T.T." (Cameroons United Kingdom Trust Territory) (I have the 1960 set but am missing the 1d and 2d shades and 6d diff. perf)

3. 1996-present Cameroon in the Commonwealth (I don't have any)

German Kamerun was divided between the UK (British Cameroons) and France (Cameroun). British Cameroons was divided between Northern Cameroons (which became part of Nigeria) and Southern Cameroons, which together with French Cameroun became the Republic of Cameroon.

Togo also had similar conditions - German Togo was partitioned between the UK (British Togoland) and France (French Togoland). British Togoland became part of Gold Coast and is now part of Ghana. French Togoland became independent as the Togo Republic.

_________________
My wantlist for Malta Revenues

The British currency was only used in the ex-British part of the country, from unification in October 1961 until April 30, 1962. Your stamps were issued Jan 1, 1962, so they were valid only for 4 months. Even though the catalogue value is the same, I would think used copies would be even more rare and expensive.

On October 1, 1961, when the ex-British part joined Cameroun, a few stamps were overprinted in British currency. There are two types of each of the high value overprints from 2/6 to £1.

Here is a block of Air Mail 500 Fr. overprinted £1 with the «Narrow» overprint.


Memphre

Thanks memphre. I can find this very nice stamp in my Yvert & Tellier. It's not cheap either.
Now, can you rip one off? I still need one, and my local stamp dealer doesn't have it.

Cheers, Hendriks.

It is time someone did. It is to the shame of the world that this is allowed to continue. It reflects very badly on Russia and China for blocking resolutions in the UN.

_________________
With kind regards, Jim

Hi Hendricks,

email sent.

Memphre

I do remember being offered this set 5 years back by an Indian dealer, for around $100.

Since it was in the decimal currency of the British, I took my SG Commonwealth & British Empire catalogue to check them out. To my utter disappointment, I did not find it listed at all. I still don't find it listed in my 2012 edition.

This might mean that they have not been recognized by Stanley Gibbons as commonwealth issues (as yet). There's only one issue listed for Cameroons U.K. Trust Territory, a set of 12, the high value of which has been shared above by one of us as a block of 4.

Scott all-world catalogue does list it as Sc 355/357, at $450 (2009) and adds as a footnote that these stamps were not only withdrawn after a few days but were also destroyed!

All said and done, I should have probably gone for them at that offer price back then, my only hesitation was whether the surcharge overprints were genuine or forged.

_________________
to reflect on God's creation is very fruitful meditation, and to reflect on Man's beauty of a creation - stamps - is no less either!