Introduction to the Belgian Congo, 1908-1960:

On 15^th November 1908, the Congo free state was annexed by the Belgian state and renamed Belgisch Congo (Belgian Congo).

There was no time to design and print new stamps directly, therefore stamps from the Independent State were overprinted with CONGO BELGE.

The series from 1887 with overprint are forgeries and were never put into use:

 

The first stamps used, 1^st January 1909, were the “Mols/Van Engelen” from 1894 with overprint CONGO BELGE.

This overprint was done with different engraved stamps, typographic or by hand. A part of the stamps was overprinted in Brussels-Belgium, and another part in the colony.

Several different size, thickness, and letter type are known because of the use of different engraved stamps and techniques to apply this overprint. Of course are many variations/curiosities and different forgeries are known.

For the series 30B-39B, 30L-39L, 40-49, and 40PT-49PT listed in the COB, the basic series of 1894 were used; only the overprint is slightly different.

 

Remark: I apologize that I will not try to show or explain all what is known, simple because so much material is known that it easily could fill its own Website. But I promise that more information will be added in time (with a little help of my friends I hope).

 

For the “die-hards”, here shown: 30B8, 31B4, 32B, 33B2.

 

For the “die-hards”, here shown: 34L3, 35B6, 36B5, 37B2

 

For the “die-hards”, here shown: 38B5 & 39B5

 

Different examples of variations/curiosities in overprint:

Double, triple reversed, triple moved, reversed, displaced.

 

An overprint on top and bottom of a stamp is called “à cheval” (no.44)

 

 This is an overprint on the 5c brown instead of the 5c green.

 

Curiosities for “Locale overprints”:

39L-Cu1 10Fr, the radar of the riverboat touches the frame.

39L-Cu2 10Fr. The boat close to the shore

39L-Cu3 10Fr. Watermark (twice in sheet of 50: JAs WRICKLEY & SONS LD.219).

 

Curiosities for “Typographic overprints”:

 43-Cu 25c, double overprint

 45-Cu 50c, reversed overprint

47-Cu 3,50Fr, double overprint

49-Cu1 10Fr, the radar of the riverboat touches the frame.

49-Cu2 10Fr. The boat close to the shore

49-Cu3 Watermark (twice in sheet of 50: JAs WRICKLEY & SONS LD.219).

 

Impression of March 1909. Named: “Prinsenoplage”

(Same stamp series as above, other type of overprint).

 

Curiosities:

47PT-Cu 3,50Fr, reversed overprint

49PT-Cu 10Fr, (blue-green, T.14,1/4), double overprint

47PT 3,50FR imperforated