Red Cross. No’s 270-273

Stamps issued on 23 May 1942 with red overprint, with additional charge and alternating text in French “Au profit de la Croix-Rouge” and in Dutch “Ten voordele van het Roode Kruis”. The overprint was locally done in Leopoldville. After 8 months the stock of 10,000 series was almost sold out, it was decided to make another 14,000 series on 14 March 1945. Because of the two different runs of overprints, the letters of the overprint can slightly difference in size.

Date of issue: 29 July 1944

Expiration date: 1 January 1951

Design:

Printing: Waterlow and Sons, London

Engraving:

Perforation: 12.5 (variety: no.271: 12.5 x 13.5)

Size for no’s 270, 271 & 273: 26 x 30 mm

Size for no.272: 35 x 22 mm

Sheet: 100

Marginal inscriptions: sheet number top right.

Circulation: 10,000 + 14,000, total of 24,000.

22,432 series is the amount sold of series.

No 270. +50F on 50c (no 254)

No 271. +100Fr on 1,25Fr (no 238)

No 272. +100Fr on 1,75Fr (no 259)

No 273. +100Fr on 3,50Fr (no 242)

These stamps were sold in groups of three series; this explains why blocks of four are very rare.