Congo Stamps

BCK, “Spoorwegmaatschappij van beneden Congo tot Katanga”

Railway stamps issued between 1942 and 1970.

The locomotive depicted (type 300), was in service with the BCK since the beginning of the exploration. The company Franco-Belge built it in the workshops of “La Croyère”.

1942, PK18-23 (First series)

Design:

Printing: Imbelco, Elisabethville

Perforation: 10

size: 40 x 28 mm

Sheet: 25

Circulation: 32,000 series

PK18 1Fr red

PK19 2Fr blue

PK20 3Fr green

PK21 4Fr lilac

PK22 5Fr light yellow

PK23 10Fr black

The series:

Two examples of moved sheets when they were perforated:

1950, PK 24-34 (Second series)

Design:

Printing: Imbelco, Elisabethville

Perforation: 10

size: 32 x 24 mm

Sheet: 100

Circulation: unknown series

PK24 1Fr red

PK25 2Fr blue

PK26 3Fr green

PK27 4Fr lilac

PK28 5Fr brown

PK29 10Fr orange

PK30 20Fr carmine

PK31 25Fr gray

PK32 50Fr gray

PK33 100Fr yellow

PK34 300Fr black

The series (PK31 is not shown here):

1967, PK 35-42 (Third series)

Same series as the second series, with overprint of new currency the “Kuta”

This was done because of the devaluation the national currency.

Design:

Printing: Imbelco, Elisabethville

Perforation: 10

size: 32 x 24 mm

Sheet: 100

Circulation: unknown series

PK35 1K on 1Fr red

PK36 2K on 2Fr blue

PK37 3K on 3Fr green

PK38 4K on 4Fr pink-lilac

PK39 5K on 5Fr brown

PK40 10K on 10Fr orange

PK41 20K on 20Fr carmine

PK42 50K on 50Fr gray

The series

According to the O.B.C., only the PK36 2K/2Fr was overprinted with a hand stamp with the capital letters K.D.L. within a cadre. K.D.L. = Kinshasa-Dilolo-Lubumbashi.

Here also shown the PK42 with overprint (not in O.B.C.)