1960 Flowers, no’s 382-399

Design: G. Denis

Printing: Hélio Courvoisier, La Chaux De Fonds (Switserland)

Overprinting: CONGO in black

Perforation: 11.5

Size:

Sheet: 50, 25 for no 322 (50Fr) & no 323(100Fr).

Circulation:

No 382 10c, yellow-Dissoti (no.302)

No 383 10c on 15c, light green-Protea (no.303)

No 384 20c, gray-Vellozia (no.304)

No 385 40c, salmon color-Ipomea (no.306)

No 386 50c on 60c, pink-Euphorbia (no.308)

No 387 50c on 75c, gray-Ochna (no.309)

No 388 1Fr, yellow-Hibiscus (no.310)

No 389 1,50Fr, light green-Schizoglossum (no.312)

No 390 2Fr, light-brown-Anselllia (no.313)

No 391 3Fr, wine red-Costus (no.314)

No 392 4Fr, violet blue-Nymphaea (no.315)

No 393 5Fr, blue green-Thunbergias (no.316)

No 394 6,50Fr, lilac-Thonningia (no.317)

No 395 8Fr, yellow-Gloriosa (no.319)

No 396 10Fr, olive green-Silène (no.320)

No 397 20Fr, brown pink-Aristolochia (no.321)

No 398 50Fr, light blue-Eulophia (no.322)

No 399 100Fr, clear bister-Cryptosepalum (no.323)

 

The series:

 

Many variations and curiosities are known; in principal they were all made for collectors.

Apparently there was a man in Belgium named van Bierbeek (spelling?) who worked with the printers and made many variations and curiosities in the Belgium and Belgium colonies stamps. Although these overprints are deliberately manipulated are these stamps considered to be real and are listed in the O.C.B. As soon I have more information, I will put it on this website.

Reversed overprint, standard is that the overprint is on the topside or center of the stamp:

(382a in O.C.B.)          (383a in O.C.B.)          (383Aa in O.B.C.)       (384A in O.C.B.)

                                

 

(385a in O.C.B.)          (388a in O.C.B.)          (389a in O.C.B.)          (390a in O.C.B.)

                                

 

(391a NOT in O.C.B.) (395a in O.C.B.)          (396a in O.C.B.)          (397a in O.C.B.)

                                

Note: I have never seen the 4, 5, 6,5, 50 & 100F with reversed overprint.

 

Here a few with the new value in reversed overprint:

(383b in O.C.B.)          (386b in O.C.B)           (386bb NOT in O.C.B.)

                     

 

Reversed overprint on the bottom side, there is no reason to believe that the whole series exists but I only know this example:

 

Stamps with the overprint CONGO but lacking the new value:

(383A in O.C.B.)         (383A, red overprint)   (386A in O.C.B.)         (387A in O.C.B.)

                                

 

Stamps with new value but lacking the overprint CONGO:

(383B in O.C.B.)         (368B in O.C.B.)         (387B in O.C.B.)

           Sorry, no photo            Sorry, no photo

 

“Moved” overprints are not uncommon, straight or slanting, here are some examples:

 

Recto verso is another curiosity here are some examples:

 

Double overprints are rare: here some examples:

 

This nice bloc of three different stamps: 383, new value put no XX, and 383A

 

Curiosities from the “garbage can” from the overprinter; it proofs that first CONGO was printed and later the new value:

 

Forged reversed overprints, and a forged recto versa.

Notice the difference in quality and ink: