Samoa Times Express Stamp

Genuine, apparently
Source

The Samoa Times Express stamps are one of the most valued items in classical philately - but it is also the most heavily reproduced and forged.

Sadly, most of the copies that you will come across are not originals although it is not at all easy to work out what it is exactly that you have - remainders, reprints, facsimiles, forgeries or, rarely, originals.

The history of this stamp issue dates back to 1870 when G.L. Griffiths, publisher of Pacific-area newspapers, started experimenting with private postal services for the distribution of his new newspaper the "Samoa Times" (later "Samoan Times" & "South Seas Gazette").  . The Express stamps were printed in Sydney by S.T. Leigh & Co.
The Fiji Times Express stamps were born on 1870, and as the project was financially quite successful, the Samoa Times Express stamps followed in 1877. However, this proved to be a not so successful venture and the Samoa Express private post was closed in August 1881.


During the period from 1877 to 1881 seven different values – 1d, 3d, 6d, 9d, 1s, 2s, and 5s – were issued in multiple prints. In addition an unissued 2d stamp exists.

In 1882 “remainders” of the stamps (550 to 22 500 copies of each of values) were sold to a stamp dealer. They are not reprints nor forgeries, and had been produced in 1881, but were dispatched by the printers only just after the Samoa Express closed. Remainders are notably less common than reprints and forgeries.

However, this was not the end of story.

When the Samoa Express had closed, Whitfield King & Co. obtained the rights to have reprints made by the original Sydney printers. For the reprints transfers from remainder sheets were used.

Soon facsimiles (more correctly named so, as they were made from new lithographic printing stones and the sheet size was larger) began to appear in colossal quantities. In 1884 25 000 to 50 000 sets were produced, and in 1892 100 000 more sets.

In 1897 the stones were defaced. However, that was not yet the end of the story - such was the philatelic demand that these postage stamps were also forged on at least six occasions.

In the 1800s there were 2 competing postoffices: the John Davis PO, which was appointed by King Malietoa, and supported by the British and Americans, and the German PO, which was part of the UPU. Many consider the Davis PO, which issued the Express and Palm Tree stamps to be a "local" post, and not valid since it was not recognized by the UPU.

By treaty, the US and GB pulled out of western Samoan islands (the US getting the eastern Samoan islands and GB getting Tongan Islands) and Germany was given control on March 1, 1900. Therefore, the John Davis Post Office ceased to exist on Feb 28, 1900.

The Different 'States'

All of the original stamps were lithographed and are usually classified according to four different types or 'states'. The first three states were used to print all values except the 9d. The fourth state featured only the 9d value and the remainders (including the unissued 2d values).

The different states of the matrix stones are identified by a constant flaw in the white line above the X in "Express": unbroken (state 1), broken (state 2) or retouched (state 3). Stamps in states 1 and 2 are rarely encountered. In the state 3 a coloured spot in the white line above X has been crudely removed causing damage to the line, and the upper right serif of M has been deformed. The 1s does not exist in state 3.

Another way to identify type is the upper right serif of letter M. In states 2 and 3 there is a dot near it – and in state 3 it has joined to letter causing an appearance of a bending down serif. The 4th state (both remainders and reprints) are as state 3, but with an additional very tiny dot of colour under the middle stroke of the M, often connected with the thick curved line below, forming a vertical dash.

The manuscript mark is the standard form of cancellation until the first CDS of 30 March 1878 and is at least as valuable as one with a CDS.

There are many shade variations.

Perforation

Checking the perforation is a good place to start - but you need to be exact. The real Express stamps should have perforation of 12½ (states 1-3), or 11¾ (~12, state 4) with either rough or clean cut perforations. In addition the stamps are usually imperforate on one or two sides.

3rd state stamps were first perforated 12 ¼, and then 11 ¾, the latter first clean cut, then very rough cut (in which condition they are most often seen). The only state 3 stamp that can have perforations on all four sides is the 1d, all other state 3 stamps being imperforate on one or two sides.

The Samoa Express 4th state remainders are perforated 11 ¾ on two, three or four sides, and moderately clean cut. The gum tends to be streaky and yellowish or brownish, sometimes darkening the paper. The printing quality of the remainders is poorer than that of the reprints.

The reprints (all of them) are likewise in state 4. The paper is similar to the original, but seems whiter. The perforation was first 11 ¾, later 12 ¼, on two, three or four sides, and clean cut. Sheet size: 40 (8x5).

Stamps perforated on all sides are usually reprints or forgeries. The gum is smooth and white.

Forgeries

Forgery 1 emulates state 3 stamps. It is best recognised by the pearls or large dots under EX and SS, which are cut by the line under "express". On all other stamps these pearls stay free, especially on the left.

Forgery 2 of a Samoa Express stamp resembles the rare undamaged state 1 regarding the line above X, but is, in addition, easily identified also by the single large pearl straight under M, as well as below O.

Forgery 3 is very scarce (only two copies have ever been reported).

Forgery 4 is also known in only one denomination, the 1d. State 1. The letters in "postage one penny" are shorter than on the originals and there is a distinct period after "penny".

Forgeries 5 and 6 relate to the 1d - they are both very rarely encountered.


Samoa Express forgeries - including a quick checklist to help distinguish between the real thing and forgeries.

Stamp Collector Blog - the 3d red.

More examples.

Stampboards.com discussion.