German postal operations in Imperial China began with a postal agency insider Germany’s Shanghai consulate in August 1886. Over time, additional offices would open at nearly two dozen locations, primarily at coastal or river ports. A few offices also had some connection to the German-built railroad in Shandong province in the vicinity of the German colony of Kiautschou.

Stamps prepared for use in China would first appear in 1898, with an overprint reading “CHINA” applied diagonally across the face of 1889 series German definitives. These overprints exist in two settings, with the overprint set at 45° or 56° across the face of the stamp.

In 1902, 1900 series “Germania” stamps (inscribed “REICHSPOST”) with the word “CHINA” overprinted horizontally across the bottom of the stamps in “Lateinshrift“. Face values of these issues were in Pfennig and Marks, with the entire range of face values available in Germany proper also available at the German offices in China. When “Fraktur” overprints appeared on 1902 “Germania” stamps (inscribed “DEUTCHES REICH”), these overprints also included face value equivalents in Chinese currency. As several values had neither easy nor useful conversions into Chinese currency, several values were discontinued when this change was made.

Vorläufer period:  1886-1898

Kriegsdruck:  Kreigsdruck printings were made for all stamps except the 2¢ on 5 Pf, 4¢ on 10 Pf, 10¢ on 20 Pf, and 20¢ on 40 Pf values.

Postal Stationery:  Postal cards, including paid reply cards

Final Closure:  17 March 1917

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

Due the Boxer Rebellion (August 1900-late 1902), a number of provisional issues were created which have no equivalent in other parts of the German colonial empire. Either the local supply of stamps was insufficient, or stamp stocks were exhausted and could not be replenished by additional stamps sent from Germany.

“Petschili” Usages (right) – The German Offices in China also accepted un-overprinted 1889- and 1900-series German definitives without overprint. As a result, military and civilian cancels can be found on all of these issues.  The Peking (Beijing) office also issued stamps from the 1901 “Yacht” issue prepared for use in Kiautschou, which were not technically valid at German installations in China proper except during this short time period. Collectively, these are known as “Petschili” usages, and are actively sought by specialists.

In addition to the Petschili uses, other provisional issues were also created during this time period elsewhere in China.

Tientsin Handstamps (right) – At the Tientsin office, provisionals were created by handstamping the word “CHINA” diagonally across the face of Germania stamps, resulting in a nearly full set of denominations.

Futschau Provisionals – At the Futschau office, 5 Pf stamps were created by handstamping that value over the bottom of 10 Pf stamps. These are routinely confused with the first issue of Kiautschou, which is also a 5 Pf on 10 Pf stamp. The difference here is that the value on the Futschau issue is stated as “5 Pf”, whereas the value on the Kiautschou overprint is stated as “5 pfg.” Most (but not all) of the Kiautschou issue also includes a blue or purple crayon line applied to “cancel” the stamp’s original face value; this feature is missing from the Futschau provisional.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

Due the Boxer Rebellion (August 1900-late 1902), a number of provisional issues were created which have no equivalent in other parts of the German colonial empire. Either the local supply of stamps was insufficient, or stamp stocks were exhausted and could not be replenished by additional stamps sent from Germany.

“Petschili” Usages (below) – The German Offices in China also accepted un-overprinted 1889- and 1900-series German definitives without overprint. As a result, military and civilian cancels can be found on all of these issues.  The Peking (Beijing) office also issued stamps from the 1901 “Yacht” issue prepared for use in Kiautschou, which were not technically valid at German installations in China proper except during this short time period. Collectively, these are known as “Petschili” usages, and are actively sought by specialists.

In addition to the Petschili uses, other provisional issues were also created during this time period elsewhere in China.

Tientsin Handstamps (below)– At the Tientsin office, provisionals were created by handstamping the word “CHINA” diagonally across the face of Germania stamps, resulting in a nearly full set of denominations.

The final German Office Abroad opened in Morocco on 20 December 1899. German postal facilities opened in roughly a dozen locations throughout the country. Morocco at the time was divided into French and Spanish zones of influence, as well as an international zone around the northern city of Tangiers. Germany operated postal facilities in all three. Stamps for the German Offices in Morocco were always issued only with overprints giving face value equivalents in Spanish pesetas and centimos, which were used at all the German facilities regardless of the zone in which they operated. No overprints stating just “Morocco” without a peseta equivalent were ever regularly issued, although unissued stamps and postal stationery that fit this description were prepared.

Vorläufer period: n/a.  Distinctive issues for Morocco were provided to all German facilities from their first day of operations.

Kriegsdruck:  Kreigsdruck printings were made for the equivalents of the 25- and 50-Pf values, as well as those equivalent to 1 M or higher. Unlike the other offices and colonies, the low value 3 Pf issue is not recorded as having a Kriegsdruck version.

Postal Stationery:  Postal cards, including paid reply cards.

Final Closure:  5 August 1914 (French Zone), 12 June 1919 (Spanish Zone) and 19 August 1919 (Tangiers).

The first German post office anywhere outside of Germany was opened in Constantinople (Istanbul) in March of 1870 by the North German Confederation. Imperial Germany would eventually open three offices in Constantinople, as well as one each in Smyrna (Izmir), Beirut, Jerusalem, and Jaffa (Tel Aviv), all of which were inside the Ottoman Empire at the time.

Like all of the other offices, German issues for their Offices in Turkey were overprinted first with “Lateinshrift” inscriptions, in this case, an inscription which restated the stamp’s face value in Turkish lira. Later overprints were applied in “Fraktur” to “Germania” series stamps printed on both ordinary and watermarked paper.

Vorläufer period:  1870-c. 1884

Kriegsdruck: n/a.  This was the only German colonial outpost for which Kriegsdruck printings were never made of any denomination.

Postal Stationery:  Postal cards, newspaper wrappers

Final Closure:  30 September 1914

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

This was the only colonial postal system which never had a country name other than Germany’s associated with their stamps. In the case of all colonial issues and the other two offices abroad, the overprint includes the name of the country in which the stamps were prepared for use. German Offices in Turkey issues show only a new value in Turkish currency (Paras or Piasters) or in French currency (Centimes; as seen at right) and nothing else. The issue of stamps in two different non-German currencies was also unique to the offices in Turkey. It required the Germans to keep their books in three currencies, rather than just two as was the case in every other instance.

This was also the only colonial facility for which no wartime stamps were ever produced. The Ottomans viewed all the foreign post offices as an infringement on their sovereignty, and had been trying to close them down for years. The Germans, having sought to ally themselves with the Ottomans, were not about to antagonize them by planning to reopen their offices in Turkey. Although the civilian offices closed in September 1914, Germany operated numerous military mail post offices throughout Ottoman territory. As military mail did not require stamps, this sort of mail can only be collected as stampless entires; the cancels for such mail typically include Turkish inscriptions in Arabic script which make for visually very interesting items.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

This was the only colonial postal system which never had a country name other than Germany’s associated with their stamps. In the case of all colonial issues and the other two offices abroad, the overprint includes the name of the country in which the stamps were prepared for use. German Offices in Turkey issues show only a new value in Turkish currency (Paras or Piasters) or in French currency (Centimes; as seen below and nothing else. The issue of stamps in two different non-German currencies was also unique to the offices in Turkey. It required the Germans to keep their books in three currencies, rather than just two as was the case in every other instance.

This was also the only colonial facility for which no wartime stamps were ever produced. The Ottomans viewed all the foreign post offices as an infringement on their sovereignty, and had been trying to close them down for years. The Germans, having sought to ally themselves with the Ottomans, were not about to antagonize them by planning to reopen their offices in Turkey. Although the civilian offices closed in September 1914, Germany operated numerous military mail post offices throughout Ottoman territory. As military mail did not require stamps, this sort of mail can only be collected as stampless entires; the cancels for such mail typically include Turkish inscriptions in Arabic script which make for visually very interesting items.

The German New Guinea colony began as a private company controlling the north-eastern quarter of the island of New Guinea. The German government would eventually establish a “protectorate” over the area, which also included a number of adjacent islands such as Bougainville and the northern part of the Solomon Islands. Postal operations began on 15 February 1888. German New Guinea would issue the normal range of stamps, with “Deutsch- / Neu-Guinea” diagonal overprints on 1889 series stamps in 1897, and “Yacht” series stamps in 1900.

With the exception of Samoa and Kiautschou, all of Germany’s Pacific colonies were officially run from German New Guinea, which presided over Germany’s “Imperial Pacific Protectorates”. Many of the postal operations of these colonies were routed through New Guinea as a result.

Vorläufer period:  1888-1897

Kriegsdruck:  Kreigsdruck printings were made of the 3 Pf, 5 Pf, 10 Pf, and 5 M values. These are a lot easier to identify than those of other colonies. Friedensdruck printings are all on unwatermarked paper, with a colony name reading “DEUTSCH-NEU-GUINEA.” The 3 Pf value on watermarked paper can only be Kriegsdruck. The other Kriegsdruck values have the name of the colony written as “DEUTSCH-NEUGUINEA”, without a hyphen between “NEU” and “GUINEA.

The New Guinea 5 M watermarked issue exists in three forms. The Friedensdruck printing correctly matches up the frame and vignette, which are supposed to be Type I. Three Kriegsdruck printings were made, two of which have the Type II vignette, the third of which has the Type III vignette.

Postal Stationery:  Postal cards, including paid reply cards.

Final loss of control:  The last areas of German control surrendered to the Australians and the British on 17 September 1914.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

The Kieta post office, having run out of 3 Pf stamps, issued a hand stamped 3 Pf on 5 Pf provisional which was in use in February 1908.

Additionally, the German New Guinea company issued packet cards and other items resembling postal materials which were used in a manner similar to actual postal issues.

Collectors of occupation issues have a variety of items to collect related to this colony as well. The British overprinted captured German New Guinea stamps (right) for use during the occupation, including creating stamps out of registration labels held by the German postal facilities.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

The Kieta post office, having run out of 3 Pf stamps, issued a hand stamped 3 Pf on 5 Pf provisional which was in use in February 1908.

Additionally, the German New Guinea company issued packet cards and other items resembling postal materials which were used in a manner similar to actual postal issues.

Collectors of occupation issues have a variety of items to collect related to this colony as well. The British overprinted captured German New Guinea stamps (below) for use during the occupation, including creating stamps out of registration labels held by the German postal facilities.

German East Africa is one of two colonies where the postal operations officially started as a “Post Office Abroad” before a transition to a colonial postal service took place. (Samoa is the other.) The initial cancellations from the first two GEA offices at Dar-Es-Salaam and Bagamoyo read “Kaiserl. Deutche Postagentur” or “Imperial German Postal Agency”, a designation which also appears only in contemporary cancels of the German Offices in Turkey and China.

German East Africa never used the German Mark as its currency, so never had stamps in Mark denominations other than Vorläufer. GEA instead used the Indian / East African Rupie. The first issues prepared for East Africa were issued on 1 July 1893, and consists of 1889 series stamps overprinted horizontally with a single line showing new values in denominations from 2 Pesa to 25 Pesa. (1 Rupie = 64 Pesa) This issue did not include the name of the colony. A new issue appeared in 1896 which had a three-line diagonal overprint in the same values but including the colony’s name as “Deutsch-Ostafrika”.

Stamps of the “Yacht” series, initially denominated in Rupie and Pesa would appear in early 1901, but were replaced in 1905 when the Rupie was “decimalized” by discontinuing the Pesa and making the Rupie equivalent to 100 Heller. Watermarked versions of most values were issued.

Vorläufer period:  1890-1893

Kriegsdruck:  Kriegsdruck printings were created for the 2 ½ H, 1 Rupie, 2 Rupien, and 3 Rupien values. Watermarked Friedensdruck printings for all values except the 2 Rupien made it to East Africa and were used there. The watermarked 1 Rupie value is exceptionally rare in used condition.

Postal Stationery:  Postal cards, including paid reply cards.

Final loss of control:  German East Africa was the final German colonial outpost to fall to the Allies. Although the British, Belgians, and Portuguese effectively controlled most of the colony by 1917, a German guerrilla force of about 1,000 soldiers kept the military campaign in full swing until 1919, several weeks after peace had been declared in Europe. The German guerrillas in East Africa would keep fighting until orders from Berlin to stand down were received.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

Two postal outposts at Lamu (now in Kenya) and at Zanzibar are usually included with East Africa although neither was ever part of the German East Africa colony.  Germany operated post offices abroad in these locations prior to the formation of the colony, but ceded those locations to England in the Helgoland-Zanzibar Treaty of 1890.

Shortages of postage during World War I led to several provisional postal issues and provisional means of denoting postage paid.  These include:

Königsberg / Möwe Provisionals (right) – un-overprinted Germania stamps salvaged from SMS Königsberg and SMS Möwe, German naval vessels which had been scuttled to prevent capture by the British.  These were used in late 1915 and 1916.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

Two postal outposts at Lamu (now in Kenya) and at Zanzibar are usually included with East Africa although neither was ever part of the German East Africa colony.  Germany operated post offices abroad in these locations prior to the formation of the colony, but ceded those locations to England in the Helgoland-Zanzibar Treaty of 1890.

Shortages of postage during World War I led to several provisional postal issues and provisional means of denoting postage paid.  These include:

Königsberg / Möwe Provisionals (below) – un-overprinted Germania stamps salvaged from SMS Königsberg and SMS Möwe, German naval vessels which had been scuttled to prevent capture by the British.  These were used in late 1915 and 1916.

Pre-Payment Envelopes – starting in 1915, smaller post offices were unable to procure enough stamps, so special envelopes for use within the colony were prepared which indicated payment had been made in cash.

Cash Pre-Payment Markings – special handstamps were also made to indicate cash pament of postage on items that were not franked with postage and which were not sent in the pre-payment envelopes.

Wuga Provisionals (right) – early in 1916, locally-printed provisional issues of the 2 ½ H, 7 ½ H, and 1 Rupie values were prepared at the presses of missionaries located in the town of Wuga, but these were buried rather than being issued when new stamps arrived from Germany. A small number survived being buried.

Additionally, GEA was one of three African colonies which issued stamp booklets. Some panes from these booklets have se-tenant pairs with a stamp and an advertising label or a stamp and a blank label printed with an “X”.

GEA had an extensive German-built railroad, which eventually used railroad cancels on mail carried on these trains. Two different lines had such devices.

Pre-Payment Envelopes – starting in 1915, smaller post offices were unable to procure enough stamps, so special envelopes for use within the colony were prepared which indicated payment had been made in cash.

Cash Pre-Payment Markings – special handstamps were also made to indicate cash pament of postage on items that were not franked with postage and which were not sent in the pre-payment envelopes.

Wuga Provisionals (below) – early in 1916, locally-printed provisional issues of the 2 ½ H, 7 ½ H, and 1 Rupie values were prepared at the presses of missionaries located in the town of Wuga, but these were buried rather than being issued when new stamps arrived from Germany. A small number survived being buried.

Additionally, GEA was one of three African colonies which issued stamp booklets. Some panes from these booklets have se-tenant pairs with a stamp and an advertising label or a stamp and a blank label printed with an “X”.

GEA had an extensive German-built railroad, which eventually used railroad cancels on mail carried on these trains. Two different lines had such devices.

German Southwest Africa was established on 7 August 1884, but had to wait until July 1888 to have any postal facilities. GSWA has the largest variety of stamps and postmarks of any German colony, due to the fact that this colony attracted more German settlers than any other. Of the roughly 25,000 Germans living in the colonies before the First World War, just over half lived in Southwest Africa alone. This colony tended to attract more settlers largely due to the mineral wealth of the colony. Some towns were established solely as diamond mining towns or towns with a similar and singular economic purpose.

The first set of stamps issued for the colony were 1889 stamps overprinted diagonally with the words “DEUTSCH- / SüDWEST-AFRIKA”. The two high values of the set, the 25 Pf and 50 Pf, were sold in Berlin but not in the colony. These are famous in German colonial philately in that a very few examples of these made their way to the colony and were legitimately used there. A subsequent issue is nearly identical, but the overprint reads “DEUTSCH- / SüDWESTAFRIKA”.

GSWA also issued “Yacht” stamps in 1900. Unlike the other colonies, GSWA issued about half the denominations of all its stamps on watermarked paper before the war. Denominations on watermarked paper that saw genuine postal use used only in this colony include 3 Pf, 5 Pf, 10 Pf, 20 Pf, 30 Pf, 1 M, 2 M, and 5 M.

Vorläufer period:  1888-1897

Kriegsdruck:  Kriegsdruck printings exist primarily for the “Large Yachts”, i.e. those with a face value of 1 M or higher. Of these, only the 3 M was printed solely as Kriegsdruck; the rest also exist as Friedensdruck.

Postal Stationery:  Postal cards, including paid reply cards.

Final loss of control:  The colony was conquered in stages over the first year of the war. The colony was officially placed under the control of British South Africa on 9 July 1915.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

Mail with military cancels from the 1904-1906 period is known and is collected for that reason. As German control of the colony continued in areas for a year or so, “war date” mail is known and is highly collectable.

In addition to a far larger number of towns that had postmarks, a special type of cancel known as a “Wanderstempel” (right) was used at a number of locations only in GSWA. The Wanderstempel were metal cancel devices without a town name. The town name was then inserted by hand, either as a rubber handstamp or by being handwritten by the postal clerk. Wanderstempel were used at towns that were newly established, in some cases, those which had been founded as stops on the German built railroads. Some would eventually become established towns and were issued proper postmark devices. Some became towns, but their names were changed from the names that appear in Wanderstempel cancellations. Some were temporary camps for the railroad crews, and their Wanderstempel are the only philatelic proof of their existence.

GSWA was one of three African colonies which issued stamp booklets. Some panes from these booklets have se-tenant pairs of the 5 Pf and 10 Pf values, or se-tenant pairs with a stamp and an ad label. Se-tenant pairs come only from booklets issued in Berlin during the war, so genuine postal use is unknown.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

Mail with military cancels from the 1904-1906 period is known and is collected for that reason. As German control of the colony continued in areas for a year or so, “war date” mail is known and is highly collectable.

In addition to a far larger number of towns that had postmarks, a special type of cancel known as a “Wanderstempel” (below) was used at a number of locations only in GSWA. The Wanderstempel were metal cancel devices without a town name. The town name was then inserted by hand, either as a rubber handstamp or by being handwritten by the postal clerk. Wanderstempel were used at towns that were newly established, in some cases, those which had been founded as stops on the German built railroads. Some would eventually become established towns and were issued proper postmark devices. Some became towns, but their names were changed from the names that appear in Wanderstempel cancellations. Some were temporary camps for the railroad crews, and their Wanderstempel are the only philatelic proof of their existence.

GSWA was one of three African colonies which issued stamp booklets. Some panes from these booklets have se-tenant pairs of the 5 Pf and 10 Pf values, or se-tenant pairs with a stamp and an ad label. Se-tenant pairs come only from booklets issued in Berlin during the war, so genuine postal use is unknown.

The earliest German colonial possession, Kamerun, was officially founded on 14 July 1884. Kamerun was also the first German colony to open post offices, beginning operations on 1 February 1887. Kamerun issued the usual range of stamps, beginning with diagonal overprints on the 1889 definitive series, and continuing with “Yacht” stamps printed on unwatermarked paper starting in November 1900. Kamerun would be divided between the British and the French at the end of the war. Modern Camero0n was formed largely from the area mandated to France, as well as a small part of the area mandated to Britain. About one third of the area formerly part of German Kamerun is now part of Nigeria, Gabon, and other neighboring African states.

Vorläufer period: 1887-1897

Kriegsdruck:  Actual postal use of Friedensdruck printings of stamps on watermarked paper occurred for the 5 Pf, 10 Pf, 20  Pf, and 5 M values. Such uses of the 20 Pf and 5 M values are extremely scarce and command significant premiums over equivalent stamps printed on unwatermarked paper. Kreigsdruck printings were made of the 3 Pf, 5 Pf, 20 Pf, 1 M and 5 M values.

Postal Stationery:  Postal cards, including paid reply cards.

Final loss of control:  Kamerun was taken over by the Allies in stages between September 1914 and January 1916.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

Kamerun officially issued bisected stamps. The Longji post office used bisected 20 Pf stamps as 10 Pf stamps in May 1911.

Kamerun also had railway postal facilities with the distinctive oval Bahnpost cancels (right).

Cancel devices captured from the Germans by the Allies, particularly in the French zones of occupation, are known to have been used without alteration for some time after the war ended.

Kamerun was one of three African colonies which had stamp booklets. Some panes from these booklets have se-tenant pairs of the 5 Pf and 10 Pf values, or se-tenant pairs with a stamp and an ad label. The se-tenant pairs come only from booklets produced during the war, so genuine postal use of a se-tenant pair is impossible.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

Kamerun officially issued bisected stamps. The Longji post office used bisected 20 Pf stamps as 10 Pf stamps in May 1911.

Kamerun also had railway postal facilities with the distinctive oval Bahnpost cancels (below).

Cancel devices captured from the Germans by the Allies, particularly in the French zones of occupation, are known to have been used without alteration for some time after the war ended.

Kamerun was one of three African colonies which had stamp booklets. Some panes from these booklets have se-tenant pairs of the 5 Pf and 10 Pf values, or se-tenant pairs with a stamp and an ad label. The se-tenant pairs come only from booklets produced during the war, so genuine postal use of a se-tenant pair is impossible.

The Caroline Islands colony (“Karolinen”) was originally part of the Spanish East Indies. Once Spain lost control of the Philippines and Guam to the United States in 1898, the remaining Spanish possessions in the Pacific were quickly sold to Germany. German control commenced on 12 October 1899.

The first issues of the German Carolines were 1889 series stamps overprinted diagonally with the word “Karolinen”. This first issue had the overprint at an angle of 48° across the face of the stamp. A subsequent issue was issued in May 1900, but with the overprint set to a steeper angle of 56°. Genuine examples of the earlier issue can command significant premiums.

As with the other colonies, “Yacht” issues appeared in late 1900, and remained valid until the end of German control.

Vorläufer period:  n/a.  German issues prepared for use in the Carolines were available on the first day of German administration.

Kriegsdruck:  Kriegsdruck issues were created for the 3 Pf, 5 Pf, and 5 M values. According to Michel, the 5 Pf issue was created in 1923, nearly 4 years after the colonial issues were supposed to have been withdrawn from sale in Germany proper, and is the last German colonial stamp produced. No watermarked stamps were available in the colony during the period of German control.

Postal Stationery:  Postal cards, including paid reply cards.

Final loss of control:  The Carolines were occupied by the Japanese in October 1914.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

A 1905 typhoon destroyed most of the stock of 5 Pf stamps as well as the cancel device from the main post office at Ponape. For a period from April to July, 1905, vertically bisected 10 Pf stamps were used instead of 5 Pf stamps, cancelled with the Official Seal instead of a postmark device. (Other stamps used at Ponape in this period also show this seal used as a cancel.) This is the most easily obtained of any German colonial bisect (right) .

When a 1910 visit of a two German warships exhausted the supply of 5 Pf and 10 Pf stamps, provisional issues were again used. Approximately 500 of the 3 Pf stamps were hand stamped “5 Pf” and placed in use. 20 Pf stamps were also bisected to provide 10 Pf values.

Along with the Marshalls and the Marianas, the Carolines were administered by the United States as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific. While this political entity was in existence (1947-1984, to 1994 for Palau) US stamps were used.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

A 1905 typhoon destroyed most of the stock of 5 Pf stamps as well as the cancel device from the main post office at Ponape. For a period from April to July, 1905, vertically bisected 10 Pf stamps were used instead of 5 Pf stamps, cancelled with the Official Seal instead of a postmark device. (Other stamps used at Ponape in this period also show this seal used as a cancel.) This is the most easily obtained of any German colonial bisect (below).

When a 1910 visit of a two German warships exhausted the supply of 5 Pf and 10 Pf stamps, provisional issues were again used. Approximately 500 of the 3 Pf stamps were hand stamped “5 Pf” and placed in use. 20 Pf stamps were also bisected to provide 10 Pf values.

Along with the Marshalls and the Marianas, the Carolines were administered by the United States as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific. While this political entity was in existence (1947-1984, to 1994 for Palau) US stamps were used.

Officially a “Pachtgebeit” (ceded territory under German control), Kiautschou was under German colonial administration from 1897. Postal service commenced on 26 January 1898, but as the post office of a naval military facility. Germany and China quickly signed for a 99-year lease on the territory, which also gave Germany rights in a “neutral zone” around the colony—one of which was establishing a railroad which would have on-board postal services.

Until “Yacht” stamps were issued in early 1901, Kiautschou used German Offices in China stamps. Yacht stamps were initially denominated in German Marks and Pfennigs, but this currency was never in widespread acceptance in Kiautschou. To reflect this, new stamps were issued in denominations of (Chinese) dollars and cents in October of 1905. Printings with dollar / cent denominations on unwatermarked paper were available for a short time before being replaced with watermarked paper printings beginning in 1905.

Vorläufer period:  1898-1900 Most Vorläufer from Kiautschou are stamps prepared for the German Offices in China. A smaller number of Vorläufer are unoverprinted stamps from Germany proper.

Kriegsdruck:  Kriegsdruck issues were created for the 1¢, $1/2, $1, $1 ½ , and $2 ½ values. Freidensdruck printings on watermarked paper exist for all values that were available at Kiautschou post offices before the war.

Postal Stationery:  Postal cards, including paid reply cards.

Final loss of control:  Kiautschou was overrun in stages by Japanese armed forces between September and 7 November 1914.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

This colony was the only one which never received 1889 series stamps overprinted diagonally with the name of the colony.

The first Kiautschou stamp was a 5 Pf stamp, produced by locally overprinting 10 Pf German Offices in China stamps with the inscription “5 Pfg.” Due to issues with the readability of this overprint on some stamps from the sheet, a “5 Pf.” handstamp was later used on some of these stamps to apply a second overprint.  As a result, these issues are commonly confused with the “5 Pf”-overprinted provisional issues of the Futschau post office of the German PO in China, but can be distinguished by the overprint – “5 Pfg.” (Kiautschou), “5 Pf.” (Kiautschou), and “5 pf” (China).  Numerous varieties of this overprint exist. This stamp was issued on the first day of issue (9 May 1900) without a blue pencil line “cancelling” the original value (right) .

After that date, a blue or purple pencil line was drawn across the stamp’s original face value (right) .

Kiautschou stamps of the “Yacht” issue were sold at the German Office in Peking (Beijing) during the Boxer Rebellion (1900-1902). These are included with the “Petschili” uses of the German Offices in China.

Tsingtau was the terminus of the Shandong Railroad, which eventually provided rail service from Tsingtau all the way to Berlin via Russia and China. Cancellations from this railroad are known on all Kiautschou issues in addition to German Offices in China issues.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

This colony was the only one which never received 1889 series stamps overprinted diagonally with the name of the colony.

The first Kiautschou stamp was a 5 Pf stamp, produced by locally overprinting 10 Pf German Offices in China stamps with the inscription “5 Pfg.” Due to issues with the readability of this overprint on some stamps from the sheet, a “5 Pf.” handstamp was later used on some of these stamps to apply a second overprint.  As a result, these issues are commonly confused with the “5 Pf”-overprinted provisional issues of the Futschau post office of the German PO in China, but can be distinguished by the overprint – “5 Pfg.” (Kiautschou), “5 Pf.” (Kiautschou), and “5 pf” (China).  Numerous varieties of this overprint exist. This stamp was issued on the first day of issue (9 May 1900) without a blue pencil line “cancelling” the original value (below).

After that date, a blue or purple pencil line was drawn across the stamp’s original face value (below).

Kiautschou stamps of the “Yacht” issue were sold at the German Office in Peking (Beijing) during the Boxer Rebellion (1900-1902). These are included with the “Petschili” uses of the German Offices in China.

Tsingtau was the terminus of the Shandong Railroad, which eventually provided rail service from Tsingtau all the way to Berlin via Russia and China. Cancellations from this railroad are known on all Kiautschou issues in addition to German Offices in China issues.

Also a part of the Spanish East Indies, the Mariana Islands were sold to Germany in 1899. German postal control began on 18 November 1899. As was the case in the nearby Carolines, stamps for the Marianas were produced in two settings. The earlier, more valuable setting has the overprint at an angle of 48°. The later setting has the overprint at 56°.

“Yacht” series stamps appeared in January 1901.

Vorläufer period:  n/a.  German issues prepared for use in the Marianas were available on the first day of German postal administration.

Kriegsdruck:  Kriegsdruck issues were created for the 3 Pf and 5 M values. No watermarked stamps were available in the colony during the period of German control.

Postal Stationery:  Postal cards, including paid reply cards.

Final loss of control:  The Marianas were occupied by Japan on 14 October 1914.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

Saipan was the only post office in the colony and used one cancel device for the entire period. A post office at Rota was planned, and handwritten or handstamped cancellations exist (right) , but were legitimate only for a very short period.

Postally used examples of the “Marianen” overprinted stamps of 1899 and 1900 are known to have been extensively cancelled with a backdated canceller. Some of these are known to have been cancelled in this fashion as late as 1907, long after the stamps themselves were invalid. These are worth significantly less than stamps with cancels correctly applied on the date shown in the cancel device.

The Marianas, as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, are the only part of the German colonial empire to have been incorporated into the United States. The CNMI voted to become part of the US as an American Commonwealth, a status also held by Puerto Rico. Northern Marianas residents were made US citizens in 1986.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

Saipan was the only post office in the colony and used one cancel device for the entire period. A post office at Rota was planned, and handwritten or handstamped cancellations exist (below), but were legitimate only for a very short period.

Postally used examples of the “Marianen” overprinted stamps of 1899 and 1900 are known to have been extensively cancelled with a backdated canceller. Some of these are known to have been cancelled in this fashion as late as 1907, long after the stamps themselves were invalid. These are worth significantly less than stamps with cancels correctly applied on the date shown in the cancel device.

The Marianas, as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, are the only part of the German colonial empire to have been incorporated into the United States. The CNMI voted to become part of the US as an American Commonwealth, a status also held by Puerto Rico. Northern Marianas residents were made US citizens in 1986.

The Marshall Islands were the first German island colony in the Pacific. German control began in 1885, with establishment of a post office four years later. The post office of the colonial seat, Jaluit atoll, would be the only post office in the colony until a second office opened on the island of Nauru in 1908. No other official post offices would open in the colony during the colonial period, but “Atollpost” (i.e. mail with handwritten cancellations for mail to/from some of the outlying islands) is known between 1902 and 1906.

Vorläufer period:  1889-1897

Kriegsdruck:  Kriegsdruck issues were created only for the 3 Pf and 5 M values. The Marshallese 5 M Kriegsdruck issue exists in two forms, one of which was created by mistakenly printing the Type I frame with the Type II vignette. Although this variety was created in error, it is actually more common than the intended printing where both frame and vignette are Type I.

Postal Stationery:  Postal cards, including paid reply cards.

Final loss of control:  The colony was conquered by both the Japanese and the Australians early in the war. Most of the colony, i.e. the part above the Equator, was occupied by Japan by the end of September 1914. The island of Nauru held out until the arrival of the Australians on 6 November.

The Marshalls are the one colony where the name of the colony was officially changed, resulting in two different stamp issues. The earliest set of Marshallese stamps shows the name of the colony as “MARSCHALL-INSELN” (right) , diagonally overprinted on the 1889 definitive series. Subsequent issues show the name of the colony as “MARSHALL-INSELN”.

Marshallese occupation issues, created by overprinting German stamps on hand in the colony, were issued in December 1914. These consist of overprints reading “G.R.I. / (new value)” applied to Marshallese “Yacht” stamps, and these were used largely on Nauru.

Along with the Carolines and the Marianas, the Marshall Islands were administered by the United States as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific. While this political entity was in existence (1947-1984, to 1994 for Palau) US stamps were used.

For collectors of new issues, the Marshall Islands are one of four colonies which continue to issue stamps under the same name as that used during the German colonial period. The others are Cameroon, Togo, and Samoa.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

The Marshalls are the one colony where the name of the colony was officially changed, resulting in two different stamp issues. The earliest set of Marshallese stamps shows the name of the colony as “MARSCHALL-INSELN” (below), diagonally overprinted on the 1889 definitive series. Subsequent issues show the name of the colony as “MARSHALL-INSELN”.

Marshallese occupation issues, created by overprinting German stamps on hand in the colony, were issued in December 1914. These consist of overprints reading “G.R.I. / (new value)” applied to Marshallese “Yacht” stamps, and these were used largely on Nauru.

Along with the Carolines and the Marianas, the Marshall Islands were administered by the United States as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific. While this political entity was in existence (1947-1984, to 1994 for Palau) US stamps were used.

For collectors of new issues, the Marshall Islands are one of four colonies which continue to issue stamps under the same name as that used during the German colonial period. The others are Cameroon, Togo, and Samoa.

The final colony established by Imperial Germany, the German postal presence predated the founding of the colony by nearly a generation. The German post office at Apia opened on 21 September 1886 as a post office abroad, while the official colonization of Samoa did not occur until 1 March 1900. Cancels for the German Post Office at Apia used prior to 1901 were also inscribed as for use at a German Office Abroad; nearly all carry the inscription “Kaiserl. Deutsche Postagentur” as do the similar period cancels from the offices in Turkey and China. Diagonal overprints reading “Samoa” were applied in one setting to 1889 series stamps, which were replaced after about six months with “Yacht” series stamps.

Vorläufer period:  1886-1900, longer than any other German colony and almost as long as the Vorläufer period for the German Offices in Turkey.

Kriegsdruck:  Kriegsdruck issues were created for the 3 Pf, 5 Pf, 10 Pf, and 5 M values. No watermarked stamps were available in the colony during the period of German control.

Postal Stationery: Postal cards, including paid reply cards.

Final loss of control:  Samoa was occupied by New Zealand, with the help of Australian, British, and French forces. New Zealand occupation commenced on 29 August 1914.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

Samoa had a postal system with stamps issued in British currency before German colonization in 1900.

Unused German colonial stamps still in Samoa when the colony was occupied by New Zealand troops in 1914 were overprinted with values in British currency and were used as occupation issues (right) .

Samoa, along with the Marshall Islands, Togo, and Cameroon, are the only German colonial entities which continue to issue stamps under the same names they had as German colonies—although the other three countries have different borders than they did when they were German colonies.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

Samoa had a postal system with stamps issued in British currency before German colonization in 1900.

Unused German colonial stamps still in Samoa when the colony was occupied by New Zealand troops in 1914 were overprinted with values in British currency and were used as occupation issues (below).

Samoa, along with the Marshall Islands, Togo, and Cameroon, are the only German colonial entities which continue to issue stamps under the same names they had as German colonies—although the other three countries have different borders than they did when they were German colonies.

The colony of Togo was one of the first settled, so has one of the longest postal histories among the German colonies. Despite its small size, Togo generated a lot of postal traffic, largely due to successful German commercial enterprises there. Only Samoa and Togo were eventually commercially successful enough to be economically self-sufficient. All of the other colonies were supported by regular cash payments from the Imperial Treasury.

The stamps issued by German Togo were fairly typical. Six values of diagonal overprints were printed beginning in 1897, and the normal range of values of “Yacht” stamps appeared in late 1900.

Vorläufer period:  1888-1897

Kriegsdruck:  Kriegsdruck printings were made of the 3 Pf and 5 M values. Friedensdruck printings on watermarked paper were made for the 5 Pf and 10 Pf values and were used in the colony.

Postal Stationery:  Postal cards, including paid reply cards.

Final loss of control:  26 August 1914. Togo was the first colony to be occupied by the Allies, less than a month into the war.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

The watermarked 10 Pf exists in fairly large quantities in mint condition, but few saw genuine postal use. These command prices higher than that of any of the used Togo stamps without watermark, excepting only the unwatermarked 5 M and sometimes the 3 M stamps.

German Togo stamps were overprinted by both the French and the British (right) as occupation issues, and these have numerous settings and varieties for the specialist to pursue.

Cancel collectors may also search for examples of the German cancel devices used on French Togo stamps, as the cancel devices remained in use during and after the occupation. Unlike in other colonies, these were used unaltered, and their appearance only changes over time and due to wear.

Areas unique to this colonial outpost:

The watermarked 10 Pf exists in fairly large quantities in mint condition, but few saw genuine postal use. These command prices higher than that of any of the used Togo stamps without watermark, excepting only the unwatermarked 5 M and sometimes the 3 M stamps.

German Togo stamps were overprinted by both the French and the British (below) as occupation issues, and these have numerous settings and varieties for the specialist to pursue.

Cancel collectors may also search for examples of the German cancel devices used on French Togo stamps, as the cancel devices remained in use during and after the occupation. Unlike in other colonies, these were used unaltered, and their appearance only changes over time and due to wear.