Belgian Congo - 1.25-Franc Mangbetu Chief Stamp (Scott 148)

These two appear to be different ink and paper, but I don't see any sub-varieties in Scott. Does anyone know if any of the other catalogues list any varieties?



...could be just environmental or printing effects, but just curious!

Al

Just consulted two Belgium/Colonies specialty catalogues. Did not see any listing/entries for color (brun-rouge) varieties.

With that said, the COB also indicates the 1.25F stamp was available in booklets of eight stamps. While listed as the same color this COULD account for a minor color variety.

My guess: the environment.

Besides the 1931 printing (1,533,150 ex.)perfed 11 1/2 there was a 1939 printing for carnets with 16 stamps (2x8)and perfed 13 1/2 x 14.Could be that..
the first stamp is dated 1933 ,the second 3 ?

Thanks folks!

I'm seeing a "5" on the right stamp, which could be half of "35", so maybe that one got a bit more sunlight than the other. #142 was a booklet issue apparently, Scott lists 142b as the full booklet, but no others.

Thanks again for checking!

Since they are used, it's probably more the environment than anything else, especially with a lot of the reddish color lacking in the right stamp. That often tends to be a color washed out of stamp inks, depending on what chemicals were used to get that red brown color.

Still, I would still keep both stamps, mind you.

Check these four SC# 154's out - they are supposed to be deep violet, but these range between that and almost a pure black.

Its almost like they used a mix of magenta and black ink and the magenta was water-soluble!



I notice that all my stamps from this country prior to 1927 were printed by the American Bank Note Co.; but everything later doesn't show a printer. Maybe Belgian Congo stamps during this period don't stand up well to soaking?

Good thing I've got 4 copies of this one!

Thanks again,

Al

Probably also environment (sun) or soaking. Too bad, nice stamps.

The Congo was (is?) a particulary harsh environment for paper and ink, so I'd imagine any stamp used there might have been in heat, humidity, maybe even sunshine. Those can alter stamps. More nonsense has been spent in stamp catalogues over slight differences in stamp colors than just about anything else. Most of it is silly. Even at the printing company, small differences in ink colors often went unnoticed and might be considered unimportant. So I choose to consider them unimportant, although I sometimes add a blank page to show all the color varieties I've found -- even though none are more valuable. I'd guess these stamps just aged differently. Glad to see someone else collects the Congo!

Thanks DrewM.

It does have some interesting classics.
I haven't seen a "Let's See Your Belgian Congo Stamps!" post on here - maybe I should start one? (I do have a #1!)
I picked-up a club auction lot a while back on old Scott International pages and I'm in the process of moving them to Steiner pages. They were all mounted with blue hinges that I had never seen before and they peel right off, even better than Dennison's. I have no idea who manufactured them, but they are fantastic and held-up way better than the Scott pages themselves!

Here's a page on Steiner with Hawid clear mounts:



Al

So true. Problem is, the market places different values on different hues/shades. Then catalogues assign them different ID numbers, and we struggle to a) see the subtle differences and b) match them to the catalogue's color nomenclature wch, moreover, differs from one country to another. So frustrating!

Typically the catalogs show shade differences only when the shades are distinct and related to a specific print run, although sometimes their definition of 'distinct' is a little difficult to fathom. :)