Overprint Issue "G.R. POST 6 CENTS MAFIA"

Germany and Great Britain exchanges Heligoland for Zanzibar in 1890. In the aftermath of this exchange the island MAFIA – situated east of Tansania – became part of the German East Africa. In January 1915 British-Indian troops occupied Mafia while main parts of the colony were under German control until 1917.

Michel lists these two years four different overprint sets with 32 catalog numbers (not included the various variants), Stanley Gibbons adds two additional overprinted sets on Indian Expeditory Forces stamps. 

During May (Stanley Gibbons) or July (Michel) the british administration issued a set of stamps, where the German East African definities were surcharged „G.R. POST 6 CENTS MAFIA“, changing the denomination from Heller and Rupies into cents. The Rupies values of these series are rare, used examples even rarer and are so rarely offered, that they might be “unique”. For sure it is a unique chance to purchase these stamps now.

Probably the most beautiful of the three Rupee values offered: Lot 6432 from our 51st auction, a 2 Rupies green of the Yacht design, which features a clear overprint and a neat “FPO 343”.