Doig's Ethiopian Stamp Catalogue - 1929 Air Provisional Issue

DOIG'S ETHIOPIA STAMP CATALOGUE

1929 Air Provisional Issue

1929, August 22
To Commemorate the arrival of the first airplane of the Ethiopian Government.
Printer: Ethiopian Post Office.
Printing: Rubber Handstamp on 1928 Definitive Issue.
The Amharic reads: "The E(thiopian) G(overnemt) Airplane, 10 Nehasey, 1921 (17 August 1929)". The date was to commemorate the arrival in Addis Abeba of the first Ethiopian Government airplane, which actually arrived August 18, 1929 carrying no mail. The first day of use was August 22, 1929 on the train to Djibouti. A second plane was sent by rail from Djibouti to Dire Daoua, which was then flown from there to Addis Abeba on September 5, 1929 carrying 18 bags of European mail. The first airmail usage of this issue was December 26, 1929 from Addis Abeba to Dire Daoua.

Up to four rubber handstamps were prepared. A metal died was engraved of the airplane only. Metal Amharic type was clamped around the airplane and a rubber handstamp was cast. Variations in the airplane or Amharic letters do not seem to be a reliable guide to identification of the following types.

SC: C1-10. SG: 238-247. MI: 121-130. YV: L1-10.

Type I - August 22, 1929. Final colon (:) on bottom line. 19½ mm high.
The Ethiopian P.T.T. reported 1,500 sets handstamped, which sold out the first day of sale. An immediate second printing of 1,000 sets was overprinted. The set was handstamped the same basic colors sequence as with the P.T.T. and NEGOUS TEFERI handstamps. All varieties are rare and seem to be errors, as they do not occur in complete sets. Postally used stamps and covers command a large premium.

241A	1/8 m Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp	2,500
242A	¼ m Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp b. Blue handstamp (1 know on cover)	2,500
243A	½ m Red handstamp a. Violet handstamp b. Blue handstamp (1 known on cover)	2,500
244A	1 m Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp b. Black handstamp	2,500
245A	2 m Red handstamp a. Violet handstamp	2,500
246A	4 m Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp	2,500
247A	8 m Red handstamp a. Violet handstamp	2,500
248A	1 t Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp	2,500
249A	2 t Red handstamp a. Violet handstamp	2,500
250A	3 t Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp	2,500

Varieties	1/8	¼	½	1	2	4	8	1	2	3
c. Inverted	V	V	V	RV	R	V	R	V	RV	R
d. Double	V	V		V	R	V	RV	V	V	RV
e. Double, one invert				V				V		R
f. Double, both invert							V
g. Triple				V			R
h. Diagonal	V	V	RV	V	R	V	R	V	R	V
i. Diagonal invert	V			V	R	V			R
j. Sideways to left	V	RV	R	V	R	V	RV	V	RV	V
k. Sideways to right	V	V	R	V	R	V	RV	V	R	V
l. Pair, one no handstamp	V	V	RV	V	R	V	RV	V	R	V
m. Handstamp in margin	V	V			R	V	R	V	R	V
n. Double, violet and red				RV					RV
o. Double, diagonal and invert				V
p. Double, one sideways		R								R
q. Double, violet and red invert	RV

Type II - September, 1929. No final colon on bottom line. 19½ mm high.
Appears to be Type I with the colon (:) removed. 10,000 sets reported to have been handstamps in the same alternating colors at Type I. Varieties are uncommon and appear to be errors. Postally used stamps and covers command a premium.

241B	1/8 m Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp	10,000
242B	¼ m Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp	10,000
243B	½ m Red handstamp a. Violet handstamp	10,000
244B	1 m Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp	10,000
245B	2 m Red handstamp a. Violet handstamp	10,000
246B	4 m Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp	10,000
247B	8 m Red handstamp a. Violet handstamp	10,000
248B	1 t Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp	10,000
249B	2 t Red handstamp a. Violet handstamp	10,000
250B	3 t Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp	10,000

Varieties	1/8	¼	½	1	2	4	8	1	2	3
c. Inverted	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV
d. Double	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV
e. Double, one invert	V	V	RV		RV	V		R	RV	V
f. Double, both invert					R		V	V	V
g. Triple								V		V
h. Diagonal	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	V	RV	RV
i. Diagonal invert	R		R		R		RV	RV	V
j. Sideways to left	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV
k. Sideways to right	RV	RV	RV	R	V	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV
l. Pair, one no handstamp	RV	RV	RV	V	V	RV	V	RV	R	RV
m. Handstamp in margin	R	RV	V	RV	R	V	R	R	RV	V
n. Double, red and violet	RV
o. Double sideways left	R				RV					V
p. Double sidewas right						V
q. Pair, double sideways left and invert						V
r. Pair, double sidways right and normal						V
s. Pair, double sideways and normal							V			V
t. Pair, invert and normal		V			R
u. Pair, double and normal					V
v. Gutter pair	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV
w. Pair, Type II and III		X

Type III - November (?), 1929. Final colon (:) on bottom line. 20 mm high.
A new rubber handstamp from the same settings as type I and II with the clamp screws slightly loose. This type appears to have been made to meet increased collector demand for the original set with final colon. The quantity of issues is not known, with more handstamping as stamps were needed. Color sequence the same as Type I. Varieties are more common and occur in complete sets. Sets were additionally prepared in black and green, which were valid for postage. Postally used stamps and covers are not common.

First Flight - Black Handstamp
click cover to enlarge

241C	1/8 m Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp b. Black handstamp c. Green handstamp d. Blue handstamp (1 set known)
242C	¼ m Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp b. Black handstamp c. Green handstamp d. Blue handstamp (1 set known)
243C	½ m Red handstamp a. Violet handstamp b. Black handstamp c. Green handstamp d. Blue handstamp (1 set known)
244C	1 m Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp b. Black handstamp c. Green handstamp d. Blue handstamp (1 set known)
245C	2 m Red handstamp a. Violet handstamp b. Black handstamp c. Green handstamp d. Blue handstamp (1 set known)
246C	4 m Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp b. Black handstamp c. Green handstamp d. Blue handstamp (1 set known)
247C	8 m Red handstamp a. Violet handstamp b. Black handstamp c. Green handstamp d. Blue handstamp (1 set known)
248C	1 t Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp b. Black handstamp c. Green handstamp d. Blue handstamp (1 set known)
249C	2 t Red handstamp a. Violet handstamp b. Black handstamp c. Green handstamp d. Blue handstamp (1 set known)
250C	3 t Violet handstamp a. Red handstamp b. Black handstamp c. Green handstamp d. Blue handstamp (1 set known)

Varieties	1/8	¼	½	1	2	4	8	1	2	3
e. Inverted	RV BG	RV BG	RV BG	RV BG	RV BG	RV BG	RV BG	RV BG	RV BG	RV BG
f. Double	RV	V		V			V	V	V	V
g. Pair, one no handstamp	RVB	RVB	RVB	RVB	RVB	RVB	RVB	RVB	RVB	RVB
h. Double, red and violet	RV	RV		RV				RV
i. Pair, one inverted	V	V	V	V	V	V	V	V	V	V
j. Pair, red and violet	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV	RV
k. Double, Type I invert	V	V								R
l. Sideways to left		V
m. Sideways to right		V
n. Double, green and violet	VG
o. Diagonal	V	RV	R	RV	RV	V	R	V	R	V

Type IV - REPRINT. March (?), 1931. No final colon on bottom line. 19¾ mm high.
Reprinted for the remainder sale to Thomas Cliffe. Quantities handstamped were sufficient to depress the pricing on an otherwise desirable issue of stamps. The type may be a new handstamp or Type II slightly enlarged by the rubber absorbing ink and swelling. No varieties are reported to have been made. Canceled stamps are uncommon, but appear with fake or postwar cancels. The stamps were overprinted about equally in violet or red. Separation of Type II and Type IV is difficult unless cleanly struck or properly canceled.

241R	1/8 m Red or Violet handstamp
242R	¼ m Red or Violet handstamp
243R	½ m Red or Violet handstamp
244R	1 m Red or Violet handstamp
245R	2 m Red or Violet handstamp
246R	4 m Red or Violet handstamp
247R	8 m Red or Violet handstamp
248R	1 t Red or Violet handstamp
249R	2 t Red or Violet handstamp
250R	3 t Red or Violet handstamp

FORGERY - Final colon (:). 19¼ mm high.
Final colon set high with top colon even with top of Amharic letters (on originals the final colon is set low with the bottom colon even with the bottom of the Amharic letters). The final colon of the left Amharic line is usually missing. Other minor differences are found, particularly in the tail of the airplane. Slightly fuzzy impressions in violet or red. No canceled stamps are known. This forgery is only know to occur as inverts, doubles, etc. including varieties not known on the originals.

Last update: July 28, 2002