re: Is this real or fake overprint for Netherland Indie Stamp
Hi,
This is a specimen overprint. I can't be sure if it is real or fake, but it looks like it should look.
Before any new stamp could be issued a sheet had to be submitted to the postal inspector (inspecteur der posterijen) for approval. This sheet had to have each stamp marked with a specimen stamp to prevent anyone from selling them for their face value.
re: Is this real or fake overprint for Netherland Indie Stamp
"According to my Dutch-English dictionary, Specimen is the dutch version of the english Specimen.
Jan"
That's true, but orignal the word is from the French language.
We ( the dutch ) borrowed it from the french when napoleon occupied Belgium and the south of the Netherlands.
re: Is this real or fake overprint for Netherland Indie Stamp
There are quite a number of Dutch words which came from the French at that time.
I wanted to add that the Specimen overprint would have been applied in 1872, two years before the UPU was established. It is listed in the Dutch Speciality catalogue (NVPH) and given a value of 20 Euros. The stamp ordinarly used is listed at 32.50 Euros.
The value of the overprint has not been changed in the catalogue for over 20 years. I suspect that it is quite scarce and almost never comes onto the market.
re: Is this real or fake overprint for Netherland Indie Stamp
Wow thank you Jan for the information. It really helps.
I get these stamps (yep stamps, there are more than one with this specimen overprint) from local seller. It is quite cheap so I bought them for my collection. Condition isn't very good as you might see in the scan, but this is a very interesting piece of history.
On the side note, I was thinking of getting the NVPH catalogue since I'm interested in collecting ned indies stamps but since shipping cost is pretty expensive and with shipment delayed all the time due to pandemic I hesitated. Now I'm determined to get one.