Tangier
In 1924 an agreement between France, Spain and the UK set up Tangier as an "international zone". Until then the town had used British stamps overprinted "Morocco Agencies" or Spanish currency overprints (along, of course, with issues by the French and Spanish postal agencies for their own offices). However it was not until 1927 that British stamps overprinted "Tangier" were issued, and until 1948 the issues were confined to the lowest values. On 1st April 1957 the GPO issued the full definitive set up to 10s to celebrate jointly the centenary of the opening of the first British post office, and also the closure of the final office at the end of the same month.
From 23 August 1950 the GPO permitted the use in the UK of any overprinted stamps (of any vintage) which did not alter the face value. Morocco Agencies and Tangier stamps can easily be found with UK postmarks, and are fully legitimate items, but sell for much less than those with postmarks from the relevant area.
All stamps overprinted "TANGIER"
Note: this numbering system was drawn up by the Society for the website, and may not be used without permission.
King George V
Watermark block cypher
The overprint is higher on the 2nd value presumably so that it did not cover up the value or the King's head whilst keeping the face value visible.
1927
1 ½d green
2 1d red
3 1½d brown
4 2d orange
overprint varieties
1 v1 ½d overprint double, one albino
2 v1 1d overprint double, one albino
4 v1 2d overprint double, one albino
stamp varieties
2 sv1 1d, flaw on "O" of "One", looks like "Qne"
Photogravure set
1934-1935
small format
1d & 1½d large format, ½d and 1d intermediate size (missing illustration: 1½d intermediate).
5 ½d green, intermediate format (Feb 1935)
6 ½d small format
7 1d red, large format (1934)
8 1d intermediate format
9 1d small format
10 1½d brown, large format (1934)
11 1½d intermediate format
12 1½d small format
Note: the ½d, 1d and 1½d unoverprinted stamps have several sizes, all of which can be found overprinted "Tangier"; the small format is quite distinctive, but it is sometimes difficult to distinguish the large format from the intermediate format.
overprint varieties
7 v1 1d overprint misplaced (large format) - see illustration above
Silver Jubilee
Unusually Tangier only used the first 3 values of this set, in keeping with its pattern of only overprinting values up to 1½d (after the initial 2d value), a policy which lasted until 1946.
8 May 1935
13 ½d green (overprint in blue)
14 1d red (overprint in blue)
15 1½d brown (overprint in blue)
King Edward VIII
26 October 1936
16 ½d green
17 1d red
18 1½d brown
King George VI
Coronation
13 May 1937
19 1½d brown (overprint in blue)
Definitives
1937
20 ½d green (overprint in blue) (11 June 1937)
21 1d red (11 June 1937)
22 1½d brown (overprint in blue) (4 August 1937)
Note: the 1½d could not be issued in June with the other two values, as it was not released unoverprinted until July (the unoverprinted ½d and 1d appearing in May).
Stamp Centenary
6 May 1940
23 ½d green (overprint in blue)
24 1d red
25 1½d brown (overprint in blue)
Paler colours and higher values
1944 (½d, 1d), 1 January 1949 (others)
26 ½d pale green (overprint in blue) (3 May 1944)
27 1d pale red (3 May 1944)
28 2d pale orange
29 2½d pale blue
30 3d pale violet
31 4d green
32 5d brown
33 6d purple
34 7d green
35 8d red
36 9d green
37 10d blue
38 11d purple
39 1/- brown
40 2/6d green, Arms
41 5/- red, Arms
42 10/- blue, Arms
Note: there appears to have been a change in policy in around 1948 (possibly linked with the issue of the commemorative sets, and also, possibly, to increase philatelic revenue), and the overprints were extended to values above 2d for the first time (and no 2d value had been issued since the 1927 set).
A single example exists of a 3/- stamp booklet for Tangier stamps, which appears to have been unofficially prepared (though probably with the assistance of the PO staff there as there is an official post office handstamp on the cover). The only stamps remaining are 3 copies of the ½d pale green; there were two other panes of 6, which (in order to make up 3/-) were presumably 6 @ 2½d and 6 @ 3d. See The Overprinter Sep 1976, 1989/1 p.35, 1998/2, the latter illustrating the cover and contents.
Victory
11 June 1946
43 2½d blue
44 3d violet
overprint varieties
43 v1 2½d, large part of overprint omitted/albino
This is believed to be a unique copy, possibly caused by some foreign matter intruding during printing; illustration © Muscotts.
Silver Wedding
26 April 1948
45 2½d blue
46 £1 blue
overprint varieties
45 v1 2½d overprint omitted (top row) in pair with normal
45 v2 2½d overprint misplaced (same sheet as the above)
Note: the misplaced overprint should be at the top, left of centre; other versions, eg with the overprint at top right, are (otherwise rather convincing) forgeries.
46 v1 £1 overprint misplaced
Olympic games
29 July 1948
47 2½d blue
48 3d violet
49 6d purple
50 1/- brown
UPU centenary
10 October 1949
51 2½d blue
52 3d violet
53 6d purple
54 1/- brown
Changed colours, and new design of high values
The colours of the low values were changed to conform with UPU requirements for standard rates of postage. The new design high values were released to coincide with the Festival of Britain.
3 May 1951 (4d 1950)
55 ½d orange
56 1d blue
57 1½d green
58 2d brown
59 2½d red
60 4d blue (2 October 1950)
61 2/6d green
62 5/- red
63 10/- blue
Queen Elizabeth
Watermark Tudor Crown E2R
The position of the overprint varies so as not to obscure the face value.
1952-1954
The position of the overprint was carefully chosen so as to leave the face value clear yet not obscure too much of the Queen's portrait.
64 ½d orange (31 August 1953)
65 1d blue (31 August 1953)
66 1½d green (5 December 1952)
67 2d brown (31 August 1953)
68 2½d red (5 December 1952)
69 3d violet (overprint in blue) (18 January 1954)
70 4d blue (2 November 1953)
71 5d brown (6 July 1953)
72 6d purple (18 January 1954)
73 7d green (18 January 1954)
74 8d purple (6 July 1953)
75 9d green (8 February 1954)
76 10d blue (8 February 1954)
77 11d purple (8 February 1954)
78 1/- brown (6 July 1953)
79 1/3d green (2 November 1953)
80 1/6d blue (2 November 1953)
Coronation
3 June 1953
81 2½d red
82 4d blue
83 1/3d green
84 1/6d blue
Watermark St Edward's crown E2R
Castles 23 September 1955 (Waterlow printings), other dates as noted.
The position of the overprint varies so as not to obscure the face value.
85 ½d orange (21 March 1956)
86 1d blue (13 April 1956)
87 1½d green (22 October 1956)
88 2d dark brown (25 July 1956)
89 2d light brown (10 December 1956)
90 2½d red (19 December 1956)
91 3d violet (overprint in blue) (22 October 1956)
92 4d blue (25 June 1956)
93 6d purple (22 October 1956)
94 1/3d green (26 November 1956)
95 2/6d brown
96 5/- red
97 10/- blue
stamp varieties
97 sv1 R10 weak entry at bottom of right edge (row 1, stamp 2)
Centenary of Tangier British post office
Overprinted "1857-1957 TANGIER"
This is a newly set overprint, not merely dates overprinted on stamps already overprinted TANGIER. As before, the position of the overprint varies so as not to obscure the face value, but this is more drastic in this case because the date has to be shown at the top. The space between the date and "TANGIER" varies very slightly in some cases, and does not correspond exactly to the underlying design (for example the 4d has the same spacing as the 5d, not - as might be expected - the 2½d and 3d). The word "TANGIER" is also in a different font from the previous definitives (eg it has no "foot" to the "G"), and is nearer to the font used in the castles and the commemoratives.
1 April 1957
98 ½d orange
99 1d blue
100 1½d green
101 2d brown
102 2½d red
103 3d violet (overprint in blue)
104 4d blue
105 5d brown
106 6d purple
(Note: this is in the "deep claret" shade, that was otherwise not issued until 1959; it may therefore have been a special printing)
107 7d green
108 8d purple
109 9d green
110 10d blue
111 11d purple
112 1/- brown
113 1/3d green
114 1/6d blue
115 2/6d brown
116 2/6d: type II (longer bar on "5" in "1957")
note: this was from a new printing plate for a later (third) printing to meet philatelic demand.
117 5/- red
118 10/- blue
The Post Office considered adding an overprinted £1 value, but felt that would reduce sales and therefore reduce the level of overall takings they would expect for a set up to 10/-.
overprint varieties
109 v1 9d "TANGIER" omitted - printed on reverse of adjacent stamp edging instead.
(left) missing hyphens; (right) short "7" in "1957 - top scan shows the corrected version.
116 v1 2/6d hyphen omitted in 1857-1957 (row 9 stamp 2)
116 v2 2/6d hyphen inserted (only identifiable in positional block of 4 from bottom left corner)
Note: the position of this variety also has a short arm to the "T" but this also occurs in other positions.
116 v3 2/6d short "7" in "1957" (row 9 stamp 3)
(Note: this is not always easy to see as it falls on a dark part of the design)
116 v4 2/6d short "7" in "1957" corrected (only identifiable in positional block of 4 from bottom right corner)
117 v1 5s hyphen omitted in 1857-1957
117 v2 5s hyphen inserted (only identifiable in positional block)
117 v3 5s short "7" in "1957" (row 9 stamp 3)
117 v4 5s short "7" in "1957" corrected (only identifiable in positional block of 4 from bottom right corner)
118 v1 10s hyphen omitted in 1857-1957
118 v2 10s hyphen inserted (only identifiable in positional block)
118 v3 10s short "7" in "1957" (row 9 stamp 3)
118 v4 10s short "7" in "1957" corrected (only identifiable in positional block of 4 from bottom right corner)
stamp varieties
117 sv1 R5 major re-entry above crown (row 8, stamp 1)
118 sv1 R10 weak entry at bottom of right edge (row 1, stamp 2)
The post office closed on 30 April 1957. It is reported that the office was only kept open till this date to enable it to reach its centenary and justify the above commemorative set.
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page last updated on: 7 August 2006, 6 March 2013, 21 August 2017
gbos: GB Overprints Society