Proofs and Specimens of Liberia 1860 - 1960

This page contains a loose collection of essays, proofs and specimens of Liberian stamps issued through 1960. About the terminology: essays either show stamp designs that were never used or designs that were used but altered for the final stamp; proofs, whether taken from the whole plate or directly from the single die, always show the final design or parts of it – but often in a different “trial” color and printed on different paper, e.g. cardboard – however, they can also have gum and be perforated like a normal stamp; specimens are the finished stamps as issued, but with overprint to indicate they are meant for distribution to postal authorities or sent as examples to the Universal Postal Union. From this it should be clear that the “Waterlow specimens” of the first pictorial issue printed in trial colors are really proofs.
While usually being produced for demonstration purposes only – the one thing essays, proofs and specimens have in common is that none of them are valid for postage – it is probable that at least some of the material on this page was created for the collectors market, just like quite a few of the so called “error stamps” are not really the result of an accident. And sometimes it can be impossible to correctly categorize an item. A gummed, perforated stamp showing the frame only: is it a proof, an honest mistake, or just a philatelic swindle?

  • Fifth Pictorials 1914-1921 and overprints

    engraved by Reichsdruckerei (Imperial Printing Office), Berlin on paper watermarked "Crosses and Circles", perforated 14.

    • British post office specimens of regular issue ovpt 1921

      • 195_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • 196_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • 197_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • 198_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • 199_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • 200_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • 201_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • 202_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • 203_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • 204_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • 205_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • 206_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • 207_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • 208_BPO_specimen
        1921

    • British post office specimens of official issue ovpt 1921

      • O127_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • O128_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • O129_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • O130_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • O131_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • O132_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • O133_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • O134_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • O135_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • O136_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • O137_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • O138_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • O139_BPO_specimen
        1921
      • O140_BPO_specimen
        1921