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?

  • Jehudi Ashmun 1952

    engraved by H.L. Peckmore & Son, USA on unwatermarked paper paper.

    • specimens in issued colors

      • M494
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M495
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M496
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M497
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M498
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M499
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-C500
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-C501
        1952, Apr. 10

    • color trial specimens

      • M-CT494A
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT494A1
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT494A2
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT494A3
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT495A
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT495A1
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT496A
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT496A1
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT496A2
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT497A
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT497A1
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT497A2
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT497A3
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT497A4
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT497A5
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT498A
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT498A1
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT499A
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT499A1
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT499A2
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT499A3
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT499A4
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT499A5
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT-C500A
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT-C500A1
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT-C500A2
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT-C500A3
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT-C500A4
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT-C500A5
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT-C501A
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT-C501A1
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT-C501A2
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT-C501A3
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT-C501A4
        1952, Apr. 10
      • M-CT-C501A5
        1952, Apr. 10

    • color trials without specimen overprint

      • CT494A
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT494A1
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT494A2
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT494A3
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT495A
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT495A1
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT496A
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT496A1
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT496A2
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT497A
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT497A1
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT497A2
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT497A3
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT497A4
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT497A5
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT498A
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT498A1
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT499A
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT499A1
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT499A2
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT499A3
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT499A4
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT499A5
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT-C500A
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT-C500A1
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT-C500A2
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT-C500A3
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT-C500A4
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT-C500A5
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT-C501A
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT-C501A1
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT-C501A2
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT-C501A3
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT-C501A4
        1952, Apr. 10
      • CT-C501A5
        1952, Apr. 10

    • frame only proofs

      • P495B
        1952, Apr. 10
      • P496B
        1952, Apr. 10
      • P497B
        1952, Apr. 10
      • P498B
        1952, Apr. 10
      • P499B
        1952, Apr. 10
      • P-C500B
        1952, Apr. 10
      • P-CE-C500B
        1952, Apr. 10
      • P-C501B
        1952, Apr. 10
      • P-CE-C501B
        1952, Apr. 10

    • vignette only proofs

      • 333_vignette
        1952, Apr. 10
      • 334_vignette
        1952, Apr. 10
      • 335_vignette
        1952, Apr. 10
      • 336_vignette
        1952, Apr. 10
      • 337_vignette
        1952, Apr. 10
      • C68_vignette
        1952, Apr. 10
      • C69_vignette
        1952, Apr. 10

    • souvenir sheet progressive proofs

      • C69a_pcp3
        1952, Apr. 10
      • C69a_pcp4
        1952, Apr. 10
      • C69a_pcp5
        1952, Apr. 10
      • C69a_pcp6
        1952, Apr. 10
      • C69a_pcp7
        1952, Apr. 10

    • souvenir sheet color proofs

      • C69a_lilac_rose
        1952, Apr. 10
      • C69a_scarlet
        1952, Apr. 10
      • C69a_orange_red
        1952, Apr. 10
      • C69a_deep_green
        1952, Apr. 10
      • C69a_dark_blue
        1952, Apr. 10
      • C69a_ultra
        1952, Apr. 10
      • C69a_purple
        1952, Apr. 10
      • C69a_brown
        1952, Apr. 10