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?

  • Second Pictorials 1906

    see also Travis Searls’ specialized collection of Percins, Bacon & Co. 1906 proofs.

    • essays

      • O46_essay
        1906

    • die proofs

      • 101_die_proof_approved_front
        1906
      • 101_die_proof_approved_rear
        1906
      • 101_die_proof_blue
        1906
      • 101_die_proof_ultra
        1906
      • 104_die_proof_1
        1906
      • 106_die_proof_1
        1906
      • 106_die_proof_2
        1906
      • 106_die_proof_3
        1906
      • 106_die_proof_4
        1906
      • 106_die_proof_5
        1906
      • 106_die_proof_6
        1906
      • 106_die_proof_7
        1906
      • 106_die_proof_8
        1906
      • 109_die_proof_1
        1906
      • 109_die_proof_2
        1906
      • 112_die_proof_1
        1906
      • 113_die_proof_1
        1906

    • cardboard proofs

      • 101_card_proof
        1906
      • 102_card_proof
        1906
      • 103_card_proof
        1906
      • 104_card_proof
        1906
      • 105_card_proof
        1906
      • 106_card_proof
        1906
      • 106_card_proof_2
        1906
      • 107_card_proof
        1906
      • 108_card_proof
        1906
      • 109_card_proof
        1906
      • 110_card_proof
        1906
      • 111_card_proof
        1906
      • 112_card_proof
        1906
      • 113_card_proof
        1906

    • thin paper proofs

      • 105_paper_proof
        1906
      • 105_paper_proof_2
        1906
      • 106_paper_proof
        1906
      • 106_paper_proof_2
        1906
      • 108_paper_proof
        1906
      • 110_paper_proof
        1906

    • progressive proofs

      • 101_vignette
        1906
      • 102_vignette
        1906
      • 105_frame
        1906
      • 105_vignette
        1906
      • 106_vignette
        1906
      • 107_vignette
        1906

    • specimens

      • 101_specimen
        1906
      • 102_specimen
        1906
      • 103_specimen
        1906
      • 104_specimen
        1906
      • 105_specimen
        1906
      • 105_specimen_trial1
        1906
      • 105_specimen_trial2
        1906
      • 106_specimen
        1906
      • 107_specimen
        1906
      • 108_specimen
        1906
      • 109_specimen
        1906
      • 110_specimen
        1906
      • 111_specimen
        1906
      • 112_specimen
        1906
      • 113_specimen
        1906