Description
Samoa 1914 (3 Sep) ½d on 3pf brown, variety 'Comma after I', SG101c.
A fine and fresh mint example with part original gum. Tiny surface blemish, barely detracting as such fine appearance.
A very rare printing variety as only 40 originally existed, from position 10 of the setting in the small initial printing. [See Gibbs, 'G.R.I.', p.261, para 7].
Provenance: Ex Gilbert
Accompanied with a clear British Philatelic Association (BPA) certificate of authenticity (1998).
The Stanley Gibbons catalogue value is £700.
The German Islands of Samoa were surrendered to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force on 30 August 1914 and were administered by New Zealand until 1962. Initially German Colonial issues were used overprinted "G.R.I." (Georgius Rex Imperator).