Cape Verde

Classic Ceres design from Cape Verde

Quick History
Cape Verde (Cabo Verde), a former Portugeuse Colony, is a group of ten islands in the Atlantic Ocean located 350 miles west of Senegal. The Capital is Praia, and the population was 181,000 in 1940. Cape Verde achieved independence from Portugal in 1975.

Cape Verde History and Trivia:  Because of location, Cape Verde was an important port in the Atlantic slave trade. Pirates, including Sir Francis Drake, twice attacked in the 1580's. Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1832. Finally, Cape Verde is not particularly "green".  Rather the  archipelago were named for Cap Vert on the Senegal coast.

The 1921 Scott J14 3c orange Postage Due

Big Blue Picture
Big Blue '97, on seven pages covering 1877-1938, has 121 spaces for Regular, Air Post, Postage Due, Postal Tax and Postal Tax Due stamps . The 2011 Scott Classic Specialized catalogue has 287 major stamp descriptions. Big Blue's coverage is 42%.

Cape Verde's stamp prices are quite reasonable, although not rock bottom "cheap". If you would like to explore deeper into Cape Verde's catalogue, there are plenty of additional issues and stamps. In fact I found 127 stamps; more than what Big Blue offers in total!

Additionals...... (<$1-$2+)
1877 Crown of Portugal
4,7,8or 8a,9,(<$1-$2+)

1881-85  Crown of Portugal
10,11,12,13,($1+)

1886 King Luiz
17,9,20,21,($2+)

1894 King Carlos
26,27,28,29,32,($1+-$2+)

1898 King Carlos
47,49,50,54,55,57,($1-$2+)

1902 overprinted "provisorio"
83($1+)

1902 surcharged ( on 1886 issue) Issue not in BB
59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,($1+-$2+)

1902 surcharged ( on 1894 issue) Issue not in BB
68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,78,($1+-$2+)

1911 overprinted "republica"
91,93,94,95,96,97,98,99,(<$1-$2+)

1912 overprinted in carmine or green "republica"
107,108,109,110,111,(<$1-$1+)

1913 Vasco Da Gama Issue overprinted/surcharged (Issue not in BB)
On Macao stamps
112,113,114,115,116,117,118,119,(<$1-$2+)
On Portuguese Africa stamps
120,121,122,123,124,125,126,127,(<$1-$1+)
On Timor stamps
128,129,130,131,132,133,134,135,(<$1-$2+)

1913
137($2+)

1914
139($2+)

1914-26 Ceres A6 design

choices listed in checklist and..

170,172,177,178,(2+)

1915 (1902 issue overprinted "republica"in carmine) Issue not in BB
184,185,186,187,188,189,190,191,192,193,($1+-<$1)

1921 surcharged (Issue not in BB)
194,195,196,197,198,200,(<$1-$1+)

1922 surcharged  (Issue not in BB)
201,202,203,204,($1+-<$1)

1925 surcharged
205,206,(<$1)

1931 Surcharged
214($1+)

1934 Ceres A7 design
231($2+)

1938 Vasco Da Gama
246,247,248,249,250,(<$1-$1+)

1939
252($2+)

Air Post stamps

1938

C7,C8,($2+-$3+)

Postage Due

1904

J4,J5,J7,J8,J9,J10,(<$1-$2+)

1911 overprinted "republica"

J15,J16,J17,J18,J19,J20,(<$1-$1+)

1921 overprinted "republica"

J28.J29,J30,(<$1-$1+)

Newspaper stamp
1893
P1(<$1)

1911 Scott 94 115r orange brown on pink, and Scott 95 130r brown on straw

Two of the many additional stamps if one would like to go beyond the Checklist

Big Blue Checklist
1877 Crown of Portugal
5r black: 1 or 1a ($1+)
20r bister: 3 or 3a ($1+)
Note: Minor numbers are different perforations.

1886 King Luiz
15,16,18,($1+-$2+)

1894 King Carlos
24,25,(<$1)

1898 King Carlos
36,37,38,39,41,42,44,(<$1)

1902 overprinted "provisorio"
80,81,82,(<$1)

1903 King Carlos
40,43,45,48,(<$1)

1911 overprinted "republica"
85,86,87,88,89,90,(<$1)
Blank space: suggest 92(<$1)

1912 overprinted in carmine or green "republica"
100,101,102,103,104,105($1+),106, (<$1 except noted)

1914-26 Ceres Update Note
The 1914-26 "Ceres" issue presented initially was based on the 2011 Scott Classic Specialized 1840-1940 catalogue. But the 2014  catalogue revises the listings into 1914 "chalky paper" Perf 15 X 14; 1916 "ordinary paper" 15 X 14; 1920-26 "ordinary paper" 12 X 11 1/2; and 1922-26 "glazed paper" 12 X 11 1/2 major number categories. 
For those with older catalogues (~2011), I will first present the "old" numbers. I will then present the current (~2014) numbers.

Old numbers....

1914 Ceres A6 design
144,145,146,148,149,151,155,159,(<$1)
160,161,(<$1)
163($2+)

1922 Ceres A6 design
147,152,153,154,156,(<$1)
157,158,162,164,169,171,174,(<$1)
Blank space: suggest 176($1+)

1926 Ceres A6 design
150,166,167,173,175,(<$1)
179($1+)
Two blank spaces: suggest '26 issues 181($10+) and Scott 182 10e pink ($40)!
Note: I'm giving the choices for the '26 Ceres issues as that is clearly the intent of BB.  But Scott now lumps all the A6 designed Ceres together under the "1914-26" dates. So if one wants to insert ANY A6 Ceres choice, then (alternative suggested) 165(<$1) and 168($2+) could be put here.

Current numbers...

1914 (-1916*)

1/4c olive brown: 144 or 160 or 162 (Old:144)

1/2c black: 145 or 163 (Old:145)

1c blue green: 146 or 164 (Old:146)

1 1/2c lilac brown: 147 or 166 (Old:148)

2c carmine: 148 or 167 (Old:149)

2 1/2c light violet: 149 or 168 (Old:151)

5c deep blue: 150 or 161 (Old:155)

7 1/2c yellow brown: 151 (Old:159)

Next Page

8c slate: 152 (Old:160)

10c orange brown: 153 (Old:161)

15c plum*: 172 (Old:163)

*Note 1916 issued stamps are included, as the 15c plum color, called for by BB, is a 1916 issue, and the 1916 issues are “close enough” time wise to be included, pragmatically speaking. On the other hand, the 1920-26 issues are not included here.

1922

1c yellow green: 165 or 175 (Old:147)

3c orange: 169 or 180 (Old:152)

4c rose: 170 or 181 (Old:153)

4 1/2c gray: 182 (Old:154)

5c bright blue: 183 (Old:156)

6c lilac: 183A (Old:157)

7c ultramarine: 183B (Old:158)

12c blue green: 183F (Old:162)

15c brown rose: 154 (Old:164)

30c gray green: 183K (Old:169)

40c turquoise blue: 183L (Old:171)

60c dark blue: 183N (Old:174)

Blank Space: 171/183P/183Q/183S (Old:176)

1926

2c gray: 178 (Old:150)

24c ultramarine: 183I (Old:166)

25c chocolate: 183J (Old: 167)

50c  violet: 183M (Old:173)

60c rose: 183O (Old:175)

1e deep blue: 183R (Old:179)

Two Blank Spaces: 183T/183U/183V (Old: (181), (182))

1934 Ceres A7 design
215,216,217,218,219,220,221,222,(<$1)
223,224,225,226,227,228,229,230,(<$1-$2+)

1938 Vasco Da Gama
234,235,236,237,238,239,(<$1)
240,241,242,243,(<$1)
Two blank spaces: suggest 244,245,(<$1)

Air Post stamps
1938
C1, C2,C3,(<$1) Note: C1 "scarlet" in BB is "red orange" in Scott
C4(<$1)
Two blank spaces: suggest C5(<$1) and C6($1+)

Postage Due
1904
J1,J2,(<$1)
Blank space: suggest J3(<$1)

1911 overprinted "republica"
J11,J12,(<$1)
Two blank spaces: suggest J13,J14,(<$1)

1921 overprinted "republica"
J21,J22,J23,J24,J25,J26,J27,(<$1)

Postal Tax
RA1,RA2,RA3, ($1+)

Postal Tax Due
RAJ1,RAJ2,RAJ3,(<$1)

The 1914 Ceres Scott 161 10c orange brown

Kinds of Blue
The '97,'69,'47, and '41 are identical in content.

Big Blue Bottom Line
Forced by a blank space, we have a classic 1926 Ceres design Scott 182 10e pink for $40. Otherwise, filling Cape Verde stamp spaces should not be hard cost wise for Big Blue collectors. As mentioned earlier, one can easily double the collection without much more expense.