Caroline Islands - Bud's Big Blue

Bud's Big Blue
Bud's Observations

More German colonial yacht stamps!

Two cancels, if they’re authentic, are interesting. The first is a “Deutsche Seepost, Sydney to Hong Kong” cancel on the 10pf. Mail-carrying steamers, operated first by Reich Mail Steamer Lines and after 1902 by the Jaluit Company, made regular stops in the Carolines. Ponape, The 1901 postmark on the 20p, is the largest island in the archipelago.

A great deal is made of the angles of the “Karolinen” overprints on the 1899-1900 issues. See Jim’s main blog. On the 3pf in BB’s designated space, the angle is 56° while it’s 48° on the 10pf and 20pf shown on the supplement page.

Census: seven in BB spaces, one tip-in, three on supplement page.

Jim's Observations
The 1899 issue was overprinted at a 48 degree angle (Scott 1a-6a); while the 1900 production was overprinted at a 56 degree angle (Scott1-6). Big Blue labels the one illustrated stamp space "1899", but it is clearly a 1900 issue with the overprinted 56 degree angle. Good thing, as the 1899 issue stamps are quite expensive.

Caroline Islands Blog Post and Checklist

Page 1

Supplements
Page 1

Comments Appreciated!