DOIG'S ETHIOPIA STAMP CATALOGUE

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Air Mail Postal Stationary
Watermarks (reduced)
Watermark directions when viewed from the front (column 3):
0 = Unwatermarked; 1 = left; 2 = right; 3 = upright; 4 = inverted; 5 = left, reversed; 6 = right, reversed; 7 = upright, reversed; 8 = inverted, reversed.

S1 to S6 sold at 5¢ over face value. Later issues sold at face value.

Click photos to enlarge


S1, S2, S3

                        Plane over Zoquala
                        Issued: S1 – 17 Nov 1951; S2 – 17 Nov 1951; S3 – 27 Aug 1952.
                        Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. Ltd., New Malden, Surrey, England.
S1 25¢ Purple with green over white paper, 
watermarked: Cray Valley Parchment
a. Unwatermarked (from portion of watermarked sheet)
1

0
100,000*
S2 25¢ Purple with green over white paper, 
watermarked: "Wrotham" Vellum Wove Kent A
a. Watermarked reversed
1

6
*
S3E 25¢ Purple with green over white paper, "E"
watermarked: Imperial (castle) E Air Mail
1
25,000
                        * 100,000 total issue for S1 and S2.
 

S4

S5
                        Plane over Gondar
                        Issued: 4 Sept 1953
                        Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd., London England.
S4E 25¢ Scarlet and yellow with green on blue paper, "E"
a. Unwatermarked
1
0
200,000
S5E 50¢ Green and yellow with green on blue paper, "E"
a. Unwatermarked
1
0
100,000*
S5G 50¢ Green and yellow with green on blue paper, "G"
?
*
                        * 100,000 total issue for S5E and S5G.


S6

                        Plane over Zoquala, Aérogramme added
                        Issued: 7 Oct 1954
                        Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. Ltd., New Malden, Surrey, England.
                        Note: "F" in watermark appears reversed like a "7".
S6F 25¢ Purple on blue paper, "F"
a. Watermark reversed
2
5
500,000


S7

                        Plane over Gondar, Aérogramme added
                        Issued: 27 July 1956
                        Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd., London England.
S7H 50¢ Green and yellow with green on blue paper, "H"
3
50,000*
                        * Very few sold as rate increased shortly after issue.


S8

                        Plane over Tesissat – Abai (Blue Nile Falls)
                        Issued: 1 Oct 1957 for S8K; others issued through 1962.
                        Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. Ltd., New Malden, Surrey, England.
S8K 30¢ Purple on blue paper, "K"
a. Inverted die cutting
2
  
S8L 30¢ Purple on blue paper, "L"
a. Red & green lozenges only (no stamp & inscriptions)
2
  
S8P 30¢ Purple on blue paper, "P"
2
  
S8S 30¢ Purple on blue paper, "S"
2
  


S9

                        Plane over Gondar, new value
                        Issued: 1 Oct 1957
                        Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd., London England.
S9K 55¢ Green and yellow with green on blue paper, "K"
3,4
  
S9P 55¢ Green and yellow with green on blue paper, "P"
3
  

 

S10, S13

S10Zc
                        Hailie Selassie
                        Issued: 16 Feb 1963
                        Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd., London England.
S10S 10¢ Green on blue paper, "S"
a. Lozenges shifted
2
2
  
S10V 10¢ Green on blue paper, "V"
a. Lozenges shifted
b. Red & Yellow lozenges only (stamp missing)
1
1
1,3,4
  
S10Y 10¢ Green on blue paper, "Y"
b. Red & Yellow lozenges only (stamp missing)
c. Die cut only (no stamp or lozenges)
1
1
2
  
S10Z 10¢ Green on blue paper, "Z"
a. Lozenges shifted
b. Red & Yellow lozenges only (stamp missing)
c. Stamp, inscriptions, and red inverted
2
2
2
1
  
S10A 10¢ Green on blue paper, "A"
b. Red & Yellow lozenges only (stamp missing)
3
3
  
S10B 10¢ Green on blue paper, "B"
b. Red & Yellow lozenges only (stamp missing)
c. Die cut paper only (no printing)
4
3,4
3,4
  

 

S11, S14

S11Vc

S11, S14

                        Hailie Selassie
                        Issued: 15 March 1963
                        Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd., London England.
S11S 30¢ Purple on blue paper, "S"
a. Lozenges shifted
b. Unwatermarked (portion of watermarked sheet)
2
2
0
  
S11V 30¢ Purple on blue paper, "V"
a. Lozenges shifted
b. Red & yellow lozenges missing
c. Red & yellow inverted
d. Die cut only
1,2,3
1,2,3,4
3,4?
2
?
  
S11Y 30¢ Purple on blue paper, "Y"
b. Red & yellow lozenges missing
1
2
  
S11Z 30¢ Purple on blue paper, "Z"
a. Lozenges shifted
2
2
  
S11B 30¢ Purple on blue paper, "B"
b. Green lozenges missing
4
?
  

S12, S15

S12Bd Double Impression
                        Hailie Selassie
                        Issued: 12 Feb 1964
                        Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd., London England.
S12S 55¢ Red on blue paper, "S"
a. Lozenges shifted
b. Green lozenges missing
2
2
2
  
S12V 55¢ Red on blue paper, "V"
a. Lozenges shifted
b. Red & yellow lozenges only
?
?
?
  
S12Z 55¢ Red on blue paper, "Z"
a. Lozenges shifted
b. Yellow & green lozenges missing
c. Stamp and imprints partially inked
2
2
2
2
  
S12B 55¢ Red on blue paper, "B"
b. Red & yellow lozenges missing
c. Die cut only
d. Double impression, second in light red
3,4
 

4

  

                        Haile Selassie Printing Tests
                        Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd., London England.

S10PR 10¢ proofs of portrait on heavy card stock in red, green, yellow, black, blue, red brown, and pink
0
  
S10T 10¢ printer’s test on white paper with no die cut
a. Red & Yellow missing
b. Red only
c. Yellow only
d. Red & green only
e. Yellow & green only
0
  
S11PR 30¢ proofs of portrait on heavy card stock in red, green, yellow, black, blue, red brown, and pink
0
  
S11T 30¢ printer’s test on white paper with no die cut,
watermarked 3 circles and Extra Strong
1
  
S12PR 55¢ proofs of portrait on heavy card stock in red, green, yellow, black, blue, red brown, and pink
0
  
S12T 55¢ printer’s test on white paper with no die cut
a. Green missing
b. yellow missing
0
  

                        Hailie Selassie, unwatermarked
                        Issued: 10¢ - 24 Sept 1970; 30¢ - 1 June 1973; 55¢ - 1 June 1973
                        Printed by Harrison & Sons Ltd., London, England

S13 10¢ Green on blue paper
a. Lozenges shifted
b. Dark blue paper
c. "Hole in head" variety
d. Red & yellow lozenges missing
e. Green lozenges missing
f. Yellow lozenges missing
0
  
S14 30¢ Purple on blue paper
0
  
S15 55¢ Red on blue paper
0
  

S16, S18

S17, S20

S19
                        Revalued Aerograms
                        Issued: 40¢ on 30¢ - 24 July 1973; other values – 7 Oct 1973
S16R 40¢ in red on 30¢ on #S14
a. Inverted overprint in red
b. Double overprint in red
c. Double overprint, one inverted in red
d. Bars missing in red
0
  
S16V 40¢ in violet on 30¢ on #S14
0
  
S17V
 		 40¢ in violet on 55¢ #S15
a. Inverted overprint in violet
0

 		  
S18VS 40¢ in violet on 30¢ on #S11S, "S"
2
  
S18RB 40¢ in red on 30¢ on #S11B, "B"
4
  
S19V 40¢ in violet on 55¢ on #S9P
3
  
S20RS 40¢ in red on 55¢ #S12S, "S"
2
  
S20RZ 40¢ in red on 55¢ #S12Z, "Z"
2
  
S20VZ 40¢ in violet on 55¢ #S12Z, "Z"
2
  


S21

                        Haile Selassie
                        Issued: 9 Nov 1974
S21 10¢ Blue on blue
0
  

S22

S23
                        Ibex
                        Issued: Oct 1976
S22 10¢ Blue on blue
0
  
S23 40¢ Red on blue
0
  


S24

                        Ibex, Amharic added
                        Issued: By 1980
S24 10¢ Blue on blue, Amharic added
0
  

S25

S28
                        Ibex, revalued
                        Issued: By 1982
S25R 15¢ in red on 10¢ Blue on blue #S22
0
  
S25V 15¢ in violet on 10¢ Blue on blue #S22
0
  
S26V 15¢ in violet on 10¢ Blue on blue #S24
0
  
S27R 50¢ in red on 10¢ Blue on blue #S22
0
  
S28V 50¢ in violet on 10¢ Blue on blue #S24
0
 .


S29

                        Ibex, new values
                        Issued: By 1982
S29 15¢ Blue on blue with Amharic under Aerogramme
0
  
S30 50¢ Red on blue with no Amharic under Aerogramme
0
 .

S31

S32
                        Ibex, new values with English added
                        Issued: 15¢ by 1985, 50¢ by 1988
S31 15¢ Blue on blue, added "Addressee's name and address"
0
  
S32 50¢ Red on blue, added "Addressee's name and address"
0
  


S33

                        Ibex, revalued
S33V 15¢ in violet on 50¢ Red on blue #S30
0
  

                        Last update: July 4, 2004