Postage stamps and postal history of the German colonies

This is a survey of postage stamps and postal history of the German colonies and part of the postage stamps and postal history of Germany, as well as those of the individual countries and territories concerned.

With the establishment of a colonial empire by the newly unified Germany after 1871 and before the issuance of specific stamps inscribed with the name of the colony, definitive stamps of Germany were used. Only postally used stamps can be identified as having been used in the colony as the cancellation mark identifies the point of origin; these stamps are known as "Vorläufer" (forerunner) stamps. By about 1897 provisional stamps came into use in the form of German definite stamps with overprints identifying the colony. By the end of 1900 and early 1901 the yacht issue was printed in Berlin and issued for each colony with its identifying inscription, initially without watermarks, and by 1905 and thereafter as a reissue with lozenges watermarks. German colonial postal services ceased at varying times during World War I as colonies were occupied by forces of the Allies. During occupation, German yacht series stamps were used for a limited time with overprints in a number of territories. In Germany, even after the loss of the colonies, the Reichspost continued to sell yacht stamps of colonies for dealers and collectors until after World War I; such stamps, however, were not postally used.

Most German colonial stamps were denominated in German Currency (1 Mark = 100 Pfennig). However, German East Africa used its own currency on stamps of 1893 and later, the Rupie (1 Rupee = 64 Pesa and from 1905 1 Rupie = 100 Heller) and the leased Chinese territory of Kiautschou used the Chinese dollar ($1 = 100 Cents) from 1905.

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