Stamps of Ceylon 1857-1900

Postage Stamps of Ceylon, a British colony, in the Victorian period (1857-1900). Sorted by the Stanley Gibbons 2009 catalogue.

Map of Ceylon in 1888

1857 - 1859 issues

Recess by Perkins Bacon. Watermark star, imperforate. SG 2-15.

• 
  1 d blue SG2
• 
  4 d dull rose SG4 extremely rare
• 
  6 d purple-brown, sub-issue 1859, SG6
• 
  1 shilling & 9 pence yellow-green (?), sub-issue 1859, SG11

1861 - 1864 issues

Recess by Perkins Bacon. Watermark star, clean-cut (SG19-27, 38) or rough perf due to the line machine wear and poor maintenance (SG28-37).

• 
  5d issue 1861, clean perf, SG22 chestnut
• 
  1d issue 1861, rough perf, SG28 dull blue
• 
  9d issue 1861, rough perf, SG33a light brown

1862 issue

Recess by De la Rue, no watermark. SG39-44.

• 
  6 d brown SG41

1863 - 1865 issues

Recess by De la Rue. Watermark Crown and high CC (SG45-59)

• 
  Half d, unused SG48 dull mauve
• 
  1d SG 49 deep blue
• 
  2d SG50

1866 - 1868 issues

Typo by De la Rue. Watermark Crown and CC (SG60-62)

• 
  1d blue, oval C SG61 blue
• 
  3d Used SG62a bright rose.

1867 - 1870 issues

Recess by De la Rue. Watermark Crown and CC (SG63-72)

• 
  4d SG65 rose
• 
  8d used SG68 chocolate
• 
  9d SG69 blackish-brown
• 
  1sh oval B SG71
• 
  2sh oval SG72

New currency: 100 cents = 1 rupee

Typo by De la Rue, London (SG121 to 367).

1872-1880 issues

Watermark Crown CC. Usually perf. 14. Victoria head in 11 designs. Shades!

1872 issue

The postmarks are barred ovals with a letter or a numeral code. SG125 is skipped.

• 
  4 cents, greenish-grey, unused. SG122.
• 
  4 c grey oval A SG122
• 
  4c rosy-mauve, sub-issue 1880, oval 49 SG123
• 
  4c Oval 87
• 
  8 c orange-yellow, oval SG124
• 
  16 cents, pale violet. SG126
• 
  16c pale violet oval B SG126
• 
  24 c green, oval B SG127
• 
  48 c rose, oval SG130
• 
  96 c drab, oval A SG132
• 
  8 c perf. 14x12,5 yellow SG135

1883-1884 issues

Watermark Crown CA. A 8 c yellow was issued in 1898.

• 
  2 c, oblique A in oval of lines, SG147 dull green
• 
  4 c rosy mauve, oval 99 SG148
• 
  4 c rosy mauve, oval D SG148
• 
  4 c rose (1884), circle SG149

Surcharge overprints

1882 issue

Overprinted by the Government Printer. SG142-143

• 
  SIXTEEN 16 on 24 c SG142

1885 issue

SG153-193

• 
  FIVE CENTS SG157
• 
  10 cents SG188 brown-purple
• 
  28 cents SG190 slate
• 
  30 cents on 36 cents, unused SG191 olive-green.
• 
  56 cents on 96 c, unused SG192 drab.
• 
  1 Rupee 12 cents, unused SG193 dull rose.

1888-1890

2 cents in various formats. SG202-211

• 
  Two Cents 1888 issue, oval A SG202
• 
  Two surcharge SG205 rose
• 
  2 cents double & inverted, unused SG207

1892

• 
  3 c on 4 c rose, circle SG242

1898-1899

• 
  1R50 on 2R50 slate, unused SG254

1886 issue

Two new designs. SG195-199

• 
  28 c slate SG199

1899-1900 issues

Watermark crown CA. Two Rupee values in large format. SG256-264

• 
  6c rose and black SG259
• 
  12c sage-green and rose, sub-issue 1900 SG260
• 
  15c blue SG261
• 
  75c black & red-brown SG262
• 
  1 Rupee 50 cents, rose, unused. SG263