Description Examples of Cancelled Items Modern Reprints and Forgeries

Description

P 7

The cards have a number combination at the bottom right corner, comprised of the year (last two digits) and the month (remaining digits). The following printing dates have been ascertained.[1]

499
599
899 (?)
999
999 Variety: overprint reads only "Marshall"
1099

Angle of Overprint

As the postcards were not overprinted while they were still part of complete and uncut sheets of 25 post cards, but were overprinted as already cut, single cards. The cards were printed on a small press, where the overprint cliché was repositioned every time a new colonial stock was to be printed. Between the alignment errors introduced there and the variation caused by the single-feed of the card stock, the angle and position of the overprint can vary. On record (for all colonies) are angle variations between 42 degrees to 58 degrees. In addition double prints as well as missing overprints on one side of the reply card are known.[2]

Misprints

Given the nature of the overprints, misprints obviously would occur, espcially among reply cards which had to be inserted twice into the print process. Also, such lacking overprints could only be reliably documented among the reply cards. Such misprints, where only one side carried the overprint, were often reported in the philatelic press, such as a 5+5 Pfg reply card with the control number 999 which carried the print only on the reply side and where a letter 'M' can be found at the edge of the card, indicating that the card slipped during the printing. [3] Many of these were found in standard packs of colonial cards formally sold at the Berlin post office.[4]

Quantities sent

1750 cards of this type were delivered to Jaluit, 300 of which in September 1899.[7]

Validity

The last run of Eagle series card was printed on 23 July 1900. Thereafter all postcards bore the Yacht motif.[8] Like the Eagle series stamps, the Eagle series cards of both the Marschall-Inseln and the Marshall-Inseln issues remained valid until 30 September 1901, after which only Yacht series cards were legal postage.[9]

Examples of Cancelled Items

Modern Reprints and Forgeries

Like other post card forgeries were made of this series in the 1970s. These items are printed in better quality, more glossy card stock.. These reprints can also be identified by details in the drawing of the scroll and leaves.