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1

United States Virgin Islands - Danish West IndiesPostage Stamp History

The first postage stamp of the Danish West Indies [DWI] was issued in 1856, and was of the same coat of arms design as the stamps of Denmark. In 1874, the Danish West Indies issued new 'numeral' design stamps, also mirroring Danish stamps. Most were printed in two colors, with a central oval containing the value, arms and country name, surrounded by a frame of intricate scrollwork, usually printed in a different, contrasting color. Nine denominations were issued, and over the 30+ years of use, there were numerous printing runs creating many shade varieties. Also, most issues also included an 'inverted frame' variety where the plate of the scrollwork frame was inverted when printed. Add various surcharge issues which were printed to account for shortages in stamps, interesting postmarks, and well sought after postal history specimens, collecting these issues are a specialist’s paradise.

In 1905, DWI changed their currency from dalers (1 daler = 100 cents) to francs (1 franc = 100 bits). With this change, the colony took the opportunity to modernize its stamp designs as it needed to issue stamps in the new currency. Two designs were issued, one depicted a silhouette of King Christian IX, and the other a beautiful image of a sailing ship in St. Thomas harbor. In 1907 and 1915, two additional designs featuring King Frederik VIII and King Christian X were issued during the monarch’s reign. In addition to the definitive stamps, DWI also issued postage due stamps, both in the pre 1905 'cents' and in the new currency after the monetary reforms.

Stamps of DWI were replaced with stamps of the United States after the transfer of power in 1917. The US Stamps for which spaces are created in this album are for Revenue Issues begining in 1919. Should you wish to collect and only have pages for these issues, print this album starting at page 13. The Numbering system used in this album follows that of the Scott USA Specialized Stamp Catalogue.

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Danish West IndiesGeneral Postage

1856, WMK 111, IMPERF

1

Wmk 111Small Crown

1866, White Paper

Yellow Wavy-line Burelage* UR to LL

3c roseCoat of Arms

2

1872, Perf 12.5

3c roseCoat of Arms

3

1873, Without Burelage*

4c dull blueCoat of Arms

4

*Burelage (French: burelage),[1] also burelé, is a French term referring to an intricate network of fine lines, dots or other designs printed over or as the background of some postage or revenue stamps to prevent counterfeiting.[2][3] In English the word is sometimes spelled with an accent on the first "e" as burélage, although the accent does not appear in the French spelling and its origin is unclear.[4] Burelage most commonly appears as a form of underprinting.

3

Danish West Indies

Normal Frame

Inverted Frame

The arabesques in the corners have a main stem and a branch.

When the frame is in the normal position, in the upper left

corner the branch leaves the main stem half way between two

little leaflets. In the lower right corner, the branch starts

at the foot of the second leaflet. When the frame is inverted,

the corner designs are transposed.

The central element in the fan-shaped scollwork at the outside

of the lower left corner of Nos. 5a, 6a, 7b, and 11a looks like

an elongated diamond.

1874-1899, Wmk 112, Perf 14x13.5

Wmk 112Crown

5

3c Numeral

blue & carmine

6

4c Numeral

brown & dull blue

7

5c Numeral

green & grey

8

7c Numeral

lilac & orange

9

10c Numeral

blue & brown

10

12c Numeral

red lilac & yellow green

11

14c Numeral

lilac & green

12

50c Numeral

violet

13

4

Danish West IndiesNos. 9 and 13 Surcharged in Black

9 (a)

13 (b)

1887 1895

1c on 7c

lilac & orange

14

10c on 50c

violet - thin paper

19

1874-1901, Perf 13

16

3c Numeral

blue & lake (inverted frame)

17

4c Numeral

bistre & dull blue

18

5c Numeral

green & grey

19 20

5

Danish West Indies1900

Coat of Arms

21

5c Arms

light blue

22

Nos. 6, 17, and 20 Surcharged in Black (type 'c')1902, Perf. 14x13.5 Perf. 13 - Inverted Frame

2c on 3c

blue & carmine

23

2c on 3c

blue & lake

24

Perf. 13 - Normal Frame

2c on 3c

blue & lake

25

Nos. 17 and 20 Surcharged in Black (type 'd')1902, Perf. 13

2c on 3c

blue & lake, Inverted Frame

27

Numeral

28

6

Danish West Indies

Wmk 113 Crown

1903, Wmk 113

2c

carmine

29

8c

brown

30

1903, Typo, Perf. 12.5

King Christian

31

10b

red

32

20b

green & blue

33

25b

ultramarine

34

40b

red & grey

35

50b

yellow & grey

36

7

Danish West IndiesPerf.12

Wmk 113 (Two Crowns)

Frame Typographed, Center Engraved

St. Thomas Harbour

37

2fr

orange red & brown

38

5fr

yellow & brown

39

Nos. 18, 22 and 30 Surcharged in Black1905, Wmk 112, Perf. 13

Numeral

40

5b on 5c

light blue

41

Wmk 113 (Two Crowns)

5b on 8c

brown

42

8

Danish West IndiesFrame Typographed, Center Engraved

1908, Wmk 113, Perf. 13

King Frederik VIII

43

10b

red

44

15b

violet & brown

45

20b

green & blue

46

25b

blue & dark blue

47

30b

claret & slate

48

40b

vermillion & grey

49

50b

yellow & brown

50

9

Danish West IndiesFrame Typographed, Center Engraved

1915, Wmk 114, Perf. 14x14.5

King Christian X

51

10b

red

52

15b

lilac & red brown

53

20b

green & blue

54

25b

blue & dark blue

55

30b

claret & black

56

40b

orange & black

57

50b

yellow & brown

58

Wmk 114Multiple Crosses

10

Danish West IndiesPostage Due

1902, Lithographed, Unwatermarked, Perf 11.5

Royal Cipher-Christian Rex

J1

4c

dark blue

J2

6c

dark blue

J3

10c

dark blue

J4

1905-1913, Perf. 13

Numeral of Value

J5

20b

red & grey

J6

30b

red & grey

J7

50b

red & grey

J8

11

Danish West IndiesDocumentary Tax

1907, Lithographed, Watermarked. Crown, Perf 12

10b red & light green

R1

50b green & light green

R2

1fr red & grey

R3

2fr black & grey

R4

3fr red & blue

R5

5fr blue & light blue

R6

7fr red & yellow

R7

10fr yellow & light yellow

R8

50fr brown & pink

R9

12

Danish West IndiesDocumentary Tax

100fr black & pink

R10

1917, Lithographed, Watermarked. Crown, Perf 12

10b on 50b (R2)

R11

10b on 3fr (R5)

R12

10b on 10fr (R8)

R13

50b on 2fr (R4)

R14

50b on 3fr (R5)

R15

13

United States Virgin IslandsDocumentary Tax

1919, Lithographed, Unwatermarked, Perf 11

10b red & light green

R16


R17

50b green & green

R17a

1fr red & grey

R18

2fr black & grey

R19

2fr grey black & grey black

R19a

3fr red & blue

R20


R21

14


7fr red & yellow

R22

10fr orange & light orange

R23

10fr orange & orange

R23a

50fr brown & pink

R24

100fr black & pink

R25

100fr black & red

R25a



R27

50b green & green

R27a


R28

15


10fr orange & light orange

R29

1921No. R16 Surcharged in Black50b on 10b red & light green

Perf. 11

R30

1921No. R28 Surcharged in Black10c on 5fr blue & light blue

Perf. 11

R31


2c red & green

R32

2c red & Lt. yellow greenthin paper

R32a

2c red & yellow green

R32b

16



2c red & apple green

R33

10c green & green

R34

20c red & grey

R35

20c red & green

R36


R36a

40c grey & grey

R37

60c red & milky blue

R38

60c red & light blue

R38a

60c red & deep blue

R39

17


$1 blue & blue

R40

$1.40 red & yellow

R41

$2 yellow & yellow

R42

$10 reddish brown & pink

R43

$20 black & pink

R44

$100 red & green

R45

1935No. R34 Surcharged in Black2c on 10c g

Perf. 11

R47

18


1965, Unwatermarked, Perf 12 1/2


R48

2c red & green

R48a

10c green & green

R49

10c milky green & milky green

R49a


R50

20c red & green

R50a

40c grey & grey

R51

60c red & light blue

R52

$1 blue & blue

R53

19


$1 blue & milky blue

R53a

$2 yellow & yellow

R54

$10 reddish brown & pink

R55

$20 black & pink

R56

$100 red & green

R57

$1000 green & yellow

R58

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United States Virgin IslandsTobacco Tax

1933, 10b Revenue Handstamp Surcharges in Black, Perf. 10

1b on 10b

RJ1

2b on 10b

RJ2

3b on 10b

RJ3

5b on 10b

RJ4

6b on 10b

RJ5

7b on 10b

RJ6

8b on 10b

RJ7

12b on 10b

RJ8

33b on 10b

RJ9

21


40b on 10b

RJ10

50b on 10b

RJ11

60b on 10b

RJ12

1933, 10b Revenue & Nos. R28-R29 with Typed Surcharges in Black, Perf. 10

6b on 10b

RJ13

6b on 5fr (No. R28)

RJ14

6b on 10fr (No. R29)

RJ15

7b on 10fr (No. R29)

RJ16

22


1933, No. R16 Handstamp Surcharged in Black, Perf. 11

2b on 10bred & light green

RJ17

Numeral-only Typed Surcharge on No. R16

6 on 10bred & light green

RJ18


RJ19


RJ20


RJ21

23


Typed Surcharge in Blak on Nos. R16, R21

6b on 10bred & light green

RJ22

6b on 5frblue & light blue

RJ23

1933, Numeral-only Handstamp Surcharge in Black on No. R16, Perf. 11


RJ24


RJ25


RJ26


RJ27


RJ28

24

United States Virgin IslandsPlaying Cards

1920 Rouletted 7US No. RF3 Overprinted in Carmine

RF1

1934 Perf. 11US No. RF4 Overprinted in Carmine

4c on 8c

red & grey

RF3

1926 Rouletted 7US No. RF17 Overprinted in Carmine

RF2

1933, No. RF2 Handstamp Surcharged in Black, Rouletted 7

1b on 4c on (8c) blue

RJ29


RJ30


RJ31


RJ32


RJ33


RJ34


RJ35


RJ36


RJ37

25

United States Virgin IslandsPlaying Cards


RJ38

1933No. RF2 with Typed Surcharge in Black

Rouletted 76b on 4c on (8c) blue

RJ39

St. Croix Provisional Tobacco Tax1933-1934 Letterpress Without Gum, Imperf.

3b black

1RJ1

5b black

1RJ2

6b black

1RJ3

26

United States Virgin IslandsSt. Croix Provisional Tobacco Tax

Handstamp Surcharge in Black on Stamps No Imprinted Denomenation

7b black

1RJ4

3b on blank, black

1RJ5

7b on blank, black

1RJ6

8b on blank, black

1RJ7

15b on blank, black

1RJ8

40b on blank, black

1RJ9

27


Numeral-only Handstamp Surcharge in Black on Nos. 1RJ1-1RJ4

3 on 6b black (1RJ3)

1RJ10


1RJ11

violet surcharge

1RJ11a


1RJ12


1RJ13


1RJ14

28



1RJ15

Numeral-only Typed Surcharge in Black on No. 1RJ4

Typed "xxxx" over the"7" denomenation

1RJ16

Customs House Inspection Fee, Perf. 13.0

5b (on J5) red & grey

RL1


RL2


RL3


RL4

Consult the Scott USA Specialized Stamp Catalogue for additional information on these

and the other Revenue issues for the US Virgin Islands.

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