Post by robert on Jun 28, 2019 19:46:38 GMT
These iconic stamps directly link Australia to the aftermath of Japan's defeat in WWII and Australia's involvement in the military occupation of Japan in 1946. The following is a near complete collection of these stamps in mint never hinged and proof condition with one of only two covers with the double overprint.
In the weeks and days of late 1945 prior to the acceptance by Japan of surrender terms on August 14, 1945, various ships of the Royal Australian Navy were operating in outlying and nearer Japanese waters as part of the British Pacific Fleet and the American Third Fleet.
The Australian military later discovered that goods that can only be obtained from the canteen and supply dumps of the Operation Forces were being sold on the black market, and the stamps meant for postal use was being sent back home to be cashed in at the local post office (subject to a 5% repurchase fee from the post office).
The practice of sending unused stamps became so much of a concern that the military had to think fast to circumvent any further illegal use of the stamps; the post office and the military authorities decided to overprint all stamps sold in Japan with the overprint “B.C.O.F. JAPAN 1946”.
The overprint rendered them clearly identifiable and impossible to cash-in at the local post office, but they overlooked one crucial thing; it created a more profitable situation back home.
These overprinted stamps constituted for the first issue of stamps resulting from the occupation of Japan, and that as such they will be in tremendous demand amongst philatelists and collectors the world over.
In consequence, these stamps were already being sold to collectors not for the 5% below face value demanded by the post office, but at 10% or more above face value.
But the original stamps, the very first off the press were withdrawn very quickly on October 1946 by order of the Post-Master General in Australia, and the reason given, the military overprinting the stamps did so without the approval of the PMG.
After the military reclassified their position for the overprints they were given permission to continue with the overprints; and it was suggested that the year on the overprint should read “1947” and not “1946”, referencing to flaws in overprint formes; and, inevitably, complaints that collectors could not secure copies.
The same stamps were reissued in 1947. This time with additional values; the suggestion that the year should be changed was not adopted and although the stamps were officially reprinted for military use in 1947 the year on the overprint remained 1946.
The stamps shown in proof are from the withdrawn 1946 issues, only the 3d brown with red overprint is absent as it is a more difficult stamp to locate; any stamp on cover bearing the cancellation around the time of the original printing is very rare and very much sought after by those who have built a specialised collection of the B.C.O.F. overprints.
There is only two of the 3d overprints on cover with a double overprint and also very rare (an example of a double overprint centred 3mm to the right is scarcer ; there is also one unused example of a triple overprint which hasn’t been seen on the market for over 10 years and is extremely rare.
Though it is known that one example of a thin paper 5/- with double overprint exists, it has not been seen on the market and is extremely rare.
In the weeks and days of late 1945 prior to the acceptance by Japan of surrender terms on August 14, 1945, various ships of the Royal Australian Navy were operating in outlying and nearer Japanese waters as part of the British Pacific Fleet and the American Third Fleet.
The Australian military later discovered that goods that can only be obtained from the canteen and supply dumps of the Operation Forces were being sold on the black market, and the stamps meant for postal use was being sent back home to be cashed in at the local post office (subject to a 5% repurchase fee from the post office).
The practice of sending unused stamps became so much of a concern that the military had to think fast to circumvent any further illegal use of the stamps; the post office and the military authorities decided to overprint all stamps sold in Japan with the overprint “B.C.O.F. JAPAN 1946”.
The overprint rendered them clearly identifiable and impossible to cash-in at the local post office, but they overlooked one crucial thing; it created a more profitable situation back home.
In consequence, these stamps were already being sold to collectors not for the 5% below face value demanded by the post office, but at 10% or more above face value.
But the original stamps, the very first off the press were withdrawn very quickly on October 1946 by order of the Post-Master General in Australia, and the reason given, the military overprinting the stamps did so without the approval of the PMG.
After the military reclassified their position for the overprints they were given permission to continue with the overprints; and it was suggested that the year on the overprint should read “1947” and not “1946”, referencing to flaws in overprint formes; and, inevitably, complaints that collectors could not secure copies.
The same stamps were reissued in 1947. This time with additional values; the suggestion that the year should be changed was not adopted and although the stamps were officially reprinted for military use in 1947 the year on the overprint remained 1946.
The stamps shown in proof are from the withdrawn 1946 issues, only the 3d brown with red overprint is absent as it is a more difficult stamp to locate; any stamp on cover bearing the cancellation around the time of the original printing is very rare and very much sought after by those who have built a specialised collection of the B.C.O.F. overprints.
There is only two of the 3d overprints on cover with a double overprint and also very rare (an example of a double overprint centred 3mm to the right is scarcer ; there is also one unused example of a triple overprint which hasn’t been seen on the market for over 10 years and is extremely rare.
Though it is known that one example of a thin paper 5/- with double overprint exists, it has not been seen on the market and is extremely rare.
