50th anniversary on the victory of the slave trade. No’s 274-276

This series from 1951 are a completion of this series (no’s 300-301).

The series from 1947 have French first, 1951 series has Dutch first.

François Lambermont (1819-1905), Belgian statesman.

He was prominent between 1874 and 1890 at several international conferences dealing with the laws and customs of war and with Central African affairs. He was one of the founders of the A.I.A. “Association Internationale Africaine” which later became the A.I.C. “Assocation internationale du Congo” (the precursor of the Congo). After the conference of Berlin in 1885 they (Banning and he) were requested to finalize the report that would result in the establishment of the E.I.C. “L’Etat Indepandant du Congo”, the later Belgian Congo.

Leopold II (1835-1909) The King of Belgium 1865-1909. In 1876 Leopold II employed Henry Stanley to acquire as much land in the Congo Basin as he possibly could. A conference in Berlin was set up in 1885 for European and American representatives to discuss dividing up Africa evenly. He named himself sovereign of the Congo Free State/Independent State of the Congo. Leopold did anything to gain wealth including the use of forced labor. Much of Europe frowned upon these atrocities, which led to the end of Leopold's rule of the basin.

Date of issue: 12 August 1947

Expiration date: 1 January 1951

Design:

Printing: Enschedé en Zonen, Haarlem (The Netherlands)

Perforation: no.274: 13 x 11.75

Perforation no’s 275-276: 12.5 x 12.25

Size no 274: 28.4 x 45.5 mm

Size no’s 275-276: 21.4 x 28.2 mm

Sheet: no.274: 50. No’s 275-276: 100

Marginal inscriptions: 2 printing-plates were used, in bottom margin a “1” or “2” is indicated.

Circulation: see the stamps

The series:

No 274. 1,25Fr, brown-olive, 7,065,000 stamps. Slaves and Arab guards.

No 275. 3,50Fr, blue, 3,060,00 stamps. François Lambermont (1819-1905).

No 276. 10Fr, brown-orange, 8,012,500 stamps. Leopold II (1835-1909)

There are no variations or curiosities known for any of the above shown material.

No 274 in pair, the left is without print, albino or blank stamp.

Small ink spots: no 275 on forehead & no 277 just for his eyes.

These printers’ accidents could occur only once or could be repetitive i.e. these spots may occur due to a paint-clot which then disappears after printing various sheets.