Unlisted Stamps (II)

The most exciting unlisted stamps of Cambodia are the surcharges. Since they were locally handstamped for postal use with no philatelic sales, overseas collectors have had a hard time identifying and collecting them.

After a long time of putting together bits and pieces of information, 19 surcharges have been recorded:



To spice it up, the original 1988 folk dance set has two stamps with a variety of inscription errors, they were surcharged alongside with the regular stamps.

Here is a genuine set of the folk dance surcharges with 1r variety.



More unlisted surcharges may exist, further research has to be done for a better picture.


Almost all 1990s surcharges have forgeries. Fellow collector Jean-Marie Florent of Belgium is kind enough to scan some for our reference, thank you Jean-Marie.

Unlisted Stamps (I)

Catalogue unlisted stamps always thrill collectors. They may not be scarce or rare, yet they are like secrets, they stimulate everyone's curiosity. Cambodia's unlisted stamps give no exception, they have posted big challenges to serious collectors as much as postal history specialists.




In my previous blog entries, I have told the story of 1993 "40th Anniversary of National Independence" 3v set (click here to read), the authentic stamps are unlisted. In Michel, it states "Der Status von drei weiteren, motivleichen (Ansicht von Angkor Vat) Marken zu 400, 500 und 600 R ist ungeklat", Stanley Gibbons and Scott give no reference at all.

In the following year, Cambodia quietly sold a single stamp set without much public attention. Officially issued on 3rd December 1994, the 2000r stamp celebrates "Inauguration Station Terrienne Standard a Cambodge - Australie", the completion of a satellite antenna which was part of Cambodia's US$700,000 joint venture with the Australian telecommunication company OTC (Telstra). Denomination is indicated in Khmer numerals only.

The stamp was nearly unknown outside Cambodia, it had no international sales agencies, and it was rarely used on mail because of high face value.



Above is the stamp in block of four. The issue is recorded in the 1997 official stamp catalogue published by the Cambodian Department of Posts.


(to be continued)

Special Delivery?

This not-in-my-collection cover is interesting as it has a red label which no one would miss. The label says "special delivery". It makes people wonder how special it could be.

As a matter of fact, there was no such service, even if there were, the label would not had been in English: the Cambodian postal authority used French as their working language till late 1990s.

40th Anniversary of Independence

In 1993 Cambodia enjoyed her first free general elections as scheduled by the 1991 Paris Peace Accords. The royal government was successfully formed in September and in November the new leadership led the celebration of 40th anniversary of national independence (from France in 1953). The Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications joined the feast by issuing a set of 3 commemomrative postage stamps.

The original set comprises of 3 values: 300r features the Phnom Penh Central Post Office building, 500r features Vimean Ekareach, the Independence Monument in Phnom Penh that is, and 700r features the national flag. For the first time, English was used on stamps instead of French.

Unfortunately some of the stamps were reported stolen during transit from COPREFIL, the official producer & printer in Havana, to Phnom Penh. Russia got the news and quickly offered a little gift to the new royal government - a new stamp set was promptly prepared and shipped to Phnom Penh replacing the missing issue.

The Russian set differs from the Cuban set in two ways. Unlike the Cuban set, all three stamps are now identical in design, they depict the world famous ancient Khmer architectural wonder, Angkor Wat. Most of all, denominations are changed to 400r, 500r and 600r.




No official FDC was prepared for the new set. Nevertheless, a special folder was made as complimentary gift from the minister to foreign guests of the government. The folder is in English, printed in blue ink with a set of mint stamps stuck in. Apparently the ministry did not make it available to public.

The obsolete Cuban printed stamps were never sold in Cambodia and therefore no postal used copies can be/should be found. However mint sets and CTO can easily be bought in Europe and America, for COPREFIL's German agent had flooded the stamp market with these wallpapers in such a way that now even the major stamp catalogues think they are the official issue (Sc 1323-1325, Mi 1394-1396).

Cambodia, Tuva, or Bust !

Two airmail stamps from two different airmail sets are franked on this 1986 cover to Australia.

Since 1980 Cambodia has only issued two airmail sets, the first one in 1984 and the second 1986. Both share the same illustration but have different inscription, I guess the Cambodian authority was very proud of the unchanged design: how legendary to have a boeing over Angkor Wat (despite the fact that no boeing ever flew over Angkor) !

It resembles Tuva (Tannu Touva). Tuva in the 1930s and Cambodia in the 1980s were isolated and no common holiday destination. Philatelically in 1936 Tuva issued a few big sets which fully captivated young children with beautiful colour and exotic design, there included one stamp with a camel racing train, and another with a horseman watching zeppelin.

Stamps don't always give facts. There were no railway and zeppelin in Tuva, no boeing over Angkor. Illusion of advancement is always beautiful, isn't it?

Missent Postcard

This postcard from the States to Holland was stamped "Missent to Phnom Penh" and "Missent to Ho Chi Minh City". I will leave you to guess which missent came first.