Belgian Congo

The Belgian Congo, Congo belge (in French), Belgisch-Congo (in Flemish) was a huge country that stretched almost all the way across central Africa. It was originally the personal property of Belgian King Leopold II and investors, then taken over by the Belgian government and made a colony.  File:Bel Congo 10c first.jpg|1886 10c value. File:Bel Congo 5c.jpg|1889 5c definitive. File:Bel Congo 5c etat.jpg|1895 5c pictorial. File:Bel Congo 1fr elephant.jpg|1915 1fr elephant definitive. File:Bel Congo dix A.jpg|1909 10c definitive ("DIX" at sides) File:Bel Congo first 10c type.jpg|1910 10c definitive ("10" at sides) File:Bel Congo DIX ty II.jpg|1915 revised 10c design ("DIX" added at top), using the old vignette with open space at top center. File:Bel congo DIX at top.jpg|1915 revised 10c design ("DIX" added at top), with corrected vignette. File:Bel Congo 50c surch.jpg|1992 50c surcharge. File:Bel Congo 40c square.jpg|1925 40c Ubangi man definitive. 
 * Its first issue was in 1886 with a profile portrait of Leopold II. The stamps were inscribed ETAT IND. DU CONGO. In 1887, the 5fr was surcharged 3.50fr and COLIS POSTAUX (parcel post).
 * In 1887-94, a new design was released inscribed ÉTAT INDEPENDENT / CONGO. The high values are known forged.
 * In 1888 and 1893, those 5fr values were surcharged COLIS POSTAUX. Forged surcharges exist.
 * Beginning in 1894, pictorial definitives were issued with new colors and values added through 1898.
 * In 1908 with the takeover by the Belgian government, stamps were handstamped CONGO BELGE. These come typographed and handstamped. Forged overprints of all exist. See: CONGO BELGE overprints.
 * In 1909, and later in 1910-15, older designs were revived, now inscribed CONGO BELGE.
 * In 1915, 3 values were issued with the value in French added to the top of the design.
 * In 1918, definitives were surcharged with new values and a red cross for use as semipostals.
 * In 1920, the first airmails were issued.
 * In 1921, surcharges with 4 bars over the old values was released.
 * 4 pictorial values were overprinted 1921.
 * More surcharges followed in different styles beginning in 1922.
 * In 1923-27, new engraved definitives were issued. Various surcharges on them were issued in 1927 and 1931.
 * In 1928, a Henry Morton Stanley (the explorer) issue followed. Several values were surcharged with new values in 1931.
 * There were no postage due stamps until 1929. Instead, regular stamps were handstamped TAX or TAXES, in a boxed frame or not, sometimes in colors, and in many different styles, as a control mark struck at the time of use. So these are not issued stamps and will not appear in catalogs.

 File:Bel Congo flute.jpg|1932 40c flutists. File:Bel Congo leopard.jpg|1947 2fr leopard definitive. File:Bel Congo 40c mask.jpg|1948 40c ngadimuashi mask File:Bel Congo flowers.jpg|1952 60c euphorbia. File:Bel Congo monkey.jpg|1959 2fr definitive. 
 * In 1930, a pictorial semipostal set was released.
 * In 1931-37, a new pictorial definitive series was released.
 * Several issues followed including surcharged values.
 * In 1942, new engraved pictorial definitives were released in two parts. One had CONGO BELGIE at top (or first); the other with BELGISCH CONGO at top or first (with few values).
 * Commemorative issues were released in 1947 and later. Sets could alternate inscriptions or in the case of the last commemoratives in 1959-60, two stamps would be issued with a different country inscription.
 * Meanwhile, a definitive series of carvings and mask was issued in 1947-50.
 * Those definitives were soon followed by a photogravure flower series in 1952-53.
 * In 1959, a definitive set of animals was issued.
 * In June 1960, The Belgian Congo became independent, changing its name to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Parcel post
All values have been forged.  File:Bel Congo 3.50f parcels.jpg|1887 surcharge – genuine? 
 * In 1887, 5fr values from the first two issues were surcharged 3.50f and COLIS POSTAUX.
 * IN 1888 and 1893, 5f violet or gray definitives were surcharged with a boxed COLIS POSTAUX / Fr 3.50.

Postage due
 File:Bel Congo 3.50f parcels.jpg 
 * In 1923, a numeral series was issued inscribed CONGO BELGE and BELGISCHE CONGO at the sides.
 * In 1943, a new design was issued with tablets inscribed BELGISCHE / CONGO / BELGE, perf 14x14½, also issued perf 12½.
 * In 1957, a design with leaves and a small numeral vignette was issued.

See

 * Democratic Republic of the Congo

[[Category:B]]