Stamps from The Netherlands

Our first stamp from the Netherlands is from 1898 -- Scott 55, 56, 60.  Not very interesting, just a design and a number for its value.

But at the same time, they were starting to issue stamps of Queen Wilhelmina who was Queen from 1890 to 1948

Scott 65 is from 1898, but Scott 147, 148 are from 1924.

Still there were non-royal images.  Scott 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171 (1927) and the later Scott 243C, 243E (1941) is a sea gull.

During the war, there was a strange overprinting of these older designs, such as Scott 227, 228 (1940).

Still Queen Wilhelmina was also on stamps of this period.  Scott 216, 216B, 217, 218 (1940)

Queen Wilhelmina was a popular design, with special stamps on milestone anniversaries of her reign.  Scott 127 (1923), 210 (1938), and 302 (1948).

But there were many other designs too.  1943 saw Scott 245, 246, 247, 248, 251 which were like bas-relief.

There were also stamps more like Old Masters, such as Scott 252, 253 (1944).

But by the end of the war, back to Queen Wilhelmina (Scott 266) and a stamp showing a Rampart Lion (probably representing the Queen) fighting a dragon (representing Germany?), Scott 277 (1945).

By 1946, a very utilitarian set of stamps was issued.  Scott 283, 285.  These were continued in 1953 with Scott 341, 343.

These were very long lasting stamps; we have an envelope with Scott 283, 285 postmarked from 1960, which is about as late as this batch of stamps go.

In 1947, they brought out a new set of stamps of Queen Wilhelmina, Scott 286, 287, 289, 291, 294.

We have one problem with these stamps.  The Scott catalog says that the 6 Cent stamp (Scott 287) is "brown black".  In 1948, it was reissued as "gray blue" (Scott 301).  But we have one that seems sort of in-between.  Maybe it's just a 301 that has darkened with age.

But the trouble with doing stamps of the Queen, is she stops being Queen, and you get a new Queen, and have to change your stamps.  In 1948, Queen Juliana took over. Scott 304.

And by 1949, a whole new set of stamps with Queen Juliana appear. Scott 306, 307, 308, 310, 311, 312, 313.

But they did other things too; for example Scott 323 and 328 in 1950.

But by 1953, they are back with Queen Juliana.  Scott 344, 346.

 Of course, The Netherlands was also one of those European Colonial Powers, so there were colonies, with their own stamps, such as these two, Scott 217 for the Netherlands Antilles (1950) of Queen Juliana, and Scott 22 for the Netherlands New Guinea (1954) on a Bird of Paradise.