Philately of the Ottoman Empire – Varieties of Postage Stamps


The Ottoman Empire

1876/77. Definitive issue.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
10 para
1 Deformed numeral and white spot in numeral circle.

1876/1890. Definitive issues: The Large Seal.

The Large Seal
1876 1880 1884 1886 1888 1890 Postage dues
Bottom frame below the second letter A in PARAS broken.

Another example
Oval line below letter N in OTTOMAN broken, letter E in PIASTRE damaged.
POSSIBLE VARIETIES
Note: as it was observed that varieties and other constant traits (such as broken frame after N in OTTOMAN on 2 piastre stamps, or indentation in frame below 10 on 10 paras stamps) occur between printings, the list of possible varieties does not differentiate between issues.
5 paras
1 Two black dots on the left frame.
2 Colored circle above E in EMP. Ottoman Empire Large Seal postage stamp
10 paras
1 Color between two vertical lines of the left frame.
2 Letter N in OTTOMAN deformed.
20 paras
1 Right outer frame broken at top.
2 Two black dots on the left frame.
1 piastre
1 Big colored spot between 1 and PIASTRE.
3 Top left corner missing.
4 Letter E in PIASTRE deformed.
5 Outer right frame broken at bottom.
6 Colored dot below letter A in PIASTRE.
7 Two breaches in right inner frame.
8 Colored dot in front of 1.

1901/05. Stamps for international mail.

POSSIBLE VARIETIES
10 paras
1 Bottom left corner missing.

1905. Definitive issue.

POSSIBLE VARIETIES
5 paras
1 White circle left from numeral 5.

14 March 1913. Definitive issue, the Istanbul central post office.

UNLISTED VARIETIES
2 piastres
1 Big white spot in the center of the left frame.

1915 Overprinted stamps, overprint Type I.

COINCIDENTAL VARIETIES
Type I: six-pointed star, crescent with year 1331.
1 Shifted overprints.
POSSIBLE VARIETIES
Overprint Type I
1 A circle in six-pointed star. Ottoman Empire postage stamp overprint