Cyprus KGVI
Requisitions 1940-1941
We now
deal with five printings through the early wartime years.
7396/1 was a total reprint with the stamps required for
shipment so as to reach Cyprus by end of April 1940. The
instructions were for the delivery to commence middle of
April and be completed by the middle of May 1940. The
stamps were numbered 1up each duty. There were to be no
other requisitions for that year. This was the last
printing of the 21/2pi shown below.
7527/1 occurred early in 1941 and spanned four months with
reprintings of nine values, including yet again the £1. To
be numbered 1up the 9pi and 18pi stamps were required for
shipment by the end of November. The remaining items to be
delivered not later than January 1941.
Early June 1941 saw a small, but important requisition,
7552/1. Within this was a colour change for the 11/2pi and
the new 2pi and 3pi values. This is interesting for the
fact that catalogues state that the 11/2p violet was
released in 1943, although this requisition dates around
June 1941. Requisition 7690/2, issued in 1943 gives the
order that the 11/2pi duty from that order was not to be
placed on sale until the 7552 duty had been released
locally. What happened in that two year gap is something of
a mystery. Included are quantities for dealers and
specimens for the GPO. The sheets of stamps were to be
numbered 1 up and were due Early June 1941.
7569/1 and 7580/1 were for single duties, 1/4pi and 6pi.
The 7569/1 included 100,000 stamps for dealers and had
instructions to be printed 2/3 weeks from rest of paper
i.e. 19/6/41. The stamp was eventually despatched on
14/10/41. One can only imagine the treacherous journey the
remaining stock made to the colony through the dangerous
Mediterranean waters. 7580/1 was to be numbered 1 up and
was required to reach Cyprus no later than the end of
December 1941. The actual despatch date was earlier than
that being 25.7 and 7.8.41
The three values belonging to Requisition 7552/1 including
the 11/2pi which was not actually released until 1943
11/2pi Kyrenia Harbour - 2pi Peristerona Church - 3pi
Kolossi Castle
6pi the sole duty from the 7580/1 requisition although
missing from the earlier 7527/1 1941 requisition