Apia
A German presence was first established in Samoa with the arrival of the J.C. Godeffroy & Son mercantile firm in 1857. Over the next 40 years, German influence over Samoa would grow, eventually bringing conflict with Great Britain and the United States over control of the islands.
To alleviate these conflicts, the three parties entered into the German-British-American Agreement on Samoa on 2 December 1899, under the terms of which Germany was given exclusive control over those islands to the west of 171° west longitude.
The first German postal agency opened in Samoa was at Apia on 21 September 1886. Over its lifespan, the Apia post office changed cancellers several times due to the transition from being a Postal Steamship Agency, to a German Postal Agency, to a German Post Office. Additionally, on two occasions, the cancellers were lost due to fires in the post office (1889) or during evacuation of the post office due to fires in nearby buildings (1895).
The Apia post office closed on 29 August 1914 when Apia was occupied by the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 1
- ArGe Kolonien APIA DEUTSCHE POSTDAMPFSCHIFFS-AGENTUR ◆1
Dates of Use:
- 21 September 1886 to mid-December 1887
Notes:
-
Replaced due to conversion of the Postal Steamship Agency into a German Postal Agency
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 2
- ArGe Kolonien APIA ◆2
Dates of Use:
- 12 December 1887 to mid-May 1888
Notes:
- Without year slug until 31 December 1887
- Replaced due to a need to differentiate the German Postal Agency from a semi-official Municipal Post Office in Apia
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 3
- ArGe Kolonien APIA KDPAg ◆3
Dates of Use:
- 22 May 1888 to 8 January 1889
Notes:
- Without asterisks
- Lost when the German Consulate and
Post Office were destroyed by fire
on 9 January 1889
On 8 January 1889, the German Post Office in Apia burned down, destroying the stocks of postage stamps and all the postal equipment. The postal agent had a local printer make two cancels, one in German and one in English. The provisional cancels were used as cash franking cancels on mail without postage stamps and, for stamps sold prior to the fire, as legitimate postmarks on Vorläufer stamps.
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 4
- ArGe Kolonien BEZAHLT Kaiserl. Deutsche Postagentur Apia ◆4
Dates of Use:
- 1 February 1889 to 27 March 1889
Notes:
-
Violet ink
-
With or without handwritten franking
On 8 January 1889, the German Post Office in Apia burned down, destroying the stocks of postage stamps and all the postal equipment. The postal agent had a local printer make two cancels, one in German and one in English. The provisional cancels were used as cash franking cancels on mail without postage stamps and, for stamps sold prior to the fire, as legitimate postmarks on Vorläufer stamps.
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 5
- ArGe Kolonien POSTAGE PAID Imperial German Postoffice Apia ◆5
Dates of Use:
- 5 February 1889
Notes:
-
Violet ink
-
With or without handwritten franking
Apia Consulate & Postal Agency, c. 1895
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 6
- ArGe Kolonien APIA KDPAg ◆6
Dates of Use:
- 1 April 1889 to 1 April 1895
Notes:
-
With asterisks
-
Arrived on the steamer Lübeck on 31 March 1889
-
Lost during evacuation of the Consulate and Postal Agency on 1 April 1895 due to fire
14 August 1895 (front)
14 August 1895 (rear)
On 1 April 1895, a fire in Apia threatened the German Consulate and Postal Agency. During the evacuation, the postal canceller was lost. As a result, a provisional German-language cancel was once again used as a canceller.
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 7
- ArGe Kolonien BEZAHLT Kaiserl. Deutsche Postagentur Apia ◆4a
Dates of Use:
- Late April 1895 to early September 1895
Notes:
-
Black Ink
On 1 April 1895, a fire in Apia threatened the German Consulate and Postal Agency. During the evacuation, the postal canceller was lost. As a result, a provisional English-language cancel was once again created. It’s use is speculative.
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann Unlisted
- ArGe Kolonien POSTAGE PAID Imperial German Post office Apia ◆5a
Dates of Use:
- 18 April 1895
Notes:
-
Black ink
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 8
- ArGe Kolonien APIA KDPAg ◆7
Dates of Use:
- 6 September 1895 to 10 December 1900
Notes:
-
Replaced after Samoa formally became a colony, elevating the Postal Agency to a Post Office
Apia Post Office, c. 1907
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 9
- ArGe Kolonien APIA (SAMOA) ◆8
Dates of Use:
- 10 December 1900 to 6 June 1907
Notes:
-
With asterisks
-
Grotesk font without serifs
-
Returned to Bremen for repair in June 1907. Following repair and removal of asterisks, used as a reserve canceller in November 1907. [Fr. 11, ArGe Kolonien APIA (SAMOA) ◆8a]
5 August 1914 (front)
5 August 1914 (rear)
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 10
- ArGe Kolonien APIA (SAMOA) ◆9
Dates of Use:
- 6 June 1907 to 29 August 1914
Notes:
-
Antiqua font with serifs
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 11
- ArGe Kolonien APIA (SAMOA) ◆8a
Dates of Use:
- 22 November 1907 to 29 August 1914
Notes:
-
Without asterisks
-
Following repair of Fr. 9 / ArGe Kolonien APIA (SAMOA) ◆8 during which the asterisks were removed, the canceller was returned to Apia for use as a reserve canceller.
Apia
PO Information
Opened: 21 September 1886
Closed: 29 August 1914
A German presence was first established in Samoa with the arrival of the J.C. Godeffroy & Son mercantile firm in 1857. Over the next 40 years, German influence over Samoa would grow, eventually bringing conflict with Great Britain and the United States over control of the islands.
To alleviate these conflicts, the three parties entered into the German-British-American Agreement on Samoa on 2 December 1899, under the terms of which Germany was given exclusive control over those islands to the west of 171° west longitude.
The first German postal agency opened in Samoa was at Apia on 21 September 1886. Over its lifespan, the Apia post office changed cancellers several times due to the transition from being a Postal Steamship Agency, to a German Postal Agency, to a German Post Office. Additionally, on two occasions, the cancellers were lost due to fires in the post office (1889) or during evacuation of the post office due to fires in nearby buildings (1895).
The Apia post office closed on 29 August 1914 when Apia was occupied by the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 1
- ArGe Kolonien APIA DEUTSCHE POSTDAMPFSCHIFFS-AGENTUR ◆1
Dates of Use:
- 21 September 1886 to mid-December 1887
Notes:
-
Replaced due to conversion of the Postal Steamship Agency into a German Postal Agency
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 2
- ArGe Kolonien APIA ◆2
Dates of Use:
- 12 December 1887 to mid-May 1888
Notes:
- Without year slug until 31 December 1887
- Replaced due to a need to differentiate the German Postal Agency from a semi-official Municipal Post Office in Apia
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 3
- ArGe Kolonien APIA KDPAg ◆3
Dates of Use:
- 22 May 1888 to 8 January 1889
Notes:
- Without asterisks
- Lost when the German Consulate and
Post Office were destroyed by fire
on 9 January 1889
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 4
- ArGe Kolonien BEZAHLT Kaiserl. Deutsche Postagentur Apia ◆4
Dates of Use:
- 1 February 1889 to 27 March 1889
Notes:
-
Violet ink
-
With or without handwritten franking
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 5
- ArGe Kolonien POSTAGE PAID Imperial German Postoffice Apia ◆5
Dates of Use:
- 5 February 1889
Notes:
-
Violet ink
-
With or without handwritten franking
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 6
- ArGe Kolonien APIA KDPAg ◆6
Dates of Use:
- 1 April 1889 to 1 April 1895
Notes:
-
With asterisks
-
Arrived on the steamer Lübeck on 31 March 1889
-
Lost during evacuation of the Consulate and Postal Agency on 1 April 1895 due to fire
14 August 1895 (front)
14 August 1895 (rear)
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 7
- ArGe Kolonien BEZAHLT Kaiserl. Deutsche Postagentur Apia ◆4a
Dates of Use:
- Late April 1895 to early September 1895
Notes:
-
Black Ink
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann Unlisted
- ArGe Kolonien POSTAGE PAID Imperial German Post office Apia ◆5a
Dates of Use:
- 18 April 1895
Notes:
-
Black ink
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 8
- ArGe Kolonien APIA KDPAg ◆7
Dates of Use:
- 6 September 1895 to 10 December 1900
Notes:
-
Replaced after Samoa formally became a colony, elevating the Postal Agency to a Post Office
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 9
- ArGe Kolonien APIA (SAMOA) ◆8
Dates of Use:
- 10 December 1900 to 6 June 1907
Notes:
-
With asterisks
-
Grotesk font without serifs
-
Returned to Bremen for repair in June 1907. Following repair and removal of asterisks, used as a reserve canceller in November 1907. [Fr. 11, ArGe Kolonien APIA (SAMOA) ◆8a]
5 August 1914 (front)
5 August 1914 (rear)
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 10
- ArGe Kolonien APIA (SAMOA) ◆9
Dates of Use:
- 6 June 1907 to 29 August 1914
Notes:
-
Antiqua font with serifs
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 11
- ArGe Kolonien APIA (SAMOA) ◆8a
Dates of Use:
- 22 November 1907 to 29 August 1914
Notes:
-
Without asterisks
-
Following repair of Fr. 9 / ArGe Kolonien APIA (SAMOA) ◆8 during which the asterisks were removed, the canceller was returned to Apia for use as a reserve canceller.
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