The Nauru set of stamps showing the Freighter "Century" were initially printed from 1924 until about 1936 using a paper and ink combination that produced a very flat impression (as seen in the example above). Then they were printed from 1937 until about 1948 on paper that exhibits a shiny, glossy appearance. So it is pretty easy to identify the two printings once you have a few samples to compare.

There are a few color shades, and a perforation change from 11 to 14 in the 1/2d glossy issue. So if you can't tell them apart, look for the perf 14 1/2d value. It will be on the glossy paper.

The pages are from my collection, and are identified by the Commonwealth, Gibbons, and Scott numbers in that order. The page images were scanned in a larger size and at a higher resolution so you can more easily see the details used in viewing them. Feel free to select the page and let it download to your screen and save it to your hard drive for viewing. If you are using a PC, selecting the page will typically open it in Microsoft Photo Viewer (or whatever you are using as your default). From there you can enlarge the size for more close-up viewing. If you are using a phone - go find a PC or a Mac. The images are 1200 pixels wide and you will go mad trying to view them on your phone.

Please be patient if it takes a few minutes for each page to load.

This article was written to help you identify your stamps.
Please feel free to ask a question, or suggest a correction.