 Samoa

The first stamps were issued in Samoa by a newspaper company, the Samoa Times. The Samoa Times was set up by G.L. Griffiths, who had previously set up the Fiji Times. The local agent in Samoa was W.E. Agar, who set up a postal service for which stamps were issued from 1877. The stamps were inscribed ‘Samoa Express’ and are hence commonly known as the Samoa Express issues. The initiative could not be made profitable and the service ended in 1881. The Samoa Express issues have been widely reprinted and forged – many more reprints and forgeries exist than genuine items. [source: StampWorldHistory]