The overprint issues used throughout the German colonies were replaced in 1900/1901 with a standardized design, featuring Kaiser Wilhelm II’s yacht, the Hohenzollern II.

The 1901 Yacht Issues can be distinguished from the 1916 / 1919 Yacht Issues by the addition of a lozenge-shaped watermark to the 1916 issues.

Additionally, in 1923, the Reichspostministerium (German Postal Ministry) conducted a sale of old German postage to help fund German reparations payments to the Allies. Complete or partial sets were sold in envelopes marked with the contents and price on the front, and the seal of the Reichspostministerium Markenverwertungsstelle, the office of the German Postal Ministry responsible for stamp sales, on the rear.

The larger format Yacht Issues of the German Colonies have slight differences in color, perforation, or frame/center types. For a detailed description of the frame/center types, see the guide to Colonial Frame & Center Types.