Postage stamps and postal history of Ethiopia
Encyclopedia
This is a survey of the postage stamp
s and postal history
of Ethiopia
.
Long an independent state in Africa, messages were originally carried by couriers called méléktegnas, who held the letters attached to a stick.
As part of the 1867-8 invasion that culminated in the Battle of Magdala
, the British established a field post office
at Massawa
(then a port of Ethiopia) in November 1867, using stamps of British India. The territory of Harar
was taken by Egypt
in 1875, and in the following year a post office was established; letters from there used Egyptian stamps canceled with a maltese cross
.
, an adviser to Menelik II of Ethiopia. Having Menelik of the desirability of a post, in 1893 Ilg had Frenchman Leon Chefneux contract with engraver Louis-Eugène Mouchon to design a set of seven stamps, four depicting Menelik, and three with the heraldic lion. These were printed by the Atelier du Timbre in Paris, along with four values of postcard
s, and shipped to Ethiopia in December 1893.
Imperial edict established the Ethiopian postal system on 9 March 1894, and Ilg was put in charge of the details. Initially the tasks of cancelling and forwarding letters were entrusted to the Catholic mission at Harar. After a delay occasioned by the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, Ilg hired several Swiss postal officials and they began organizing a system of postal bags carried by the railway that was being constructed at the same time. The Harrar mission continued to process all mail until 1904, when a post office opened at the newly-established town of Dire Dawa
.
Prior to the admission of Ethiopia to the UPU
, in 1908, international mail had to be franked with stamps of UPU members. France operated post offices at Addis Ababa
, Harar
, and Dire Dawa
, using stamps of Obock
or the French Somali Coast, and mail is known with a triple franking of Ethiopia, British Somaliland
(via the town of Zeila
), and Aden
.
In the meantime, it was discovered that Ethiopian stamps sold by an agent in France at a discount, for publicity purposes, were being shipped to Ethiopia and used on mail. As a prevention, beginning in 1901, stamps were locally overprint
ed in different ways each year, and were only valid for postage with the overprint.
s.
The coronation of Zewditu I of Ethiopia and regency of Prince Tafari
was marked in 1917 by overprints on the 1909 stamps. In 1919, a new definitive series of 15 stamps included portraits of Zewditu and Tafari, along with various native animals, and inscribed "ETHIOPIE".
In 1928, a set of 10 stamps depicting Tafari and Zewditu was issued and soon after overprinted, first to mark the opening of the General Post Office
in Addis Ababa, and a month later for the coronation of Tafari, the latter overprint including the phrase "NEGOUS TEFERI" in Latin letters. Overprints in 1930 commemorated first the proclamation and then coronation of Tafari as "Haile Selassie", followed by a series of 7 stamps depicting the coronation monument and various symbols of empire.
Italy issued seven colonial stamps inscribed "ETIOPIA" starting in May 1936, then put the postal system under Italian East Africa
until the territory was liberated in 1941.
Subsequent issues typically, though not always, included a portrait oval of Haile Selassie in the design.
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s and postal history
Postal history
Postal history is the study of postal systems and how they operate and, or, the study of postage stamps and covers and associated material illustrating historical episodes of postal systems...
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
.
Long an independent state in Africa, messages were originally carried by couriers called méléktegnas, who held the letters attached to a stick.
As part of the 1867-8 invasion that culminated in the Battle of Magdala
Battle of Magdala
The Battle of Magdala was fought in April 1868 between British and Abyssinian forces at Magdala, from the Red Sea coast, which at that time was the capital city of Abyssinia...
, the British established a field post office
Field post office
A Field Post Office is a post office set up during time of war or when a military unit is on manoeuvres. It is set up 'in the field', hence the name, however, FPOs may be on land or at sea. Their use pre-dates the introduction of postage stamps....
at Massawa
Massawa
Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋዕ , formerly ባጽዕ is a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. An important port for many centuries, it was ruled by a succession of polities, including the Axumite Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate,...
(then a port of Ethiopia) in November 1867, using stamps of British India. The territory of Harar
Harar
Harar is an eastern city in Ethiopia, and the capital of the modern Harari ethno-political division of Ethiopia...
was taken by Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in 1875, and in the following year a post office was established; letters from there used Egyptian stamps canceled with a maltese cross
Maltese cross
The Maltese cross, also known as the Amalfi cross, is identified as the symbol of an order of Christian warriors known as the Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta and through them came to be identified with the Mediterranean island of Malta and is one of the National symbols of Malta...
.
Establishment of a postal system
Ethiopia's own postal system owes its existence to Swiss engineer Alfred IlgAlfred Ilg
Alfred Ilg was a Swiss engineer and a confident to Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II. He was born in Frauenfeld, Switzerland.- Life :...
, an adviser to Menelik II of Ethiopia. Having Menelik of the desirability of a post, in 1893 Ilg had Frenchman Leon Chefneux contract with engraver Louis-Eugène Mouchon to design a set of seven stamps, four depicting Menelik, and three with the heraldic lion. These were printed by the Atelier du Timbre in Paris, along with four values of postcard
Postcard
A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope....
s, and shipped to Ethiopia in December 1893.
Imperial edict established the Ethiopian postal system on 9 March 1894, and Ilg was put in charge of the details. Initially the tasks of cancelling and forwarding letters were entrusted to the Catholic mission at Harar. After a delay occasioned by the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, Ilg hired several Swiss postal officials and they began organizing a system of postal bags carried by the railway that was being constructed at the same time. The Harrar mission continued to process all mail until 1904, when a post office opened at the newly-established town of Dire Dawa
Dire Dawa
Dire Dawa is one of two chartered cities in Ethiopia . This chartered city is divided administratively into two woredas, the city proper and the non-urban woreda of Gurgura....
.
Prior to the admission of Ethiopia to the UPU
Universal Postal Union
The Universal Postal Union is an international organization that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration , the Postal Operations Council and the...
, in 1908, international mail had to be franked with stamps of UPU members. France operated post offices at Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, Harar
Harar
Harar is an eastern city in Ethiopia, and the capital of the modern Harari ethno-political division of Ethiopia...
, and Dire Dawa
Dire Dawa
Dire Dawa is one of two chartered cities in Ethiopia . This chartered city is divided administratively into two woredas, the city proper and the non-urban woreda of Gurgura....
, using stamps of Obock
Obock
Obock is a small port town in Djibouti. It is located on the northern shore of the Gulf of Tadjoura, where it opens out into the Gulf of Aden. The population in 2003 was about 8,300 inhabitants....
or the French Somali Coast, and mail is known with a triple franking of Ethiopia, British Somaliland
British Somaliland
British Somaliland was a British protectorate in the northern part of present-day Somalia. For much of its existence, British Somaliland was bordered by French Somaliland, Ethiopia, and Italian Somaliland. From 1940 to 1941, it was occupied by the Italians and was part of Italian East Africa...
(via the town of Zeila
Zeila
Zeila, also known as Zaila , is a port city on the Gulf of Aden coast, situated in the northwestern Awdal region of Somalia.Located near the Djibouti border, the town sits on a sandy spit surrounded by the sea. It is known for its offshore islands, coral reef and mangroves. Landward, the terrain is...
), and Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
.
In the meantime, it was discovered that Ethiopian stamps sold by an agent in France at a discount, for publicity purposes, were being shipped to Ethiopia and used on mail. As a prevention, beginning in 1901, stamps were locally overprint
Overprint
An overprint is an additional layer of text or graphics added to the face of a postage stamp or banknote after it has been printed. Post offices most often use overprints for internal administrative purposes such as accounting but they are also employed in public mail...
ed in different ways each year, and were only valid for postage with the overprint.
UPU member
A new issue of seven stamps in 1909 marked UPU admission, and in addition to Amharic, included Latin inscriptions "POSTES ETHIOPIENNES" and the value in guercheGuerche
The Guercha is a short mountain river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. Its source is in the Maritime Alps, close to the Italian border. It flows into the Tinée in Isola.-References:*http://www.geoportail.fr*...
s.
The coronation of Zewditu I of Ethiopia and regency of Prince Tafari
Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
Haile Selassie I , born Tafari Makonnen, was Ethiopia's regent from 1916 to 1930 and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974...
was marked in 1917 by overprints on the 1909 stamps. In 1919, a new definitive series of 15 stamps included portraits of Zewditu and Tafari, along with various native animals, and inscribed "ETHIOPIE".
In 1928, a set of 10 stamps depicting Tafari and Zewditu was issued and soon after overprinted, first to mark the opening of the General Post Office
General Post Office
General Post Office is the name of the British postal system from 1660 until 1969.General Post Office may also refer to:* General Post Office, Perth* General Post Office, Sydney* General Post Office, Melbourne* General Post Office, Brisbane...
in Addis Ababa, and a month later for the coronation of Tafari, the latter overprint including the phrase "NEGOUS TEFERI" in Latin letters. Overprints in 1930 commemorated first the proclamation and then coronation of Tafari as "Haile Selassie", followed by a series of 7 stamps depicting the coronation monument and various symbols of empire.
Italian occupation
In 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia, annexing it the following year.Italy issued seven colonial stamps inscribed "ETIOPIA" starting in May 1936, then put the postal system under Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
until the territory was liberated in 1941.
Post-liberation
The first stamps after liberation were a series of three depicting Haile Selassie, with the denomination printed in lower case, and reissued as a set of 8 three months later, with the denomination in all capitals.Subsequent issues typically, though not always, included a portrait oval of Haile Selassie in the design.
See also
- Ethiopian Postal ServiceEthiopian Postal ServiceEthiopian Postal Service is the company responsible for postal service in Ethiopia.- External links :...
- List of fish on stamps of Ethiopia
- List of people on stamps of Ethiopia
Sources
- Ader, Ivan. Handbook of the Postage Stamps of the Empire of Ethiopia and Her Postal System. Stockholm: David Broberg, 1961.
- Rossiter, StuartStuart RossiterPercival "Stuart" Bryce Rossiter was a renowned British philatelist and postal historian who wrote extensively about British postal history and postage stamps of British colonies in Africa and was actively involved in numerous philatelic institutions...
& John Flower. The Stamp Atlas. London: Macdonald, 1986. ISBN 0356108627 - Scott catalogueScott catalogueThe Scott catalogue of postage stamps, published by Scott Publishing Co, a subsidiary of Amos Press, is updated annually and lists all the stamps of the entire world which its editors recognize as issued for postal purposes. It is published in six large volumes and is also produced in...