Postage stamps and postal history of Italian East Africa

A 1938 stamp of Italian Eastern Africa

Postage stamps and postal history of Italian East Africa are related to the stamps and their history issued by the Kingdom of Italy between 1936 and 1941 for use in Italian East Africa, called in Italian Africa Orientale Italiana (A.O.I.). A.O.I. was made of Italian Eritrea,[1] Ethiopia [2] and Italian Somalia.[3][4]

History

Italy had possessed colonial territories in eastern Africa since the end of the 19th century.

In Italian Somalia, one of the first areas was the Benadir around Mogadiscio, that was later extended and became Somalia italiana with the inclusion in 1926 of the "Oltre Giuba" territory.[5] Some famous stamp issue commemorated this expansion.[6]

In Eritrea, the first official Italian possession in east Africa was created, called Colonia Eritrea. The first stamp series was issued on 1 January, 1893,[7] followed by the first Postal cards with inserted stamps [8] and by the first Post notes.[9]

"Africa Orientale Italiana" was created in 1936 when Italy annexed Ethiopia. Stamps were issued until 1941 when Italian East Africa was conquered by the Allies during World War II.

In 1937 Governor Maurizio Rava created the first system of postal stations in Italian Somalia, that later was fully enlarged to include all of Italian Eritrea and most of Italian Ethiopia when WW2 started.[10]

The most well known series of AOI stamps were those called "Pittoriche" issues in 1938 [11] and 1939/1940.[12] The "Buono Posta Aerea" of April 1941 is the only one showing the former British Somaliland annexed to A.O.I in a map of Italian East Africa.[13]

Italian Ethiopia issues

Italian Ethiopia stamps depicting Victor Emmanuel III as the Emperor

Three stamps featuring the image of Emperor Victor Emmanuel III were issued on 22 May 1936. Later in the year, four additional stamps were issued, also featuring Victor Emmanuel with the scenery of Ethiopia in the background. All of these stamps were inscribed in Italian, Arabic and Amharic, and marked "9 May 1936" to take note of the date Ethiopia was annexed by Italy. These series were replaced by the stamps of Italian East Africa on 7 Feb, 1938.[14]

See also

Bibliography

  • Bianchi, Paolo. Storia dei servizi postali della Somalia Italiana dalle origini al 1941: con catalogo dei francobolli degli annullamenti = The postal history of Italian Somaliland to 1941, with a catalogue of the cancellations. Vignola: Edizioni Vaccari, 1992 ISBN 88-85335-04-7
  • Rossiter, Stuart & John Flower. The Stamp Atlas. London: Macdonald, 1986, p. 275. ISBN 0-356-10862-7
  • Sirotti, Luigi and Nuccio Taroni. Le Occupazioni Britanniche Delle Colonie Italiane 1941-1950: storia postale. Sassone S.R.L. Roma, 2006
  • Stanley Gibbons. Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue Part 8 Italy & Switzerland. 6th edition. London: Stanley Gibbons, 2003 ISBN 0-85259-554-9

References

  1. ↑ Clayton, Tony. "Italian Colonial Stamps - Eritrea". www.italianstamps.co.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  2. ↑ Clayton, Tony. "Italian Stamps - Ethiopia". www.italianstamps.co.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  3. ↑ Clayton, Tony. "Italian Colonial Stamps - Italian Somalia". www.italianstamps.co.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  4. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20180303055304/http://www.stampworldhistory.com:80/country-profiles-2/africa/italian-east-africa/ Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  5. ↑ Clayton, Tony. "Italian Colonial Stamps - Jubaland". www.italianstamps.co.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "ALBUM – Oltre Giuba (Trans-Juba), Italian Colony (1924 – 1925) » Dead Country Stamps and Banknotes". www.dcstamps.com. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  7. ↑ "Dettaglio serie - catalogo completo dei francobolli italiani". www.ibolli.it. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "Dettaglio serie - catalogo completo dei francobolli italiani". www.ibolli.it. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  9. ↑ "Dettaglio serie - catalogo completo dei francobolli italiani". www.ibolli.it. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  10. ↑ "Map of postal service stations in 1937 Somalia". Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  11. ↑ "Dettaglio serie - catalogo completo dei francobolli italiani". www.ibolli.it. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  12. ↑ "Dettaglio serie - catalogo completo dei francobolli italiani". www.ibolli.it. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  13. ↑ "Dettaglio serie - catalogo completo dei francobolli italiani". www.ibolli.it. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  14. ↑ Album of Michael Adkins ()
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