Postage Stamps of Italian Colonies

by Tony Clayton

Eritrea

Tripolitania <<-- : -->> Aegean Islands

Main Index

First Issue of Umberto I

In mint condition these four stamps are amongst the scarcest stamps of Eritrea.

Eritrea 1893 issue, 5c and 10c Sassone 3 and 4

Eritrea 1893 issue, 20c and 25c Sassone 5 and 6

African Views

A set of four values was issued between 1910 and 1914. In mint state the 15c is very scarce with the initial Perf 13¼. One reason that it is such short supply is that this denomination was overprinted with alternative values.

This denomination shows the Governor's Palace in Massaua.

15c Perf 13¼ Issued from 16th Oct 1910 Sassone 36.	15c Perf 11 Issued from April 1929 Sassone 131.
5c on 15c overprinted in Asmara Issued from December 1916 Sassone 45.	20c on 15c overprinted in Turin Issued from June 1916 Sassone 46.

Red Cross Issue

The Red Cross issue of 1916 used the Italian stamps overprinted ERITREA in small capitals. Position 48 on the sheet had the tail of the first R missing.

20c + 5c orange, EPITREA error Sassone 44f issued in June 1916

Victor Emmanuel III Definitive Series

The initial set was issued in 1903 overprinted Colonia Eritrea. However, over the next few years both existing and new values were overprinted in a variety of styles including Eritrea and ERITREA, the latter in both small and large capitals.

75c and 2 Lire overprinted Colonia Eritrea Left: Sassone 125 issued in 1928. Right: Sassone 95 issued July 1925

75c and 2 Lire 50c overprinted ERITREA in large capitals Left: Sassone 113 issued in July 1926. Right: Sassone 115 issued July 1926 The latter comes in myrtle-green and light orange, only issued in Rome, and grey and orange (shown) issued in the Colony. Both are equal in value

Overprinted Stamps of Somalia

In 1922 seven stamps of Somalia were overprinted ERITREA in black. Two years later a second series was overprinted ERITREA in blue or red. The original somali currency was also overprinted in Italian currency in black for both sets.

First issue 2c on 1b, with a variety where the bars, normally at the top, appear at the bottom in error. Sassone 54 and 54c.

Express

Starting in 1907 Express stamps of Italy were overprinted Colonia Eritrea for use in the Colony. From 1924 a new design first issued three years earlier for Libya was introduced.

30c Express stamp for overseas mail Issued 30 July 1909 Sassone 2

60c Express stamp for internal mail Perf 13½, issued June 1924 Sassone 4a

2 Lire Express stamp for external mail Perf 14, issued June 1924 Sassone 5

Servizio Commissioni

For all the colonies Servizio Commissioni stamps are hard to find, especially used, and even more so the top 90c value.

Servizio Commissioni 90c violet, used Issued in January 1916 Sassone 3.

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Stamps of Italian Colonies - Eritrea / Copyright reserved by the author, Tony Clayton
v2 18th February 2010