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It is [almost] always useful and interesting to create alternative ways to slice through data. This page lists first issues by geographical and geo-political characteristics and builds navigation routes through the detail pages.

In February 2016 a project began to write detail pages for the catalog entries and to cross-reference them by category. This was completed in August 2017.

The Scott Classic catalog lists the historical colonies and dependencies of those countries which did that sort of thing and the old Gibbons specialised catalogues were organised geographically. Those lists have provided the basis for this page which covers continents and countries and the subsidiary pages that list states, colonies, provinces, offices abroad and the like.

Country Categories: Africa since independence - Asia - Caribbean - Central and North America - Europe - Middle East - Oceania - Plebiscites - South America

Colonies, States, Occupation, Offices etc.: Argentina - Austria - Belgium - China - Colombia - Denmark - Ecuador - Finland - France - Germany - Great Britain - Greece - Hungary - India - Italy - Japan - Lithuania - Malaya - Netherlands - Nicaragua - Peru - Poland - Portugal - Romania - Russia - Serbia - Spain - Switzerland - Turkey - US Entities - UN - Venezuela - World Firsts



Europe (Gibbons Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11)
Country ID Gibbons Pt. First Issue Sequence # Notes
Aland Islands 733 11 1st March 1984 54  
Albania 443 3 June 1913 32  
Andorra (French) 562 6 16th June 1931 49  
Andorra (Spanish) 558 9 28th March 1928 47  
Armenia 484, 758 10 1919 39, 39a  
Austria 16 2 1st June 1850 6 see Austrian states etc
Austria-Hungary 138 2 1st June 1867 6a  
Azerbaijan 497, 753 10 30th October 1919 43, 43a  
Belarus 752 10 20th March 1992 59  
Belgium 10 4 1st July 1849 3
see colonies
Bosnia & Herzegovina 201, 760, 763, 765 2, 3 1st July 1879 26, a-c  
Bulgaria 198 3 1st May 1879 25  
Crete 336, 345, 354, 403 3 1st March 1900 29 a-c  
Croatia 589, 746, 762 3 21st November 1991 52  
Czech Republic 761 5 20th January 1993 35a  
Czechoslovakia 471 5 October 1918 35  
Denmark 25 11 1st April 1851 7 see colonies
Eastern Rumelia,
South Bulgaria
203, 228 3 1880,
1st July 1885
27, 27a  
Epirus 445, 446 3 10th February 1914 33, 33a  
Estonia 477, 745 10 22nd November 1918 36, 36a  
Faroe Islands 486, 712 11 January 1919 41  
Finland 59 11 3rd March 1856 13  
France 9 6 1st January 1849 2 see colonies
Georgia 492, 746 10 26th May 1919 42, 42a  
Germany 169, 618 628 7 1st January 1872 21, a-b  
Great Britain 1, 652, 653, 653a, 700, 701, 702, 732, 772 1 6th May 1840 1, a-h see Regionals, Commonwealth and Empire
Greece 102 3 1st October 1861 17 see colonies and states
Greenland 582, 572 11 1st November 1938 50, 50a incl. Thule
Hungary 167, 478, 493, 498, 522 2 1st May 1871 20, 20a  
Iceland 171 11 1st January 1873 22  
Ireland 526 1 17th February 1922 45  
Italy 106, 596 8 24th February 1862 18 see states, colonies etc.
Kazakhstan 751 10 17th March 1992 58  
Kosovo 775   7th March 2008 64  
Kyrgyzstan 748 10 4th February 1992 57  
- Kyrgyz Express Post 781 - 18th November 2014 57a  
Latvia 482, 742 10 18th December 1918 37, 37a  
Liechtenstein 420 8 1st February 1912 29  
Lithuania 483, 515, 741 10 27th December 1918 38, 38a, 38b  
Luxembourg 44 4 15th September 1852 9  
Macedonia 759 3 8th September 1992 63  
Moldavia (Romania) 73, 107 10 15th July 1858 15, 15a  
Moldova 743, 749, 766 10 23rd June 1991 55, a-b  
Montenegro 174, 774a 3 1874 23, 23a  
Monaco 231 6 1st July 1885 28  
Mongolia 547 10 October 1924 46  
Montenegro 174, 774a 3 1st May 1874 23  
Netherlands 34 4 1st January 1852 8  
Norway 52 11 1st January 1855 11  
Poland 88, 476 5 1st January 1860 16  
Portugal 46 9 1st July 1853 10  
Romania 121 749 3 1st July 1865 15b  
Russia 69, 747 10 1st January 1858 14 see also South Russia
San Marino 189 8 1st August 1877 24  
Serbia 131, 774 3 1st July 1866 19 incl. changes of admin
Siberia 485 10 1919 40  
Slovakia 584, 761a 5 1939 51, 51a  
Slovenia 744 3 26th June 1991 56  
Spain 13 9 1st January 1850 4 see Spanish colonies etc.
Sweden 56 11 1st July 1855 12  
Switzerland 15 8 7th April 1850 5 see Swiss Cantons
Tajikistan 757 10 20th May 1992 62  
Thrace 439 3 1913 31  
Trieste 610, 612 3 1st October 1947 53, 53a  
Turkmenistan 754 10 26th April 1992 60  
Ukraine 470, 481, 494, 750 10 18th July 1918 34, 34a  
Uzbekistan 756 10 7th May 1992 61  
Vatican City 560 8 1st August 1929 48  
Yugoslavia 520, 755 3 16th January 1921 44  

top - Africa - Asia - Central and North America - Europe - Middle East - Oceania - South America - bottom

Africa since independence (Gibbons Parts 12, 13 and 14)
Country ID Previously First Issue Sequence # Notes
Algeria
[545]
French colony
4th July 1962
28
 
Angola
[160]
Portuguese colony
11th November 1975
42
 
Benin
[281, 341]
Dahomey (Fr col)
1st March 1960
22
 
Biafra
695
Nigeria
1968
30a
 
Bophuthatswana
719
part of S. Africa
6th December 1977
46
 
Botswana
690
Bechuanaland
30th September 1966
35
 
Burkina Faso
[517], 737
Upper Volta
21st November 1984
50
 
Burundi
[541], 667
Ruanda-Urundi (Bel col)
1st July 1962
26
 
Cameroun
[327, 453, 458, 518, 546 663]
Ger / Fr / GB colony
1st January 1960
20
 
Cape Verde Is.
[187]
Portuguese colony
19th December 1975
43
 
Central African Republic
[455,] 657
Ubangi-Shari (Fr col)
1st December 1959
17
 
Chad
[529]
French colony
28th November 1959
14
 
Ciskei
728
part of South Africa
4th December 1981
49
 
Comoros
[634]
various Fr colonies
21st July 1975
41
 
Congo
[269, 397], 658
Middle Congo (Fr col)
28th November 1959
15
 
Congo Democratic Republic
660
Belgian Congo, Zaire
1997
24
 
Djibouti
[275, 299, 692], 718
French colony
27th June 1977
45
 
Equatorial Guinea
696
various Sp colonies
12th October 1968
37b
 
Eritrea
[289], 762a
Italian colony
22nd April 1993
52
 
Ethiopia
312
-
29th January 1895
2
 
Gabon
[245]
French colony
28th November 1959
16
 
Ghana
[180], 647
British colony
6th March 1957
8
 
Guinea
[283,] 655
French colony
5th January 1959
11
 
Guinea-Bissau
[206,] 711
Portuguese colony
10th September 1974
38
 
Ivory Coast
[286]
French colony
1st October 1959
12
 
Kenya
[264, 530, 573], 676
British East Africa
12th December 1963
31
 
Lesotho
[570], 691
Basutoland
4th October 1966
36
 
Liberia
87
-
1860
1
 
Libya
[419]
Italian colony
24th December 1951
4
 
Malagasy Republic
[259, 260, 262 304, 319,] 665
French colony
10th December 1958
10, 10a
 
Malawi
[402], 681
Nyasaland Protectorate
6th July 1964
32
 
Mali
656
French Sudan
7th November 1959
13
 
Mauritania
[391]
French West Africa
20th January 1960
21
 
Morocco
[444, 448,] 651
-
20th April 1958
9
 
Mozambique
[185]
Portuguese colony
25th June 1975
39
 
Namibia
[325, 532,] 740
German colony, South West Africa
21st March 1990
51
 
Niger Republic
[523]
French Sudan
18th December 1959
19
 
Nigeria
[447]
British colony
1st September 1963
30
 
Rwanda
[541], 668
Ruanda-Urundi
1st July 1962
27
 
St Thomas & Prince
[152]
Portuguese province
12th July 1975
40
 
Senegal
[249]
French colony
19th November 1960
25
 
Somalia
[382, 386, 552,] 661
Italian / GB colony
25th June 1960
23
 
South Africa
[413]
various GB colonies
4th November 1910
3
 
Sudan
[326]
-
15th September 1956
7
 
Swaziland
[261]
-
6th September 1968
37a
 
Tanzania
[295, 525,] 682
German East Africa
7th July 1964
33a
 
Togo
[329, 449, 450]
Ger / Fr / GB colony
2nd May 1955
5
 
Transkei
717
South Africa
26th October 1976
44
 
Tunisia
[254]
French protectorate
15th October 1955
6
 
Uganda
[313, 385, 519, 530, 573]
British colony
9th October 1962
29
 
Upper Volta
[517], 737
French colony
10th December 1959
18
 
Venda
722
South Africa
13th September 1979
47
 
Zaire
[238, 660], 704
Belgian Congo
30th June 1960
24b
 
Zambia
[551], 684
Northern Rhodesia
24th October 1964
34
 
Zimbabwe
[544], 723
Southern Rhodesia
1980
48
 

This is the date of the first issue in Gibbons' Africa since Independence and so not necessarily the first issue of that entity in another guise.

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Central and North America
Central America (Gibbons Part 15)
Country ID Gibbons Pt. First Issue Sequence # Notes
Belize
707, 735
-
1st June 1973
11
Formerly British Honduras.
Costa Rica
114
15↓
March 1863
3
 
Cuba, Republic
338, 339, 370
 
30th September 1902
10
First listed as a Spanish colony.
Dominican Republic
123
 
19th August 1865
4
 
El Salvador
135
 
17th January 1867
6
 
Guatemala
165
 
1st March 1871
7
 
Haiti
209
 
1st July 1881
9
 
Honduras
127
 
1st December 1865
5
 
Mexico
62
 
1st August 1856
1
 
Nicaragua
109
 
2nd December 1862
2
 
Panama
195
 
September 1878
8
 
North America (Gibbons Part 22)
United States
7
22
1st July 1847
1
see US Possessions etc.
Canada
26
1 April 23, 1851 2 see Dominion and Provinces

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South America (Gibbons Pt. 20)
Country ID First Issue Sequence # Notes
Argentina 72, 105 1st May 1858 5, 5a see Provincial issues
Bolivia 140 1867 9  
Brazil 4 1st August 1843 1  
Chile 45 1st July 1853 2  
Colombia 84, 95, 104, 237 31st August 1859 7, a-c see Colombian States
Ecuador 120 1st January 1865 8  
Guyana 688 26th May 1966 12 previously a British colony
Paraguay 161 9th August 1870 10  
Peru 68 1st December 1857 4 see Peru locals
[Scadta]  
Surinam 714a 25th November 1975 13 previously a Dutch colony
Tierra Del Fuego - January 1891 11  
Uruguay 64, 82 1st October 1856 3, 3a  
Venezuela 78 1st January 1859 6  

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Asia (Gibbons Parts 16, 17, 18 and 21)
Country ID Gibbons Pt. First Issue Sequence # Notes
Afghanistan 164, 267 16 1871 3, 3a  
Bangladesh 703   29th July 1971 19  
Bhutan 666 21 April 1962 17  
Cambodia 637-8 21 3rd November 1951 15  
China 194, 627 17 August 1878 5, 5a  
East Timor 773   20th May 2002 23  
Hong Kong - 17 1997 22  
India 633 21 26th January 1950 13 previously GB colony
Indonesia 623, 632 21 15th December 1948 11, 11a previously Netherland Indies
Iran 143 16 1868 2  
Japan 166 18 20th April 1871 4  
Korean Empire 223 18 18th November 1884 8  
South Korea 606 18 1st February 1946 8a  
North Korea 607 18 12th March 1946 8b  
Laos 639 21 13th November 1951 16  
Malaysia 675   16th September 1963 18  
Myanmar 739a 21 1990 21 previously Burma
Nepal 208 21 May 1881 6  
Pakistan 609 21 1st October 1947 10  
Riau-Lingga Archipelago 641 21 1st January 1954 11c  
Sri Lanka 705   22nd May 1972 20 previously Ceylon
Taiwan 630 17 1st January 1950 12 Republic of China
Thailand 215 21 4th August 1883 7  
Tibet 423 17 December 1912 9  
Turkey 113, 501, 538 16 13th January 1863 1, a-b  
Vietnam 635, 643 21 16th August 1951 14, 14a previously Indo-China
West Irian (Irian Barat) 671   1st May 1963 11d  

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Middle East (Gibbons Part 19)
Country ID First Issue Sequence # Notes
Abu Dhabi 677 30th March 1964 19  
Aden [577] 1st April 1937 [11] GB Col
- Kathiri s/o Seiyun 594 1st July 1942 11a  
- Qu'aiti s/i Hadhramaut 591 July 1942 11b  
Ajman 678 20th June 1964 20  
- Manama 689 5th July 1966 20a  
Bahrain 569 10th August 1933 10  
Cyprus [205] 16th August 1960 15 GB Col
- Turkish Cyprus 710 27th July 1974 15a  
Dubai 673 15th June 1963 17  
Egypt 129 1st January 1866 1  
Fujeira 683 22nd September 1964 22  
Gaza - 1st June 1948 3a  
Iran - - - see Asia
Iraq (Mesopotamia) 465, 535 1st June 1923 7  
Israel 614 16th May 1948 13  
Jordan 516 1st November 1920 5  
Kuwait 534 1st April 1923 6  
Lebanon 543 1st January 1924 8  
Libya - - - see Africa
Muscat 601, 602 20th November 1944 12, 12a  
Oman 687, 699 29th April 1966 24  
Palestine 468 10th February 1918 3  
Palestinian Authority 766a September 1994 3b  
Qatar 649 1st April 1957 14  
Ras al Khaima 685 21st December 1964 23  
Saudi Arabia 462, 550, 554, 571 20th August 1916 2, a-c  
Sharjah and Dependencies 674 10th July 1963 18  
South Arabia - 25th November 1963 11c  
Sudan - - - see Africa
Syria 499 21st November 1919 4  
Trucial States 664 7th January 1961 16  
Turkey - - - see Asia
Umm al Qiwain 679 29th June 1964 21  
United Arab Emirates (UAR) 706 August 1972 25  
United Arab Republic - February 1958 - see Egypt and Syria
Yemen 553 1926 9  

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Category
Country ID Gibbons Pt. First Issue Sequence # Notes
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           

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Category
Country ID Gibbons Pt. First Issue Sequence # Notes
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           

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Misc:
Pt2: UN Vienna
Pt8: UN Geneva

Sources.


Page created 25 Dec 2015 Page updated 05-Sep-2022