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first issues > countries > british somaliland, somaliland protectorate

British Somaliland,

Somaliland Protectorate

1st June 1903

↓

British Colony 59

SomProt1
BrSom21
  Sc1 SG1 Sc21 SG25 xxx

perf 14, star wmk

Description   Scott SG Mi Y&T  
Overprinted stamps of India (Queen Victoria), overprint at the top
½ anna light green   1 1      
other values 1a to 5 rand   2-13 2-13      
Stamps of India (Victoria and Edward VII), overprint at the bottom
½a to 5 rand   14-26 18-30      

Indian stamps were used at two post offices (identifiable by cancellation) from 1887 until 1903, when control was passed from India to the British Foreign Office and Indian overprints were introduced. Dedicated stamps inscribed "SOMALILAND PROTECTORATE", printed by De la Rue were released in 1904. Gibbons [1] notes that in WW2, Italian troops invaded from Italian Somaliland and stamps of Aden were used in Berbera during 1941-42. Thereafter British and South African troops recaptured British and Italian Somaliland. In 1960, The British Somaliland Protectorate was granted independence and joined with Italian Somaliland to form Somalia.