Postage stamps and postal history of British Central Africa
Encyclopedia
British Central Africa
The British Central Africa Protectorate existed in the area of present-day Malawi between 1893 and 1907.-History:The Shire Highlands south of Lake Nyasa and the lands west of the lake had been of interest to the British since they were first explored by David Livingstone in the 1850s, and...
existed in the area of present-day Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
between 1891 and 1907.
First stamps
The first postage stampPostage 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 of the protectorate were issued in April 1891, produced by 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...
ing the Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
n stamps of the British South Africa Company
British South Africa Company
The British South Africa Company was established by Cecil Rhodes through the amalgamation of the Central Search Association and the Exploring Company Ltd., receiving a royal charter in 1889...
with B.C.A.. A number of new post offices opened during the year, including Blantyre, Zomba, Chiromo
Chiromo
- Transport :It is served by a station on the national railway system.There is a major river bridge at this location, which suffered a severe washaway in the late 1990s....
, Port Herald, Fort Mlange, Fort Johnston
Fort Johnston
Fort Johnston, also known as Fort Geary, is a Civil War era earthen fort atop a peak of Catoctin Mountain just west of Leesburg, Virginia. Constructed in the winter of 1861-62 following the Battle of Balls Bluff, it is one of three forts constructed to defend the town from the threat of possible...
at the southern end of the lake, and Karonga
Karonga
Karonga is a township in the Karonga District in Northern Region of Malawi. Located on the western shore of Lake Nyasa, it was established as a slaving centre sometime before 1877. As of 2008 estimates, Karonga has a population of 42,555.-History:...
at the northern end of the lake.
Surcharges
SurchargeOverprint
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...
d BSAC stamps were necessary in 1892, 1893, and 1895. 1895 also saw the introduction of stamps printed for the protectorate, featuring the protectorate's coat of arms and inscribed BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA. The 1895 issue was printed by De La Rue
De La Rue
De La Rue plc is a British security printing, papermaking and cash handling systems company headquartered in Basingstoke, Hampshire. It also has a factory on the Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead, and other facilities at Loughton, Essex and Bathford, Somerset...
on unwatermarked paper, but from February 1896 on the paper had either the Crown over CC or Crown over CA watermark
Watermark
A watermark is a recognizable image or pattern in paper that appears as various shades of lightness/darkness when viewed by transmitted light , caused by thickness or density variations in the paper...
s.
In August 1897 a new design was introduced, still using the coat of arms, but with a clear instead of a lined background.
In 1898 the supply of one-penny stamps ran out. Initially the 3-shilling postage stamp was surcharged, but on 11 March the government began to use embossed revenue stamp
Revenue stamp
A revenue stamp, tax stamp or fiscal stamp is a adhesive label used to collect taxes or fees on documents, tobacco, alcoholic drinks, drugs and medicines, playing cards, hunting licenses, firearm registration, and many other things...
s overprinted with INTERNAL / POSTAGE.
Twentieth century
In 1901, the 1d, 4d, and 6d values of the 1897 stamps were printed in different colours. In 1903 a new series of stamps was issued, featuring the profile of King Edward VIIEdward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
and inscribed BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA / PROTECTORATE, with denominations from one penny to ten pounds.
Subsequent stamps were issued by the Nyasaland Protectorate.
Postal stationery
The first items of postal stationeryPostal stationery
A piece of postal stationery is a stationery item, such as a stamped envelope, letter sheet, postal card, lettercard, aerogram or wrapper, with an imprinted stamp or inscription indicating that a specific rate of postage or related service has been prepaid...
, for the British Central Africa Protectorate, were registration envelopes in 1892. Between 1892 and 1895 a total of 14 different registration envelopes have been identified as having been produced by overprinting British South Africa Company registration envelopes with BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA ADMINISTRATION. During 1895 and 1896 three registration envelopes were designed and printed for the protectorate.
In 1893 two different postcards were issued using British South Africa Company postcards overprinted BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA in an ornamental frame. New postcards designed for the protectorate were issued in 1896 (3 postcards), 1898 (2 postcards) and 1904 (2 postcards).
One newspaper wrapper was made available for use in 1899.
When the protectorate's name was changed to Nyasaland Protectorate all items of postal stationery continued to be valid.
Further reading
- Melville, Fred.Fred MelvilleFrederick John Melville was a British philatelist, prolific philatelic author and founder of The Junior Philatelic Society. He was also a founder in 1907 of the Philatelic Literature Society...
British Central Africa and Nyasaland Protectorate. London, W.H. Peckitt, 1909.