Postage stamps and postal history of the Niger Territories
Encyclopedia
This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history
of the Niger Territories, an area between the Forcados
and Brasse Rivers, once administered by the Royal Niger Company
but now part of modern Nigeria
.
Postal history
Postal history is the study of postal systems and how they operate and, or, the study of postage stamps and covers and associated material illustrating historical episodes of postal systems...
of the Niger Territories, an area between the Forcados
Forcados River
The Forcados River is a channel in the Niger Delta, in southern Nigeria. It flows for approximately 198 km and meets the sea at the Bight of Benin in Delta State. It is an important channel for small ships...
and Brasse Rivers, once administered by the Royal Niger Company
Royal Niger Company
The Royal Niger Company was a mercantile company chartered by the British government in the nineteenth century. It formed the basis of the modern state of Nigeria....
but now part of modern Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
.
First stamps
The first stamps used in the Niger Territories were British stamps from 1890. The Niger Territories never issued stamps, they only used British stamps which can be identified by their distinctive postmarks. The postmarks were inscribed "THE NIGER TERRITORIES POST OFFICE" or "THE ROYAL NIGER COMPANY CHARTERED & LIMITED", and with the name of the post office underneath. The post offices were:- Abutshi (4 October to 31 December 1899)
- Akassa (1888 to December 1899)
- Asaba (inscr. Agent Gereral Niger Territories) (1894 to 4 August 1895)
- Buruntu (20 January 1897 to 20 May 1899)
- Lokoja (30 June to 31 December 1899)
Transfer
From 1 January 1900, the territories were transferred to the control of the British government.See also
- Postage stamps and postal history of NigeriaPostage stamps and postal history of NigeriaThis is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of Nigeria.-First stamps:The first stamps for the modern state of Nigeria were issued on 1 June 1914 following the amalgamation of all of the British colonies in the area...
- Postage stamps and postal history of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate
Further reading
- Nicholson, M.P. The Stamps & Postal History of the Niger Territories and the Niger Coast Protectorate. Philip Cockrill, 1981.
- Proud, Ted.Ted ProudEdward Wilfrid Baxby Proud is a pioneering British postal historian and philatelic writer who in 2008 was invited to sign the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists....
The Postal History of Nigeria. Heathfield, Sussex: Proud Bailey, 1995. ISBN 187246517X