Sandafayre Stamp Auctions | Stamp Atlas

Tanzania

FIRST STAMPS ISSUED inscribed TANZANIA 9 December 1965 (not valid in Zanzibar until 1968).

CURRENCY
1965, 100 cents = 1 shilling.

Tanganyika federated with Zanzibar in April 1964. It was known as Tanzania after 17 November 1964.

German East Africa (Deutsch Ost Afrika)

FIRST STAMPS USED German 1890.
FIRST STAMPS ISSUED 1 July 1893.

German influence suddenly appeared with Carl Peters in 1884 and in a few months a virtual protectorate had been imposed on the south half of the Zanzibar mainland dominions. In 1890 a boundary was confirmed between British- and German-held territory (which remains today the border between Kenya and Tanzania).

The Arabs caravan route from the coast to Ujiji via Tabora was used by early explorers to return mail to Zanzibar (see Uganda) from at least 1858 (Burton), Livingstone's last letters to Stanley from Ujiji came by this route. By 1876 the Church and London Missionary Societies had regular runners serving Mambola, Mpwapwa and Urambo, making postal connection at Zanzibar. The earliest German expeditions (Wissman,etc.) used similar means.

PAs at Bagamoyo and Dar-es-Salaam (opened 4 October 1890) used stamps of Germany.

Last German PO (Mahenge) closed by force majeure 20 October 1917.

World War I: German occupation of Taveta (British East Africa).
Stamps of German East Africa used 1 October 1914-31 July 1915. This was strictly an FPO use, but (exceptionally) was given a named canceller for propaganda purposes.

Stamps of Germany salvaged from the crippled cruiser Konigsberg (see Mafia Island below) were used in 1916 (when normal supplies were interrupted by British blockade) at Bagamoyo, Bukoba, Dodoma, Kilwa, Korogwe, Mohoro, Mombo, Pangani and possibly elsewhere.

Special Stamps during Allied Occupation.
Stamps of India overprinted I.E.F. were used at FPOs from 1914 throughout the command (1914-16, mainly at bases along the Uganda Railway) 1916-18, at bases and on lines of communication in occupied territory); these can be identified (but not always located) by the numbers of the cancellers.

Mafia Island

FIRST STAMPS ISSUED January 1915.

An island off the coast of German East Africa taken by British forces in December 1914 as a base for attacks on the Konigsberg.

Stamp stocks captured from Tschole PO were overprinted. Most of these (and many later imitations) fell into collectors' hands, but commercial mail is known franked with the later I.E.F. stamps further overprinted GR/POST/MAFIA.

Use ceased when the G.E.A. overprints became available for general use in the conquered territory.

Stamps of Nyasaland overprinted N.F. were used (also a few without overprint) by the Nyasa-Rhodesian Field Force operating in the southwest from 1916. A small remnant was used up after the war at civil offices. Stamps of Portuguese Nyassa cancelled by Nyasaland F.F. obliterator were used by that force at Mtangula.

Tanganyika (1917 - 35)

CURRENCY
1893, 64 pesa = 100 heller = 1 rupee.
1905, 100 heller = 1 rupee.
1915/16, 16 annas = 1 rupee.
1917, 100 cents = 1 rupee.
1922, 100 cents 1 shilling.

FIRST STAMPS ISSUED October 1917.

By 1917 a large enough part of German East Africa was securely in British hands for the application of civil administration. Control was exercised from Wilhelmstal until the capital was returned to Dar-es-Salaam in 1920. Shorn of Ruanda-Urundi and Kionga, the territory, mandated to Britain was renamed Tanganyika in 1920.

A few reopened POs (Tanga, Mwanza are known) used stamps of East Africa and Uganda protectorates in 1917.

Used postage-due stamps of Kenya and Uganda from 1 July 1933.

Tanganyika (1961-5)

FIRST STAMPS ISSUED 9 October 1962.
FIRST STAMPS independent Tanganyika 9 December 1961.

CURRENCY
1961, 100 cents = 1 shilling.

Independent within Commonwealth 9 December 1961.

East Africa 1914-18
Click map for larger view