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Eritrea: Ethiopian (1952-1991) and Independent (1991-present)



Eritrea was federated with Ethiopia in 1950 under a United Nations resolution, and gained independence in 1991 after a long struggle.


Chapter overview
  • Asmara Municipal (Ethiopian)
  • Eritrea Inland Revenue (Ethiopian)
  • Stamp paper (Ethiopian)
  • Eritrea revenue (Independent)


Acknowledgments

Grateful thanks to Graham Scott for providing several scans used in this chapter.


Currency
(1950) 1 Ethiopian dollar ($ Et, Eth D, Eth $ or E$) = 100 cents
(1976) 1 Ethiopian birr (b) = 100 santim or cents
(1997) 1 nakfa = 100 cents

Asmara Municipal (Ethiopian)

1952 (according to Barefoot).  Large-format revenue key types of Italian Colonies overprinted Municipio Asmara (=Asmara Municipality) in sans-serif letters, with horizontal bars cancelling original value and new value in Ethiopian dollars.  The portrait shows the king facing left on #A32/a and A40, and facing right on all other stamps.
Picture
A31/a, A32/a, A33
a) Four thick cancelling bars, with vertical spacing of 2mm (A31/2) or 1mm (A33) between Municipio and Asmara

   A31. E$0.20 on 5l grey-black
     a. Additional manuscript cancelling bar at top
   A32. E$0.50 on 80c greenish grey (king facing left)
     a. Additional manuscript cancelling bar at top
   A33. E$0.50 on 5l grey-black
Picture
A36/37
b) Nine thin cancelling bars, with overprint placed at top of stamp to cover original inscription and 3 mm vertically between Municipio and Asmara
​
   A36. E$0.50 on 3l bistre
   A37. E$1.00 on 3l bistre
Picture
A38/41 including A39a
c) Four thin cancelling bars through COLONIE ITALIANE and four thick bars through value, vertical spacing of 2mm (A38, A40) or 1mm (others) between Municipio and Asmara

   A38. E$0.20 on 5l grey-black
   A39. E$0.50 on 5c mauve
     a. Cancelling bars doubled
   A40. E$0.50 on 80c greenish grey (king facing left)
   A41. E$1.00 on 5l grey-black


​Note: both A31 and A39a are known with watermark sideways-inverted.
Picture
A51/53
1959-64 (recorded usage).  Municipal building, inscribed MUNICIPIO DI ASMARA SEGNATASSE.

   A51. E$0.20 mauve
   A52. E$0.50 scarlet
   A53. E$1 bright blue

Note: Although these stamps are inscribed Segnatasse, which usually means Postage Due, they were used on revenue documents and no examples are known on postal covers.
Recorded usage: April 1959 - February 1960 (A52), September 1964 (A53).
Picture
A61
1964 (recorded usage).  Pleading hands.  Inscribed Asmara Municipality / Poverty Appeal (?) in Amharic.

   A61. E$1 blue, yellow, black and brown

This stamp is known used in combination with A53 on a September 1964 document.  Judging by the inscription it may be a charity label.

Eritrea Inland Revenue (Ethiopian)
Picture
#80/a and #81/92
1952 (according to Barefoot).  Key types of Eritrea (British Occupation) with values in cents or shillings, surcharged in Ethiopian dollars, with bars cancelling original value.  17½ x 29½ mm (E$0.02 to E$0.30) or 21½ x 37½mm (E$0.35 and above).  Perf 14.  No wmk (E$7.00) or wmk multiple OTA (others), sideways on larger type, normally reading upwards as seen from the back of the stamp.

​
a) Surcharged in red with four or twelve bars cancelling original value
   80. E$0.02 on 5c deep orange (four cancelling bars)
     a. Twelve cancelling bars

b) Surcharged in black with twelve bars cancelling original value
   81. E$0.02 on 5c deep orange
   82. E$0.04 on 10c olive
   83. E$0.07 on 20c bright rose
   84. E$0.14 on 40c violet
   85. E$0.18 on 50c on 2c blue-green

     a. Wide spacing between third and fourth cancelling bars
   86. E$0.30 on 85c mauve
   87. E$0.35 on 1s mauve
   88. E$0.44 on 1s25c pale blue
   89. E$0.70 on 2s bright rose
   90. E$1.40 on 4s ultramarine

   91. E$7.00 on 20s pale bluish grey
   92. E$35.00 on 100s purple-brown

Picture
#101-109
c1953 (according to Barefoot).  As previous issue but value expressed in 'Eth D'.  Perf 14.  Wmk multiple OTA, sideways on larger type, normally reading upwards as seen from the back of the stamp.

   101. E$0.02 deep orange
   102. E$0.04 olive
   103. E$0.07 bright rose
   104. E$0.14 violet
   105. E$0.30 mauve
   106. E$0.35 mauve
   107. E$0.44 pale blue
   108. E$0.70 bright rose
   109. E$1.40 ultramarine


Picture
#111-119
1955 (according to Barefoot).  As previous issue but value shown trilingually in Amharic, English and Arabic.  Perf 14.  Wmk multiple OTA, sideways on larger type, normally reading upwards as seen from the back of the stamp.

   111. E$0.02 deep orange
   112. E$0.04 olive
   113. E$0.07 bright rose
   114. E$0.14 violet
   115. E$0.30 mauve
   116. E$0.35 mauve
   117. E$0.44 pale blue
   118. E$0.70 bright rose
   119. E$1.40 ultramarine



Picture
#120 and 120a
1955.  Previous issue surcharged trilingually in English, Amharic and Arabic, with twelve bars cancelling original value.

   120. E$0.01 on E$0.02 deep orange
     a. second bar omitted





Picture
#121-132
1960 (earliest recorded usage).  New key type featuring Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.  17½ x 29½ mm (E$0.05 to E$0.70) or 21½ x 38 mm (E$1.00 and above).  Perf 14.  Wmk multiple OTA, sideways on larger type, normally reading upwards as seen from the back of the stamp.


Picture
Earliest usage: E$2 used in 1960
   121. E$0.05 bright rose
   122. E$0.10 deep ultramarine
   123. E$0.15 pale blue
   124. E$0.30 violet
   125. E$0.45 brown
   126. E$0.70 mauve
   127. E$1.00 bright rose
   128. E$2.00 violet
   129. E$5.00 ultramarine
   130. E$10.00 mauve
   131. E$20.00 olive-brown
   132. E$35.00 pale blue


Stamp paper (Ethiopian)
Picture
P1
1962 (earliest recorded usage).  Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia.

   P1. E$0.70 deep violet

The country name Eritrea is not included in the inscription of this design, though the typed heading in this example clearly refers to use in the territory.  The stamp paper itself might conceivably be an issue for Ethiopia which was used in Eritrea.

Eritrea revenue (Independent)
Issues following the liberation of Eritrea by the Eritrean People's Liberation Front.


Picture
#151-152
1991 (according to Barefoot).  Inscribed 'Provisional Government of Eritrea (EPLF)'.  Coat of Arms showing tools.  30 x 26 mm.  Perf 11.  No wmk.  Gum shiny (50c) or matt (5b).

   151. 50c green and blue
   152. 5b pale green and green


Picture
#156-158
1993 (according to Barefoot).  Inscribed 'The State of Eritrea'.  New national Coat of Arms showing camel.  30 x 26 mm.  Perf 11.  No wmk.  Matt gum.

   156. 1b pale yellow and blue
   157. 2b pale pink and blue
   158. 10b pale red-orange and red


 
Picture
#161-162
1997 (according to Barefoot).  Fish.  38 x 27½ mm.  Perf 11 x 10½ or roulette 9.  No wmk.  Matt gum.

   161. 20c multicoloured (perf 11 x 10½)
   162. 20c multicoloured (roulette 9)

The rouletted stamps are usually imperforate on two sides, suggesting that they may come in panes of 4 stamps imperforate all round.

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