Chad

1922  1c red & violet

Quick History
Chad is in central Africa, with Sudan to the east, Cameroon to the southwest, Libya to the north, and Niger to the west. The Capital was Fort Lamy (now N'djamena), and the population was 460,000 in 1936. Chad became a French Colony in 1920, after being a dependency of Ubangi-Shari. Stamps from Chad were issued from 1922-33. In 1934, French Equatorial Africa with the Capital Brazzaville consisted of Chad, as well as Gabon, Middle Congo, and Ubangi-Shari. Chad obtained Independence in 1960.

Chad geography: Because of the distance to any seacoast, and the largely desert climate, Chad is sometimes known as the "Dead Heart of Africa".

Big Blue Picture
Big Blue '97, on three pages, has 59 regular and postage due stamp spaces for the years 1922-33. The 2011 Scott Classic Specialized catalogue has 85 major stamp descriptions. Coverage by Big Blue is 69%.

Below, I list 13 additional stamps that could be added by the Big Blue collector; all "tall" in orientation; and therein lies a story.

I had to scramble to find enough "horizontal" stamps to fill all the spaces provided by Big Blue! The trouble arrives with "Four blank horizontal spaces" under the 1927-33 dates. All I could find to put in was a "wrong for dates" 1922 issue Scott 15, and a Scott 25. I had already used  the other horizontally oriented stamps in preceding selections. What to do? Well, there is the 1931 Colonial Exposition Issue ( Scott 60-63), horizontal format, that is not in Big Blue. So in it will go!  ;-)

Additionals...

1922 overprinted "TCHAD" on Middle Congo 1907-17 stamps

10,11,12,13,14,($2+)

1924 stamps of 1922 Chad overprinted "AFRIQUE EQUATORIALE FRANCAISE" in various colors

39,43,44,48,($1+-$2+)

1925 surcharge

51,54,55,56,(<$1-$1+)

Postage Due

1928

J9,($2+)

1925 10c red orange & black with additional overprint: "AFRIQUE EQUATORIALE FRANCAISE"

Big Blue Checklist
1922 overprinted "TCHAD" on Middle Congo 1907-17 stamps
1,2,3,4, (<$1-$1+)
8,5,6,7,9,($5+-$1+)

1924 stamps of 1922 Chad overprinted "AFRIQUE EQUATORIALE FRANCAISE" in various colors
19,20,21,22, (<$1)
24,27,28,(<$1)
Blank space: suggest 23(<$1)
29,30,33,34,35,(<$1)
Blank space: suggest 36($1+)

1925 surcharge
52,53,($1+)

(1925)
26,31,37,40,(<$1)

1927-33
32,38,41,($1+-$2+)
42,45($10+),46,($5+ except noted)
47 1.75fr  olive brown & violet ($40) !
Four horizontal blank spaces: ?? suggest 15($2+), or 25(<$1); or 1931 Colonial Exposition Issue 60,61,62,63,($5+). See discussion Big Blue Picture.

Postage Due
1928
J1,J2,J3,J4,j5,J6,J7,J8,(<$1-$2+)

1930
J12,J13,J14,(<$1-$2+)
J15($10+)
J16,J17,J18,J19,(<$1-$2+)
J20,J21,($2+-$5+)
J22 3fr deep red & brown ($35 mint)!

1930 J12 5c deep blue & olive "Huts"

Kinds of Blue
The '97,'69, '47 and '41 are identical in content.

Big Blue Bottom Line
Fairly inexpensive, and then two expensive stamps; the 1927-33 Scott 47 1.75fr  olive brown & violet ($40), and the 1930 postage due  J22 3fr deep red & brown ($35 mint). The smaller stamp issuing entities in Big Blue seem to have these surprisingly expensive 1930's era stamps.

The 1933 issue Scott 40 is a higher denomination stamp, and the most expensive of the thirty-two stamps in the issue. Big Blue did not choose to put in Scott 39,43,44,48 of the series: all much cheaper at $1+-$2+.

Then Big Blue, uncharacteristically complete, ends the eleven stamp 1930 postage due series with the J22 ($35  mint, $50 used).

Finally, under "additionals", we are left with 13 vertical (tall) stamps that one could add,. Meanwhile, one is scrambling to find horizontally oriented stamps to fill the spaces.  :-)

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