A is for Aden and Z is for Zanzabar


A is for Aden and Z is for Zanzibar... Now what is between? For the world wide classical era philatelist and stamp collector, a country specific philatelic survey is offered by the blog author, Jim Jackson, with two albums: Big Blue, aka Scott International Part 1 (checklists available), and Deep Blue, aka William Steiner's Stamp Album Web PDF pages. In addition, "Bud" offers commentary and a look at his completely filled Big Blue. Interested? So into the Blues...

Friday, December 12, 2025

Southern Rhodesia - Bud's Big Blue

1924-34 Southern Rhodesia in Bud's Big Blue
Bud's Big Blue
Bud's Observations

(From Jim: Bud is well, but has a lot of non philatelic obligations and responsibilities at the moment. With his permission, I will upload  country pages in his complete '69 Big Blue that so far has not been shown. He might add his observations later. Enjoy!)

Jim's Observations

Before 1923, the territory was administered by the British South Africa Company. By way of history, BSAC, which governed and administered the lands by Royal Charter from 1889-1923, named the territory north of the Zambezi  "Northern Rhodesia", and the lands south of the Zambezi "Southern Rhodesia". Both territories were called by the white settlers, "Rhodesia", after Cecil Rhodes, the founder of BSAC.

In 1923, the BSAC no longer administered the territories, and Southern Rhodesia (1924-1964), at the request of the inhabitants,  became a self governing crown colony. (To confuse things, it was known as "Rhodesia", -although not recognized as such internationally- from 1965-1979.)  With independence in 1980, it became Zimbabwe

More precisely, a 1922 referendum showed 59% of voters favoring "responsible government" rather than joining the Union of South Africa.

The capital was Salisbury (name changed to Harare after independence), and the population was 38,000 whites (4%) and 922,000 blacks (96%) in 1927.

Stamps were issued under "Southern Rhodesia" between 1924-1953. (One definitive set was issued in 1964 also.)

The 2014 Scott Classic Specialized 1840-1940 catalogue has, for Southern Rhodesia 1924-1951, 78 major descriptive numbers. Of those, 40 are CV <$1-$1+, or 52%.

Big Blue '69, on 1 2/3 page, has 51 spaces for 1924-1940 Southern Rhodesia. The pages are located between Somali Coast and South Africa, with Southern Nigeria sharing 1/3 page.

Subtracting the post 1940 issues in the 1840-1940 catalogue (17 stamps), the coverage in Big Blue is 84%- very good.

Five stamps are CV $10+-$20+

For more on the politics and the stamps themselves, click on the link below.


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Monday, December 8, 2025

Southern Nigeria - Bud's Big Blue

1901-13 Southern Nigeria in Bud's Big Blue
Bud's Big Blue
Bud's Observations

(From Jim: Bud is well, but has a lot of non philatelic obligations and responsibilities at the moment. With his permission, I will upload  country pages in his complete '69 Big Blue that so far has not been shown. He might add his observations later. Enjoy!)

Jim's Observations

The British protectorate of Southern Nigeria was formed on January 1, 1900 along coastal Nigeria and the Niger River by combining the Niger Coast Protectorate with territories held below Lokaja on the Niger River by the Royal Niger Company.

"Southern Nigeria" stamps depicting Queen Victoria were issued in 1901.

The British chartered Royal Niger Company had held the lands along the lower Niger beginning in 1879. This prevented the Germans under Bismarck from entering and controlling the lower Niger in the 1890s.

In 1906, Lagos colony was added, and the status was upgraded to Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria.

The capital was then Lagos, and the population was 7,800,000 in 1911.

In 1914, Southern Nigeria and the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria were combined to form the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria.

So ended the stamp issues of Southern Nigeria.

The 2014 Scott Classic Specialized 1840-1940 catalogue has, for Southern Nigeria 1901-1912, 56 major descriptive numbers. Of those, 25 are CV <$1-$1+, or 45%. The higher denomination stamps are expensive, but the lower denominations have a reasonable CV for the WW classical collector.

Big Blue '69, on two lines of one page, has 14 spaces for the stamps of Southern Nigeria. Coverage is 25%.

The country coverage is located between Somali Coast and on the same page as Southern Rhodesia.

There are no required stamps crossing the CV $10 level.

Coverage could have been a little more generous, as I count eight stamps @ CV <$1-$1+ that could have been added- and, that does not include the stamps where only one stamp among several inexpensive (different watermarked) choices can be put into a space.

The "1902-07" spaces can take either wmk 2 or wmk 3 "Edward VII" stamps.

For more on the stamps themselves, click on the link below.


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Thursday, December 4, 2025

South Australia - Bud's Big Blue

1855-72 South Australia in Bud's Big Blue
Bud's Big Blue
Bud's Observations

(From Jim: Bud is well, but has a lot of non philatelic obligations and responsibilities at the moment. With his permission, I will upload  country pages in his complete '69 Big Blue that so far has not been shown. He might add his observations later. Enjoy!)

Jim's Observations

The colony was proclaimed on December 28, 1836, intended for free immigrants, rather than a convict settlement. Much of the colony was arid or semi-arid, and the capital, (Port) Adelaide, was where most people settled, and to a lesser extent, along the south-eastern coast and the Murray River..

Stamps were printed in 1855 by London's Perkins Bacon, and, from the same plates in 1856, locally, by Printer of Stamps, Adelaide.

Responsible Government was initiated in 1857.

South Australia, along with six other British colonies, united in 1901 to form the Commonwealth of Australia.

Stamps for South Australia continued to be used and produced until 1912, as a common stamp for the new Commonwealth of Australia (The "Roo") was not issued until 1913. In fact, the "colony" stamps of Australia were valid on postage until 1966!

The 2014 Scott Classic Specialized 1840-1940 catalogue has, for South Australia 1855-1912, 243 major number descriptions. Of those, 20 or 8% are CV <$1-$1+. Raising the bar to CV $10 yields 86 total. or 35%. Clearly, South Australia stamps are on the expensive side. 

In addition, many of the catalogue issues are determined by various perforations/rouletting or watermarks- so careful attention to those details are required.

Big Blue '69, on one page, has 32 spaces for the 1855-1912 stamps of South Australia. No official stamps are included.

Coverage is 13%. The coverage rate is low in BB, but, admittedly, Big Blue '69, on one page, has 32 spaces for the 1855-1912 stamps of South Australia. No official stamps are included.

Coverage is a low 13%. Admittedly, the CV prices for South Australia is high.

The '69 edition BB page is located between Somalia (Italian Somaliland) and Somali Coast (Djibouti).

Several spaces can be filled by seven choices and nine choices!

There are five spaces with CV $10+ required: one of them is CV $45- the 1870 Scott 29 1p grayish green. 

For more on the stamps themselves, as well as the checklist, click on the link below.


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