Ubangi-Shari - Bud's Big Blue

1915-22 Ubangi-Shari  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

Ubangi-Shari (Oubangui-Chari) was a central African French territory and colony from 1903-1958, when it became the Central African Republic.

The French had established the Bangi (Bangui) outpost along the Ubangi river in 1889, and the territory was named after the rivers Ubangi and Chari.

Administratively, the territory was attached and detached to other French entities during it's existence. 

Ubangi-Shari was established on December 29, 1903 from the heretofore named French Congo (Gabon-Congo) territory, after the French victory over the Egyptian Abbas II. The French Congo was renamed the Middle Congo (Moyen Congo), also in 1903.

On February 11, 1906, the Lake Chad area was added, and the territory was known as Ubangi-Shari-Chad. Ubangi-Shari-Chad was a dependency, and attached to the Middle Congo. Middle Congo stamps were used there.

On January 15, 1910, the territories of Ubangi-Shari, Middle Congo, and Gabon were administratively merged as the French Equatorial Africa Federation. This was a federation that existed from 1910-1934, similar to the French West Africa colonies federation.

The first issue for Ubangi-Shari proper was released in 1915, and consisted of Middle Congo stamps that were overprinted "Oubangui-Chari-Chad".

Beginning on April 12, 1916, Ubangi-Shari was separately administered.

The Lake Chad portion of the territory was removed from Ubangi-Shari in 1920, and the stamps, beginning in 1922, now were overprinted "Oubangui-Chari".

But, portending things to come, the stamp issues were additionally overprinted "Afrique Equatoriale Francaise", beginning in 1924.

Stamp production for Ubangi-Shari continued through 1933.

From 1934-1958, the territory was merged into the French Equatorial Africa colony.

Ubangi-Shari stamps were replaced by those of French Equatorial Africa in 1936.

During WW II, Vichy France controlled the territory from June-August, 1940, when it was captured by the Free French Forces.

In 1946, Ubangi-Shari becomes an overseas territory.

In 1958, self government was achieved, and, on August 13, 1960, full independence as the Central African Republic.

The 2014 Scott Classic Specialized 1840-1940 catalogue has, for Ubangi-Shari 1915-1931, 109 major stamp descriptions. Of those, 43 are CV <$1-$1+, or 39%. Many of the rest of the stamps are CV only a few dollars more. Clearly, Ubangi-Chari, ( And the classical French colonial stamps in general) are reasonably affordable for the WW collector. (British colonial stamps, while a % are affordable, tend to be more expensive.)

Many of the stamps for Ubangi-Shari are overprinted "types" of the French "Middle Congo" issues. They are "types", because Ubangi-Shari's stamps are in different color combinations compared to the original "Middle Congo" issues. That certainly makes the Ubangi-Shari issues more attractive, and one doesn't have to worry that there could be a fake overprint on a Middle Congo stamp if the Ubangi-Shari stamp is more valuable CV wise.

Big Blue '69 has three pages and 79 spaces for the stamps of "Ubangi". The coverage is located between "Turkey in Asia" and Ukrainia. Coverage is a robust 72%.

The 40s editions have the spaces arranged differently, and there are 77 spaces total.

There is only one "expensive" (CV $10+) stamp required for the spaces.

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

Ubangi-Shari  Blog Post & BB Checklist

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Supplements

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