Nigeria

incl. Northern and Southern Nigeria

and Biafra

1st June 1914

↓ - Biafra

British colonies

54, a-b

Africa

30, 30a


Northern Nigeria March 1900	Southern Nigeria March 1901	Nigeria 1st June 1914
#1	#1	#1	xxx

Description	Date †	Paper ‡	Scott	SG §
1900 Northern Nigeria perf 14, wmk crown and CA, typo, printed by De La Rue
½ penny lilac and green			1	1
1d lilac and rose			2	2
2d lilac and yellow			3	3
2½d lilac and blue			4	4
5d lilac and brown			5	5
6d lilac and violet			6	6
1 shilling green and black			7	7
2/6 green and blue			8	8
10/- green and brown			9	9
1901 Southern Nigeria perf 14, wmk crown and CA, typo, printed by De La Rue
½ penny yellow-green and black			1	1
½d yellow-green and sepia	1902		1a	1a
1d carmine-rose and black			2	2
1d carmine-rose and sepia	1902		2a	2a
2d orange-brown and black			3	3
4d olive-green and black			4	4
6d red-violet and black			5	5
1 shilling black and grey-green			6	6
2/6 brown and black			7	7
5/- yellow and black			8	8
10/- violet and black, yellow			9	9
1914-29 Nigeria perf 14, wmk multiple crown and CA, typo, printed by De La Rue
½ penny green		ord	1	1
1d carmine-red		ord	2	2
1d scarlet	1916	ord	2b	2a
2d grey		ord	3	3
2d slate grey	1918	ord		3a
2½d ultra		ord	4	4
2½d dull blue	1915	ord		4
3d violet, yellow		cha	5	5
4d black and red, yellow		cha	6	6
6d dull violet and red-violet		cha	7	7
1 shilling black, green	1915	cha	8	8a
1/- black, emerald		cha	8a	8
1/- black, blue-green, olive back	1920	cha	8b	8f
1/- black, emerald, olive back	1921	cha	8c	8e
2/6 black and red, blue		cha	9	9
5/- green and red, yellow		cha	10	10
10/- green and red, green		cha	11	11
10/- green and red, emerald	1915	cha	11a	11a
10/- green and red, blue-green, olive back	1917	cha	11b	11b
10/- green and red, emerald, olive back	1920	cha	11c	11c
£1 violet and black, red		cha	12	12
3d violet, yellow		sur	13
4d black and red, yellow		sur	14
1/- black, green		sur	15
1/- black, emerald		sur	15a
5/- green and red, yellow		sur	16
10/- green and red, green		sur	17

Sets of these stamps are shown on a separate page.

† Date of issue, where not that of the #1.
‡ Paper: ord= ordinary, cha=chalky, sur=surface-coloured
§ Gibbons lists many more shades and variants that Scott [2]. They are not all shown on the table. The matching of Sc/SG8 and Sc/SG11 variants is approximate.


Federation 1st October 1960	Republic 1st September 1963
Sc97 SG85	Sc147 SG135

The Nigerias are preceded by Lagos, Niger Coast and Oil Rivers Protectorates and Niger Company Territories.

On 1st January 1900 the territory administered by the Niger Company was split to form the protectorate of Northern Nigeria and the Colony and protectorate of Southern Nigeria, the latter also incorporating part of the Niger Territories. They were united on 1st January 1914 to form Nigeria, also including British Cameroons.

The Federation of Nigeria was formed in 1960. It became a republic in 1963.

1968 SG1

Biafra

Mackay [3] writes, "In 1967 the eastern region seceded from the federation under the name of Biafra and distictive stamps were issued in 1968-9 before the area was overrun by federal forces. The stamps celebrating the first anniversary of independence depicted atrocities allegedly commited by the Nigerian army".

Scott does not list Biafran stamps (2008 catalogue).

First anniversary of independence

1968 SG17-21