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first issues > countries > spanish sahara, rio de oro and la agüera

Spanish Sahara,

Rio de Oro and La Agüera

Dec 1905 - Jun 1920 - 1924

Spanish Colonies 8, 8a, 8b

RioD1
LaAg1
SpaSah1
Rio de Oro
La Agüera
Spanish Sahara
  Dec 1905 Sc1 SG1 Jun 1920 Sc1 SG1 1925 Sc1 SG1  

Description   Scott SG Mi Y&T  
Rio de Oro perf 14, no wmk, typo
1 centimo blue green   1 1      
2c claret   2 2      
3c bronze green   3 3      
4c dark brown   4 4      
5c orange red   5 5      
10c dark grey-brown   6 6      
15c red-brown   7 7      
25c dark blue   8 8      
50c dark green   9 9      
75c dark violet   10 10      
1 peseta orange-brown   11 11      
2p buff   12 12      
3p dull violet   13 13      
4p blue green   14 14      
5p dull blue   15 15      
10p pale red   16 16      
10p pale blown   - 16a      
La Agüera Rio de Oro overprints, perf 13, no wmk, typo
1c blue green   1 1      
2c olive brown   2 2      
5c deep green   3 3      
10c light red   4 4      
15c yellow   5 5      
20c lilac   6 6      
25c deep blue   7 7      
30c dark brown   8 8      
40c pink   9 9      
50c bright blue   10 10      
1p red brown   11 11      
4p dark violet   12 12      
10p orange   13 13      
Spanish Sahara perf 13, no wmk, typo
5c blue green   1 1      
10c grey green   2 2      
15c turquoise blue   3 3      
20c dark violet   4 4      
25 red   5 5      
30c red brown   6 6      
40c dark blue   7 7      
50c orange   8 8      
60c violet   9 9      
1p rose   10 10      
4p chocolate   11 11      
10p claret   12 12      

Gibbons [1] lists Rio de Oro and La Agüera under Spanish Sahara while Scott [2] lists the three entities separately.

Portuguese explorers found the bay on the north west coast of Africa in C15th and named it Rio de Oro, River of Gold, because the inhabitants traded in (imported) gold dust. In January 1885, Spain claimed the area as a protectorate, after which there were repeated boundary disputes with France, ultimately resolved by a series of agreements in early C20th. Stamps of Spain were used from 1901 until the 1905 first issue.

Nearby La Agüera was occupied by Spanish troops with the intention of establishing a military air base. It was incorporated into Rio de Oro in 1924 and the name changed to Spanish Sahara.

See also Cape Juby.

In 1958 it became an Overseas Province of Spain and in 1975 it was offered independence, precipitating a dispute between Morocco, Mauritania and local factions. This was finally settled in August 1979 when the whole area became a province of Morocco.

Sources: ScS [2], SGP9 [1].

Images from David Olson, colnect.

FI ref: 389, 509, 542 Page credit: NB

Page created 15 Dec 2016 Page updated 19-Jun-2017