Postage stamps from French West Africa
Postage stamps from French West Africa represent an intriguing historical aspect of philately, capturing the colonial legacy of France in West Africa. French West Africa, known as Afrique Occidentale Française (AOF), was a federation of eight French colonial territories: Senegal, Mauritania, Mali (then called French Sudan), Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Burkina Faso (Upper Volta), and Benin (Dahomey). These territories issued stamps under the French colonial administration from the early 20th century until their independence in the 1950s and 1960s.
Key features and themes of French West African stamps include:
- Design Themes: The stamps often showcased local landscapes, wildlife, and aspects of indigenous culture, alongside images reflecting French colonial power, such as maps and national symbols.
- Pictorial Stamps: Introduced in the 1930s, these included colorful designs of iconic African scenes and animals like elephants, lions, and indigenous plants.
- Overprints: Early stamps were frequently overprints of French stamps, marked with the colony’s name.
- Commemorative Issues: Several commemorative stamps were issued for events like exhibitions, colonial fairs, and anniversaries, celebrating the relationship between France and its colonies.
These stamps are popular among collectors because they reflect the transition of African colonies from colonial rule to independent states, as many new issues featured themes of liberation and national identity in the years approaching independence. After independence, the individual nations started issuing their own stamps, marking the end of the “French West Africa” issues.