2018-07-06 Fri

Ethiopia, an independent state in Africa, is well known for the beginning of Human Civilization. Similarly, it is known for the only African state which was never colonized by a European power. However, it was still in touch with the developments of the outer world.

Before the official post office was set in 1867, messages were originally carried by couriers called melektegnas, who held the letters attached to a stick. The first stamp issued in Ethiopia was in the year 1894 which was only to use for local mail.

The emperor of Ethiopia awarded a concession to Swiss engineer to develop a railway and postal services in the country who brought a Frenchman to design a set of seven stamps. Four of which depicts the portrait of the Emperor himself. However, most peculiar stamps are those depicting the Heraldic Lion.

Three stamps were issued with different colours and different denominations. The stamps depict the lion holding a scepter n the centre with the value printed in a coat of arms at the bottom and the name of the country in the local script at the top.

The stamps were printed by Atelier de Fabrication des Timbres-Postes in Paris and are considered to be the gems of Philately.

Image Curtsey: https://en.wikipedia.org