Gabon’s stamp history goes back to 1862 when France oversaw the western African area and used its own colonial stamps overprinted with GAB. Ever since these early Gabon stamps, the postal history of the land has gone through many changes and left a multitude of philatelic collectibles in its wake. Collecting the stamps of Gabon from its many eras is an exploration into the fascinating and twisted history of African colonization.
Gabon became more officially connected to France when it became part of the French Congo in 1889. This entity had been in operation since 1880 and would eventually include the Republic of the Congo (then called Middle Congo) and the Central African Republic (then called Ubangi-Shari-Chad). French Congolese stamps were used in Gabon for the next five years, and are beloved by many Gabonese stamp collectors. Also concentrating on these stamps are collectors of French colonial issues.
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The First True Gabon Stamps of 1904
In 1904 Gabon was awarded partial autonomy and started using its very own stamps. These, again, are the focus of many Gabon stamp buyers since they represent the first postage stamps produced purely for Gabon. This period of Gabon postal history proved to be short-lived however. Beginning in 1910, and stretching for several decades, Gabon was to be administered by France as part of French Equatorial Africa, which was made up of the same areas as French Congo had been.
French Equatorial Africa Stamps in Gabon
During Gabon’s time in French Equatorial Africa (1910-1958) there were two main periods of stamp issuance.
- 1910 to 1936: Gabon-specific stamps were issued. These stamps were inscribed CONGO FRANÇAIS GABON for a brief time in 1910, and AFRIQUE EQUATORIALE GABON afterward. Get stamps with both inscriptions for a complete set.
- 1936 to 1958: Gabon (in concert with the other countries) used French West Africa stamps. (Technically, from 1946 to 1958, Gabon was an Overseas Territory of France.)
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Gabon Stamps After 1959 Independence
Like many French colonies in Africa, in 1959 Gabon briefly became an autonomous state within the French Community, and then for a short time joined its former French Equatorial Africa partners in the Union of Central African Republics. This lasted only a year though; in 1960 the Gabonese Republic declared its independence.
Collecting Gabon Stamps Today
Collecting Gabonese stamps today generally includes pieces from the time of Gabon’s lengthy French colonization, and of course GABON-inscribed stamps of the modern independent republic. Stamps from all eras of Gabon’s complicated philatelic history are fairly easy to find, and choosing items for your collection depends on what it is about Gabon that draws you to it.
There are many ways to go about collecting Gabon stamps due to their rich and volatile postal history. Pick a method that suits your collection and have fun browsing the many online sales listings!
