Tanganyika was once a part of the colony of German East Africa, however, it came under British military rule and was transferred to Britain under the 1919 Treaty of Versailles
Between 1890 and 1893 stamps of Germany were used in the colony when issues for German East Africa were provided
The first postage stamps of Tanganyika were stamps of the East Africa and Uganda Protectorates overprinted "G.E.A." (German East Africa), used in 1921 and 1922. These are superficially identical to the last occupation issues of German East Africa, but the presence of the "Crown and Script CA" watermark shows they were issued after the civil administration took over from the military, and are thus properly considered the first issues of Tanganyika
In 1922, the government issued a series inscribed "TANGANYIKA", featuring the head of a giraffe. This was followed up in 1927 by a more conventional design with a profile of King George V and inscribed "MANDATED TERRITORY OF TANGANYIKA".
Between 1935 and 1961, stamps of the combined postal administration (East African Posts and Telecommunications Administration) known as "Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika" were in use. Shortly after independence in 1961, the state issued stamps inscribed "TANGANYIKA", and then a last issue in 1962, four stamps inscribed "JAMHURI YA TANGANYIKA" commemorating the republic |
