Stamps of Dahomey (Benin): S4E5
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
- Let's explore stamps from Dahomey and current day Benin! In this episode, I learn about the Kingdom of Dahomey (and where it is), the Dahomey Amazons that made it into Marvel comics, the Scramble for Africa, and the incredible Village of Ganvie that is also known as the 'Venice of Africa'.
#stampcollecting #dahomey #benin
Follow me on Social Media:
Twitter: / exploringstamps
Instagram: / exploringst. .
Support the Channel:
ko-fi.com/expl...
exploring-stam...
Links:
Kingdom of Dahomey:
www.blackhisto...
www.britannica...
Wiki: en.wikipedia.o...
Video: • The Dahomey Kingdom | ...
Scramble for Africa Wiki: en.wikipedia.o...
More Scramble: www.bbc.co.uk/...
Dahomey Amazons: www.bbc.com/tr...
First & Second Dahomean Wars:
en-academic.co...
blackthen.com/...
Retro Reveal Site:
retroreveal.org/
Vichy France and Petain:
en.wikipedia.o...
Linn's Vichy France stamps:
www.linns.com/...
Smithsonian on Benin Stamps:
postalmuseum.s...
Colnect!
Benin stamps: colnect.com/en...
AOF stamps: colnect.com/en...
Dahomey stamps: colnect.com/en...
Village of Ganvie:
Watch this! • Inside Africa's Larges...
Another video: • GANVIE Village Benin -...
Article: www.thiscitykn...
All French and colonial stamps are printemps in France. In 1880, the Post Office bought the printing equipment from the Banque de France and continued to occupy the premises in rue d'Hauteville. In 1895, these premises became too cramped and the PTT transferred the Stamp workshop to new buildings, 103 boulevard Brune in Paris, and this, until 1970, despite the massive arrival of new printing machines, the rotary (1922), intaglio (1928) and three-color printing (1939). The Post Office was then responsible for the production of all postal fiduciary securities (postage stamps, booklets, postal stationery, etc.) from France, overseas and the French colonies as well as from a few other foreign countries. From the outset, an accountant was responsible for supervising the making of these figurines. You should look at the stamps made by engraving in multiple colors which often come with 5 different colors. The series of works of art are realy fantastic.
They really are fantastic! Thank you for this added info, I will pin the comment for others to see.
I usually watch these Exploring Stamps episodes twice… first for entertainment, and then again with my stamp albums to follow along with.
😊 Thank you Pete!
I was vaguely aware that Dahomey had changed its name but I can never remember which modern nation it had become. Thanks for supplying so much context! From another fan of this era of stamps.
So are you starting a collection of Benin?
Thanks Punk! I could probably make a whole season on stamps that I have NO IDEA where they are actually from....😅. Glad to know you are also a fan of this era of stamps, they simply are beautiful.
@@LawrenceFisher Nah, I have too many collections going already :D
One of your best épisodes to date.
I fully agree with you. Those French colonial and early post colonial stamps of the fourties-fifties-sixties are real works of art. Design, engraving, colors, choice of subject, everything is beautiful.
Thank you also for your history lesson about those African kingdoms that have been trafficking slaves for centuries and lately with Europeans. The story of this stilt houses village is fascinating. Again, top episode.
Thank you.
Woo hoo! A new video of pulling a stamp from the box! And Dahomey is a great choice. Well done once again.
Thanks Jeff, hope you enjoy it 🙏
@@ExploringStamps sure did and I agree, they are gorgeous stamps. I do not have a RUclips chnalle but enjoy your work and others as well. On facebook and Instagram, I do regular posts with hsitorical information under then name Foxridge Philatley if you are interested (or bored).
Merci pour cette merveilleuse redécouverte de mes propres timbres…
I inherited a stamp collection from my father of the French former colonial empire, and I always reckoned that these stamps were absolutely beautiful. You confirmed that. And you confirmed that stamps collecting is one of the most mind-opening and interesting thing to do. Thank you
I totally agree these are some of the most beautiful stamps ever printed anywhere in the world !
They certainly are! 😊 Thanks for watching!
Incredible work, and, as always, so much history, artwork, and philately to enjoy. The episode on Cameroun was what rekindled my interest in stamp collecting, and finding that my father had saved my stamp album he had given me for Christmas in 1973 all these years later. I do appreciate all of the hard work that goes into each episode. Please keep these episodes coming! Thank you to you and your wife.
Thank you William, glad you enjoyed the video. I knew after completing the Cameroun episode, that I really wanted to explore more Africa through philately, Dahomey was no disappointment at all. The history wrote the script for me 😊... Thanks so much for watching.
It’s the history that is the most fun about philately for me.
Totally agree with you on the beauty of those French Colony stamps. Another excellent video, thank you.
Thank you Buzza Wuzza, gotta love French Colony stamps. 😊
Thanks Graham! Always giving us a reason to look a bit closer at the details.
Your explanation of the areas in question and items like AOF and why the stamps
started looking pretty similar before branching out made sense. As a kid and even
now, I enjoy these "packet material" fillers, regardless of the snobs :)
Glad you enjoyed it! Yes I probably got all these stamps through packets at the stamp shop, easily overlooked by the experienced philatelist...but for us explorers, no stamp is put aside 😊👍. Thanks for watching!
I agree with you, those stamps are really beautiful! Not only did they take great care in choosing skilled artists, they also focused on African subject matter with what appears to be respect for history, culture, and human figures. It really makes you think that a lot of contemplation was going on at the AOF postal authority.
Exactly! The subjects/topics are really well thought out, and the artwork is incredible. These stamps along with the other french territories were made in France at the time, they were on top of their game!
Hi Graham, this is truly one of my favourite episodes of Exploring Stamps! The french colonial stamps (honestly, French stamps in general) are so beautiful in terms of the artwork, engraving, and use of colour. You did such a wonderful job explaining the history of the Republic of Benin over time as it "changed hands" through different nations claiming ownership... Something that I've come across with stamps from other African nations but wasn't brave enough to untangle myself (yet!). So bravo. I also found the inspiration for the nation of Wakanda and the story of how they built their community over water (so beautiful) as a safe haven from slavery truly exciting and fascinating. Really great job on this one. Thanks as always for producing and sharing your research with all of us!
Oh wow, thanks so much Lisa! 😊 Glad you enjoyed learning about Dahomey/Benin as much as I did. I probably took too long to produce this because I got absorbed in the research phase, it’s amazing how little I knew going into this. Thanks for watching!
I´m a big fan of French and stamps of French colonies and have from several areas collections. From Dahomy I do not own many stamps, but they have the typical style of the French colonies. And all of them are beautiful and you can find from the French period a lot of stamps easily. I own an old letter (postal stationary) which was sent 1899 from Cotonou to Suhl in Germany. It took 1 month from Dahomy (Benin) to Germany. The interesting is, that the stationary was from Congo Francais (25 Centimes) and the additioanl 7*1 centime stamps were from Congo francaise (1), Guinee francaise (1) and Benin (5). So all stamps were valid everywhere, I suppose.
I liked the Benin amazones a lot, you found relly nice and interesting pictures. Strong women in Africa. This was absolutly new for me. Thank you for the video. It shows me how little I know from some parts in the world.
Agreed, the stamps from the French colonies are typically accessible and incredibly beautiful 😊. Interesting that you have a cover with some mixed postage, I need to keep a look out for that, I wonder if it was common or if you have something unique...very cool!
Thank you so much for watching and supporting the channel, Oliver, it really means a lot 😊.
As always I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. Always learn something new. Many thanks Graham keep your efforts goiing 👍👍👍
Thank you so much 😊. Glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful video as always. Thanks for the West African history lesson and more importantly drawing our attention to some very beautiful stamps! I love stamps that are engraved and colorful; they are definitely works of art.
Thank you Gary! We share a love for beautifully engraved postage stamps 😊... well, I havent met a philatelist that doesnt love them yet, they are incredible works of art. Thanks so much for your support and watching the channel. - Graham
Another wonderful eptisode from my favorite youtubers. Frankly i find all French Colonies Stamps attractive and artistic. Im looking forward to other French Colonies stamps from you soon :DD
Thank you so much! One of my favorite when it comes to French territories/colonies, is the French Antarctic Territory, I LOVE those stamps and should probably start my own collection of them. Thanks for watching 😊
Thanks for another great episode
The only thing I knew about Benin was "It's a country in West Africa"
Ganvie looks amazing!
Thanks Richard! That was EVERYTHING I knew as well prior to pulling the stamp...I feel smarter now 😊
Thanks for watching!!
Used to have some of these stamps since my childhood collecting days, but now put into context....as always very informative! Thanks for posting Graham!
Was religiously waiting for a new Exploring Stamps video since a long time, thank you for the pleasant surprise Graham.
Yay thanks so much! I hope you enjoyed the video 😊
@@ExploringStamps It was amazing!!!!
Having studied the bronze sculptures known as the Benin 🇧🇯 Bronzes (found in many museums and taken as spoils of war by the British after the 1897 BeninExpedition) what I find interesting is that the then Kingdom of Benin was located in what is now Nigeria 🇳🇬. How does a kingdom up sticks and move 🤔😁 You can 'google' the Bronzes to find more about the Bronzes which are amazing artworks. 👍
Wow! Your episodes just keep getting better. Although not my focus, I collect French Colonial and Republic stamps because of their beauty and sophisticated printing and engraving. I never took the time to sort out the politics, so this was a very useful episode for me.
Thanks Chai!! I think I’m going to start putting aside French Colonial stamps, I don’t necessarily want to commit to a collection, but the beauty of the stamps make me feel like I’m missing out, so I’m a bit torn 😅. Thanks so much for watching, glad you enjoyed the video.
This is such a intelligent and fascinating analysis of a really complex and confusing topic!
Thank you Richard, that means a lot 😊🙏
Well this was a pleasant suprise in my notifications
☺️ thanks for watching, Tsuki!
@@ExploringStamps Anytime Graham!
Excellent research and editing, highly interesting topic, thanks for sharing ! I got some Dahomey stamps from the early 60s in my childrens collection, but never started with French colonies as an adult. Keep up your excellent work ! Greets from GER, U.
Thank you 🙏😊. Glad to see that you also have some Dahomey in your collection, keep a look out for any French colony stamps, they usually are very beautiful. Thanks for watching!
Another great episode! I collect Benin/Dahomey since I have some amazing memories of my visit there to see my friend who was living there at the time. Also, French colonial art is amazing. FYI Ganvie is more surreal in real life. I remember paddling past a boat full of nuns & chatting with a very fashion-forward guy who we hired to take us around. What struck me most about my trip there was how much the shadow of the slave trade still quietly affected so much of the area. At Ganvie, for example, some of the people develop walking issues because they have so little space to walk, & it’s because (as you mentioned) people were afraid of water spirits so didn’t kidnap from the water town during the slave trade (the Dahomey king got rich selling ppl). But the town was built, & it became just what was. Until the 1990s there weren’t even markers/museums/anything to acknowledge the slave trade & when I was there the museum/sites were totally empty. I’ve visited other sites of historic horrors & they were packed in the summer. In the half day I was there I saw one other tourist couple at any of the sites of the main slave port of Africa. & the sites were fascinating/painful. The psychological terror inflicted on ordinary folks before the journey was beyond horrific. Perhaps the image that haunts me most from that trip, though, was the small chapel at the manor where the Portuguese traders lived. The pews were really worn from heavy use. Was strange to think the men were praying, thinking they were the good guys, after burying the “weaker” people alive nearby. To watch the long struggle to freedom from then via stamps is cool, but always reminds me of the pain/fight behind the beauty of imperial designs ( France took them over right as the slave trade was ending, & before they had a chance to heal). Sorry to get so long-winded, but Benin was a favorite place I’ve visited & happy to see it highlighted here. Thanks again!
Lauren, thank you so much for sharing your incredible experience. I did not know anything about Ganvie until I pulled this stamp from the box, so it is even more amazing to now know someone in the philatelic community that has explored Ganvie in person! Wow and the images you shared with me on Insta are incredible.... I think that I have just added Ganvie onto my bucket list... Thank you for all your support Lauren 😊🙏
Wow! Keep on making these kinda videos. I agree with you, they do have the best stamps with its craftsmanship put into each. As always, great job!
Thank you Ralph, they certainly are beautiful stamps. Thanks for watching 😊
Another excellent episode. Thank you!
Thank YOU! Glad you enjoyed it 😊
Another home run! Learn something in every episode. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Jack! Glad you enjoyed it 😊
Thank you for the video!!! Amazing, as always!! I have some stamps from Dahomey, and it's always good to know more!!!
I have a whole page in my one stock book filled with Dahomey stamps. Wonderful video again Graham, I learned a lot!
Wonderful!! They are super interesting stamps, now that I took the time to learn about them 😊. Thanks for watching Penny.
Very informative..like a lot..thanks for this presentation
Glad you enjoyed it 😊 thanks for watching!
Once again a great video. I've been collecting stamps for I guess, 45 years and so much that I did not know about them before I started watching these videos. Thanks so much Graham, I am looking forward to the next video. You really inspired me to look at my collection in a different way and appreciate the history behind them.
Thank you Kees, it means SO much to know that these videos have an impact in the stamp collecting community. I am always amazed by how much I learn from each stamp that I pull from the box, it really is amazing. Thanks for all your support and viewership. - Graham 😊
Another great episode.
Thank you, Roger 😊
Awesome episode, all new information to me !
Thanks Marni, glad you enjoyed it 😊
I forgot to mention in my last comment - yes, the Dahomey stamps are indeed very beautiful
Absolutely!! 😊
Verry interesting video as usual, thank’s exploring stamps. I m still waiting for your new videos 😃
keep making these awesome videos.
Will do! Thanks Gianni 😊
Amazing episode! I notice the slogan cancel refers to Africa trying to establish itself as a tourist destination post-WW2 (especially where for the new independent nations trying to establish themselves outside of the colonial past).
Thanks DigiP! Ah yes, that makes total sense... Now that its an independent country, its gotta market itself and drive up its tourism... I did not think of that, I should keep an eye out for other African covers post independence (1960s+) and see if they are doing something similar. Thanks for your support as always.
I was so exciting for the upcoming video
Glad you stopped by to watch it, thanks G 😊
Another great episode Graham. And yes indeed beautifully stamps. I have some of them myself, but I do not collect Dahomey/Benin. But I'm tempted now.
Torbjørn
Thank you Torbjørn!! So great to see you enjoyed the episode, I'm tempted to explore more French territory/colony stamps, they are simply beautiful.
Hi Graham, hope you are Laura are well. A truly fascinating video on Dahomey/Benin - you certainly are a master of research. Well done. I only have a small collection of Dahomey, but that does include 2 blocks of 4 of the 1960 500F stamp (in superb condition, by the way, but I think CTO ). Benin stamps I only have a very small collection. Just to let you know, also, that I was supposed to be going to London tomorrow to visit the London 2022 stamp exhibition at Islington, but like many people from this part of England have had to cancel the trip because the railway authorities chose this week to do a major upgrade to the south coast railway lines and we have no trains for a full 9 days. There are alternative routes to get to London by rail, but they make a normal journey of 1 1/2 hours until a journey of nearly 3 hours and to my mind, a round trip of about 6 hours to attend the exhibition just is not viable. Sad, because I was looking forward to the trip, but am conscious of how much money I will save in the process!! Hahaha - I will reserve it all for a visit to Stampex in September/October again. Best wishes.
Thanks Ian, we hope you are also well. Glad to see that you have something of Dahomey in your collection. Pity you could not make London 2022... I will be there on Thursday through Saturday, making the hike across the pond. 😊
@@ExploringStamps Wow Graham - I though you had said you would not be attending the February exhibition but leaving it until the Autumn (Fall) Stampex. What a shame to have missed you. Will you be traversing the pond again in September ?
Excellent
Thank you 😊
Amazing information and amazing episode 👍👍👍
I really enjoy watching your videos. I have a real appreciation for stamps and I tip my hat to stamp collectors. This is not a hobby that I have the patience for, but the history is so cool
Thanks so much Mikey! The history is really cool, the main reason why I love the hobby. Thanks for watching 😊
I LOVED THIS VIDEO! AWESOME content, learned so much. :)
Charming stamps .... of the mid 20th century french colonial designs
They most certainly are! 😍
Very cool presentation - I had no idea how these were all related! Agree these are some of the most beautiful stamps, especially the multi-color engraved ones.
Thank you 😊. They certainly are beautiful stamps, I especially love French Antarctic Territory stamps, they meet the standard as well. Thanks for watching!
I wasn't aware of this French territory. There are quite many. I'll have to keep a look out. Thanks for the informative video!
Also just sent you a few French stamps. Should be arriving soon.
You are very welcome Jim, thank you so much for watching. I will keep a look out for the mail 😊
Many thanks for this video as well! I met the first people at the University replying to their crossword doubt about the definition of "former name of Benin": from now on I got new friends that nicknamed me for a while "the guy of Dahomey" :D
Haha that is brilliant! Your superb geographic knowledge set a reputation for you. 😂
Thank you for watching 'guy of Dahomey'...uh, I mean Stefano!
@@ExploringStamps ahaahha actually most of my geographic knowledge came with philately! These two topics go along quite well :D
@@StefanoBertacchi Geography was my major in University 😊. They certainly do go very well together!
These are beautiful stamps, thank you for another wonderful video and topic :)
They are indeed beautiful, thank you for watching, Karen 😊
Another cool episode sir!
Thank you Lawrence. 😊
Many thanks Graham 😉 👍 💣 excellent and as usual really interesting!
You are very welcome Fred, thanks for your support 😊
Awesome :-)
Thank you :)
I think the item he is cutting on the stamp at 10:50 is a coconut with the husk on it
🤔 it could be although I think it might be a bit big? Someone pinged me with the suggestion it might be Palm oil that he is harvesting… also doesn’t look 100% like it… I dunno 🤷♂️
Great episode, G. Very interesting.
Thanks so much, T ☺️
Terrific as always
Many modern stamps are now photographs. Whilst the images can be clear and informative they are not an improvement on the quality & craftsmanship of many engraved images.
Like comparing a photo of the Mona Lisa to the original artwork.
Another great history lesson as well.
I quite agree with you, Iain. The UK has just issued a set of stamps to commemorate the Platinum Jubilee of the Queen. They are OK, but they are only photographs - no real design or craftmanship there for what should have been a trule unique issues. A golden (sorry -platinum) opportunity missed by the Royal Mail. I agree with Graham in that the Dahomey older issues are real works of art
Thank you Iain, I totally agree! For me, nothing beats a line engraved beauty from this era, they really are stunning works of art.
Thank you Iain, I totally agree! For me, nothing beats a line engraved beauty from this era, they really are stunning works of art.
I have a couple of these from kiloware. Thanks for telling me about this!
You are very welcome! 😊
Not an area I collect, but you (again) make it interesting to watch
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching Jan! 😊
Don't know if I have any Dahomey stamps unless I have then in the small French territories section I have, can't wait to look tomorrow
They might be!! Fingers crossed that you find some tomorrow, thanks for watching 😊
Looking forward to this episode
Thanks Louis! I hope you enjoy it 😊
It was a great episode I really like your editing which is your editor
Thank you! I use 'Final Cut Pro' to do the editing 😊
excellent video. I am always impressed by the quality of the engraving and colours of many francophone countries and French ex-colonies. Wierd, but could you do a video on the Trucial States (UAE), the dunes (the individual sheikdoms and the Portuguese printer), Manama and whether or not they were considered postally valid issues?
Another nice episode. Too bad you don't have Benin stamps from the 1970s - 1990s because these are some of the most interesting modern African stamps. During that period Benin haphazardly overprinted many stamps to meet changing postal needs. The Scott catalog often says something like, "The editor suspects that there were more in this series and would like to see examples." These are scarce and one can expect to pay $50 or more per stamp for some of these. They can be found on commercial mail and are probably about as common in that form as mint.
A separate interesting issue are the stamps depicting the conquest of Ajuda by Dahomey forces in 1961. This was a tiny piece of Portuguese territory, maybe a couple of blocks, in Dahomey.
Super fascinating, thank you for sharing this. I didnt find much information about the newer (1970+) stamps, and to be honest I just assumed that there would be a lot of CTO/third party agency stamps...shame on me 😅. If you know of any links that I can share in my video description regarding these interesting aspects, please let me know. Thanks for you support, David!!
@@ExploringStamps The Benin overprints can be found on eBay and other auction sites. Some of them are on original stamps intended for a collector market but after the overprint surely not.
The Ajuda situation is partly described in the Wikipedia page en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_of_S%C3%A3o_Jo%C3%A3o_Baptista_de_Ajud%C3%A1
I have images of the Dahomey stamps that commemorate the end of the Portuguese occupation there (not sure if I can show the image in the comments). Apparently there were five or fewer Portuguese residents at the time and they tried to burn down the fort. The stamps depict the burnt ruin of the fort.
the fort at Ouida (Whydah). there were - i hear - four portuguese nationals in the fort. they tried to set the place ablaze but failed. Portugal was still under a quite authoritarian govt at the time (Salazar?) but they didn't consider Whydah worth a response.
Hey there it was a great video
Why don't you make an episode on nippon Japanese stamps
Thank you 😊
Yes I would love to do a video on Japanese stamps! Hopefully soon
Welcome
I do have Dahomey stamps!
Great video Graham, as always. What kind of album is that you are using at the end?
Dear Graham, I am one of your biggest fan. Congratulations on your videos and your excellence in philately. I would like to send you a rhino set for your collection. How can I get your address? Thanks, Zsolt
Thank you so much Zsolt!. Glad you enjoyed the video. I keep my postal address up to date on my website here: exploringstamps.wordpress.com/contacts/
Like or Dislike: Like. Exciting and educational episode!
Great video, Graham! I have to ask: does Ganvie have a post office? 🤔
Thank you Patrick! THIS was a big question I had but I spent a couple hours looking into it with no true answer. Several articles about Ganvie mention that it has a post office, but I wanted to see if it was legit with its own postmark, or if it is supporting the main city (Cotonou) post office. I would have loved to find a cover from Ganvie, postmark and all. If anyone knows more, please let us know.
Again & again... thanks for all this work, super interesting and so well prepared. Congratulations, await impatientely next ones ^^ btw, can you share a posting adress so People can send you some stamps to encourage you continuing ? Thanks again!!
I have a general question if you don't mind. I inherited a collection of stamps that has duplicates of some stamps. Some have about 100 of the stamp. What should I do with all the duplicates? How do I know if one is better than another? I have no idea how to organize all these stamps. If you have a free moment, I appreciate any advice.
Great history lesson do not have them may have the modern stamps have a lot off French colony's 👍🇦🇺😎
I do think I have some from Dahomey at least I hope I still have them because my roommates have been stealing my things and I found some of my stamps outside
Oh no!! I hope you still have the rest of your stamps, I guess you better hide the collection away from the roommates. 😮
@@ExploringStamps not sure I tried to lock up what I had left I'm not sure of my inventory to begin with I know how very irresponsible thank you for your concern I enjoy your chanel immensely keep up the good work
10:58 looks like harvesting palm oil.
Great review, I think you should spread this over 2-3 videos rather than cram so much interesting info and stamps into a general overview.
Thank you Mick 😊, you can certainly break this up to make numerous videos, each of these items covered could take you down endless rabbit holes, 🙌. Thanks so much for watching!
Stamps from Dahomey found a home 🙂
🤣😂 they did!
Castilleja de Guzmán.
He's cutting plantains
Very well done (as usual) ! I do have several stamps of Dahomey and Benin and even some letters sent to me from Benin, few years ago, with stamps of Dahomey on it. You can see it on my website: www.paleophilatelie.eu/country/benin.html