Stamps of the British Empire: A World Tour

Boer settlers founded the Transvaal free state from the late 1830s. Eighteen stamps span the South African Republic era through "V.R.I." and "E.R.I." war overprints to Edward VII portraits.

Placed under Transvaal's protection in 1894, Swaziland became a separate British protectorate in 1933. Eight stamps include a 1937 Coronation issue, Battle Axe and musical-instrument commemoratives.

Contested between England and France in the 1780s, the territory was settled by Boers from 1834. Ten "Oranje Vrij Staat" tree-emblem stamps run from 1868 issues to a "V.R.I." war overprint.

Acquired by the Bremen merchant Lüderitz in 1883. Twelve stamps run from German colonial ship issues through South-West-Africa overprints to Fish River Canyon and quiver-tree pictorial series.

The Portuguese navigator Dias rounded the Cape in 1488. This page carries sixteen classic triangular and Hope-seated definitives from the 1850s to 1900s.

Formed on 31 May 1910 from the Cape, Natal, the Orange Free State and Transvaal. This page runs the first 1910 Union issues through modern RSA pictorials.

Muscat's independent sultanate ran a British-administered post office from 1856. Kuwait used overprinted Indian stamps before its own issues from 1958; Bahrain used unoverprinted Indian stamps until 1933; eight stamps run from India-design overprints through QEII portraits.

Qatar used overprinted Elizabeth II stamps of Great Britain from 1957 — the historical note is preserved here, though no stamps of Qatar itself survive mounted on this page.

Britain ran a civil mandate from 1920 to April 1948. Six stamps include Egyptian Expeditionary Force overprints and an Israeli coin-design issue.

Aden commanded the sea route to India; a British residency in southern Arabia from 1839, it became a crown colony in 1937. The sultanates of the Qu'aiti and Kathiri states issued their own stamps under Aden's protectorate.