* BA/BMA Issues
Includes: Eritrea (British Administration);
Eritrea (British Military Administration);
Malaya (British Military Administration);
North Borneo (British Military Administration);
Sarawak (British Military Administration);
Somalia (British Administration);
Somalia (British Military Administration);
Tripolitania (British Administration);
Tripolitania (British Military Administration)
See also: British Occupation Issues;
British Occupation of Italian Colonies;
East Africa Forces;
Egypt (British Forces);
Middle East Forces
BA Eritrea
Refer: Eritrea (British Administration)
BA Somalia
Refer: Somalia (British Administration)
BA Tripolitania
Refer: Tripolitania (British Administration)
* Baden
Became part of Germany in 1871.
Dates: 1851 - 1871
Capital: Karlsruhe
Currency: 60 kreuzer = 1 gulden
Baden (French Zone)
Dates: 1947 - 1949
Currency: (1947) 100 pfennige = 1 Reichsmark
(1948) 100 pfennige = 1 DM
Album: Germany (Allied Occupation)
Baghdad (British Occupation)
British occupation forces issued Turkish stamps overprinted BAGHDAD IN BRITISH OCCUPATION
Dates: 1917 only
Currency: 12 pies = 1 anna; 16 annas = 1 rupee
Album: British Occupation Issues
* Bahamas
Self government was introduced 7 January 1964. The islands became an independent member of
the British Commonwealth 10 July 1973.
Dates: 1859 -
Capital: Nassau
Currency: (1859) 12 pence = 1 shilling; 20 shillings = 1 pound
(1966) 100 cents = 1 dollar
* Bahawalpur
Pakistan stamps in use since 1949.
Dates: 1945 - 1949
Capital: Bahawalpur
Currency: 12 pies = 1 anna; 16 annas = 1 rupee
* Bahrain
A group of islands 20 miles east of the Arabian peninsula and joined to Saudi by causeway.
The largest is Bahrain itself. The site has been inhabited for over 5000 years. Bahrain was
under British protection 1861-1971 and is now fully independent. Indian and British postal
administration was used until 1 January 1966 when Bahrain opened its own service.
Bahrain used Indian stamps 1883-1933. Since then it has had its own stamps but also used
general issues of British PAs in Eastern Arabia during shortages in the 1950s.
Issues during 1933-47 were Indian stamps overprinted BAHRAIN. During 1948-59 British stamps
were used, again overprinted BAHRAIN. The first stamps exclusive to Bahrain were issued on 1
July 1960.
Dates: 1933 -
Capital: Manama
Currency: (1933) 12 pies = 1 anna; 16 annas = 1 rupee
(1957) 100 naye paise = 1 rupee
(1966) 100 fils = 1 dinar
See also: British Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia
Baluchistan
Refer: Las Bela
Bamra
Dates: 1888 - 1890
Currency: 12 pies = 1 anna; 16 annas = 1 rupee
Album: Indian Native States
Banat Bacska (Rumanian Occupation)
Rumanian occupation of Hungary. The area was subsequently split between Rumania and
Yugoslavia.
Dates: 1919 - 1920
Capital: Temesvar (Timisoara)
Currency: 100 filler = 1 korona
Album: Rumanian Post Abroad
Bangkok (British Post Office)
British PO issued 1867 Straits Settlements stamps with an overprint of B.
Dates: 1882 - 1885
Currency: 100 cents = 1 dollar
Album: British Post Offices Abroad
* Bangladesh
Formerly East Pakistan.
Dates: 1971 -
Capital: Dacca
Currency: (1971) 100 paisa = 1 rupee
(1972) 100 paisa = 1 taka
Baranya (Serbian Occupation)
Serbian occupation of Hungary.
Dates: 1919 only
Capital: Pecs
Currency: 100 filler = 1 korona
Album: Serbian Occupation Issues
* Barbados
Self government was attained on 16 October 1961. Became an independent member of the British
Commonwealth on 30 November 1966.
Dates: 1852 -
Capital: Bridgetown
Currency: (1852) 12 pence = 1 shilling; 20 shillings = 1 pound
(1950) 100 cents = 1 dollar
Barbuda
Barbuda is one of the islands making up the state of Antigua & Barbuda. It had a separate
issue in 1922 of overprinted Leeward Islands stamps (11 values). Apart from this, it used
stamps of Antigua and Leeward Islands concurrently until 1968. During 1971-1973, Antigua
stamps were in sole use. Barbuda has had its own stamps on a regular basis 1968-1971 and
since 1973. Barbuda stamps are valid in Antigua and vice-versa.
Dates: 1922 -
Capital: Codrington
Currency: (1922) 12 pence = 1 shilling; 20 shillings = 1 pound
(1968) 100 cents = 1 dollar
Album: Antigua & Barbuda
Barwani
Dates: 1921 - 1938
Currency: 12 pies = 1 anna; 16 annas = 1 rupee
Album: Indian Native States
Bashahr
Refer: Bussahir
Basle
Swiss Cantonal Administration issue on 1 July 1845 was of one stamp only. This was valued
at 21/2 rappen and inscribed STADT POST BASEL.
Dates: 1845 only
Currency: 100 rappen = 1 franken
Album: Swiss Cantonal Issues
* Basutoland
Used Cape of Good Hope stamps 1880-1933 and became Lesotho in 1966.
Dates: 1933 - 1966
Capital: Maseru
Currency: (1933) 12 pence = 1 shilling; 20 shillings = 1 pound
(1961) 100 cents = 1 rand
See also: Lesotho
Batum (British Occupation)
Batum is a Georgian Black Sea port which had been captured by Turkey in April 1918. It was
occupied by British forces December 1918 to 6 July 1920 when it was included in the Republic
of Georgia.
Separate stamps were issued by Batum in 1919. In addition, several issues of both these and
Russian types were overprinted BRITISH OCCUPATION.
Dates: 1919 - 1920
Currency: 100 kopecks = 1 rouble
Album: British Occupation Issues
* Bavaria
Stamps are inscribed BAYERN.
Dates: 1849 - 1920
Capital: Munich
Currency: (1849) 60 kreuzer = 1 gulden
(1874) 100 pfennige = 1 mark
* Bechuanaland
Previously Bechuanaland Protectorate; now Botswana.
Dates: 1965 - 1966
Capital: Mafeking
Currency: 100 cents = 1 rand
Includes: Bechuanaland Protectorate
See also: Botswana
Bechuanaland Protectorate
The territory north of the Molopo river which became Botswana in 1966.
The first issues 1888-1889 were overprinted Great Britain, British Bechuanaland and Cape
of Good Hope types. During 1890-1897, British Bechuanaland stamps were used. From October
1897, overprinted Great Britain were used until 12 December 1932 when specific stamps for
the Protectorate were first issued.
Dates: 1888 - 1965
Capital: Mafeking
Currency: (1888) 12 pence = 1 shilling; 20 shillings = 1 pound
(1961) 100 cents = 1 rand
Album: Bechuanaland
See also: British Bechuanaland;
Cape of Good Hope
Beirut
Stamps were issued by British, French and Russian post offices. The British office was open
1873-1914: one issue of 1906 was particular to this office which normally issued British
Levant. The French office was open 1840-1914: one issue of 1905 was particular to the office
which otherwise issued French stamps (to 1885) or French Levant (1885-1914). The Russian
office was open 1857-1914: particular stamps issued in 1879 and 1909-10; normally used Russia
or Russian Levant.
Other offices were opened by Austria, Egypt, Germany and Italy. The German office was open
1900-14 and used German Levant. The Italian office was open 1873-83 and used the ESTERO
overprints. The Austrian office used Austrian Levant and the Egyptian office used Egypt.
Refer: Beirut (British Post Office);
Beirut (French Post Office);
Beirut (Russian Post Office)
See also: Austro-Hungarian Post Offices in the Turkish Empire;
British Post Offices in the Turkish Empire;
Egyptian Post Offices in the Turkish Empire;
French Post Offices in the Turkish Empire;
German Post Offices in the Turkish Empire;
Italian Post Offices in the Turkish Empire;
Russian Post Offices in the Turkish Empire
Beirut (British Post Office)
The office was open 1873-1914 and normally used stamps of British Levant. One issue on 2 July
1906 was particular to Beirut. This consisted of one stamp with an overprint of 1 Piastre, the
stamp used being the twopence Edward VII definitive (green and carmine) that was first issued
in Britain during September 1905.
Dates: 1906 only
Currency: 40 paras = 1 piastre
Album: British Post Offices in the Turkish Empire
Beirut (French Post Office)
The office was open 1840-1914 and normally used stamps of France (to 1885) or French Levant
(1885-1914). One issue of 17 January 1905 was particular to Beirut. This consisted of a
single French stamp overprinted by 1 Piastre Beyrouth.
Dates: 1905 only
Currency: 40 paras = 1 piastre
Album: French Post Offices in the Turkish Empire
Beirut (Russian Post Office)
The office was open 1857-1914 and normally used stamps of Russia or Russian Levant. Occasional
issues in 1879 and again in 1909-10 were particular to Beirut. These were Russian Levant types
overprinted by Beyrouth and a value.
Dates: 1879 - 1910
Currency: 40 paras = 1 piastre
Album: Russian Post Offices in the Turkish Empire
* Belarus
Formerly part of the Russian Empire and the USSR, Belarus became independent in 1991 and began
its own postal administration in 1992.
It has previously been called Byelorussia or White Russia.
Dates: 1992 -
Capital: Minsk
Currency: 100 kopecks = 1 rouble
See also: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)