British East Africa

British East Africa, or the East Africa Protectorate, was the region corresponding to Kenya today. Its listings are found under Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika in the Gibbons catalogues.

British East Africa Company issues
In 1887, the private British East Africa Company became its administrator.  File:BEA surch on GB.jpg|1890 4 annas on 5d Great Britain stamp File:BEA 1a arms.jpg|1890 1 anna value File:BEA 2r forgery.jpg|Fournier forgery of 2r value 
 * In 1890, three then-current British stamps were surcharged in new values in annas and BRITISH / EAST AFRICA / COMPANY. Be aware that forgeries and forged cancels were created for this and most of the following issues.
 * In July to October 1890, Indian stamps were used at Mombasa.
 * In 1890-95, stamps with the company's sun logo inscribed IMPERIAL BRITISH EAST AFRICA COMPANY. Genuine stamps often have straight edges. Slightly cruder forgeries exist, including rupee values with 5 shading lines in the scroll end above "LIGHT" instead of 7 (Fournier).
 * In 1891, ½ anna and 1 anna surcharges were issued, handstamped with new values in dull violet ink and initialed.
 * In 1894, two (printed) surcharged stamps were issued.
 * In 1895 two new values were issued.
 * In 1895, two provisional manuscript surcharges were issued, with initials "T.E.C.R.".

Protectorate issues
In 1895, the British government took control of BEA when the private company floundered, declaring a protectorate. 
 * In July 1895, previous stamps were rather roughly overprinted "B RITISH  / E  AST  / A  FRICA  ". Of course, forgeries exist.
 * A 2½a on 4½a surcharge was added later.
 * Beginning in November 1895, Indian stamps were overprinted British / East / Africa. There are several overprint errors of each value. Again, the errors and the normal overprints have been forged.
 * In December 1895, a 2½a on 1½a surcharge was issued.
 * In 1896-1901, an engraved Victoria "widow's weeds" design was issued. Rupee values were added beginning in 1897.
 * In 1897, Zanzibar stamps were provisionally overprinted British / East / Africa.
 * Also in 1897, three different types of 2½d surcharges on 1a and 3a stamps were released.
 * In April 1901, the postal administrations of British East Africa and Uganda were consolidated, whose issues were then inscribed East Africa and Uganda Protectorates.

File:BEA 2.5a on India stamp.jpg|1895 2½a on 1 anna 6 pies Indian stamp File:BEA 1a QV.jpg|1896 1a value File:BEA ovpt on 7.5a Zanzibar.jpg|1897 overprinted 7½a Zanzibar stamp 