Italian Somaliland

Italian Somaliland was a country in northeast Africa.  File:Ital Somaliland eleph.jpg|1b Benadir issue. File:Ital Somali lion.jpg|5b Benadir issue. 
 * Italy acquired coastal territory by protectorate treaties beginning in the 1880s, with control being given to a private company. This was named Benadir, reflected by the inscriptions of its first stamps issued in 1903.
 * Beginning in 1905, various surcharges were applied on Benadir stamps.
 * In 1922, the Italian Victory issue was surcharged with SOMALIA ITALIANA.
 * In 1923, Benadir stamps were once again surcharged with 4 bars over the old denominations.
 * Following that, Italian commemorative sets, semipostals, were overprinted or surcharged SOMALIA ITALIANA in different styles.
 * In 1926, the Benadir issue was surcharged once again but in Italian currency, with 3 bars used to cover "BESA".
 * The 1926 Colonial Institute semipostal set was released inscribed SOMALIA ITAL.
 * Also in 1926, Italian stamps were again overprinted or surcharged SOMALIA ITALIANA in different styles.
 * In December 1930, overprints became just SOMALIA.
 * 1932 saw a new set of pictorial definitives inscribed SOMALIA.

Back of the book issues

 * In 1934, an airmail semipostal official was released using a 2L airmail semipostal overprinted with a crown and SERVIZIO DI STATO.
 * In 1923, Italian special delivery stamps were overprinted like the commemoratives.
 * In 1924, two country-specific special delivery stamps were inscribed POSTE SOMALIA.
 * Beginning in 1917, parcel post stamps were overprinted or surcharged SOMALIA ITALIANE.
 * In 1905, Italian postage dues were overprinted Somalia Italiane / Meridionale.
 * The 1909 dues had Somalia Italiane overprinted at top; the 1920 issue was overprinted at bottom.
 * In 1923, Italian postage dues were surcharged in besa or rupees.

 [[Category:I]]