Kenya / Uganda / Tanganyika - Definitives

1 October 1960

16 values in total, 10 values featuring giraffe

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This is the last of the combined Kenya / Uganda / Tanganyika definitive issues to feature giraffes - of the 16 values in this set 10 feature giraffes, although in the case of nine of them this is only as a very subtle giraffe-head motif in the corner of the stamps. One other value, the 2 shilling, shown to to the left, features them more prominently browsing in the shadow of what I believe is Mount Kilimanjaro.
These tend to catalogue at around £40.00 for a mint set, and £30.00 for a used set - full details of values, prices, catalogue numbers and the such can be found in the complete list.

Somalia - Child welfare

24 November 1960

4 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe

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Issued “Pro Infanzia”, or for the child, this is a set of four stamps . Reflecting its status as a former Italian colony, the stamps were designed by Corrado Mancioli and printed by the Officina Carte Valori, the official Italian Government printing works (hence the abbreviation “I.P.S. - Off. Cart. Val”).
There are three postage stamps and one airmail stamp in the series, which feature (in increasing order of value) a boy drawing a giraffe, a zebra, a rhino a leopard.

Congo - Definitives

1960

1 value only

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Following on from the Belgian Congo definitives issued in the previous year, and covered in more detail here, the definitives were reissued when Congo gained its independence in 1960 - the animals definitive issue and a flowers definitive issue were reprinted with the values overprinted with the word "CONGO". As this is a relatively unusual overprint it merits inclusion in its own right, but only the giraffe value is covered here and in the complete list.

Union of South Africa - Decimal definitives

14 February 1961

13 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe

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Not long before becoming the Republic of South Africa on 31 May 1961 the Union of South Africa decimalised its currency, introducing the rand and the cent in place of the South African pound. As a result a new series of definitives was required in place of the 1954 set featured above. Rather than simply use all the same stamps the new series included 9 out of the 13 stamps in the previous definitive issue, and also incorporated four stamps from subsequent issues, featuring prime ministers, the Union flag, the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the union and the country’s crest. Full details can be found in the complete list.

Ethiopia - Animals

16 June 1961

6 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe

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A series, as with many other featuring giraffe, themed around a country’s native fauna, in this case Ethiopia. There are six stamps in the series featuring (in ascending order of value) a wild ass on the 5c stamp, an Eland on the 15c, an elephant on the 25c, two giraffes on the 35c, an oryx on the 50c stamp and a lion on the $1 stamp.
The stamps were engraved and printed in Prague, Czechoslovakia - I don’t know who the designer or artist was, so any information will be gratefully received by email to info@giraffestamps.co.uk.

Belgium - Animals of Antwerp Zoo

18 November 1961

6 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe

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Only the second non-African country to feature a giraffe, in order to raise charitable funds for Antwerp Zoo a set of 6 stamps was issued by Belgium with charitable overcharges of between 10c and 2 francs.
The 2f50 value which features a giraffe had an overcharge of 1f applied to it. I have no information about the designer or creator of the stamps, but what information I do have is in the complete list. The set is not particularly rare and easy to pick up for £3.00 or so mint, and around the same used. The minisheet featured ten values comprising three of the porcupine, four of the kettle and three of the giraffe.

Sudan - Sudanese life

1962

14 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe

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A new set of stamps from Sudan, this time featuring a number of scenes of Sudanese life, including the by-now-obligatory Camel Postman on the highest value, and various Sudanese wild animals, including a giraffe, on the fourth value, the 35mms value.
Various minor adjustments to the series were made later on in the same year, but none significant to warrant a fresh entry in this list.

Cameroun - Animals

1962

15 values in total, 2 values featuring giraffe

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There is a similarity of design which runs through a large number of the stamps issued around this time by French colonies and former French colonies in Africa - Mali in 1965, Niger in 1959, Somalia in 1962 (although since that series does not feature giraffes it does not feature here) and, with this issue, Cameroun in 1962.
The stamps were deisgned by Jacques Combet and Claude Durrens, two famous French engravers - Durrens created some 400 stamps for France and its colonies, as well as a number of bank notes, and Combet was responsible for over 1300 stamps. The series was printed at Imprimerie Chaix, one of France’s most famous printing companies. Details of values, catalogue numbers, designs and the such are in the complete list.

Kenya - Various designs

12 December 1963

14 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe

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One of the few series from around this era where the giraffe featured is not the actual animal itself, but a representation of it. As with the Sudanese series from the previous year, these 14 values showed various aspects of life in Kenya - coffee harvesting, Jomo Kenyatta and Mount Kenya - and the such.
The giraffe features as a woodcarving on the second lowest value, the 10c, as a completed carving standing behind an artisan. Other details are in the complete list. Various overprints were made, including an OFFICIAL overprint, but none significant enough to warrant a separate entry.

Burundi - Animals

29 April 1964

15 values in total, 2 values featuring giraffe

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Declared independent from Belgium on 1 July 1962, Burundi was initially the Kingdom of Burundi, as it was a monarchy, but a shortlived one - a coup in 1966 brought on the Republic of Burundi.
The lower twelve values in this set feature the same six designs repeated, but on larger stamps for the second iterations of each, followed by the top three values (leopard, elephant and lion) to make up the full fifteen.
There are also seven further stamps which utilise some of the designs (the hippo, buffalo, zebra, impala, waterbuck, leopard and elephant) from the same series but which were used for airmail postage. They do not include giraffes, so are not included as part of this set (although are included in the scan) but are identifiable through their gold (as opposed to silver) borders and the overprinting of “Aerienne”.

Chad - Fauna

11 January 1965

6 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe

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A remarkably colourful issue this one - the 30f value featuring a giraffe, a buffalo and a lion is in honour of the Zakouma National Park in the south of Chad, which had been created the year earlier in 1963 and which was Chad’s first national park.
The stamps were designed by artist Maurice Fievet who went on to also design the 1965 Nigerian definitives issue coming next but one in the list below (and by extension the Biafra definitive issue further down this page), and printed by Delrieu in France.

Germany (East) - 10th Anniversary of East Berlin Zoo

24 March 1965

3 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe

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Simple designs, particularly coming on the heels of the Chad issue. Three stamps featuring, in ascending order of value, a giraffe, what looks to be some sort of lizard, and a gnu. Around the outside runs the inscription “10 Jahre Tierpark Berlin”, which I imagine means 10 years of Berlin Zoo, and “Deutsche Democratische Republik”, or the former East Germany. At the foot of each stamp is a reference to “Bengs”, which I believe is the stamp designer.
The set of three should not be confused with other issues, of which there are a number, featuring the animals of Berlin Zoo depicted in the same style. The distinction is the inclusion of “10 Jahre” marking the 10th anniversary.

Nigeria - Definitives

1 November 1965

14 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe

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Nigeria gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960, and on 1 November 1965 issued its definitive set, a nicely colourful set courtesy of Maurice Fievet which featured no less then 6 giraffes on its 5 shilling value.
The set (complete details of which are in the complete list) catalogues at over £50.00 mint, but can be found for around a fifth of that price on a retail basis.
The giraffe value features in a subsequent set of 10 stamps in 1969, which also reused other stamps from the 1965 series, and which can be distinguished by the inclusion of the name of the printing company at the bottom right hand corner of the stamps - “N. S. P. & M. Co. Ltd”, a reference to the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Co. Limited.

Somalia - Flora and fauna

1965

5 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe

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As with the previous Somali issue, these stamps were designed by Corrado Mancioli and printed at the Officina Carte Valori in Rome. Each value features an African animal and an African flower - antelopes and gerbera, giraffes and tulips, flamingoes and white lotus, ostriches and pervincia and zebras and begonias - full details are in the complete list.

Tanzania - Definitives

9 December 1965

14 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe

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By this stage everyone seemed to be cottoning on to the idea that colourful stamps were the way of the future, and a large number of African countries were enjoying independence for the first time. Tanzania, formerly the British colony of Tanganyika, was one of those countries, and in December 1965 issued its own set of definitives, rather than in conjunction with Kenya and Uganda as had previously been the case. The giraffes feature on the sixth value, the 40c stamp.

Mali - Animals

1965

5 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe

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Based on engravings by the famous French engraver Albert Decaris, probably the best known French engraver of the period who created more than 600 stamps for France and its territories (and who was, himself, honoured in 2001 by French stamps celebrating the centenary of his birth).
The series features, in ascending order of value, a Defassa waterbuck, a Cape buffalo, a scimitar-horned oryx, a giraffe and a leopard. A mint set catalogues for around £4.00, although can be easily picked up for less on eBay.

Liberia - African animals

20 December 1966

7 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe

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Liberia is one of those African countries which is rarely heard of or from - tucked out at the western side, in 1966 it came out with a series of 7 designs featuring African animals, which included the giraffe on the lowest (2c) value.
The stamps were designed and printed by the E. A. Wright Bank Note Company, based in Philadeplhia in the United States of America, which does not appear to still be in existence today.

Spain - Cave paintings

27 April 1967

10 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe

Image not yet available

Another rare entry, at this stage, from a European country, in this case Spain. It is arguable whether or not this is truly a giraffe stamp, as it features cave paintings from Spain. Giraffes, you’re probably aware, aren’t generally seen in the wilds of Spain, and the animal featured in the cave paintings, and thus in the stamps, is likely to be an ancient ancestor of the giraffe.
No image is available yet, although details are in the complete list. When I have the set I shall be able to provide an image.

Holland - Children

7 November 1967

5 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe
1 minisheet featuring giraffe

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Every year the Dutch Postal Service issues a series of childrens’ stamps with charitable surcharges, and the funds raised go to the Foundation for Children’s Welfare Postage Stamps Netherlands, a charitable organisation which helps physically, mentally or socially handicapped children.
This series contained five values, one of which (a 20c stamp with a 10c charitable surcharge) features a giraffe.

Sudan - International Tourist Year

1967

3 values in total, all featuring giraffe

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1967 was declared International Tourist Year by the United Nations, and Sudan was one of a number of countries to mark the occasion by issuing stamps. To be honest they are not the most exciting of stamps - they each feature the same design - a giraffe, the logo of the UN, the value and year of issue, and not a lot else. The stamps, printed by De La Rue, were issued in three different colours - blue, green and yellow and are of relatively low value - they can be picked up for around £2.00 or so for a mint set.

Chad - Rock paintings

1967

9 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe

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This series features cave paintings (“Pinturas Rupestres”) encountered on the Bailloud expedition to the Ennedi Mountains, and are therefore captioned with “Mission Bailloud dans l’Ennedi”.
There are nine values in all, all engraved by Jean Pheulpin. One of the nine values, the 30F, features “archaic giraffes”, or “Giraffes Archaiques”, as the caption has it.

Botswana - National Museum opening

30 September 1968

4 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe
One minisheet featuring all four values

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To mark the occasion of the opening of the National Museum a series of four stamps were issued, one of which featured a giraffe. The picture was actually taken from (again) rock paintings, in this case those in the Tsodilo Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which contains some 4,500 rock paintings over an area of 10 square kilometres.
The preview to the left shows the giraffe value, which is the lowest of four values, the 3c stamp, which also appears on a minisheet issued as well - click where indicated to the left to see the enlarged picture featuring all four stamps and the minisheet.

Biafra - Definitives

1968

13 values in total, 1 value featuring giraffe

Image not yet available

A short-lived country, Biafra existed only from 30 May 1967, when it seceded from the newly-independent Nigeria, until 15 January 1970 when a cease-fire ended a bitterly divisive war.
It issued a number of stamps, but this issue was merely the 1965 Nigeria definitive series (less the 3d value), overprinted with either “Biafra” or “Sovereign Biafra”. Bar the absence of that value, in all other respects the Maurice Fievet-designed stamps are identical to that previous issue.
Because of their scarcity, these stamps are somewhat expensive - one set I saw recently on the web was retailing for £90.00 or so, or just under half their catalogue value.

Fujeira - Animals

8 January 1969

9 values in total, 1 featuring giraffe

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Now one of the seven emirates which make up the United Arab Emirates, Fujeira is the only one of the seven which is on the Gulf of Oman as opposed to the Persian Gulf. This set was issued shortly before the formation of the United Arab Emirates, and as with other sets issued by countries in the region is exceedingly colourful - some would say excessively so, perhaps bordering on tacky.
In any event, there are nine values in the set - five for regular postage and four for airmail. The regular postage values feature leopard, gorilla, zebra, hyena and rhino, and the airmail values feature giraffes, tigers, elephants and lions. Details are in the complete list - the set retails at around £3.00 or so mint.

Niger - Philexafrique

13 January 1969

1 value only

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Issued to commemorate the Philexafrique Stamp Exhibition held in Abidjan, in the Ivory Coast, which took place on 14 February 1969. The stamp was designed by Jean Pheulpin and printed at the Imprimerie des Timbres-Postes in Paris.
The stamp shows giraffes along with an old 35c stamp from Niger’s 1926 issue (SG No. 41) when it was part of Afrique Occidentale Francaise, or French West Africa, which had historically been a federation of eight colonial French territories in the region - Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), the Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burkino Faso), Dahomey (now Benin) and Niger.

Swaziland - Animals

1 August 1969

15 values in total, 1 featuring giraffe

Image not yet available

Swaziland managed to bypass much of the colonialism going on in the region up until the Boer War, when it became a (relatively unwilling) protectorate of Britain. It subsequently obtained independence on September 6 1968, and the following year issued this set of stamps.
The issue is a rather splendid set of 15 stamps with the giraffe taking pride of place on the highest value. In 1975 the giraffe and the next highest value, the waterbuck, would be overprinted as part of Swaziland’s new currency - details can be found here.

Also rans between 1960 and 1969

Other issues from the period between 1960 and 1969 (inclusive) which included giraffes in an ancillary fashion, or not significantly enough to merit inclusion in the main list above were :
1964 - Dahomey (now Benin) - Native Dances - a series of six stamps in which the three horizontal stamps feature giraffes in the margins.
1964 - Sudan - New York Worlds’ Fair 64/65 - a series of three stamps of which one value features a map of Sudan with a small image of a giraffe.
1964 - Somalia - Credit Bank 10th Anniversary - a series of three values of which one value features a map of Somalia with a small image of a giraffe.
1964 - Rwanda (4 November) - UNESCO anniversary - a series of eight values, two of which feature the same image which includes a giraffe in a book.

As far as I am aware, the information on this page is complete and accurate, and there are were no other giraffe-related stamps issued between 1960 and 1969 (inclusive). If you spot any missing issues, errors, inaccuracies, or have any information that could be added to that contained in these pages then please don’t hesitate to email me at info@giraffestamps.co.uk.