Philatelic and postal History of Mayotte

The philatelic and postal history of Mayotte is related to the French Colonisation in the archipelago of the the Comoros.

The island is the first of this archipelago to being marked by the French presence with the beginning of the year 1840. The introduction of the French postal system with Anjouan, Large Comore and Mohéli during the following decades is directed starting from Mayotte. From 1911 to 1975, the archipelago knows an identical postal management, initially in the bosom of Madagascar until 1950, then under the name of Archipel of the Comoros.

The postal history of Mayotte alone takes again in July 1975 when its inhabitants decide by Référendum to remain within the French Republic whereas the three other islands become independent under the name of Islamic Federal republic of the Comoros. From February 1976 in December 1996, the territorial collectivity uses the same stamps as the metropolis before obtaining philatelic autonomy since January 1st, 1997.

Installation of the French postal system

Mayotte becomes a French colony as from 1841 with the purchase of the island by the commander Passot with the sultan Andriantsouli.

Few letters of the traditional philatelic time (before 1900) of Mayotte and of the Comoros are known. The first coming from Mayotte goes back to December 1850 and does not carry a postage stamp.

The first postage stamps with the standard Eagle of the general Colonies, are dispatched fine 1861-beginning 1862 and are distributed between Mayotte and Nosy Be off Madagascar. The first letter freed known date from December 1863.

In the years 1860, Mohéli falls under control from Joseph Lambert. Two decades later, Leon Humblot becomes the authoritative Master of the Grande Comore vis-a-vis the sultan Saïd Ali. As with Anjouan, adventurers become owners of the major part of the grounds. Stamps known as of the general Colonies and a postal service were used there. However, the Timbre on date carries the mention “Mayotte and dependences”, thus not making it possible to know the origin unless the address of the shipper or the correspondence included does not give elements. Until the course of the years 1870, the stamp as for him is cancelled by an empty rhombus of dotted lines in its center; what makes impossible the identification of the colony of use of a detached stamp of its fold.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the French Marine intervenes in the archipelago to found a more respectful French administration right of the natives, following excesses of Leon Humblot. Mayotte remains the administrative center about it, but gradually each island receives stamps with its name: the postal administration is victim of a traffic of stamps between the colonies with soft currency and those of strong local currency. In November 1892, as in Anjouan, are emitted in Mayotte the stamps with the Type Group on which the name of the colony is printed in blue or red. In all, twenty values make their appearance until October 1907.

From Madagascar to the archipelago of the Comoros (1911-1975)

In 1912, postal fastening with Madagascar is effective. To run out stocks of stamps remaining, the Groupe type of Mayotte are overloaded in November large figures in red or black “05” or “10” to be used as auxiliary values of 5 and 10 centimes. This practice takes place in all the colonies attached to Madagascar and these stamps are valid everywhere in this wide colony.

From 1912 to 1950, in fact thus the stamps of Madagascar are used in Mayotte and in the Comorian islands. Only, a postmark makes it possible to know if the letter were posted in Mayotte. A stamp of 1942 for the centenary of the fastening of Mayotte and Nossi-Be in France evokes Mayotte directly. It presents the portraits of Pleasant-Constant-Louis de Hell, Jéhenne and Passot.

Overseas territory in 1946, the archipelago of the Comoros receives stamps specific to its name and in CFA franc starting from May 15th, 1950. The stamps of the first emission of May 15th, 1950 are illustrated local landscapes. Watery fauna and the flora of the archipelago of the Comoros, the habits local and the technological events (broadcasting in 1960) dominate the philatelic program with the bus emissions of France and its colonies.

Concerned with these topics, Mayotte is directly represented by eight stamps out of a hundred and six emitted by the Archipelago of the Comoros: place of construction of the first transmitter of Broadcasting of the Comoros on a stamp of 1960, the battery of artillery of Dzaoudzi in 1966 in a series on the military fortifications, and a series of three stamps of 1974 presenting the Beach Moya, Chiconi and Port Mamutzu. The island appears on the charts of the archipelago drawn by Pierre Béquet: with the three islands on a stamp of airmail of 1971, and alone in 1974. A chart of the archipelago is reproduced on the stamp of the 70e birthday of the Rotary International.

However, the town of Moroni, chief town of Grande Comore, replaced capital of the Comoros that Mayotte had at the beginning of French colonization.

Territorial collectivity since 1975

The shortage of stamps of 1975

In 1974, referendums question the Comorians on their desire of independence. “Yes” is majority in Anjouan, Grande Comore and Mohéli, but not in Mayotte which France decides to treat separately. The three islands declare their independence on July 5th, 1975 by a vote of their Parliament, during which the deputies mahorais abstain from.

In the new State, stocks of the stamps of the archipelago, of which the major part are with Moroni, on Grande Comore, are overloaded “Comorian State” in waiting of the first stamps of the Islamic Federal republic of the Comoros.

In Mayotte, the lack of stamps of the archipelago of the Comoros ends up being felt in December 1975. In waiting of a delivery come from metropolis, the prefect of Mayotte decides to authorize the cutting of the stamps to create stamping more the current of 50 frank CFA necessary for the sending of a letter towards France. Overloaded “Administration provisional of Mayotte”, these figurines of 100 francs cut into two and 200 francs cut into four is, in the chronological order of emission:

200 francs “ Angraecum eburneum ” (a orchis), emitted on March 20th, 1969;
100 francs “Hansen 1841-1912”, Norwegian discoverer of the Mycobacterium leprae (the bacillus of the Leprosy), emitted on September 5th, 1973;
200 francs “Pablo Picasso emitted the 1881-1973” on September 30th, 1973;
and the 200 francs “Saïd Omar Ben Soumeth, large Mufti of the emitted Comoros” on January 31st, 1974.

The stamp “Craft industry - bracelet” of 20 francs emitted on February 28th, 1975 is cut into two to supplement two stamps of 20 francs.

To profit from the strong dimension that grants the catalogs to them (150 € minimum for the Dallay 2006-2007), the stamp must be on fold obliterated for the period of shortage which ends with the delivery of stamps of France and the use of the Franc French.

Stamps of France of 1976 to 1997

In February 1976, arrives the sending of stamps of metropolis. The Franc French replaces CFA franc, as with the Réunion in January 1975. The Issuing house of overseas, banks transmitting of the peaceful Franc, is charged by the Banque de France with taking care of the supply of the island parts and tickets. The stamps of France are thus in force in Mayotte until December 31st, 1996.

Philatelic autonomy since 1997

The January 2nd, 1997, are emitted the first stamps specific to the territorial collectivity of Mayotte according to local sets of themes: armorial bearings, objects, habits (the banga in June for example), fauna and flora local are omnipresent. The stamps of France are not accepted any more on the mail posted in the island starting from March 31st, 1997. Only, the stamps of everyday usage remain those of France with the use of the series Marianne overloaded “MAYOTTE”. As from 2001, Marianne is supplemented by stamps at the plain bottom of color carrying a relief map in black and white of the island.

La Poste grants a freedom of choice of the philatelic program to its mahoraise subsidiary company which locally determines the topics and the models of the philatelic emissions. Phil@poste Boulazac (ex- fiduciary Printing works of the postage stamps and values, ITVF) remains the printer, whose name appears in bottom of each stamp.

departmental Community since 2001, the island uses the same currency as its metropolis. The Euro is also introduced under the direction of the Issuing house of the overseas departments. On stamps, as in France, the stamps post a facial value in franc and euro of July 1999 in December 2001. January 2nd, 2002, the first stamps in euro are emitted: Marianne of July 14th overloaded and a re-examined and corrected réémission stamp “Armorial bearings of Mayotte” of 1997.

Summary table

See too

List of the stamps of Mayotte per year.
History of the Comoros

Sources

Catalog of quotations of the stamps of the DOM-TOM , ED. Dallay, 2006-2007, pages 358 to 413.
Section philately of the Comores-online.com site on the philatelic and postal history of the archipelago of the Comoros.

References

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