The Bechuanaland Protectorate, now called Botswana, was a protectorate of Great Britain that lasted from 1888 until 1966. The Bechuanaland Protectorate used overprinted stamps from other colonies at first, but in 1932 began using its very own stamps. The Bechuanaland Protectorate is not to be confused with British Bechuanaland, which lay to the south and is now part of South Africa.
The Bechuanaland Protectorate’s first stamps were stamps from that neighbor to the south, British Bechuanaland, which were in turn Cape of Good Hope stamps with overprints. For use in the Protectorate, these stamps were overprinted again with ‘PROTECTORATE’. In 1889, Cape of Good Hope stamps were directly overprinted for the Bechuanaland Protectorate.
After the Bechuanaland Protectorate began issuing its own stamps in 1932 (during the reign of King George V), there were several interesting and colorful designs used on its stamps. In 1945, some South African stamps with overprints were used.
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In 1966, the Bechuanaland Protectorate became the independent Republic of Botswana. See Botswana stamps for later items from that country for sale. For all Bechuanaland stamps, including British Bechuanaland stamps from 1895-1895, see the general Bechuanaland stamps section.
