Cyprus Queen Victoria 1881 1/2 Piastre on 1d Plate 214

Cyprus · 1881 · 1/2 Piastre on 1d

This stamp is a British one penny lilac (plate 214) overprinted in black with 'CYPRUS' and a large '1/2' numeral. The design features a diademed profile of Queen Victoria, facing left, within an oval frame. This overprint was a provisional issue to meet the immediate postal needs of the newly established British administration.

Issued shortly after the British administration of Cyprus began in 1878, these overprinted British stamps were a temporary measure until specific Cypriot stamps could be designed and printed.