Great Britain 1/2d Rose-Red Overprinted 'CYPRUS'

Cyprus · 1880 · 1/2d (Half Penny)

This is the first postage stamp issued for use in Cyprus. It features a definitive stamp of Great Britain, the halfpenny rose-red 'Bantam' depicting Queen Victoria, overprinted with the word 'CYPRUS' in black capital letters. This overprinting method was a common practice to quickly introduce postal services in new British territories.

Following the Cyprus Convention of 1878, the island came under British administration. The first British post offices opened that year, and these overprinted stamps were issued in 1880 to replace the use of un-overprinted British stamps.