Cyprus Queen Victoria Overprinted 'CYPRUS'

Cyprus · 1880 · ½ Penny

This stamp is the first postage stamp issued for Cyprus under British administration. It features a portrait of Queen Victoria, originally from a British stamp (Plate 216), which was then overprinted with the word 'CYPRUS' in black capital letters. The design is simple, with the Queen's profile facing left within an ornate frame.

Issued in 1880, this stamp marks the beginning of the British postal system in Cyprus, which had come under British administration two years earlier in 1878. The use of overprinted British stamps was a common and expedient practice for establishing postal services in new territories of the British Empire.