Ethiopia 1919 Definitive Series - Empress Zauditu & Ras Tafari

Ethiopia · 1919 · 1/16 Guerche to 10 Thalers

This definitive series features dual portraits of Empress Zauditu and the regent, Ras Tafari Makonnen (the future Emperor Haile Selassie I). The lower denominations depict the Lion of Judah, a symbol of the Ethiopian monarchy, while the higher values showcase the portraits of the two rulers. The stamps were printed in Paris and exist in various perforations.

Issued during the regency of Ras Tafari, this set represents a period of political transition and modernization in Ethiopia under the reign of Empress Zauditu, the first female head of an internationally recognized state in Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries.