Ethiopia 1919 Overprinted Postage Stamp

Ethiopia · 1919 · 1/4 Guerche

This stamp features a portrait of Emperor Menelik II, a pivotal figure in modern Ethiopian history. It is part of a series originally issued in 1909 that was later overprinted in 1919 with new denominations in both Amharic and French script. The overprint signifies a currency revaluation or the need to update existing stamp stock.

Issued during the regency of Ras Tafari Makonnen (later Emperor Haile Selassie), these overprinted stamps reflect a period of modernization and political transition in the Ethiopian Empire following the death of Menelik II.