Tanzania 1990 Official Overprints on Wildlife Definitives

Tanzania · 1990 · Various (set of 10)

This is a set of ten definitive stamps originally issued in 1980, featuring various Tanzanian wildlife such as the African elephant, giraffe, and various birds. In 1990, these stamps were overprinted with the word 'OFFICIAL' in black for use on government mail. The overprint repurposed existing stock for a new postal function.

The use of overprints for official mail was a common and economical practice for postal administrations, allowing them to adapt existing definitive stamps for specific governmental purposes without incurring the cost of designing and printing new issues.