Postal Orders of Zanzibar

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Although Zanzibar is today a part of the United Republic of Tanzania, its numismatic history continues to this day through the issue of postal orders. Zanzibari postal orders are issued at Zanzibar Town on Zanzibar island and at Chake Chake on Pemba.

[edit] Zanzibari-issued British Postal Orders

Some of the British Postal Orders issued in Zanzibar were overprinted 'EAST AFRICA'. It is not yet known when they were first issued, or when they were last issued.

[edit] Zanzibari-issued East African Postal Orders

In 1964, Zanzibar united with Tanganyika to form Tanzania. Tanzania, like Kenya & Uganda issued a common issue of local East African Postal Orders. It is currently not yet known when the local East African postal orders were issued, or when they were last issued.

[edit] Zanzibari-issued Tanzanian Postal Orders

It is not yet known when Tanzania's own postal orders were first issued, but they are known to have been issued in Zanzibar. Tanzanian postal orders are inscribed entirely in English, yet the Zanzibaris speak the Zanzibari Swahili language, which is much purer than the Tanganyikan Swahili language. Postal orders are still being issued today in both parts of Tanzania.