As trade developed along the African coasts, forts and castles were built along the coast to protect the traders. Eventually a Danish one became the seat of government of independent Ghana. So slip on your amoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
Here we have another of the late colonial period stamps that I call the victory lap stamp. They feature the British Monarch and views of the colony. This one is a little different. Christianborg Castle was not built by the British, instead it was bought from the Danes who first built it. It still does celebrate the shift in power toward the coast and the building of a distinct nation separate from old tribal rivalries.
Todays stamp is issue A10, a 2 penny stamp issued by the then British Crown Colony of the Gold Coast in 1938. It was part of a thirteen stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents used. A mint 5 Shilling stamp from this issue is worth $65.
The Gold Coast, as the name implies, started along the coasts and slowly moved inland. It was first found by the Portuguese in 1471 but later Danes, British and Germans were involving themselves with the gold and slave trade. The Ashanti tribe was heavily involved in both and retained control of inland areas. Eventually The British bought out the Danes and made an alliance with the Fente and Ga tribes in opposition to the Ashanti. There were four Anglo-Ashanti wars that ended the slave trade and raiding and allowed for more advanced gold mining. The Ashanti had just panned for gold.
The colony went along pretty well. Cocoa trees were brought in and became the areas main cash crop. The British were ruling indirectly with many aspects left to tribal councils. There was also much infrastructure including roads, railroads, schools and hospitals. Unlike so many colonies, promising locals were given English educations at no cost to them. A British lead Gold Coast military served in both world wars.
This work did much to build a country but also lead toward independence. The newly educated and veterans were not part of the tribal system that British had coopted. Urban centers like Accra outside this Castle built up with such people and they wanted change, both away from the tribal councils and the British. It was perhaps a mistake to turn over power to this new elite instead of through the more traditional African tribal system as the result after independence was a theoretical republic but in reality a strongman who changes more often with coups and less with voters. We can’t know how it would have worked if the tribal system had been retained post independence but Gold Coast grew much faster in the first half of the 20th century than Ghana did in the second half.
Christianborg Castle was built by the Danes in 1661 and named after King Christian. It was later sold to the Portuguese and at one point conquered by the Ashanti before being resold to Denmark. In 1860 the Danish sold the castle and other Gold Coast interests to the British. In the late nineteenth and early 20 century the castle was rebuilt with wood upper floors to operate better as an administrative center for the Gold Coast Colony. After independence, the castle was the seat of the new government and was renamed Osu Castle after the Accra township. About 10 years ago, Ghana took out a 50 million dollar loan from India to construct a new Palace called Jubilee House. The old castle is to be opened to tourists who will want to see the reminders of the old slave and gold trade that make up the castle’s long history.
Well my drink is empty. Come again for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2018.