Here we have a country that in colonial times was the second largest exporter of tin in the world. The mining of tin is something that can be done just with a man and a pick axe. Yet post independence, and flush with oil revenue, the tin mining industry was allowed to wither to less than 10% of the 1910 level, below small and poor Rwanda. So slip on your smoking 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.
I don’t try to disguise my love for these colonial window into the colony stamps. Imagine the young stamp collector who may be trying to figure out what to do with his life viewing these stamps and seeing some truly exotic opportunities.
Todays stamp is issue A4, a one and a half Pence stamp issued by the British Crown Colony of Nigeria on February 1st, 1936. It was a 12 stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 40 cents used. There is a more perforation version that ups the value to $4.50 used. Independent Nigeria is pretty good for showing off their industries on their stamps, but the common 1974 issue doesn’t bother with mines. It does list vaccine production, and you were worried about some vaccine concocted in a hurry by President Trump or Bill Gates depending on your politics…
The National Africa Company was capitalized with private capital to operate a series of trading posts along the Niger River. It’s main business was palm oil but one of it’s employees/fortune seekers, Sir William Wallace discovered tin veins in the granite of the Jos Plateau in 1884. The company went through many changes including much competition from French and native King Ja Ja and in 1900 the assets were sold to the British Government.
In 1903, the British colonial administration did a survey of mineral resources in Nigeria and word got out about the opportunities available in tin mining. By 1910 over 80 companies were involved in tin mining and Nigeria was the second largest tin exporter in the world after Russia. Production peaked at more than 13000 tons a year exported.
I did a stamp a while ago about the tin industry in Malaysia. There Chinese who had come to Malaya as coolies often stayed beyond their contract to make a fortune in tin. This was done initially with a pick axe and the strength of their back, see https://the-philatelist.com/2019/01/07/malaysia-1974-remembering-the-tin-industry-during-its-malaysian-sunset/ . This would not prove possible in Nigeria. The independent government nationalized all ongoing mining activities. Then the chaos of the late 1960s Biafra civil war saw the departure of expatriate mining exports. With now low productivity came large losses and the government shut down the operations one by one. The most recent number for tin exports I could find was 574 tons.
In the 21st century, Nigeria has relaxed some of their restrictions on mining. In fact they are actively courting Chinese investment in the sector. I think we are beyond the day when Chinese send out large numbers of strong backed coolies. It will be interesting to watch how their adventurous investors fare.
Well my drink is empty. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.