1910-22 Scott 51 4c violet & deep blue "Fang Warrior" A Bantu tribe in Gabon, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea Quick History On the west coast of Africa, Gabon became a French Colony in 1885. The Capital was Libreville, and the population was 400,000 in 1934. The name "Gabon" comes from the Portuguese "Gabao", meaning "cloak", the shape of the Komo River estuary by Libreville. Bantu tribes inhabited the area. Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza explored the territory, and later became colonial governor. Gabon had handstamped surcharged French Colonies stamp issues beginning in 1886. Then, from 1891 to 1904, Gabon was part of the French Congo. Gabon again issued their own stamps in 1904 with the "Navigation and Commerce" French colonial design. Although Gabon entered the Federation of French Equatorial Africa (along with three other colonies) in 1910, Gabon had their own stamp issues until 1936. Some of the later Gabon issues were overprinted "French Equatorial Africa". After 1936, only French Equatorial Africa stamps were issued. Gabon and French Equatorial Africa 1922 Gabon, as the Gabonese Republic, became independent from France in 1960. Modern day Gabon, about the same territory as the French colony More detail below about "French Equatorial Africa".... French Equatorial Africa stamps were issued exclusively after 1936, but the name has existed since 1910. Initially, Gabon and Middle Congo with its military dependencies were politically united as French Equatorial Africa, although each colony had administrative autonomy and had their own stamp issues. Ubangi-Chari-Chad was made an autonomous colony in 1915, and then in 1920 Chad was made an autonomous colony. The four colonies listed above were administratively united as one colony in 1934, and consequently the separate colonies stopped their own stamp issues in 1936. So to summarize: French Equatorial Africa consisted of four dependencies; namely Middle Congo, Ubangi-Shari, Chad and Gabon. 1904-07 Scott 17 2c brown/buff "Navigation and Commerce" The first non handstamped issue, consisting of 17 stamps Into the Deep Blue The 2011 Scott Classic Specialized catalogue, from 1886-1889, and then from 1904-1933, has 183 major numbers in the regular, semi-postal, and postage due categories. 100 are less than $3 CV. "Affordability" Index is 55%. Not very affordable are the handstamped ( "GAB" or "GABON") surcharged French Colonies issues of 1886-1889. They consist of 15 stamps, with the least expensive @ $65, but usually much more. They would interest the specialist, but probably not the world wide collector. The next issue (17 stamps), from the years 1904-07 ,(illustrated above), is the well known "Navigation and Commerce" design. Seven are valued @