Eritrea_1893_45c_block
On January 1, 1893, values from 1 centesimo to 5 lire of the 1863-1891 Italian definitive series were released with the overprint COLONIA ERITREA. The lower values were overprinted in upper and lower case letters in a straight line, while the values above 5c were overprinted in capitals in a semi-circle. The lowest three denominations have been recorded with inverted overprints.

Similar overprints were applied to the stamps of Italy’s 1893-1897 definitive series and these were introduced at various dates between 1895 and 1899. The Italian definitives of 1901 were simmilarly overprinted in 1903.

Overprinted Italian stamps remained in use until 1910, when a distinctive pictorial series was introduced.