Chad - Travel/Philately/Numismatics/Memorabilia Profile

Chad is a landlocked country in Central Africa bordered by Libya, Sudan, Central African Republic, Cameroon and Nigeria, and Niger. The country is termed “Dead Heat of Africa” because of its largely desert climate and distance from the sea. The country covers a land area of around 500,000 square miles with a population of over 10 million people making it a sparsely populated country at around 21 per square. Human presence in this country dates back to 7000 BC. Chad is one of the poorest countries of the world with a per-capita GDP (ppp) of around $1500. Sustenance farming was the mainstay until oil production began in 2003 – Chad is estimated to have around 1.5 billion barrels of oil. Ethnic problems is a major issue in this country which is in dire need of proper infrastructure.

Travel Resources:

The climate is tropical - one-third of the country is part of the Sahara desert while the rest of the country has a rainy season that stretches from May to October. Chad is a beautiful country where tourism is only in its infancy. Hence it is much more expensive than other African countries. Zakouma National Park, renowned for hunting and fishing, is the crown jewel among Chad’s attractions. This park has been nominated to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Resource	ISBN or ASIN	Best Price	Description
Chad Country Study Guide – Strategic Information	978-1438708294	$150	International Business Publications book.
The First Human: The Race to Discover Our Earliest Ancestors	978-1400076963	$11	A popular account of discoveries and the rivalry and collaboration among the discoverers in the rugged locales of Middle Awash of Ethiopia, Tugen Hills of Kenya, and the Djurab Desert of Chad.
Chad Grounded Adapter Plug Kit – GUB and GUF	B001FD85S0	$15

Philatelic Profile:

The first stamps of Chad are ‘TCHAD’ overprints on Types of Middle Congo from the period 1907 to 1917 released in 1922. The set (Scott #1 to #18) catalogs for around $65 MNH or used. The designs show leopard, Bakalois woman, and coconut grove. A reissue of this issue from 1922 in different colors overprinted “Afrique Equattoriale Francaise” were the only stamps used in Chad during the period from 1924 to 1933. The set (Scott #19 to #50) catalogs for around $80 MNH or used. A surcharged variety was also issued during the period from 1924 to 1927. Those stamps (Scott #51 to #59) catalog for around $30 MNH or used.

Below are other relevant stamp issues of Chad over the years:

1. The first original issues of Chad were released in 1959 to mark the first anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic. The set (Scott #64 and #65) catalogs for around a dollar MNH and a few cents for used. The designs show symbols of “Birth of the Republic” and “Solidarity of the Community”.
2. A set of thirteen stamps released between 1961 and 1962 to mark the first anniversary of Independence. The set (Scott #70 to #82) catalogs for around $8 MNH and $3 for used. The designs show Biltine and dorcas gazelle, Logone and elephant, Batha and lion, Salamat and buffalo, Ouaddai and kudu, Bessada and giant eland, Tibesti Mountains and mouflon, Rocherg and antelope, Kanem and cheetah, Borkou and oryx, and Gorge of Archet and addax. The design is unique in that it shows the landscape as the main image and an outline of the animal using white lines over it. 
3. A set of five stamps (Scott #90 to #94) released on December 2, 1963 in the Excavation theme. The set catalogs for around $5 MNH and $2 for used. The designs show excavated Sao Art: clay weight, ancestral mask, ancestral clay statuette, bronze gazelle, and bronze pectoral. 
4. A set of four stamps (Scott #139 to #142) released on May 23 1963 in the Butterflies theme. The set catalogs for around $25 MNH and $2 for Used. This was followed by as sister set of four stamps (Scott #159 to #162) released on October 1, 1968 in the Moths theme. That set also has similar catalog value. The designs show tiger moth, owlet, gynanisa maja (saturnid), and epiphora bauhiniae (saturnid).
5. A set of six stamps (Scott #473 to #479) released on March 15 1984 in the transportation theme. The set catalogs for around $17 MNH and $4 used. The design are Locomotive Lady from 1879, Sailboat on Lake Chad, Graf Zeppelin, Renault Desert Transport, Bloch 120 Monoplane, and Air Africa DC-8.
6. A set of four stamps released on October 9, 1989 in the Traditional Hair Styles theme. The set is very valuable at around $150. A few other sets issued during the period till 1993 are also very highly valued. Those include a set of five stamps (Scott #633a-e) released on September 1, 1992 in the ‘Fight Against Insect Pests’ theme; A set of four stamps released on April 15, 1993 in the ‘Palace of the People’ theme; A set of four stamps released on December 27 1993 (Scott #634 to #638) in the Tourism theme.

Numismatic Profile:

The first coins of Chad were 100 Francs Nickels introduced in 1970 with the Three Eland Obverse and denomination within circle and date in reverse issued by the Central African States Monetary Union. The issues are not especially valuable cataloging in the $5 range for UNC. Prior to this, coinage of the French Equatorial African and Equatorial African States were used. Chad has issued some commemorative gold coins and proofs with low mintage over the years including the 10th anniversary of independence Nude half figure of woman, shield of arms, and denomination in Obverse and Commandant Lamy in Reverse.

Other numismatic items of Chad include:

Item	Price Range	Description
Coins	$30 and up	Essais from the 70s start around $30. Colored Silver Proofs from the 2000s start around $50. Gold coins and certain proof sets go well into the 100s.
Paper Money	$10 and up	UNC banknotes from the 2000s start around $10. Rare banknotes and high values from the 70s and 80s go into the 100s.

Collectible Memorabilia:

The crafts industry of Chad can boast of many items such as camel-hair carpets, embroidered cotton cloths, decorated calabashes, knives, weapons, pottery, brass animals.


Last Updated: 12/2015.