Uganda - Travel/Philately/Numismatics/Memorabilia Profile

Uganda, a landlocked country in East Africa bordered by Kenya, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Lake Victoria has a total land area of 91,136 square miles and a population of around 32.4 million. Uganda, enclosed within the Nile basin, is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". The country is blessed with natural beauty and natural resources including untapped reserves of crude oil and natural gas. It is heartening to note that after years of political bondage, Ugandan economy showed a robust 7% growth. The main sectors of its economy are agriculture, construction, and services. Increasing international tourists and upmarket facilities is proof that tourism is fast picking up. However visitors are encouraged to practice safety until this fledgling country takes to its wings.

Travel Resources: 

The best time to visit Uganda is either December through march or June through September. Even though the National Parks are a mere shadow of their glorious past, they provide wonderful wildlife experiences including gorilla tracking and over 11% of the world’s bird population. The national parks are Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forests, and the Rwenzori Mountains Ranges. Additionally it has numerous hiking trails and historical monuments. Its cuisine is a blend of traditional cooking with English, Arab, and Indian influences, which at the very basic level is a combination of carbohydrate and protein. A traditional meal would be matoke (mashed green banana) sauced in groundnuts, beans or meat along with chapathi (Indian flatbread). Soybean is popular for breakfast.

Resource	ISBN or ASIN	Best Price	Description
Uganda Bradt Travel Guide	978-1841623092	$18	Best Travel Guide for Uganda! Part I is a traveler’s introduction covering about 125 pages. Part II has sections on Kampa, Entebbe and Environs, The Mbarara Road, Kigezi, Kasese and Environs, Fort Portal, Murchison Falls and Lake Albert, Gulu and the North, West Nile, Eastern Uganda, and Jinja.
Uganda Map by Nelles	978-3865740779	$10	1:700,000 Scale. City map of Kampala.
Uganda Grounded Adapter Plug Kit – GUD and GUF	B0016ZPWSS	$14

Philatelic Profile:

The first stamps of Uganda were simple typewriter prints issued between 1895 and 1897. Each stamp from the series (Scott #1 to #68) is rare and valuable cataloging upwards of $400 each. The rarest (Scott #23 40c black) catalog as high as $8K mint or used. A couple of varieties exist for the first issues - they were produced by Rev. Ernest Millar of the Church Missionary Society and he got a new typewriter in 1895 thus accounting for the variety. Forgeries of the first issues are known to exist. Protestant Missionaries entered the country in 1877 followed by Catholic missionaries in 1879. Uganda released a set of eight stamps showing a portrait of Queen Victoria (QV) in two slightly different designs. The set (Scott #69 to #76) catalogs for around $145 mint and around $230 used. This was followed by a ‘Uganda’ overprint on British East Africa issue portraying QV in a similar design in 1902. That stamp (Scott #77) is inexpensive and catalogs for around two dollars mint or used. Several error varieties exist (inverted overprint, double overprint, and pair with one having no overprint) and those fetch upwards of $1000. The United Kingdom placed the area under the British East Africa Company in 1888 and ruled it as protectorate from 1894. Uganda gained independence from Great Britain on October 9, 1962.

Other issues of Uganda enjoying good philatelic interest include:

1. A set of twelve stamps released on October 9, 1962 to mark Uganda’s Independence achieved that same day. The set (Scott #83 to #94) catalogs for around $14 MNH and around half that for used. The designs show Murchison Falls, tobacco growing, coffee growing, Ankole Cattle, cotton growing, Mountains of the Moon, Rubaga and Namirembe Cathedrals and Kibuli Mosque, Mulago Hospital and X-Ray Service, Makerere College and students, Copper Mining, Cement Factory, and Parliament. Uganda has plenty of natural resources including crude oil, natural gas, mineral deposits, and fertile soils. It is still one of the world’s poorest countries due to devastating economic policies and instability.
2. A set of fourteen stamps released on October 9, 1965 showing the Arms of Uganda and Birds. The set (Scott #97 to #110) catalogs for around $60 MNH and around $35 used. The designs show black bee-eater, African jacana, orange weaver, narina trogon, sacred ibis, blue-breasted kingfisher, whale-headed stork, black-winged red bishop, Ruwenzori turaco, African fish eagle, great blue turaco, lilac-breasted roller, black-collared lovebird, and crowned crane. 
3. A set of four stamps and a souvenir sheet released on August 22, 1983 in the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) theme. The set (Scott #371 to #374 and #375) catalogs for around $30 MNH or used. The designs show African elephants and WWF emblem.
4. A set of eight stamps and two souvenir sheets released on January 18, 1991 in the Fish theme. The set (Scott #859 to #866, #867 and #868) catalogs for around $25 MNH or used. The designs show red-chest chichlid, palmqvisti killifish, silver distichodus, haplochromis sauvagei (another chichlid species), banner lyretail, haplochromis johnstoni, haplochromis dichrourus, jewel cichlid, ray-finned chichlid, and red-striped killifish. Lake Victoria is inhabited with over 500 species of fish, 90% of which were cichlids. The introduction of exotic fish such as Nile perch drove several hundred species of native cichlids to extinction or near extinction.
5. A set of four stamps released on May 8, 2002 showing Historic Sites of East Africa. The set (Scott #1757 to #1760) catalogs for around $5 MNH or used. The designs show Namugongo Shrine Church in Uganda, Maruhubi Palace Ruins in Zanzibar, Kings’ Burial Grounds in Mparo in Uganda, and Old Law Court in Mombasa in Kenya.

Numismatic Profile:

The first coin of Uganda was a Republic Standard Coinage (100 Cents = 1 Shilling) Bronze 5 Cents coin issued in 1966 showing value above crossed tusks in Obverse and value within circular sprig in Reverse. It has very high mintage (41M) and catalogs for well under a dollar in UNC. The first gold coin was a 0.1999 troy ounce 50 Shillings Gold Proof released in 1969 to commemorate the visit of Pope Paul VI. The design shows National Arms in Obverse and Martyrs’ shrine within circle in Reverse and catalogs for a slight premium over bullion value.

Numismatic items of Uganda include:

Item	Price Range	Description
Coins	$1 and up	UNC Shillings from the 1980s onward starts around $1. FAO Issues in UNC, Year Sets, etc start around $10. Commemorative Silver Colored Proofs from the 1990s, Mint Proof Sets in Original Box, etc start around $40. Low Mintage Silver Proofs, Silver Color Proof Sets, etc go into the 100s.
Paper Money	$2 and up	UNC Shillings from the 1980s onward starts around $2. Recent High Value UNCs, UNC sets of 5-pieces or more, etc start around $10. Continuous Serial Number UNCs of 10-pieces or more, High Value Replacement Banknotes in UNC, etc start around $30. Rare Specimens, UNC Year Sets, Bundles, etc go well into the 100s.

Collectible Memorabilia:

Handcraft products such as baskets, mats, ceramics and pottery, beads, batik textiles, leather products, and wood products are the popular items of Uganda.

Resource	Price Range	Description
Art	$5 and up	Batik Paintings start around $5. Paolo Uganda Art Photos start around $40. Blanket Art Prints start around $100.
Jewelry	$5 and up	Paper Bead Earrings, Necklaces, etc start around $5.
Miscellaneous Collectibles	$2 and up	Flags, Stickers, Patches, etc start around $2. Politically relevant photos from the 60s and 70s start around $10. Rwensori Bowls and Raffia Coiled Baskets start around $30. Authentic Vintage Carved Wood Milk Containers start into the 100s.

Last Updated: 12/2015.