Indian ½ Rupee counterstamped Victoria

(en) In 1862 French merchants bought Obock, a little harbour on the Red Sea. In 1868, shipowners from Marseille settled in Tadjoura gulf. These territories were then sold to the French government in 1884 and this latter extended its protectorate overall this desertic region which sole advantage of was its strategic position after the Suez Canal being bored. In 1896, Obock, Tadjoura, Damakil and Somali territories became the French Somaliland which capital of is Djibouti. Before WW1, foreign coins were mostly circulating in this territory. Indeed, metropolitan coins were legal tender, but they were too scarce. On November 21st 1885, this obliged Commandant Lagarde to enact an order giving legal tender to Austrian Maria-Theresia Thalers and to British India Rupees and Half Rupees (in the reign of Victoria).

Here, the counter stamp is engraved over a Victoria 1/2 Rupee.