On 6 March 1957 Ghana put itself on gummed paper: one design — an egret over the outline of Africa, Nkrumah in an oval at right — issued in four values and four single inks, photogravure by Harrison & Sons, perf 14 x 14½. Three years later Jean Pheulpin drew and engraved Cameroun's independence stamp in Paris, one hand giving a whole series its house style.

This system takes that unit seriously. A small upright rectangle inside real perforation teeth. Country name across the head, face value in a corner cartouche, a portrait held in an oval. Colour separates the denominations; it never blends. The mark-making is engraved line and gravure screen, on a sheet that shows its selvedge.