British Bechuanaland was a short-lived Crown colony of the United Kingdom that existed in southern Africa from its formation in 1885 until its annexation to the neighbouring Cape Colony in 1895. British Bechuanaland had an area of 51,424 square miles (133,190 km2) and a population of 84,210. On 2 December 1885 stamps from Cape of Good Hope overprinted ‘British Bechuanaland’ were made available at Vryburg post office. Eight different values from ½d to 1s were overprinted by W A Richards & Son of Cape Town. Todays stamp with the denomination of two shillings and six pence is from the issue in 1887. Like most other British stamps of the era, it bears the portrait of Queen Victoria.