SOUTH AFRICAN PROVINCES TRANSVAAL - Postal History
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 2785
Symbol: C
Cat No: Collection
Second Boer War group including 1899 cover with 'Veld-Post/GF Fleischer/Duitsch & Johannesburg/ Commandos' Frank Stamp with ½d green tied 'HOOFDLAGER/ZAR' cds, 1900 'IN DIENST/Z.A.REPUBLIEK' envelope endorsed "No Stamps Available" to England where 'WAR/[crown/OFFICE' h/s applied & redirected, OHMS envelope with roneo'd 'Soldier Sleeping' illustration to UK with 'ARMY P.O.43' cds (and India QV 5r used stamp affixed!), Postal Card with Railways printed message and 'ARMY P.O./55' cds & British Registration Envelope with 'ARMY P.O.53' cds and triangular 'PBC/MIDDELBURG' h/s, 1902 GB Lettercard with 'KRUGERSDORP/ P.B.C./A.E.MAINWARING' large h/s in red, GB KEVII 1d x2 tied 'ARMY POST OFFICE/ELANDSFONTEIN' cds and 'F.F. Canteen S.G. No.4' h/s, OHMS cover with 'E.[crown]R./ TRANSVAAL/OFFICIAL PAID' Frank Stamp, Siege of Ladysmith PPC unused, Battle of Dundee PPC to Germany with 'VRI' 1d, Machadodorp Postal Cards CTO x2, etc, condition variable.
(Qty 15)
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 2786
Symbol: C=
Cat No: Collection
Official Mail group including 1895 Money Order envelopes x2 unused one with red printing on dark-blue stock, 1897 Savings Bank folded notice, 1902 Returned Paid Letter envelope with 'IN DIENST' replaced by 'On His Majesty's Service' plus similar 1903 with English printing only, 'GENERAL POST OFFICE/ TRANSVAAL' OHMS envelope unused, also a range of pieces with 'ARMY, TRANSVAAL/OFFICIAL' h/s many with 1902-10 cds alongside, condition generally fine to very fine.
(Qty 40) (Image1)
Estimate AU$200
Opening AU$ 150.00
Sold...AU$ 150.00
Closed..Apr-27-2022, 20:00:00 EST
Sold For 150
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 2787
Symbol: PS
Cat No: Collection
Postal Stationery unused group including Jeppe 1869 First Provisional Envelope with 'POTCHEFSTROOM/ G.P.K./["6d"]/1869/Z.A.R.' cds & Second Provisional Envelope with '.../["6d"]/69/ZUID AFRIKA' cds, Davis 1872 Eagle & Arms 6d blue Envelope and 1873 Small Format x2 & Large Format x3 with different flap ornaments plus forgeries x3, various Envelopes, Postal Cards including 1898 Reply Card with advertising plus with 'V.R.I.' Overprints x3, Registration Envelopes with 'V.R.I.' & 'E.R.I.' Overprints, Wrappers, etc, also 1899 Lettersheet 1d red & green (unissued) and 1902 KEVII Postal Card 1d red & Envelope ½d green both with 'SPECIMEN' overprints, condition a little variable but most are fine to very fine.
(Qty 34) (Image1)
Estimate AU$300
Opening AU$ 260.00
Sold...AU$ 260.00
Closed..Apr-27-2022, 20:00:00 EST
Sold For 260
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 2788
Symbol: C
Cat No: 138
1880 (Dec 16) cover to England posted on the day of the outbreak of the First Boer War endorsed "Via Kimberley & Cape Town" with First British Occupation 1/- green SG 138 lower-left corner example with two imperf margins (minor faults) cancelled by very fine strike of the Concentric Rings Numeral '12' alongside largely very fine 'MIDDELBURG/DEC16/80/TRANSVAAL' cds (cross stops), carried via Natal with tiny part '[DUR]BAN' transit b/s, two strikes of 'H'-in-circle h/s in red ['Held'?] on face, 'GODALMING/5JY/81' arrival b/s evidencing almost 7 months transit, minor fold & edge faults. The Packet Letter rate to Great Britain via the Cape Colony was 1/- per ½oz comprising 6d letter rate to the Cape plus 6d Packet to UK; that via Natal was only 10d per ½oz (4d letter rate to Natal plus 6d Packet). Middelburg opened -.12.1872; closed ?; re-opened as PO 1.11.1887. Putzel rated RRR in this period. The numeral is previously recorded in 1898 only; this is now the earliest known date.
On 13.12.1880 the Boer leaders proclaimed the restoration of the Transvaal Republic after the British Occupation of 1871. Three days later on 16.12.1880 their Vierkleur flag was first raised at Heidelberg. On the same day the first skirmish of the war took place at Potchefstroom with the Boer 'Commando' led by General Piet Cronje. Matthews (p207) states that "The Cape Postmaster-General confirmed that the mails between the Transvaal and the Cape had ceased for a while - no doubt due to the hostilities in 1880 - but had been resumed on a weekly basis in 1881". This item was presumably held for some time before being forwarded via Natal, and the British (?) 'H' h/s was apparently applied to explain the delay in delivery.
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 2789
Symbol: C
Cat No: 171 & 173
1885 (March 5) cover to London with three-colour two-issue franking of Celliers 1d black & 3d pale red (SG 171 & 173) plus First British Occupation QV 6d olive black (SG 137) tied by two legible strikes of Concentric Ring Numeral '1' and Pretoria cds alongside, Cape Town 'MR11' transit and London arrival b/s, minor blemishes and a couple of closed tears slightly affecting the despatch cds but not the stamps. The Convention of Pretoria of 8.8.1881 specifically authorised the use of remainders of First British Occupation stamps after the Second Republic was established, and the 1880 agreement for mail via the Cape Colony to be fully paid by Transvaal stamps was also continued. The Packet & ship letter rates from the Cape to the UK were 6d per ½oz. From 25.8.1882 the letter rate from Transvaal to the Cape Colony was reduced from 6d to 4d per ½oz, and so the combined rates were reduced from 1/- to 10d per ½oz (further reduced to 8d from 1.4.1885). Carried by the 'Mexican' leaving Cape Town 11.3.1885, calling at Madeira on 26.3.1885 and arriving at Plymouth on 31.3.1885. The illustration is above Lot 2788.
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 2790
Symbol: C
Cat No: 175 & 177
1886 (Oct 22) cover to New Jersey with Vurtheim ½d grey x3 & 2d brown-purple x4 (SG 175 & 177) tied by six fine strikes of the Pretoria Concentric Ring Numeral '1' and 'G.P.O./TRANSVAAL' cds alongside, Cape Town 'OC27' transit b/s, London '17/NO' transit where British '2½d' accountancy mark in red applied on face and New York 'PAID/ALL' b/s, letter enclosed re journal subscription, minor blemishes and a few aging marks. The Packet & ship letter rates from the Cape Colony to the USA via Great Britain were 7½d per ½oz, including the 2½d credit to Great Britain for forwarding the item to another UPU country. From 1.4.1885 the letter rate from Transvaal to the Cape Colony was reduced from 4d to 2d per ½oz, and so the combined rates were reduced from 11½d to 9½d per ½oz.
1888 (late) envelope endorsed "Drukwerk" [= Printed Matter] sent with the flap unsealed, to Holland with Vurtheim 2d olive tied by largely very fine strike of Pretoria Triangular Barred Numeral 'ZAR/1' paying the 2oz Book Postage rate to Europe, no despatch marking but 'J.H.E. BAL/ACCOUNTANT/E.O/PRETORIA' sender's oval cachet in violet on face, light '11/DEC/88' arrival b/s, a few edge faults from apparently bulky contents.
1891 (Oct 22) Telegram Receipt Form 'Telegraafkantoor' for the sum of £1:10:8 [d] for a '["Kabel"] Telegram' sent to Delagoa Bay, Mozambique (now Maputo Bay) with Vurtheim 6d blue affixed tied by very fine strike of 'PRETORIA' squared circle (no base inscription) in bright blue plus another strike alongside, a couple of very minor blemishes.
1892 (July 31) usage of Postal Card Vurtheim 1d carmine to Holland with Vurtheim 4d bronze-green added tied 'PRETORIA/Z.A.R' double-ring cds paying 5d Europe letter rate via Great Britain, lengthy personal message in Afrikaans on reverse, 'G.P.O/CAPE TOWN' transit and '23/AUG/92' arrival d/s with 'B.5' postman's h/s on face, minor blemishes mostly on back. Until a specific overseas postcard rate of 2d to UPU countries (1½d to Great Britain and some British possessions) was introduced on 1.12.1892, such postcards were liable to be paid at the prevailing letter rates.
1893 (Feb 3) cover to Germany with "Buenos Aires" [Argentina] return address, Vurtheim 2d olive pair with 'PIETERSBURG/Z.A.R.' cds paid the 4d per ½oz foreign letter but apparently overweight & taxed with 'T' h/s and "T/65" manuscript in blue pencil, London transit & Berlin arrival b/s, minor faults & back flap missing. The 'T' h/s was apparently applied in the Cape Colony, this h/s seemingly identical to that illustrated by Brian Trotter in Fig.F7/48 (p255). Although Transvaal joined the UPU on 1.1.1893, the 4d foreign rate was maintained for 2½ years until 1.8.1895.
1893 (May 10) pre-printed 'Z.A.REPUBLIEK' cover to London with '2½ Pence' on 1/- green x 5 (one with rounded corner; all showing Surcharge Misplaced Upwards) tied by multiple strikes of 'REGISTERED LETTER OFFICE/CAPE TOWN' oval d/s in red, London '29MAY93' arrival on face, some aging marks & minor edge faults. As there are no Transvaal markings, the origin of the item is a mystery: was it carried privately, diplomatically, by TPO or somehow just escaping cancellation of the stamps in the Transvaal, or was it posted at Cape Town (but then why not taxed as the stamps were not valid for postage there)? The rate paid does not give any clues as it appears over-franked in any event.
1894 (Dec 14) local cover with Vurtheim Perf 12½ 2d olive-bistre (SG 178) bisected diagonally tied by Pretoria cds, minor aging marks and a couple of light folds not affecting the stamp. The 1d town letter rate was introduced on 24.5.1886, and was subsumed into the reduced 1d internal letter rate from 6.9.1895. RPSL Certificate (1964) "... is genuine" but erroneously identifies the stamp as 2d purple-brown (SG 177).
1897 (Nov 6) to USA endorsed "Register/AR" with Enschedé ½d 1d x2 2d x2 and 2½d tied 'NYLSTROOM' cds, oval 'R/ZAR' h/s on face, US registry markings including 'AVIS DE RECEPTION' cachet on face, minor blemishes. The rate was 2½d UPU letter, 4d registration fee plus 2½d Advice of Delivery fee = 9d.
1901 (Feb 18) pre-printed 'On Her Majesty's Service' (altered to 'His' with h/s) blue envelope addressed to "Military Telegraphs, Johannesburg" with Enschede 1d rose & green tied by largely very fine strike of Second Boer War British 'ARMY/J 18.11.01 EN/TELEGRAPHS' cds in violet, another similar strike on back, a couple of minor blemishes. [An inverted '4' appears to have been used to substitute for a '0' in the dateline]
1906 (Oct 11) usage in Swaziland of KEVII 1d red tied by largely very fine strike of 'MBABANE/SWAZILAND' cds on 'A young Zulu' postcard showing Zulu warrior with weapons & shield published by Sallo Epstein & Co, Johannesburg, to UK re-directed with 'BURGESS-HILL S.O. SUSSEX/NO 2/06' transit d/s, minor blemishes.
1908 1908 cover to addressee "c/o Thos Cook & Son", London with KEVII 1d tied by 'CANTONMENT/ -2JUN08/POTSCHEFSTROOM/14NOV1904' cds, apparently over ½oz so taxed with Cape Town octagonal 'T/["20"]/CENTIMES' h/s and British '2D/LS/G' cachet, re-directed with 'CHARGE NOT PAID/E.C. No1' h/s, a few blemishes & aging marks. (Image1)
Estimate AU$100
Opening AU$ 75.00
Sold...AU$ 75.00
Closed..Apr-27-2022, 20:00:00 EST
Sold For 75
Sale No: 247
Lot No: 2801
Symbol: PS
1908 (Nov 23) usage of Postal Card KEVII ½d green to India via Mozambique, taxed with Pretoria 'T/1D' circular cachet (Trotter Fig.F13.23), 'LOURENCO MARQUES/24-11/08' and Bombay transits, further taxed with 'OVERLAND POSTAGE/DUE/As/2' h/s and 'MADRAS/23DE08/UNPAID' small oval cachet in green, minor blemishes.
1910 (circa) OHMS parcel tag to British Columbia, Canada with 'AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT/ TRANSVAAL/[crown]/47/OFFICIAL' oval h/s in violet on face and interprovincial combination franking of Transvaal KEVII 1d carmine x2, 2d black & purple x2, 2d purple x4 & 6d black & orange pair plus Cape of Good Hope KEVII 1/- ochre pair, all on back tied by Pretoria 'PR' undated concentric-ring obliterators paying a total of 4/8d, some folds & creases affecting adhesives but still quite attractive. A scarce survivor.
