I spent a few hours on my South African stamp collection today, poring over my Scott stamp catalog to find the fine— but distinct— differences between the various issues of the ubiquitous 1 p Dromedaris stamps issued in 1926, 1932, 1940 and in 1951 (shown below).
A little history first: On April 6, 1652 (372 years ago), Jan Van Riebeeck landed at the Cape of Good Hope in what is called South Africa today, with three ships; the Reijer, the Dromedaris, and the Goede Hoop. He was accompanied by 82 men and 8 women, including his wife of two years, Maria. Van Riebeeck was requested by the Dutch East India Company to undertake the command of the initial Dutch settlement in the future South Africa.
About this stamp: From the First Definite Series of the Union of South Africa (a redesign of the original 1926 version, issued in 1951) Photogravure printing Perf. 15×14 Wmk. Multiple Springbok head 49 A6 1 p carmine & black Afrikaans-English se-tenant pair (’51, size 18x22mm) of Jan van Riebeeck’s ship, the Dromedaris [Source: 2021 Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue Vol. 6A]
Another batch of stamps from South Africa that I had ordered online, landed on my porch.
Here is one of my favorite sets, presented on a miniature sheet.
I feel ‘Planet of the Apes’* vibes, looking at it.
*Originally a 1963 novel by French author Pierre Boulle.
Origins of Humans Issued 2006, Nov. 10 Serpentine Die-cut Perf. 11½x11¾ No Wmk Self-adhesive C77 AP20 R3.80 Sheet of 4 a. Paranthropus robustus b. Australopithecus africanus c. Homo heidelbergensis d. Homo ergaster [Source: Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue 2021, Vol. 6A]Homo heidelbergensis is an extinct species or subspecies of archaic human which existed during the Middle Pleistocene. It was classified as a subspecies of H. erectus in 1950 as H. e. heidelbergensis.
H. heidelbergensis is placed as the most recent common ancestor between modern humans (H. sapiens or H. s. sapiens) and Neanderthals (H. neanderthalensis or H. s. neanderthalensis).
Paranthropus robustus is a species of robust australopithecine (primate) from the Early and possibly Middle Pleistocene of the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa, about 2.27 to 0.87 million years ago.
Homo ergaster is an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Africa in the Early Pleistocene.
Whether H. ergaster constitutes a species of its own or should be subsumed into H. erectus is an ongoing and unresolved dispute within paleoanthropology.
Australopithecus africanus is an extinct species of australopithecine (primate) which lived between about 3.3 and 2.1 million years ago in the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene of South Africa. The species has been recovered from Taung, Sterkfontein, Makapansgat, and Gladysvale.
A batch of South African stamps that I had ordered from a seller in Germany arrived yesterday.
This set is one of my favorites.
2005 Folklore and Legends of South Africa Issued Jul. 1, 2005 1348 A450 B5 sheet of 10 Perf. 14¼ No Watermark B5 is a code for a medium-sized postcard, sent domestically in South Africa— R3.75 at the time of issue. [Source: 2009 Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, Vol. 6]
There was mail today, with of old South African stamps from an Ebay seller in North Carolina.
(I have expanded the original 1961-2000 timeframe for my South Africa stamp collection backwards to 1910, when the Union of South Africa was established).
From the Stanley Gibbons Catalog: Issued Nov 2, 1936, for the Johannesburg International Philatelic Exhibition Perf. 14½ x14, watermarked Multiple Springbok’s head, inverted, overprinted ‘JIPEX 1936’ MS70 7 Dromedaris (Jan van Riebeeck’s ship) 1d grey and carmine Issued in miniature sheets of 6 stamps with marginal advertisements. 21 different arrangements of the advertisements exist.
A sheet of Christmas Stamps from South Africa, issued in 1979. Christmas Stamps were first issued in South Africa in 1929. These stamps are sometimes called ‘Cinderella’ stamps, since they are not good for paying for postage, and not listed in any of the formal stamp catalogues.
I fancy myself to be a hard-core philatelist— at least when it comes to the stamps from South Africa in my collection.
To identify variants of a particular stamp that had been issued, I would say one needs at least a detailed stamp catalogue, a magnifying glass, and a stamp perforation gauge. Let’s also throw in an ultra-violet (UV) light, for stamps tagged with special inks.
1933 6d Orange Tree | Orange and dark green | Perf. 15×14 | Photogravure printing, Die III | Watermark multiple Springbok Heads | Afrikaans or English text The orange tree on this 6 penny stamp was a symbol for the Orange Free State province of the Union of South Africa. (After 1994, the Orange Free State province name was shortened to Free State.)The 6d stamp comes in three different designs (printing dies). In addition, there are two known flaws: the ‘falling ladder’ ($177 per pair) and the ‘mole hill’ * ($147 per pair). These flawed stamps are sometimes worth ten times or more than the flawless ones*. *Then again, in the words of Henry Havelock Ellis ‘The absence of flaw is in itself a flaw’. [Source: 2016 Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue for Commonwealth & British Empire Stamps 1840-1970)
Bok, bok, staan styf Hoeveel vingers op jou lyf? Vier!
(An Afrikaans rhyme from a children’s game.
Loosely translated, it says
‘Bok, bok, hold still.
What number of fingers do you feel?
Four! says the Bok).
Top: Reporting in The Observer/ The Guardian by Robert Kitson at the Stade de France. Cartoon by South African cartoonist Dr Jack. One more stripe can now be added under the Rugby World Cup trophy on the Bok’s sleeve. The event takes place every four years, and South Africa has now won four times: 1995, 2007, 2019, 2023. The first RWC was held in 1987 and other past winners are: New Zealand (3 times), Australia (twice) and England (once).
Brutal political cartoon in South African daily newspaper ‘Die Burger’ (The Citizen) from yesterday.
The cartoonist goes by the alias Dr Jack.
Pandor*: Thanks for taking my call. Hamas Terrorist: It is good to talk to someone that KNOWS how to bring a country to its knees. *Dr Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa since 2019. The African National Congress party (of which Pandor is a member) continues to demonstrate their abject incompetence and pervasive corruption while governing (make that: supposedly governing) the country. And lest we forget: the ANC was a terrorist organization in the 1980s in South Africa, killing civilians with pipe bombs and the like. (The South African government of the day engaged in atrocities itself, torturing and murdering ANC party members in return). Pandor has flip-flopped about denouncing Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine and in fact, called Russia a ‘valued partner’ after foreign minister Lavrov visited in January. She has criticized the International Criminal Court (ICC) for not having what she called an ‘evenhanded approach’ to all leaders responsible for violations of international law.
South Africa’s Springbokke prevailed 29-28 over the hometeam ‘Les Bleus’ from France in tonight’s 2023 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal. The match was played in the Stade de France, the national stadium of France, located just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis.
Next Saturday the Bokke will play against England.
In the other semifinal Argentina will take on New Zealand.
Eben Etzebeth played in the No 4 lock position, and is scoring a crucial try here, 27 minutes into the second half, to win the game for the Springboks. [Photo by Associated Press]
A fire that had started in the early hours of Thursday morning in an illegally occupied apartment building in the inner city of Johannesburg, South Africa, led to the death of 74 people.
The building had long been ‘hijacked’ from the city by a crime syndicate, and illegally rented out to vulnerable people.
As far as historians can tell, it’s the worst mass casualty in the storied history of Johannesburg. The metropolis of 5.6 million was founded in 1886 with the Witwatersrand Gold Rush.
The front page of Die Burger (The Citizen): 74 die in inferno. The building is located in a gritty industrial area of the city, in a suburb called Marshalltown. [Photo credit: Reuters]
Two envelopes arrived yesterday, with the latest acquisitions I had made for my stamp collection inside.
The sellers did me the favor of pasting lots of beautiful stamps on the outside of the envelopes.
Clockwise from top left: 150th Anniversary of Spanish Stamps (from a set of 11) Issued 2000, Oct.8, , Perf. 13 (round stamp), 13½x14, Photolith. 3067 A1073 Multi-colored 200p €1.20 Invention of the antenna and radio 3063 A1073 Multi-colored 200p €1.20 Signature of Miguel Induráin, cyclist Traditional Sports and Games Issued 2008, Perf. 13½x14, Photolith. Miniature Sheet of Martial Arts, 3 stamps & 3 labels 3577 A1469 Multi-colored, €0.43 Stick fighting (palo canario) 3577 A1469 Multi-colored, €0.43 Wrestling (lucha leonesa) 3577 A1469 Multi-colored, €0.43 Wrestling (lucha canaria) 150th Anniversary of International Red Cross Issued 2013, Oct.28, Perf. 12¾, Photolith. 3939 A1722 €0.90 Red and white Tapestries of Sports Scenes Taken from Painting Issued 2009, Jul.6, Perf. 12¾, Photolith. 3657 A1519 Multi-colored, €0.78, By Francisco de Goya (El Juego de Pelota a Pala) Women’s Dresses by Paco Rabane Issued 2013, Sept.12, Perf. 13×12¾, Photolith. 3926 A1715 Multi-colored, €0.52, See-through dress of red diamonds 3926 A1715 Multi-colored, €0.52, Dress made of large golden disks [Information from Scott 2017 Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue]Clockwise from top left: The 40th IHF World Hospital Congress 2016, Oct.31, Perf. 14 2496 Multicolored, Intnl. Small Letter, Minisheet (75mm x 75mm) The Many Faces of Nelson Mandela Issued 2001, Nov.26, No watermark, Perf. 13¾, Designer Alf Kumalo 1481 Multicolored, Airmail Postcard Rate (R2.10), Nelson Mandela 1477 Multicolored, Airmail Postcard Rate (R2.10), Nelson Mandela Wildlife— The Big 5 Issued 2001, Apr.25, No watermark, Perf. 14 1386 Multicolored, Airmail Postcard Rate (R1.90), Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer), Imperforated Right 1385 Multicolored, Airmail Postcard Rate (R1.90), Leopard (Panthera pardus) Fauna and Flora— Fish Issued 2000, Nov. 1, No watermark, Perf. 14½x14¾, Designer Chris van Rooyen 1335 Multicolored, 60c, Powder-blue surgeonfish (Acanthurus leucosternon) 1334 Multicolored, 50c, Coral rock cod (Cephalopholis miniatus) African Nations Football Championship, South Africa Issued 1996, Jan. 10, No watermark, Perf. 14¼ x 14, Design Marc de Jong 1027 Multicolored, Standard Postage (60c), Goalkeeper w. Africa map outline [Information from stampworld.com]
No 3: The RSA (Republic of South Africa) watermark was introduced in 1964 and used for updated prints of the Republic’s first definitive series of stamps which was originally issued in 1961. [Source: Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue]I dunked about a hundred scraps of paper with 1c stamps on in cold water today, separating the stamps from the paper.
I was hoping to find just one stamp with an upside-down RSA watermark.
Alas— no such luck with today’s batch of stamps.
This 1c stamp from the Republic of South Africa’s first definitive series (1961) comes with five distinct watermarks:
1. Coat-of-arms
2. No watermark
3. RSA triangles
4. RSA triangles, arranged tête-bêche (one pointing up, one down)
5. RSA triangles, upside down
Can you see it? Part of a triangle watermark is visible on the left of the stamp’s back, and part of another triangle in the bottom right corner.
While I was in South Africa, I shipped myself a box of books to Seattle from Pretoria, and another box from Stellenbosch*.
The boxes landed on my porch today. They went from South Africa to London’s Heathrow airport, then to Cincinnati, Ohio, and then to Seattle.
*The Protea bookstore in Stellenbosch —always full of new and old Afrikaans books— was going out of business, and I could not pass up the opportunity to scoop up fifty-some books for $1 or $2 apiece.
A box full of books is HEAVY, so the shipping by air (DHL) was expensive: several hundred dollars. It was still completely worth it. Ground shipping takes several months and it’s just not reliable (your package might never show up). The book with H.A.T. on the cover is a monolingual Afrikaans dictionary (‘Handbook of the Afrikaans Language’). I read the little green book as a first grader.
My time in Cape Town is has come to an end, and I will fly out to Frankfurt overnight.
From there I will take the train to stay in Berlin for a few days before I go home.
The Lufthansa Airbus A340-400 that will take us to Frankfurt, at the gate at Cape Town International airport.
These sunset pictures are from Clifton 4th Beach last night. The steps down to the beach are called the Seagull Steps, and the rocky hilltop overlooking the beach is Lion’s Head.
It’s a short drive from my hotel up with Kloof Nek Road, to reach the turnout onto Signal Hill Road that runs to the viewpoint at the top of Signal Hill.
Sunrise is at 7 am, and I was in position and ready to take a few pictures of Table Mountain catching the first light of the day.
It was quiet early on Saturday morning in the Gardens (also called ‘The Company’s Garden).
The garden was originally created in the 1650s by the region’s first European settlers and provided fertile ground to grow fresh produce to replenish ships rounding the Cape.
My hotel is in the Tamboerskloof neighborhood in Cape Town.
Theses pictures from my self-directed architecture walk are all from Long Street or nearby.
That’s Table Mountain in the last picture, of course.
I’m back at Johannesburg’s Oliver Tambo International Airport, and getting ready to travel to Cape Town.
Returning my rental car .... and checking my two bagsMy magnificent flying machine at the gate here at OR Tambo International airport. The Embraer E195 jet is made by the Brazilian-led multinational manufacturer Embraer SA and is the largest member of the Embraer E-Jet family.
Here’s my round trip that I made on Tuesday, with a few stops.
I thought to stop in downtown Pretoria and walk around a little bit around Church Square, but decided against it.
I made my way to the city by using the Old Johannesburg Road, and then came back via the N1 highway.The South African Air Force Memorial is a memorial to South African Air Force members who have died whilst in service of the South African Air Corps and its successor, the South African Air Force from 1915 to the present during times of war and times of peace. It was inaugurated in 1965.Here’s downtown Pretoria, in a street crowded with minibus taxis. Honk honk! all the time. Are they honking at me? you think. No, at prospective passengers on the sidewalk.This is not a tree. It is a cell phone tower.Now making my way to the east side of the city along the M11 route. Many of the streets are lined with jacaranda trees like this one.Inside the enormous Menlyn Park mall off Atterbury Street.Sign outside the Starbucks store. The mall has a Seattle Coffee as well as a Starbucks.A display in a store, offering some nice lighting options to help mitigate the darkness of load shedding (blackouts).
The Voortrekker Monument is located just south of Pretoria in South Africa. The granite structure is located on a hilltop, and was raised to commemorate the Voortrekkers (pioneers) who left the Cape Colony between 1835 and 1854. It was designed by the architect Gerard Moerdijk. Construction started on 13 July 1937 and the monument was inaugurated on 16 December 1949 by Prime Minister D. F. Malan.
[Information from Wikipedia entry for Voortrekker Monument].
I walked around the monument today, before going inside. I climbed the 299 granite steps from the carpark to the top (at the inside), in the process. From the ceiling balcony one looks down at a cenotaph* that says ‘Ons Vir Jou Suid-Afrika’ (‘We For You South Africa’).
*A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere.
