Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

ORANGE FREE STATE, 1900 onwards and miscellaneous

Return To Catalogue - Orange Free State, 1868 issue - Orange Free State, cancels - South Africa

Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the catalogue;
contact me if you want to purchase it.

Orange Free State, 1868 issue

1900 Stamps of Cape of Good Hope overprinted "ORANGE RIVER COLONY"

  1/2 p green
  1 p red
  2 1/2 p blue

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
1/2 p	*	*
1 p	*	*
2 1/2 p	*	*

A forged overprints from the forgery Fournier (image taken from a Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries), reduced size; note that there is no "." behind the word "COLONY" (possibly to make a rare error?).

1903 King Edward, Gnu and Antilope, inscription "ORANGE RIVER COLONY"

  1/2 p green
  1 p red
  2 p brown
  2 1/2 p blue
  3 p lilac
  4 p green and red
  6 p lilac and red
  1 Sh brown and red
  5 Sh brown and blue

These stamps have perforation 14.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
Watermark 'CA Crown' (1903)
1/2 p	*	*
1 p	*	c	This stamp was allowed for fiscal usage as well.
2 p	***	**
2 1/2 p	**	**
3 p	***	**
4 p	***	***
6 p	***	**
1 Sh	R	***
5 Sh	RR	RR
Watermark 'Multiple CA Crown' (1903)
1/2 p	*	*
1 p	*	c
4 p	***	***
1 Sh	RR	***

I have seen the 1/2 p overprinted "C.S.A.R." (railway stamps). The values 1 p, 2 p, 3 p, 4 p, 6 p and 1 Sh also seem to exist with this overprint. They are all very rare.
Also some stamps exist with perfin "C S A R" or "N G R" (Natal Government Railways).

A fiscal stamp 3 p lilac with overprint "CUSTOMS DUTY" exists.

Fiscal stamps

Embossed stamps, issued from 1867 to 1876, inscription "ZEGEL":

With inscription "ORANJE VRIJSTAAT": on blue paper: 6 p, 1 Sh, 18 p, 2 Sh, 3 Sh, 5 Sh, 10 Sh, 1 Pound.
On white paper: 6 p, 9 p, 1 Sh, 18 p, 2 Sh, 3 Sh, 4 Sh, 5 Sh, 10 Sh, 1 Pound, 2 Pounds, 3 Pounds, 4 Pounds.
On green paper (1868): 9 p, 1 Sh, 18 p, 2 Sh, 3 Sh, 4 Sh, 5 SH, 1 Pound, 2 Pounds, 3 Pounds, 4 Pounds, 5 Pounds.
On greenish blue paper (1868): 1 Sh, 2 Sh, 3 Sh, 4 Sh.
On yellow paper (1871): 1 Sh, 18 p, 2 Sh, 3 Sh, 4 Sh, 5 Sh, 10 Sh.
On orange paper (1871): 6 p, 9 p.
On dark blue paper (1871): 6 p, 1 Sh, 2 Sh, 3 Sh, 4 Sh, 5 Sh, 10 Sh, 3 Pounds.
On lilac paper (187?): 3 p, 6 p, 18 p, 1 Pound, 2 Pounds, 3 Pounds, 4 Pounds, 5 Pounds

With inscription "ORANJE STAAT":
Large arms: 6 p (yellow paper), 1 Sh (blue paper), 18 p (green paper), 3 Sh (grey paper), 4 Sh (green paper), 10 Sh (green paper), 1 Pound (lilac paper).
Small arms: 3 p (brown paper), 6 p (yellow paper), 1 Sh (blue paper), 1 Sh (lilac paper).

1878 Arms

Reduced sizes

  6 p brown (different design)
  6 p grey (different design)
  1 Sh grey
  1 Sh brown
  1 Sh 6 p blue (achttien pence)
  2 Sh lilac
  3 Sh brown
  4 Sh grey
  5 Sh red
  6 Sh green
  7 Sh violet
  10 Sh orange
  1 Pound lilac
  2 Pounds brown
  4 Pounds red
  5 Pounds green
  6 p on 4 Sh green
  6 p on 8 Sh yellow

Some very rare "ZES PENCE" surcharges exist on the 4 Sh and 8 Sh values (non-issued?).

"ZES PENCE" on 4 Sh stamp and 8 Sh and a "Ord.22-85." overprint

I've seen the 1 Sh 6 p and 9 Sh values with overprint "BANK WISSEL DRIE PENCE" and a bar across the old value. A fancy rectangular overprint "Hospitaal Tax 3d. BETAALD" should exist on the 1 Sh value (I have never seen it). Also an overprint "Ord. 22. 85." exists on the values 1 Sh, 2 Sh, 5 Sh, 10 Sh, 1 Pound, 2 Pounds and 5 Pounds.

These fiscal stamps were sometimes used as postal stamps.

Manual "TELEGRAAF" overprint from February 1886. It also exists on the 1 Sh brown value.

"T.F. Een Shilling." overprint of April 1888.

These fiscal stamps overprinted "TELEGRAAF" or "TF" were used as telegraph stamp. The forger Fournier made a forgery of an imperforate 1 Sh stamp in blue color with blue overprint "TELEGRAAF". This forgery was probably only intended to illustrate his pricelists, but it can be found in 'The Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries'.

Fournier forgery

6 p, overprinted "V.R.I. 6d", done in 1900; other values exist: 6 p grey, 1 Sh brown, 1 Sh 6 p blue, 2 Sh lilac, 3 Sh brown, 5 Sh red, 6 Sh green, 10 Sh orange, 1 Pound lilac, 2 Pounds brown, 3 Pounds grey, 4 Pounds red, 5 Pounds green. The "V.R.I" overprint exists in two types, with low and high dots behind the letters.

1903 King Edward inscription "REVENUE REVENUE"

More values exist ranging from 6 p to 20 Pounds: 6 p brown and grey, 6 p lilac and green, 1 Sh grey and black (brown?), 1 Sh 6 p blue and grey, 1 Sh 6 p blue and green, 2 Sh violet and black, 2 Sh green and red, 2 Sh blue and brown on yellow, 2 Sh 6 p red and black on yellow, 3 Sh blue and black on blue, 5 Sh red and green, 6 Sh olive and red, 10 Sh orange and green, 1 Pound black and lilac, 2 Pounds brown and lilac, 2.10 Pounds lilac and red, 5 Pounds green and lilac, 10 Pounds brown on red.

"O.V.S. Commando Brief" Censor stamps

1899 These stamps were issued during the boer war in South Africa by the army of the Orange Free State. Actually they are more labels than stamps. The inscription reads "COMMANDO BRIEF O.V.S. FRANKO" and they were intended to be put on soldier letters to indicate that the contents were 'screened' by an army officer. They were printed in 5 types in sheets of 20 stamps (one row of 5 stamps was printed at a time). They are perforated 12 and were used from october 1899 to mars 1900. A total number of 10.000 stamps were printed by Curling of Bloemfontein.

Genuine, type 2

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
(-)	R	***

How to determine if a stamp is a forgery? There are 16 pearls in the upper and lower row of ornaments (there exists a first forgery with 17 pearls). The originals are perforated 12. There should be a dot behind "FRANKO" and "BRIEF" (a second forgery is perforated 11 1/2 and has no dots). The website http://www.ymw18.dial.pipex.com/ofs/catalog/commando/commando.html mentions also some more recent forgeries, also on the wrong colour of paper.

The five types have the following characteristics:

Type 1: The first "O" of "COMMANDO" is damaged at the upper left part. The upper ornament doesn't match exactly the left ornament in the upper left corner.
Type 1
Type 2: The first "M" of "COMMANDO" is damaged (first leg too short). In the upper ornaments, there is a interruption between the first and second ornament and between the tenth and eleventh ornament. The dots after "O" and "V" of "O.V.S" are damaged.
Genuine, type 2
Type 3: Between the fourth and fifth ornament from the right in the upper line with ornaments, there is a black dot. The dot after "V" of "O.V.S." is damaged.
Type 3
Type 4: The dot after "BRIEF" is too low.
Type 4
Type 5: The "C" of "COMMANDO" is flat at the top. The dot after "O" of "O.V.S" is damaged. The "A" of "FRANKO" is unclear.
Type 5?

Example of a block of forgeries, there are no dots behind "BRIEF" and "FRANKO" (I have seen copies with these dots though). Furthermore they are imperforate and the large dots behind "O.V.S." are squarish instead of star-like:

(Forgeries!)

Forgery with 17 pearls instead of 16 in the upper and lower ornaments. Also, the "O" of "O.V.S." is placed too far from the left border.

According to the above mentioned website, other forgeries exist printed on colors other than yellow (blue, red). These are probably the following labels with "O" too round and "O.V.S" too thick:

Official stamp, inscription "O.V.S. R.D.M. IN DIENST", ( this is a Police Frank Stamp issued in 1899), "R.D.M." means 'Rijdende Dienst Macht' (mounted police force). "IN DIENST" means 'On service':

Another design, issued in 1898 with nine instead of eight ornaments to the left and right.

Nice website on the Commando Brief stamps: http://www.ymw18.dial.pipex.com/ofs/catalog/commando/commando.html with information on forgeries.

Postal Stationery

Besides the postcards with the orange tree design, a postcard from Cape of Good Hope (Queen Victoria 3/2 p grey) was overprinted "O.R.C. ONE PENNY" and curved lines on the old value. Furthermore a reply card of Cape of Good hope (Queen Victoria 1 p brown) was overprinted "ORANGE RIVER COLONY".

Postcard in the orange tree design.

Some postcards with the design of King Edward VII were issued (rectangular design): 1/2 p green and 1 p red. A sucharge '1/2 d.' on 1 p red exists (1909). In an elliptic or circular design were issued 1/2 p green, 1 p red and 2 1/2 p blue ("REGISTERED LETTER").

King Edward VII 1 p red

Websites

http://www.orangefreestatephilately.org.uk/stampsrepublic.html with a lot of images and information on the stamps of Orange Free State.

http://www.postmarks.co.za/PH%20ORC%20BONCS.htm