Catalogue South Africa

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Airmail stamps

1925 Inscription 'AIRMAIL LUGPOS', issued for the line Capetown - Durban, image of an airplane

  1 p red
  3 p blue
  6 p lilac
  9 p green

I've seen forgeries of these stamps (sorry, no picture available). The original plates were used to make these forgeries, however the perforation is different. Genuine stamps have perforation 12.

1929 Aeroplane

  4 p green
  1 Sh orange

Postage due stamps

1914 Value, inscription 'UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA UNIE VAN ZUID AFRIKA', 'POSTAGE DUE' and 'TE BETALEN'

  1/2 p green and black
  1 p red and black
  1 1/2 p yellow and black (1922)
  2 p lilac and black
  3 p blue and black
  5 p brown and black
  6 p grey and black
  1 Sh black and red

These stamps were used with overprints 'Zuidwest Afrika.', 'Zuid-West Afrika.', 'Suidwes Afrika.', 'South West Africa.' or 'S.W.A.', in South West Africa, examples:

1927 Inscription 'SOUTH AFRICA' on top and 'SUIDAFRIKA' at bottom, with 'd' or 'd.' behind the value

  1/2 p green and black (two types '1/2 d.' different)
  1 p red and black (two types '1 d.' different)
  2 p lilac and black
  3 p blue and black
  3 p blue (1932?)
  6 p grey and black ('6d')
  6 p orange and green ('6d.', 1932?)

These stamps were used with overprints 'Suidwes Afrika.', 'South West Africa', or 'S.W.A.' in South West Africa, examples:

1942 During World War II, smaller sized stamps were used. Due to paper shortage, the size of the stamps was reduced. They are perforated on two or three sides and rouletted on one or two sides

  1/2 p green
  1 p red
  2 p lilac
  3 p blue

1948 Inscription 'SOUTH AFRICA' on top, 'SUIDAFRIKA' at bottom with 'D.' behind the value

  1/2 p green and black )
  1 p red and black
  2 p lilac and black 
  3 p blue 
  6 p orange and green (very thick '6D.')

1950 Inscription 'SOUTH AFRICA' on top, 'SUID-AFRIKA' (now with hyphen) at bottom with 'D.' behind the value

  1 p red and black
  2 p lilac and black
  3 p blue and dark blue
  4 p green and dark green
  6 p red and green
  1 Sh brown and dark brown

1961 New currency

  1 c red and black
  2 c lilac and black
  4 c green and dark green
  5 c blue and dark blue
  6 c orange and green
  10 c brown and dark brown

1961 Inscription 'REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA REPUBLIEK VAN SUID-AFRIKA'

'REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA' on top
  1 c red and black
  2 c lilac and black
  5 c blue and dark blue
  5 c blue and black 
  10 c brown and dark brown

'REPUBLIEK VAN SUID-AFRIKA' on top
  1 c red and black
  2 c lilac and black 
  4 c green and dark green
  5 c blue and black
  6 c orange and green 
  10 c brown and dark brown

1972 New design, inscription 'RSA TO PAY BETAAL'

  1 c green
  2 c orange
  4 c lilac
  6 c yellow
  8 c blue
  10 c red

Official Stamps

The overprints were applied to both English and Afrikaans stamps (no difference between the overprint for the two types).

1926 Stamps of South Africa, overprinted 'OFFICIAL. OFFISIEEL.' reading upwards

  1/2 p green and black (springbok)
  1 p red and black (ship)
  2 p lilac (King George V)
  6 p orange and green (orange tree)

1929 Stamps of South Africa, overprinted 'OFFICIAL OFFISIEEL', 'O's normal

  2 p brown and grey (government house in Pretoria,
    overprint reading upwards)
  2 p lilac and blue (government house in Pretoria,
    overprint reading downwards, 1930)
  2 p lilac and blue (government house in Pretoria,
    overprint reading upwards, 1944)

1929 Stamps of South Africa, overprinted 'OFFISIEEL OFFICIAL' reading downwards, 'O's normal

  1/2 p green and black (springbok)
  1 p red and black (ship)
  1 1/2 p blue and gold (gold mine)
  6 p orange and red (orange tree)
  1 Sh blue and brown (wildebeest)
  2 Sh 6 p brown and blue (wagon traversing river)
  5 Sh green and black (ox wagon, 1935)
  10 Sh black and blue (Great Constantia, 1939)

1944 Stamp of South Africa, overprinted 'OFFISIEEL OFFICIAL' reading upwards

  1 1/2 p blue and gold (goldmine)

1950 Stamps of South Africa, overprinted 'OFFISIEEL OFFICIAL' reading downwards, with 'O's very fat

  1/2 p green and black (springbok)
  1 p red and black (ship)
  1 1/2 p blue and gold (goldmine)
  2 p lilac and blue (government house in Pretoria)
  6 p orange and green (orange tree)
  1 Sh blue and brown (wildebeest)
  2 Sh 6 p brown and blue (wagon traversing river)
  5 Sh green and black (ox wagon)
  10 Sh black and blue (Great Constantia)

Fiscal stamps

1913 'REVENUE INKOMST' straight on top, 'UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA UNIE VAN ZUID AFRIKA', head of King George V in an ellipse surrounded by royal symbols

I have seen the following values in the same design: 6 p red and lilac, 1 Sh lilac (two shades of lilac on one stamp), 1 Sh blue and lilac, 2 Sh green and brown, 2 Sh 6 p orange and green, 5 Sh brown and black, 10 Sh olive and lilac, 1 Pound red and green. The values 3 p green, 3 Sh green and blue, 1 Pound blue, 1 Pound red and olive, 2 Pounds black and orange, 2 Pounds orange and lilac, 5 Pound lilac and green, 10 Pounds lilac and red and 25 Pounds green and orange should also exist.

Above fiscal stamp with 'PENALTY' overprint, the values 3 p, 6 p, 1 Sh, 2 Sh , 2 Sh 6 p, 5 Sh, 10 Sh and 1 Pound received this overprint

'BECHUANALAND PROTECTORATE.' and 'Bechuanaland Revenue Only.' overprints to be used in Bechuanaland. A similar overprint 'SWAZILAND REVENUE ONLY. was used in Swazieland.

1931 New design

A similar type to the 1913 design, but slightly smaller was issued in 1931 with 'REVENUE INKOMSTE' curved at the top. I've seen the values 3 p green and grey, 6 p red and grey, 1 Sh violet and grey, 2 Sh blue and grey. The year of issue is indicated just under the head of the King (several years of issue exist). The values 2 p green and red, 1 Sh 6 p brown and grey, 2 Sh 6 p brown and grey, 3 Sh violet and grey, 5 Sh green and grey, 10 Sh brown and grey, 15 Sh blue and grey, 1 Pound orange and grey, 2 Pounds red and grey, 5 Pounds green and grey, 10 Pounds grey and 25 Pounds grey should also exist.

Dairy farm levy: 'FARM DAIRY BUTTER PLAAS MELKERY BOTTER LEVY HEFFING' 1/2 p brown with image of cow, always perforated in the middle.

1938 King George VI, inscription 'INKOMSTE REVENUE'

In the above design, in some stamps the words 'UNIE VAN SUID-AFRIKA' are put at the left hand side and 'UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA' at the right hand side or the other way around in other stamps. I've seen the a values: 3 p green, 6 p red, 1 Sh orange and 2 Sh 6 p lilac.

1946 King George VI, inscription 'UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA REVENUE' or 'UNIE VAN SUID-AFRIKA INKOMSTE'

Fiscal stamps with image of King George VI, 'UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA' left and 'UNIE VAN SUID AFRIKA' in right stamp. I've also seen the values 3 p green and lilac, 6 p blue and orange and 1 Sh lilac and blue.

Error: this 2 Sh stamp has wrong inscription: the upper part is in Afrikaans 'UNIE VAN SUID-AFRIKA', while the lower part is inscribed in English 'REVENUE' (it should be 'INKOMSTE')

1954 Arms design

In this design I have seen:
  6 p blue and lilac
  1 Sh lilac and blue
  1 R green and blue

In 'Cents' currency
  1 1/2 c yellow and blue
  2 c green and black
  5 c blue and lilac
  15 c yellow and black
  20 c olive and red
  25 c green and lilac

1968 Value, surrounded by ornaments

Essay

Postal Stationery

Parcel Stamps

Inscription 'PAKKET VERVOER SPOORWEG ZEGEL ZASM' (Parcel transport railway stamp South African Railway Company); issued in 1887(?). I've also seen a 1 Sh red in the same design.

Parcel Stamp; "CENTRAL SOUTH AFRICAN RAILWAY", 6 p green, 1 Sh blue, 1 Sh brown and 6 p green in a different type

I've also seen the value 3 p red in the above design. They seem to have been issued in 1905.

Stamps with inscription "S A R PARCELS STAMP" or "C S A R PARCELS STAMP" are railway stamps. Similar stamps, but with inscription "N G R" are railway stamps for Natal. Later issues for South Africa, have the inscription "S.A.R. PARCELS STAMP" or "S.A.S. PAKKET-SEEL" (printed side by side). Similar stamps with inscription "C G R PARCELS STAMP" were issued for Cape of Good Hope.

"SAR PARCELS STAMP" 6 p green; I have also seen 3 p green, 9 p grey, 1 Sh blue, 2 Sh red; with "CSAR": 6 p green.

Christmas labels

Labels with inscription "KERSFEES", "KRISMIS", "KERSMIS" or "CHRISTMAS" are christmas lables. They usually exist in English and Afrikaans language printed side by side. I've seen them from the years 1929, 1930, 1931 and 1933 to 1941.

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
With watermark, perforated 14
1/2 p	*	*
1 p	*	*
2 p	*	*
3 p	**	**
5 p	**	**
6 p	***	***
1 Sh	RR	RR
No watermark, rouletted (1922)
1/2 p	**	**
1 p	*	*
1 1/2 p	*	*
New type (1923), perforated 14
1/2 p	*	*
1 p	*	*
1 1/2 p	*	*
2 p	*	*
3 p	*	*
6 p	**	**

SOUTH AFRICA Miscellaneous