Catalogue South Africa

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The Union of South Afica was established in 1910. The union consists of Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal. Many stamps exist with the country name in two languages; English (South Africa) and Afrikaans (Zuid Afrika, later changed to Suid Afrika), mostly printed side by side. Later stamps bear the abbreviation (R.S.A.). Stamps with inscription British South Africa Company were actually used in Rhodesia.

1933 "Voortrekker Commemoration" or "Voortrekker Herdenking"

  1/2 + 1/2 p green and black (image of church)
  1 + 1/2 p red and black (wagon going uphill)
  2 + 1 p lilac and black (sitting man with hat)
  3 + 1 1/2 p blue and black (girl)

1935 25 years of reign of King George V

  1/2 p green and black
  1 p red and black
  3 p blue
  6 p orange and black

All stamps exist wtih "SOUTH-AFRICA" on top and "SUID-AFRIKA" below or "SUID-AFRIKA" on top and "SOUTH-AFRICA" below.

1936 Gold mine

  1 1/2 p green and gold ("SUID-AFRIKA")
  1 1/2 p green and gold ("SOUTH AFRICA")

Smaller size
  1 1/2 p green and gold ("SUID-AFRIKA")
  1 1/2 p green and gold ("SOUTH AFRICA")

Even smaller size (1948, so-called bantam), rouletted at top or bottom

  1 1/2 p green and gold ("SOUTH AFRICA")
  1 1/2 p green and gold ("SUID-AFRIKA")

These stamps exist with "OFFISIEEL OFFICIAL" overprint to be used as official stamps

1937 Coronation issue of King George VI

  1/2 p green and olive
  1 p red and olive
  1 1/2 p blue and orange
  3 p blue
  1 Sh blue and brown

1938 Voortrekker fund (centenary commemoration), all different designs

Inscription "VOORTREKKER CENTENARY 1838 1938"
  1/2 p green (ploughing)
  1 p red and grey  (carriot on mountain)
  1 1/2 p green and brown (voortrekkers meeting local King)
  3 p blue (monument)

Inscription "VOORTREKKER EEUFEES 1838 1938"
  1/2 p green (ploughing)
  1 p red and grey (carriot on mountain)
  1 1/2 p green and brown (voortrekkers meeting local King)
  3 p blue (monument)

1938 Voortrekker commemoration (Voortrekker herdenking)

Inscription "SOUTH AFRICA"  
  1 p red and grey (wheel with chain)
  1 1/2 p red and blue (voortrekkers looking at rainbow)

Inscription "SUID-AFRIKA"  
  1 p red and grey (wheel with chain)
  1 1/2 p red and blue (voortrekkers looking at rainbow)

The two language types were printed side by side. These stamps with overprint "S.W.A." were issued for South West Africa:

1939 Huguenot commemoration

Inscription "HUGUENOT COMMEMORATION 1688 1938"
  1/2 p green and olive (house)
  1 p red and grey (rising sun)
  1 1/2 p violet and green (house and mountains, larger size)

Inscription "HUGENOTE-GEDENKFEES 1688 1938"
  1/2 p green and olive (house)
  1 p red and grey (rising sun)
  1 1/2 p violet and green (house and mountains, larger size)

1941 War effort

  1/2 p green (soldier, inscription "SUID-AFRIKA" or "SOUTH AFRICA")
  1 p red (nurse, inscription inscription "SUID-AFRIKA" or "SOUTH AFRICA")
  1 1/2 p green (pilote, inscription "SUID-AFRIKA" or "SOUTH AFRICA")
  2 p violet (sailor, inscription "SUID-AFRIKA" or "SOUTH AFRICA")
  3 p blue (woman with red cross hat,
    inscription "SUID-AFRIKA" or "SOUTH AFRICA")
  4 p brown (tank viewed from front, 
    inscription "SUID-AFRIKA" or "SOUTH AFRICA")
  6 p orange (welding, inscription "Suid-Afrika" or "South Africa")
  1 Sh brown (tanks)
  1 Sh 3 p brown (soldier, 1943, inscription "SUID-AFRIKA" or "SOUTH AFRICA")


Small format (8 stamps, so-called Bantams)

  1/2 p green (soldier, inscription "Suid-Afrika" or "South Africa"
    rouletted at one or two sides)
  1 p red (nurse, inscription "SUID-AFRIKA" or "SUID AFRIKA"
    rouletted at one or two sides)
  1 1/2 p brown (pilote, inscription "Suid-Afrika" or "South Africa"
    rouletted at left or right)
  2 p violet (sailor, inscription "SUID-AFRIKA" or "SUID AFRIKA"
    rouletted at left or right)
  3 p blue (woman with red cross hat, inscription "SUID-AFRIKA" 
    or "SUID AFRIKA", rouletted at one or two sides)
  4 p green (tank, only one design, rouletted at one or two sides)
  5 p orange (welding, inscription "Suid-Afrika" or "South Africa"
    rouletted at left or right)
  1 Sh brown (tank, only one design, rouletted at bottom or top)

The small sized stamps were issued due to a lack of paper. The actual size of a larger stamp was used to create two or three smaller stamps. The perforation in between was done by rouletting.

1945 Victory issue

1947 Royal tour

Inscription "SOUTH AFRICA" 
  1 p black and grey (King George VI, smaller size)
  2 p violet (King and Queen)
  3 p blue (princesses)

Inscription "SUID-AFRIKA" 
  1 p black and grey (King George VI, smaller size)
  2 p violet (King and Queen)
  3 p blue (princesses)

1948 Silver wedding of King Georg VI and Queen

1948 UPU issue, inscription ''UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION SOUTH AFRICA" or "WERELDPOSUNIE SUID-AFRIKA"

1949 Natal settlers (or 'Natal-setlaars') 1849-1949, ship

  1 1/2 p brown ("SOUTH AFRICA")
  1 1/2 p brown ("SUID AFRIKA")

1948 Inscription ''UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION SOUTH AFRICA" or "WERELDPOSUNIE SUID-AFRIKA"

1950 Voortrekkers, "SUID-AFRIKA SOUTH AFRICA" printed on one stamp

  1 p lilac (wagon with people)
  1 1/2 p green (monument)
  3 p violet (candle with book, woman and man on horse on both sides)

1952 Van Riebeeck tercentenary, various designs, inscription "1652 1952"

  1/2 p olive and lilac (V.O.C. coins)
  1 p green (portrait of lady)
  2 p violet (sailing ships)
  4 1/2 p blue (Jan van Riebeeck portrait)
  1 Sh brown (scene of 1652)

Overprinted "SATISE" (for stamp exhibition)
  1 p green

Overprinted "SADIPU" (for stamp exhibition)
  2 p violet

1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

1953 Cape of Good Hope stamp centenary

  1 p brown and red (1 p triangle stamp of Cape of Good Hope)
  4 p blue and light blue (4 p triangle stamp of Cape of Good Hope)

1953 Various designs

  4 1/2 p brown and yellow (sheep)
  1 Sh 3 p lilac (springbok)
  1 Sh 6 p black and red (flower)

1954 "O.F.S. - O.V.S" Orange Free State

1954 Animals (wildlife set)

Small size
  1/2 p green
  1 p red (gnu)
  1 1/2 p brown
  2 p violet (zebra)
 
Large size

  3 p blue and brown (rhino)
  4 p green and black (elephant)
  4 1/2 p violet (rhino)
  6 p orange and brown (lion)
  1 Sh lilac and brown
  1 Sh 3 p green and brown
  1 Sh 6 p lilac and brown
  2 Sh 6 p green and black
  5 Sh orange and brown (giraffe)
  10 Sh blue and black

As before, but values in 'c' and 'R' (Rand)
  1/2 c green
  1 c red
  1 1/2 c brown
  2 c violet (zebra)
  5 c orange and brown (lion)
  12 1/2 c green and brown
  20 c lilac and brown
  50 c orange and brown (giraffe)
  1 R blue and black

1955 Centenary of Pretoria

1955 Pietermaritzburg convenant, man with flag, inscription "REAFFIRMATION OF THE VOW" (and Afrikaans version)

  2 p blue and red ("SOUTH AFRICA")
  2 p blue and red ("SUID-AFRIKA")

1958 German settlers centenary, carriot in front of house inscription "1858 1958"

1959 Science and art academy, inscription "SUID-AFRIKAANSE AKADEMIE VIR WETENSKAP EN KUNS 1909 1959"

1959 Antarctic, inscription "SANAE", globe with antarctic

1960 Railway centenary

1960 For the animal set of 1960 in decimal currency, see under 1954 issue

1960 Inscription "1910 1960", "UNION 50 UNIE" or "EENHEID 50 UNION"

Value in 'pence' and 'Shilling'
  4 p blue and red (flag)
  6 p green, brown and red (arms)
  1 Sh yellow and blue (men pushing wheel)
  1 Sh 6 p blue and black ('EENHEID 50 UNION') 

Value in 'cents'  
  2 1/2 c brown (six famous persons)
  3 1/2 c blue and red (flag)
  7 1/2 c green, brown and red (arms)
  10 c yellow and blue (men pushing wheel)

1961 South Africa became a republic.

Most stamps of this area have inscription "REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA" and "REPUBLIEK VAN SUID-AFRIKA"

SOUTH AFRICA, part 2