Return To Catalogue - Transvaal 1885 issue, 5 Pounds value, forgeries - 1879 Queen Victoria issue - Transvaal 1869-1884 - Transvaal 1894 issue - Transvaal miscellaneous - South Africa
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The South African Republic (Z. Afr. Republiek), founded by the Boers in 1860, was occupied by the British in 1877 and the name of the country changed to Transvaal. The republic was restored in 1884 and re-occupied in 1900 to become the British crown colony of Transvaal. It joined the Union of South Africa in 1910. The capital is Pretoria.
1/2 p grey 1 p red 2 p brown 2 p yellow (1887) 2 1/2 p lilac (1893) 3 p lilac 4 p olive 6 p blue 1 Sh green 2 Sh 6 p yellow 5 Sh black 10 Sh brown 5 Pounds green (1892)
Value of the stamps |
|||
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon |
*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare |
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| Value | Unused | Used | Remarks |
| 1/2 p | c | c | |
| 1 p | * | c | |
| 2 p brown | * | * | Genuine stamp is perforated 12 1/2 x 12, reprints are perforated 12 1/2. |
| 2 p yellow | ** | c | |
| 2 1/2 p | * | * | |
| 3 p | * | ** | |
| 4 p | ** | ** | |
| 6 p | * | * | |
| 1 Sh | ** | * | |
| 2 Sh 6 p | *** | *** | |
| 5 Sh | R | *** | |
| 10 Sh | *** | *** | |
| 5 Pounds | R | R | Date of issue 19 March 1892. Beware of reprints! |
Surcharged
'Halve Penny' (=1/2 p) (red) on 2 p yellow 'Halve Penny' on 2 p yellow 'HALVE PENNY' on 3 p lilac (1885) '1d.' (green) on 2 1/2 p lilac (1895) '1 Penny' on 6 p blue (1893) '2d' on 3 p lilac (1887) '2 1/2 Pence' on 1 Sh (1893, inscription in one line) '2 1/2 Pence' on 1 Sh (1893, inscription in two lines)
Some inverted overprints
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 (black) on 2 p | ** | ** | |
| 1/2 p (red) on 2 p | ** | ** | |
| 1/2 p on 3 p | *** | *** | Exists with 'PRNNY' instead of 'PENNY' Genuine stamp is perforated 12 1/2 x 12 or 11 1/2 x 12, reprints are perforated 12 1/2. |
| 1 p on 2 1/2 p | * | * | |
| 1 p on 6 p | * | * | Genuine stamps have the bars 12 1/2 to 13 1/2 mm
apart, forged surcharges on reprints have the bars 14 mm apart. |
| 2 p on 3 p | *** | *** | Two types of surcharge '2' different Genuine stamp is perforated 12 1/2 x 12, reprints are perforated 12 1/2. |
| 2 1/2 p on 1 Sh | * | ** | Surcharge in one line. Forged surcharges on remainders have a more slanting fraction line '/' than the genuine surcharges. |
| 2 1/2 p on 1 Sh | *** | *** | Surcharge in two lines |
Overprinted 'V.R.I.'
Left genuine with PFSA certificate and right a reprint. For more
information on forgeries and reprints of the 5 Pounds value, see Transvaal 1885 issue, 5 Pounds value,
forgeries
Probably genuine stamp with forged "V.R.I." overprint.
The stops behind the letters "V.R.I." are too large.
According to the Transvaal Philatelist 40, 2 (154), May 2005,
this might be a remainder obtained by Mirza Hadi, on which a
forged "V.R.I." overprint was applied.
5 Pounds green (1900)
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 |
| 5 Pounds | RR | RR | See warning below on reprints! |
Postal stationery: I have seen a postcard (briefkaart) with inscription "ZUID-AFRIK. REPUBLIEK BRIEFKAART" with a value of 1 p (similar design as the postage stamps without overprint).
I've seen a 5 Pounds stamp (without VRI overprint), with "Monster" overprint. This specimen-alike overprint was used pm stamps send to the UPU. Furthermore the 5 Pounds VRI stamp is known with "SPECIMEN" (usually slanting) overprint, also for UPU purposes. Both "Monster" and "SPECIMEN" overprints are not known to have been used on reprints according to John Kaupe in 'The Transvaal Philatelist 40, no 2 (154) May 2005'.
Some of these stamps exist with overprint "Swazieland" for Swazieland.
Mute cancels on a 2 p stamp.
WARNING: MANY OF THESE STAMPS
ARE REPRINTS: Because of the Boer war, a large
number of undelivered stamps (or reprints?) was present at the
printer (Enschede, Netherlands) and ended up in collectors hands
(through a dealer in Paris: Mirza Hadi, according to 'Philatelic
Forgers Their Lives and Works' by Varro E. Tyler). All the
unoverprinted stamps (1/2 p through 5 Pounds, except 2 1/2 p
lilac?) can be found. Among them unperforated and umgummed
specimens. They also exist with forged cancels. Furthermore
forged overprints exist of the 'HALVE PENNY' on 3 p lilac, '2d'
on 3 p lilac, '2 1/2 Pence' on 1 Sh (1893, inscription in one
line) and '2 1/2 Pence' on 1 Sh (1893, inscription in two lines)
on these remainders. Mirza Hadi also ordered reprints of these
stamps. Furthermore the overprint 'V.R.I' on 5 Pounds can be
found forged on these remainders. It seems that the only way to
recognize these 'reprints' is in their perforation
characteristics (see http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/terrace/ymw18/transvl/study%20circle/challnge.html
for more information).
Especially most of the 5 Pounds stamps found today are reprints
(including forged cancels and forged "V.R.I."
overprints). Also an article on the 5 Pounds value by John Kaupe
in The Transvaal Philatelist (v.40, no2) (154) from 2005 is very
useful. A forged 'V.R.I' overprint with too large stops also
exists on genuine remainders (Mirza Hadi ordered this overprint
on some of the remainders, while he was waiting for the
reprints).
For Transvaal 1885 issue, 5 Pounds value, forgeries, click here (reprints, Fournier forgeries, forged "OTTOSHOOP 1 NOV 95" cancels, forged "PIETERSBURG" cancels, forged "VRI" overprints on genuine stamps, etc).
Fournier forgeries:
A imperforate Fournier forgery of the
5 Sh stamp. When perforated, the perforation does not 'match' in
the corners in the Fournier forgeries.
A page taken from a Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries.
Other Fournier forgeries (perforation is not yet applied);
Fournier forgeries are not very common.
Forged Johannesburg, Pretoria and Mafeking cancels made by
Fournier (reduced sizes).
This Fournier forged cancel "6" in three concentric
rings, is listed under Wurttemberg in the Fournier album, but I
believe it was actually used on forgeries of Transvaal, since
I've seen it being applied on Fournier forgeries of Transvaal.
A more primitive forgery of the 10 Sh value, presumably made by
the same forger as some of the forgeries of the previous issue Oneglia? They have the same bogus cancel.
Two Swazieland forgeries, these appear
to be the Fournier forgeries shown above, but the "S"
of "Swazieland" is different from the forged overprint
shown in the Fournier Album. Note that the cancel on the other
hand is identical to the Oneglia forgery of the 10 Sh shown
above. It might be that Fournier got these deceptive forgeries
from Oneglia and then applied forged overprints to them?
I have seen some stamps very nicely cancelled with "BARBERTON A NO 16 93" or "BARBERTON A NO 16 85"; this could be a forged cancel. The site http://www.filatelia.fi/forgeries/forged_postmarks.html further lists and "BARBERTON 15 87"
Forged "BARBERTON G NO 15 87 Z.A.R." cancel on a 5
Pound value. I've seen Barberton cancels (very neatly placed) on
the lower values as well.
For stamps of Transvaal issued in 1894, click here.