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1910
2½d
Union
Commemorative
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| Covers
to Unusual Destinations |
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Introduction
by Otto Peetoom
The
Union of South Africa was formed on 31 May 1910 and
the First Opening of a Union Parliament was on 4 November
1910 in Cape Town.
Leading up to this event a massive celebration took
place, the streets of the City were decorated and several
Arches were erected. In late October/early November
1910 there was an elaborate Pageant
organized by a well known individual Frank Lascelles.
To Commemorate the Opening of Parliament a 2½d
Commemorative Stamp was issued on 4 November 1910. Today
the stamp is catalogued as SG 1 and 2. It would take
another three years before the first Definitive issue
appeared on 1 September 1913.
Many individuals
have been fascinated by this Stamp and in some instances
it is the only subject they specialise in, over the
years important holdings of the Union 2½d Commemorative
have appeared in Auction. In the South African Collectors
Society several members are fans of the issue.
Continued in next column
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Chris
Board has researched the subject for years and an
article entitled The Union Commemorative Stamp
of South Africa 1910 and its designer Henry Straughan
Wilkinson was published in the July/August edition
of the London Philatelist. On book on the
subject of SG 1 is in the making.
Rob & Lyn Lester have formed an extensive collection
of SG 1 & 2. On more than one occasion they entertained
the Audience at Leamington Spa with a stunning display
of First Day Cancellations, Covers and Multiples.
They were the first members of the Society to contribute
interesting material to the SACS website and to date
very few have followed their example.
This
comprehensive section on the Union 2½d Commemorative
is thanks to Lyn & Bob Lester.
Under a section of covers to unusual destinations
that include a 2½d Union SG 1 are places such
as South America and the Panama Canal Zone.
However the ultimate destination is an item addressed
to Captain Scott in the Antarctic. The foregoing featured
in an article published in Southern Africa
Philately No 2 (February 2016)
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Archival
Items
Spink have been very Generous and provided copies
of the illustrations from their October 2013
Bloom Sale
As may be anticipated much
of the material is in the Lester collection
but there are a number of Old friends that
I recognise that previously belonged to me.
I have added a few modest items currently
in my possession and more recently - Chris
Palmer has kindly sent in a selection of interesting
items
Die Proofs,
Colour Trials, Specimens & Publicity Cards
Die
Proofs
Printers
Die Proofs are often Great Rarities being
either Unique or one of very few - in the
case of the 1910 2½d Commemorative
they are quite abundant albeit
many are observed as ‘different
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Pencil
date 18.7.X - E.F.H.
HARPENDEN on the reverse.
This Die Proof can be
paired with the one from the De La Rue
archives which is marked on the front
18.7.10 and described in the 1964
London Philatelist.
This particular Die Proof appears to
have been the one sent to the Union
Distributor of Stamps in 1910. |
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Die
Proofs Ex Bloom
The
Bloom sale offered three examples
Illustrated
courtesy of Spink |
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Die Proof - Palmer Collection |
Colour Trial on Watermarked Paper - Unique
Mike Tonking collection
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| Colour
Trials Ex Bloom |
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In
Deep Blue |
In
Bright Blue - A Rare Version |
| Handstamped
Specimen |
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Stuck
horizontally |
Struck
at an angle |
Continued in
next column
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2½d
with faint handstamped
SPECIMEN
In Violet
Ex Bloom
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Bold
diagonal
SPECIMEN
Lester Collection
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These
Cards were distributed to the Press to announce
the Issue
by the High Commissioner in London
Lester
Collection
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| First
Day Cancellations - 4 NOV 1910
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| First
Day Cancellations - Cape Province |
| HERSCHEL
Single Circle |
KIMBERLEY
Single Circle
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KIMBERLEY
Double Circle |
MERRIMAN
STREET
KIMBERLEY
Renamed Warren
Street |
Lester
Collection
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Lester
Collection
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Lester
Collection
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Peetoom
Collection
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| PORT
ELIZABETH
Single Circle |
PORT
ELIZABETH
Double
Circle |
PORT
ST JOHN'S
Double Circle
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WYNBERG
Double Circle |
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Lester
Collection
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Lester
Collection
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Lester
Collection
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Lester
Collection
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First
Day Cancellations - Natal
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FDI
- Orange Free State |
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Lester
Collection
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Lester
Collection
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Palmer
Collection
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| PIETERMARTIZBURG
Double Circle |
PIETERMARTIZBURG
Double Circle |
JAGERSFONTEIN
Double
Circle
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First
Day Cancellations - Transvaal |
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Lester
Collection
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Lester
Collection
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Palmer
Collection
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| MIDDELBURG
T |
MIDDELBURG
TRANSVAAL |
WOLMARANSSTAD
Double Circle |
| Used
Multiples with First Day Cancels |
| Cape
Province - Lester
Collection |
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Kimberley |
New
Bethesda (50 kms north of Graaf-Reinet) |
Wynberg
(Cape Town) |
Kimberley
(one of the largest
FDI multiples seen) - Steve Parsons collection |
| Woodstock
Station
(Cape Town)
Lester
Collection
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| Cape
Province - Port Elizabeth |
Ciskei
- KOMGHA
(Renamed KOMGA
in 1911) |
Lester
Collection
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Peetoom
Collection
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| Natal
- Hilary Lester
Collection |
Natal
- Pietermaritzburg |
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Lester Collection
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| Johannesburg
Registered |
Johannesburg
- Lester
Collection |
Middelburg
Transvaal |
Lester
Collection
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Lester
Collection
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| 4
NOV 1910 - First Day Covers |
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CAPE
TOWN
An OHMS envelope with a Machine Cancellation
The Union 2½d applied over the above cancel
&
received a regular datestamp on the First day of
Issue
Lester Collection
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| Cape
Town Registered
First Day Cover
Envelope with Union 2½d
x 2 - 4d Registraion plus 1d Postage with
REGISTERED
11.00AM
4 NO 10
CAPE TOWN
Backstamped
OBSERVATORY ROAD on the same day
Lester Collection
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Kenhardt CGH
A town South of Upington
First day cover cover
with a multiple franking |
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Worcester
First Day Cover
Posted locally at
7.10AM
NO 4 10
Lester Collection
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| Port
Elizabeth
First Day Cover
An Advertising envelope from a local Men's wear firm
Posted
8AM - NO 4 10
Lester Collection
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Uitenhage
First Day Postal stationery card
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First
Day Cover - Used
in Natal
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UITENHAGE
3.30PM - 4 NO 10 A C.O.G.H. KEVII Half-Penny
Postal Stationery card to Bulawayo with a Union 2½d
on the reverse 11 NOV 10 arrival
Lester Collection
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MALONGENI
- Near Dundee in Natal - A very rare
cancel on a Union 2½d
First Day Office open 1908 - 1912 Name changed to
Malonjeni at a later date
Lester Collection
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First
Day Covers - Used
in Orange Free State |
POST OFFICE-EDENBURG 4 NOV 10 O.F.C. |
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The
Town is South of Bloemfontein - Posted locally
along with an
Orange River Colony KEVII 1d definitive -
Lester Collection |
BLOEMFONTEIN
Appears to be a mourning cover
the enclosed card suggests
it is merely a First day of issue from the Postmaster
E.R. Johnson
Berwick-on-Tweed NO
27 10 Arrival backstamp
Lester Collection |
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WINBURG
4 NOV 10
The Town is North of Bloemfontein
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Note
The sender changed
O.R.C. to O.F.S.
‘Union of’
South Africa |
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Lester
Collection
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| Bloemfontein
First Day Postcard
BLOEMFONTEIN
4 NOV F 10
2
Postcard representing the
Four Provinces
with the
slogan
Unity is Strength
Eenheid maak Sterk
Addressed to Dewetsdorp
with 5 NOV arrival cancel
First
Day on a
Postcard is scarce
Palmer Collection
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SCHWEITZER
RENECKE
4 NOV C 10
TRANSVAAL
Palmer Collection
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| BENONI
4 NOV 10
Posted locally - Lester Collection |
REGISTERED
- 4 NOV 10 5.30PM - JOHANNESBURG
Cape Town 7
NO
10 Arrival - Lester
Collection
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Johannesburg
First Day Postcard |
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JOHANNESBURG
4 NOV 10 1-PM 12 Postcard
depicting a
Chinese Compound on the Rand - Addressed to Peter
Falk a well known
Nurseryman in Rhodesia - GWELO arrival cancel
First Day on a Postcard is scarce - Lester
Collection
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JOHANNESBURG
4 NOV 10 5.45PM 14
Postcard Depicting African Children around a cooking
pot
Card to Luderitzbucht - In G.S.W.A.
Lester Collection
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First
Day Postcard
PIET
RETIEF
a Town near the
Border of Swaziland
4 NOV c 10
Sent under separate
cover after cancellation as there is no address
Card depicts prancing
Springbok
Quite an appropriate scene
for a S.A.C.S.
Website
Lester Collection
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| 1910
2½d Union Used Multiples |
| Multiples
used in the Cape Province - CAPE TOWN Roller Parcel
Cancel |
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| A continuous hand
operated device consisting of six parallel Tramlines
with
CAPETOWN Inserted between the second and third lines
Applied to a magnificent irregular block of 17 - Plus
a single in the SW corner
A similar device was used at PORT ELIZABETH -
Lester Collection
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A
continuous hand operated device consisting of six
parallel Tramlines with CAPETOWN Inserted between
the second and third lines
Another lovely block of 12 - Defaced with the Parcel
canceller
Lester Collection |
MOUBRAY - 1.30PM - MR 15 11
Lester Collection
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SEA
POINT in Cape Town
On a marginal block of six
SEA POINT -
MR 28 11
Note
The Printers mark on the selvedge indicates that the
stamps are
No's 4 to 6 from Row 1 & 2
Lester Collection
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| PAARL
near Cape Town |
| Cancelled
Double Circle
PAARL
C
JY 22
11
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Cancelled
Single Circle
PAARL
C
JY 22
11
C.G.H. |
| A
Block of twelve - more than likely used on
a Parcel - Note the two stamps on the extreme right
missed the initial Double Circle datestamp and
the matter rectified by cancelling them with one strike
of a Single Circle - Lester Collection |
Cape
Province
PORT ELIZABETH
A continuous hand operated
device consisting of
six parallel Tramlines with
PORT ELIZABETH
Inserted twice between the
top and bottom lines
Struck on a block of four
Lester Collection
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Multiple
used in
Natal
DURBAN REGISTERED
Block of four Cancelled
REGISTERED
11 APR 13 - 4.00PM
DURBAN S. AFRICA
Lester Collection
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UITENHAGE
near
Port Elizabeth
A Single Circle
UITENHAGE
7 NO
10
C.G.H.
On a wonderful
block of 12
Lester Collection
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IDUTYWA
the oldest
District
in theTranskei
A block of nine
Cancelled
IDUTYWA
11 FE
11
Lester
Collection
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| Multiples
used in the Transvaal - Germiston Parcel Cancel |
| GERMISTON
Two blocks with a total of fourteen Stamps defaced
with a
Barred Oval Parcel handstamp with
GERMISTON
across the centre struck in violet
This may be one of the largest
known used multiple
Lester Collection |
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GERMISTON
Parcel Cancels
These two items do
not fall in a Multiple category but
demonstrate the use of
the Parcel Handstamp struck in
Violet and Black
Lester Collection
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NYLSTROOM
In the Waterberg District
Northern Transvaal en route
to Beit Bridge
Splendid block of twelve
Cancelled
Double Circle
NYLSTROOM
21 MAR
11
TRANSVAAL
Lester Collection
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To
Captain Scott in the Antartic
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| Posted
KOKSTAD NO 5 10 and addressed to the
famous Explorer
Captain R. F. Scott - British
Antartic Expedition McMurdo Sound - Queen Victoria
Land via New Zealand
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envelope contained a letter wishing Scott good luck
and expecting that it would be opened by him after
he had conquered the South Pole. The letter reached
the Antarctic Expedition after Scott's death returning
from the pole, and was not answered until after the
war, when the Expeditions affairs were being finalized,
and Francis Drake, the postmaster of the Expedition,
returned it to the sender, with an explanatory letter
advising of Scott's death. The senders letter mentions
that the stamp had been issued on that day, and the
Duke had opened the first Parliament of the new Union
of South Africa.It
is part of a wonderful group of items, including newspaper
reports of Scott sent with the original letter.
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McMurdo
Sound in Queen Victoria Land
Is at Latitude 77° 50'S Longitude 166°40'E
It is due South from the SW tip of New Zealand and
730 nautical miles from the South Pole
It is in the Ross Sea and lies close to Mount Erebus
which is the second highest volcano in Antarctica
and the southernmost active volcano on earth.
McMurdo sound is named after an American General and
used today as a landing strip.
Nearby there is an American station of the same name
andScott Base is close.
Average mean sea-leveltemperature is -20 °C Monthly
mean range -3 °C in January to -28 °C in August.
Stormiest months - February and October |
Starting
in 1955 - 1956 the US made missions to the Antarctic
codenamed
Operation
Deep Freeze
In 2013 a 46 cent Commemorative was issued depicting
their ships in McMurdo Sound |
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Unusual
Destinations in Africa
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Registered
within the Transkei
UMTATA
to NGQELENI
In the Transkei
Union
2½d
pair paying 4d Registration plus 1d Postage
Cancelled UMTATA SP 25 12
Manuscript registration
Simply addressed to Old Bunting
A Methodist Mission station at Ngqeleni
20 Kilometres Southeast of Umtata
The only Transkei destination
Lyn & Rob have encountered
Lester Collection |
Unusual
Destination - Deutcshe Seepost to GSWA
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CAPE
TOWN to LUDERITZBUCHT
In German South West Africa
Union
2½d
x 2 cancelled with oval
DEUTSCHE SEEPOST
LINNIE HAMBURG WEST AFRIKA 6 11 12
Carried on the Frieda Woermann
Via Port Nolloth, Angra Pequina to Walfish Bay thence
onto
Luderitzbucht with 30 11 12 arrival backstamp
Other covers with the same destination
have been see all addressed to the same person
Lester
Collection
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Unusual
Destinations - To Boma in the Belgian Congo
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JOHANNESBURG
to BOMA
Via Rhodesia addressed to
The Vice Consul General of the USA
At Boma in the Belgian Congo
Surface rate paid with Union 2½d
Machine cancel JOHANNESBURG MAY 3 1911
Routed via Southern
Rhodesia
and Angola
With transit backstamps Bulawayo
6 May & Luanda 26 V 11 plus
BOMA 1 JUIN 1911 arrival
Boma is just across the
NW border of Angola
Lester Collection
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| Unusual
Destinations in Europe & Scandinavia
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PRETORIA
to LISBON
Inter-Provincial
use of a KEVII 4d
Registration Evelope with 5d Postage paid with
Union
2½d
x 2 cancelled
PRETORIA 13 JA 13
By sea to Funchal Maderia 28 JAN 13 and more than
sent on a different ship to Portugal with
LISBOA CENTRAL 1 2 13 arrival
This is the only Portuguese SG 1 destination
Lyn & Rob have seen - It seems quite strange
as
South Africa enjoyed its fair share of
Portuguese Immigrants - perhaps there were
not that many in 1913?
Lester
Collection
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Unusual
Destination - Stockholm, Sweden
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JOHANNESBURG
to STOCKHOLM
Inter-Provincial use of a
KEVII 3d plus
Union
2½d
x 2 cancelled
JOHANNESBURG
21 JUL 13
With Stockholm
12 AUG 13
Arrival backstamp
Palmer
Collection
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Unusual
Destination - Langebaan to Larvik, Norway |
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LANGEBAAN
to LARVIK
Surface
rate paid with Union 2½d
Cancelled LANGEBAAN
7 OCT 12
Arrival backstamp
LARVIK
29 10 1912
Only Norwegian destination seen
Lester
Collection
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| Unusual
Destination - To Hamburg (JA 16 11) |
Unusual
Destination - To Bohemia |
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JOHANNESBURG
to Bohemia (Czech lands)
Posted
Johannesburg NOV 25 1910 |
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Unusual
Destination - To Smyrna, Turkey |
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NYLSTROOM
to SMYRNA
KEVII
4d Registration Envelope - Inter-Provincial use with
5d Postage
NYLSTROOM 3 JL 10 |
PRETORIA
to SMYRNA
KEVII
4d Registration Envelope - Inter-Provincial use with
7½d Postage
PRETORIA
9 OCT 13
- London 28 OCT 13 transit - Smyrna 4 NOV 13 arrival
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| Unusual
Destination - To Kimberley to Greece |
Unusual
Destination - To
Persia |
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KIMBERLEY
2 DE 12 |
JOHANNESBURG
2
DEC 12
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| Unusual
Destinations in the Americas & Australia
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JOHANNESBURG
to SASKATOON
A colourful
franking with an
Inter-Provincial use of a Natal KEVII 2½d,
Union
2½d
plus
a pair of ½d
Springbok definitives
4d Registration & 2d Postage
Cancelled
JOHANNESBURG
20 DEC 26
Backstamped
Montreal 21 JAN 27 transit and
Saskatoon JAN 24 27 arrival
Redirected with Saskatoon
JAN 25 27 dispatch and
Calgary JAN 26 27 arrival
Only Canadian destination seen
Lester
Collection
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Unusual
Destination - To Ancon, Panama Canal Zone
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| KOWIE
WEST to ANCON
Panama Canal Zone
An Inter-Provincial
use of a
COGH KEVII 1d envelope,
a 1d OFS VRI overprint
plus aUnion 2½d
pair -
Registered and
Cancelled KOWIE WEST
MR 11 11
Transit backstamps, London & New York
4 - 9 and 5 - 9 1911 plus Ancon APR 18 1911 arrival
Lyn and Rob comment
We have a couple to this destination
but
this is the most attractive of the covers
Lester
Collection
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| Unusual
Destination - To Honolulu, Hawaii
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PRETORIA
to HONOLULU
An OHMS
Newspaper wrapper with
an
Inter-Provincial use of a
Transvaal KEVII 1d
plus a
Union
2½d
Cancelled PRETORIA
23 SEP 12
It comes as no surprise that it is the
only known Hawaian destination
Lester
Collection
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Unusual
Destination - To Tasmania, Australia
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GEORGE
to LAUNCESTON
In Tasmania, Australia
An
Inter-Provincial use of a
COGH KEVII 4d Registered
envelope
plus a
Union
2½d
Cancelled with a GEORGE
AP 21 11 Relief datestamp
Backstamped Cape Town
23 AP 11 transit - No arrival mark
Another very unusual destination
Lester
Collection
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| Unusual
Items - A Christmas Card from Pretoria |
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| Unusual
Cancellation - A Cork
Cancel |
|
1910 Pageant Emblem |
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| There
are two schools of thought on this very unusual
cancel
Either a Rosette that resembles the Watermark
OR is it meant to look like the
Emblem used for the 1910 Pageant
Peetoom Collection
|
PRETORIA
The 1910 Union 2½d used as a Centre
Piece on a Christmas card
Hearty Seasons Greetings
from
Mr & Mrs H. G. Everett, Box 63, Pretoria
S.A.
Peetoom Collection
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| Unusual
Item - Stamp with Private Perfin
on Cover |
|
Date
Stamped
CAPE TOWN
9 OCT 12
This is the only known perfined
Union 2½d on cover
Lester Collection
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| 1910
Union
2½d
with Private Perfin
J D & CO
John
Dickinson & Co
African & Australian Branch
Apsley House, Wale Street
Cape Town |
| Identity
of Company as per the backflap
Plus arrival CURWENSVILLE
NO 5 11AM 1912 |
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