It appears that these stamps were used in combination with the Orange Free State stamps to pay for the conveyance of mail from the Orange Free State to the Cape of Good Hope and for onwards transmission overseas.

Allis states that from documents in the Cape Archives it appears that for sometime before the introduction of stamps in the Orange Free State a form of mail carrying contract existed between the Cape and the Free State, whereby an annual payment was due by the Cape Government. Apparently this was done in the form of stamps.

The fact that they were the actual equivalent of their face value in cash would indicate that the Free State Government must have recovered their value by disposing them to the public for use on mail matter from the Free State teritory passing to or through the Cape Colony. They can actually be considered as provisionals, for their use was officially accepted although their exact rank is obscure.

Allis also states that items of this kind in question are of considerable rarity.

“Hope,” having risen from her seat after a period of contemplation lasting for upwards of four decades, having stood, at intervals, upon the One Penny, Halfpenny and Three Pence values, for seven years, and having finally appeared above the clouds on the One Penny stamp of 1900, now entirely disappears.

The new stamps of the Cape of Good Hope, of nine denominations, from Half-penny to Five Shillings, were printed by Messrs. De La Rue & Co. who also prepared the dies and plates. All values were printed upon the usual paper with the cabled anchor watermark normally used for Cape of Good Hope stamps.

The central portrait of King Edward VII is the same throughout. Unlike other colonial stamps each value has its own distinctive frame of an ornamental pattern. In this frame the words ‘Cape of Good Hope, postage,” and the value are incorporated.

Several printings were made resulting in a variety of colour shades in all values.
For the One Penny stamps four different plates were needed, whilst three plates sufficed to provide the necessary supplies of the Half­penny value. In all other cases one plate only was employed.

In certain of the sheets of the One Penny stamps the horizontal lines of shading in the medallion containing the King’s portrait to the right of the head, are almost entirely absent This is probably owing to the plate being worn, or to uneven inking. Another whilst minor variety exists in the same value where a small spot of colour resembling a full stop occurs between the letters ” о” and “n” of ” one.”

Considerable stocks of the stamps of old designs were still on hand in Capetown, and during certain periods the King’s Head types were withdrawn to admit of the old stocks being used up, whilst at other times, the old and the new stamps were in concurrent use.

Official Stamps

In 1perfin906 the Cape Government Printing and Stationery Department adopted a system of perforating in connection with the stamps used by their Department upon their Foreign Mail matter. The stamps so used were first passed through a machine and a device, consisting of eleven round holes, in the form of two triangles, having their common apexes meeting in the hole at the centre of the stamp, was punched out, thus:

Definite information as to all the denominations of the stamps so treated is not available, but the following have been seen : One Penny, Two Pence, Three Pence, Four Pence, Six Pence, One Shilling and Five Shillings.

Other values of the King Edward stamps may be found with various forms of overprint for revenue purposes, and were employed in the collection of cigarette and customs duties. Although these frequently bear postal oblitera­tions, they were never used for postal purposes, and have no real philatelic interest.

Privately Perforated Stamps

Stamps are found privately perforated normally with the Company initials to eliminate pilferage of stamps from the Company concerned.

Stamps are found for John Garlic, Cape Times Ltd., Union-Castle Steamship Co. Lt., C E Gardner & Co. Ltd., R Muller.

REFERENCE LIST

Rectangular design with portrait of King Edward VII. Watermarked Cabled Anchor. Perf. 14. Medium white wove paper. White gum.
half penny. Issued December 1902. In shades of green.

Plates i, 2 and 3.4

one penny. Issued December 1902. In shades of rose-red and carmine. Plates 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Two pence. Issued October 1904. In shades of brown.
twopence halfpenny. Issued March 1904. In shades of ultramarine-blue.
three pence. Issued April 1903. In shades of magenta.
four pence. Issued February 1903. In shades of sage-green.
Six pence. Issued March 1903. In shades of lilac and mauve.
one shilling. Issued December 1902. In shades ofyellow-ochrc.
five shillings. Issued February 1903. In shades of orange-yellow.
note. All the above stamps exist imperf. and are known in imperf. pairs. In this condition they are from plate-proof or trial sheets.

New Issue of Postage Stamps. – Upon the accession of His Majesty to the Throne it was decided by the Government to introduce new designs of postage stamps, post cards, etc., being a representation of the head of the King. Instructions were
accordingly issued to Messrs. Thomas De la Rue and Sons, London, for the preparation of suitable designs, and these were in due course submitted and approved. They consist of oval centers, showing the head of His Majesty in profile (after an original drawing by Mr. Emil Fuchs,the sculptor), set in suitable frames. His Majesty having commanded that all stamps bearing his effigy should have an
Imperial crown in the border, this has been adopted, and the crown appears in the new issue immediately above the head, adding considerably to the appearance of the stamps. In the upper corners the values of the stamps are indicated in bold
figures; and in words at the base.

It was Messrs. De La Rue’s proposal to have the same frame for each denomination of adhesive stamp; but, in view of the resemblance between the colours of certain denominations, more particularly in artificial light, and that something more than a more colour difference is therefore needed to enable the several values to be readily distinguished under all circumstances, I recommended a different design of frame for each value, and this suggestion has been adopted. As the colours of the stamps are fixed by the Universal Postal Union Convention, it was not possible to make any alteration in that respect, nor could any such alteration have been entirely effective, but the adoption of the different frame for each variety will remove any likelihood of mistake in those cases where the colours approximate, and will distinctly facilitate the checking
of postage.

It was hoped that the new stamps would be ready for issue on the 1st January, 1902, but owing to the quantity of similar work for other Colonies which the contractors have in hand, and the great length of time which it was found would
be occupied in engraving in turn the various dies and formes, this has proved impossible. It is anticipated, however, that the new dies will be brought into use in connection with the execution of the next indents for supplies; in which case some of the denominations will be put into circulation towards the close of the year 1902 (1901, p. 29).

A notice that appeared in the Government Gazette of 31st October 1879 informed the public that as from the 1st November 1879 the rates of postage on letters posted in the Colony, Basutoland and the Transkeian Territories for transmission to Post Offices within the same was reduced to Three Pence per half ounce.

Letters for Natal, the Diamond Fields, the Orange Free State and the Transvaal remained at the rate of Four Pence the half-ounce. Letters posted in the town or village for delivery within the limits of the same were charged at the Penny rate.

The requirements were anticipated and the Treasury Department took steps by organizing 5 000 sheets of the Four Pence blue stamp to be surcharged locally by Messrs. Saul Solomon & Co. This was done by printing the words “THREE PENCE” in small roman letters and with the original value obliterated by a bar.
The issue is not devoid of errors and the stamp is found with the surcharged words reading “THEE.EE PENCE” or “THREE PENCB”. At least one sheet of this provisional was issued with the surcharge double and this stamp is one of the great Cape of Good Hope rarities.

Although both of the errors doubly surcharged must exist or at any rate have existed only that with the word spelt “THEE.EE PENCE” has been recorded.

The introduction of the first stamps of the new design, which had been decided upon, was effected in October 1893 with the One Penny value making its appearance. ” Hope ” still continued to be the dominating feature, but having by this time remained seated for upwards of forty years, she now assumes a standing position, reclining with her right arm against an upright anchor.

The background consists of a view of Table Bay, with a steamer appearing on the right, and with Table Mountain in the distance, and is enclosed in a decorative frame containing the words ” Cape of Good Hope ” in un-coloured capital letters of ornamental character. A white tablet at the foot is utilised to denote the value expressed in words, whilst underneath appears the word ” postage,” the former being in small block capitals and the latter in small ornamental letters. Plain white circles fill the two top corners and contain numerals of the value, and a thin line of colour surrounds and completes the design, the original drawing for which was made by Mr. Mountford, of Capetown.

Messrs. De La Rue & Co. prepared the new die and printing plate, and, from time to time, manufactured large quantities of the stamps upon the Anchor paper, and the numerous printings which took place resulted in the production of many distinct shades of both rose-red and carmine.

The “HOPE” Standing Halfpenny
(Issued October 1898)

When, early in 1895, the decision was reached to effect a change

in the general design of the Cape stamps, it was the intention of the authorities that as the printing plates of the old pattern became useless for further work, they should be replaced by plates made from the new ” Hope” standing die, until the alteration had been effected in respect of each value.

Steps in this direction were accordingly taken. When it was reported in 1898 that the Halfpenny plate of the old type was no longer serviceable and required to be renewed, and in October of that year Halfpenny stamps of the new design came into use, printed by Messrs. De La Rue & Co., in green. Many shades of this colour exist. Plate proofs as well as essays exist.

The “HOPE” Standing Three Pence
(Issued March 1902)

Early in March 1902 a further stamp of the ” Hope ” standing pattern was placed on sale in the Cape of Good Hope Colony. This was the Three Pence value which, in view of the subsequent adoption of the King Edward Designwas the last of the ‘Hope’ stamps. The ‘Standing Hope’ or ‘Sitting Hope’ has served the Cape of Good Hope for many years.

The Edward VII designs, proved to be the last of its type with the Cape of Good Hope incorporated into the Union of South Africa as the Cape Province.

REFERENCE LIST

Rectangular design of ” Hope ” standing. Watermarked Cabled Anchor. PerJ. 14. Medium white wove paper. White gum.
one penny. Issued October 1893. In shades of rose-red and carmine.
note.

The above stamp is known imperf., and exists in imperf. pairs. In this condition it is from a plate-proof or trial sheet.

The surcharging was carried out by Messrs. W. H. Richards & Son in Capetown who in those days were the Government printers, in succession to Messrs. Saul Solomon & Co.

The full sheet of 240 stamps was surcharged at each operation of the printing machine.

The stamp also exists with the surcharge doubly printed. It is believed that one whole sheet at least was sold at the Port Elizabeth Post Office in this condition, for all known used copies bear the Port Elizabeth postmark.

There are several minor varieties in connection with this surcharge which are described below, and it is necessary to note that the bar of the surcharge canceling the words ” two pence ” was set up separately in respect of each stamp upon the sheet, not in a continuous line.

REFERENCE LIST

Rectangular design of ” Hope ” sealed, with thin outer line of colour removed. Two pence bistre-brown. Water­marked Cabled Anchor. Surcharged by Messrs. W. A. Richards & Son, of Capetown, with the words ” one penny ” in black, and with the original value, obliterated by a black bar.
“one penny” on 2d. Issued March 1893.

(Total number of stamps surcharged, officially recorded as 2,400,000.)

Although most of the British Colonies have adopted the Penny Postage much earlier in Cape Town it only came into actual force as from the 1st September 1899. The emblematical figure of “Hope” is no longer the central feature, and the lady now appears merely as a speck surmounting the coat of arms of Colony of Cape of Good Hope, whilst the anchor is present only by inference.

The lower half of the stamp is occupied by a view of Table Bay, with a vessel in the fore­ground, whilst in the distance Table Mountain and the Lion’s Head are seen. Below the view a coloured label contains the words ” one penny ” in uncoloured ornamental letters, and the value is also expressed by coloured numerals contained in white squares at each corner of the stamp. In the upper portion of the design the Cape of Good Hope coat of arms is seen in a white circle surmounted by a white semi­circular tablet, containing the words ” cape of good hope ” in ornamental capitals, whilst immediately below another small label contains the word ” postage,” also in small decorative capitals.

The new die was prepared and Messrs. De La Rue & Co. manufactured the stamps from the original drawing of Mr. E. Sturman of the Capetown Post Office staff.

New Penny Postage Stamp. – A new 1d. postage stamp was brought into use on the 1st January, 1900. The design – a representation of Table Bay with Table Mountain in the background, and the arms of the Colony above – was intended to more clearly identify the stamp with the Colony, and to form the commencement, co-temporaneous with the introduction of Imperial Penny Postage, of a series of pictorial stamps similar to those adopted by New Zealand, Tasmania, and many British Colonies and Foreign Countries.

Unfortunately, owing to the first issue of the new stamp having been made during a period of great political excitement, consequent on the war, an endeavour has been made by a section of the press to place a postal change, the basis of the adverse criticism being apparently an erroneous impression that the figure of “Hope.” which has been portrayed on the Cape Colony series of postage stamps since stamps were first introduced, represented “Britannia.” and, therefore, that the adoption of any other design at the present time must proceed from a disloyal feeling towards the Crown. As a matter of fact, however, the design now adopted was first prepared in the year 1892, and the dies and plates for the present issue were in the hands of the engravers many months before the outbreak of war. Owing to the stamps of the Cape Colony being prepared on the “surface printing” system, with a view to the prevention of forgery, the designs cannot, it should be mentioned, be executed with the same fineness of detail and beauty of finish as with stamps prepared by other and less secure processes; but the Government has hitherto considered it more prudent to sacrifice, to some extent, appearance to safety. Messrs. De la Rue & Company, the manufacturers, have devoted an immense amount of time, skill, and capital to the perfecting of their processes, and are perhaps the largest manufacturers of postage stamps in the world (Postmaster’s General Report 1899, p. 37).

The modified “Hope” seated die was called into service and a transfer was taken upon which the new value was engraved.

At the latter end of the year 1891, the Agent-General for the Colony reported that
some of the dies and plates used in the manufacture of the Cape Colonial series of postage stamps, were wearing out, and would have to be replaced. When this matter was referred to the Postmaster-General he suggested that the opportunity should be taken for adopting a design, for any new issue, which would show the price of the stamp more clearly both in figures and words. He recommended, however, that owing to the great cost of new dies, and plates, the adoption of any new design should be confined to the denominations of stamps of which the existing plates were worn out.

Up to this period, in connection with the issue of Cape Postage Stamps, provision had not been made for showing the value of the stamp in figures; this defect has however been remedied in the recently issued twopence half-penny stamp, but in such a manner as to mar its artistic effect.

The Postmaster General in his annual report for 1892 reported that

…a design for a new Cape postage stamp, embodying the Cape Arms, and fulfilling the above requirements, was at this time submitted by me, but it did not meet with approval, and the Hon. Mr.Merriman, who was Treasurer of the Colony at the time, when in England, entered into communication with Mr. P.R. Montford on the recommendation of Mr. Thomas Brook, R.A., and a design was submitted by Mr. Montford and ultimately accepted by the Treasury after some modifications, which design has been made use of for the production of the new penny postage stamp shortly to be issued to the public.(1893, p. 13).

The Crown Agents in order to avoid any possibility of confusion, agreed to the recommendations of the Postmaster-General and introduced a small square tablet into the design of the stamp at the top right-hand corner, beneath the word “HOPE” in which the value is repeated in numerals.

The steel transfer was then prepared and a printing plate of 240 multiples was manufactured. The stamps were printed in a pale sage-green shade, entirely distinct from the green employed for the One Shilling stamps.

Several printings of these stamps were made and pronounced shades are to be found.

The stamps were printed on cabled anchor water-marked paper and with a size 14 perforation.

Pending the manufacture of a new plate for the printing of stamps of the new denomination, Messrs. De La Rue & Co. supplied a stock of stamps of the Three Pence “Hope” seated type, printed in magenta and surcharged “2 ½ d ” in black over the word ” three ” in the bottom label of the stamp.

The following are the measurements of the surcharged figures:
Large ” 2 ½ “ About 6 mm. by 4 mm. ” 1 “ in fraction 2 mm. high. ” 2 ” in fraction 2 mm. by about 2 mm. “d” 2 mm. by 1 mm.

There are two types of the letter ” d ” in the surcharge, one with a straight top, and one with a sloping top. The variety with sloping top is the scarcer of the two, and should, of course, be represented in any Postal History Study of the Cape of Good Hope collection.

In the normal stamp the figure ” 1 ” in the fraction has the serif sloping downwards, but a collectable variety occurs in which the ” 1 ” has the serif with a perfectly straight top, evidently from another type of font. The position on the panes of 60 stamps that is occupied by the variety in question is No. 2 on the second row and No.1 on the ninth row. (See photo above-stamp No.1).

The total number of these stamps sent out to the Colony was 3,038,400, in 12,660 sheets of 240 stamps each.

There were two separate printings, and shades of the magenta are obtainable. Care, however, is very necessary here, as many apparent shades are merely faded copies, the magenta colour being very susceptible to this change.

REFERENCE LIST

Rectangular design of “Hope” seated, with thin outer line of colour removed. Watermarked Cabled Anchor. Perf. 14. Medium white wove paper. White gum. 3d. Magenta printed and surcharged by Messrs. De La Rue & Co., with the figures ” 2 ½ d ” in black at the bottom of the stamp.
“2 ½ d” on 3d. Issued March 1891. (Total number of stamps surcharged officially recorded as 3,038,400.)

Varieties

The figure “1” in the fraction has a level top to the serif. With small fraction bar in ” ½ “

As the old dies started to wear out the printers Messrs De La Rue & Co. requested to have the original dies altered by removing the outer line frame. In addition they had the shading upon the figure of Hope and the vine leaves redrawn.

With the exception of the Six Pence and One Shilling stamps which retained the outer frame line.

The Five Shillings Stamp

(Issued prior to 25th August 1871)

In February 1871 the Postmaster General reported the need for a higher duty stamp. His reason for his recommendation was that owing to the fact that several One Shilling stamps were necessary to frank a single letter inconvenience has been experienced through the covering up of the front of the envelopes and the concealment of the addresses. In addition difficulty arose by the stamps being detached in the post.

This was accepted and the die and stamps were prepared by Messrs. De La Rue and Co.

The first consignment amounted to 100 sheets of 240 stamps each. These were despatched from England by the s.s. Roman on the 9th June 1871. They reached Cape Town about the 17th July.They were issued to the public towards the end of August 1871.

Several subsequent printings of the Five Shillings stamps upon the paper watermarked with the Crown CC were made. Noticeable shades of the orange-yellow are obtainable.

Strictly speaking the Spiro forgeries are fascimiles and were sold as such. A legitimate activity in those days. Over the years about 500 different forgeries were made. These forgeries must be the most numerous of all stamp forgeries and can be found in almost every old collection.

The Cape Triangular forgeries were normally printed in sheets of 30 as in the example shown here.

The stamps were never gummed, but can be found mostly cancelled. The typical ‘Spiro cancels’ are often the easiest way to recognize these forgeries.

Facsimiles were openly collected and from 1864 to 1875 the Spiro Brothers firm made its living by meeting the need fully and openly.

Other early dealers also offered facsimiles as well as outright fakes or reprints. From George Hussey and Ferdinand Elb, to S. Allen Taylor and J. Walter Scott, livings were made by providing facsimiles and forgeries in addition to legitimate and bogus issues