OCEAN MAIL SERVICE
South Africa, Cape Town · 1976-10-05
Official first day cover (FDC) · South African philately
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This cover is postmarked on 5 October 1976 in Cape Town, marking the centenary of the ocean mail service contract between Britain and the Cape. It carries the South Africa commemorative stamp depicting an early mail steamer, SAPO [number to confirm], issued exactly one hundred years after the two original contracts took effect. Those two contracts, signed separately with the Union Steam Ship Company and the Castle Packets Company, began a weekly mail service between Southampton and Cape Town on 5 October 1876, replacing the fortnightly service that had run before it. Both companies eventually merged in 1900 to form the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company, whose vessels continued to carry South Africa's sea mail to Britain and Europe on a contract basis for decades afterward.
Description of the Cachet
The cachet is a painted harbour scene showing the bow of a large ocean liner at dockside, its dark hull rising against a backdrop of Table Mountain wreathed in cloud. A dockside crane stands to the left, and in the foreground a cargo net loaded with goods hangs suspended mid-lift. The whole scene is rendered in soft, hazy purples and blues, giving the impression of an overcast Cape Town morning at the docks.
Information Card
The cachet is a painted harbour scene showing the bow of a large ocean liner at dockside, its dark hull rising against a backdrop of Table Mountain wreathed in cloud. A dockside crane stands to the left, and in the foreground a cargo net loaded with goods hangs suspended mid-lift. The whole scene is rendered in soft, hazy purples and blues, giving the impression of an overcast Cape Town morning at the docks.
Theme: Transport
Condition: FineGood condition. Minor wear or small imperfections, but overall well-presented.
Addressed: No
Signed: No
Stamp denomination: R0.08 (ZAR)
SAPO serial number: 2.18
Estimated value: ~US$0.06
This is a high-level, subjective estimate only, not a professional appraisal.
This first day cover (FDC) is part of Southern Covers, a private collection of 248 first day covers documenting the postal history and philately of South Africa and the homeland states. New to first day cover collecting? Read the guide to learn about cachets, postmarks, and stamp collecting terms, or browse the whole collection of Southern African FDCs.
