National Stamp Day 1990

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NATIONAL STAMP DAY The custom of celebrating a national stamp day has spread throughout the world since Austria used a special Postage Stamp Day date-stamp on 1 December 1935 and Belgium issued a special Stamp Day stamp on 10 January 1937. National Stamp Day has been observed in South Africa since 1987, but this set of stamps is the first to be issued to mark this event. The five 21c stamps feature the world's oldest postage stamp, the British Penny Black, and the first stamps issued by the former postal administrations of the Cape Colony, Natal, the Republic of the Orange Free State, and the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek. The world's first adhesive stamp, the famous Penny Black, was introduced into England on 2 May 1840. It was the brainchild of a former schoolmaster, Rowland Hill, who developed the system of prepaid postage. The profile of a youthful Queen Victoria was depicted on the stamp, which was designed by William Wyon and printed by the firm of Perkins, Bacon and Petch. The Cape triangular stamps were designed in that shape by the then Surveyor-General, Charles Bell, in order to distinguish them from the English stamps. The first values, one penny and four pennies, were sold at the Castle in Cape Town on 1 September 1853. The 4d stamp depicted the seated figure of the legendary Hope against a blue background and the words Postage Four Pence, Cape of Good Hope. The stamps were imperforate and had to be cut by hand. Natal's first stamps were issued at Pietermaritzburg and Durban on 26 May 1857. The four stamps were embossed on thick paper of different colours by Messrs. P. Davis and Sons of Pietermaritzburg. The shilling stamp was buff-coloured and featured the Royal Crown, the letters VR (Victoria Regina) and the wording Natal, One Shilling, framed by a double border. The first stamps of the Republic of the Orange Free State were issued on 1 January 1868 in 1d, 6d and 1s values. The shilling stamp was orange-coloured and, like the other values, featured an orange-tree and three hunting horns. The hunting horns are the oldest emblems of the Dutch Royal House of Orange. The tree is a symbol of freedom and originally did not represent a specific type. When the proof stamps arrived from England, it was found that the printers, Thos. de la Rue and Co., had added ripe oranges to the tree. To obviate additional costs the design was accepted. Following a recommendation by the Postmaster General, Frederick Jeppe, the Volksraad of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek decided to introduce adhesive postage stamps in 1869. The stamps were printed in Germany by Adolph Otto of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and the first consignment reached Potchefstroom in August 1869. The shilling stamp, which depicted the ZAR coat of arms, was printed in green. NASIONALE SEËLDAG Die gebruik om 'n nasionale seëldag te vier, het wêreldwyd posgevat sedert Oostenryk op 1 Desember 1935 'n spesiale Posseëldag-datumstempel en België op 10 Januarie 1937 'n spesiale Seëldag-seël uitgegee het. Nasionale Seëldag word sedert 1987 in Suid-Afrika gevier, maar hierdie stel seëls is die eerste wat by dié geleentheid uitgegee word. Die vyf 21c-seëls toon die oudste posseël ter wêreld, die Britse Penny Black, en die eerste seëls wat deur die voormalige posadministrasies van die Kaapkolonie, Natal, die Republiek van die Oranje-Vrystaat en die Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek uitgegee is. Die wêreld se eerste gegomde posseël, die bekende Penny Black, is op 2 Mei 1840 in Engeland in gebruik geneem. Dit was die uitvinding van 'n eertydse onderwyser, Rowland Hill, wat die stelsel van vooruitbetaalde posgeld ontwikkel het. Die profiel van 'n jeugdige Koningin Victoria verskyn op die seël, wat deur William Wyon ontwerp en deur die firma Perkins, Bacon and Petch gedruk is. Die Kaapse driehoekseëls is deur die destydse landmeter-generaal, Charles Bell, in dié vorm ontwerp ten einde hulle van die Britse seëls te onderskei. Die eerste waardes, een pennie en vier pennies, was op 1 September 1853 by die Kasteel in Kaapstad te koop. Die 4d-seël toon die legendariese figuur Hoop in 'n sittende posisie op 'n blou agtergrond en die woorde Postage Four Pence, Cape of Good Hope. Die seëls was ongeperforeerd en moes met die hand uitgeknip word. Natal se eerste seëls is op 26 Mei 1857 in Pietermaritzburg en Durban uitgegee. Die vier seëls is deur P. Davis and Sons van Pietermaritzburg op dik papier van verskillende kleure gebosseleer. Die sjielingseël is dofgeel en toon die koninklike kroon, die letters VR (Victoria Regina) en die woorde Natal, One Shilling, binne 'n dubbele rand. Die Republiek van die Oranje-Vrystaat se eerste seëls is op 1 Januarie 1868 in die waardes van 1d, 6d en 1s uitgegee. Die sjielingseël is oranjekleurig en toon, net soos die ander waardes, 'n lemoenboom en drie jaghorings. Die jaghorings is die oudste embleem van die Nederlandse Huis van Oranje. Die boom is die simbool van vryheid en het oorspronklik nie 'n spesifieke soort voorgestel nie. Toe die proefseëls uit Engeland aangekom het, is gevind dat die drukkers, Thos. de la Rue and Co., ryp lemoene op die boompie aangebring het. Om koste te bespaar, is die ontwerp so aanvaar. Op 'n aanbeveling van die posmeester-generaal, Frederick Jeppe, het die Volksraad van die Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek in 1869 besluit om gegomde posseëls in gebruik te neem. Die seëls is in Duitsland deur Adolph Otto van Mecklenburg-Schwerin gedruk en die eerste besending het in Augustus 1869 op Potchefstroom aangekom. Die sjielingseël, met die ZAR-wapen as ontwerp, is in groen gedruk.

Additional information

This cover was postmarked on 12 May 1990 in Cape Town and marked South Africa's first ever National Stamp Day stamp issue, even though the occasion itself had been observed in the country since 1987. Its five 21c stamps paid tribute to the world's oldest postage stamp, the British Penny Black of 1840, alongside the debut stamps of the Cape Colony, Natal, the Orange Free State and the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek. A charming detail sits behind the Free State's orange shilling stamp of 1868, since its printers in England added ripe oranges to the tree in the design without being asked, and rather than pay to have it corrected, the government simply accepted the happy accident.

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