Windhoek Past and Present
South West Africa, Windhoek · 1990-07-26
Official first day cover (FDC) · South African philately
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A 1990 Namibian first day cover from Windhoek, issued just months after independence. This cover is postmarked on 26 July 1990 in Windhoek, only months after Namibian independence in March of that year. It carries the Windhoek Past and Present set of four stamps, tracing the city's development from its early central business area through to its present municipal building. The stamps were designed by J. J. van Ellinckhuijzen and issued under the new Namibia Post administration rather than the former South West African postal service. The cover pairs a black and white photograph of Windhoek's Tintenpalast gardens with an aloe motif that recurs across the accompanying cancels.
Description of the Cachet
The cachet is a black and white photograph showing a modern government building beside a tall aloe plant, with a second high-rise structure visible in the background. "Windhoek" appears beneath the photograph in large serif type, with "Past and Present" as a subtitle. A small oval logo in the lower right reads "PT Namibia". Four stamps sit to the right of the cachet, each paired with a Windhoek building from a different period, moving from the town's early central business area through to its present municipal building. Two matching Windhoek date stamps, dated 26 July 1990 and featuring a stylised candelabra aloe motif, tie the stamps to the cover.
Information Card
An info card is present; however the envelope is gummed shut.
Theme: Heritage
Condition: FineGood condition. Minor wear or small imperfections, but overall well-presented.
Addressed: No
Signed: No
SAPO serial number: 1.2
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.
