This cover is part of Southern Covers, a private collection of 80 First Day Covers from South Africa and the homeland states. New to all this? Read the guide, or just browse the whole collection.
Hong Kong '97 International Philatelic Exhibition
South Africa · 1997-02-12
Official
Click any photo to see it enlarged.
front
Cachet: The cachet shows two traditional Chinese junks under sail, their fanned red and gold canvas rigged with bamboo battens, cutting through choppy water with small red pennants flying from the mastheads. The illustration is detailed and painterly, capturing the texture of weathered wood and worn sailcloth on both vessels. The words "Hong Kong '97 Stamp Exhibition" appear top left beside a small red exhibition logo, setting the maritime scene against the philatelic occasion the cover was produced for.
Info card
No info card supplied for this cover.
Additional information
This cover is postmarked between 12 and 16 February 1997 in South Africa, SAPO reference PT 6.49, marking South Africa's participation in the Hong Kong '97 International Philatelic Exhibition. The miniature sheet pairs a heraldic blue lion, the South African national emblem, with a gold Chinese dragon, symbolically bringing the two countries together on a single stamp with a face value of R3.00. The exhibition took place just months before Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese sovereignty later that year, adding extra historical weight to the timing of this issue.
Theme: Other
Condition: FineGood condition. Minor wear or small imperfections, but overall well-presented.
Addressed: No
Signed: No
Stamp denomination: R3 (ZAR)
SAPO serial number: 6.49
Estimated value: ~US$0.2
This is a high-level, subjective estimate only, not a professional appraisal.
You might also like
Advertisement