South Africa Antarctic Wildlife, 6th Definitive Series
South Africa, Cape Town · 1997-08-27
Official first day cover (FDC) · South African philately
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front
A beautiful 1997 South African first day cover featuring Antarctic wildlife additions to the sixth definitive series, including a Leopard Seal, Antarctic Skua and King Penguin. This cover is postmarked on 27-08-1997 at the Waterfront in Cape Town, cancelled with an Antarctica themed slogan postmark. It carries three additional values to South Africa's sixth definitive series, featuring the Leopard Seal, Antarctic Skua and King Penguin. South Africa maintains a long standing scientific presence in Antarctica through its research programme, and this release reflects that ongoing connection to the continent.
Description of the Cachet
A large watercolour style King Penguin dominates the left side of the envelope, standing on a rocky outcrop with icebergs and open water behind it. The bird is rendered with careful attention to its orange neck patch and sleek grey plumage. "ADDITIONAL VALUES TO THE 6TH DEFINITIVE SERIES" appears in plain type beneath the illustration. The three stamps show a Leopard Seal with jaws open, an Antarctic Skua in flight, and a King Penguin standing on rock, each captioned in both Afrikaans and English. Two Antarctica Waterfront slogan postmarks, each bearing a small penguin motif, overlap the stamps. This cover extends South Africa's sixth definitive series with additional high value stamps themed around the country's Antarctic research interests, reflecting SAPO's long standing wildlife definitive programme.
Information Card
No info card was uploaded for this cover. Only the cover itself is available.
Theme: Wildlife
Condition: FineGood condition. Minor wear or small imperfections, but overall well-presented.
Addressed: No
Signed: No
SG reference: 996-998
SAPO serial number: 6.65
Estimated value: ~US$1.05
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 209 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.
