Postage stamps and postal history of the Cape of Good Hope
Encyclopedia
This is a survey of the postage stamp
s and postal history
of Cape of Good Hope
.
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach the Cape of Good Hope
in 1488, led by the explorer Bartolomeu Dias
. A supply camp was established by the East India Company
in 1652 in the area which later became Cape Town
. It was first occupied by British Forces in 1795. Since 1814 it was a British Colony until it was incorporated into the Union of South Africa
, as the Cape Province, on 31 May 1910.
in London. The original die for these stamps was cut by William Humphrys
an engraver employed by Perkins Bacon. Sheets of a special hand-made paper, measuring 282 mm by 536 mm, were used to print 240 stamps per sheet. The stamps were issued imperforate. The rate of postage within the colony was 4d for a half ounce letter and 1d for a newspaper.
On 18 February 1858 two new values became available a six pence and a one shilling. The six pence rate was for payment of half ounce letters to Great Britain and the one shilling rate was for some foreign countries. On 15 September 1860 the rate for local letters in Cape Town was reduced to 1d and a similar reduction was made in Port Elizabeth on 1 May 1861.
On 1 April 1863 the rate to Great Britain was increased to one shilling if sent by mail packet and reduced to four pence if sent by private vessels.
The triangular stamps were demonetised on 1 October 1900.
to be issued by the Cape of Good Hope were postcard
s in 1878; registration envelopes and newspaper wrappers were first issued in 1882; post paid envelopes in 1892 and lettercard
s in 1895.
The designs of all the postal stationery used the head of either Queen Victoria or King Edward VII apart from the very first postcard, issued in 1878, which had a design of “Hope”.
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s and postal history
Postal history
Postal history is the study of postal systems and how they operate and, or, the study of postage stamps and covers and associated material illustrating historical episodes of postal systems...
of Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
.
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
in 1488, led by the explorer Bartolomeu Dias
Bartolomeu Dias
Bartolomeu Dias , a nobleman of the Portuguese royal household, was a Portuguese explorer who sailed around the southernmost tip of Africa in 1488, the first European known to have done so.-Purposes of the Dias expedition:...
. A supply camp was established by the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
in 1652 in the area which later became Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. It was first occupied by British Forces in 1795. Since 1814 it was a British Colony until it was incorporated into the Union of South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
, as the Cape Province, on 31 May 1910.
The first triangular stamps
Stamps were first issued by the colony on 1 September 1853. The two stamps that were issued were a one penny in brick-red and a four pence in blue. They were printed by Messrs Perkins, Bacon & CoPerkins Bacon
Messrs. Perkins, Bacon & Co was a printer of books, bank notes and postage stamps, most notable for printing the Penny Black, the world's first adhesive postage stamps, in 1840.- Origins :...
in London. The original die for these stamps was cut by William Humphrys
William Humphrys
William Humphrys was an engraver of pictures, book illustrations and postage stamps.Humphrys was born in Dublin. At an early age he moved to the United States where he studied engraving techniques under George Murray in Philadelphia...
an engraver employed by Perkins Bacon. Sheets of a special hand-made paper, measuring 282 mm by 536 mm, were used to print 240 stamps per sheet. The stamps were issued imperforate. The rate of postage within the colony was 4d for a half ounce letter and 1d for a newspaper.
On 18 February 1858 two new values became available a six pence and a one shilling. The six pence rate was for payment of half ounce letters to Great Britain and the one shilling rate was for some foreign countries. On 15 September 1860 the rate for local letters in Cape Town was reduced to 1d and a similar reduction was made in Port Elizabeth on 1 May 1861.
On 1 April 1863 the rate to Great Britain was increased to one shilling if sent by mail packet and reduced to four pence if sent by private vessels.
The triangular stamps were demonetised on 1 October 1900.
The Wood-Blocks
In 1861, due to a shortage of one penny and four pence stamps, a local printer, Messrs Saul Solomon & Co, was instructed to provide a supply of one penny and four pence stamps and these were issued in February 1861. It later transpired that a consignment of stamps from London had arrived on 5 May 1860, that bills of lading went astray and it was a year later that the cases with the stamps were claimed.Hope issues
In 1864, a new issue replaced the triangular issues. This showed the allegorical figure of Hope seated with a ram and vines. Until 1883, this was the only design except for the triangulars. In 1883, a 1d stamp was issued portraying Hope standing, and in 1898 and 1902, this design was reused for 1/2d and 3d values. The sitting Hope stamps continued to be issued until 1898.Later issues
In 1900, a 1d stamp was issued showing Table Mountain and the Arms of the Colony. This was the first stamp not portraying Hope. The final issue was between 1902 and 1904. This was a set of nine values portraying King Edward VII.Union of South Africa
In 1910, the Union of South Africa was formed from the colonies of Cape of Good Hope, Transvaal, Natal and Orange River Colony. All Cape stamps except the triangulars were valid for use in all of the Union until they were demonetised on 31 December 1937, along with the issues of Transvaal, Natal and Orange River Colony.Postal stationery
The first items of postal stationeryPostal stationery
A piece of postal stationery is a stationery item, such as a stamped envelope, letter sheet, postal card, lettercard, aerogram or wrapper, with an imprinted stamp or inscription indicating that a specific rate of postage or related service has been prepaid...
to be issued by the Cape of Good Hope were postcard
Postcard
A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope....
s in 1878; registration envelopes and newspaper wrappers were first issued in 1882; post paid envelopes in 1892 and lettercard
Lettercard
In philately a lettercard or letter card is a postal stationery item consisting of a folded card with a prepaid imprinted stamp. The fact that it is folded over gives the writer twice as much room for the message compared with a postal card. The message is written on the inside and the card is...
s in 1895.
The designs of all the postal stationery used the head of either Queen Victoria or King Edward VII apart from the very first postcard, issued in 1878, which had a design of “Hope”.