BECHUANALAND : British Bechuanaland : Bechuanaland Protectorate : Botswana : Stamps : Postage Dues : Postal Fiscals

3d pale claret overprinted in black. Fine mint. SG 2

4d dull blue overprinted in black. Fine mint. SG 3

½d grey-black overprinted in black. Fine mint. SG 4

6d reddish purple overprinted in black. Clean diagonal crease, otherwise fine used with Mafeking single circle datestamp. SG 7

1d to 10/- set of ten values. Fine mint. SG 10-19

1888 1d lilac and black surcharged '1d.' in black. Block of four, the SW stamp without serifs to foot of '1'. Fine mint (mounted on two stamps). SG 22

1888 1/- green and black surcharged '1s.' in black. Fine used with good colour. SG 28

Forgery of the 1888 'One / Half- / Penny' surcharge on 3d lilac and black (wrong shade) with vertical bars apparently drawn in with ink. Very fine 'mint'. (SG 29 forgery)

Forgery of the 1888 'One / Half- / Penny' surcharge on 3d lilac and black (wrong shade) with vertical bars apparently drawn in with ink. Superb 'used', tied to small piece by an apparently genuine Barred Oval Numeral Canceller '555' of Vryburg. Most unusual. (SG 29 forgery)

1d carmine-red. Horizontal upper marginal pair with Plate Number '7'. Showing the major variety HORIZONTAL PAIR, ONE WITHOUT OVERPRINT. SG 31a

This rare error is listed as SG 31a and is unpriced, presumably as it has not been on the market for decades, if at all (we have been unable to trace any appearance on auction). The pair was illustrated in Runner Post 36 (p765) as part of the Rare Stamp Study initiated by David Finlay. The illustration was supplied by Bob Holmes from his reference material though with no details as to its history or whereabouts.

A BPA certificate (2008) confirms the genuineness of the pair. The certificate mentions a 'vertical gum crease' which cannot be considered a drawback as it was due to the folding back of the right stamp along the line of this crease that gave rise to the variety (and a partial albino impression of ‘Bechuanaland’). The crease is at a slight angle and is believed to affect only a vertical strip of three stamps from the upper right corner of the pane giving rise to the varieties listed as SG 31a and SG 31c. The right stamp of the pair originally adjoining below has 'Bechuanaland' completely omitted (SG31c, Holmes lot 1104) and the pair below that (Dale-Lichtenstein, lot 12) has almost all of 'Bechuanaland' omitted.

Undoubtedly one of the rarest items of Bechuanaland philately, this being the pair that gave rise to the catalogue listing. Almost certainly unique and missing from every major collection.

2d pale bistre. Showing two varieties: OVERPRINT SHIFTED to the right (almost transposed) and NO DOTS TO 'i' of 'British'. Used (shallow thin). SG 39d+var

1888 ½d vermilion overprinted 'Protectorate' (15½ mm). Fine used. Scarce. SG 40

1888 2d lilac and black surcharged 'Protectorate / 2d'. Showing the variety CURVED FOOT TO '2'. Very fine used. Very scarce. SG 42b

½d vermilion with 'Protectorate' 15mm long. Variety OVERPRINT INVERTED. Fine mint. SG 54a

½d vermilion with 'Protectorate' 15mm long. Variety OVERPRINT INVERTED. Fine used with Kanye cds. SG 54a

1897 ½d yellow-green with lines of overprint 10½mm apart. Block of six (3x2) each cancelled with neat Kanye (SP 13 / 97) single circle datestamp. Some creasing mainly affecting the full gum! Very scarce multiple. SG 58

Complete set of six with both ½d and 1/-. Fine mint. SG 66-71

1d scarlet. SE corner control ‘B 12’ block of six (perforated at base, imperforate at right). Very fine fresh mint. SG 72

1½d red-brown. SW corner control 'O 19' block of six (imperforate), fine mint. SG 75

1919 De La Rue 5/- bright carmine. Very fine, fresh and well centred mint. SG 87

1919 De La Rue 5/- bright carmine. Superb used with Lobatsi (5 Nov 19) double circle datestamp. A rare stamp, especially this fine. SG 87

Complete set of eight, ½d to 1/-, including both 6d. Fine mint. SG 91-98

3d violet. Block of four, very fine mint (two are unmounted). SG 94

1987 Animal definitives, complete set of 20, fine used. SG 619-638

1932 ½d, 1d and 2d complete set on ordinary paper, fine mint. SG D4-6

1949 underpaid cover from Leeward Islands bearing KGVI ¼d, ½d, 1d and 2d tied by small PAQUEBOT single circle cancellations. The cover was addressed to the USA and forwarded to Bechuanaland. Two ½d postage dues of the 1926 and 1952 issues (SG D1, D4) were applied and tied by a Lobatsi (30 SEP 49) datestamp. Philatelic, though rare as approximately four covers or fronts are known bearing the 1926 issue and only two with a mixed postage due franking. Stamps catalogued £65 and £32 (x50 and x60 for non-philatelic use!)

c1907 Transvaal KEVII 6d ‘black’ and brown-orange overprinted ‘Bechuanaland Protectorate’. Showing unusually deep head colour. Superb fresh unmounted mint. SG F1

1922 South Africa KGV 1d scarlet overprinted 'Bechuanaland / Protectorate'. Block of four, fine mint. SG F3

FEATURED ITEM		FEATURED ITEM
AB 672		AB1563
1919 De La Rue printing Seahorse 5/- bright carmine. A lower right corner marginal block of four. Superb mint (all stamps appear unmounted). Very attractive. Rare. £1250		1919 De La Rue printing Seahorse 5/- bright carmine. An upper right corner marginal block of four. Few split perfs in margin, otherwise superb mint (all stamps appear unmounted). Very attractive. Rare. £1250

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