BECHUANALAND : British Bechuanaland : Bechuanaland Protectorate : Postal Stationery

BECHUANALAND

MICHAEL
DEVERELL

ALAN
MACGREGOR

FEATURED ITEM		FEATURED ITEM
AB 1379		AB 1382
ESSAY for the 1887 registered postal stationery envelope. Utilising a British 1883-85 2d registration envelope (size F) without compensation notice. Surcharged ‘FOUR’ with bars cancelling the word ‘TWO’ (as adopted). Separately overprinted with ‘BRITISH BECHUANALAND’ in thin seriffed black capitals in an arc above the imprinted stamp on the flap. Variety, OVERPRINT DOUBLE (though single surcharge). Rare. Thy / Inglefield-Watson type RE E(11) V(1). SOLD		c1889 Essay / proof for a registered postal stationery envelope (size G). The flap bears a circular embossed POSTAGE FOUR PENCE / 28 2 89 in vermilion and with inland registered letter post compensation notice printed in blue below. Without the issued ‘British Bechuanaland / For Registration Only’ overprint. Thy / Inglefield-Watson type RE E (17). Very scarce, being one of two examples in private hands. £ 575

Stellaland	Stamps	Postal History, Postmarks
Postal Stationery	Revenues	Back to Home Page








	Recent acquisitions are numbered in blue. Last update: 4th December 2009

	POST CARDS
	British Bechuanaland
AB275	H&G 1, 1886 Cape 1d card overprinted with square sans-serif capitals, with stop.	£4
AB276	H&G 1a, 1887 Cape 1d card overprinted with seriffed upper and lower case letters, no stop.	£7
AB509	H&G 2 / BBS PC9, 1894 GB QV ½d chestnut on thin buff card.	SOLD	PHOTO
AB740a	H&G 3 / BBS PC10a, 1894 GB QV ½d chestnut on thick white card. Scarce.	SOLD	PHOTO
AB277	H&G 4, 1888 GB 1d card overprinted with large seriffed capitals.	£4
AB510	H&G 4S, 1888 GB 1d card overprinted with large seriffed capitals. Handstamped 'SPECIMEN' (type BEC 2) in black.	SOLD
AB278	H&G 5, 1894 Cape 1d card overprinted with seriffed capitals with stop.	£4
AB511	H&G 6, 1893 Cape 1½d card with sans-serif capitals.	£7
AB279	H&G 6a, 1893 Cape 1½d card with sans-serif capitals. Variety WITH STOP. Scarce.	£30
AB512	H&G 7, 1892 Cape 1d+1d reply paid cards overprinted in large seriffed capitals at top and smaller square sans-serif capitals on the imprinted stamps.	£15
AB280	H&G 8, 1894 GB 1½d on 1d card overprinted in seriffed capitals and surcharged 'THREE HALF PENCE'.	£4
AB281	H&G 9, 1894 GB 1d reply-paid card overprinted with large seriffed capitals.	SOLD

	POSTAL STATIONERY CARDS
	Bechuanaland Protectorate
AB513	H&G 1, 1905 GB QV ½d card overprinted with square sans-serif capitals.	SOLD
AB282	H&G 1S, 1905 GB QV ½d card overprinted with square sans-serif capitals. Further overprinted with large seriffed SPECIMEN diagonally in black.	£25
AB515	H&G 3 / BBS PC15, 1907 GB KEVII ½d card overprinted with square sans-serif capitals.	£30
AB516	H&G 3S / BBS PC15(S1), 1907 GB KEVII ½d card overprinted with square sans-serif capitals. Further overprinted with curved SPECIMEN on the imprinted stamp.	SOLD
AB518	H&G 4S / BBS PC16(S1), 1907 GB KEVII 1d card overprinted with tall sans-serif capitals. Further overprinted with curved SPECIMEN on the imprinted stamp.	SOLD
AB885	H&G 5 / BBS PC17b 1913 GB KGV ½d deep dull green on buff overprinted for British Bechuanaland. One of scarcest of the Protectorate cards.	SOLD	PHOTO
AB286	H&G 6 / BBS PC18, 1921 GB KGV ½d card.	SOLD
AB884	H&G 7 / BBS PC19, KGV 'Cattle' ½d card.	£40
AB288	H&G 9 / BBS PC21, KGVI 'Cattle' 1d card.	£20
AB521	H&G 9S, KGVI 'Cattle' 1d card. Overprinted with large sans-serif SPECIMEN (with stop) in black.	£35
AB289	H&G 10 / BBS PC22, QEII 'Cattle' 1d + ½d card.	£20	PHOTO

	Botswana
AB1485	H&G 1 / BBS PC24,1970 (April), 2c ‘Hoopoe’ postal stationery card (BBS PC24) cancelled with MOLEPOLOLE (15 April) double circle datestamp. Addressed to the Reverend of a Gaborone church with the message on the reverse concerning reconstruction of a church buildings. Very rare commercial use of this card.	SOLD

	REGISTERED ENVELOPES
	British Bechuanaland
AB1371	ESSAY for the 1887 registered postal stationery envelope. Utilising a British 1886 2d registration envelope (size H) with compensation notice in blue. With ‘BRITISH BECHUANALAND’ in manuscript black sans-serif capitals in an arc above the stamp impression, without surcharge. Thy / Inglefield-Watson type RE E(1). Rare.	SOLD	PHOTO
AB1372	ESSAY for the 1887 registered postal stationery envelope. Utilising a British 1886 2d blue registration envelope (size F) with compensation notice. With printed ‘BRITISH BECHUANALAND’ in an arc in black sans-serif capitals above the imprinted stamp on the flap. Rare, one of three examples believed to exist. Thy / Inglefield-Watson type RE E(3).	SOLD	PHOTO
AB1373	ESSAY for the 1887 registered postal stationery envelope. Utilising a British 1886 2d blue registration envelope (size I) with compensation notice. Overprinted in black ‘BRITISH BECHUANALAND’ in sans-serif letters in an arc above the stamp impression. The lines of instruction on the front are in sans-serif letters measuring 168mm and 127mm. Very scarce, being one of three similar examples believed to exist. Thy / Inglefield-Watson type RE E(5).	£450	PHOTO
AB1374	ESSAY for the 1887 registered postal stationery envelope. Utilising a British 1886 2d blue registration envelope (size I) with compensation notice. Overprinted ‘BRITISH BECHUANALAND’ in black sans-serif letters in an arc above the stamp impression. The lines of instruction on the front are in sans-serif letters measuring 168mm and 127mm. Very scarce, being one of three similar examples believed to exist. Thy / Inglefield-Watson type RE E(5).	£450	PHOTO
AB1375	ESSAY for the 1887 registered postal stationery envelope. Utilising a British 1886 2d blue registration envelope (size I) with compensation notice (deleted in pencil). Overprinted ‘BRITISH BECHUANALAND’ in black sans-serif letters in an arc above the stamp impression. The lines of instruction on the front are in condensed sans-serif letters measuring 166mm and 132mm. Central fold. Very rare, Thy / Inglefield-Watson state they “have not seen an illustration of the front of RE E(6)” and could not therefore confirm its existence. Type RE E(6).	£475	PHOTO
AB1376	ESSAY for the 1887 registered postal stationery envelope. Utilising a British 1883-85 2d blue registration envelope (size H2, unadopted) without compensation notice. Overprinted ‘BRITISH BECHUANALAND’ in black sans-serif letters in an arc above the stamp impression and surcharged ‘FOUR’ with bars cancelling the word ‘TWO’ (as adopted). Clean vertical crease at left. Very rare. Thy / Inglefield-Watson type RE E(8).	£475	PHOTO
AB1377	ESSAY for the 1887 registered postal stationery envelope. Utilising a British 1883-85 2d blue registration envelope (size I) without compensation notice. Overprinted ‘BRITISH BECHUANALAND’ in black sans-serif letters in an arc above the stamp impression and surcharged ‘FOUR’ with bars cancelling the word ‘TWO’ (as adopted). With variety OVERPRINT AND SURCHARGE DOUBLE. Very rare. Thy / Inglefield-Watson type RE E(9) V(1).	£575	PHOTO
AB1378	ESSAY for the 1887 registered postal stationery envelope. Utilising a British 1879 2d light blue registration envelope (size I) with date slugs (26) (8) (79), without compensation notice. Overprinted ‘BRITISH BECHUANALAND’ in black in sans-serif letters in an arc above the stamp impression and surcharged ‘four’ with bars cancelling the word ‘two’ (as adopted). Boxed ‘REGISTERED’ on front. Some soiling, though rare. Thy / Inglefield-Watson type RE E(10).	£400	PHOTO
AB1379	ESSAY for the 1887 registered postal stationery envelope. Utilising a British 1883-85 2d registration envelope (size F) without compensation notice. Surcharged ‘FOUR’ with bars cancelling the word ‘TWO’ (as adopted). Separately overprinted with ‘BRITISH BECHUANALAND’ in thin seriffed black capitals in an arc above the imprinted stamp on the flap. Variety, OVERPRINT DOUBLE (though single surcharge). Rare. Thy / Inglefield-Watson type RE E(11) V(1).	SOLD	PHOTO
AB1380	ESSAY for the 1889 registered postal stationery envelope. Utilising a British McCorquodale envelope (size H) without the 4d vermilion embossed stamp impression and without compensation notice. Overprint appears as issued. Very rare. Unrecorded in Thy / Inglefield-Watson. Essay for RE15-17 group.	SOLD	PHOTO
AB1381	ESSAY for the 1889 registered postal stationery envelope. Utilising a British McCorquodale envelope (size H) without 4d vermilion embossed stamp impression and without compensation notice. Overprinted ‘BRITISH BECHUANALAND’ in black as issued though ‘FOR REGISTRATION ONLY’ is also in a straight line instead of curved as issued. Very rare. Unrecorded in Thy / Inglefield-Watson. Essay for RE15-17 group.	SOLD	PHOTO
AB1382	ESSAY / PROOF for the 1889 4d registered postal stationery envelope (size G). Utilising a British 1888 4d registration envelope with embossed stamp impression in vermilion and date slugs (28) (2) (89) and with compensation notice printed in blue below. Without ‘BRITISH BECHUANALAND / FOR REGISTRATION ONLY’ overprint. Rare, being one of two examples in private hands. Thy / Inglefield-Watson type RE E(17).	£450	PHOTO
AB522	H&G 1a, 1886 Cape 4d light blue (size I) overprinted in small sans-serif capitals, with stop.	£40
AB523	H&G 2, 1887 Cape 4d light blue (size G) overprinted in large sans-serif upper / lower case letters, with stop.	£30
AB293	H&G 3, 1888 Cape 4d light blue (size G) overprinted in small seriffed upper / lower case letters, no stop.	£15
AB294	H&G 3a, 1888 Cape 4d light blue (size I) overprinted in small seriffed upper / lower case letters, no stop.	£35
AB295	H&G 3b/c, 1888 Cape 4d light blue (size K) overprinted in small seriffed upper / lower case letters, no stop.	£35
AB524	H&G 4, 1888 Cape 4d light blue (size I) overprinted in small seriffed upper / lower case letters, with stop.	£30
AB296	H&G 5, 1887 GB 2d deep dull blue (size G) overprinted and surcharged 'FOUR' and bars (75%).	SOLD
AB297	H&G 5a, 1887 GB 2d deep dull blue (size G) overprinted and surcharged 'FOUR' and bars (52%).	SOLD
AB298	H&G 5b, 1887 GB 2d deep dull blue (size I) overprinted and surcharged 'FOUR' and bars (75%).	SOLD
AB299	H&G 5d, 1887 GB 2d dull blue (size K) overprinted and surcharged 'FOUR' and bars (75%).	SOLD
AB300	H&G 5e, 1887 GB 2d dull blue (size K) overprinted and surcharged 'FOUR' and bars (52%).	SOLD
AB525	H&G 6, 1889 Cape 4d greenish grey (size G) overprinted in green seriffed capitals.	£15
AB526	H&G 6a, 1889 Cape 4d greenish grey (size G) overprinted in green seriffed capitals.	£25
AB527	H&G 6b, 1889 Cape 4d light blue (size K) overprinted in green seriffed capitals.	£35
AB301	H&G 7, 1889 GB 4d dull vermilion (size G) overprinted with curved FOR REGISTRATION ONLY. Dated '28.2.89'.	SOLD
AB528	H&G 7, 1889 GB 4d dull vermilion (size G) overprinted with curved FOR REGISTRATION ONLY. Dated '28.4.90'.	SOLD
AB302	H&G 7S, 1889 GB 4d dull vermilion (size G), as above, handstamped SPECIMEN (Type BEC 2). Dated '28.2.89'.	£30
AB529	H&G 7a, 1889 GB 4d dull vermilion (size H) overprinted ovptd FOR REGISTRATION ONLY. Dated '28.2.89'.	SOLD
AB303	H&G 7a, 1889 GB 4d dull vermilion (size H) overprinted FOR REGISTRATION ONLY. Dated '28.4.90'.	SOLD
AB304	H&G 7b, 1889 GB 4d dull vermilion (size K), overprinted curved 'FOR REGISTRATION ONLY.' Unused. Dated '4.3.89'.	SOLD
AB530	H&G 7b, 1889 GB 4d dull vermilion (size K), overprinted curved 'FOR REGISTRATION ONLY.' Unused. Dated '28.4.90'.	SOLD

	REGISTERED ENVELOPES
	Bechuanaland Protectorate
AB305	H&G 1, 1889 Cape 4d light blue (size I) overprinted in black small sans-serif capitals with stop. Water stain.	£10
AB306	H&G 1a, 1889 Cape 4d light blue (size K) overprinted in black small sans-serif capitals with stop.	£30
AB531	H&G 2, 1889 Cape 4d light blue (size G) overprinted in black small capitals with stop.	£12
AB532	H&G 3/a, 1889 Cape 4d greenish grey (size H) overprinted in green seriffed capitals without stop.	£20
AB308	H&G 4, 1889 Cape 4d light blue (size K) overprinted in green seriffed capitals without stop.	£30
AB533	H&G 6, 1897 Cape 4d light blue (size G) overprinted in tall black sans-serif capitals.	£25
AB309	H&G 7, 1899 Protectorate QV 4d blue (size F). 'Antilles' type (first unoverprinted BP stationery).	£30
AB310	H&G 7aS, 1899 Protectorate QV 4d blue (size F), overprinted SPECIMEN diagonally in large seriffed capitals.	£25
AB534	H&G 7b, 1899 B.P. QV 4d blue (size G). 'Antilles' type.	£30
AB535	H&G 8aS, 1906 GB KEVII 4d on 2d+1d brown (size F), handstamped SPECIMEN (Type GB 16).	SOLD
AB311	H&G 8bS, 1906 GB KEVII 4d on 2d+1d brown (size G), handstamped SPECIMEN (Type GB 16).	SOLD
AB723	H&G 9a, 1907 GB KEVII 4d on 2d+1d brown (size G, code ‘C.B.’).	SOLD	PHOTO
AB536	H&G 10, 1908 GB KEVII 4d on 2d+1d brown (size F, code 'E.A.').	SOLD
AB537	H&G 11, 1913 GB KGV 4d on 2d+1d brown (size F, code 'K.F.').	SOLD
AB312	H&G 13, 1919 GB KGV 4d on 2d+1½d blue (size F, code C.O.).	SOLD
AB313	H&G 14, 1920 GB KGV 5½d on 2d+2d green (size F, code B.P.).	SOLD
AB749a	H&G 15 / BBS RE39, 1922 GB KGV 5½d. on 3d+2d vermilion (size G, code ‘B.Q.’). One of the rarest Protectorate stationery envelopes.	SOLD	PHOTO
AB538	H&G 14a, 1920 GB KGV 5½d on 2d+2d green (size G, code D.O.).	SOLD
AB539	H&G 16, 1925 GB KGV 4½d rose-carmine (size G, code E.T.).	SOLD
AB540	H&G 17, 1932 KGV Protectorate 4d bright rose (size G).	£18
AB541	H&G 18a, 1938 KGVI Protectorate 4d bright rose (size G, without PATENT under flap).	£15
AB542	H&G 18bS, 1938 KGVI Protectorate 4d bright rose (size G, with 'PATENT' under flap).	£15
AB543	H&G 18bS, 1938 KGVI Protectorate 4d bright rose (size G, with 'PATENT' under flap). Overprinted SPECIMEN in thin sans-serif capitals.	£25
AB314	H&G 19, 1955 B.P. QEII 6d rose-carmine (size G).	£12
AB315	H&G 20, 1961 B.P. QEII 5c carmine (size G).	£12
AB316	H&G 20a, 1961 B.P. QEII 5c carmine (size H).	£12

	NEWSPAPER WRAPPERS
	British Bechuanaland
AB929	Essay c1886 believed to be for the 1887 Cape 1d Postal Stationery Wrapper (BBS type WR2), overprinted in seriffed capital letters (the issued wrapper was overprinted in lower case with an initial capital). This item was reported in RP56 (Dec 2002) and is mentioned in the BBS stationery handbook. The authors were then unable to confirm its status largely as they were working from photocopies. However, examination and measurement of the overprint now confirms a close match to other recorded trial overprints. Undoubtedly genuine and a very rare essay.	£475	PHOTO
AB750	Essays for the 1888 ½d and 1d postal stationery wrappers. Utilising the GB ½d and 1d wrappers, each overprinted BRITISH / BECHUANALAND above and below the imprinted stamps as per the issued wrappers, though with ‘BRITISH’ 10½ mm wide (compared to 9½-10mm on the issued versions) and the ½d wrapper additionally without the diagonal bars cancelling the five lines of instructional text. Very rare, possibly unique and previously unrecorded. (2)	£775	PHOTO
AB317	H&G 1, 1887 Cape ½d overprinted in black small upper and lower case seriffed letters, no stop.	£6
AB318	H&G 2, 1887 Cape 1d overprinted in small upper and lower case seriffed letters, no stop.	£6
AB319	H&G 3, 1888 GB ½d overprinted in sans-serif capitals with text in five lines, cancelled by bars.	£6
AB544	H&G 4, 1888 GB 1d overprinted in sans-serif capitals.	SOLD
AB320	H&G 4S, 1888 GB 1d as above, additionally handstamped SPECIMEN (Type BEC 2)	SOLD
AB547	H&G 7, 1889 GB ½d overprinted in sans-serif capitals with text in four lines, cancelled by bars.	£8
AB321	H&G 7S, 1889 GB ½d, as above, additionally handstamped SPECIMEN (Type BEC 2)	SOLD

	AIR LETTER SHEETS
AB859	1953, bilingual 3d+3d ‘Bantam War Effort’ Air Letter of South Africa overprinted BECHUANALAND / BETSJOEANALAND. Addressed to Portuguese East Africa, cancelled with FRANCISTOWN (8 Dec) double circle datestamp. Lourenco Marques (11 Dec) arrival backstamp. Presumably philatelically inspired (no message) though this airletter appears to have gone through the post. Very rare, being the first used example I have handled. BBS AE1	£120	PHOTO
AB550	H&G 4, 1945 3d blue on smooth buff paper. Afrikaans version.	£8
AB551	H&G 9, 1961 QEII 6d surcharged '5c'. Watermark letter 'L'.	£5

- back to the top of this page -

HOME PAGE	I	TERMS	I	CONTACT US	I	CURRENCY CONVERTOR	I	LINKS