Rhodesian
Specialist |
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Ormskirk
Stamps |
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1929
- 1964 Postage Due Collection |
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This
Page Includes
1929
Two Master Die Proofs
1929 1d Imperforate
Proof on Appendix sheet
Unique DLR Specimen Overprints
Perforated Specimen Postage Dues
2d Specimen Ex Angola Archives
Postage Dues on Cover
Incoming Mail with 1d, 2d & 3d Dues
Very Rare flight cover with 1d & 2d Dues
Multiple
use of the 3d Postage Dues
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Postage
Dues on Cover
Rare Cover with 2d &
4d
Very Rare Multiple use of 4d Dues
All four values on one cover
Bisected 2d used at various Offices
1952 1d & 3d on cover
Posted on Train without Fee
Incoming Surcharged Envelopes
Mkushi Postage Dues
Definitives used as Dues
1963 Imperforates & Covers |
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Introduction
My Publication The
Rhodesian Philatelist was launched during 1994
and most subjects I study and write up require good illustrations
to accompany the text. I therefore actively accumulate material
to supplement my ongoing interest in any specific subject. Such
accumulations eventually form a good base for a collection.
The foregoing exercise led to collections of Postmarks, 1896
Rebellion, Rhodesian Booklets, Southern Rhodesia 1924 Admirals
Part and imperforate between varieties and so the list goes
on.
For Rhodesian Postage dues, I formed collections of all the
Territories which included Northern & Southern Rhodesia,
the Federation and Rhodesia UDI. To date I have disposed of
most of my Southern Rhodesian Postage dues.
I wrote an extensive article on the Northern
Rhodesian Postage Dues in the October 2000 Rhodesian
Philatelist No 20 and in 2005 I published a
book on The Mkushi Postage
Dues.
Much of my work formed the basis of the Rhodesian Study Circle
Memoir 12, Surcharged Mail and the Postage Due
stamps of Northern Rhodesia, Published in 2009
and Edited by Alan Drysdall and Otto Peetoom.
My Postage Due collection has been displayed
at several Rhodesian Study Circle events and was last shown
in Melbourne in 2013.
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The
Collection
The emphasis has been
to concentrate on Archival material and Covers,
my policy has always been to constantly upgrade
the collection and whenever I acquired a superior item, it replaced
a less impresive item. I have avoided overloading the collection
with Postage Due labels as such material is invariably not too
difficult to acquire. What follows is essential self explanitory.
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Northern Rhodesia
- Postage Due Die Proofs
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Six
Master Die Proofs are known
They were struck at various stages during the preparation
of the engraved die and endorsed as follows:
1. ‘Die II’ in manuscript
2. Dated ’15.4.29’ & ‘Appd. 16/4/29’
both in manuscript
3. ‘After Hardening’ in manuscript
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4. ‘After
striking’ in manuscript
5. Handstamped ‘AFTER STRIKING’
‘24/4/29’ in manuscript
6. Identical to the above
Items 2 & 4 are displayed
Above and at left |
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Three
Imperforate Proofs have been recorded
1. An Imperforate Master Die of the frame
Endorsed in manuscript ‘Apl 24th 60 + 6’
2. An Imperforate combined proof of the 1d
Stuck onto a large piece of squared paper
Typed at the top 16th May, 1929
Northern Rhodesia Reqn. 635
APPENDIX and in manuscript
‘Appd for Colour’ initialled & dated 16/5/29
With a second set of initials plus the same date
The above item is in the British Library
3. An identical Proof on a smaller piece without
The type written heading, but with the same
Manuscript endorsements
Item 3 is displayed on the right
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Archival and UPU
Specimens
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A
Unique set of SPECIMENS ex De La Rue Archives
Three values are overprinted ‘SPECIMEN’ whilst
the 3d is perforated
The 4d with the broken ‘d’ in 4d variety - All
stuck down on piece
Above the 1d value, a manuscript endorsement 60
set Apr 1929
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Ex Angola UPU Collection
2d Specimen with
additional ‘Especimen’
security handstamp in green
Probably Unique
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Specimen
set in Pairs
One 4d with the
Broken d Variety |
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Surcharged
Incoming Mail Using 1d Postage Due
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Postcard
from New York
Depicts the Hotel Times Square
Posted New York OCT 20 1946
Underpaid and taxed with a N.Y. duplex
10 CENTIMES & a circular ‘T 1D’ handstamps
Collected and paid with a 1d Postage Due
Note the pitch black colour of the Due
Cancelled KITWE 26 XI 46
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Envelope
from Havana in Cuba
Posted HABANA CUBA MAR 24 1945
Opened & sealed by Censor
Taxed 2d & paid with a marginal 1d pair
Note the much lighter grey-black shade
Cancelled KITWE 16 VII 45
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Surcharged
Incoming Mail Using 2d Postage Due
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Elizabethville
to Nkana
Envelope posted
ELIZABETHVILLE 23.10.1946
Underpaid & Taxed 2d
Paid with a marginal 2d
Cancelled
KITWE
27 NOV 46
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1937Airmail
Clouston - Kirby - Green Flight
A Bargain - ‘Buy me Breakfast
& I’ll carry your Covers’
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During November 1937 a new record was set by Flying Officer
A.E. Clouston and Mrs. Betty Kirby - Green flying a De Havilland
Comet named The Burberry
from Croydon to Cape Town and back. The 14,690 mile journey
was achieved in 4 days 6 hours and 25 minutes with a Flying
time of 77 hours 49 minutes at an average speed of 189 m.p.h.
During the short stop at Broken
Hill Mr. Clouston was requested to carry a number of envelopes
on the remaining flight to Cape Town and to post them on
arrival.
Apparently Mrs. Kirby-Green
was not in favour of this, as they were already under contract
to an English philatelic firm to only carry a limited number
of flight covers. Clouston had no such reservations and
jokingly suggested that if Scott paid for their breakfast
he would take the covers, this was agreed and considered
A Bargain
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There
are four known covers in total
Two each addressed to G. Scott, the local
wireless operator and Hoston Dubber a postal official.
Rediscovered
The two covers addressed to Hoston-Dubber had
most of Clouston's writing rubbed out and my belief
is that someone mistook the caption 'A Bargain'
as a reference to the sale price when the envelopes
changed hands.
They were in the collection of the late Neil Hartley
sold by S. Welz in 1995. |
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Dubber
& Scott had prepaid their envelopes with N.R. stamps
for their return, these were
disallowed in Cape Town hence the 3d ‘Postage Due’
Clouston’s writing has been restored to the cover
A Rare & delightful Airmail Item
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Philatelic
use of the 3d Postage Due
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A
Typical
Schreiber Creation
NDOLA 1950
Mr Schreiber created Postage Due covers
for many
Commonwealth Countries and
Applied his own Tax markings
at a later date
Many of his envelopes originate
from unusual places
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Commercial
use of the 1d & 3d Postage Dues
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Envelope Airmailed from SA posted Cape Town 27
IV 34 with bi-lingual boxed MORE TO PAY OVER ½
OZ. Initially taxed 10D but cancelled
using a barred oval and replaced by 8D. Broken Hill and Ndola
transit & arrival back stamps. Tax collected by 1d pair &
3d x 2 NR dues cancelled NDOLA 5 MAR 34. Commercial use of the
3d dues is exceptionally rare. |
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Commercial
use of the 3d Postage Due
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Cape
Town to Ndola
A delightful illustrated
Advertising envelope
Posted unpaid from
Cape Town 26 SEP 41 to Ndola
Taxed 3d and paid with a 3d Postage due
Cancelled NDOLA 30 SEP 41 |
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1951
Multiple use of the 3d Postage Dues
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Envelope
Airmailed with 6d postage on 23 FEB 1951 from STAINES in
England
Underpaid 6d and taxed 1/- in manuscript - CHINGOLA 27 II
51 arrival backstamp
3d x 4 Postage dues cancelled on collection from a P.O.
Box dated CHINGOLA 2 III 51
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Commercial
Use of the 4d Highest Value
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Underpaid
Airmail
From England
Envelope franked 1/- instead of 1/3 Airmail
Surcharged 6d paid with 2d & 4d Dues
Cancelled
CHINGOLA
DE 16 53
Use of the 4d Postage Due is Very
Rare
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Extremely
Rare Multiple use of 4d Postage Due
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A
Somewhat Controversial Cover
This cover, ex Kelly, featured in a Christie's March 1992
sale in Lot 3330 and was described as a bisect.
In 2009 it was subject to a debate between Alan Drysdall
and myself during the preparation of Memoir 12 on
Northern Rhodesia Surcharged Mail, the
1/8 Tax marking suggests that the damaged 4d is not a bisect.
This cover reappeared in a February 2012 as Lot 1754 in
Victoria Stamp Co Sale in the USA and was again
described as an item with a
4d bisect and sometime later the buyer sought my opinion
and I stated
My conclusion is that
it is effectively not a bona fide 4d bisect, if it was I
would've bought it!
The story does not end
there as an article appeared in a September 2012 RSCJ No
244/149 and it was concluded that it was indeed a
Contrived Cover. Purely by chance
the item was offered to me and I bought it on its merits,
only then did I give the matter further thought.
In an effort to condemn the item, too much
emphasis has been placed on what
it is not and no one appears to appreciate
what it is!
The actual envelope has every Hallmark that
it is Commercial Mail and the 1s/8d Surcharge is in my opinion
authentic, thus it is of little consequence that one of
the 4d dues has been cut in half, five 4d dues make up 1/8.
It is therefore an extremely rare multiple use of the
4d Postage Due and for the period it is the highest charge
I have encountered
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Cape Town to Nkana
A long cut down envelope posted
Cape Town 29 II 40
KITWE 12 III 40 arrival backstamp
Taxed 1/8 in manuscript and possibly part of a
batch of underpaid and therefore a collective surcharge
Paid with no less than five x 4d dues
One due cut in half creating a false impression that it
might be a bisected 4d Due, which it is not!
Cancelled
KITWE 12 III 40
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Northern
Rhodesia’s most desirable Postage Due Cover
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Posted
6d underpaid from CROYDEN AERODROME 9 JU 36 to Nkana - Taxed
1/- in manuscript - Broken Hill 16 June transit &
Nkana 17th arrival backstamps. The surcharge receipted using
a combination of all four Postage Due values
Cancelled NKANA 18 JUN 36 - A truly amazing cover ex Clapham
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Northern
Rhodesia - Bisected Postage Dues
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Bisects - The 2d postage due is known bisected horizontally
or vertically
Sometimes cut with scissors or simply
torn by hand and used to receipt payments of 1d
Used at a number of Copperbelt Post Offices between 1937
and 1950 and those recorded are
Nkana
8.11.37 - 3.6.38 plus October 1939 - Thirteen covers
Kitwe 11.3.44 - The
only known bisected 1d on cover
Luanshya October
1939 - One only recorded
Ndola - 4.1950, 11.5.50
& 12.5.50 - Three covers
Chingola 4.5.50 -
10.5.50 - Eight covers
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Durban to Nkana
Window envelope posted
Durban 16 II 38
Taxed T10c, paid with the lower half of a 2d due
Cancelled
NKANA
22 MAR 38
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1950
Used at Ndola posted from Johannesburg
Sent from Johannesburg 8 V 50 cancelled
with a machine slogan
DON’T WASTE PETROL
Circular ‘T1D’ Tax handstamp
Receipted with the upper half of a 2d Due
torn in half by hand
Cancelled
NDOLA 12 V 50
One of three known covers
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Bisected Postage
Dues - Used at Chingola during May 1950
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From
Johannesburg to Chingola
Underpaid by ½d and taxed 1d
Envelope with a circular ‘T1D’ Tax mark and
endorsed 144/5 in pencil
This endorsements suggest the number of unpaid items
received during May and more than likely applied
on arrival as much of the mail went to a P.O. Box
The Postage Due only applied & cancelled
upon collection of the item
Receipted with the lower half of a 2d Due
cancelled
CHINGOLA 6 V 50
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From
Johannesburg to Chingola
Underpaid by ½d and taxed 1d
Envelope with a circular ‘T1D’ Tax mark and
endorsed 184/5 in pencil
This endorsements suggest the number of
unpaid items received during May and
more than likely applied
on arrival as much of the mail went to a P.O. Box
The Postage Due only applied & cancelled
upon collection of the item
Receipted with the left half of a 2d Due
cancelled CHINGOLA 5 V 50
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The
three above Covers demonstrate different portions used of
a 2d Postage Due
Upper half, Lower
half and bisected vertically
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Pre-Federation use
of the 1952 Dues on Chalky Paper
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Issued on 22 January 1952 their
Pre-Federation use is Extremely Rare
The number of 1d & 3d Dues sent to the Colony is 627,120
and 136,320 respectively
For the chalkies this only included 1d x 16,700 plus 19,220
x 3d
That represents a mere 2.7% (1d) & 14% (3d) of the totals
dispatched
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Commercial
use of Chalky Paper Postage Dues
- The Rarity of these covers is often not appreciated
Postcard from South Africa taxed with a marginal pair of
1d - Cancelled KITWE 11 OC 53
Envelope from NAMITETE in Nyasaland Taxed with a chalky
3d due - Cancelled FORT JAMESON 1 IX 53
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Posted
on Train without Special Fee
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Envelope
to the
Zambesi Trading Company
P.O. BOX 1, Livingstone
Cancelled at BULAWAYO STATION
18 NOV 1934
With a boxed cachet
POSTED ON TRAIN
WITHOUT SPECIAL FEE
Taxed on collection paid with 2d Postage Due
Cancelled
LIVINGSTONE
20 NOV 1934
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Posted
Under Paid on a Train
Cancelled at
BULAWAYO STATION
19 JUL 54
Addressed to an African at Mkushi
Endorsed c/o Chief Chiwefwe
With a boxed cachet
POSTED ON TRAIN
WITHOUT SPECIAL FEE
Untaxed
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1941
Underpaid to the
United States of America
Underpaid 1d, opened and sealed by
Northern Rhodesia - Censor No 12
Manuscript ‘T20c’ and New York duplex
Tax markings DUE 4 CENTS
Redirected and fine paid by
USA 2 cents x 2 Postage Dues
Cancelled
COLUMBUS OHIO
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Underpaid to the
Belgian Congo
Using an Advertising envelope
Posted with a NDOLA 8 APR 32
Machine cancel
½d Underpaid
Taxed & paid with
Belgian Congo 50c x 2 dues plus a
20c definitive
Cancelled
ELISABETHVILLE
22.4.32
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Recorded Usage is from 4 July to
10 September 1953
Twenty one covers, one Front and one used loose stamp are
known - I have illustrations of them all
Covers are either addressed to Africans, 13 out of 22 and
the nine remaining envelopes are basically all to Beck,
either as H.R. Beck or the District Commissioner - This
subject has been studied by me quite thoroughly
I initially wrote an article in The
Rhodesian Philatelist No 5 in August
1994 and eventually published a book in 2005
H.R. Beck retained four of the covers and they are essentially
the most desirable, after his death, his collection went
to his eldest son and
I eventually acquired that collection which I incorporated
into my Postage Due holding.
Three types of Mkushi dues are known, typed on a KGVI 1d
green definitive, either in upper case (Thirteen covers
in total) or
in lower case (Four covers in total) and it was also overprinted
on the QEII 1953 1d Rhodes Centenary Commemorative (Five
covers in total)
This Postage Due collection includes two of each time of
overprint and in each case, one is addressed to Beck and
the other to an African
Many Collectors
own Northern Rhodesian Postage due covers,
but
very few include a Mkushi Postage Due Cover
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1953
Rhodes 1d overprinted POSTAGE DUE
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The
Earliest use of the
Mkushi Postage Dues
It appears that the 1d Rhodes were the first stamps
to be overprinted on a Typewriter.
All four July 1953 dates reflect the foregoing.
23 JUL, 25 JUL, 30 JUL and 31 JUL
The cover at left is No 3 dated 30 JUL 53
Ex Hobbs and Ex Kelly
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Last Recorded date
for the
Overprinted 1d Rhodes
Cancelled MKUSHI 19 AUG 53
Cover No 15 out of 22
Ex Beck
Envelope is said to have contained an
invitation to a Wedding
Illustrated two out of five covers with a
1d Rhodes Mkushi Postage Due
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Mkushi
Postage Due - KGVI 1d Upper Case lettering
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KGVI
1d Upper Case lettering
Thirteen out
of 22 Covers are know with this version
Addressed to an African
Dated MKUSHI 5 AUG 53
This is the earliest cover with the KGVI 1d
No 6 out of 22 |
KGVI 1d
Upper Case lettering
Cancelled MKUSHI 25 AUG 53
Cover No 17 out of 22
Ex Beck
Four covers with this version have vertical pairs
Of KGVI 1d Dues
The latest date of this version is
No 22 out of 22
10 SEP 53
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Mkushi
Postage Due - KGVI 1d Lower Case lettering
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KGVI
1d Lower Case lettering
Only four out
of 22 Covers are known with this version
Its earliest date of use is 13 AUG 53
The other dates are 14 AUG, 17 AUG & 5 SEP
Addressed to an African
Dated MKUSHI 14 AUG 53
This multiple franking with two vertical pairs with
Upper & lower case lettering probably makes it the most
desirable
Mkushi Postage Due cover
No 9 out of 22
Ex Beck |
KGVI 1d
Lower Case lettering
Another vertical pair with Upper
& lower case lettering
Cancelled MKUSHI 5 SEP 53
Cover No 21 out of 22
Ex Beck
Envelope is said to have contained a
quote for a Land Rover
This is the latest date of this version is
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1933
Not Surcharged for Reason Stated
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Ndola
to USA by Air to Europe
and by Sea to America
Posted NDOLA 29 JUN 33
Broken Hill 30 JUN transit backstamp
Three adhesives lost in transit with
Only ½d remaining - Not surcharged
Received two line handstamp
Postage Stamp Detached - Before Receipt at
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1929
Inland Letter, Redirected Overseas
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Inland Letter, Redirected
Overseas
The rule was that only the difference in
postage needed
to be collected - thus there was no double deficiency fine
Posted Princeton 6 JUN 1929 to a local address at the
2 cent inland rate - Redirected to Northern Rhodesia
The overseas rate being 5 cents which required the
difference of 3 cents
Taxed in the USA and Africa 3 cents (1½d)
Backstamped Broken Hill 13 JUL 1929 arrival
Unclaimed-Return to Sender
Dispatched Broken Hill 2 AUG 29
No dues applied but the sender would be liable for the
outstanding 3 cents postage
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Postage
Stamps used as Postage Dues
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Postage stamps were on occasions used as Postage Dues
Throughout the existence of Northern Rhodesia
The Kelly Collection included covers bearing
KG V 1d and 2d stamps used as dues
Between 1932 and 1938 three covers bearing KG VI 1d stamps
serving the same purpose
To date there is recorded KG V 1d stamps
used at Lusaka
in November 1932
Ndola in January
1933 & 1938
Nkana in January
and February 1938
KG VI 1d brown used at Ndola
in June 1940 and Kitwe
January 1949 (Illustrated below)
1½d carmine used at Lusaka
in September 1939, 2d carmine used at Chingola
in May 1950
The highest value seen is a 3d ultramarine used in
Kitwe in March 1949
(Illustrated below)
Usage of later issues is rare and includes
a 1953 QE II 2d (January 1954) plus a 1963 1d both used
at Kitwe
It has not been possible to establish if
the use of definitives as Postage dues
Signifies a depletion of the Postage Due stock or whether
a definitive was simply the first to hand
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KGV
1d used as a Postage Due
A Window envelope
posted from DURBAN 4 II 38
With a circular Tax mark
Surcharge collected and receipted with a
Marginal KGV 1d Definitive
Cancelled
NKANA
8 FEB 38
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KGVI
Postage Stamps used as Postage Dues
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KGVI 1d used as
a Postage Due
1949 Postcard from Cape Town to Nkana
Underpaid card with circular ‘T1D’ tax mark
Double deficiency paid with KGVI 1d
Cancelled
KITWE 21 I 49
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1949
Unpaid envelope from
Johannesburg to Kitwe
Envelope franked with N. Rhodesia ½d x 4 from South Africa
Stamps invalid as postage
Dispatched JOHANNESBURG 21 MAR 49
Taxed ‘T3d’ in manuscript
Fine receipted with a marginal, part imprint
KGVI 3d definitive
Cancelled
KITWE 25 III 49 |
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The
Government Printer produced a complete set of Imperforate
Proof sheets
For the approval of the G.P.O.
A set of imperforate blocks of 20 (5 x 4) in the issued colours
may have originated from them. They were originally fixed
to the frame of the press and used by the printer to ensure
consistency of the colours. A significant number of the stamps
- particularly the 3d value - were damaged as the blocks were
mounted using the gum of the top-left corner stamps, on a
sheet of plain white paper that was carelessly handled.
The original blocks have been broken up and these blocks of
four, including the only undamaged block of the 3d duty, survive
are unique
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1963
Postage Dues on Cover
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Local Kabompo Cover
Franked with three 1d Revenues
Tried as unpaid, initially taxed 3d
Double deficiency being 6d.
Marginal copies of the 1963 1d, 2d and 3d dues used at KABOMPO
6 MAY 1964
The 1963 Postage dues on cover are
Regarded as Major Rarities
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1963 Postage
Dues on Cover
Envelope posted unpaid from JOHANNESBURG
20 X 1964
to Kitwe
Taxed with 1963 6d SG D9
Cancelled
KITWE
25 OCT 1964
These Dues are Major Rarities
on Cover
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