BECHUANALAND
British Bechuanaland Stamps
BRITISH BECHUANALAND  -  1889-1895 CAPE ½d OVERPRINTED
AB4374
1888 Cape of Good Hope ½d grey-black with ‘British Bechuanaland’ overprinted in green. Reconstruction of the setting layout for the error OVERPRINT DOUBLE, ONE VERTICAL. Original research by Brian Hurst demonstrated that two half panes received a double overprint where one of the overprints is normal and the other is rotated through 90 degrees anticlockwise. Despite the identical positioning of the vertical overprint, on this pane, the horizontal one is positioned lower on the basic stamps. This display proves the top half of a right hand pane was affected, the lower half carrying no overprint at all.
 
Album page from the Hurst Collection displaying his research where the overprint layout is shown as a printed green overlay on a light grey background of Cape ½d stamps. An impressive number of stamps have been located and allocated to their likely positions within the setting, including:
 
1) Row 1 / column 1: Single example showing the variety OVERPRINT DOUBLE, ONE VERTICAL. The vertical is transposed, reading ‘Bechuanaland / British’. Fine and fresh unused, without gum. BPA certificate (2023). SG 30c var.
 
2) Row 1 / columns 5-6: Horizontal PAIR showing the variety OVERPRINT DOUBLE, ONE VERTICAL. The right stamp with ‘British’ omitted and shows only a small part of ‘Bechuanaland’ vertically at left. Very fine mint with light hinge remnants. SG 30c, 30c var.
 
3) Row 2 / column 1: Single example showing the variety OVERPRINT DOUBLE, ONE VERTICAL. The vertical is transposed, reading ‘Bechuanaland / British’. Fine unused with large hinge remnant and trace of gum. RPSL certificate (1950). SG 30c var.
 
4) Row 2 / column 3: Single example showing the variety OVERPRINT DOUBLE, ONE VERTICAL. The vertical with ‘British’ omitted, reading ‘Bechuanaland’ only. Fine unusued with trace of gum. RPSL certificate (1969). SG 30c var.
 
5) Row 2 / column 4: Single example showing the variety OVERPRINT DOUBLE, ONE VERTICAL. Fine fresh mint with odd stained perforation and hinge remnant. SG 30c
 
6) Row 3 / column 1: Single example showing the variety OVERPRINT DOUBLE, ONE VERTICAL. The vertical is transposed, reading ‘Bechuanaland / British’. Very fine fresh mint with hinge remnant. SG 30c var.
 
7) Row 3 / column 4: Single example showing the variety OVERPRINT DOUBLE, ONE VERTICAL. Fine mint with some adherences on the reverse. SG 30c
 
8) Row 4 / column 3: Single example showing the variety OVERPRINT DOUBLE, ONE VERTICAL. The vertical with ‘British’ omitted, reading ‘Bechuanaland’ only. Light gum wrinkle, otherwise fine fresh mint with hinge remnant. SG 30c var.
 
9) Rows 5-6 / column 5: VERTICAL PAIR showing the variety SE-TENANT WITH STAMP WITHOUT OVERPRINT. The upper stamp with vertical overprint shows a trace of ‘Bechuanaland’ on the perforations at right. Fine mint apart for some gum loss on the upper stamp and a shallow thin on the lower, not mentioned on RPSL certificate (1933, then listed as SG 30d). A major Bechuanaland rarity, being one of six possible pairs, of which five are known to exist, and only two of those are in private hands. SG 30ca
 
10) Left pane, Row 3 / column 6: Single cross-gutter example from the adjoining pane showing a normal overprint and ‘British’ overprinted vertically, falling on the interpanneau gutter margin. Very fine fresh mint with light hinge remnant. SG 30 var.
 
A magnificent assembly, impossible to reproduce and a brilliant example of original philatelic research at its finest.
£13,800