BECHUANALAND
Postal History, Postmarks
POSTAL HISTORY
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| VV494 |
1893 (25th March), incoming envelope from England bearing QV ‘Jubilee’ ½d and pair of 1d (SG 172, 197) tied by London (MR 25) hooded datestamps. The printed address reads ‘The Kanya Exploration Company, Limited, / Kanya, / British Bechuanaland, / South Africa.’ and ‘Viâ Cape & Kimberley’. The envelope was apparently re-directed and the printed ‘KANYA’ was overwritten ‘Mafeking’ and a ‘2d’ tax charge was added at left, both in blue manuscript. There is also a large unframed ‘SURCHARGE’ handstamp struck in black, presumably at Kanye. Backstamped with Cape Town (AP 12), Vryburg (AP 15) and Mafeking (AP 17) transit / arrival datestamps. Opened at left and top though a very scarce example of Bechuanaland re-directed mail and a rare instructional marking.
Note: despite being addressed to ‘British Bechuanaland’, ‘Kanya’ (Kanye) is situated in Bechuanaland Protectorate. This envelope is correctly franked at the 2½d per half ounce rate introduced on the 1st July 1892 for letters from the United Kingdom to British Bechuanaland or Bechuanaland Protectorate. The 2d surcharge would therefore appear to be a re-direction fee rather than the previously applied 2d surcharge applied to mail addressed to the Protectorate.
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| £325 |
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