1964 southern rhodesia definitive issue · 1964 southern rhodesia definitive issue (issued 19th...

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1964 SOUTHERN RHODESIA DEFINITIVE ISSUE (Issued 19th February, 1964)

After the breakup of the Federation, each of the component countries rushed to produce a new definitive

issue. Southern Rhodesia was the last of the territories to issue a new definitive issue, with its release on

19th February, 1964. The theme of this issue was a portrayal of the country’s natural resources, which

included flora, fauna and some of the minerals found in the country. 1

The design and printing of the stamps was contracted by the Ministry of Posts to Harrison & Sons of

London. “The whole project of the 14 design set has taken little more than six months to carry out – from

designing and artwork to printing, and finally shipping to stamps to Rhodesia”.2 The contract must therefore

have been awarded in June or July 1963.

The Stamp Designs:

Gibbons Stamp Monthly produced a series of articles from March to May 1964, entitled “An Issue is Born

– Southern Rhodesia 1963 (sic)”.2 The description of the artwork is given here, along with two examples

of the illustrations that went along with the articles. The other illustrations are much the same as the stamps

themselves without the text and Queen’s cameo. The substance of the articles is reproduced below as it

gives a good insight into the design of the stamps and the Ministry of Post involvement.

“Victor Whiteley was the artist-designer and his original artwork is reproduced here by the courtesy of

Mr. J. Snell of Rhodesia House, London, and of the Postmaster-General, Southern Rhodesia, with notes

based on information supplied by Messrs. Snell and Whiteley.

½d. Maize.

The source of this design was an artist's

impression of a partly exposed cob, and it was

originally intended for the 3d stamp, in two

colours - "corn-yellow” and blue. The addition of

a third colour, yellow-green for the leaves, was

subsequently requested, and the fact that this

would add half as much again to the production

costs of the stamp created a problem: the print

order for the 3d (the normal postage rate in

Rhodesia) was about 36 million!

Initial artwork by Victor Whiteley

(Courtesy Keith Harrop)

Conveniently, the Kudu, planned for the ½d, was

an ideal two-colour subject and, with only 3

million required of the lowest value stamp, the

switch was made. Maize takes pride of place of all

food crops in Southern Rhodesia, and is second

only to tobacco as a cash crop. It is the main

food of the Africans and enters into the diet of

the European population.

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1d. Buffalo.

In the corner window of Rhodesia House, looking out on the Strand with contemptuous eyes, is an

enormous carved head of a buffalo, probably the only one that can be faced at close quarters without

fear of reprisals! The sullen beast shown on the stamp was the subject of a Kodachrome transparency,

taken, one imagines, with a telephoto lens. The artist checked other pictures of buffalo for detail, and

he has made it clear that this is a very solid, thick-set animal. Its horns sometimes exceed 4 feet in

span and measure between 12 and 14 inches across the "palm". The buffalo is a brave beast, dangerous

when cornered and wounded, and often resorting to a cunning move called the "hook", when it circles

round in its own tracks in order to ambush the unwary huntsman.

2d. Tobacco.

The artist's brief was also brief and concise - "A hand of tobacco", and the source of the design was another

stamp, the 2s. 6d value of the Tobacco Congress issue of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, 1963. The "hand"

depicted is of the cured Virginia type of tobacco, and when the artwork was first submitted to the Rhodesian

authorities it was returned with the comments: "Leaf to be brighter. The colour is almost the shade of

a lesser-grown variety known as Burley. We would like a shade . . . similar to that of the original design".

Another query was: "Is the background too dark and is it killing the leaf?" In fact, the gold colour of the

leaf was the same as the original, and it was the deep violet background which caused an optical illusion in

the shade of the leaf. The two colours contrast effectively. Tobacco is by far Southern Rhodesia's biggest

export, 55 per cent, being exported to the United Kingdom in 1963.

3d. Kudu.

Two transparencies provided this charming subject, one being used for the pose of the animal, evidently on

the alert in a forest of young trees, the other for detail of head and horns. The studio team decided to

emphasize these aspects of the kudu as its most attractive and distinctive features. The brushwork is subtle

and delicate, and the paintwork has the quality of a bas-relief. This is the Greater Kudu, Strepsiceros

kudu, most common of the larger antelope in Southern Rhodesia. The bull, agile and graceful, stands 5

feet high at the shoulder and has magnificent, spiralling horns which may be over 4 feet in length. Its colour

varies from smokey-blue to tawny-brown, with vertical "pencil" stripes at the sides of the body and a

white "V" mark between the eyes.

4d. Citrus

The cluster of oranges was a black-and-white magazine

picture, and the artwork's original deep bluish green

leaves and background was changed to a shade of bottle-

green at the request of the "client". A panel of this

colour was added to the artwork as a guide. The actual

colour of the stamp seems to have struck a happy

medium. This design is of interest because it bears

pencilled notes relating to the lettering. Mr. Whiteley

favours cased or outlined letters which enable the country

name to be superimposed on a multicoloured design,

whereas plain letters need a solid background panel in

contrasting colour to make them distinct. The notes read: "The outer case round title is intended to assist

printing throughout entire set of stamps; i.e. in this case the casing will merge with background - giving

prominence to white lettering".

(James Gavin came across a black and white photo emanating from the Public Relations Department of

the Ministry of Home Affairs, D C van Melsen is credited as the photographer. On the reverse of the photo

is typed “Kieffer Pears on show at the Rhodes-Inyanga Orchard”. A further handwritten notation sates

“4d Value/ Clutch of.../ 22mm x 2.../4d top right”. As can be seen from the scan from the RSC Journal, No

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261, page 177, the cluster of four pears appears to be almost exactly what is illustrated on the stamp. The

question is whether this is indeed the photo that Victor Whiteley use, and did the photo have the same

annotation of the reverse?)

6d. Flame Lily.

Another transparency was the source of this picture of Rhodesia's unofficial floral emblem, the flame

lily, also known as the Turk's Cap or gloriosa lily. Originally rendered in two colours, a third colour,

yellow, was found necessary and a background similar to that of the Fiji 8d. "Hibiscus" stamp (now 9d.)

was requested and effected. The flame lily is remarkably attractive and rich in colour, though sometimes

inconspicuous in its natural surroundings. The flowers vary a great deal—in colour from a deep crimson

to a bright yellow, and in the amount of crinkling and twist to the petals. The truest yellow form is said

to be found in the east, while the colour gradually deepens to the west of Rhodesia. The inverted red

and yellow petals, sweeping up and away from the centre and ending in a thin point, are like individual

candle flames—hence its popular name. The plant is poisonous.

9d. Ansellia Orchid.

Again, the original artwork was executed in two

colours, with a third colour added by request as

for the 6d. As it transpired the extra expense was

fully justified for the third colour—the green "leaf

motif" background—improved the design enor-

mously. The source was a Kodachrome

transparency depicting the plant without a

background. The ansellia is widely distributed

throughout tropical Africa, and grows on trees in

savannah country where there is a marked dry

season. The spotting of the flowers, which is

variable and often heavier than shown, has given

it the names of "Leopard Orchid" or "Tiger

Orchid". It is undoubtedly one of the most

attractive of African wild orchids and makes a

pleasing stamp. The species depicted is Ansellia

giganlea, var. nilotica.

Initial artwork by Victor Whiteley


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1s. Emeralds.

"Out of Africa, always something new" is an axiom attributed to the Romans. The discovery of

emeralds by two prospectors, Contat and Oosthuizen, in the Belingwe area of Southern Rhodesia

certainly attracted worldwide interest. The main source of the design was a coloured magazine picture

of rock ore in its natural state with the emeralds embedded in it. A portion of the rock was selected by

the artist, who was requested to place the emeralds to the centre of the ore and represent the rock itself

in a low key. An interesting point was that emeralds "in the rough" are dull and have no sparkle;

Victor Whiteley had to bear this in mind when preparing the artwork. Actually, the intensity and

vividness of colour of the polished stones, known as the Sandawana emeralds after the valley in which

they were discovered, is unequalled. The size of the stones, however, has so far been small.

1s. 3d. Aloe.

Kodachrome transparencies and a coloured picture from a tourist brochure, Aloes and Cycads,

provided a guide to this formalized interpretation of the extraordinary Aloe excelsa, which in some

districts grows tree-like to a height of 20 feet, but usually to 10 or 12 feet. The brown-red "pinnacles",

not unlike the corncob on the 1d, have overlapping petals similar to a fir-cone and these tend to open

out rather more than is shown in the artwork. The artist's ghostly suggestion of the leaf form is,

however, most effective as a background. Note the spikes or thorns which fringe the thick, cactus-

like leaves. The succulent leaves grow at the apex of the stem to a length of 3 feet and spread over the

ground like enormous octopus-tentacles. Aloes grow widely throughout Southern Rhodesia—there is a

unique collection in the Ewanrigg National Park—and they flower during the winter months of June,

July and August.

2s. Lake Kyle.

Another magazine picture, with emphasis on the lake waters and the undeveloped (foreground)

verge requested of the artist, was the basic source. The latter made a suitable background for

Whiteley's cased letters, showing the advantage of this "see-through" technique. The stamp shows an

amazing variety of tones derived from the two colours employed —blue and ochre. A car and human

figures on the dam wall were removed as unnecessary distractions. The Kyle Dam, or "Little Kariba",

stands at a deep and narrow gorge between two hills of solid granite at the confluence of the Mtilikwe

and Umshagashi Rivers, about 25 miles south-east of Fort Victoria. The wall of the dam is more than

200 feet high and about 1,025 feet in length. It cost £3 million and was opened by Sir Edgar Whitehead,

former Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia, on May 31st, 1961. The newly-created Lake Kyle covers

about 23,000 acres.

2s.6d, Tiger Fish.

"Hold that tiger" becomes less of a catch-phrase and more of a necessity to the anglers of the Zambezi

and Lake Kariba, where Hydrocyon vittatiis or "Lively water dog" has its haunts. The stamp picture,

satisfactorily confined to two colours when it was thought three or more would be necessary, is a

composite of transparencies, a coloured postcard and magazine pictures, and the authorities requested

something "similar to the Norfolk Island 11d stamp". The format of the stamp is rather too small to

do justice to the fighting tiger's large, razor-sharp teeth which indicate its predatory, voracious appetite

for smaller fish. The tiger fish is blue and silver with black lateral stripes and orange-red fins. The

record catch is one of 34 lb. 3 oz. caught on the Zambezi, though there have been reports of a 50 lb.

monster caught in Kariba Lake.

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5s. Cattle.

This, eventually, became a three-colour subject. The initial drawing, in black and green, was based on

transparencies of a large Hereford and a group of cattle. The golden-dun Tuli cattle on the stamp represent

the second attempt to portray the Rhodesian beef industry which is expanding rapidly to meet growing export

demands. For the background a "typical Rhodesian grazing pasture" was briefed, and this came from

another colour transparency. The type of cattle reared for beef production varies with climatic conditions; the

Tuli cattle are particularly suited to the low-rainfall, dry plains of Southern Rhodesia. Brown and bistre-

yellow are the dominant colours; the addition of blue for the sky tints the trees and grass conveniently green.

10s. Guineafowl.

These are found in the wild only in Africa south of the Sahara and in Madagascar. The bird depicted

is a Helmeted (or Crowned) Guineafowl, Numida meleagris, common in savannah and woodland

throughout Southern Rhodesia. It is not a multicoloured bird, but nevertheless its red patch behind the

eye, microscopic on the stamp, necessitated the addition of red as a fourth colour, employed also for

the word "POSTAGE". The original sources were a transparency and a magazine picture, and a

point of interest is that the white mottled spots on the bird's plumage are actually much finer—with

more and smaller spots— than indicated. The scale was enlarged because of the small format of the

stamp, otherwise the spots would have been indistinguishable. Guineafowl are gregarious, noisy birds

and they live on insects, seeds and grain. A flock roosting at night has been likened to “teenage

girls in a dormitory".

£1 Coat of Arms.

Another four-colour stamp, the second in the series, and its source was an official coloured plate of the

Arms. Here the small format necessitated some thickening of parts of the design and the overall outline

for reproduction in stamp size. The vignette technique has enabled two of the four colours in the Arms,

the brown and vermilion, to be used also for the Queen's portrait and value, and for the background.

The shield shows a golden pick ("the pioneers who dug for gold") and above it a lion passant between two

thistles (the Rhodes' family arms). Sable antelopes are the supporters and above the shield is a gold

and green crest bearing the Great Zimbabwe Bird (a soapstone bird taken from the ancient ruins of

Zimbabwe), now a symbol of Rhodesia. Beneath the shield is the motto Sit Nomine Digna—"Let Rho-

desia be worthy of her name".

Proofs

Sets of 14 imperforate proofs from ½d to £1 were

affixed to Harrison & Sons Limited presentation

cards. It is believed that five such sets of cards

were prepared. The presentation card for the £1 is

illustrated right.

Source: Spink auction of 29 April to 1 May 2014 in

the Philatelic Collectors Series, Lot no 1722

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Harrison’s Presentation Folder

“In this folder we present specimens of the new definitive stamp issue printed by our multi-coloured

photogravure process for the Ministry of Posts” (Images courtesy of Narendhra Morar)

Front

Back

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THE ISSUED SHEET STAMPS

Maize

Buffalo

Tobacco

Kudu

Citrus

Flame Lily

Ansellia Orchid

Emeralds

Aloe

Lake Kyle

Tiger Fish

Cattle

Guineafowl

Coat of Arms

Catalogue Listings

SG5 RSC3 Value Description Print colours

92 608 ½d Maize Light blue, yellow and yellow-green

a. Missing grain of maize (R17/12)

b. Malformed “R” of Rhodesia (R15/12)

93 609 1d Buffalo Yellow-ochre and reddish violet

a a. Reddish violet colour omitted, including Queen’s

cameo

94 610 2d Tobacco Deep violet and yellow-orange

95 611 3d Kudu Pale blue and chocolate

a. Broken oval from 1s booklets

96 612 4d Citrus Deep green and orange

97 613 6d Flame Lily Greyish-green, carmine-red and yellow

a. Dot after “Lily”, (R4/9 Cyl 1A)

98 614 9d Ansellia Orchid Olive-green, yellow and red-brown

99 615 1s Emeralds Brown-ochre and emerald

a. a. Emerald colour omitted (including Queen’s cameo)

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100 616 1s3d Aloe Deep red, violet and olive-green

a. Perforations down centre of stamp, horizontal pair

101 617 2s Lake Kyle Blue and yellow-ochre

a. a. Dot over 1A (SG); Parapet flaw (RSC) (R5/8)

102 618 2s6d Tiger Fish Dark Blue and vermillion

a. a. Vermillion colour omitted

b. Ultramarine colour omitted

103 619 5s Cattle Blue, bistre-yellow and brown

104 620 10s Guineafowl Black, carmine-red, dark blue and ochre

a. a. Extra “feather” (SG); Tail-feather flaw (RSC) (R2/2)

105 621 £1 Coat of Arms Salmon pink, yellow-ochre, green and brown

Notes: 1. The colours of the stamps are described differently in the two catalogues. The colours

described here are those found in the colour indicators in sheet margin and are ordered

from right to left in the cylinder numbers.

2. The variety listed for the 1s3d value, is incorrectly described, this should be stated as a

significant horizontal perforation shift. The sheet affected was however separated by

cutting through the stamp margins rather than along the perforations.

3. Stanley Gibbons catalogue states that the omission of colours from the 2s6d are from

“different sheets and involve one or more vertical rows of stamps in each instance. These

were caused by the printing press being stopped and then restarted. Three such sheets

showing No 102a have been reported.”5

Technical Details

Stamp Sizes: ½d to 4d 26 x 22 mm

6d to 2s6d 30 x 26 mm

5s to £1 35 x 30 mm

Sheet size: ½d to 4d 240 stamps, 20 rows x 12 columns

6d to £1 60 stamps, 6 rows x 10 columns

Artist: Victor Whiteley of Messrs Snell & Whiteley, London

Cylinders: 1A on all values

1B on 6d, 9d and 1s3d values

Paper: Harrison & Sons, unwatermarked white paper with clear gum

Print Colours: As described above

Perforations: All comb perforated

½d to 4d 14½

6d to 2s6d 13¼ x 13 (SG 13½ x 13)

5s to £1 14½ x 14

Imprint block: On bottom margin of all sheets, centred below bottom row. Print colours vary,

single colour from print colours used

Cylinder numbers: Below the second from right stamp in bottom margins

Colour registers: ½d to 2s6d none used

5s to £1 circular “traffic lights” in box to right of bottom right corner stamp

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Sheet value: Above top right stamp in top margin in one of the print colours

Sheet number: Separately printed in left margin opposite row 1. (also see below)

No. of printings: Mashonaland Guide4 reports that there were at least two printings of some of the

values, with the first printing being in 1964 and a second printing in 1965. Values

reprinted in 1965 were 2d, 4d, 6d (1A & 1B), 9d (1A & 1B), 1s (x2), 1s3d (1A &

1B) and 2s6d. Some of the reprints can be identified by reference to the perforation

of the sheet margins. (see table below)

Value Printing Pane Top Right Bottom Left perforation direction

½d 1964 1A Perforated Imperforate One perf Perforated Right to left

1d 1964 1A Perforated One perf Imperforate One perf Bottom to top

2d 1964 1A Perforated Imperforate One perf Perforated Right to left

1965 1A One perf Imperforate One perf Perforated Right to left

3d 1964 1A Perforated One perf Imperforate One perf Bottom to top

4d 1964 1A Perforated Imperforate One perf Perforated Right to left

1965 1A One perf Imperforate One perf Perforated Right to left

6d 1964 1A Imperforate One perf Perforated Perforated Top to bottom

1964 1B Perforated One perf Perforated Perforated Top or bottom start

1965 1A Imperforate Perforated Perforated Perforated Top to bottom

1965 1B Perforated Perforated Perforated Perforated

9d 1964 1A Imperforate Perforated Perforated Perforated Top to bottom


1965 1A Imperforate One perf Perforated Perforated Top to bottom


1s 1964 1A Perforated Perforated Imperforate One perf Bottom to top

1965 1A Perforated One perf Imperforate One perf Bottom to top

1965 1A Perforated One perf Imperforate Perforated Bottom to top

1s3d 1964 1A Imperforate One perf Perforated Perforated Top to bottom

1964 1B Imperforate One perf Perforated Perforated Top to bottom

1965 1A Imperforate Perforated Perforated Perforated Top to bottom


2s 1964 1A Imperforate One perf Perforated Perforated Top to bottom

1965 1A Perforated Perforated Perforated Perforated

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Value Printing Pane Top Right Bottom Left perforation direction

2s6d 1964 1A Perforated Perforated Imperforate One perf Bottom to top

1965 1A Perforated One perf Imperforate Perforated Bottom to top

5s,

10s

&£1

1964 1A Imperforate One perf Perforated One perf Top to bottom

Notes:

1. This table was taken from the Mashonaland Guide4, with an additional column added to far right to

indicate the direction the comb perforator moved across the sheet. This is seen by the margin at the

start being imperforate.

2. Some of the sheets are perforated through all margins, indicating that the start of the comb

perforation happened outside the printed sheet.

Print numbers:

R C Smith1 reported the number of stamps printed, whilst the Rhodesia Colour Catalogue3 reported the

number of stamps sold (including the number subsequently overprinted “Independence” in 1966) as

follows:

Value Number

printed

Number

sold

Number

overprinted

Net number

sold, not

overprinted

Number unsold

(number printed

– number sold)

½d 3,190,000 782,400 648,720 133,680 2,407,300

1d 51,000,000 24,500,640 839,360 23,661,280 26,499,360

2d 3,969,000 12,574,680 1,013,680 11,561,000

3d 56,048,000 38,491,200 938,880 37,552,320 17,556,800

4d 5,382,000 5,640,000 959,280 4,680,720

6d 6,542,000 3,556,200 238,740 3,317,460 2,985,800

9d 2,292,000 1,590,800 236,880 1,353,920 701,200

1s 3,842,000 842,500 238,500 604,000 2,999,500

1s3d 2,521,000 2,667,408 239,800 2,427,608

2s 556,000 631,006 64,680 566,326

2s6d 1,871,000 284,400 237,180 47,220 1,586,600

5s 348,000 269,316 39,300 230,016 78,684

10s 215,000 176,286 58,920 117,366 38,714

£1 215,000 133,621 83,700 49,921 81,739

Notes:

1. The number of stamps reported sold by RSC include the stamps overprinted “Independence” in 1966,

the net sales therefore indicates actual sales on these stamps.

2. The print numbers reported by Smith are not accurate, by dividing the number of stamps printed by

the number of stamps in each sheet many of the numbers are fractions.

3. The number reported printed by Smith for the 2d, 4d, 1s3d and 2s are less that the number sold, as

reported by the Rhodesia Stamp Catalogue

4. In some values vast numbers of stamps were not sold, giving a huge amount of waste. Given the

impending sanctions following UDI and the difficulties with importing the 1966 definitive, why

weren’t more sold?

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Issue date: 17th February, 1964 (Notice No 2 or 1964)

Withdrawal from sale: 10th November 1966 (Notice No 2 of 1966) (although it is reported in the

Mashonaland Guide4 that the 10s was officially withdrawn on 17th November,

1965, reappearing two months later overprinted “Independence”. Why this

should be case is difficult to understand given that there were still some

80,000 of the print run unsold?)

Demonetisation date: 1st December, 1969

Sheet Numbers (additional information)

The Mashonaland Guide states that all values have sheet numbers in the left margin opposite row1. In

addition, sheet numbers appear –

• 1d & 6d(1A) in right margin opposite bottom row (R6)

• 3d in right margin opposite rows 11 and 12.

•

It is not known whether these are additional sheet numbers or the sheet number opposite row 1 are present.

The sheet numbers for the 3d value are generally particle with only the bottom part of the number showing

to varying extents.

In addition, sheet numbers have been found on the 10sh and £1 in the bottom margins below column 1.

(Courtesy James Gavin)



Coil stamps Coil stamps for the ½d and 1d values were produced from the printed sheets of 240 stamps (10 rows by 12

columns). The makeup of the coils was described by the Mashonaland Guide,4 as follows:

“The sheets are split in half forming a sheet 12 x 10 and are joined according to the way in which the

stamp is required for the roll. In this case they are joined side by side so that they form a complete length

10 stamps deep and are then split into coils. It is normal custom to keep each half separately when joining,

therefore, the flaw on the fifth stamp (1d) in Row 1 would only appear once in every 20 coils. Should,

however, the bottom half be joined on the top half, then the flaw would appear once in every ten coils. If

10 coils from the same reel were inspected, the flaw would be found to occur in either one, or twenty, as

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mentioned and this would become the 5th, 17th and every 12th stamp thereafter. (This information was

supplied by the courtesy of Messrs. Harrison & Sons, Ltd., and the Postmaster-General, Salisbury).”

As the stamps are produced from the printed sheets, the stamps cannot be distinguished from those sold

from the sheets of stamps. Indeed, the Rhodesia Stamp Catalogue3 does not list the coil stamps, whilst they

are noted by Stanley Gibbons.

However, they can be identified as being from coil sheets if the join between the two strips of stamps can

be identified. From the front this can be seen with the perforation next to the join where the joining margin

is not perforated. From the back the join can be easily seen.

The coils were produced in rolls of 480 stamps3, with the joins occurring at every 12th stamp, total number

of rolls – 2,280 of the ½d (total of 1,094,400 stamps) and 3,280 of the 1d (1,574,400 stamps)5. With 480

stamps per roll this would mean that two complete sheets would have been used to create the roll.

Join

Halfpenny coil with leader (Courtesy Keith Harrop)

Booklets

One shilling booklets were produced by Harrisons, with a single block of 4 x 3d stamps all of which have

a margin to the left in the stitched booklet, with a glassine sheet between stamp pane and back cover. The

Mashonaland Guide describes the production of the booklets as follows: 3

“Printed in four columns of twenty giving a sheet total of 80 stamps. Each column contains ten horizontal

or ten vertical pairs. After printing and perforating, the component parts of the booklets are assembled in

layers which are stitched one at a time. For cutting, the layers are stacked in piles twenty deep producing

400 booklets at a time. (By courtesy of Messrs. Harrison & Sons, Ltd.)

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These stamps have their own flaws which differ from the flaws found on the sheet stamps but it is not

possible to 'place' them because when the booklets are prepared for dispatch and made up into packets of

20, which may come from different piles.”

Front Inside front cover and stamp pane

Listed in Stanley Gibbons5 as SB6 and Rhodesia Stamp Catalogue3 as BP9 with the stamp pane as BP14.

The Rhodesia Stamp Catalogue lists a single flaw as “BP14a – Broken Oval (cat. no. 611a). A total of

100,400 booklets were produced.

Varieties

Below are varieties documented or seen for each of the values, starting with the listed varieties within the

Mashonaland Guide4 (within yellow shaded tables), together with those listed in the Rhodesia Stamp

Catalogue3 and Stanley Gibbons5. Those variety descriptions in bold listed are considered by the authors of

the Guide to be the more important. Where possible illustrations of the main varieties are shown.

Halfpenny (Maize)

Found in both sheet stamps and coils, positioning as per printed sheets.

Row Column Variety Stamp scan

1 11 White dot between the arms of ‘U’ of Southern. Th F2

2 7 Two dots on left leaf of cob. Th B2

3 10 Flaw cutting across the frame of the portrait between 12 and 1 o'clock. Th A7

3 11 Last rayon of coronet projects towards frame of portrait.

Th B8

5 2 Dot after ‘T’ of Postage. Th A3

8 1 White dot in bottom left corner of stamp. Th G1

11 2 Damage to Queen's right eye and bridge of nose. Th B6

13 11 White patch on Queen's chin. Th C6

13 12 White mark above ‘Maize’. Th D8

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15 12

White bar across lower part of right leg of ‘R’ of

Rhodesia. Th G5

RSC 608b

16 3 Small mark in leaves at base of cob. Th E2

17 1 Blue serif at bottom of right leg of ‘A’ of Rhodesia

17 12

Missing partition between grains of maize. Th E3

RSC 608a

18 2 Blue spot between leaf and ‘Maize’. Th E5

18 11 Small flaw between ‘D’ and ‘E’ of Rhodesia.

19 2 Blue dot in right leg of ‘R’ of Rhodesia

19 3 Queen's 'gashed throat' (just above frame of portrait). Th D7

20 3

Black spot on maize cob. Th C3

(Described as a black spot, but this colour not used

in this printing, under magnification it is green)

20 12 Small piece out of right upper leaf. Th E5

Note A vertical pair with double horizontal perforations (four perforations in the top right-hand corner of each

stamp, below the normal perforations) was posted at Fort Victoria on 6th August, 1964).

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Evidently there

are more of

this flaw than

suggested in

the

Mashonaland

Guide

(Source

“Rhodesia

UDI Price

List” –

Deverell &

MacGregor)

Unlisted varieties

White marks left side

of Queen’s cameo

“Worm” above ‘DES’ of

Rhodesia

Missing partition to top green row

(not same as R20/3)

(Courtesy Gordon Atkinson)

Doctor blade,

horizontal

Faint horizontal lines

Additional strike of

perforator through

imperforate right

margin of sheet.

(Source: Deverill &

Macgregor – UDI

Price List 1999)

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Penny (Buffalo)

Found in both sheet stamps and coils, positioning as per printed sheets.


Reddish violet colour omitted

RSC 609a & SG 93a

See section below

1 1 Small black spot on 11 o'clock from Buffalo's head. Th C2

1 5 Grid Flaw (up to ten near-vertical lines in tree

under Postage)

4 2 White mark between centre bar of ‘E’ and ‘S’ of Rhodesia. Th F7

7 1 White flaw at corner of Queen's mouth. Th C7

7 8 ‘Stop’ after Postage. Th A4

9 10 White spot under ‘A’ of Rhodesia. Th G8

10 11 Nick in frame of portrait at 11½ hours. Th A7

14 9 White spot opposite Queen's left eye and another just below the hair line. Th B7

16 1 White spot above right leg of ‘N’ of Southern. Th F4

17 10 Black dot inside portrait frame at 1 o'clock. Th A7

19 1 White patch under cross-bar of ‘H’ of Rhodesia. Th F5

19 9 Shadowy white vertical line through Queen's face and neck

20 4 Black dot on tree trunk under ‘T’ of Postage. Th B3

20 10 Black dot above and slightly to the right of ‘A’ of Postage. Th A4

Missing Colours

This variety is spectacular and has the Queen's head, value, buffalo, trees and the inscriptions 'POSTAGE'

and 'BUFFALO' missing. The 1d value was printed in sheets of 240 (20 x 12), thus twenty examples with

total omissions per sheet are possible, provided only one vertical row is affected. Coil stamps were made up

from sheets of the 1d in rolls of 480. Missing colours on stamps printed by photogravure invariably have a

partial omission on adjacent stamps. In the case of the 1d variety, none have been recorded to date.

During October 1986 at London Stampex, a vertical pair was acquired, both with the violet omitted. It is the

only multiple of the variety encountered by Otto Peetoom, which he believes proves that the missing colour

occurred on a normal sheet.

~ 17 ~

The horizontal perforations on the variety are often clipped short and raggy and it has been suggested that

such examples originate from a coil roll. The 1d coil strips were guillotined and often have trimmed

perforations. By comparing the perforations of these coil stamps with those encountered on the missing

colour examples, in Otto Peetoom’s opinion that they are quite different in appearance. Auctions often

describe the variety as a coil stamp. Whilst the possibility cannot be ruled out, Otto finds no evidence that

proves the 1d violet omitted occurred on a coil roll. The number of colour omissions surviving today is not

known. The sheet accounts for a possible twenty. Should the coil theory be correct, it would double this

number.

Examples of the 1d violet omitted are infrequently offered. They are usually in singles, Otto has never seen

one in a pair with normal. Besides the poor perforations, the variety often has slight defects such as handling

bends, light creasing and in one case a gum thin. A perfect copy in my opinion is rare.

(Extract from The Rhodesian Philatelist, No 5 August 1994)

Unlisted varieties

Different paper

Sheet No 486 was discovered to have a different

paper. This, possibly, faulty paper is whiter and

more fluorescent than normal paper

1d, pair printed on thinner more transparent paper,

lighter impression. Normal pair for comparison.

Superb unmounted.

(Source: www.rhodesia.co.za)

Vertical stripe of yellow-ochre missing

Double print of

reddish violet.

Two known

examples, both

from Beatrice

post office

Whitish vertical

line through

Queen’s portrait

~ 18 ~

Plate movements, both up/down and sideways. The

amount of movement varies between sheets.

Down Down and to left

Vertical doctor blade flaw from reddish violet plate.

Vertical doctor blade flaw from reddish violet

plate.


Perforation shift to the left.

Additional strike of comb perforator through

bottom margin and into stamps along

perforations

Additional strike of comb perforator through bottom

margin at an angle and below middle of stamps

Probably from the same sheet, clearly showing

the progression of the angled additional

perforations.

(Image courtesy James Gavin)

Two additional strikes of comb perforator, creating

effect of double perforations.

(illustration downloaded from eBay)

Paper folds post printing or during perforation

process.


~ 19 ~

Two pence (Tobacco)


(a)

yellow and violet (1965)

There are some significant colour variations, not

certain what this applies to within Mashonaland

Guide as it does not mention other colours.

1 5 Thin horizontal line from Queen's nose to lobe of ear. Th C7

2 1 Irregular line from Queen's forehead to her nose and from the nose to below the right eye.

Th B6

3 9 White dots above ‘PO’ and ‘S’ of Postage. Th El

4 2 Damage to Queen's left eye. Th B7

4 5 Two dots above Queen's right eye, near the hair

line. Th B6

4 7 Extensive scar on the Queen's face. Th C7

6 3 Dark spot and white spot on Queen's chin. Th C7

8 3 White dot on Queen's throat, low down. Th D7

9 12 Horizontal line from top right corner of stamp well into the margin. Th A8

10 2 Three white dots between ‘2’ of value and ‘S’ of Rhodesia. Th F7

11 4 Small coloured mark on Queen's left cheek. Th C7

14 10 Sloping coloured line across lower part of S of Postage.

~ 20 ~

Unlisted varieties

Plate movement –

yellow-orange down to

give some white

tobacco leaves to top

and yellow-orange top

of ‘O’ of Rhodesia

Plate movement –

yellow-orange to left

into the left stamp

margin, and white tips

to tobacco left to the

right

Doctor blade of orange ink Violet horizontal smudges in row 1 through both

stamps

(source: www.rhodesia.co.za)

Violet background printed smeared. From a block

of 6 with similar characteristics. (similar violet

printing smears seen on other examples)


Printing of “Southern Rhodesia” distorted,

possibly of over-inking.


Violet light

smudge in cameo

Ink spot left of Queen

The complete top row of sheet no. 120 has the

violet ink smudged across all stamps through the

Queen’s portrait.


~ 21 ~

Doctor blade between two rows of stamps, in

Independence overprint

(Source www.filat.ch)

Three pence (Kudu) - Sheet stamps


1 3 Small mark on Queen's forehead. Th B7

1 9 Patch of blue sky in the shading above ES of Rhodesia. Th F7

2 1 Tiny dot on outer edge of oval at 9 o'clock. Th B6

6 7 Vertical line cutting left branch of tree above Kudu's head. Th A/B3

7 3 White marks above and below bottom curve of S of Rhodesia. Th G7

7 7 Bar across right leg of N of Southern. Th F4

8 10 Perpendicular line between Kudu's left horn and Oval. Th A/B5

9 3 White mark across Queen's right eyebrow (Th B6) and white dot at hair line above

the left eye. Th B7

13 5 Large patch on Queen's left cheek and neck. Th 07

14 10 White dot inside ‘0’ of Southern, at 9 o'clock. Th F

~ 22 ~


16 10 White mark between bottom and centre arms of

‘E’ of Rhodesia

17 10 Bird's Nest flaw in fork of branch between

Kudu's horns. Th A3

19 1 Coloured mark on left side of stamp,

opposite Kudu's ear. Th C1

19 2 Vertical white line down left edge of design. Th A/D1

19 7 Sloping white mark above ‘T’ of Southern. Th F2

20 2 Like 19/2 but longer. Th A/F1

20 7 Small white vertical mark in frame of portrait near 6 o'clock. Th D7

Unlisted varieties

Plate movements, both up and down. The

amount of movement varies between sheets.

Vertical doctor blade on the blue plate

~ 23 ~


(source: www.rhodesia.co.za)


Short doctor blade

flaw of chocolate ink

Blue smudge between

vertical pair (note no

white line characteristic

of doctor blade flaws)

Vertical white line through stamp including

Queen’s cameo, runs through column of

stamps

Vertical paper crease

Bottom row, with additional perforations

through bottom of sheet margin

~ 24 ~

“Lower right corner cylinder ‘1A’ block of six.

Printed on repaired paper, this by transparent

tape attached to the lower portion on the block

and margin. Subsequently printed over, now

detached with original portion somewhat

stained as a result. Very fine unmounted. A

remarkable variety and no doubt unique in

this format.”


Three pence (Kudu) - Booklet stamps

Booklet Row/Col Variety

1 2/1 Brown dot to right of Kudu's right horn

2/2 Sparkling R of Rhodesia and white nick at bottom left of O of Postage

2 2/2 Like 2/2 above but sparkling R touched out

3 1/1 Faint white vertical scratch line to right of A of Rhodesia. Also, a brown dot

between the two branches on the right of the Kudu's left ear

2/2 White dot in frame of Oval at 6.30 o'clock

4 2/2 Small white dot at the corner of the Queen's mouth, on the right; also, vertical

blue lines in stitch margin.

5 1/2

Break in frame of Oval at 1.30 o'clock.

RSC 611a

6 1/1 White dot on Queen's throat

2/1 Brown dot in O of Southern at 7.30 o'clock

7 1/1 Black Pearl

1/2 Small brown dot to left of third twig from Kudu

8 1/2 Retouch just below hairline above Queen's left eye

1/1 White dot below hair line above Queen's right eye

9 1/2 Two white dots below ‘I’ of Rhodesia

2/2 Brown dot in Oval at 7.30 o'clock

10 1/1 Small mark to right of Queen's nose

~ 25 ~

Booklet Row/Col Variety

2/1 Small mark on Queen's left cheek

11 2/2 'Dribble' of brown ink in margin under O of Rhodesia.

12 1/1 Thin brown line, almost vertical, from Kudu's left horn up to edge of design

2/1 Small white dot above and to right of 'd' of value

13 2/2 Dark mark on Queen's jaw line at right

14 1/2 Mark under Queen's left eye

2/1 Mark under Queen's left eye but more to the corner

2/2 Light brown marks to left of oval

15 1/1 Very faint dot in ‘O’ of Southern at 10 o'clock

16 2/1 Small horizontal brown line on left branch of left tree between Kudu's horns

17 1/2 Dark spot below Queen's left eye. Brown dots in sky between branches between

horns. Light dot in ‘O’ of Rhodesia at inside base

2/1 Beauty spot on Queen's left cheek

18 1/1 Mark on the side of the Queen's left cheek at chin level

19 1/1 Light patch on Queen's face.

1/2 Dark area on left limb of ‘R’ of Southern

2/2 Scar on Queen's left cheek.

20 1/1 Brown dots between Kudu's left horn and tree to the right

1/2 Heavy brown dots, one between the Queen's left eye and eyebrow, one at the outer

corner of her left eye and another near her ear.

21 1/1 Scar on the Queen's chin

22 1/2 Small nick in edge of design below ‘H’ of Rhodesia

23 1/2 Mark on Queen's forehead near hair and right eyebrow

2/1 Faulty middle bar on ‘R’ of Southern

24 1/2 White and/or dark mark at right of Queen's nose

2/2 Small nick in edge of design under ‘A’ of Rhodesia

25 2/1 White spot in outer corner of Queen's right eye

26 1/2 Two white dots in ‘E’ of Postage

27 ? Two brown spots on the Queen's throat

28 ? White bar in top of ‘O’ of Rhodesia

29 ? White mark at base of U of Southern at 7 o'clock

Note: The description given in the Mashonaland Guide indicates that there were 80 stamps per sheet,

which when cut up to from the booklets would mean that there are 20 booklet panes. No explanation is

given as to why 29 panes are listed above

Unlisted varieties

Plate

movements

~ 26 ~

Pre-printing paper crease

Four pence (Citrus)


12 1 Missing necklace

12 2 Missing necklace

14 11 Small white mark under centre bar of ‘E’ of Rhodesia. Th F7

16 12 Dark dot on right side of Queen's nose. Th C7

20 12 Green mark between base of coronet and frame of portrait, at 3 o'clock. Th B8

Unlisted varieties

Plate movement (better examples have been seen)

Doctor blade with orange ink

Ink blob across two vertical stamps

Ink blob

(illustration downloaded from eBay)

~ 27 ~

Offset of both green and orange on back do

Independence overprint. Some slight indications of

an offset of the overprint as well.

(Courtesy Dave Trathen)

Six pence (Flame Lily)


Cylinder 1A

1 5 Dot above Queen's left eyebrow. Th B8

2 9 White line across corner of Queen's left eye

3 1 ‘Tears’ below Queen's right eye. Th C7

4 9

White ‘asterisk’ after ‘Y’ of Lily. Th F4

RSC 613a (dot after lily flaw)

5 4 Dark dot near corner of Queen's left eye. Th B8

Cylinder 1B

1 4 Black dot at top of left upright of ‘H’ of Rhodesia

1 7 Line of dots from Queen's nose to her left ear. Th C8

1 8 White dots below centre bar of ‘E’, inside top bend of ‘S’ and to the right of ‘I’ of

Rhodesia

1 10 White spot between Queen's left eye and eyebrow.

Th B8

2 6 Tip of centre bar of ‘E’ of Rhodesia almost cut off

3 2 White pimple at foot of left side of ‘I’ of Rhodesia. Th H8

3 4 Red dot in the angle of ‘L’ of Flame

3 6 White dot under ‘RN’ of Southern. Th H4

~ 28 ~

3 9 Rectangular white mark on right side of right leg of N of Southern. Th H5

4 2 White dot below left leg of ‘H’ of Rhodesia. Th H6

4 10 White dot under ‘R’ of Rhodesia. Th H6

5 1 White dot on right leg of ‘R’ of Rhodesia (Th H6) and both eardrops large and well

defined

5 8 Red dot in top margin of stamp under the fifth perforation hole from the left

5 9 Short sloping line across frame of oval at 3½ hours. Th C9

Unlisted varieties

Plate movement of red to left and

right, affects the yellow lines of

the flower.

to left to right

Green line/smudge across stamp, possibly

doctor blade fault

Two white vertical lines down left side of stamp

White vertical line down left side of pair of

stamps

White vertical line down right side of pair of

stamps. (noted on various examples but in

different positions)

(Source: rhodesia.co.za)

~ 29 ~

Green ink

smudge

diagonally

across stamp

Disturbance to the

green printing behind

the flame lily, uncertain

of cause

Pre-printing paper creases from the same sheet. 1964 printing either cylinder 1A or 1B

(Left image courtesy of James Gavin)

Additional strike of the comb perforator

through the top sheet margin and into the

stamp. This is from a cylinder 1A printing,

where top margin is imperforate.

White streaky cloud-like reduced green

printing.

(Source eBay)

~ 30 ~

Nine pence (Ansellia Orchid)


Cylinder 1A

1 3 White spot in top right corner of stamp. Th A9

6 6 Bottom of U of Southern compressed at 5 o'clock

Cylinder 1B

1 1 Faint scratch line from above ‘H’ of orchid to below left leg of A of Ansellia. Th

F2-3

1 8 Coloured dot in left side of the figure of value. Th E9

2 5 White dot at top of ‘O’ of Southern. Th G2

2 7 Red-brown dot between Queen's right temple and frame of portrait. Th B7

3 1 Faint white mark between Queen's left eye and hair line. Th B8

3 3 Two white spots on background leaf between ‘H’ of Southern and the lowest petal of

the nearest flower. Th F4 and G3

6 1 Two small white spots above ‘N’ of Southern and ‘R’ of Rhodesia. Th F5

Unlisted varieties

Plate

movement of

red-brown to

right

Plate movement of

yellow upwards

Vertical doctor blade flaw with yellow-green

ink

Additional strike of the comb perforator

through the top sheet margin and into the

stamp. This is from a cylinder 1A 1964

printing

~ 31 ~

One shilling (Emeralds)


2 3 Two yellow dots in upright of ‘T of Southern. Th G3

3 6 Light mark under the right half of the top of ‘T’ of Postage. Th G8

6 4 Tiny dot on the point of the Queen's nose. Th C8

Note A sheet of these stamps without the Queen's head on 18 subjects (vertical rows of 2, 3 and

4) was discovered in 1965. In addition, in the fourth vertical row most of the word

'Emeralds' is missing. SG 99a RSC 615a

Missing colour

The missing emerald colour omits the Queen's head, emeralds and the word 'EMERALDS', it is an

impressive variety. Two sheets were found. Sheet one, illustrated from an old photograph before it was split.

Total omissions occur on stamps in columns 2, 3 and 4. Column 5 has an emerald at left missing and the

word 'EMERALDS' is partially omitted and smudgy. Columns 1 and 6 to 10 are all normal. Illustrated

below, a strip of six. This strip is part of a complete horizontal strip of ten.

Horizontal strip from columns 1 to 6, with emerald missing in colours 2 to 4, with part of “Emeralds”

missing in column 5

Horizontal strip from columns 4 to 10, with column 4 with full missing emerald, and part of “Emeralds”

in column 5 missing.

(Image courtesy of James Gavin)

Sheet two, total omissions occur in columns 4 and 5 within column 3 the colour is 90% omitted, showing

only the 'EME' of 'EMERALDS' at left. Columns 6, 7 and 8 have the blue green partially printed in varying

~ 32 ~

degrees. Columns 1, 9 and10 are normal. Column 7 has a thick vertical green line and the crown is smudged

and lacking detail. Below is a strip of ten from sheet two, it is illustrated in two sections of six and four.

Sheets one and two account for a total of thirty stamps with the blue green colour omitted. Both sheets were

split up and at least one full horizontal strip of ten from each sheet has survived.

The potential of splitting sheet one: The most desirable, a full horizontal strip of ten. Such a strip can be

split into: left marginal pair with one full omission, columns 1 and 2. Single with colour omitted, column

3. Right marginal strip of seven, columns 4 to 10, which would include one full and one partial omission,

columns 4 and 5. Examples recorded: Three pairs including bottom corner marginal cylinder 1A strip of

seven, stamps 4 to 10. Full strip of ten.

Examples recorded from sheet two: Full strip of ten. Two right marginal strips of six, columns 5 to 10, with

one full omission. One of the foregoing strips was originally a strip of seven, the single, with colour omitted

taken off, is column 4. The evidence suggests that positional strips of three and four exist being columns 1

to 3 or 1 to 4.

Single examples with colour omitted may originate from either sheet. Besides the single mentioned above

I have two others recorded, one is bottom marginal.


Further omission of the emerald colour has also been identified. This time it is from column ten where the

Queen’s cameo and the emerald on the far right of the stone is missing.

(Courtesy of Dave Cooper)

Single bottom row with lack of emerald printing to Column 10


~ 33 ~

Different missing colour

The above variety had the brown-ochre partially missing from columns 1 to 3. This variety is

sometimes stated to a been caused by a dry run, that is little or no ink has been transferred to the

printing plate.


Unlisted varieties

Plate shifts

In the right stamp the Queen appears to have

additional hair, taking out her left ear.

Although uncertain of the cause of this,

probably due to additional ink on the plate.

Faint green smudges

Faint emerald line through top of stamp Upwards shift of perforations


~ 34 ~

One shilling three pence (Aloe)


Cylinder 1A 1 2 Purple dot near top of upright of ‘R’ of Southern 1 8 White spot in the Queen's hair above her left ear. Th B8 2 5 White dot between middle and bottom bars of ‘E’ of Aloe. Th A2 2 10 White stroke from top of design sloping towards ‘E’ of Aloe. Th A2 3 1 Dark dot between coronet and oval at 2 o'clock. Th B9 3 5 White spot above ‘L’ of Aloe. Th Al 4 5 Vertical line from bottom of left flower to ‘U’ of Southern (TH F/G2) and flaw on

Queen's lower lip (ThC8) 5 2 Green spot in '3', right of centre bar. Th E9 6 1 a) Two small white spots above ‘N’ of Southern and R of Rhodesia. Th A5

b) Two white marks, one lower than the other, in the top right corner of the

stamp. Th A 9-10 6 7 Green spot in right aloe leaf on edge of design. Th B9 6 10 Red dot at top of stamp between 12th and 13th perforations

Cylinder 1B 1 4 Dark vertical line above Queen's right eye. Th B7 3 2 Dark dot at junction of Queen's neck and Oval. Th D8 3 7 Letters ‘S’ and ‘O’ of Southern joined 4 3 (a) Solid white mark obliterating part of the letters ‘AG’ of Postage

(b) the same but much less intense, letters ‘AG’ quite visible

Normal Variety

5 9 White dot above ‘L’ of Aloe. Th Al 6 2 Small sloping green line at top of' shilling stroke. Th D8 6 7 White scratch from Queen's lower lip to point of chin. Th C8

Other listed varieties

“perforations down centre of stamp,

horizontal pair”3 RSC 616a. In reality a

shift of the perforations right, with the

sheet cut along stamp margins. The scan

opposite indicates that this happened to

sheet no. 440.


~ 35 ~

Unlisted varieties

Plate movements,

violet down, giving

impression of ghost

country name

Plate movements,

violet up, giving

impression of ghost

country name.

(Source RSC Jan

2017 Auction)

Double print of violet

Vertical doctor

blade flaw of

violet ink

Short vertical

doctor blade flaw

of violet ink in

Queen’s cameo

Vertical violet line through left side of image and

into the top margin from 1965 printing of

cylinder 1A

Vertical violet line through left side of stamp

Olive green vertical line through right stamp

margin

~ 36 ~

Two shillings (Lake Kyle)


1 1 Screen flaw above ‘S’ of Postage. Th A3-4

1 7 Faint white line from top of design to cloud between Postage and Portrait. Th A6

3 10 Retouch above E of Postage. Th A5

4 1 White dot at foot of left leg of ‘N’ of Southern. Th H5

4 5 White dot on an imaginary line between the Queen's left eyebrow and the hair line.

Th B9

4 8 White dot above ‘T’ of Postage. Th A4

5 3 Retouch on figure of value

5 8 Yellow mark above ‘1A’ of Rhodesia. Th G9

SG 101a RSC 617a (parapet flaw)

5 9 Blue spur at left top of ‘N’ of Southern. Th G4

5 10 Badly formed ‘R’ of Southern

Unlisted varieties

Plate of ochre shift

to left

Plate of ochre shift to

right

(Source:

Rhodesia.co.za)

Vertical blue lines giving effect of rain, can vary

across stamp

Pre-printing paper crease

~ 37 ~

Offset of partial printing of ochre to back of

stamp with office of the ochre cylinder number

Significant perforation

shift upwards and to

right.

(stamp in poor

condition)

(RSC Journal Sept

2016)

Two shillings & sixpence (Tiger Fish)


1 10 Two small vertical smears between Queen's right eye and oval (Th B7) and a thin line

over Queen's left eye. Th B8 2 8 Blue dot in bottom of ‘O’ of Rhodesia. Th H6- 3 2 Blue dot in top of ‘shillings’ stroke. Th E2 3 8 Blue dot in lower part of left upright of H in Southern. Th H3 4 4 Spot above Queen's left eye. Th B8 4 10 Blue dot between Queen's left eye and ear. Th C8 6 2 Three white spurs projecting from right arm of ‘A’ of Rhodesia 6 8 Yellow dot on (a) neck of '2' of value, (b) foot of ‘2’ of value 6 9 Pale yellow dot between Queen's eyebrows. Th B8 6 10 Sloping blue line below Queen's hair to the middle of the right margin. Th 09-10

Catalogue listing

SG102 a RSC 618a – missing vermillion.

Strip of four with partial and full omission of vermillion

Also see section below

(Spink’s auction 29 April to 1 May 2014, lot 1726)

Missing colours

Vermilion Omitted SG102a: This variety is the least impressive. The vermilion on the stamp only enhances

parts of the fish, these are: the scales along the back, the eye, gill, fins and tail. A study of the variety,

encountered in pairs and strips of three or four, suggests that three sheets may have existed. Four vertical

rows with total omissions account for a possible twenty four examples. Several singles of the variety are

known.

~ 38 ~

Sheet one: Total omission is in column 7 with 60% missing on column 6, no details for column 8. Bottom

marginal part imprint pair illustrated.

Sheet two: Total omission is on column 9, column 10 normal, no details available for stamp 8. It may could

be speculated that column 8 may have the vermilion omitted, the pieces listed for sheets one and two may

in fact originate from a single sheet.

Sheet three: Total omissions are in columns 6 and 7, with 90% missing in column 5 and 10% in column 8.

Columns 3 and 4 are normal. The two illustrated strips of four include a bottom marginal imprint strip. On

both strips the partial omission in column 5 is the same, this led Otto Peetoom to believe that they originate

from one sheet.

This appears to be the same strip has sold by Spinks in April/May 2014

Ultramarine Omitted SG102b: This missing colour is by far the most spectacular and impressive variety

for the 1964 definitive, it is also the rarest. With the omission of ultramarine, only the vermilion outline of

the fish remains. For more than twenty five years the variety has been relatively unknown. Stanley Gibbons

listed it for the first time in the 1992 S.G. Part I Catalogue.

Three examples of the variety were sold by Brian Reeve Auctions, London.

~ 39 ~

1. On 27.8.92 lot 529, a top marginal strip of six, first stamp normal, 2nd 20% omitted, 3rd total omission,

4th faint traces of ultramarine, 5th partial and the 6th stamp returning to normal with a vertical line

through the value indicating where correct printing resumed.

2. 24.9.92 lot 380, Strip of three with one total omission.

3. 22.10.92 lot 526, Single omission with a small trace of ultramarine in the lower right corner.

Each piece had been issued with an R.P.S. Certificate, one dated 7.9.88 the others during 1990.

All three examples are illustrated below. They originally belonged to one person who informed Otto that

he had obtained them from the Philatelic Bureau in Rhodesia. His reason for splitting two of the strips was

in order to exchange the stamps with other collectors.

As the single example has a trace of blue it cannot be classified as a total omission. On the assumption that

the strip of three is from row two and the single from row three, it could be speculated as to whether the

examples in rows 4 to 6 also show traces of ultramarine. Hopefully the remaining varieties will one day

come to light.


Unlisted varieties

Plate movements of vermillion to left and right

~ 40 ~

Vertical

vermillion line

above dorsal

fin

Thick

ultramarine line/smudge

across Queen’s

neck

Pre-printing

paper crease

Unusual

colouration

around “Post” –

uncertain of

reason.

(Source:

Deverill &

Macgregor –

UDI Price List

1999)

Vermillion omitted, very light to tail. Two examples shown below. The positioning of the overprint in

the middle of the stamps suggests that these stamps came from different sheets.

(Source Grosvenor Auction 2016)

(Source – RSC Journal, No 261, September 2016)

~ 41 ~

Five shillings (Cattle)


5 2 Retouch on Queen's left cheek. Th C10

Note

Sometimes the second perforation from the bottom,

between each horizontal pair of stamps in vertical rows 1

and 2, is completely missing, the bottom perforation may

be key-holed and there is 'bruising’ of the paper areas

affected. Where this occurs, the paper tears badly, one

stamp retaining a piece of the border of the other.

(Mashonaland Guide)

Unlisted but relates to above

Lower left corner block of four showing between each

pair a blind perf. hole from a defective pin.


Unlisted varieties

Plate

movement –

buff to the left

into left

margin

Plate movement –

brown to the right,

giving effect of

ghost images to

cattle

~ 42 ~

Vertical blue lines seen on a number of stamps

in different locations

Blue doctor blade vertical flaws, found on a

number of stamps

Buff doctor blade vertical flaw

Red-brown blob

Multiple ochre vertical lines


The right side of the Queen’s face appears to be

shaded – R1/3


~ 43 ~

Brown ink sploge and marks in margin

opposite R6/1

Ten shillings (Guineafowl)


2 2 Extra feather variety - SG 104a RSC 620a

This variety comes with varying lengths of the “tailfeather”, when measured from the top of the

“tailfeather” when it meets the bird’s body. The left stamp has a distance of about 2.3 mm, the

middle stamp about 3.2 mm and the right stamp about 3.5 mm

Note This stamp was officially withdrawn on 17th November, 1965, but it re-appeared two months

later overprinted 'Independence 11th November 1965' (see SG 371).

Unlisted varieties

Multiple plate movements

~ 44 ~

Scarlet horizontal line across Queen’s chin

Thin blue vertical (in this case through R2/2

with “tailfeather” flaw) – very faint

Reddish vertical smudge down right side of

stamps

Vertical blue doctor blade flaws, left with

upward shift of blue

Black vertical doctor blade, including on R2/2

tailfeather variety


Black doctor blade through vertical strip of five stamps

(Image courtesy James Gavin)

~ 45 ~

Bubbly intrusion below and to “DESIA” of

Rhodesia, could indicate water on the printing

plate

White unprinted area between guineafowl and

Queen’s cameo – R6/8

(image supplied by James Gavin)

One Pound (S. Rhodesia Coat of Arms)


2 5 Small white vertical mark on the right-hand side of the pick handle on the shield. Th

G5

Unlisted varieties

Plate movement

– brown to the

left

Plate movement

- green and

vermillion

movement

upwards

Plate movement

– yellow-ochre

to left

(Source: www.

rhodesia.co.uk)

Plate movement

– green down

(Source: www.

rhodesia.co.uk)

~ 46 ~

Vertical green

doctor blade

through top half

of the stamp

Vertical salmon-

pink doctor

blade through

middle of stamp

Vertical salmon

to “RN R” of

country name

Green doctor

blade through

vertical pair.

(Image courtesy

James Gavin)

First Day Covers

No first day covers were produced by the Post Office for this issue. The following are printed covers

produced privately, some of which are similar but have different sized covers. The cover numbering

comes from the catalogue produced by Geoff Brakspear

Cover 24.1

228 x 152 mm

Cover 24.2.1

228 x 103 mm

~ 47 ~

Cover 24.2.2

228 x 153 mm

Cover 24.3.1

228 x 102 mm

Cover 24.3.2

With printed registration blue lines

303 x 126 mm

Cover 24.3.3

Without printed registration blue lines

303 x 126 mm

Cover 24.3.4

303 x 126 mm

Cover 24.4

228 x 102 mm

Cover 24.5

239 x 100 mm

Cover 24.6

228 x 101

Related Material

Stamps attached to postcards with related images. (Images courtesy of James Gavin)

~ 48 ~

Bibliography

~ 49 ~

1. “Rhodesia, A Postal History”, R C Smith, published in 1967, pages 413 to 417

2. “An Issue is Born – Southern Rhodesia 1963”, Gibbons Stamp Monthly, March 1964 Pages 111-3,

April 1964 pages 133-5 & May 1964 pages 151-2

3. “The Rhodesia Stamp Catalogue”, 1983/84 edition (last) published by Salisbury Stamp Company.

4. “A Guide to the Postage Stamps of Rhodesia” – No 2 (1st January 1964 – 31st July, 1966), published

by the Mashonaland Philatelic Study Group. Known as the “Mashonaland Guide”.

5. “Commonwealth Stamp Catalogue – Southern & Central Africa”, 2nd edition, published by Stanley

Gibbons.

6. “The Rhodesian Philatelist”, No 5 August 1994, pages 76, 77 & 80 - newsletter edited by Otto

Peetoom.

1964 southern rhodesia definitive issue · 1964 southern rhodesia definitive issue (issued 19th...

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