1964 SOUTHERN RHODESIA DEFINITIVE ISSUE
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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.
~1~
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
~2~
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 Initial artwork by Victor Whiteley
giganlea, var. nilotica. (Courtesy Keith Harrop)
~3~
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.
~4~
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
~5~
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
~6~
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)
~7~
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
~8~
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
1964 1B Perforated Perforated Perforated Perforated
1965 1A Imperforate One perf Perforated Perforated Top to bottom
1965 1B Perforated Perforated Perforated Perforated
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
1965 1B Perforated Perforated Perforated Perforated
2s 1964 1A Imperforate One perf Perforated Perforated Top to bottom
1965 1A Perforated Perforated Perforated Perforated
~9~
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 1964 1A Imperforate One perf Perforated One perf Top to bottom
&£1
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:
Net number Number unsold
Number Number Number
Value sold, not (number printed
printed sold overprinted
overprinted – 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?
~ 10 ~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)
(Courtesy James Gavin) (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
~ 11 ~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.)
~ 12 ~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 Catalogue 3 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
~ 13 ~Row Column Variety Stamp scan
Flaw cutting across the frame of the portrait between
3 10
12 and 1 o'clock. Th A7
Last rayon of coronet projects towards frame of portrait.
3 11
Th B8
5 2 Dot after ‘T’ of Postage. Th A3
8 1 White dot in bottom left corner of stamp. Th G1
Damage to Queen's right eye and bridge of nose. Th
11 2
B6
13 11 White patch on Queen's chin. Th C6
13 12 White mark above ‘Maize’. Th D8
White bar across lower part of right leg of ‘R’ of
Rhodesia. Th G5
15 12
RSC 608b
~ 14 ~Row Column Variety Stamp scan
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
Missing partition between grains of maize. Th E3
17 12
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
~ 15 ~Row Column Variety Stamp scan
Black spot on maize cob. Th C3
20 3
(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
A vertical pair with double horizontal perforations (four perforations in the top right-hand corner of each
Note
stamp, below the normal perforations) was posted at Fort Victoria on 6th August, 1964).
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 Missing partition to top green row
“Worm” above ‘DES’ of
of Queen’s cameo (not same as R20/3)
Rhodesia
(Courtesy Gordon Atkinson)
~ 16 ~Doctor blade,
Faint horizontal lines
horizontal
Additional strike of
perforator through
imperforate right
margin of sheet.
(Source: Deverill &
Macgregor – UDI
Price List 1999)
Penny (Buffalo)
Found in both sheet stamps and coils, positioning as per printed sheets.
Row Column Variety Stamp scan
Reddish violet colour omitted See section below
RSC 609a & SG 93a
Small black spot on 11 o'clock from Buffalo's head.
1 1
Th C2
Grid Flaw (up to ten near-vertical lines in tree
1 5
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
~ 17 ~White spot opposite Queen's left eye and another just
14 9
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
Black dot above and slightly to the right of ‘A’ of
20 10
Postage. Th A4
~ 18 ~Missing Colour
This variety is spectacular and has the Queen's head, value, buffalo, trees and the inscriptions 'POSTAGE'
and 'BUFFALO' missing. During October 1986 at London Stampex, Otto Peetoom acquired a vertical pair,
both with the violet omitted. It is the only multiple of the variety encountered by Otto Peetoom, he believes
that the missing colour occurred on a normal sheet. 6
(Source: The Rhodesian Philatelist, No 5 August 1994)
In the Spink’s Stamps and Covers of Southern Africa Auction of 14 th October 2020, a mint pair of this
variety appeared. In a note to this auction lot Spink states “The horizontal perforations on most examples of
the error appear to be double perforate while the vertical perforations are clipped and ragged.” 7 Further
research has revealed that Spink sold another vertical pair in 2009, with a similar description.
As these stamps are comb perforated, if the horizontal perfs have a double perforated, then logically the
vertical perforations are also doubled, hence the clipped and rugged appearance. The debate must therefore
be, was this the only row double perforated or was the whole sheet?
(Source: Spink’s 2009 (Source: Spink’s Oct 2020
Auction. Auction7
Price guide - £3,000 to Price guide £5000 to
£34,000. Sold £3,500) £6,000 - Unsold)
The two pairs above are not the same pair. Examination of the perforation between the two pairs, in the
2009 pair show the lower of the perforation is slightly to the left of the upper perfs. Whilst the 2020 pair is
slightly to the right. The vertical perforations have an oval, rather than a round, shape to the or are more
clipped.
~ 19 ~There have been a number of single stamps also sold by Spink, the examples are shown below. These all
show various shapes to the perforations all of which indicate a double perforation.
(Spink’s auction 2018 (Source: Spink’s Oct 2020
(Spink’s auction 2013
Sold for £2,000) Auction7Price guide £2,200 to
Sold for £2,200)
£2,500: Sold £3,000)
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)6
Given the example of the vertical pairs of stamps of this variety, the clipped and ragged appearance of the
stamps is better explained a double strike of the perforator
Unlisted varieties
Sheet No 486 was discovered to have a different
Different paper 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
~ 20 ~Double print of
reddish violet.
Whitish vertical
Two known
line through
examples, both
Queen’s portrait
from Beatrice
post office
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
Vertical doctor blade flaw from reddish violet plate. plate.
(Source: www.rhodesia.co.za)
Additional strike of comb perforator through
bottom margin and into stamps along
Perforation shift to the left. perforations
Probably from the same sheet, clearly showing
Additional strike of comb perforator through bottom the progression of the angled additional
margin at an angle and below middle of stamps perforations.
(Image courtesy James Gavin)
~ 21 ~Two additional strikes of comb perforator, creating
Paper folds post printing or during perforation
effect of double perforations.
process.
(illustration downloaded from eBay)
(Courtesy Keith Harrop)
Two pence (Tobacco)
Row Column Variety Stamp scan
yellow and violet (1965)
(a) 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
Irregular line from Queen's forehead to her nose and from the
2 1
nose to below the right eye. Th B6
3 9 White dots above ‘PO’ and ‘S’ of Postage. Th El
~ 22 ~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
Horizontal line from top right corner of stamp well into the
9 12
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.
Unlisted varieties
Plate movement – Plate movement –
yellow-orange down to yellow-orange to left
give some white into the left stamp
tobacco leaves to top margin, and white tips
and yellow-orange top to tobacco left to the
of ‘O’ of Rhodesia right
~ 23 ~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
Printing of “Southern Rhodesia” distorted,
of 6 with similar characteristics. (similar violet
possibly of over-inking.
printing smears seen on other examples)
(Source: www.rhodesia.co.za)
(Source: www.rhodesia.co.za)
Violet light
Ink spot left of Queen
smudge in cameo
The complete top row of sheet no. 120 has the
violet ink smudged across all stamps through the
Queen’s portrait.
(Courtesy James Gavin)
~ 24 ~Doctor blade between two rows of stamps, in
Independence overprint
(Source www.filat.ch)
Three pence (Kudu) - Sheet stamps
Row Column Variety Stamp scan
1 3 Small mark on Queen's forehead. Th B7
Patch of blue sky in the shading above ES of Rhodesia.
1 9
Th F7
2 1 Tiny dot on outer edge of oval at 9 o'clock. Th B6
Vertical line cutting left branch of tree above Kudu's
6 7
head. Th A/B3
~ 25 ~Row Column Variety Stamp scan
White marks above and below bottom curve of S of
7 3
Rhodesia. Th G7
7 7 Bar across right leg of N of Southern. Th F4
Perpendicular line between Kudu's left horn and Oval.
8 10
Th A/B5
White mark across Queen's right eyebrow (Th B6) and
9 3
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
White mark between bottom and centre arms of ‘E’ of
16 10
Rhodesia
~ 26 ~Row Column Variety Stamp scan
Bird's Nest flaw in fork of branch between Kudu's
17 10
horns. Th A3
Coloured mark on left side of stamp, opposite Kudu's
19 1
ear. Th C1
19 2 Vertical white line down left edge of design. Th A/D1
20 2 Like 19/2 but longer. Th A/F1
R19/2 R20/2
19 7 Sloping white mark above ‘T’ of Southern. Th F2
20 2 See above
Small white vertical mark in frame of portrait near 6
20 7
o'clock. Th D7
~ 27 ~Unlisted varieties
Vertical doctor blade on the blue plate
Plate movements, both up and down. The
amount of movement varies between sheets.
Vertical doctor blade on the blue plate
Vertical doctor blade on the blue plate
(source: www.rhodesia.co.za)
Blue smudge between
Short doctor blade vertical pair (note no
flaw of chocolate ink white line characteristic
of doctor blade flaws)
Vertical white line through stamp including
Queen’s cameo, runs through column of Vertical paper crease
stamps
~ 28 ~Bottom row, with additional perforations
through bottom of sheet margin
“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.”
(Source: www.rhodesia.co.za)
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
Faint white vertical scratch line to right of A of Rhodesia. Also, a brown dot
3 1/1
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
Small white dot at the corner of the Queen's mouth, on the right; also, vertical
4 2/2
blue lines in stitch margin.
~ 29 ~Booklet Row/Col Variety
Break in frame of Oval at 1.30 o'clock.
5 1/2
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
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
Dark spot below Queen's left eye. Brown dots in sky between branches between
17 1/2
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
Heavy brown dots, one between the Queen's left eye and eyebrow, one at the outer
1/2
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
~ 30 ~Booklet Row/Col Variety
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
Pre-printing paper crease
Four pence (Citrus)
Row Column Variety Stamp scan
12 1 Missing necklace
12 2 Missing necklace
Small white mark under centre bar of ‘E’ of
14 11
Rhodesia. Th F7
~ 31 ~16 12 Dark dot on right side of Queen's nose. Th C7
Green mark between base of coronet and frame
20 12
of portrait, at 3 o'clock. Th B8
Unlisted varieties
Doctor blade with orange ink
Plate movement (better examples have been seen)
Ink blob across two vertical stamps Ink blob
(illustration downloaded from eBay)
~ 32 ~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)
Row Column Variety Stamp scan
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
White ‘asterisk’ after ‘Y’ of Lily. Th F4
4 9
RSC 613a (dot after lily flaw)
~ 33 ~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
Line of dots from Queen's nose to her left ear.
1 7
Th C8
White dots below centre bar of ‘E’, inside top bend
1 8
of ‘S’ and to the right of ‘I’ of Rhodesia
White spot between Queen's left eye and eyebrow.
1 10
Th B8
2 6 Tip of centre bar of ‘E’ of Rhodesia almost cut off
White pimple at foot of left side of ‘I’ of Rhodesia.
3 2
Th H8
3 4 Red dot in the angle of ‘L’ of Flame
3 6 White dot under ‘RN’ of Southern. Th H4
Rectangular white mark on right side of right leg of
3 9
N of Southern. Th H5
~ 34 ~4 2 White dot below left leg of ‘H’ of Rhodesia. Th H6
4 10 White dot under ‘R’ of Rhodesia. Th H6
White dot on right leg of ‘R’ of Rhodesia (Th H6)
5 1
and both eardrops large and well defined
Red dot in top margin of stamp under the fifth
5 8
perforation hole from the left
Short sloping line across frame of oval at 3½ hours.
5 9
Th C9
Unlisted varieties
Plate movement of red to left and
right, affects the yellow lines of
the flower.
to left to right
~ 35 ~Green line/smudge across stamp, possibly Two white vertical lines down left side of stamp
doctor blade fault
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)
Green ink Disturbance to the
smudge green printing behind
diagonally the flame lily, uncertain
across stamp of cause
Pre-printing paper creases from the same sheet. 1964 printing either cylinder 1A or 1B
(Left image courtesy of James Gavin)
~ 36 ~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)
Green smudge from left to right through
Queen’s face
(Courtesy of Bruce Kennedy)
Nine pence (Ansellia Orchid)
Row Column Variety Stamp scan
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
~ 37 ~Faint white mark between Queen's left eye and hair
3 1
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 Plate movement of
red-brown to yellow upwards
right
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
One shilling (Emeralds)
Row Column Variety Stamp scan
Two yellow dots in upright of ‘T of Southern. Th
2 3
G3 (other dot may be emerald)
3 6 Light mark under the right half of the top of ‘T’ of Postage. Th G8
~ 38 ~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)
(Spink’s October 2020 Auction7: Price guide £10,000 to £12,000 – sold £8,000)
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
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.
~ 39 ~(Spink’s October 2020 Auction.7: Guide Price £10,000 to £12,000 – unsold)
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. (Extract from The Rhodesian Philatelist, No 5 August
1994)
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
(Courtesy Keith Harrop)
~ 40 ~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.
(Courtesy Keith Harrop)
(Spink’s October 2020 Auction7: Price guide £1,600 - £1,800: Sold £3,200)
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
(Courtesy Dave Trathen)
~ 41 ~One shilling three pence (Aloe)
Row Column Variety Stamp scan
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
a) Two small white spots above ‘N’ of Southern and
R of Rhodesia. Th A5
6 1
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
~ 42 ~Row Column Variety Stamp scan
“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.
(Courtesy James Gavin)
Unlisted varieties
Plate movements,
violet up, giving
Plate movements,
impression of ghost
violet down, giving
country name.
impression of ghost
country name
(Source RSC Jan
2017 Auction)
Upwards shift of violet with Queen’s cameo Double print of violet
above the frame.
(Source: eBay April 2021)
Short vertical
Vertical doctor
doctor blade flaw
blade flaw of
of violet ink in
violet ink
Queen’s cameo
~ 43 ~Vertical violet line through left side of image and
into the top margin from 1965 printing of Vertical violet line through left side of stamp
cylinder 1A
Olive green vertical line through right stamp
margin
Two shillings (Lake Kyle)
Row Column Variety Stamp scan
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
White dot on an imaginary line between the Queen's left eyebrow and the hair line.
4 5
Th B9
4 8 White dot above ‘T’ of Postage. Th A4
5 3 Retouch on figure of value
Yellow mark above ‘1A’ of Rhodesia. Th G9
5 8
SG 101a RSC 617a (parapet flaw)
~ 44 ~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
right
Plate of ochre shift
to left
(Source:
Rhodesia.co.za)
Vertical blue lines giving effect of rain, can vary Pre-printing paper crease
across stamp
Significant perforation
shift upwards and to
right.
(stamp in poor
condition)
(RSC Journal Sept
Offset of partial printing of ochre to back of 2016)
stamp with office of the ochre cylinder number
~ 45 ~Two shillings & sixpence (Tiger Fish)
Row Column Variety Stamp scan
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
Yellow dot on (a) neck of '2' of value, (b) foot of
6 8
‘2’ of value (plus other dots)
6 9 Pale yellow dot between Queen's eyebrows. Th B8
Sloping blue line below Queen's hair to the middle
6 10
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)
(Spink’s October 2020 Auction7: Price guide £12,000 - £14,000: sold £10,000)
~ 46 ~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.
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 Spink in April/May 2014
~ 47 ~You can also read
