1/13/22, 6:07 PM Stellaland Stamps and Postal History

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1884 Stellaland - Arms of the Republic Design SG 1 - 5

A History of Stellaland was Published in 1971 as a fifty page booklet by Charles George Dennison

The Stamps only enjoyed Internal validity, there was no datestamp and the Postal Official used a pen to cancel the stamps
Either with his initials and a date or sometimes just with a stroke of his pen

Brief History

Before the proclamation of the Republic, the area was under the control of competing Griqua and Tswana
groups, while Great Britain laid claim to it as part of the emerging protectorate of British Bechuanaland.
Two of the indigenous groups were under the leadership of chiefs Mankoroane and Montsioa, whom the
British regarded as friendly, and another two under the leadership of chiefs Moshette and Massouw. When a
 
feud erupted between Mankoroane and another chief, each side resorted to recruiting volunteers, promising
them land in return for their assistance. After a settlement was negotiated with mediation from the Transvaal
Republic, large portions of Mankoroane's land with 416 farms of 3,000 morgen (2,563 ha) each were given
to Boer mercenaries who had fought on his adversary's side, and the new inhabitants decided to declare
independence.

In October 1886 the

Imperforate Forgery of the 1884
Remainders were sold to
between Pairs Postage issue 1d red
Whitfield King in Ipswich
are known for all values printed in close to issued
for £250 consisting of
except the 1s colours and perf 13½

Instead of 12
SG 3a 1d (621) 3d (10,514)
With indecipherable bogus
Mint 4d (11,762) 6d (9566)
Cancellation
1s (4329)

The Republic of Stellaland was formally created on 26 July 1882, under the leadership of its elected president Gerrit Jacobus van Niekerk, a farmer from
Transvaal and was given the name Stellaland (Star Land) in reference to a comet that was visible in the skies at the time. The town of Vryburg was founded
and declared its capital. At its founding, the new country covered an area of 5,985 square miles and was home to an estimated population of 20,500
individuals, 3,000 of whom were of European ancestry.
 
The State of Goshen, named after the biblical Land of Goshen, was founded by Nicolaas Claudius Gey van Pittius in October 1882 in the neighbouring area
called Rooigrond with the approval of chief Moshette. Goshen had an estimated population of 17,000, of whom approximately 2,000 were of European
origin, and covered an area of 4,015 square miles
On 6 August 1883, Stellaland and Goshen united to form the United States of Stellaland.

Hennie Taljaard from Ceres in South Africa collects the stamps of Stellaland and has posted a blog on the Internet. Hennie has collated some useful
  information starting with a chorological listing of events and afer recent contact he has kindly granted permission to utilize his information and also sent in
an article on his favourite subject

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1/13/22, 6:07 PM Stellaland Stamps and Postal History
  January 1883 (approx.) Post office opens at Vryburg & postal service commenced to Christiana (Putzel)
7 August 1883 Stellaland proclaimed an independent republic by G J van Niekerk (Theal)
8 August 1883 Vryburg listed as the post office of Stellaland Republic (Putzel)
February 1884 Stamps delivered
23 September 1884 Postal contract concluded between Stellaland Government and WM Geeringh, the Vryburg-Christiana postal contractor
7 February 1885 Sir Charles Warren’s expedition reaches Vryburg
23 March 1885 Vryburg post office listed under British Bechuanaland (Putzel)
11 June 1885 Francis Eaton replaces Ferdinand Hartzenberg as postmaster of Vryburg
30 September 1885 Stellaland incorporated into the crown colony of the British Bechuanaland
2 December 1885 Stellaland stamps replaced

Postmasters F Dekker - Appointed approx. 1882

Ferdinand Hartzenberg - 1884 - 11 June 1885 - Initials: “FH”
Francis Alexander Eaton - 1 July 1885? - early 1886
Probably did not initial stamps but rather pen-stroke cancelled
C.G. Dennison - date?

Hennie has been accumulating data relating to the used stamps of Stellaland. His results are presented be in a tabular form. The list is compiled from items
he has in his own collection and from others described in the literature and auctions catalogues. His listing is by no means comprehensive and he would
 
welcome any additional information anyone can provide. His Email is stadsbeplanner@ananzi.co.za or htaljaard@witzenberg.gov.za
Hennie continues - As far as I could establish the following literature exists

  Books  
Jonkers, G.H. 1999 Onderzoeken van Stellaland. F.V.Z.A.: Rotterdam
Quik, W.J. 2003 The history and postage and revenue stamps of Stellaland / Griqualand West. F.V.Z.A.: Krimpen A/d IJssel
Jurgens, A.A. 1946 The Bechuanalands, A brief history of the Countries and their Postal Services to 1895. RPS: London
 
Holmes, H.R. 1971 The Postage Stamps, Postal Stationery, and Postmarks of the Bechuanalands. RPS: London
de Raay, L. 1934 De Postzegels van Stellaland. Amsterdam
Trotter, B & Midwood, N. 2001 Revenues of Southern Africa, Part 1: The Bechuanalands. Privately Published

  Articles  

Drysdall, A.R. 1991 A previously undescribed Stellaland item. The Runner Post, Issue 22, p. 402 - 412, March
Drysdall, A.R. 1991 Stellaland Revisited. The Runner Post, Issue 23, p. 419 - 433, June
Drysdall, A.R. 1992 A postal History of Stellaland. London Philatelist, 101:54 - 66, March
Drysdall, A.R. 1992 A postal History of Stellaland (continued). London Philatelist, 101:95 - 99, April
Drysdall, A.R. 2008 The “Twee” Overprint and the Remainders of Stellaland’s Postage Stamps. Collectors Club Philatelist, 87(3), p. 141 - 148
  Groenewald, J. 2002 Stellaland - skielik ‘n stroom seldsame koeverte. The SA Philatelist, 78:4, p. 110 - 113, August
Drysdall, A.R. 2003 Postal markings on Stellaland stamps. The Transvaal Philatelist, 38(2), P. 43, May
Seligmann. K. 1993 New information from Dr Karl Seligmann. The Runer Post, Isue 31, p. 624 - 625, June
Drysdall, A.R. 1993 Stellaland - Addenda from Dr G H Jonkers to Dr Seligmann’s article in RP 31. The Runner Post, Issue 32, p. 651 - 652, September
Jonkers, G.H. 1993 Royal ceases to issue certificates for Stellaland “Twee” provisional. The Runner Post, Issue 32, p. 653 - 654, September
Jonkers, G.H. 1994 Postal Contract. The Runner Post, Issue 35, p. 735 - 736, June

The Method of Cancelling Stellaland Stamps

By Hennie Taljaard
I have been accumulating data relating to the used stamps of Stellaland from items in my own collection and from others described in the literature and
auctions catalogues. Up till now I have been able to list 120 stamps of which the result (sorted in order of date) is shown in tabular form. Whereas one might
perhaps draw some conclusions from the data on its own, it becomes more significant when related to the historical facts available. The list is of course not
only interesting in terms of cancellations, but also sheds light on dispatch dates and postal rates. At the outset it should be mentioned that the recurrence of
the same date is obvious but is by no means duplication of data. I have personally seen at least an image or proper description of every stamp listed.
  Also included in the list are the covers recorded and described by Drysdall.

Stellaland never had a device for cancelling their stamps. According to Jurgens there were instructions to the Postmaster to cancel all stamps on letters with
pen and ink. Vryburg is found first listed on 8 August 1883 as the post office of the Stellaland Republic (Putzel). Stamps were delivered to Stellaland during
February 1884 and during the first few months stamps are found manuscript cancelled with the date only. The earliest date recorded is 29 February 1884.
The postal route during the period of the Stellaland rule was by way of Christiana and hence the ZAR target canceller with numeral 6 seen on stamps -
applied in transit.

3d manuscript cancelled with date on 3d manuscript cancelled with date on

Signature of Signature of
29/2/84. The earliest recorded date 7/3/84 and ZAR target type 6
Ferdinand Hartzenberg Frans Coenraad Dekker
(listing ref. 3) (listing ref. 6)
  From August 1884 onwards stamps are seen for most part with both the date and initials (of the postmaster). Initials seen are: “F.H”, “C.G.D” and “F.C.L”.
With the aid of old Stellaland documents lodged at the Cape Archives it is possible to positively identify “F.H.” as belonging to Ferdinand Hartzenberg and
“F.C.L” as that of Frans Coenraad Dekker. Referring to Dekker’s full signature (see above) it becomes clear that the letter “L” of the initials signifies a “D”.

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1/13/22, 6:07 PM Stellaland Stamps and Postal History
The initials “C.G.D” belonged to a Dennison but only one stamp (listing ref. 88) is attributed to him. There is also a single stamp with as yet unidentified
initials (which looks like “KA” - see listing ref. 46)

The bulk of the stamps are found with Hartzenberg’s initials and only three stamps are seen with those of his predecessor, namely that of Dekker, who was the first
postmaster (see listing ref. 19 to 24). Dekker was already postmaster during the pre-stamp period and the earliest stamps cancelled with the date only would
probably have been his work.

3d cancelled
4d cancelled 6d cancelled 3d cancelled 3d cancelled 6d cancelled
“FH 29/5/85” latest
“FH 12/2/85” “FH 1/2/85” “FCL 17/8/84” “CGD pm” “KA 14/12/84”
date for Hartzenberg
(listing ref. 64) (listing ref. 55) (listing ref. 21) (listing ref. 88) (listing ref. 46)
(listing ref. 79)

Sir Charles Warren’s expedition reached Vryburg on 7 February 1885 with the aim to place the area under British control. According to Putzel the Vryburg
post office was listed under British Bechuanaland from 23 March 1885.

The practice of the postmaster to cancel the stamp with his initials is not seen later than May 1885. During these last months that the Stellaland stamps were
  in use it was cancelled only with the stroke of a pen or not cancelled at all. This practice coincides more or less with the takeover by the British and was
probably employed by Francis Alexander Eaton whom replaced Ferdinand Hartzenberg as postmaster of Vryburg on 11 June 1885. The fact that stamps were
not cancelled could suggest that they were not officially recognized by the British occupiers. The only example of Eaton actually cancelling stamps with his
name is a cover dated 26 June 1885 (listing ref. 82), from the early part of his officiate.

1d pen cancelled 3d cancelled with 1d cancelled with 1d with 1d with

Cross X blue pencil stroke Barkley West SP 7 85 BONC 27 Circular target 8 canceller
(listing ref. 92) (listing ref. 99) (listing ref. 105) (listing ref. 115) (listing ref. 118)

A relation is thus found between the means of cancellation and the postmaster of the day. It becomes clear that Hartzenberg, Dekker and Eaton each had a
distinctly different way of cancelling their stamps. The first stamps were cancelled with the date only (probably by Dekker), Hartzenberg applied the date and
his initials and Eaton either did not cancel the stamp or applied a pen or blue pencil stroke. This coupled with the transit or arrival postmarks of outside
offices gives us an interesting array of stamps.

With the British takeover the postal route also changed with all mail now passing through Barkly West and Kimberley. Hence stamps are found cancelled at
  these two towns in transit with the dates corresponding with the period of British involvement. (see stamps listed under ref. 100 - 109)

Other postmarks found on stamps also cancelled in transit or by receiving offices are Zeerust ZAR (target 8), Rustenberg ZAR (target 3), Hoopstad OFS
(numeral 27) and Barkly West CC (BONC 232).

Stellaland was incorporated into the crown colony of the British Bechuanaland on 30 September 1885 with the stamps being replaced on 2 December 1885.
The first date stamp to be received by Vryburg arrived on 30 December 1885

Stellaland  
Listing of cancelled stamps sorted by date

Cancelled at Stellaland - dated  

Date: Day: Initials / canceller: Value: Remarks: Source:  

29/2/84 Friday date/ZAR target 6 (Christiana) 3d Christie's 1986 1
29/2/84 Friday date/ZAR target 6 (Christiana) 3d Kas Erne files 2
29/2/84 Friday date only 3d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 3
7/3/84 Friday date/ZAR target 6 (Christiana) 3d David Brandon opinion Brian Fenemore 4
7/3/84 Friday date/ZAR target 6 (Christiana) 3d Fernando Torres 5
7/3/84 Friday date/ZAR target 6 (Christiana) 3d Taljaard 6
17/3/84 Monday date/ZAR target 6 (Christiana) 3d Neville Midwood 7
17/3/84 Monday date/ZAR target 3 (Rustenburg) 3d Jonkers book (1999) 8
4/4/84 Friday "FH" 1d Initials of F Hartzenberg. On piece. RPS certificate Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 9
19/4/84 Saturday date/ZAR target 6 (Christiana) 1/- Neville Midwood 10
12/5/84 Monday date only 3d Neville Midwood 11
21/5/84 Wednesday date only 3d Spink 2013 12
3/6/84 Tuesday date only 6d black pen stroke Neville Midwood 13

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1/13/22, 6:07 PM Stellaland Stamps and Postal History
5/6/84 Thursday date only 1d x3 Drysdall cover 1 Drysdall 1992 article 14
7/6/84 Saturday date only 4d R Lowe, Vol 2, Africa 15
11/6/84 Wednesday date only 1d Taljaard 16
23/6/84 Monday date only 3d Ebay 17
23/7/84 Wednesday date only 3d Ebay 18
30/7/84 Wednesday "FCL" 3d R Lowe, Vol 2, Africa 19
5/8/84 Tuesday "FH" 1d year digit off stamp. but probaly 84. Alan MacGregor 20
17/8/84 Sunday "FCL" 3d Initials of FC Dekker. Shown in Holmes. RPS certificate Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 21
17/8/84 Sunday "FCL" 3d Alan MacGregor 22
25/8/84 Monday "FCL" 3d Taljaard (Ebay) 23
25/8/84 Monday "FCL" 3d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 24
23/9/84 Tuesday "FH" 4d Kas Erne files 25
30/9/84 Tuesday "FH" 4d Spink 2013 26
30/9/84 Tuesday "FH" 4d Drysdall cover 2 Drysdall 1992 article 27
7/10/84 Tuesday date only 1d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 28
21/10/84 Tuesday "FH" 4d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 29
28/10/84 Tuesday "FH" 4d Neville Midwood 30
30/10/84 Thursday "FH" 1d Brian Fenemore 31
18/11/84 Tuesday "FH" 1d EBay 32
24/11/84 Monday "FH" 3d Ebay 33
25/11/84 Tuesday "FH" 4d Groenewald cover 14 Groenewald 2002 article 34
2/12/84 Tuesday "FH" 4d Drysdall cover 3 Drysdall 1992 article 35
2/12/84 Tuesday "FH" 1d Drysdall cover 12 Drysdall 1992 article 36
2/12/84 Tuesday "FH" 3d On piece, 3 ring cancel touching top right Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 37
2/12/84 Tuesday "FH" 1d Date (year) not clear but probably 84 Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 38
7/12/84 Sunday "FH" 3d Initials upside down, 3 ring cancel touching Kas Erne files 39
8/12/84 Monday "FH" 4d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 40
9/12/84 Tuesday "FH" 3d On piece, part 3 ring cancel tying the stamp Kas Erne files 41
9/12/84 Tuesday "FH" 6d On piece tied by part 3 ring target type cancel Spink 2013 42
9/12/84 Tuesday "FH" 6d, 3d, 4d Mixed franking on piece Stanley Gibbons auction 43
9/12/(84) Tuesday "FH" 1d year digit off stamp. but probaly 84. Status Int. auction 44
9/12/(84) Tuesday "FH" 1d year digit off stamp. but probaly 84. Neville Midwood 45
14/12/84 Sunday "KA" 6d Initials not identified. RPS certificate Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 46
?/84 "FH" 6d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 47
28/?/85 "FH" 1d manuscript upside-down Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 48
11/1/85 Sunday "FH" 3d On piece Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 49
11/1/85 Sunday "FH" 3d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 50
11/1/85 Sunday "FH" 1/- Kas Erne files 51
11/1/85 Sunday "FH" 1/- On piece Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 52
11/1/85 Sunday "FH" 1/- last digit of year off stamp. but probaly 85. Alan MacGregor 53
1/2/85 Sunday "FH" 4d On piece Kas Erne files 54
1/2/85 Sunday "FH" 6d On piece Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 55
1/2/85 Sunday "FH" 6d Alan MacGregor 56
5/2/85 Thursday "FH" 1d R Lowe, Vol 2, Africa 57
11/2/85 Wednesday "FH" 1d x3 Strip of 3 Cherrystone auctions 58
11/2/85 Wednesday "FH" 1d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 59
11/2/85 Wednesday "FH" 1d On piece Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 60
11/2/85 Wednesday "FH" 3d On piece Kas Erne files 61
12/2/85 Thursday "FH" 6d On piece Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 62
12/2/85 Thursday "FH" 4d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 63
12/2/85 Thursday "FH" 4d On piece Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 64
12/2/85 Thursday "FH" 4d On piece Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 65
20/2/85 Friday "FH" 4d Ebay 66
20/2/(85) Friday "FH" 1d year digit off stamp. but can only be 85. Stanley Gibbons 2013 67
3/3/85 Tuesday "FH" 3d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 68
6/3/85 Friday "FH" 3d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 69
6/3/85 Friday "FH" 4d Jurgens book 70
12/3/85 Thursday "FH" 3d Drysdall cover 4 Drysdall 1992 article 71
19/3/85 Thursday "FH" 3d RPS certificate Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 72
20/3/85 Friday "FH" 4d Alan MacGregor 73
2/4/85 Thursday "FH" 4d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 74
16/4/85 Thursday "FH" 3d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 75
1/5/85 Friday "FH"/ZAR target 6 (Christiana) 3d Ebay 76
14/5/85 Thursday "FH" 3d Ebay 77
15/5/85 Friday "FH" 3d RPS certificate Status Int. auction 78
29/5/85 Friday "FH" 3d Ebay 79
12/6/(85) Friday date only 1d year digit off stamp. but possibly 85. Grosvenor 80
19/6/85 Friday date only 1d pair Drysdall cover 5 Drysdall 1992 article 81
26/6/85 Friday "F A Eaton" in blue pencil 1d x3 Drysdall cover 6 Drysdall 1992 article 82
?/6/85 blue pencil stroke 1d pair Drysdall cover 7 Drysdall 1992 article 83

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1/13/22, 6:07 PM Stellaland Stamps and Postal History
?/7/85 black pen stroke 4d Drysdall cover 8 Drysdall 1992 article 84
?/9/85 not cancelled 1d pair Drysdall cover 9 Drysdall 1992 article 85
?/10/85 not cancelled "Twee" Drysdall cover 10 Drysdall 1992 article 86
?/10/85 not cancelled "Twee" Drysdall Cover 11 Drysdall 1992 article 87
 
Undated  
no date "CGD pm" 3d C.G. Dennison. Shown in Holmes. RPS certificate Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 88
no date black pen stroke 1d on piece in combination with Cape 2d cancelled BONC 232 Christie's 1986 89
no date black pen stroke 1d Neville Midwood 90
no date black pen stroke 1d Neville Midwood 91
no date black pen stroke 1d Taljaard 92
no date black pen stroke 1d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 93
no date black pen stroke 1d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 94
no date black pen stroke 1d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 95
no date black pen stroke 4d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 96
no date black pen stroke 6d Neville Midwood 97
no date blue pencil stroke 1d pair Taljaard 98
no date blue pencil stroke 3d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 99
 
Outside Stellaland - Transit or receiving offices  
2/3/85 Monday cds Kimberley 6d On piece John Taylor 100
9/3/85 Monday cds Kimberley 1d Jurgens book 101
6/4/85 Monday cds Barkly G.W. 3d Cancel struck twice Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 102
12/4/85 Sunday not cancelled 1d Drysdall cover 13. Barkly West cds alongside. Drysdall 1992 article 103
31/8/85 Monday cds Barkly G.W. 1d pair Cape 2d tied to pair by cds. Spink 2014 104
7/9/85 Monday cds Barkly G.W. 1d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 105
21/9/85 Monday cds Kimberley 1d pair Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 106
24/10/85 Saturday not cancelled "Twee" On piece in combination with Cape 6d. Barkly West cds Royal Collection 107
2/7/86 Monday cds Ladismith C.C. 1d Late usage, probably by favour. Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 108
not clear cds Kimberley 1d Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 109
 

Outside Stellaland - undated  

no date BONC 232 4d Barkly West Brian Fenemore 110
no date BONC 232 6d Barkly West Brian Fenemore 111
no date BONC 232 1/- Barkly West Michael Hamilton 112
no date BONC 536 4d Pudimoe Bram Leeflang 113
no date BONC 555 "Twee" Vryburg. RPS cert stating… obliteration after demonetisation Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 114
no date OFS numeral 27 1d Hoopstad Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 115
no date OFS numeral 27 1d Hoopstad Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 116
no date OFS numeral 27 3d Hoopstad Bram Leeflang 117
no date ZAR target 8 1d Zeerust Taljaard (ex Jonkers) 118
no date ZAR target 8 1d Zeerust Fernando Torres 119
 

Outside Stellaland - abroad  

18/8/85 Tuesday cds London 1d Philangles 2013 120
Last update: 5 January 2015  

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