EIGHTH DEFINITIVE ISSUE Issued 30th April 2015

(Extracted from Philatelic Bureau Bulletin No 2 of 2015)2

The Victoria Falls is 's prime tourist destination. One of the seven wonders of the world, its grandeur features a 1.7km long waterfall falling 108m into a gorge. In the flood season 545 million litres of water cascade over the precipice per minute. The natural features of the Falls was promoted in July 2013 by the World Tourist Organisation.

10c: The Victoria Falls Bridge The Victoria Falls bridge completed in 1905 links and Zimbabwe across the Second Gorge. It carries road, rail and foot path. As well as being an attraction this bridge is still in use today and has featured in many Zimbabwean stamps.

15c: Elephant Interaction These elephants in Victoria Falls are cared for and trained by members of the National Parks and Wildlife (a government department). Tourists who interact with the elephants will find them endearing creatures and not mere wildlife.

20c: View inside the Rain Forest Heavy spray forced up from the gorge creates the distinct and spectacular ecosystem known as the Rainforest. A rich plant community ranging from the magnificent African Ebony to the tropical ground flora, in turn supports a diversity of wildlife. Cool, moist tunnels formed by the lush growth lead to the edge of the falls. 25c: Makishi Dancers The Makishi dancers display the Zimbabwe tradition by storytelling and dance. Their costumes depicting animals and people are made from bark and woven fibres. The Makishi dancers are based at Victoria Falls Hotel where tourists can observe them conveniently.

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40c: White Waters Waters of the Zambezi River show no mercy to thrill seekers. The river bounded by inhospitable cliffs of basalt, offer no escape to rafters, who go down 20 rapids in a day's excitement. They start at the "Boiling Pot" close to the Falls and complete their course 24km down river. 60c: The Victoria Falls Station The quaint station built in 1905, provides a port for railway transport of both goods and passengers from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls and Zambia. Diesel engines and steam locomotives frequent its original tracks.

75c: The Big Tree The Big Tree of Victoria Falls is a massive Baobab, Adonsonia digitata, over 16 metres in girth Available data indicating that it is over 1500 years old, the tree is one of the important heritage sites in the area. It is easily reached from many of the local lodgings.

80c: Masks and Curios Crafts and carvings are for sale at the curio market placed opposite the entrance to the Falls. Wood of the Mopane and Sapele (African Mahogany) lend themselves to the skilled workers.

85c: David Livingstone The bronze statue was erected in 1955, 100 years after David Livingstone first saw the Falls. This missionary-explorer was responsible for making this wonder known to the world. He dubbed them The Angel Falls. The Nambiya called them Mosi-oa-Tunya (the smoke that thunders)

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$1: View from Devil's Cataract The river falls into the First Gorge at Devil's Cataract. At this point the start of Main Falls, which are on the Zimbabwean side, can be seen and heard thundering into the deep gorge. Curiosity leads you on into the rain forest to view the magnificence of the Main Falls.

The Stamps

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(reduced to 50% of normal size)

Catalogue Listings

SG ZSC1 Value Description

1392 791 10c Victoria Falls Bridge 1393 792 15c Elephant Interaction 1394 793 20c View inside the Rain Forest 1395 794 25c Makishi Dancers 1396 795 40c Zambezi White Waters 1397 796 60c The Victoria Falls Station 1398 797 75c The Big Tree 1399 798 80c Masks and Curios 1400 799 85c David Livingstone 1401 800 $1 View from Devil’s Gorge

MS1402 MS35 Miniature sheet with stamps in se-tenant block

Technical details

Stamp size: Sheet stamps: 30 x 35 mm Miniature sheet 178 x 110 mm

Sheet Size: 50 stamps (5 rows of 10 stamps), two panes per printed sheet

Artist: Joan Soriano & Cindy Stamps

Paper: ZSC paper type J: paper described by Zimpost as “Chancellor Litho PVA Gummed Postage Stamp Paper”. This paper is produced by Tullis Russell Coaters of Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland. Under UV there is no fluorescence either front or back, the stamp appears to be very dark

Print colours: Cyan, magenta, yellow & black

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Perforations: SG 14 x 14½; ZSC 14 x 14¼ Sheet stamps: Left margin: Perforated through Other margins: Imperforate Miniature sheet: Imperforate margins

Printer: NatPrint, Harare, Zimbabwe

Printer’s Imprint: Sheet stamps only - bottom margin, below Row 5 Columns 5 & 6. Imprint printed in black

Cylinder numbers: Sheet stamps only - bottom margin below R5/1. Colours from left – cyan, magenta, yellow, black

Colour register: Sheet stamps only - Type TL 4– round boxed – left margin opposite R5/1. Colours reading down – cyan, magenta, yellow, black

Sheet Value: Sheet stamps only - bottom margin, below R5/10, printed in black

Sheet Number: Sheet stamps only - Type SN 7 with printed ‘ZIMPOST’ prefix, right margin opposite R5/10 reading down

Bar codes: Sheet stamps only - Opposite R1/10, printed in black, numbers: 10c 2 009113 000202 15c 2 009113 000219 20c 2 009113 000226 25c 2 009113 000233 40c 2 009113 000240 60c 2 009113 000257 75c 2 009113 000264 80c 2 009113 000271 85c 2 009113 000288 $1 2 009113 000295

Print numbers: The print run for the first printing of this issue is unknown

Reprints: See comment below

Issue date: 30th April 2015

Reprints

There does not appear to be any official reprints of these stamps. However, on a visit to the Philatelic Bureau in May 2019, it was suggested that the 40c value had been reprinted. The example provided of the value/number block does not show the normal “R” number as confirmation of the reprint. The example provided had a sheet number, Zimpost 5808, suggesting that the first printing could have had a print run in keeping with the commemoratives of this value – 400,000 stamps or 7,000 sheets. This is only speculative.

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Listed varieties

No listed varieties have been reported.

Unlisted Varieties

There are numerous small dots and specks in the printing of these stamps, particularly in the backgrounds which are more noticeable with the solid colours

10c: Plate shift blurring outline of Zimbabwe 15c: Plate shift blurring outline of bird, lighter strip down right side of image Zimbabwe bird, lighter strip down right (Courtesy of Narendhra Morar) side of image (Courtesy of Narendhra Morar)

80c: Plate shift blurring outline of Zimbabwe Miniature sheet – 25c: Magenta mark bird, lighter strip down right side of image above the value (Courtesy of Narendhra Morar) (Courtesy of Narendhra Morar)

15c: The area between the elephants is much yellower in the column 10 stamps. More so on the row 5

(Courtesy of Narendhra Morar)

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Miniature sheet: Additional perforations through left margin

Miniature sheet: Movement of all perforations to the right, clipping the left side of each stamp. (Courtesy of Jefferson Ritson)

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Miniature sheet: With minor variations (shown below) A number of miniature sheets have been identified with these variations (Courtesy of Narendhra Morar))

Magenta dot under 60c: Cyan dot $1: Curl in top right ‘R’ of Victoria in 40c: Missing printing to st above ‘AB’ of corner and in margin top margin 1 ‘B’ and ‘E’ of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe

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First Day Cover

No first day covers were made available by the Philatelic Bureau, covers can, however be found with the Harare First Day of Issue canceller on plain covers and Bureau manila stationery. However, there is one privately produced cover.

ZW160.01

230 x 163 mm

Bibliography:

1. “The Zimbabwean Concise Postage Stamp Catalogue”, published by Harare Stamp Company, edited by Ken Allanson, Mike Amos and Geoff Brakspear. The catalogue continues to be updated and expanded by Geoff Brakspear, and is now published on the Rhodesian Study Circle website. 2. Zimbabwe Post, Philatelic Bureau Bulletin No 2 of 2015

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