1965 – Postage

1965 POSTAGE DUE LABELS Issued 17th June, 1965

The bulletin issued by the Ministry of Post in early 1965 advised of the issue of three sets stamps (ITU Centenary, Water Conservation and Postage Due Labels). The bulletin advised that the labels would be issued on 17th June 1965 and would continue in use for an indefinite period. “These are not true postage stamps, as they are used only in bringing to account surcharges arising from deficient postage, etc.”1

The design of the labels was the same as that used for the Federal Postage Due Labels issued in 1961, save that the country name was changed from “Rhodesia & Nyasaland” to “Rhodesia”. The Federal Postage Due labels could be said to be the first stamps printed in the country.

In 2001 Cecil Russell exchanged correspondence with Eugene William “Bill” Jones in New Zealand. Bill’s letter of 19th December 2001, confirmed that he was employed by the Government of Southern Rhodesia in the Department of Printing & Stationery. “I was a draughtsman with little or no artistic talent, and when told to design a stamp chose something simple to draw like a post- horn or the garter. The two designs were roughed out in pencil in tracing paper and were handed to my boss and I have no idea how they were selected. Had the selection been left to myself I would have chosen the garter style. There was no competition, and as far as I was concerned it was just another job.”2

Bill took with him two rough sketches of the designs he had produced in tracing paper when he returned to New Zealand. These are copies of those sketches which he provided Cecil Russell in 2010.2

The design of the 1965 Rhodesia postage due labels followed the adopted post-horn design of the Federal issue. Interestingly, both the designs above showed a full stop under the ‘D’, this was replicated in the 2d stamps for both the 1961 and 1965 issues, but not in the other values.

As with the Federal issue the stamps were printed by the Dept. of Printing and Stationery, using the letterpress printing process.1 However both Stanley Gibbons3 and the Rhodesia Stamp Catalogue4 state that the stamps were printed by the Typographic process. Letterpress and Typographic printing is much the same, both having printing type with raised lettering and blocks with no printing areas removed.

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THE ISSUED LABELS

Catalogue listings

SG3 RSC4 Value Description

D8 D14 1d Orange-red (roulette 5) a. Roulette 9 a. Roulette 9 (cream paper) b. Roulette 9 (white paper) D9 D15 2d Deep blue D10 D16 4d Green D11 D17 6d Plum

Technical details

Label size: 25 x 21 mm

Sheet Size: 120 labels (10 rows of 12 labels)

Artist: Eugene William “Bill” Jones

Printer: Dept. of Printing & Stationery.

Paper: Two paper types used:

1st & 2nd printings (all values): white non-fluorescent paper with clear/white gum

3rd printing (1d, 2d & 4d only): white fluorescent coated paper with clear/white gum

Print colours: Single colour for each value, as described.

Perforations: See below for each value

Printer’s Imprint: None

Cylinder numbers: None

Colour register: None

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Sheet Value: None

Sheet Number: See below for each value.

Print numbers: Unknown

Issue date: 17th June, 1965

Withdrawal: No official date, as these labels were for use by the post office itself in accounting for surcharges arising from deficient postage. Essentially when a post office ran out of the labels more are ordered from the stock held at that time. However, if these labels had not run out by the date of decimalisation on 17th February, 1970, it is probable that they were not used.

Demonetarisation: Unnecessary

Below is an analysis of the different printings of the four labels issued. This analysis has been undertaken from Cecil Russell’s collections and articles, all illustrations are from that collection.5,6 As there are no marginal sheet notations, save for the sheet number in the top left corner, it is difficult to identify the different printings. The main gauges are:

• Type of roulette perforations – only in respect of the 1d • Type of paper – distinguishes the 3rd printing from the previous two. • Type and position of sheet numbers • The width of the sheet margins will give an indication of the likely printing (the measurements may vary, particularly with the wider margins)

One Penny

First Printing

• Paper: white, non-fluorescent, white/clear gum • Sheet margins: Top – 24 mm; right – 38 mm; bottom – 13 mm; left – 11 mm • Perforations: Roulette – 6 horizontal; 5 vertical, perforations through all margins • Sheet no.: top right corner, without prefix, printed in black

This printing is easy to identify as it is the only one with the “Roulette 5” perforations

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Second printing

• Paper: white, non-fluorescent, white/clear gum • Sheet margins: Top – 54mm; right – 26 mm; bottom – 13 mm; left – 19 mm: • Perforation: Roulette – 12 horizontal; 10 vertical (“Roulette 9”), perforations partial to 10 mm in top margin and through other margins. • Sheet no.: Sheet number with prefix “No” top right corner, partially above R1/12, about ?? mm above label. Printed in black

Third Printing

• Paper: white, fluorescent front and back • Sheet margins: top 13 mm, others 12 mm • Perforations: Roulette – 12 horizontal; 9 vertical (“Roulette 9”), perforations through all margins • Sheet no.: Sheet number with prefix “No”, top margin above R1/11-12. Printed in black

Note the sheet number for this example is the same as that for the first printing, indicating that the numbering restarted with each printing.

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Two Pence

First Printing

• Paper: white, non-fluorescent, white/clear gum • Sheet margins: Top – 54 mm; others – 2 mm • Perforations: Roulette – 12 horizontal; 10 vertical (“Roulette 9”), perforations partial to 10 mm in top margin and through other margins. • Sheet no.: top right corner above R1/12, without prefix. Printed in black

Second printing

• Paper: white, non-fluorescent, white/clear gum • Sheet margins: Top – 57mm; right – 26 mm; bottom - ??mm; left – ?? mm • Perforation: Roulette – 12 horizontal; 10 vertical (“Roulette 9”), perforations partial to 10 mm in top margin and through other margins. • Sheet no.: Sheet number with prefix “No” top right corner, partially above R1/12, about ?? mm above label. Printed in dark blue

Third printing

• Paper: white, fluorescent front and back • Sheet margins: top 14 mm, others 12 mm • Perforations: Roulette – 12 horizontal; 10 vertical (“Roulette 9”), perforations through all margins • Sheet no.: Sheet number with prefix “No”, top margin above R1/11-12

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Four Pence

First printing

Second printing

• Paper: white, non-fluorescent, white/clear gum • Sheet margins: Top – 57mm; right – 27 mm; bottom – 13 mm; left – 13 mm • Perforation: Roulette – 12 horizontal; 10 vertical (“Roulette 9”), perforations partial to 10 mm in top margin and through other margins. • Sheet no.: Sheet number with prefix “No” top right corner, partially above R1/12, about ?? mm above label. Printed in green.

Third printing

• Paper: white, fluorescent front and back • Sheet margins: top 14 mm; right 12mm; bottom 12 mm; left 19 mm. • Perforations: Roulette – 12 horizontal; 9 vertical (“Roulette 9”), perforations through all margins • Sheet no.: Sheet number with prefix “No”, top margin above R1/11-12

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Six Pence

First printing

Second printing

Listed varieties

The only listed varieties found are those contained in the August 1971 edition of Magnify in an article entitled “Varieties of the Pre-decimal Postage due stamps of Rhodesia not Listed in Catalogues” written by R L F Short. The varieties were found on listed blocks and sheets examined by Messrs Short and Russell.

An examination of the positional flaw of the 4d on stamp in R2/11 is found on all printings, thus indicating that the same plates were used for all printings.

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Row Col

One Penny

2 5 Red dot adjoining ring in top left of 2 11 post-horn Th B3

9 8 Broken lines on post-horn. Th E4 Two Pence 1 12 Dot at Th E1

(uncertain what this refers to, dot found on 3rd printing, left of bottom of post- horn) 2 12 Faint scratch. Th E1 10 11 Dot at Th E6 Four Pence 2 5 Damage ‘E’ of Postage and smudged 2 11 ‘D’ of Due – found on all printings

Six Pence 1,2, 3,9 Multipositive – extra line in design at B5 3,4, 5,6 1 4 Dot under ‘A’ of Rhodesia. Th F-G 7 1 10 2 4 Dot under ‘A of Rhodesia, but fainter than above 2 10 2 5 Dot at Th D7 2 11 5 5 Dot at Th E1 5 11 5 3 Mark on top of frame line. Th A3 5 9 9 6 Dot at Th E1 9 12 10 6 Dot in ‘S’ of Postage. Th A3 10 12

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Unlisted varieties

Part sheet of 1st printing of 1d label, where the perforation between the 1st and 2nd column has shifted gradually to the left down the sheet. Cecil Russell noted that this was found in Wankie Post Office by Bert Rossiter. The illustration above a compilation of three different images.

First Day Covers

The Post Office did not produce first day covers, indeed within the Ministry of Posts brochure for this issued it specifically states “date-stamping of postage due labels cannot be arranged”. The purpose of the labels is for making up deficiencies in the payment of postage on mail. It could be suggested that a true first day of use of the postage due labels should be as payment of deficient postage.

No printed first day covers for this issue have been found with only the labels. Taxed covers with first day of use have also been found, however these are philatelic and there is no real evidence that they passed through the post prior to 17 June 1965. The covers below are from the Cecil Russell collection.

First day of issue cover from Gwelo

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Taxed cover with handwritten taxing, two Cover from Selukwe with red taxing mark different postmarks from Bulawayo. The top and two strikes of same postmark. R J right strike does not have a legible date, but it Jennings is a known philatelist from this is suspected to also be 17 June 1965 town.

Bibliography

1. Ministry of Posts Bulletin issued in early 1965, included details of the issue of ITU Centenary and Water Conservation postage stamps. 2. Correspondence between Cecil Russel and Bill Jones in 2001 and 2010. 3. Stanley Gibbons Commonwealth Catalogue, Southern & Central Africa, 2nd Edition 2014. 4. The Rhodesia Stamp Catalogue 1983/84, produced by Salisbury Stamp Co. 5. “Rhodesia – Postage Due Stamps”, H C Russell, Stamp Collecting magazine April 17th 1969 6. Notes dated 19th June, 1970, with reference WY/bmh 7. “Varieties of the Pre-decimal Postage due stamps of Rhodesia not Listed in Catalogues”, R L F Short, Magnify August 1971, pages 4 to 6

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