Postal Orders and Other Fiscal Items

Postal Orders

South African Postal Union Convention (1897–1899)

The South African Postal Union Convention was signed during 1897 and came into effect on 1 January 1898. The intention was to allow the payment of postal orders between the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, the Orange Free State, and the South African Republic. The paying entity was required to repatriate the postal orders back to the issuing British colony or Boer republic.

The Convention lapsed in late 1899 due to the outbreak of the Second Boer War. The postal orders that were supposed to have been returned to the issuing entities were put into storage. Upon the capture of the Orange Free State and the South African Republic during 1900 by the British, the paid postal orders were looted and souvenired.

Collector significance: Cape of Good Hope postal orders and Natal postal orders that bear postmark datestamps of post offices in the Orange Free State and the South African Republic with dates during September 1899 and later are extremely sought after by collectors, as are Orange Free State postal orders and South African Republic postal orders bearing postmark datestamps of post offices in the Cape of Good Hope and Natal.

South African Postal Orders (1910–present)

Postal orders were issued in South Africa from 31 May 1910. South Africa issued both its own postal orders and British postal orders.

• British postal orders (1910–1961): Some pre-decimal issues were overprinted "UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA". From 14 February 1961 to 30 May 1961, British postal orders were overprinted "UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA" with denominations and poundages in cents and rand. For a short period from 31 May 1961, the decimal postal orders of the Union of South Africa were additionally overprinted "REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA". It is not yet known when these were exhausted and replaced by postal orders overprinted "REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA" only. The republican overprinted ones are known to have been issued as late as 1972. It is not yet known when the issue of British postal orders ceased in South Africa.
• South Africa's own postal orders (1933–present): South Africa began issuing its own postal orders sometime during 1933. They are denominated in both Afrikaans and English. After the changeover to decimal currency on 14 February 1961, there was a postal order for denominations as low as 1 cent. South African postal orders issued as late as 1997 have been confirmed. As of 2012, South Africa still uses postal orders. These postal orders are issued by the South African Post Office. The South African postal order system is still used as a secure way of sending money to a company or organization, particularly for citizens without access to cheque or EFT facilities. Some South African government departments still use the system, for example the South African Council of Educators (SACE).

Revenue Stamps

Revenue stamps were used to collect taxes on documents (bills, receipts, insurance policies, customs, etc.). South Africa has a rich variety, including colonial issues and modern fiscals. The standard reference is John Barefoot's British Commonwealth Revenues (9th ed., 2012).

Pre-Union States and Provincial Issues

Before South Africa was united in 1910, each part of South Africa issued their own revenue stamps:

National Revenue Issues (1913–2009)

The first general purpose South African revenue issue was in 1913. From that year until 1937, all South African revenues featured the profile of King George V, with changes in size and inscriptions. From 1938 to 1952 stamps featured King George VI. The original 1938 issue was reissued in bantam format in 1943, and in 1946 these were replaced by a new design still featuring the King.

In 1954 a new design featuring Queen Elizabeth II was issued, but these were quickly replaced by an issue bearing the coat of arms later that year. These were used, reissued denominated in rand in 1961, and were replaced by a numeral issue in 1968. These remained in use until a new design, also a numeral, appeared in 1978. These were finally withdrawn in March 2009.

Specialised Revenue Stamps

Bantustan Revenue Stamps (c.1988)

Each of the four independent Bantustans issued their own revenue stamps. Most are commonly found mint, but are scarce used.

• Bophuthatswana – around 1988, a set of twelve stamps ranging from 2c to R100 bearing the coat of arms and inscribed in Tswana (LOTSENO), Afrikaans (INKOMSTE) and English (REVENUE).
• Ciskei – around 1988, a set of ten stamps ranging from 3c to R100 bearing the coat of arms and inscribed in Xhosa (INGENISO) and English (REVENUE). Five values (5c to R10) were also issued overprinted "ISOHLWAYO/PENALTY" for use as penalty stamps.
• Transkei – around 1988, a set of fourteen stamps ranging from 2c to R50 bearing the coat of arms superimposed on the national flag, inscribed in Xhosa (INGENISO) and English (REVENUE). Seven values (5c to R10) were overprinted "ISOHLWAYO/PENALTY" in red.
• Venda – around 1988, a set of seven stamps ranging from 5c to R50 bearing the coat of arms, inscribed in Venda (MBULLO) and English (REVENUE). Six values (5c to R10) were overprinted "NDATISO/PENALTY" in red.

Foreign Overprints of South African Revenues

South African revenues were overprinted for use in a number of other parts of southern Africa:

• Basutoland (1913-1948)
• Bechuanaland Protectorate (1914-1942)
• South West Africa (1920-1933 and 1945-1961)
• Swaziland (1913-1931)

Cheque Paper and Banking Documents

Old bank cheques, especially from banks that no longer exist (e.g., Stellenbosch District Bank, Volkskas, etc.), are collected both as historical documents and for their engraved designs. Signed cheques by famous people add significant value.

The legal framework for cheques in South Africa is governed by the Bills of Exchange Act 1964. Sections 83–86 deal with unindorsed or irregularly indorsed instruments.

Notable legal cases such as Indac Electronics (Pty) Ltd v Volkskas Bank Ltd 1992 (1) SA 783 (A) and Kwamashu Bakery Ltd v Standard Bank of South Africa Ltd 1995 (1) SA 377 (D) established the duty of care owed by collecting bankers to the true owner of a cheque.

Bonds and Share Certificates – Scripophily

Scripophily is the study and collection of stock and bond certificates. A specialized field of numismatics, scripophily gained recognition as a hobby around 1970. The word was coined by combining "scrip" (representing an ownership right) and the Greek "philos" (to love).

Collectors appreciate the historical significance, beauty, and ornate engraving of old certificates. The color, paper, signatures, dates, stamps, cancellations, borders, pictures, vignettes, industry, company name, transfer agent, printer, and holder name all add to the uniqueness of each document.

South African material: Government bonds, mining company shares from the gold and diamond rush, railway debentures, and colonial-era companies are particularly sought after. Many feature beautiful engravings of mines, trains, allegorical figures, and local scenes.

Note: These certificates are no longer valid financial instruments and have value today only as collectible historic documents. Today, most stocks and bonds are issued electronically, making paper certificates increasingly rare and collectible.

An example listing: an 1885 West Shore Railroad Company $1000 bond certificate was offered for R295 (approx. $16) on a South African collectibles site, illustrating the affordable entry point for this hobby.

Key Reference Works

• Barefoot, John. British Commonwealth Revenues (9th ed., 2012). York: J. Barefoot. ISBN 0906845726. The essential catalogue for revenue stamps of the British Commonwealth, including South Africa and its pre-Union states.
• Hern, Brian. The Standard Catalogue of South African Coins, Medals and Tokens (annual). Includes listings for fiscal items and tokens.
• South African Post Office archives. Historical records of postal orders and postal services.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Postal orders of South Africa
• Wikipedia – Revenue stamps of Transvaal
• Wikipedia – Revenue stamps of South Africa
• Wikipedia – South African Postal Union Convention
• Barefoot, John. British Commonwealth Revenues (9th ed., 2012)
• Acts Online – Bills of Exchange Act 1964
• Bob Shop – Scripophily product listing

Revision History