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Hope triangular stamps
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Cape of Good Hope triangular stamp Info |

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Cape of Good Hope History
The first European to reach the cape was the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in 1488, who named it the "Cape of Storms" (Cabo das Tormentas). It was later renamed by John II of Portugal as "Cape of Good Hope" (Cabo da Boa Esperança) because of the great optimism engendered by the opening of a sea route to India and the East.
The land around the cape was home to the Khoikhoi people when the Dutch first settled there in 1652. The Khoikhoi had arrived in these parts about fifteen hundred years before. They were called Hottentots by the Dutch, a term that has now come to be regarded as pejorative. Dutch colonial administrator Jan van Riebeeck established a resupply camp for the Dutch East India Company some 50 km north of the cape in Table Bay on 6 April 1652 and this eventually developed into Cape Town. Supplies of fresh food were vital on the long journey around Africa and Cape Town became known as "The Tavern of the Seas".
On 31 December 1687 a community of Huguenots arrived at the Cape from the Netherlands. They had escaped to the Netherlands from France in order to flee religious persecution there, examples of these are Pierre Joubert who came from La Motte-d'Aigues for religious reasons. The Dutch East India Company needed skilled farmers at the Cape of Good Hope and the Dutch Government saw opportunities for the Huguenots at the Cape and sent them over. The colony gradually grew over the next 150 years or so until it stretched for hundreds of kilometres to the north and north-east.
The United Kingdom invaded and occupied the Cape Colony in 1795 The First Occupation but relinquished control of the territory in 1803. However, British forces returned on 19 January 1806 and occupied the Cape once again The Second Occupation The territory was ceded to the UK in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 and was henceforth administered as the Cape Colony. It remained a British colony until incorporated into the independent Union of South Africa in 1910. The Portuguese government erected two navigational beacons, Dias Cross and Da Gama Cross, to commemorate Vasco da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias as explorers who as mentioned were the first explorers to reach the cape. When lined up, the crosses point to Whittle Rock, a large, permanently submerged shipping hazard in False Bay.
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Cape of Good Hope the first triangular stamps
Stamps were first issued by the colony on 1 September 1853. The two stamps that were issued were a one penny in brick-red and a four pence in blue. They were printed by Messrs Perkins, Bacon & Co in London. The original die for these stamps was cut by William Humphrys an engraver employed by Perkins Bacon. Sheets of a special hand-made paper, measuring 282 mm by 536 mm, were used to print 240 stamps per sheet. The stamps were issued imperforate. The rate of postage within the colony was 4d for a half ounce letter and 1d for a newspaper.
On 18 February 1858 two new values became available a six pence and a one shilling. The six pence rate was for payment of half ounce letters to Great Britain and the one shilling rate was for some foreign countries. On 15 September 1860 the rate for local letters in Cape Town was reduced to 1d and a similar reduction was made in Port Elizabeth on 1 May 1861.
On 1 April 1963 the rate to Great Britain was increased to one shilling if sent by mail packet and reduced to four pence if sent by private vessels.
Cape of Good Hope the Wood-Blocks
In 1861, due to a shortage of one penny and four pence stamps, a local printer, Messrs Saul Solomon & Co, was instructed to provide a supply of one penny and four pence stamps and these were issued in February 1861. It later transpired that a consignment of stamps from London had arrived on 5 May 1860, that bills of lading went astray and it was a year later that the cases with the stamps were claimed.
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1) There is a bunch of 6 “Grapes” between the lower corner and the “C” of CAPE.
2) Look for the “Rainbow Hill” of the lines between the lower right corner and the last letter value.
3) Find the ”Boomerangs” in the background engraving, above Hopes right arm, behind Hope and above the anchor. Look for 3 points that form the boomerang.
4) There is a bunch of 7 “Grapes” between the lower right corner and the “E” of HOPE.
5) Look for the “Square Fishing Net with Cross” of lines between the lower corner and the “P” of POSTAGE
6) The 3 corner “Florette’s” al have bulls eyes in them. |
How to identify Secret Engraving Marks

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Cape of Good Hope Stamps
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How to see the Watermark
It’s not always easy to spot the watermark, especially if there is still some paper or hinge attached. There are special machines to see the mark, but usually angle the stamp against a matt black background until the light shines at the right angle and you can see it.
Another way is to soak the stamp (don’t soak the mint one), in clean water and watching carefully you can often see the watermark appears as the stamp soaks itself.
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Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamp Variations |
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Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamp 1d. 1853 printed by Perkins and Bacon
Paper deeply blued
Stanley Gibbons catalog price and No.:
1 Pale Brick red Unused £3750 Used £300
1a Deep Brick red Unused £5000 Used £325
1b Watermark Sideways Used £400
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Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamp 4d. 1853 printed by Perkins and Bacon
Paper deeply blued
Stanley Gibbons catalog price and No.:
2 Deep Blue Unused £2250 Used £160
2a Watermark Sideways Unused £3000 Used £250
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Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamp 1d. 1853 printed by Perkins and Bacon
Paper less blued
Stanley Gibbons catalog price and No.:
3 Brick red Unused £3000 Used £200
3a Brown red Unused £3250 Used £225
3b Watermark Sideways Used £325
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Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamp 4d. 1853 printed by Perkins and Bacon
Paper less blued
Stanley Gibbons catalog price and No.:
4 Deep Blue Unused £1300 Used £110
4a Blue Unused £1400 Used £150
4b Watermark Sideways Used £275
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Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamp 1d. 1855-63 printed by Perkins and Bacon
Paper creem
Stanley Gibbons catalog price and No.:
5 Brick red 1857 Unused £5000 Used £900
5a Rose 1858 Unused £450 Used £200
5a Rose (H/S “CANCELED” in oval) Used £17000
5ab Watermark Sideways Used £425
5b Rose red Unused £650 Used £250
5ba Watermark Sideways Used £425
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Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamp 4d. 1855-63 printed by Perkins and Bacon
Paper white
Stanley Gibbons catalog price and No.:
6 Deep Blue Unused £650 Used £50
6a Blue Unused £475 Used £50
6a Blue (H/S “CANCELED” in oval) Used £17000
6b Bisected (on cover) Used £35000
6c Watermark Sideways Used £170
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Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamp 6d. 1855-63 printed by Perkins and Bacon then De La Rue
Stanley Gibbons catalog price and No.:
Paper white
7 Pale Rose Lilac Unused £800 Used £200
7 (H/S “CANCELED” in oval) Used £13000
7a Watermark Sideways Used £900
7b Deep rose lilac Unused £1700 Used £300
Paper Blued
7c Slate Lilac (1862) Unused £4250 Used £450
7d Slate purple (1863) Unused £3500 Used £1000
7e Bisected (on cover) Used £-----
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Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamp 1shilling 1855-63
printed by Perkins and Bacon then De La Rue
Paper white
Stanley Gibbons catalog price and No.:
8 Bright yellow green Unused £2750 Used £180
8 (H/S “CANCELED” in oval) Used £17000
8a Watermark Sideways Used £9006
8b Deep dark green (1859) Unused £275 Used £500
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Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamps1861 Unofficially rouleted
Stanley Gibbons catalog price and No.:
9 1d Brick red Used £3000
10 4d Blue Used £2250
11 6d Rose lilac Used £1500
12 1s Bright yeallow green Used £3250
12a 1s Deep dark green Used £3500
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Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamp 1d. 1861 Wood Block local provisional
Paper Laid not watermarked
Stanley Gibbons catalog price and No.:
13 Vermilion (27 February) Unused £14000 Used £2250
13a Carmine (7 March) Unused £24000 Used £3000
13b Brick red (10 April) Unused £35000 Used £4250
13c Error. Pale milky blue Unused £150000 Used £28000
13ca Error. Pale bright blue Used £30000
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Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamp 4d. 1861 Wood Block local provisional
Paper Laid not watermarked
Stanley Gibbons catalog price and No.:
14 Pale milky blue (23 February) Unused £20000 Used £1700
14a Pale grey blue (March ?) Unused £21000 Used £1700
14aa Retouch or repair to right hand corner Used £6500
14b Pale bright blue (March ?) Unused £21000 Used £2000
14ba Retouch or repair to right hand corner Used £6500
14c Deep bright blue (12 April) Unused £95000 Used £4500
14d Blue Unused £25000 Used £3000
14e Error. Vermilion Unused £150000 Used £40000
14ea Error. Carmine Used £95000
14f Sideways Tete-Beche pair Used £120000
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Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamp 1d 1863-64
printed by De La Rue from the Perkins and Bacon plates
Paper white
Stanley Gibbons catalog price and No.:
18 Deep carmine red 1864 Unused £170 Used £225
18a Watermark Sideways Unused £300 Used £300
18b Deep brown red Unused £375 Used £250
18ba Watermark Sideways Unused £500 Used £300
18c Brownish red Unused £375 Used £225
18ca Watermark Sideways Unused £500 Used £275
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Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamp 4d 1863-64
printed by De La Rue from the Perkins and Bacon plates
Paper white
Stanley Gibbons catalog price and No.:
19 Deep blue 1864 Unused £170 Used £55
19a Blue Unused £180 Used £65
19b Slate blue Unused £2000 Used £500
19c Steel blue Unused £2000 Used £250
19d Watermark Sideways Unused £500 Used £180
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Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamp 6d 1863-64
printed by De La Rue from the Perkins and Bacon plates
Paper white
Stanley Gibbons catalog price and No.:
20 Bright mauve 1864 Unused £225 Used £450
20a Watermark Sideways Used £1200
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Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamp 1s 1863-64
printed by De La Rue from the Perkins and Bacon plates
Paper white
Stanley Gibbons catalog price and No.:
21 Bright emerald green Unused £400 Used £450
21a Pale emerald green Unused £1000
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Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamp 1d 1863-64
printed by De La Rue from the Perkins and Bacon plates
Paper white
Stanley Gibbons catalog price and No.:
22 Deep carmine red Unused £22000
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