Memoir 11: The dies and plates for early stamp issues of Northern Rhodesia and highlights of the collections of the Livingstone Museum

Plot

Contents
Introduction 1
Acknowledgements 1
Waterlow's dies and plates 3
1925 postage and revenue stamps 3
Guide marks, etc. 7
1937 Coronation issue 9
1937 postage and revenue stamps 9
Postal stationery 10
Embossing dies 11
Handstamps 16
Stamps 16
The first British Central Africa (1891) stamps 16
An issue planned for 1910 and other stamps 24
Postal and social history, etc. 25
References 31
Table
Table Page
1 The dies for Northern Rhodesia's 1925 definitive issue 5
2 The dies for Northern Rhodesia's KG VI definitves 10
3 The settings of the overprint on the small-format stamps overprinted `B.C.A.' 21
Figures
Frontispiece The Victoria Falls Bridge under construction showing the safety net slung below the
central section; one of many photographs of the Falls in the Museum's collections
1 The author explaining the mysteries of intaglio printing to Peter Chitunga and Kingsley
Choongo (photograph by Anita McCullough) 2
2 Anita McCullough with Friday Mufuzi 2
3 Transfer rollers for the 'Ad and 2s 6d duties (x 80%) 4
4 The dies for the 6d and 3s duties (approximately x 80%) 6
5 The copper plate for the £30 duty reproduced in black-and-white; the series number 420' is engraved in a circle above the vertical dash in the top margin and the plate number, 35454, to the
right of the dash (photograph by Anita McCullough) 8
6 The defaced steel plate for the 1 'Ad duty of the Coronation issue (photograph by Anita McCullough) 9
7 The dies for the 1937 Coronation stamps 10
8 The die for the KGVI 3d definitive as presented to the Museum (photograph by Anita McCullough) 10
9 The die proof of the postal stationery 2d duty in the Harrison Collection (the margins have been trimmed to fit the page — copyright The British Library) 10
10 The dies for the KG V postal stationery envelopes 11
11 Embossing dies for 1 d cheque stamps 11
12 Northern Rhodesia postal stationery envelopes overprinted `SPECIMEN' (courtesy of Keith Harrop) 12
13 Embossing dies for 2s, 3s, 5s, lOs and £2 duties 13
14 Embossing dies for 1s, 2s 6d, 3s (2) 5s and lOs duties 13
15 `Flipped' views of the dies shown in the previous two figures 14
16 Embossing die for £10 duty inscribed 'NORTHERN RHODESIA', actual and 'flipped' views 15
17 A selection of the handstamps that were used on but tax receipts 15
18 Tax receipt issued in 1916 bearing a 5s revenue stamp embossed in green at top-right and an impression of a handstamp featuring an askari at top-left (x 75%; photograph by Anita
McCullough); and an impression of the stamp from a mining document 16
NORTHERN RHODESIA 1953-55
The Mkushi Postage Dues and The renamed Old Mkushi Post Office
Contents Page
Preface 2
The 1953 Mkushi Postage Dues
Northern Rhodesia - Accounting for Unpaid or Insufficient Postage 3
The Creation and use of the Mkushi Postage Dues 3
Dates of use for the Mkushi Postage Dues 4
August 1953 - Notes: Beck to PMG Livingstone, GPO to Beck 6
The Validity of the Mkushi dues and doubts cast over their status 7
E. Hoston Dubber & The Variations on the typewritten overprints 8
The Typewritten Overprints 9
The number of stamps overprinted on the typewriter. 12
The number of surviving Mkushi postage due covers 12
A genuine single used typewritten postage due 16
Mint or 'Cancelled to order' Mkushi dues do not exist 16
Faked mint example of typewritten dues & some final observations 17
Appendix 1 - A Chronological List of Events 18
Appendix 2 - The Beck - Poole Letters 20
Appendix 3 - H.R. Beck's Article in Stamp Collecting 23
Appendix 4 - The Surviving Mkushi Postage Due Covers. 24
Appendix 5 - Addresses on the surviving Mkushi Postage Due Covers 26
The Mkushi Borna and Post office is renamed Old Mkushi 29
The Usage of the oval 'District Commissioner-Mkushi' handstamp 30
The alleged postal use of the oval 'Office of the District Commissioner' 30
Observation on the 'Office of the District Commissioner' cover 31
June 1954 - An alternative postal cancellation at Old Mkushi 31
The homemade 'Old Mkushi' chops 34
Alleged postal use of the circular 'Old Mkushi' chop 34
Use of the two line 'Old Mkushi' chop 35
Old Mkushi renamed Mboroma 35
Appendix 6 - Old Mkushi, A Chronological list of dates 36
Appendix 7 - 26.3.54 Letter H.R.B. to Postmaster, Broken Hill 37
Appendix 8 - June 1954 Experimental strikes at Old Mkushi by H.R.B. 38
Appendix 9 - Registered covers from Old Mkushi 39