🇿🇦 On 18 July 2018, the actual date of the Centenary of his birth, the late Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, was commemorated by a joint stamp issue released by the South African Post Office and the postal service of Germany. The South African issue takes the form of a miniature sheet containing a single stamp while the German issue is a completely different design and is a single stamp - this is rather unusual since joint issues of two countries often share the same format even if the designs are different. The South African sheet was designed by Rachel-Mari Ackermann. Rating:- ****.
It has also been announced that the South African Post Office was to release a joint issue with the other member states of the Pan-African Postal Union (PAPU) (see Blog 1250). I have not yet seen the South African contribution to this omnibus but the issues of 4 countries - only 1 of which is a Commonwealth territory - have now become known to collectors. Although I do not usually write about the stamps of non-Commonwealth countries it is fair to say that Mandela is an important figure in the history of The Commonwealth and this PAPU omnibus is potentially a very large and momentous series and so I illustrate below the first available items from the omnibus issue which are from, The Gambia, Algeria, Liberia and Tunisia:-
South Africa has released the design for their contribution to the PAN African Postal Union omnibus - a miniature sheet inscribed 'Standard Postage'. It will apparently be issued on 12 October 2018. However, it seems the philatelic service at the South African Post Office is on strike as well, as this date may or may not be achieved.
ReplyDeleteI can email you the bulletin notice if you want.
Thank you Chris, for the information. The issue was intended to be released on 18 July according to the programme that SAPO published but I suppose the industrial action, as you say, has played a role in delaying stamp issues.
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