South Africa 1944-50 Official 'Set 23' (= 1949-50 issue) small format 2d blue and violet, SG type O6 overprint (reading upwards with 'OFFICIAL' at left and 16mm between lines of overprint), BLOCK OF 4, SGO35.
Exceptional quality multiple of this key King George VI rarity, unmounted mint with full original gum.
The error on this Government Official stamp is made more famous because of the early philatelic debate surrounding whether it was legitimately issued in error. It was ultimately, after much academic study, accepted as being legitimately issued in error and has now become something of philatelic fame.
A remarkable error, made more so by the fact it remained undiscovered for over thirty years. It is, today, considered the most aspirational South African government official philatelic rarity you could possibly own and the hardest space to fill for the South African Official stamps in the King George VI stamp album.
Accompanied with a British Philatelic Association (BPA) Certificate of Authenticity (1983).
The Stanley Gibbons catalogue value is £8,500+.
South Africa was a bilingual dominion of the British Empire, with both English and Afrikaans as official languages. This is reflected in all stamps from the period between 1926 and 1961, where inscriptions were printed in pairs, a hallmark of South African philately.
This specific “OFFICIAL / OFFISIEEL” overprint was applied to standard issue stamps to restrict them for use by government departments only. These stamps were never meant for public sale and were distributed internally.
The image shows the Union Buildings, completed in 1913 and designed by architect Sir Herbert Baker, which housed the offices of the Prime Minister and later the President of South Africa. The structure has symbolic importance, representing the unity of previously warring Boer and British factions after the Union of South Africa in 1910.
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