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1991
- 1995 More & more stamps!
This period starts with a set of four issued on 30 May 1991
and combines two events, the 30th Anniversary of the Republic
plus Scientific and Technological Achievements.
The designs reflect the latter and the 30th
Anniversary is somehow lost; it seems a pity as no further
issue celebrates subsequent anniversaries.
Same Value Se-tenant
Stamps out of Control
In July 1992 a 35c ten stamp sheetlet was used depicting Cape
Furniture. Next the Post Office dropped a bomb shell
with their 1993 Aviation sheetlet, a 25 x 45c stamp
unit and more in number than the definitive sets.
It did not stop there as they also appeared in booklets with
ten stamps; three different variations of the cover increased
the count to 30. There are ten numbered settings, thus the
specialist had to buy thirty booklets containing 300 stamps.
Wall-paper Stamps
- During the 1950’s and 60’s, as a schoolboy collector,
it was a rare treat to obtain a SA new issue. At that time
several Foreign countries produced floods of large colourful
commemoratives which abounded in junior ‘Stamp Packets’.
We dubbed them as being Wall-paper stamps and I never
imagined that the same title could one day be applied to commemoratives
issued in South Africa.
As
if big was not large enough, Philatelic services went
over the top with the 1994 Child Art, five awful
looking stamps measuring
50 x 33.5 mm and the first set of RSA Wall-paper
stamps!
In my opinion the above set is the most unattractive RSA
set issued. |
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Sizes of Designs
The same format as the Child Art was used for the
1994 Stamp Day and 1995 Aviation.
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1995
Rugby |
Another large rectangular stamp used for two
values of the 1990
Co-operation set was again
adopted for the 1995 Tourism series and the top value
of the 1995 Rugby.
Protest from the Public
- The Philatelic Federation met with the Post Office on 27
July 1995 and it is noted - Stamp sizes will be standardised
on three formats. The large size of recent years is unpopular
(SAP October 1995 page 153). |
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Further
Exploitation
The 1992 introduction of a sheetlet of ten became more frequent
by 1996. Also another habit was to issue more than one set
on the same day.
Miniature Sheets A Change of
Policy
The last MS that replicated a complete set of stamps is the
1994 Tugboats (MS No 23). The 1995 Rugby
and Gandhi issue only include one stamp from each
set.
In between these two is another single perforated stamp contained
in a MS being the 1995 Singapore Exhibition and it
was not available as a single.
1995 Singapore Exhibition
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This,
‘one stamp’ MS trend, became a regular policy
during the 4th decade with a few exceptions. On 19.10.95
an imperforate MS included an enlarged image of a
Native Mail Runner issued as a single stamp on 9.10.95.
This MS trend was prolific during 1995 to 2000, twenty
nine were issued and only one issue included two stamps
being the 1998 ILSAPEX MS.
During the next ten years 58 MS were issued. |
Mail Runner |
A Change at
Philatelic Services
Franco Frescura was appointed as Head of Philatelic services
on 1 October 1994 and his predecessor, Herman Steyn, retired
in April 1995.
Frescura shot himself in the foot when a letter from him was
published in the April 1996 edition of The South African
Philatelist.
Frescura intended to take SA Philately by
storm and made an unfortunate comment...I think it is
about time that the blind old men of South African Philately
who seem to be hell-bent on taking the hobby to the grave
with them should have the good grace to realise their time
has gone...
Letters of protest and indignation followed
and appeared in every subsequent SAP during 1996. His appointment
as head of Philatelic services lasted until 31 March 1999
and he was a consultant to the post office from 2000 to 2004.
The Straw that
broke the Camel’s back
Whilst Frescura informed all those who cared to listen what
a wonderful job he was doing for SA philately, the reality
is that many collectors drew a line under their RSA collections
and dealers stopped buying RSA new issues.
Many designs are only obtainable as miniature
sheets or in booklets.
Whilst the Philatelic Marketing Machine purports to sell stamps
for postage, their stream of colourful confetti is not intended
for such a purpose.
Try placing one of the giant MS or sheetlets on an envelope.
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