POSTAGE DUES: 1961 PROVISIONALS - BILINGUAL REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA handstamped on the Full Set 1c - 10c (SG D45 - D50). Lovely fresh VF/M strips of three. The great variation in positioning or order of the handstamps proves that two handstamps were issued, one in English and one in Afrikaans. VF, exceedingly rare even as individual stamps and quite remarkable on a full set multiple array thus. Little mentioned in literature, rarities of the field. Ex Trotter. Quik (1998) merely states, without dates, that the handstamps were "applied sometimes". Post Office circular No 2229 was issued 20 March 1961 recording that all Post Offices "would shortly receive two rubber stamps, one in English and one in Afrikaans for applying the English and Afrikaans country names to all Post Office material."
