Orange Free State

The Orange Free State (Afrikaans: Oranje Vrystaat) was an independent country in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a province in South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State Province. Extending between the Orange and Vaal rivers, it was established as a free state by Boer settlers, after their departure from the British-dominated Cape Province (the Voortrek), and was annexed by the United Kingdom in 1848. The British recognised the independence of the Orange Free State on 17th February, 1854 and the county officially became independent on 23rd February, 1854, with the signing of the Contract of Bloemfontein. The Transvaal Republic, a sister Boer state, was granted independence around the same time.

Postage stamps

The republic began to issue postage stamps in 1868, and continued until 1897. The sole design used was an orange tree, with the inscription "Oranje Vrij Staat" in the margin. The stamps were typographed by De La Rue and Company, and came in denominations from one penny to five shillings, in various colors. Periodic shortages forced the use of overprints, in 1877, 1881, 1882, 1888, 1890, 1892, 1896, and 1897. The stamps of the republic are generally common today, but some of the overprints are scarce and are in the US$200 range. Many kinds of overprint errors are known (inverted, double, etc), and some of them command high prices.

Related Topics:
Postage stamp - 1868 - 1897 - Typographed - De La Rue and Company - Penny - Shilling - Overprint - 1877 - 1881 - 1882 - 1888 - 1890 - 1892 - 1896 - US$

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~