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IMPORTANT MAFEKING ITEMS IN 7TH JULY SALE

Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Scout movement, features on a highly important mint 3d block

Spink are proud to present two significant pieces from the famous "Siege of Mafeking" in their forthcoming July sale of the "CAPE TOWN" collection. This famous siege took place during the Anglo-Boer war 1899-1902, when Mafeking (located in Bophuthatswana some 200 miles west of Johannesburg in South Africa) was besieged from 14th October 1899 until 17th May 1900. During this period, local currency and stamps were produced so that normal business could be transacted during the incarceration.

The famous adversaries were Colonel Baden-Powell and Kommandant Sarel Eloff. Baden-Powell had many organisational problems during the siege, including issues with defence, food supplies and contact with the outside world. He employed native runners to circumnavigate the surrounding Boer army. Siege notes and stamps were introduced at the end of March to meet the requirements of the Military and townsfolk since there was a great shortage of money. It was noted that games of cricket were arranged on Sundays to relieve the boredom!

On 17th May 1900 the Relief Column - under Plummer from the North and Mahon from the South - entered Mafeking, and the siege was lifted.

Two of the items included in the above sale constitute highly important additions to any collection of Mafeking and also of the Scout movement. The first item (lot 52) is an unused left corner block of 4 of the 1d stamp in blue, imperforate with the "Cracked Plate" variety on the lower right hand stamp. The variety resulted when the plate broke into two pieces and had to be re-joined. This great rarity which may be the only example, was previously in the collection of Sir Maxwell Joseph founder of the "Grand Metropolitan" group of Companies incorporating Hotels and drink related products. These stamps feature the image of Sergeant-Major Goodyear on his bicycle carrying the mail with the inscription of "Local Post".

The second item (lot 56) is the marginal mint block of 4 of the 3d pale blue on blue, large format, from the right of the sheet from plate 3. This famous item which Stanley Gibbons catalogues £7,000 each has graced the collections of C. Emerson Huston and again Sir Maxwell Joseph. It may be the only block left for collectors to obtain. The two pieces are valued at £20,000 - £25,000 and £30,000 - £35,000 respectively. Both items are illustrated in the book "The Place of Stones" by John Campbell.

Such items occur rarely on the Philatelic market and present an opportunity that might not be repeated in decades!