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Auction: 14018 - The Anglo-Boer War, 1899-1902, featuring Occupation and Siege Issues, The Harry Birkhead Collection
Lot: 203

(x) Mafeking
The town was surrounded by the Transvaal Army on 12 October 1899. The siege last seven months and the town was relieved on 17 May 1900 after 217 days
The Stamp Issues
Covers
There were two mail services, a local service and external communications. These were run under the supervision of the Military Authorities
External Mail Services
There was a Southern Route via Kimberley at a rate of 6d. and a Northern Route via Bulawayo at a rate of 1/-
Northern Route via Bulawayo
1900 (25 Mar.) envelope (opened-out for display) ex the Vyvyan correspondence to England, bearing seriffed overprint Cape 3d. on 1d. block of three (another cut away with right-hand stamp defective at top) Types 5-6 neatly cancelled by two c.d.s. with another alongside, the reverse with Bulawayo (4.4), Helston (13.5) and Mawgan (14.5) datestamps; despite one stamp being excised, a noteworthy cover sent by the Northern Route on the first day of stamp issue. S.G. 3. Photo

Note: The Northern Route took 13 days to Bulawayo. This rail route, although crossing three international borders to the port of Beira, was safer from Boer sabotage once past Gaberones in Bechuanaland, than the southern railway route through the Cape Colony

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Sold for
£160