South Africa

under construction
South Africa is the southernmost ocuntry in Africa. Funny how that works out. It was originally the Union of South Africa, formed in May 1910 from the British colonies of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange River Colony and Transvaal. Stamps of the individual former colonies were used until the first South African definitives were released in September 1913, though Transvaal postage dues were used until replaced by South African dues in 1914-15.

(more to follow)  File:South Africa KGV coil.jpg|1920 1½d coil File:S africa springbok pair.jpg 
 * In 1910, a 2½ pence design featuring King George V was issued inscribed UNION OF SOUTH ARICA / UNIE VAN ZUID AFRIKA.
 * In 1913-24, George V profile definitives were issued, inscribed as before. Four vertical coil values were also issued.
 * In 1925, a set of airmails was issued featuring a biplane. These were inscribed "SOUTH AFRICA / ZUID AFRIKA" with additional "AIRPOST" and "LUGPOST" inscriptions.
 * From this point, se-tenant bilingual designs would be the norm, with one value inscribed in English and the other in Afrikaans.
 * In 1926, new definitive values were issued in bilingual pairs. These were bicolor designs thus: ½d Springbok antelope, 1d sailing ship Dromedoris and 6d orange tree. All had Multiple Sprihbok head watermark. These designs would be used several times later in various modified forms. Explanation will be added here as time goes by.
 * In 1926, 4d gray-blue designs like the Cape Triangles were issued, with "South Africa" or Zuid Afrika" inscribed but not produced se-ten.
 * In 1927-30, mostly bicolor engraved pictorial definitives were issued again in bilingual pairs. These designs would also appear several times later in slightly modified forms.
 * In 1930-44, previous definitive designs were redrawn and issued.

 File:South Africa welder large.jpg|1943-44 6d war effort pair, normal size 

 File:South Africa sheep.jpg 