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Auction: 14018 - The Anglo-Boer War, 1899-1902, featuring Occupation and Siege Issues, The Harry Birkhead Collection
Lot: 233

(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
Produced Photographically by Dr. D Taylor on Unwatermarked Horizontally Laid Paper
3d. Baden Powell, 21mm. Wide
The Broken or Cracked Plate
This variety was the result of the printer having dropped the glass negative, resulting in it breaking in to two parts. Dr. Taylor was able to fit the two pieces of glass together and carry on with the printing. It is estimated that he printed between 32 and 50 sheets after repairing the plate. Five stamps (positions 6-10) in each sheet show a whitish line where the plate was broken and pieced together. No more than 250 examples of this variety can exist
Position 8: Pale blue showing "wide" crack and with complete "f" of "oceana fine" papermaker's watermark, part 2 May c.d.s. at foot. Very rare with only ten examples possible. Brandon Certificate (1980).Photo

provenance:
"Mafeking", Guido Craveri, February 1994

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Sold for
£2,700