THE ZIMBABWEAN CONCISE POSTAGE STAMP CATALOGUE First published by: The Harare Stamp Company (Pvt) Ltd Abbey House 13 George Silundika Avenue (P.O. Box 2371), Harare, Zimbabwe The front cover depicts a stylised version of the Great Zimbabwe bird. At least eight birds carved in local soapstone were originally located at Great Zimbabwe, Masvingo. The finest of these, known as the Zimbabwe Bird, is the country s national emblem, being depicted on both the flag and coat-of-arms, and, since 1985, on all definitive stamps. Copyright H K Allanson, M J Amos and G N Brakspear All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright may be reproduced or transmitted in any manner or form; including graphic, electronic, mechanical, reprographic copying or stored in a retrieval system; without the prior written permission of the copyright owners. First published January 2001 Harare, Zimbabwe ISBN 0-7974-2232-3 Page i
PREFACE This catalogue covers the stamps issued from 1980 by Zimbabwe s postal authority, the Post and Telecommunications Corporation (PTC) and, from 2001, Zimbabwe Post (ZimPost), and stamps are listed and numbered in the order in which they were issued. All stamps listed are illustrated and all a, b, c numbers must be considered to be the same basic design as their main catalogue number. When referring to stamps from this catalogue the prefix ZC (Zimbabwe Concise) should be used before the number. The publication was originally produced in two parts. The main text is shown within this document, originally in loose leaf format to allow for amendment and additions. This section can be used as a check list and marked accordingly by collectors in boxes provided on the right side of each page. It was originally intended that the pricing section would be separately produced, however The Harare Stamp Company ceased trading in 2009 and so is no longer available. The catalogue in its present form would not have been possible without the following people: Mike Amos: for the technical information based on extensive research Geoff Brakspear: for typesetting, layout and printing using illustrations from his own collection to 2005; and Cecil Russell: Dave Trathen: for kindly providing the printing details on the Postage Due/To Pay labels for allowing use of his collection post 2005 for illustrations Ken Allanson, one of the editors, was murdered in Harare in 2003. Mike Amos has now retired, and no longer involved in this catalogue. Geoff Brakspear Somerset, United Kingdom July 2012 THE PRINTING PROCESS Apart from the three SAPOA issues all Zimbabwean stamps have been printed locally by Mardon Printers (Pvt) Ltd, and from 1988 by National Printing and Packaging (Pvt) Ltd (also known as NatPrint). All Zimbabwean stamps have been printed by a planographic printing process known as offset lithography. In the offset method the image of the design is not transferred directly from the printing plate to the paper, but indirectly through an intermediate roller from which it is then offset onto the paper. The stamps are printed in a maximum of four colours and when four colours are used it is usual for the three subtractive primary colours of cyan, yellow and magenta together with black to be used to reproduce by printing the range of colours of the original artwork. There evidence however that a fifth printing plate has been used. Where this has been found it has been a second black plate printing the country name and/or the stamp s face value. Where there is a likelihood of an additional plate this has been noted. With the printing of the first non-denominated stamp (ZC 533) two additional plates were used to print the country name and Zimbabwe bird. Each colour to be printed has two separate plates of images which lie side by side in the press and which are known as plates 1A and 1B. When a sheet of paper passes through the press it receives the impressions of the images on both plates. This means that the uncut printer's sheet of stamps contains two panes of stamps, 1A and IB. These printer's, or press sheets, are then perforated and consecutively numbered, each sheet being numbered twice as the 1A and 1B panes are given the same numbers. These sheets are then cut into individual post office sheets and the 1A sheets packaged separately from the 1B sheets. In multicoloured offset lithographic printing it is sometimes difficult for the printer to ensure that all stamps printed within each press run are of the same 'colour', as this process is prone to marked differences of shade, even within the same sheet on occasions. A shade is often a matter of opinion only and colours can change when subjected to ultraviolet radiation, e.g. sunlight, moisture or chemicals. Sheet marginal inscriptions on the post office sheets consist of the name of the printer (Imprint), which plates printed the sheet and the colour registers or "traffic lights" (both incorporated in the Cylinder Block) and the total face value of the sheet and the PTC sheet serial number (both incorporated in the Number Block). Page ii
Since June 1981 for definitives and from November 1983 for postage due stamps an identifying prefix has been printed on sheets whenever new or additional printings have been made. This prefix is printed before "PTC" and the sheet serial number, eg. Rl = second printing, R2 = third printing, R3 = fourth printing etc.. In 2001, with the change in administration from PTC to Zimpost, the prefix of PTC was dropped. Thereafter the name "Zimpost" was printed above the printed sheet number. This printing of the name takes place during the printing of the sheet, and not like the prefix PTC during the printing of the sheet number. In 2002, with the change in administration from PTC to Zimpost, the prefix PTC was dropped from the sheet number. Thereafter the name Zimpost was printed above each sheet number. This printing of the name and any R number is now incorporated on the printing plate, while the No. followed by the sheet number is applied in a separate operation. Note: Although Zimbabwean stamps are printed from plates the term "cylinder" is used in this catalogue, as being thought a more appropriate description of stamps printed on a rotary-type press (offset litho) as against those printed on a flat-bed type, where "plate" would be the correct term. MEASUREMENTS COMPLEMENTARY NOTES TO THE MAIN TEXT Where stamp sizes or perforation gauges are given the horizontal measurement is quoted first followed by the vertical. SHEET FORMAT AND STAMP POSITIONS Where the sheet format (layout) is described the number of horizontal rows is given first followed by the number of vertical columns. The position of a stamp in a sheet is described first by identifying its horizontal row followed by its position within a vertical column. For instance, when the position of a variety is quoted, Row 6/3 means the third stamp from the left in the sixth row down. QUANTITIES PRINTED These are given where known. A figure in parenthesis following a known number printed indicates the numbers of separate printings, each of which can be identified by reference to the sheet number blocks. Where quantities printed are not as yet known only the number of separate printings is given. Not all printings were available from the Philatelic Bureau and consequently in some instances printing quantities do not accurately reflect the scarcity of a particular stamp. PAPERS AND GUMS The papers used for printing Zimbabwean stamps from 1980 to 2000 consist of an unwatermarked base paper which has been converted by being coated on one side and gummed on the other. The base paper itself may or may not contain optically fluorescent agents. If it does, then the gummed side will always fluoresce under long wave ultraviolet radiation. Regardless of whether or not the base paper contains fluorescent agents, if the paper coating itself contains them then that coating will naturally fluoresce in UV. Fluorescence in this context means mat the optical property of the paper changes from 'whitish' to a 'bright-to-brilliant whiteness' - various degrees of bluish-white. Phosphor-coated paper will likewise fluoresce on the coated side under UV but such fluorescence may not necessarily be 'white'. The phosphor in the coating will exhibit phosphorescence or an afterglow of some duration when viewed in darkness after the UV source has been extinguished. All papers are deemed to be white in colour and all PVA gum (polyvinyl alcohol) is shiny or somewhat reflective in appearance. The following types of paper have been used: A. 1980-1981. The early paper, being stocks remaining from the Rhodesian administration, was officially described as "white coated gummed". Fluorescent front and back. PVA cream gum. B. 1981-1987. The early paper was superceded by "Harrisons HS6 coated bluegummed postage stamp paper". HS6 is a fluorescent base paper converted by Harrison & Sons Ltd, England with a fluorescent clay coating especially for lithographic printing. Fluorescent front and back. PVA gum often with a bluish/greenish tinge. C. 1981-1985. Some stamp issues were printed on a paper known as "Postmaster", manufactured and converted by Smith & McLaurin Ltd, Scotland. The coating is not as fluorescent as the previous papers and the gum is described as 'particle gummed'. It is a very different adhesive from PVA as it has a matt, Page iii
non-reflective appearance. It is what is known as 'dry gum'. D. 1987-1996. Harrisons HS6 was replaced by their HS8 which is another type of lithographic paper. Fluorescent front and back. PVA cream gum. Also used briefly in 2000. E. August 1996 - January 1997. An altogether different paper. It is slightly thicker than HS8 and the gummed side is noticeably non-fluorescent and very dark (mud coloured) under UV. Front fluorescent. PVA creamish gum. Was also used briefly in 2000. F. 1996-2000.Although still officially described as HS8, the paper properties changed in 1996. This is fluorescent front but non-fluorescent back and the gum is whitish PVA. The main change is that as the base paper does not contain optical brighteners the gummed side is non-fluorescent, but nowhere near as dark as paper E under UV. G. July 2000. Phosphor-coated paper. The phosphor is possibly copperactivated zinc sulphide which exhibits a short yellow-green afterglow and a long white afterglow following excitation by UV. The long white afterglow may also be seen when the phosphor has been activated by ordinary incandescent or fluorescent light. The paper coating itself fluoresces yellowish-cream under UV; back non-fluorescent. H. 2001. The HS8 properties again changed in 2001. The paper is off- white and nonfluorescent front and back. PVA creamish gum. The shade intensity of the gummed side may vary occasionally under UV. J. 2003. Paper described as Chancellor Litho PVA. This paper produced by Tullis Russell Coaters of Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland. Under UV there is no fluorescence either front or back, and the stamp appears to be very dark. PRINT COLOURS The colours used in the printing process as shown in the sheet colour registers or "traffic lights" are listed down from top to bottom. PERFORATIONS All stamps are comb perforated, unless otherwise stated. During the perforating process variations can occur when, for example, sheets slides too far or not far enough under the comb, which results in the widths or heights of some stamps differing from normal due to wider or closer (double) perforation holes on part of the sheet. These varieties are not common and caution should be exercised when attempting to measure perforation gauges on stamps from such sheets, which can vary slightly. The perforating of the miniature sheets the printer uses the comb perforators of the sheet stamps in a different way by the removal of individual pins, With the first two miniatures sheets (1980 Rotary MS1 and POSB MS2 issues) two of the margins have been perforated through with the pins between sheetlets removed. Miniature sheets printed by NatPrint since 2001are without perforations though the sheetlets margins. These miniature sheets have been taken through the perforator in two operations, firstly with the use of the head pins of the comb and then subsequently with the teeth pins. The pin at the junction of the head and teeth of the comb is usually kept with the teeth, resulting in a gap between pin holes in the head perforations. As the sheetlet is perforated in two separate operations the registration variations give the appearance of a fault in the perforations. This is normal. To date one miniature sheet shows that one of the junction pins was not removed from the head, thus giving an appearance of a double perforation hole (2009 Contemporary Paintings MS23). All SAPOA miniature sheets have used a Harrow perforator set up and designed specifically for the individual issues POSITIONS OF MARGINAL INSCRIPTIONS ON SHEETS (With examples) Printer's Imprint (Imprint Block) 2 1 Printer s Name A B C D Type 1 Bottom Centre 1/1 Centred under 1 stamp 1 /2 Centred under 2 stamps 1 /3 Centred under 3 stamps 1 /4 Centred under 4 stamps Top Centre 2/1 Centred above 1 stamp and so on Mardon Printers (Private) Limited, Salisbury, Zimbabwe Mardon Printers (Private) Limited, Harare, Zimbabwe National Printing & Packaging, Harare, Zimbabwe NatPrint, Harare, Zimbabwe Page iv
Sheet Number and Value of Sheet (Number block) Type 1/4 A 2 3 4 1 Type 1/3 B Type 1 Type 3 Type 4 Bottom right corner Top left corner Top right corner Bottom left corner Type a Printed Zimpost Type 1/4 C Type 1/2 D Cylinder Numbers and Print Colour Registers (Cylinder Blocks) 4 1 Type 1 Type 3 Type 4 2 Type 1a (from 3rd printing) 3 Type 1 Bottom left corner Top right corner Bottom right corner Top left corner Page v
EXAMPLES OF PERFORATION VARIETIES Imperforate pair Imperforate top margin Imperforate side margin Additional horizontal line of perforations through stamp (caused by an additional strike of the perforator) Page vi