Southern Rhodesia (subsequently to become “Rhodesia” then Zimbabwe) had been a stamp issuing country since achieving self-government from the British South Africa Company in 1924. It is a mystery why in 1951 they decided to issue their first postage due stamps by overprinting British postage due stamps rather than adopting the common colonial key type. Nor was this a temporary expedient as they continued in use for about 10 years. The quantities issued (220,000 of the ½d to nearly 2 million of the 4d) were not so small as to imply that overprints were the cheaper option. The set is a mixture of the two contemporary colour series of the unoverprinted stamps, as when these stamps were overprinted not all of the changed colour postage dues had been released yet; this reinforces the supposition that there was only a single printing. These stamps were issued after the use of marginal control letters had ceased.
In terms of legibility this overprint is not an overwhelming success, and the unoverprinted versions also used in the country alongside these are sometimes difficult to distinguish from the overprinted version, especially on the 2d stamp.
| (SG №) | denomination | colour | date of issue | number issued |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | 1/2d | Emerald Green | 01/10/1951 | 222,720 |
| D2 | 1d | Violet Blue | 01/10/1951 | 671,040 |
| D3 | 2d | Agate | 01/10/1951 | 229,120 |
| D4 | 3d | Violet | 01/10/1951 | 922,880 |
| D5 | 4d | Blue | 01/10/1951 | 1,839,360 |
| D6 | 4d | Grey Green | 01/10/1951 | 109,680 |
| D7 | 1s | Deep Blue | 01/10/1951 | 672,240 |
| Varieties | ||
| None |
References specific to this and related chapters
GBOS GB Overprints Compendium edition 8, Dr John Gledhill (12/4/2020)
Particular thanks go to Stanley Gibbons Ltd, for permission to quote their catalogue numbers and numerous other contributors who are mentioned in the Appendix section.
All content is copyright, Dr John Gledhill and the GB Overprints Society, May 2025.