Matabeleland revenue used for postage (The Tati Concessions)

Matabeleland revenue used for postage


The Tati Concessions

Location of the Tati Concessions:
http://tinyurl.com/28yky

TATI was a district of British South Africa forming,
geographically, the S.W. corner of Matabeleland, but
attached administratively to the Bechuanaland Protectorate.

Area about 2500 sq. mi. The railway from Cape Town
to Bulawayo crosses the territory with a station
at Francistown, the principal settlement.
Francistown stands 3254 ft. above the sea and
is 126 mi. S.W. of Bulawayo by rail. The town
of Tati, on. the river of that name, iS 18 mi.
S.E. of the Shashi river railway station.

Tati owes its importance to the presence
of gold, first discovered by the German traveller,
Karl Mauch, in 1864. Mining began in 1868,
but it was not until 1895 that work on a large
scale was undertaken, and it has been
frequently interrupted since that date.

The chief mine is the Monarch, situated by
the railway. A concession to work the gold-mines,
and for other purposes, was obtained in 1887
by Mr S. H. Edwards from Lobengula,
the Matabele chief, and the mining rights are
vested in a company, thereafter formed,
called the Tati Concessions Company.

The stamps
http://www.rhodesia.co.za/ab422.jpg

The scan shows a Tati Company stationery envelope
with 'Tati Concessions, Ltd. / Tati Matabeleland'
printed on the flap.

It is bearing a 1/- Tati Concessions private
revenue stamp. B&H #1. (1895-97) used postally,
tied TATI / MATABELELAND single circle date stamp
with date partially visible.

Addressed to Johannesburg with part of the name
excised, it is extremely rare, being one of only
two known covers bearing this issue. The other
cover is with the address panel restored.

There were 6 stamps in this series with
denominations from 1/- to £5. (B&H #1-6)
http://www.rhodesia.co.za/cb1425.jpg
http://www.rhodesia.co.za/cb1426.jpg

A mint set of six blocks of four recently sold for £1000.

Used copy of 1/- B&H #1 with rare RED cancel.
http://www.rhodesia.co.za/ab559.jpg

PROOF of the 2/6 B&H #2 (De La Rue archives)
stamped "cancelled"
http://www.rhodesia.co.za/cb1423.jpg

Used copy of 5/- B&H #3
http://www.rhodesia.co.za/ab560.jpg

Used copy of 10/- B&H #4
http://www.rhodesia.co.za/ab421.jpg

Used copies of £1 (B&H #5) and 10/- (B&H #4)
http://www.rhodesia.co.za/ab561.jpg

Blair



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On Mon, 29 Dec 2003 09:09:45 -0500, TC wrote:

Matabeleland revenue used for postage

Not too uncommon back in those days, all over the world... Personally
have seen enough of them.

The Tati Concessions

Location of the Tati Concessions:
http://tinyurl.com/28yky

snip of good stuff

The Tati revenue stamps, to me, are some of the -coolest- revenue
stamps out there (next to my Austro-Hungary, of course).

[ Always partial to those African critters... ]

Tracy Barber