The Home for Our Hobby

Union of SA WW2 War Effort Bantam stamps
Letter from Richard Owen, London, to Sir Henry Barkly, Cape Town, 1876.

Paleophilately: Letter from Richard Owen, London, to Sir Henry Barkly, Cape Town, 1876

Given the dearth of contributions from SACS members, this excellent article from Michael Kogan breathes welcome, if prehistoric, fresh air into our website. Its blend of science, history and philately provides a new direction for stamp collecting and postal history. Read more.

Darmstadt Trials Union of South Africa missing frame and missing vignette.

Anglo-Boer War Society Meeting

The last Anglo-Boer War Philatelic Society meeting in London was an unexpected treat, an enoyable and convivial time that began with an excellent lunch followed by a discussion in which remarkable postal history was passed around for members to examine. Viewing postal history seldom gets more intimate than this. Read more.

Simon Peetoom at the Argyll-Etkin stand, Stampex 2025.

Stampex London 2024: Well worth a visit!

Stampex, the UK’s premier philatelic exhibition in past years, has suffered criticism ever since Covid saw visitor numbers decline. It has now downsized and changed. Steve Hannath met up with Simon Peetoom, right, at Stampex and came away full of enthusiasm for an event that has rediscoverd its mojo as an unpretentious stamp fair. Read more.

SACS Meeting: Letchworth 28/09/2024

This was an upbeat meeting. Keith Perrow (Postage Dues) and new member Danna Strydom (1885 ZAR Vurtheim issue) provided an excellent start. Ian Shapiro’s Open Class display on the 1947 Royal Visit was based largely on a trove of “wonderful things” found in South Africa. Ian is seen here holding his favourite item, a letter written by Princess Elizabeth (later QE2) to her headmaster while on the White Train in SA. Read more.

Gawie Hugo, President of the PFSA, at Stanley Gibbons

PFSA President Gawie Hugo goes stamping in London

Steve Hannath took the opportunity to join Gawie and his daughter Ilse in London to enjoy some Saturday stamping while polishing up his Afrikaans and strengthening relationships between South Africa’s PFSA and the UK’s South African Collectors’ Society. Read more.

Zoom Meeting 14/09/2024 – A report on what you missed!

Tony Johnson, Editor of The Springbok and SACS Zoom Master, co-ordinated this well-attended meeting across three continents. Any distance between Hugh Amoore RDPSA in South Africa, Keith Klugman RDPSA in the USA, and Rob Lester in the UK evaporated as we joined together in Zoom time and space to celebrate SACS as the ‘Home for our Hobby’. Read more.

South African Collectors' Society Zoom Meeting
Paul Van Zeyl business card.

In Memoriam:
Paul van Zeyl RDPSA 1950 – 2024

It is with great sadness that we announce the loss of Paul van Zeyl RDPSA, a cherished member of SACS since 1979. Read more.

Our first SACS meeting in the new Kenilworth venue

Our most recent Society two-day meeting was held at the Holiday Inn, Kenilworth, on the 30th June – 1st July 2024. It was an enjoyable philatelic occassion attended by some 20 members. Most displayed material and or entered nine pages into the Abell Trophy One Frame Competition. A full report on the weekend’s proceedings with links to displays is available here.

Tony Howgrave-Graham at the South African Collectors' Society meeting in Kenilworth 2024.
The Union-Castle Line Royal Mail Steamer Kenilworth Castle.

The Union-Castle Line’s Kenilworth Castle

As befitted the new venue, Tony Howgrave-Graham, above, provided a short display on the Union-Castle mailboat, the Kenilworth Castle, (1904 – 1936). After she collided with a destroyer during WW1 some passengers and seamen took to a lifeboat that overturned in rough seas. A harrowing letter from a stoic nurse describes her terrifying ordeal in the water at night. Read more.

Mystery - why did the International Industrial Exhibition of 1896 in Johannesburg not take place?

Ka Boom! An Exhibition Mystery Solved!

Endorsed by ZAR State President Paul Kruger, the ‘International Industrial Exhibition’ of 1896 was planned to take place in Johannesburg. Its doors never opened. The reason for its cancellation has long mystified Rob Lester, Chairman of SACS. He now has a plausible explanation for why this event never took place. Read more.

How to Quickly Detect Fake Cape Triangles

Fake Cape Triangles were largely produced as ‘space-fillers’ for old-time collectors who could not afford the real thing. Oneglia’s 1/- green ‘triangle’ shown here is one of the better examples of the forger’s craft. Fortunately, there is a quick and easy way to identify it as an obvious fake. Read more.

South African stamp Study booklets

Affordable South African Philatelic Study Booklets

South African stamp collectors can choose from range of 42 Study Booklets, many of which are based on award-winning philatelic displays and collections compiled over many years by leading experts in their field. They are a source of expert advice and reference published by Rob and Lyn Lester on behalf of SACS. Read more.

Journal > Archive: A Great Leap Forward

Old copies of The Springbok contain a wealth of knowledge. To make this accessible we have converted scans of the earliest issues (1953 – 1961) into to a search-friendly format that allows you to find information by using search terms like ‘Bantams’ or ‘interprovincials’, etc. The philatelic wisdom of yore is now yours. Read more.

Search
Got a Question?

Ask it here!

Join our Society

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2025 Meetings

Letchworth
Saturday 12th April,
Saturday 30th August.
Read about our last get-together.

Kenilworth
Sunday & Monday, 1st & 2nd June.
Why, When and Where?
Welcome to Kenilworth!

New Open Meeting
Saturday & Sunday, 1st & 2nd November.
Read more!

What’s New

New SA stamp
President Cyril Ramaphosa is celebrated on a new issue. Click here to find out more.

2024 President Ramaphosa SAPO Issue stamp B4

Study Booklet
A new expert Study Booklet, “The South West Africa Campaign 1914-1915 – Prisoners of War” by Tony Howgrave Graham is now available. Click here to find out more.

SACS Stidy Booklet The South West Africa Canmpaign 1914 - 1915 Prisoners of War.

Auction 60
Auction 60 now closed. View prices realised.

The Springbok October 2024
Latest issue of the Society journal.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Springbok-Current-Issue-Oct-2024-728x1024.jpg

New Displays
Concentration Camps of the SAW
Zululand Stamps & Postal History.
View displays.

A New Fun Competition
Find out more

The Otto Peetoom Philatelic Legacy Website
Find out more

Search
Got a Question?

Ask it here!

Join our Society

Click here to join.

2025 Meetings

Letchworth
Saturday 12th April,
Saturday 30th August.
Read about our last get-together.

Kenilworth
Sunday & Monday, 1st & 2nd June.
Why, When and Where?
Welcome to Kenilworth!

New Open Meeting
Saturday & Sunday, 1st & 2nd November.
Read more!

What’s New

New SA stamp
President Cyril Ramaphosa is celebrated on a new issue. Click here to find out more.

2024 President Ramaphosa SAPO Issue stamp B4

Study Booklet
A new expert Study Booklet, “The South West Africa Campaign 1914-1915 – Prisoners of War” by Tony Howgrave Graham is now available. Click here to find out more.

SACS Stidy Booklet The South West Africa Canmpaign 1914 - 1915 Prisoners of War.

Auction 60
Auction 60 now closed. View prices realised.

The Springbok October 2024
Latest issue of the Society journal.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Springbok-Current-Issue-Oct-2024-728x1024.jpg

New Displays
Concentration Camps of the SAW
Zululand Stamps & Postal History.
View displays.

A New Fun Competition
Find out more

The Otto Peetoom Philatelic Legacy Website
Find out more