Transvaal
A city district of The Hague? Yes, built between 1900 and 1935 with familiar-sounding street names like Paul Krugerlaan and Bothastraat. But no stamps were issued there. They were in Transvaal in South Africa, though.
The first stamps were issued in 1869 by the South African Republic, recognized by the British government as an independent state on January 17, 1852.
On March 13, 1885, a series of stamps printed by letterpress by Joh. Enschedé in Haarlem, designed by J. Vürtheim, was issued. The values ranged from ½ penny to 5 pounds. Great caution is advised regarding the latter stamp, as there are more forgeries than genuine examples. On January 15, 1887, a stamp with the overprint 2d on 3 pennies was issued.
The Boer Wars, fought between the British and the Transvalers at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, are well known. These were wars fought over the rich gold and diamond mines, which were also found in the equally independent Orange Free State. Around 1900, the situation in Transvaal was very difficult during the Second Boer War, which had broken out in 1899. These difficulties were also reflected in the postage stamps.
In 1894, a series of stamps was issued in denominations from ½ penny up to and including 10 shillings. The language on the stamp was Dutch, the official language. The values were in pennies, shillings, and pounds, the British system. The image is the coat of arms of Transvaal. The stamps were printed with two different designs. Attention should be paid to the number of shafts on the covered wagon, one or two shafts.
In 1896, the stamps were printed in two colors. The value denominations were rendered in dark green. The war proceeded with mixed success, but parts of Transvaal were occupied by the British. As a result, a series was issued on June 18, 1900, with the overprint VRI. This overprint stands for: Victoria Regina Imperiatrice, or Queen (of the United Kingdom) and Empress (of British India) Victoria.
The series was short-lived, as Victoria died on January 22, 1901. Her eldest son succeeded her as Edward VII. Therefore, a new overprint was needed. With ERI, Edward Rex Imperator. The series, consisting of 5 stamps, appeared starting in March 1901.
Apparently, there was insufficient stock of the ½ penny to overprint, and therefore a 2 pence stamp was overprinted with ERI Half Penny. A simple stamp can thus tell a story in which wars and conflicts play a leading role. Naturally, more stamps have been issued depicting Transvaal and the British occupations. These are merely examples to show that there are many possibilities for building a beautiful collection with a rich history. 
This way, you learn another piece of a country's history through stamps.
Who said collecting stamps is dusty and old-fashioned?
Thank you Cees
Philately is more than collecting stamps……..
The Transvaal stamps are very, very boring, but with Cees's story, they are super exciting. Thanks!
'@Tone
What is so boring about the Transvaal stamps???
It's just that I don't have any materials within reach!
What is so nice about the Netherlands Fur Collar or 1852????
I don't find them super boring either; there is plenty to discover. Cees, you write: the difficulties were also expressed in the stamps. What exactly do you mean by that? Furthermore, it is not entirely clear to me what the meaning is of the anchor, the covered wagon, the lion, and the little man. If there is a meaning at all.
Dolores. The difficulties refer to the fact that, due to all the unrest, skirmishes, and wars, communications were poor or sometimes even impossible, making it necessary to take measures on the spot to ensure a sufficient supply of stamps. Hence the many types of overprints.
The colony of Transvaal was founded in 1902. But before that, the South African Republic (ZAR) had a coat of arms in which the symbol of Transvaal was already incorporated: the covered wagon. This symbol was derived from the tractors in covered wagons that the Boers used from 1830 onwards to colonize the area. This event was called 'The Great Trek'.
The lion symbolizes the Dutch lion, but because the lion has always been depicted in a 'natural' form, there are doubts about this. At that time, lions simply occurred in large numbers in South Africa.
The anchor represents the Cape of Good Hope, the anchorage for the many ships that lay at anchor here, either as a destination or in transit. Later, the anchor was combined with a female figure. This latter coat of arms was adopted in 1911.
The 'little man' is an armed Boer from the Boer War.
Aaah, how interesting, thank you Cees for your answer.
Very interestingly explained about these stamps.
I received a booklet with the discussed stamps from my brother-in-law, mint with postage stamp in a booklet.
This is called collection de timbres du Transvaal.
Do you know where this comes from?
The years are from 1885 to 1901.
What would the value be now?
I happened to be looking at stamps from Transvaal.
I am also in possession of the booklet after Wim.
You are a Transvaal citizen.
The special 86 stamp is also included here.
Everything mint with sticker.
Dear Cees, can you say something more about the value, as Wim asked?
Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the booklet. You could inquire about it with the Southern Africa Philatelist Society. email: ppmulder@planet.nl
Here is a link with all images of and from the booklet. It was sold (2014) for about 100 euros. https://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/162550895/ZAR_COLLECTION_de_TIMBRES_du_TRANSVAAL_see_pics_below.html
Hi,
I took a look at the BidorBuy advertisement. Unfortunately, it is my opinion that these are so-called reprints. After the Anglo-Boer War, Enschede was stuck with the ZAR printing plates and a mountain of stamps that the British refused to pay for. These were then sold to a dealer in Paris – Mirza Hadi. He sold these stamps for many years and had a few more printed when they ran out. I see this type of booklet quite often, and I might be willing to bid 50 Euros for it, but only for its historical value. There are ways to identify the individual stamps as well, but that is quite difficult. The difference lies mainly in the perforation and the paper. Another salient detail is that the stamps were very often sold in blocks of four; so one should steer clear of mint condition or unused copies with adhesive in blocks of four.
I am also sending a link (in English) that provides a bit more detail.
http://www.philapal.com/tvl-reprints.html
Incidentally: I took a quick look at the stamps in the article above, and although I cannot categorically confirm this, they also appear to be reprints. The overprints have, in fact, also been imitated. Fortunately, this is easier to spot because the dots and the letters lie on the same line. Also, the dots are perfectly round. The real overprints have more oval dots that protrude slightly from under the letters.
I came across your blog about the Transvaal / stamps. I am actually looking for examples of the *half penny* variant of these stamps from this period. I own a half penny stamp (used) and am looking for its value. Unfortunately, I can hardly find it anywhere.
Could you help me with information on where to look?