South Africa 1925 'Air Mail' 9d green, lower left corner block of 4, with lower right stamp (R12/8) showing "Broken R" in "SUIDAFRIKA" (Reference: Union Handbook 19 V3), SG21var.
A fine and fresh mint positional block with original gum.
A scarce variety, particularly within a multiple.
An attractive airmail stamp depicting de Havilland DH.9 biplane, a British single-engined biplane bomber developed and deployed during the First World War.
South Africa was slow to introduce an air mail service to speed up the delivery of local mail. Eventually, in 1925, the Civil Air Board in South Africa decided to institute a three monthly Experimental Air Service between Cape Town and Durban, to establish whether such a service could be provided economically and reliably.
A set of four Air Mail stamps was specially printed specifically for the Experimental Air Service that was inaugurated on 2 March 1925. The 9d was the highest denomination in the set. These stamps were only valid for the carriage of mail on the foregoing service.
The use of the 1925 Airmail stamps was discontinued at the end of June 1925 but remained for sale in Pretoria until 31 October. After that all residues of stamps, as well as the printing plates were destroyed.
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