A new stamp commemorates the journey to democracy.
At today’s International Philatelic Exhibition at the Cape Town Convention Centre, the South African Post Office released a brand new limited edition stamp issue titled “The Road to Democracy.”
The stamp features a peace dove and text from South Africa’s constitution’s preamble. South Africa’s constitution is widely recognized as one of the most progressive in the world, enshrining fundamental rights, freedoms, and civil liberties while ensuring the independence of independent watchdogs such as the Public Protector and Auditor General.
The South African flag is made out of words from the South African constitution’s preamble for the First Day Cover design. The stamp was created in-house by SA Post Office employee Thea Clemons.
Each stamp costs R5,40, and the stamps and first-day envelopes can be pre-ordered at the Post Office stand at the Cape Town show. Collectors who are not in Cape Town can order stamps by emailing SAstamps@postoffice.co.za(link sends e-mail).
There were 225 000 Road to Democracy stamps issued in all, and once sold out, they will not be replicated. This is a minor number in comparison to the million postal items delivered everyday by the SA Post Office.
IPEX 2022 will feature some of the world’s most extraordinary stamps, with around 60 countries represented. There will be guided tours of the exhibition area for expert stamp assistance.
The SA Post Office has two exhibits at the Court of Honour, and the public is encouraged to examine these displays highlighting the vital role that stamps played in promoting and upholding South Africa’s legacy.
The Post Office Museum’s first exhibition is titled South Africa’s history as reflected by its philately collection. The exhibition, which consists of 128 A4 pages and 8 frames, shows South Africa through a collection of stamps and accompanying material, as well as information released by the South African Post Office from the first stamp to the present.
Commemorating Democracy in South Africa is the title of the second exhibition. It contains 64 pages or four frames and recalls South Africa’s path to democracy through a variety of philatelic material and information provided by the South African Post Office from 1994 to the present.
The Post Office stamps commemorating milestones on the road to democracy have sold out and are now collector’s items. Stamps depicting heroes of the liberation fight, the constitution, and commemorative stamps honoring the life and times of Nelson Mandela, the first president of a democratic South Africa, are among them.
