The South African Provisional War Stamps . . . (1901)

" . . . A complete history of the famous V R I provisionals of the Orange River Colony and Transvaal, Mafeking siege stams, and other local issues created by the exigencies of the present war between Boer and Briton in South Africa"

The author was vice-president of the Junior London Philatelic Society, author of a book on the stamps of Nova Scotia and other titles, and editor of the monthly "West-End Philatelist" (subscription one shilling and sixpence a year). His publisher, D Field, of the Royal Arcade, Old Bond Street, was a leading stamp dealer and publisher (of, for example, "Fields'Simplified Catalogue of the Postage Stams of the British Empire - with 1000 full-size illustrations" - one shilling).

Apart from its rarity and its 31 full-size illustrations, the main attraction of this little book - of 56 pp + 12 pp of inserted plates on heavy art paper + stitched red card covers - is that it was available before the end of the war - so speedy were the communications before satellites offered us instantaneous global information exchange.

Apart from the issues noted in the subtitle, British local issues were covered, including Lydenburg, Rustenburg, Vryburg, Wolmaranstad and Kuruman. And, on the Boer side, Pietersburg, Vryburg, "In Dienst", Krugersdorp, Schweizer Reneke and "Commando Brief".