THE REPUBLIC
After six years the British found it increasingly difficult to maintain a state of law and order between the various factions of Boers, migrant Europeans and the hostile tribes of natives and on 23rd February 1854 British rule ended with the signing of a Convention in Bloemfontein. The Republic of the Orange Free State was formed. This continued until the Second Anglo-Boer War and the occupation of the Free State in 1900.
Although stamps were issued in 1868 they were not accepted as valid for postage for destinations overseas until 1st January 1881. This early period provides an enormous amount of interest for study and research.
A “Smithfield BETAALD” to George Home, Bloemfontein dated 22nd March 1856.
An OFS/CGH combination cover from Rouxville to Frankfurt, Germany, 3rd June 1878
A triple combination pre-stamp cover of 1866 from the South African Republic to the Cape of Good Hope via the Orange Free State
The Orange Free State Artillery had its own "Artillerie" cachet for their official mail. This cover from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg 1897
A South African Post Cart in 1884 (The illustration is from The Graphic newspaper of 1st March 1884.)
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