SENF STAMP CATALOGUES

Copies of Gebrüder Senf Stamp and postal stationery catalogues lodged with the British Library’s 'Crawford Library' are dated from 1892. These publications measure 191mm x 170mm. They have been conserved and Library Style bound¹ and therefore no longer have their original case bindings.

The Writer’s copy of the 1892 edition is case bound in a red cloth and is round-cornered. Blocked in black, the wording of which includes an advertisement on the back that promotes the Senf publication Illustrierte Briefmarken-Journal. The yellow endpapers have advertisements for Senf stamp albums and the text is printed black throughout with more advertisements, including that illustrated here, offering facsimiles of stamps of Colombia-Toloma.² The “Südafrikanische Republic (Transvaal)” section is printed on pages 450 to 452; “Swazieland” on page 460 and “Stellaland” on page 450.

The small stamp illustrations are rudimentary but recognizable, although a potential collector would not have been able to use these to distinguish genuine stamps from the Otto forgeries that were in circulation at that time.

It is not surprising to find that many stamps and overprints which we see in modern catalogues are missing from the Senf catalogue of 1892. Even during 1901-2 Edward J. Nankivell admitted in his beautifully designed and printed The Stamps of Transvaal, A Reference List and Guide to Values, 'We have not yet sufficient data to enable us to separate the 6d stamps printed by Borrius from those printed by the Stamp Commission'.³ Before the publication of Yardley’s study in 1906⁴ there was little understanding of the different printings of the stamps of the First Republic.

Prior to the 1896 edition of Senf catalogue, postal stationery envelopes and postal stationery cards were included following each country. However the 1896 edition included both postal stationery envelopes and postal stationery cards as part 2 following the stamp section.

Various editions were bound in different colour cases and Senf slowly improved and updated their contents. The 1896 edition provides German, English, and French philatelic word comparisons; clearly they were looking at an international market.

The Writer thought readers would be interested to see the Transvaal pages of the 1892 edition. Second-hand copies, generally quite inexpensive, are not difficult to find and at least one edition has been reprinted.⁵

Title page and an advertisement for Senf facsimiles which, precedes page 513

'Südafrikanische Republic (Transvaal) pages 150 and 151'

   

page 452 includes postal stationery envelopes and the first Vürtheim postal stationery card      Page 460 Swazieland

'Stellaland pages 446'

Page 226, Stamp Collectors Fortnightly, July 24^th, 1897⁶.

Above is a review from page 226 of the 'Exhibition Number.' of Stamp Collectors' Fortnightly no.74 - Vol.III. Saturday 24^th July 1897. It should perhaps be mentioned that Senf took advertisements in this publication.

Acknowledgement
Thank you Ann Stone and the late Joan Matthews.

References
1 Matthews, J., and Woolgar, J., (2009), Richard Senf Illustrated Postage Stamp-Album, The Transvaal Philatelist, vol.44, no.2 (170), pp.30-31.

2 For a list of Senf Brothers stamp catalogues 1892 to 1909 lodged with the British Library - see, (1991), Catalogue of the Crawford Library of Philatelic Literature at the British Library, The Printer’s Stone Limited in Association with the British Library, p.349-352. A copy can be viewed in the 'Rare Books and Music' Reading Room of the British Library (London) on open access at shelfmark: RAR 769.56. Please bear in mind that a reader’s pass will be required.

3 Nankivell, E. J., (1902), The Stamps of Transvaal, A Reference List and Guide to Values, Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, London (British Library order shelfmark number ‘Crawford 1412’).

4 Yardley, R.B., (1906), The Transvaal; in The postage stamps, envelopes, wrappers, post cards and telegraph stamps of the British Colonies, Possessions and Protectorates in Africa, Pt III, Stanley Gibbons for the Royal Philatelic Society, London.

5 Reprinted edition of the 1892 catalogue, (by Fotoduck-Neumüster?) published during 1981. The blocking and colour of the case is similar to the original, but it is said to be a little larger and thicker than the original edition. The writer has only seen photographs of the front of the case and one page of text, which appear to be as the original.

6 Published by Harry Hilckers & Co. Ltd., 64 Cheapside, London E.C. The Stamp Collectors Fortnightly, With which is incorporated the "Stamp Collectors Monthly." of Saturday July 24, 1897, No. 74 - Vol. III. p.226.