British Bechuanaland 1885 One Penny Not Catalogued

Thanks for looking.

1d Cape of Good Hope overprinted, Wm Crown CC.

Comments gladly received please.

It is a forged overprint,

Pagoda

Pagoda why would somebody forge an overprint of a stamp that doesn't exist ?

My 1983 Gibbons British Commonwealth catalogue does have a similar looking overprint listed (overprint #1) which was applied to stamps of Cape of Good Hope (Hope seated). It is listed as #5 under Bechuanaland. I can't vouch for the authenticity of your stamp. Perhaps someone with a newer catalogue with better images can help.

Thanks James No 5 is Anchor Watermark - there is no listed Crown CC One Penny only 1/2d, 3d and 4d

More specifically, in my 2003 Scotts (I gotta get some new catalogues!) it seems to be listed as #38 from 1893. The overprint is shown earlier (1891) printed sideways up the stamp, but in 1893 the overprint was applied 'reading down'. The only problem with these listings is they have the overprint printed in black. Your image the text looks blue/purple. That could just be the scan, or my monitor, I suppose.

1893 is anchor as well James

Ah, I see what you're saying. With the watermark #1 (CC and crown) that would seem to indicate the original stamp was a Cape of Good hope #16 (1865).
Perhaps (and I'm really going on a limb here) the overprint was applied independently, by a local postmaster. The type does look like it could have been done on a typewriter, and that would explain the purple colour.
And the fact that the two lines of type are not parallel, would also show they were not printed from a single plate. The stamp shifted in the typewriter when the overprint was applied.
Make sense? Stranger things have happened.

I'm more curious about the image on the stamp.
What is it exactly? Is it a woman, sitting, what is her arm leaning on and is that an animal or a wheel chair?

Interesting stamp for sure!
Sue
(SueStamps)

She is Hope, Sue. The personification of the colony, Cape of Good Hope. She is seated on an anchor next to a ram and some grape vines, symbols of the colony. There are later stamp issues where she is standing. Guess the anchor got uncomfortable.

Hi jamesw,
Wow, I SEEEEE it now, I see the anchor!!
Thank you SO much for this information!

I love love looking at the images on old stamps!
This one is GREAT. I will save the image an information just in case I come across one! Fantastic and thank you so much!
Sue
(SueStamps)

Agreed James it is SG23 May 1865 Cape Overprinted (for some reason)