Zululand 5s #11 With Rare Picadilly Cancel

I found this in an old album and thought it was a nice stamp until I noticed the cancel.

That`s the Burlington House cancel. Hahah! Why does it not surprise me that someone there would send a letter overprinted "Zululand"?

What is a Burlington House cancel?

Google Burlington House and you can read all about the location. It's the home of four or five royal (?) societies. The government bought the property in the mid-1800s thinking they'd tear the building down, but people revolted against the idea. I can imagine one of the academics there using a Zululand stamp. "I'm certain this will be all right; after all, it has an engraving of Her Majesty."

I did Google Burlington House and it was interesting reading. When I saw the cancel I presumed a fake Overprint was applied to a used GB stamp that had been canceled in Picadilly, I'd be happy to proven wrong.

I was curious to see if there was a Picadilly in South Africa and there is one, but it's well outside of what was Zululand. It was also just a farmstead. Doubt any postmarks from there.

I think a look under a microscope--or perhaps a high-res scan--might give a hint if the cancel is on top of the overprint.

Looks pretty clear to me that the overprint is on top of the cancel.

I agree with KGB. Without a better, closer look, it is impossible to tell what is going on with the cancel and overprint.

Shown is a close up that IMO confirms the Overprint is on top. Also troubling is the front of the "Z" that is flat in the front and where the second "L" touches the "A" I can't find these characteristics on any examples shown on the Internet.

Nice pic. Yes, the "ZU" in ZULULAND definitely appear to be under the cancellation.

I wish one could see the stamps, but the discussion alone is interesting:

https://www.stampboards.com/viewtop...f=10&t=25919

Interesting Topic

Regardless of whether the postmark is over or under the ZULULAND, I question whether the overprint is genuine. While I am not an expert, I looked through my Zululand stamps (I don't have a 5sh though) and others online, and never see the L touching the A.

From any experts, is this a genuine overprint?

If it's on top of the cancel it definitely is not!

DCStamps is, of course, correct.

Currently there are two Zululand 5 shillings stamps for sale on ebay. One seller is "bridgerkay", and the other is "anthonybrown55". Their 2 overprints are very similar or identical, and they are different from the overprint on the subject of this thread. The one here is longer, filling the space between the "5 S." tablets. And, as DCStamps has pointed out, the overprint has a characteristic spacing anomaly.

This doesn't prove anything, except that at least one of these overprints looks to be bogus.

bookbndrbob

My bad, I spent all the time looking at your close up image and completely missed that you commented on the A and L anomaly above it. Sorry