I was today years old when I learned that the British Royal visit to #Basutoland in 1947 included a brief stop in #Ficksburg.

The South African Railways, evidently, have a massive photo archive that is online.

Fascinating stuff, like this:

atom.drisa.co.za/index.php/fi...

You can find #SouthAfrica #stamps used "abroad" in South West Africa, Bechuanaland, Swaziland and these examples, used in #Basutoland which is #Lesotho today. All those pre-independence countries border South Africa, so not quite as "abroad" as you might imagine! #philately

all the listed types of 1961 surcharged stamps from Basutoland

All the listed 1961 surcharges from #Basutoland including the scarce 10c on 1s type II. These stamps have grown in popularity in recent years. #philately

QEII 1c Basutoland imprint block of four with small imprint

QEII 1c Basutoland imprint block of four with large imprint

One of my recurring themes is "Keep Your Eyes Peeled." Why, because a good #philatelist needs to spot differences such as the size of the imprints on these QEII #Basutoland ( #Lesotho today) 1c blocks. #philately