Saturday 29 November 2014

Glow in the Dark Stamp Under UV Stamps - Update

Category - Sight / Touch
Subcategory - Glow in the Dark Stamp Under UV Stamps

South Africa 2014 Lighthouses - Glow in Dark MS under UV









Issue date 20 August 2014

For about 400 years, from the 15th to the 19th century, sailing around the southern tip of Africa, was a deadly business, as evidenced by some 2 000 shipwrecks along our 3 000-km coastline. In the 1800s, the first South African lighthouses were built to warn ships of the treacherous conditions. Today, there are 45 lighthouses along South Africa’s beautiful coastline. South African Post has featured a set of five self-adhesive stamps designed by JWS Longland, a student from North-West University featuring some of the lighthouses along South African coastline.

Once widely used, the number of operational lighthouses has declined due to the expense of maintenance and replacement by modern electronic navigational aids. In South Africa, some of these beacons of light from days gone by, are now national monuments and popular tourists attractions. The lighthouses featured on the stamps were chosen either for their historical value, their particular location or their special features.

Green Point - Cape Town

The Green Point lighthouse in the Mother City is famous for its ‘Moaning Minnie’ foghorn, and has been prominent landmark in Table Bay since 1824. It was the first solid lighthouse structure on the South African coast and is the oldest structure of its kind in South Africa. The lighthouse, with its distinctive diagonal red and white candy stripes, was first lit on 12 April 1824.

Most likely designed and built by Hermann Schutte, the original building consisted of a tower surrounded by two lanterns. The present light was erected in 1865, improved in 1906 and electrified in 1929. Standing 19,5 m above high water, its light has a range of over 20 km. It was declared a National Monument on 12 January 1973.

Cape Agulhas - L’Agulhas/Bredasdorp

The Cape Agulhas lighthouse presides over the southernmost tip of Africa, a coastline that was once a frequent graveyard for ships along the route. It boasts the only lighthouse museum in South Africa and is the second oldest working lighthouse in South Africa.
Building started in 1847 on land donated by Michiel van Breda, the founder of Bredasdorp, and the lighthouse started operating on 1 March 1849. It is built from limestone in the style of the ancient lighthouse at Pharos in Egypt, which was famous as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The lighthouse, which was declared a national monument in 1973, is a popular tourist attraction. Visitors who climb the narrow ladder to the top are rewarded with a panoramic view of the Indian Ocean.

Robben Island - Cape Town

Commissioned in 1865, this historically important lighthouse is a well-known landmark on an island that has become world-renowned for its most famous “”resident””, Nelson Mandela. Being situated in the middle of the notorious Table Bay at the Cape of Storms, the lighthouse is still very active, with a focal plane of 47 m and an 18-m round white brick tower with a red lantern and gallery.

The white light flashes around Table Bay, and a red light is pointed to the south south-east to warn ships leaving Cape Town away from the island. Today the entire island is part of the Robben Island Museum and a World Heritage Site.

Bird Island - Alexandria/Port Elizabeth

Bird Island lighthouse stands on the largest of a group of islands and rocky formations north-east of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. It houses the largest population of Cape gannets in the world, and a substantial number of penguins.

A wooden structure was first built on this site in December 1852, but was replaced by a masonry tower in 1873. The tower was further heightened by 6 m in 1893, and now stands at 26 m tall. The focal plane is 30 m above sea level. Now fully automated, a helicopter visits it every few weeks to take technical staff across for maintenance.

Umhlanga Rocks - Umhlanga/Durban

The lighthouse on the beach at Umhlanga Rocks, which is a popular tourists destination, was completed in 1954, and has been the subject of numerous paintings and memorabilia. It stands guard to some of the most treacherous waters of Southern Africa and not only warns ships of the hidden dangers, but the flashing light also welcomes ships sailing into the safety of the Durban harbour.

The circular concrete tower, painted white with a red band at the top, stands 21 m above the beach and has a focal plane height of 25 m. The fixed red light enables ships waiting to anchor in the outer anchorage, to monitor its position.

Slangkoppunt lighthouse at Kommetjie/Fish Hoek is featured on the stamp sheet.

This majestically tall lighthouse within the boundaries of the marine protected area of the Table Mountain National Park, is the tallest cast iron tower in South Africa. One of South Africa’s oldest lighthouses, it has been a beacon of light to ships on the rocky shore since 1914, becoming fully automated in 1979.

Painted white like a guardian angel, the tower’s light shimmers 33 nautical miles out to sea from its 33 m circular construction. It emits four flashes every 30 seconds with a candlepower brightness of 5 000 000 CD on a focal plane of 41 m above high tide. Tourists can take guided tours up the steep internal spiral staircase for a breathtaking view of the surrounding area.


The stamps contain an extra exciting feature, which is glow-in-the-dark ink.


To view other stamps in this category click on the following link - 
Glow in the Dark Stamp Under UV Stamps 

Disclaimer - Information about the stamp issues on this page has been taken from the net and are for informational purposes only. No copyright claim is made for the above mentioned information/pictures.



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