Cape of Good Hope Triangular, Hope Seated

Cape of Good Hope · 1853 · 1d

This is one of the world's first triangular stamps, featuring an allegorical figure of Hope seated on an anchor. The design, created by Charles Davidson Bell, is iconic in philately for its unusual shape and classic engraving. The stamp was printed by Perkins Bacon in London.

Issued by the Cape Colony, a British colony in what is now South Africa, this stamp represents a significant milestone in postal history and colonial administration. The triangular shape was chosen to make the stamps easily distinguishable from rectangular British stamps by illiterate postal workers.