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zimbabweflag.gif
Zimbabwe Flag Since April 1980

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Zimbabwe Rhodesia Flag June to December 1979

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Rhodesian Flag 1968 to 1979

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Southern Rhodesia Flag 1964 to 1968

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Federation 1953 to 1963

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Southern Rhodesia 1923 to 1953

bsacompanyflag1890to1923.gif
British South Africa Company 1890 to 1923

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Zimbabwe Customs Tie with the Gazetted emblem created by Bob Marshall. Submitted by Aussie Austin

Click on the image to enlarge it
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Cover of Fed ID Card (Thanks to Jock Allan) May 2007

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Fed ID card signed by CHV Cooke (Thanks to Jock Allan)

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE
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BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA COMPANY - OFFICE PAPERWEIGHT (Submitted by Aussie Austin, October 2006)
 

From Aussie Austin, October 2006

BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA COMPANY - OFFICE PAPERWEIGHT. 

A brass hand clutching a scroll secured through a brass washer onto a cast iron plinth measuring 64mm x 115mm x 15mm (approximately). The brass washer has stamped on it "B.S.A.Co.". The British South Africa Company's mandate was from 1890 - 1923. So I guess that would date this little piece of memorabilia at somewhere around 1900 I would think. These little babies go back to the days before extensive use of box files - when auditable records were collected into bundles of 500x I think, pig-stickered in the corner, and bound with string. Ex-railway clerks working in the department as supernumeries were good at "bundling" documents in this way as their system of record storage also included pig-sticking and string. The plinth was originally painted black & chipped, so I stripped it to bare metal and polished it. I am hoping to get a Covent Garden Jeweller friend in London to have the base finely polished, engraved with appropriate historical data, and then black gun-metal anodised. I am also considering having the brass parts cleaned and then gold plated. I would welcome any advice.

See Update below:

Click on picture to enlarge the image
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The Restored BSACo Paperweight

From Aussie Austin, September 2007

B.S.A.Co. – Office Paperweight.

 

I have taken advice from various folk, including a retired Anglo American executive, and others….. and it seems that to modify this piece of 100+ year old memorabilia (as described in my earlier entry for it) would not really be antiquatarially helpful in 1000 years time or so. I agree – and so I have restored it to as close as how it was when it came into my possession. Please see the latest picture showing the base in black.

 

There are only two historical issues missing concerning my acquisition of this item and which now might be useful (even appropriate) to reveal. These are as follows:-

 

  1. G H Hitching – was the name written on the underside lino backing when it first came into my possession – I have now replaced that lino backing in the rehabilitation process of this historical item. George Harry Hitching (Titch – to Head Office wallahs) died in Capetown some years back, I believe. I regard this BSACo paperweight as a memorial to “Titch”.  Tjeeerrrs Titch.

 

  1. O C Blignaut - I came about this item whilst in HO with, inter alia, Ocky Blignaut. I was in Technical Branch (Tariff) – whilst Ocky was in Admin Branch (Audit)….. where Titch also worked as a supernumery.  Anyway, one day I visited Ocky in Audit and noticed he had “acquired” two of these paperweights and which he regarded as his own personal property. Having established that they were no longer recorded on the Movable Assets Register, I  told Ocky that I required one of them for my own use in the Technical Branch. He told me that BOTH of them were his. I said that I would correct the situation; and subsequently I did just that….. (and it pissed him off).  I record this incident to the memory of the late Ockert Cornelius Blignaut. Tjeeeeerrrs, Ocky.

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE IMAGE
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Sikes Hydrometer (Submitted by Derek Brent, October 2006) See Tables below

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE
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Tables for the Sikes Hydrometer (Submitted by Derek Brent, October 2006) See above picture

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE
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Pages 2 & 3 of the Sikes Hydrometer Tables (Submitted by Derek Brent, October 2006) - See above

NOTE: CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
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Customs Blues (submitted by Derek Brent, September 2006)

NOTE: CLICK ON THE LETTER TO ENLARGE
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Paddy Dinneen farewell letter to Derek Brent. (Submitted by Derek Brent, September 2006)

CLICK ON THE CLOCK TO ENLARGE IMAGE
Grandoldtimer1.jpg
Submitted by Derek Brent (Sept. 2006).

From Derek Brent, September 2006 These pictures portray what I have named, "THE GRAND OLD TIMER" that used to hang in the State Warehouse, Salisbury, in a broken/non-working condition.  In 1968 "Tango" Barnes was the Collector, Salisbury Port and I approached him with a view to purchasing the old broken clock hanging in the state warehouse. He informed me that it was on the movable asset register and that Head Office approval would be required. He duly made the necessary phone call and it was agreed that the clock could be written off the asset register but I would have to pay ten shillings for it. As a matter of interest, Tango advised me that the clock had been part of the "warehouse furniture" for as long as he had been in Customs! Once in my possession, minor restoration included the making of a pendulum arm from plywood, gluing the broken wooden doorframe and glazing it, washing and oiling the mechanism and, finally, Doug Jolliffe kindly obtained a bezel for me from his Grandfather's collection of clock parts. Ada's late father told me that he remembered Frank Biller from around the 1930's. For the 38 years that it has been in my custody, the "Old Timer" still continues to tick the time away!!

oldtimer2.jpg
Submitted by Derek Brent (September 2006). Se details above this picture.

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE IMAGE
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Plaque made and submitted by Derek Brent (August 2006)

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Customs Plaque. Submitted by Keith Vaughan August 21, 2006

CustomsMug
Customs Mug (Artwork by John "Spenny" Spencer)

 

Click on image to enlarge
federalbadge2exjohnglynn11_1_07.jpg
Federal Cap Badge (Thanks to John Glynn) November 2007

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Customs Cap Badge

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rhodesiabutton.jpg
Rhodesian Customs Uniform Button
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federalbutton.jpg
Federal Customs Uniform Button
 
bsacompanycustomsbadge.jpg
This is a BSA company customs officer badge and is, I suspect, the only one of its kind left.
Submitted by Brian Llewellyn
 

specimenfedcustblazerbadgedesgbybobpoore.jpg

 

This is a specimen Federal  Customs blazer badge that Bob Poore had designed and is also , I'm sure, probably unique.
Submitted by Brian llewellyn
 

Click on image to enlarge
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Federal Customs Sealing Tape (Submitted by Aussie Austin)

 

Click on image to enlarge
petrolcoupons.jpg

Petrol Coupons (anyone remember them?)
Submitted by Aussie Austin
 

 

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