Just before the outbreak of the last South African War in 1899 the ascendancy of President Kruger had led to the ambition to see his features depicted upon the postage stamps of his country, and a new stamp design (_Fig._ 93) was prepared for this purpose, and a special paper was manufactured watermarked Z.A.R. (Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek) as illustrated in _Fig._ 94. But the stamp was never issued, and the quantity of the "Z.A.R." paper was sold and used for purposes very different from that for which it was prepared. In 1900, after the late Lord Roberts' march to Pretoria, the contemporary South African Transvaal stamps came under British control again, and were issued at first with the overprinted initials of Queen Victoria, V.R.I. (_Fig._ 95), and later of King Edward, E.R.I. (_Fig._ 96). These were superseded in due course by the London printed issue of Transvaal stamps bearing the portrait of King Edward (_Fig._ 97). [Illustration: 94 95 96 97] ORANGE RIVER COLONY. On March 17, 1900, Field Marshal Lord Roberts issued the following PROCLAMATION. "Whereas it is deemed expedient and necessary for the welfare of the Orange Free State that the Postal Service shall be resumed in the aforesaid Republic as far as circumstances permit. "Now therefore, "I, Frederick Sleigh, Baron Roberts of Khandahar, K.G., G.C.B., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E., V.C., Field Marshal and Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces in South Africa, do hereby nominate and appoint David George Amosi Falck Administrator of the Civil Posts in such portions of the Orange Free State as have been or may hereafter be occupied by British troops. "And I do hereby order that the Postal and Telegraph Services shall be resumed in the portions of the aforesaid Republic already referred to, from the nineteenth day of March, 1900, under the existing Laws and Conventions of the Orange Free State, subject to such alterations as may from time to time be notified. Given under my hand at Bloemfontein this seventeenth day of March, 1900. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN. (Signed) ROBERTS, _Field Marshal, Commander-in-Chief British Forces in South Africa._ The Administrator shortly afterwards issued the following NOTICE. It is hereby notified for general information that Orange Free State postage stamps, in use up to the 14th inst., are no longer valid; surcharged stamps of the same denomination having been substituted. (Signed) A. FALCK, _Administrator._ General Post Office, _Bloemfontein, March 22nd, 1900._ [Illustration: 98] The stamps of the Orange Free State were successively overprinted "V.R.I." and "E.R.I." (_Fig._ 98), and later on new stamps were issued with the portrait of King Edward (_Fig._ 99). [Illustration: 99 100]