# Botswana

    Formerly the British controlled territory of Bechuanaland, Botswana became independent In 1966. Essays with country name BECHUANALAND are known from 1957.
    All stamps have BOTSWANA or REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA in the frank. Designs are highly variable and often show major variations in wording and format even among meters of the identical model. Most if not all machines were obtained from South Africa, and design elements of that country's meter stamps are occasionally found on those of Botswana.
    After an early period of assigning meter or license number prefixes based on the meter model, this practice was abandoned during the 1970s and all new and reconditioned machines were assigned a blanket “R” prefix which more recently was replaced by "BP".
    Catalog values are not given for Botswana due to lack of information. Some stamp types are scarce to very rare.
    The stamps are grouped according to frank design:
       A – Franks with simulated-perforation outer border
       B – Franks with straight-line outer border
       C - Franks without outer frame line
       D - Franks with a datamatrix bar code
For specialized information about the meter stamps of Botswana see Gordon Smith's Botswana Meter Marks web site: http://www.postalhistory.ca/.

## GROUP A: Franks with simulated-perforation outer border

A1. Universal/Pitney Bowes “Automax” (MV).
    Square frank, 26-27 mm, with straight inner frame line.
    “BOTSWANA” in top panel, “POSTAGE” vertical in panel at left, and “REVENUE” vertical in panel at right.
    L# with “UA”, “PB” or “R” prefix in lower corner boxes.
    TM: DC
    V/F: .00= =0.00
A2. Universal/Pitney Bowes “Simplex” (LV-21).
    Similar to Type A1 but frank is smaller, 22-23 mm, and spacing is wider between TM and frank.
    L# with “S” prefix.
    TM: DC
    Values seen: 3¢, 5¢, 10¢
A3. Universal/Pitney Bowes “Simplex” (LV-21).
    Similar to Type A2 but without inner panels and with linear ornaments in the corners.
    L# with “R” prefix very small in lower corners.
    TM: DC
    Value seen: 4¢
A4. Neopost “305” (MV).
    Nearly square frank with inner panels at top and bottom, both containing “REPUBLIC OF/ BOTSWANA”.
    Very small “POSTAGE PAID” vertical at both sides.
    L# with “R” prefix above bottom panel
    TM: DC
    V/F: 0,00
A5. Satas “Baby” (MV).
    Nearly square frank with straight inner frame line.
    “BOTSWANA” at both top and bottom.
    “POSTAGE PAID/ REVENUE” vertical at left.
    Currency indicator “P” left of value figures.
    L# with “TX” prefix breaks bottom frame lines.
                                        TM: BIC
                                        V/F: 00.00
A6. Frama (MV).
    Large, square frank with straight inner frame line.
    “REPUBLIC OF/BOTSWANA” at top, “POSTAGE PAID” vertical at both sides.
    “P” currency indicator at left of V/F.
    One example seen. It has two license numbers, one with “A” prefix breaking bottom frame lines and one with “R” prefix in the lower corners.
    Value figures are thick.
                                           TM: DC
                                           V/F: 000
A7. Satas “Baby” (MV).
    Small upright frank with straight inner frame line.
    “REPUBLIC OF/BOTSWANA” at top, L# with “R” prefix at bottom.
    Very small “POSTAGE PAID” vertical at left
    TM: DC
    V/F: 0.00
A8. Satas “Baby” (MV).
    Small square frank with “REPUBLIC OF/BOTSWANA” at top, “POST PAID” at bottom flanked by L#.
    L# with “R” prefix.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 0.00
A9. Pitney Bowes-GB “5000” (MV).
    Horizontal frank with straight bottom frame line and linear ornaments in the upper corners.
    “REPUBLIC OF/BOTSWANA” at top, “POSTAGE” vertical at left, and “PAID” vertical at right.
    L# with “R” prefix in lower corners.
    TM: DC
                                        V/F: 0.00
A10. Pitney Bowes-GB “6300” (MV).
    Horizontal frank with linear ornaments in the corners.
    “BOTSWANA” at top, “POSTAGE” vertical at left, and “REVENUE” vertical at right.
    L# with “R” prefix in lower corners.
                                              A. Frame indented in lower corners
                                              B. Frame lines broken in lower corners to accommodate the license number
    TM: DC
    V/F: 0.00 00.00
A11. Pitney Bowes-GB “A/B900” (MV).
    Similar to Type A10 but wider frank and with “PAID” instead of ‘REVENUE’ at right.
    L# with “BP” prefix at bottom center.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 000.00 00.00
                                                    a. Heptagonal (7-sided polygon) town mark
A12. Hasler “Mailmaster” (MV).
    Large horizontal frank with straight-line inner frame line.
    “REPUBLIC OF / BOTSWANA” at top, “POSTAGE PAID” vertical at both sides.
    L#, with “R” prefix, in bottom corners.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 00.00
                                                                   a. With break in center of bottom frame lines
                                                                   b. As ‘a’, but with additional ID# in the gap (“R51” in the corners, “H1” in the gap)
A13. Francotyp-Postalia “MS4” (MV).
    Large horizontal frank with straight-line inner frame line.
    “REPUBLIEK VAN BOTSWANA” (Afrikaans) at top, “REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA” at bottom.
    “POSGELD BATAAL” (Afrikaans) vertical at left, “POSTAGE PAID” vertical at right.
    Small L# with “R” prefix above bottom inscription.
    TM: SC
                                              V/F: 0.00
A14. Francotyp-Postalia “MS4/MS5” (MV).
    Large horizontal frank blank at top.
    “REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA” at bottom.
                                              A. “POSTAGE PAID” vertical at left
                                              B. “POSTAGE PAID” vertical at right
    L# with “R” prefix above bottom inscription.
    TM: SC
    V/F: 0.00 00.00
A15. Francotyp-Postalia “MS4/MS5” (MV).
    Similar to Type A14 but “REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA” at top with town name at bottom.
    “POSTAGE PAID” vertical at both sides.
    L# with “R” prefix above bottom inscription.
    TM: SC
    V/F: 0.00 00.00
A16. Francotyp-Postalia “MS5” (MV).
    As Type A15 but without the town name at bottom.
    L# with “R” prefix at bottom.
    TM: SC
    V/F: 0.00 00.00
A17. Francotyp-Postalia “MS4/MS5” (MV).
    Similar to Type A16 but “REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA” at both top and bottom.
                                                 A. “POSTAGE PAID” vertical at both sides. (not shown)
                                                 B. “POSGELD BETAAL” (Afrikaans) vertical at left, “POSTAGE PAID” vertical at right.
                                           L# with “R” prefix above bottom inscription.
                                           TM: SC
                                           V/F: 0.00 00.00 0000
A18. Francotyp-Postalia “MS4” (MV).
    Frame line similar to Types A13-A17 but smaller, with “BOTSWANA” at top and “POSTAGE PAID” vertical at both sides.
    Small L# with “R” prefix at bottom.
    TM: SC
    V/F: 0.00
A19. Francotyp-Postalia “MS4” (MV).
    As Type A17 but with a larger “BOTSWANA” at both top and bottom.
    Small L# with “R” prefix above bottom inscription.
    TM: SC
    V/F: 0.00
A20. Francotyp-Postalia “MS5/WK4” (MV).
    As Type A18 but with inner frame line around value figures.
    L# with “R” prefix at bottom.
    TM: SC
    V/F: 0.00 00.00
A21. Neopost “Electronic” (MV).
    Frank frame similar in appearance to Type A17 but with corners emphasized.
    “REPUBLIC OF/BOTSWANA” at top and “BOTSWANA” at bottom.
    “POSTAGE” vertical at left, and “PAID” vertical at right.
    L# with “R” prefix in lower corners.
    TM: DC. Date figures distinctive with wide space between month and year figures.
                                           V/F: 0,00
A22. Neopost “Electronic” (MV).
    As Type A21 but with “BOTSWANA” at both top and bottom.
    L# with “R” prefix in lower corners.
                                                 A. Frank 28-29 mm wide
                                                 B. Nearly square frank 25 mm wide
    TM: DC
    V/F: 0,00
A23. Neopost “Electronic” (MV).
    As Type A21 but with “BOTSWANA” at top only.
    L# with “G” prefix at bottom.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 0,00
A24. Pitney Bowes “DM300" (digital).
    Similar to Type A11 but taller and with columns of stacked numbers left of the town mark.
    M# with “BP” prefix at bottom.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 000.00 00.00

## GROUP B: Franks with straight-line outer border

B1. Neopost “205” (MV).
    Upright frank with “REPUBLIC OF/BOTSWANA/POSTAGE PAID” breaking top frame line and inner panel line.
    L# with “J” or “R” prefix at bottom.
                                              A. Frank 29 mm tall
                                              B. Shorter frank, 26 mm tall with smaller inscriptions
    TM: DC, BIC
                                        V/F: 00 000 0,00 0•00−
B2. Neopost “2205” (MV).
    Similar to Type B1 but with “REPUBLIC OF/BOTSWANA” at top and “POSTAGE PAID” at bottom.
    No inner panel lines.
    L# with “R” prefix above bottom inscription.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 00,0 (possibly an assembly error)
B3. Neopost “2205” (MV).
    Frank is wider than tall.
    “BOTSWANA” at top with L# at bottom.
    “POSTAGE” vertical at left, and “REVENUE” vertical at right.
    L# with “R” prefix.
    TM: BIC
                                     V/F: 000 0.00
B4. Neopost “2205” (MV).
    Square frank with “BOTSWANA” in top panel.
    Value figures within inner box touching the upper panel line.
    L# at bottom with “R” prefix.
    TM: BIC
    V/F: 0,00
B5. Neopost “505” (MV).
    Frank similar to Type B4 but wider.
    “REPUBLIC OF/BOTSWANA” in top panel, “POSTAGE PAID” at bottom.
    L# with “R” prefix in bottom corners.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 00,00
B6. Neopost “505” (MV).
    Similar to Type B2 but frank is wider and inscriptions are heavier. Spacing between TM and frank is wider.
    L# with “R” prefix above bottom inscription.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 00,00
B7. Hasler “Mailmaster” (MV).
    Large square frank with double straight-line border.
    “BOTSWANA” in panels at both top and bottom.
    “POSTAGE PAID” vertical in panels at both sides.
    L# with “R” or “H” prefix.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 00.00
B8. Hasler “Mailmaster” (MV).
    Very similar to Type B7 but country name is at top only.
    L# with “R” prefix is in bottom panel.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 00.00
B9. Neopost “Electronic” (MV).
    Frank is plain rectangle, slightly wider than tall.
    “REPUBLIC OF/BOTSWANA” at top and “POSTAGE PAID” at bottom.
    Large “R” at left of value figures with L# at right.
    TM: SC
    V/F: 0,00
B10. Neopost “Electronic” (MV).
    Frank frame as Type B9. “BOTSWANA” at top, “POSTAGE” vertical at left, and “REVENUE” vertical at right.
    L# with “P” prefix at bottom.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 0,00
B11. Neopost “Electronic” (MV).
    “BOTSWANA” in panel at top, “POSTAGE PAID” vertical at both sides.
    Value figures within inner box touching the upper panel line.
    L# with “R” prefix at bottom.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 0,00
B12. Neopost “Electronic” (MV).
    Very similar to Type B11 but with “POSTAL” vertical at left and “REVENUE” vertical at right.
    L# with “R” prefix at bottom.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 0,00
B13. Neopost “Electronic” (MV).
    “BOTSWANA” at both top and bottom.
    “POSTAGE” vertical at left and “PAID” vertical at right.
    Value figures within inner box.
    L# with “R” prefix in bottom corners.
    TM: DC, BIC
                                           V/F: 0,00
B14. Neopost “Electronic” (MV).
    As Type B13 but without inner box around the value figures.
    L# with “R” prefix in bottom corners.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 0,00

## GROUP C: Frank without outer frame line

C1. Satas “Baby X” (MV).
    “REPUBLIC OF/ BOTSWANA/POSTAGE PAID” at both top and bottom.
    L# with “R” prefix left of value figures.
    TM: BIC with tall date figures
    V/F: 0.00

## GROUP D: Franks with a datamatrix barcode

                                                       D1. Neopost (digital).
                                                       Large square frank with small breaks at sides.
                                                       At top of the frank is "BOTSWANA".
                                                       Centered in the frank are the value figures, the date, and meter number at bottom.
                                                       At far left of the frank is a datamatrix bar code below the post office name and identifier.
                                                       Four codes are found between the bar code and the frank, including what is possibly an impression count.
                                                       Meter number with "BW" prefix.
                                                       V/F: 0000.00