John Sacher

Sacher regularly appeared in the letters pages of The Times. In 1976 he wrote to the editor from 12 Bourne Street SW1 to complain about the high levels of taxation then applicable, which could reach 85%, which he argued were a disincentive to work in the United Kingdom and therefore might damage the pool of management talent available to British industry. In 1988, he wrote to comment on the shortcomings of the jury system and judge's instructions to jurors, having recently served on a jury. In 1994, he wrote objecting to plans to force companies to invest more of their pension funds in gilts rather than equities which he felt would cost more in the end and be unnecessarily cautious in the case of companies with a strong trading performance.

Philately An enthusiastic philatelist, Sacher joined the Royal Philatelic Society London in March 1966, became a fellow in 1977, and was president from 2007 to 2009. At the time of his death he had recently completed 50 years membership and was one of only 20 people worldwide at that time to have done so.

He was a specialist in West African postal history up to 1900 about which he produced two books, winning the Crawford Medal in 1993 for his book on British Nigeria.

Death Sacher died on 30 August 2016. He was survived by his wife Buffy to whom he had been married for over 40 years.

Selected publications The postal services of the British Nigeria Region prior to 1914: Including the British consular post office in Fernando Po. Royal Philatelic Society London, London, 1992. (with Jack Ince) The postal services of the Gold Coast to 1901. Royal Philatelic Society London, London, 2003. (Editor) The Oil Rivers and Niger Coast surcharged provisionals and bisected stamps. Supplement to The London Philatelist, 2009.