Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2020 i Stamp Collector

Austria have joined the many countries around the world to have issued stamps to help with the global fight against Coronavirus but, as is often the case with the innovative post office, their philatelic offering is a little different from other designs. The new stamp, which depicts the baby elephant symbol currently being used in Austria to encourage social distancing, adds a further reference to the global pandemic, since it is printed on toilet paper. Each stamp is the same size and shape of a standard sheet of toilet paper, reflecting the shortage of toilet paper that affected many countries at the start of the pandemic. The size of the stamp also allows customers to enforce social distancing, as ten stamps lined up next to each other measure one metre,…

Guernsey Post’s philatelic bureau will issue two colourful sets of Christmas stamps depicting Santa on his travels around the islands of Guernsey and Alderney. Beautifully illustrated by local artist Steve Winstanley, both sets feature Santa against the backdrop of several local landmarks and, in a playful twist, include images depicting some of the islands’ famous creatures, including the Guernsey Cow (95p stamp) and one of Alderney’s Blonde Hedgehogs (45p stamp). In Guernsey, one of the highlights of the festive calendar is Santa’s eagerly anticipated arrival on the island by lifeboat (45p stamp); on another stamp, he is depicted scaling the lighthouse at Les Hanois, a local icon that stands tall on the rocks, to rescue the sack of presents, which he dropped whilst flying overhead earlier in the evening (68p…

Following the 1898 Spanish-American war, the Philippine Islands were occupied by the USA until 1946 (except for the 1942-1945 Japanese occupation period) when the Asian island nation finally became an independent republic. During the US administration, Philippine stamps were inscribed Philippine Islands / United States of America. Most Philippine stamps are inexpensive but there are exceptions. Issued on 20 December 1926, a set of five pictorial stamps marked the inauguration of the Palace of the Legislature. The stamps are all bi-coloured with the central image in black and the frame in different colours. The denominations range from 2 centavos to 1 peso. Only 11,050 copies were issued of the top value making it the key item in the set. When I checked a major electronic auction site I found only…

When I need some glamour in my collection I turn to the postcards of Raphael Kirchner and William Barribal, writes Richard Stenlake. Both these artists used their wives as their principal model. I wrote about Kirchner in a previous article. His women feature in fantasy type situations, or more blatantly smoking their way into one, suggesting it’s opium not tobacco they were using. By contrast Barribal’s cards feature his wife, Gertrude Louisa Fannie Pitt, in real world ‘in your dreams’ type situations. The Barribal Girl is beautiful in a hundred ways and is the lady of a thousand moods. She is almost always has a knowing look and it says she can never be yours. Usually she is painted on her own, but it’s clear she’s not alone. Other than…

If the philatelic world is a garden, then Christmas stamps are its weeds. You open a beautiful new box of kiloware, chock-full of commemoratives, only to notice that half of them have the grinning face of Santa. Quick: winnow them and start composting… by which I mean shoving them into another envelope and working out who to foist them upon. Why are Christmas stamps so often valueless? It’s a simple case of supply and demand. The annual tradition of sending Christmas cards mean much more post is sent than usual in December and so there are more of these special stamps than any other. Even worse, those of us with enthusiastic families, who are lovely enough to keep an eye out for ‘nice stamps’ will often inundate you in the…

RICHARD MOREL: I cannot comment on how the pandemic impacted the philatelic business community but as a collector it has been fantastic. With freedom of movement curtailed, money previously reserved for social activities like the theatre, cinema or restaurants has been diverted towards my collections as well as the occasional apologetic gift for my partner when I get caught! There does certainly seem to be a wider variety of material available to purchase on eBay and Delcampe, presumably because philatelic traders are putting additional material up. Even some of the material and prices realised at auctions appear to be competitive and healthy. Over the last few months, I have acquired some fantastic documents for my collection of embossed revenue stamps, in addition to some nice North Korean material. In fact,…

NICOLA DAVIES: I’m hoping we’ll move forward with the best of both worlds. I looking forward to a time when we can have a chat in person and people can have a browse through the books in the library and attend large scale events. Digital events and content do help to widen access and participation and have provided more opportunity for people to see what the Royal is about. One of our priorities for the RPSL collections is making more of our resources available digitally for members to access remotely. We’re in the process for applying for funding for grants to make this possible. I think we will continue to keep the community spirit through what may be difficult months ahead and then when we return to ‘normal’ hopefully we…

While social history has a role to play in illuminating postal history, the letters posted and the routes taken remain fundamental. In some counties the balance is easier to achieve than in others and in the case of Northumberland we owe a great debt to the Duke of Northumberland’s solicitor who, for several hundred years, kept everything that crossed his desk, even down to handbills warning youngsters of the penalties for breaking windows with their footballs in the early 1800s. A decade ago this goldmine was liberated and consequently this county is now the richest in terms of availability to collectors today. The richness of the county lay in its natural resources, principally coal, and in the industries which relied on the mines – glassworks, potteries and iron foundries. But…

Gibraltar’s status as a British Overseas Territory is often bemoaned by the Spanish government. Less well known is the fact that if you cross the Strait of Gibraltar from ‘the rock’ to Africa, you can find yourself in a bit of Morocco that is actually Spanish. Ceuta is a port of around 80,000 people on a rocky peninsula with a small hinterland, in total about seven square miles. Because of its strategic importance, Ceuta has been much fought over. The Romans colonized it – it was then known as Septem. The Byzantines followed. In 710 Muslim forces from the East took control. For centuries, local rulers battled for it. In 1415, it was captured by the Portuguese – the beginnings of a vast Empire, which a century later would span…

When we planned our special feature on Covid and collecting (page 35), the article was set to be a review of the historic lockdown we endured in the spring, with one eye looking forward to better times. We’re still looking ahead with optimism, but as I write we’re preparing for lockdown part two. Naturally we’re feeling fatigue and apprehension for the months ahead, but I do hope you will find solace in our hobby and in joining together with fellow collectors via the internet, email and this magazine. As our expert panel eloquently explain, the stamp collecting community responded to the first lockdown incredibly positively and very quickly, and there’s no reason why we can’t do it again over the winter. We’re excited to be launching the first of many…

Royal Mail has launched a parcel pick-up service across the UK, with the move being described as one of the biggest changes to the daily delivery since the launch of the postbox in 1852. The new service, Parcel Collect, means postmen and postwomen can collect a parcel from the customer’s door or nominated safe place for 72p per parcel, in addition to postage costs. Parcel Collect is also available for pre-paid return items at a cost of 60p per item. Nick Landon, Chief Commercial Officer at Royal Mail, said: ‘Royal Mail Parcel Collect is a fantastic step forward for all of our customers. It makes it easier to use our services than ever before. Whether you’re up against time and working from home, making a return, selling online or sending…

An Post has unveiled four special stamps celebrating the music of rock band U2, who have sold more than 175 million records worldwide during their four-decade career. ‘U2 – A Celebration 1976-2020’ is a four-stamp set represents distinct eras in U2’s musical journey through four of the band’s most memorable albums: ‘The Joshua Tree’ (1987), ‘Achtung Baby’ (1991), ‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind’ (2000), and ‘Songs of Experience’ (2017). A booklet of four stamps (€5.40) contains two ‘N’ stamps covering standard post within the island of Ireland and two ‘W’ for posting around the world. With input from the band, An Post worked with U2’s Creative Director Gavin Friday, as well as graphic designer Shaughn McGrath, to develop four concepts inspired by the band’s extensive album catalogue. Each stamp…

Christmas is a time for fun and family, joy and celebration, but it is also a time for peace and reflection, a time to be thankful for the year gone by and to think about our hopes for the year to come. Jersey’s beautiful landscapes, with their dramatic coastlines, countryside vistas, and iconic landmarks, offer an ideal backdrop for some quiet contemplation. Enchanting at any time of year, in the lead up to Christmas with a glittering frost and soft wintry light, they are transformed into magical festive scenes. Eight stamps feature Jersey scenes and well-known landmarks created from layers of paper cuttings. Traditional festive icons, also made from paper cut-outs, can be seen in the foreground. The cuttings have been backlit and photographed in a palette of wintry hues.…

Star Trek was first broadcast in the UK in 1969 and, whilst it is certainly an American production, Royal Mail are keen to point out that it has featured British acting talent throughout its history. The set comprises twelve stamps that depict the captains from six principle TV series, plus additional crew members: Captain James T Kirk; Spock; Captain Jean-Luc Picard; Commander Deanna Troi; Captain Benjamin Sisko; Doctor Julian Bashir; Captain Kathryn Janeway; Captain Jonathan Archer; Lieutenant Malcolm Reed; Captain Gabriel Lorca; Lieutenant Ash Tyler; and Commander Michael Burnham. Six of these characters are played by British actors. A further six stamps, presented in a miniature sheet, feature characters from across the movies of the franchise, and are all played by British actors: Montgomery Scott; Shinzon; Tolian Soran; Klingon Chancellor…

The background or underprint on Post & Go stamps was initially a security feature but eventually became the place for the date code, writes Stuart Leigh. The development started with a ‘TRIAL’ in a wavy line repeated, this was finally ‘ROYALMAIL’ repeated in large and smaller font one above the other, in the now familiar style. At Christmas 2012 the robin was reissued, now with a date code concealed in the word ‘MAIL’ to the left of the image. Quickly followed in February 2013, the 2nd class Machin Head in blue was issued and with a date code adjacent to Queen’s forehead – ‘MA12’ (it seem strange that the date code is for 2012 when the stamps were issued in 2013, but the print date was 2012). From 2012 all…

In the coming weeks broadcasters will no doubt present their reviews of the year, as we look back on what has been a truly horrible twelve months. The retrospectives will be littered with tales of feuding US politicians, the Black Lives Matter movement, and stalling negotiations in Europe. But one story will, of course, dominate. The pandemic that left the world reeling isn’t going anywhere fast and our lives have been changed in so many ways. Way back in March, the Stamp Collector team quickly launched a ‘Keeping you collecting’ campaign to keep people connected and involved in the hobby, via our email newsletter, website, and the magazine. Within weeks the organisers of London 2020 confirmed that the event would be postponed for two years. Meanwhile, we were planning our…

DARRELL DRURY: Definitely. People have had so much more time on their hands during the lockdown period that they have been able to do things that were put on the back burner. Personal hobbies were one of them, hence the rise of new philatelic blogs and social media pages. People have been trying out new hobbies including stamp collecting. The BFPS website has had more visits with people lingering longer on our webpages. RICHARD MOREL: I do feel that lockdown has enhanced the popularity of stamp collecting as I have partially outlined in my answer to the first question. In early March, just prior to the first lockdown I tweeted that during the pandemic hobbies like ours would play an important role in helping bring individuals together, entertain, pass the…

The word ‘Zoom’ took on a whole new meaning in 2020 as millions of people around the world adopted the online conferencing platform, allowing them to speak to friends and loved ones via their computer screens. Of course, it’s not quite the same as meeting in person, yet the virtual meeting rooms bring people together. Suddenly a society meeting can involve collectors in the USA, India, and Australia (so long as the time zone fits), and many philatelic societies were quick to turn to Zoom to keep meetings going. Philately also went virtual thanks to a series of innovative and welcoming online events. We hope you enjoyed the Summer of Stamps, a month of video guides, stamp celebrations, competitions and offers at www.allaboutstamps.co.uk, and we’re already planning next year’s festival.…

Philatelically, the Bahamas Islands were not well served in the reign of George VI. While other territories got long sets of bi-coloured, recess printed stamps, the Bahamas got a set of key and duty plate designs printed letterpress. These were fascinating for the specialist but no good for showing off the attractions of the islands. Three pictorials followed – but one of them was a re-issue. And the most important anniversary – 450 years since the Landing of Columbus – coincided with the middle of the war. So it had to be commemorated with a set of overprints knocked out by the local newspaper. But after the war, there was another opportunity. Three hundred years earlier, in 1647, the Company of the Eleutherian Adventurers had been formed in London. The…

What Kind of Collector are You? andrew@upastampauctions.co.uk ‘money spent in the wrong way soon mounts up…’ Successful and enjoyable collecting depends upon understanding the relationship of your budget to your interest. Offers and services can be confusing can’t they, and money spent in the wrong way soon mounts up. In philately, sometimes it is hard to decide which way to go. Your passion may exceed your resource, so just what may be best for you? Often, it is not what you collect but how you collect This is the reason why my team and I have devised this quick and easy philatelic route-map QUIZ which does not ask you what you collect – but helps you to determine by your answers just which type of collecting service may best suit…

A special online conference dedicated to collecting classic GB stamps will take place on the popular www.allaboutstamps.co.uk website from 12 to 14 November. Being held in partnership with the Great Britain Philatelic Society (GBPS), the online event follows the success of the month-long Summer of Stamps, which attracted thousands of collectors from around the world. The three-day conference will give collectors around the world the chance to learn more about British stamps with special talks, webinars and Q&A sessions. The online conference will be free to attend and is set to be the first of an ongoing series of ‘Collectors’ Conference’ events on allaboutstamps.co.uk. Editor Matt Hill said: ‘The Summer of Stamps was a great success and covered all kinds of different subjects. We’ll definitely be returning for a second…

The tragic loss of Tristan da Cunha’s main fishing and factory freezer vessel has prompted the philatelic bureau to postpone a planned set of definitive stamps celebrating modern mailships. The MFV Geo Searcher recently struck a rock off Gough Island and sank. It had 62 crew members on board, including two islanders in the role of Fisheries Observers. Fortunately everyone made it to Gough Island where there is a small South African weather station built to accommodate just a small number of scientists. The SA Agulhas II sailed from Cape Town to rescue the crew. Juliet Warner, of Pobjoy Mint, the stamp-issuing agency for Tristan, said: ‘This tragedy is a great loss to Tristan da Cunha. The Geo Searcher had passenger and cargo capacity and regularly transported mail to and…

Illustrator Kirsten Ulve used a traditional palette of red, green and white, and channelled her love of Christmas, vintage ornaments and Scandinavian folk art to create unique digital illustrations of four holiday icons for the USA’s Holiday Delights stamps. (usps.com) Artist Suffía Nón has designed this year’s Faroe Islands Christmas Seals, which tell the story of how Joseph and Mary travelled to Bethlehem. The background features the Faroese landscape and the eagle-eyed collector will spot that Mary is wearing a Faroese sweater and that Joseph wears a Faroese hat and a traditional Faroese coat. All sale profits go to The Christmas Seal Foundation, which supports children and youth activities in the Faroe Islands. (en.stamps.fo) Mmmmm, there’s nothing better than some glogg and knäck as a treat during Christmas. Aland Post’s…

Spink’s sale of Southern Africa material featured a range of treasures, but it was a 1960s error that achieved one of the highest prices in the auction. The marginal strip of six from the top of the sheet, nicely illustrated the printing error. Stamp one being normal, stamp two with the ultramarine sharply omitted through the middle of the portrait oval and to the right thereafter, stamp three showing the variety ultramarine omitted, stamp four with it extensively omitted resulting in a light area of the colour below the fish only, and stamp six with inking flaws through the value and ‘o’ of ‘southern’. The superb unmounted mint example was described as being ‘an exceptionally rare and spectacular showpiece.’ SOLD FOR £32,000 A stamp described as ‘without question, one of…

After lockdown was eased in mid-July both my wife and I were in need of an escape and arranged a ‘Staycation’ in Tetbury, writes Brian Austin. After a few days we decided on a visit to Bradford on Avon. After a wander through the town, looking in a few shops, and learning that for many years it was the centre of the rubber industry, we made our way to the river. A plaque on the bridge said it was renamed McKeever Bridge. Now that is interesting, and got me thinking, so 2012 Olympic Gold Medal winner Ed McKeever came from here, so as a cover dealer this would lead me on a search for gold, yes the Golden Pillar Box. Now for the embarrassing part, when I discovered it, I…

You can take your pick on the approach to make, to celebrate this record breaking cover which has graced collections of greats such as Dale-Lichtenstein, Dr. Chan Chin Cheung, and Guido Craveri. Maybe this article should focus upon the rarity of the two Mauritius Post Office 1d orange singles on cover, or perhaps you’d paint a biblical picture because the sender is Reverend Banks, and the recipient The Bible Society, or even the content that mentions the Scriptures received, all which conjure up a testimony to this mighty postal heritage. Or maybe you’d weave a tale around the Bombay destination at ‘The Esplanade’ which gives clear sight of the harbour. Yes surely it must be Bombay, given the title it has carried through the years as the ‘The Bombay Cover’.…

RICHARD MOREL, CURATOR, BRITISH LIBRARY PHILATELIC COLLECTIONS: Organised philately almost completely transitioned to the digital environment. The American Philatelic Society produced excellent stamp chats freely available on YouTube, whilst Markand Dave and his colleagues in India organised an astonishing series of live ‘Philaminars’ via Zoom. The Royal Philatelic Society London and Collector’s Club, New York adopted online platforms enabling them to continue delivering world class talks and presentations to their membership. Even smaller organisations such as the Epsom & Ewell Philatelic Society developed a range of fantastic blogs and online exhibits. In terms of international events, London2020 was rescheduled for 2022 at breath-taking speed, whilst others like the Summer of Stamps and Stampex were delivered online being well attended and very successful. NICOLA DAVIES, HEAD OF COLLECTIONS, ROYAL PHILATELIC SOCIETY…

SEBASTIEN DELCAMPE: The future will tell us, of course, but I think that Covid19 also pushed collectors’ habits towards the internet, whether by visiting other trade shows, such as Stampex, which took place online or simply by searching for collection items on websites like Delcampe. As collectors were forced to stay at home, they had to find other ways to enjoy their interests. HEIDI LAUCKHARDT RHOADES: Covid19 has definitely changed stamp collecting forever. The quantum leap into the virtual realm is not going to be rolled back. Stamp collecting is a worldwide hobby. The use of video-conferencing technology has enabled collectors to connect with others around the globe. The democracy of the hobby has only strengthened as people can attend shows and presentations at little to no cost. Where once…

When French trade authorities announced plans to hold their Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes at Paris in 1925 the term Art Deco had yet to enter the Oxford English Dictionary. I could find no example of its use in any popular British newspaper, despite the term’s neat abbreviation of the exhibition’s full title. British stamp collectors, on the other hand, talked and wrote about the forthcoming expo in the French capital for months before it opened; not because they collected, or even recognized, examples of the style; but because a desirable set of commemoratives was promised. Here is what a philatelic column in a British regional newspaper had to say about the exhibition and the promised stamps associated with its forthcoming opening: Northern Whig, 8 January 1925…

Many see it as a quintessentially British symbol – and one that’s woven into the history of this island nation, from the earliest Druidic oak groves to popular pub names. Oak trees and acorns have even appeared on our pound coins. However, what makes the Oak such a broad and varied thematic is that these fabulous trees are as popular in other parts of the world as they are in our own backyard. Around 21 nations have some form of oak as their national tree. The English, European, Common, or Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur) is perhaps the most well-known. But Cyprus has its Golden Oak; Ireland its Sessile Oak, Japan its Konara Oak, and Portugal has its Cork Oak. And, naturally each of these nations has celebrated its national symbol…

Events that are commemorated with the issue of an envelope can relate to actual journeys of transport, no more so than first flights which began in the early days of aviation just before the First World War. Between the two world wars was a twenty year period when both the seaplane and the airship were new forms of carriage for both passengers and freight. It is to the brief heyday of airship passenger service that we turn to with the two covers selected. The airship is the Hindenburg which had a short but successful career of 63 flights, and we consider this success without need to refer in detail to its end, which has been widely and fully covered elsewhere. The construction of Luftschiff Zeppelin D-LZ129 began in 1932 and…