Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2021 i Stamp Collector

1 ►If You want to learn how the stamp tradeworks, please read on… When I was 15, I did. I wondered if there was some secret source of supply? So, I bought my 1st stamp mixture, (wholesale I thought), broke it into 50 smaller units, advertised it in Stamp Magazine ‘Classifi eds’, and waited for the orders to roll in… I’m still waiting, 51 years later!… Wrong Offer ✗ Wrong Price ✗ Wrong Place ✗ (naïve seller) ✔ = me but I was only 15 at the time! 2 ► Three years later, attending my first public stamp auctions I wondered how some bidders seemed to buy everything, paying the highest price? It didn’t occur to me that they were probably Auction Bidding Agents, paid by absent (dealer) bidders to represent them.…

LONDON 2022 19 TO 26 FEBRUARY The organisers of the London 2022 International Stamp Exhibition have explained that new rules from the UK Government should allow more overseas visitors and national commissioners to attend. Taking place between 19 and 26 February, the major event includes a comprehensive philatelic competition, with collectors from around the world competing across a range of different classes. The difficulties with travel as a result of Covid19 had meant many non-UK commissioners and judges would be unable to come in person, however, the Commissioner General is now writing to these philatelists explaining the extra options being planned to make it possible for everyone who has entered to still take part. A spokesperson for the event said: ‘All of these positive moves allow the Organising Committee to…

The US Postal Service is set to increase stamp prices twice a year from 2023 onwards. The price hikes will take place in January and July of each year and have been met with criticism from industry organisations, some of whom believe the rises are a desperate move to stop the organisation going bankrupt. The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum in Washington DC has finally re-opened following the lockdown, although it remains closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays until further notice. A spokesperson for the philatelic museum said: ‘We are so excited to welcome you back! ’ Earlier this year the National Postal Museum announced the appointments of Ann Dunkin, Scott Guthrie, Yamil H. Kouri and Edmund Truell to its Council of Philatelists, a group which ‘provides the Museum with philatelic advice,…

Stamps: The weird and the wonderful 18 October, 6.30pm Discover the stamps that left postal workers puzzled, collectors confused, and philatelists searching for answers, in this fourth expert webinar in the ‘Adventures in Philately’ series of talks. Presented by Devlan Kruck and Marcus Orsi, the talk will include the chance to ask questions, as well as a practical session. Book your place now for just £5. Visit: www.allaboutstamps.co.uk/stamp-guides/webinars About the speakers Marcus Orsi, Senior Philatelist at David Feldman SA Marcus joined David Feldman in 1981, and has risen to become the company’s Head of Philately. In this role, Marcus has taken the lead in building upon David Feldman’s legacy by expanding the brand and its international exposure. Marcus has a leading role in business-getting, regularly travelling around the world to…

Amongst many of the rules Donald Trump brought in during his chaotic reign was that all designs entered in the long-running Federal Duck Stamp Contest had to depict an element of hunting, even though very few previous winners had included any reference to hunting, often preferring to capture the beauty of the wildfowl. Now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reversed the decision. A statement from the Service read: ‘We are removing the previously specified permanent theme and the mandatory inclusion of an appropriate hunting element within all Contest entries and revising the qualifications of the judging panel to reflect this change beginning with the 2022 Contest.’ Hong Kong Post is celebrating the success of the country’s athletes at the recent Tokyo Olympic Games with a new stamp sheet…

Six new stamps commemorate the Manx hero and politician who fought alongside Admiral Horatio Nelson in the Battle of Trafalgar, on the 250th anniversary of his birth. Unbeknownst to many beyond Manx shores Captain John Quilliam RN was First Lieutenant on HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, where it is claimed that he steered the ship into battle. Shortly after his return to the Isle of Man in 1807 Quilliam was made a Member of the House of Keys (MHK), but resigned his seat in 1810 after being called back to sea to serve first in Home waters, then in the Baltic and finally on the North American Station. He was invited to resume his post as MHK upon his return in 1817. Local designer Colleen Corlett has created…

Originally known as National Allied Publications, DC took their abbreviated moniker from their popular Detective Comics, the title in which Batman made his debut. Founded in the late 1930s, DC has seen many of its attention-grabbing characters on stamps, most notably the most famous super-hero of all Superman. Now the incredibly strong character, sent to Earth from the planet Krypton, appears on British stamps for the first time, as he forms part of the Justice League seen on the new mini sheet. The world’s greatest super heroes joined together to protect the planet, and the six-stamp miniature sheet shows all the team, the group’s logo in the forefront of the design. In addition to Superman, we see Batman, Green Lantern and The Flash, Wonder Woman, Cyborg and Aquaman, Supergirl, and…

This month we are featuring some postmarks from Romania that will interest the sports enthusiast and collectors of the Olympic theme, writes David Gwynn. Rugby is a major sport in Romania and often features on special postmarks and slogan cancellations. The great thing about most of the rugby related postmarks is that they feature action from the sport and are also clear and well designed. The first of the three postmarks featured this month marks a 1981 match between Romania and the All Blacks which features a player about to pass the ball. The second postmark celebrates a junior international match played in 1995 between Romania and Tara Galilor… that’s Wales to those who don’t speak Romanian! This features a tackle. The third postmark does not show action from a…

The story of Samoa begins around 3,500 years ago with the arrival of Polynesian settlers, probably from Tonga. Like all Polynesians, they were expert navigators and for centuries, life revolved around the sea. Most people lived in fortified villages along the coasts and maintained close contacts with the peoples of Tonga and Fiji through trade, intermarriage and, occasionally, warfare. Europeans arrived from 1722, missionaries came later and by the mid 19th century, the islands had converted to Christianity. Now, there were three western powers involved. Germany, Britain and the USA all claimed dominion over the islands. Individual matai (tribal chieftains) lined up behind the Westerners to advance their own interests and in the 1880s and 1890s, the islands were torn by two civil wars. These were separated by a short-lived…

In 1948, conquistadores were feted by Spain’s ruler, General Franco, as strong men, good Catholics and proud Spaniards. Cortez was born in 1485 to impoverished noble parents, and grew up in an atmosphere of excitement at the opportunities opened up by Columbus’ discovery of America. As a teenager, he studied Latin and law, travelled alone round Southern Spain, then, aged eighteen, left his homeland to become a colonist on the island of Hispaniola. An educated young man, his services were valuable in the colony. By the age of 25, he owned a large estate and Indian slaves. In 1518, he was put in charge of an expedition to explore and colonize mainland Mexico. At the last moment, he had a row with the Governor of Cuba, who ordered him to…

If you look out onto the philatelic landscape, our next legendary collector is the oak tree standing at the centre of our vista, with a spectacular canopy of branches and foliage that reflects a pleasing hue upon all those that care to gaze and admire the view. Charles Lathrop Pack an American philatelist, was one of the world’s richest men prior to the First World War, and as well as being a highly decorated philatelist, Pack was best known as an international authority on forestry. Pack is also famous for being the principal instigator in the war garden or food gardens for defense initiative, which encouraged the growing of vegetables, fruits, and herbs in private residences and public parks in the United States during the war. As is often the…

Like many matters in an industry populated by opinionated devotees, the origin of the comic book generates passionate debate, but comics, as we know them today, developed from the ‘humorous pencillings’ of political satirists of the 1700s, giving the illustrations their ‘comical’ name. By the early 20th century cartoon strips seen in newspapers were becoming increasingly popular and the content expanded and varied, taking on more adventurous and engaging topics than just topical comment. ‘Soon publishers began creating original material for comic books,’ says Lawrence Klein, Chairman of New York’s Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MOCCA). ‘Thus were born Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Plastic Man, Captain America, and countless others.’ Known in the USA as the Golden Age of Comics, a period most notable for the rise of Superman,…

History of the bicycle The earliest two-wheel machine, a ‘Laufmauschine’ (in English, Walking Machine), was patented by Karl von Drais, owner of a German Forestry Estate, in 1817. It was propelled along by the rider’s feet and known as the ‘Draissienne’, after its inventor. Denis Johnson, Coachmaker, London, patented a lighter machine in 1818, called the Pedestrian Curricle but it soon became known as a ‘Hobby Horse’. Kirkpatrick Macmillan built a machine c.1840 with treadles linked to the rear wheel, enabling riders to lift their feet off the ground. The invention received minimal publicity for many years. The Frenchman, Pierre Michaux, (1813-83) was a manufacturer of perambulators and invalid carriages in Paris, assisted by two sons, Ernest and Henri. He was asked to repair a Draissienne and hit on the…

If you visited Stampex recently I hope you found time to take a look at the many frames of philatelic exhibits on display. The variety of topics covered never fails to amaze me, covering a huge range of periods, countries and themes. As I write, we’re excited to be receiving more and more entries for our latest All About Stamps Competition, with a Penny Black on offer to the overall winner. Once again the variety and quality of the displays are fantastic. If you have yet to enter there is still time, so don’t miss out. Even if you’re not the winner you’ll have your one-page display hosted on the allaboutstamps.co.uk website and highlights will also be printed in next month’s magazine. Your fifteen minutes of philatelic fame awaits! You…

The most popular music stamps issued during 2020 have been revealed by the Motivgruppe Musik group, with the Yehudi Menuhin trophy for the going to Croatia’s Croatian Post Mostar, one of three companies that provide mail service in Bosnia and Herzegovina. When it comes to music stamps, 2020 was dominated by designs marking Beethoven’s 250th birthday anniversary, and the winning stamp, designed by Manlio Napoli, featured a portrait of the famous composer. Second in the annual competition was an Austrian stamp showing a double bass, and third was a Hungarian design again marking the Beethoven anniversary. A spokesperson for the philatelic group, which has been running the competition since 1980, said: ‘This year there was a choice of 66 stamps from 51 postal administrations. Collectors from 59 countries took part…

The third webinar in the current series of ‘Adventures in Philately’ online talks was another great success, with collectors finding out more about some of history’s most famous, and often eccentric, collectors. Titled ‘Everything you didn’t know about the world’s most famous collectors’, the webinar was presented by Stamp Collector editor Matt Hill and featured a presentation from the Museum of Philately’s Devlan Kruck and Marcus Orsi. Matt said: ‘It was another great session and we all learnt so much. It’s really interesting to find out not just what these famous philatelists had in their collection, but how they went about buying and selling stamps and, in some case, even destroying them! We’re finding the webinars are really fun and friendly, with everyone contributing comments and questions, and we’re already…

The United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) has issued three new stamps featuring illustrations of peace activist and musician John Lennon, to mark this year’s International Day of Peace. The three stamps, in values of $1.30, CHF 1.50 and €1) feature black and white illustrations of Lennon engraved by renowned engraver Martin Mörck, whilst three souvenir sheets, with values of $2.60, CHF 2.60 and €2.85 reproduce the lyrics of his famous song ‘Imagine’ alongside the photographs of the singer-songwriter on which the stamp images are based. The release of the stamps also coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of the recording of ‘Imagine’, which was released in 1971and became the most successful single of Lennon’s solo career. The song has been performed at some of the world’s biggest events, including concerts for…

The tumultuous year 2020 saw a range of ‘Covid stamps’ issued in the wake of the pandemic, most thanking the key workers who worked so hard during such a difficult time. The Faroes Islands have waited a little longer before revealing any values referring to the virus, with a new se-tenant pair. But it’s not just the fight against Covid that is reflected on the two values. In 2001, the Faroese salmon industry was hit by a disaster. In most fish farms, the salmon had been infected by the influenza virus infectious salmon anaemia (ISA). In a very short time, the salmon farmers lost approx. 90% of farmed salmon and the industry collapsed. The 20KR value features an illustration of salmon and the virus that so severely affected the Faroese…

A new stamp booklet from Canada Post marks Black History Month honouring the communities of Willow Grove, New Brunswick, and Amber Valley, Alberta. The booklet features just one stamp design, which shows the communities that settled in the 19th and early 20th centuries by Black Americans seeking to escape racism and build a better life. According to Canada Post, the residents of Willow Grove and Amber Valley faced the challenges of poor farming land and harsh weather conditions. They also faced continued prejudice and discrimination. Despite the hostility of their environments, these communities grew, and their descendants have enriched Canadian society and culture. www.canadapost-postescanada.ca Finland have issued six domestic stamps giving simple tips for taking the environment into account in our everyday lives. The tips involve plant-based eating, exercise, heating…

The ‘Greca’ Collection of Southern African Postal History recently went under the hammer at a Spink auction held at the Royal Philatelic Society London headquarters in London. One highlight was an 1875 cover sent from Transvaal to Prague. The envelope was marked ‘From E Holub travel to the Interior Leshumo Valley per my natives from Sepopo to Pandamatenka 21 August 1879’ and had been carried by other travellers before entering the postal system in Transvaal at Marico on 17 December 1875. The cover featured marginal 1875 6d cancelled ‘8’ in concentric rings, in combination with a Cape 1d pair and 4d pair and two singles, all cancelled by a ‘leaf’ type obliterator, showing red crayon ‘1/0½’, Marico (17.12), Cape Town (30.12) and red London Paid (2.2) datestamps. SOLD FOR £4,500…

Cooking with gas is an old technology, with gas stoves on sale in England from the late 1820s, and gaining popularity through the Victorian era, writes Richard Stenlake. Edwardian examples were solid and looked like safes, but the gas cooker has been refined through the decades, in the process tumbling from being the preserve of the super-rich to being owned by most families. Hence, when it came to marketing gas appliances it was an aspirational lifestyle on offer. Our first illustration is an unused 1930s correspondence postcard illustrated for Glasgow Corporation Gas Department by an unknown artist advising ‘This matter is receiving my careful attention’ from John McLusky, the Engineer & General Manager. It could go at the printed paper rate of a halfpenny. Although the design is meant to…

Many nationalised services initially co-opted postage stamps and revenue stamps for use as proof of payment received. The result is a huge variety of special cancellation and over-printings. Belgium’s telegraph service stamps appeared in 1866 and have the distinction of being the world’s first hexagonal stamps. Stamp booklets were another telegraph innovation. The first were possibly produced in 1870 for use on US railway telegraph services. Other specialist services evolved as the network grew, including military telegraph offices. Each produced their own stamps and cancellations. Despite the rise in electronic communications, telegraphs remained popular into the 21st Century. India’s telegraph service ended a 153-year tradition when they shut their last office in July 2013 after sending the world’s last telegram. Research into telegraph stamps has been sparse meaning there still…

During the 19th century Christian Missionaries were prolific in going out to far-flung parts of the world to spread the Good News. Sometimes this meant travelling to remote and unheard of locations, and it was not the most glamorous of callings, albeit it was no doubt commendable and often closely connected with charitable works. This missionary work was at times a perilous occupation, with well meaning evangelists either contracting a fatal fever, or coming down with a deadly disease whilst ministering to the natives. And although it isn’t what we want to ponder in the philatelic realm, an even worse fate could befall our saintly beings, when they encountered unwelcoming locals who subjected them to a grizzly end. But you don’t want to read about Missionaries being bound and chucked…

HOW TO JOIN BY POST Complete the form (on the left) and return to the simple freepost address BY PHONE Call the team on: 01778 392030 ONLINE SIMPLY Visit the website: stamp.cm/subs £3, that’s less than a cup of coffee these days. It’s cheaper than sending a small parcel via 2nd Class, and it’s definitely less than buying three issues of Stamp Collector in the shops (£11.97 less, to be precise). So why not save more than £10 on your first three issues and have the magazine delivered direct to your home? After this introductory price, you’ll still only pay £3.33 per issue, so you’ll be saving £1.66 each time the magazine drops through your letterbox. Call us today on: 01778 392 030 or simply visit the website: stamp.cm/subs…

STAMP AUCTIONS 3 NOVEMBER 2021 WARWICK Warwick & Warwick Court House, Jury Street Warwick CV34 4EW 01926 499031 www.warwickandwarwick.com 11 NOVEMBER 2021 LONDON Historical Documents, Postal History and Autographs Spink, 67-69 Southampton Row Bloomsbury, WC1B 4ET concierge@spink.com 020 7563 4005 www.spink.com 16 NOVEMBER 2021 LONDON Stamps and Postal History of the World Stanley Gibbons, 399 Strand, London, WC2R 0LX 020 7557 4452 support@stanleygibbons.com auctions.stanleygibbons.com 21 NOVEMBER 2021 ONLINE Mayfair Philatelics 020 3019 3630 info@mpastamps.com mpastamps.com STAMP FAIRS 3 NOVEMBER CIRENCESTER Bingham Hall King Street, Cirencester GL7 1JT, www.ampfairs.co.uk 6 NOVEMBER BECKENHAM Azelia Halls, Croydon Road 020 8395 9285, BR3 4DA BILSBORROW Bilsborrow Village Hall PR3 0RE, 0151 486 2610 FAREHAM Holy Trinity Church, West Street PO16 0EL, 01489 582673 STOCKPORT Stockport Town Hall SK1 3XE, 0151 486 2610 SWINDON Lawn…

CHAPTER ONE THE CURIOUS CASE OF ‘THE LONDON GANG Charles Phillips had indeed accurately anticipated Inspector Stephens’ reaction to the letter he sent the investigating officer. Noella’s damning discoveries had tipped the balance and warrants were to be issued. Word of this reached Phillips the day after the meeting had been held at Buhl’s shop, and in response Phillips sent his frock-coated assistant with a confidential verbal message for Noella Bry, at the Globe, to inform the young reporter her presence was requested at the planned arrests that afternoon. The Globe reception area was manned by a trusted private employee of the publication’s eminent editor Mr Armstrong, a Mr Snodgrass, although he was better known by those who worked at the newspaper as ‘the commander’ on account that he knew…

The number of stamps issued on the subject of the global pandemic continues to increase, and now the Philippines have issued a set with the inspirational, if rather long, title ‘Keep the Faith, Be a Hero, Get your Dose, Fight Coronavirus’. The eight stamps depict different members of society, each with their arm exposed to show that they have been vaccinated against Covid19, and mark the first time postage stamps have been issued specifically to encourage members of the public to get their Covid19 vaccine. A statement from PHL, the Philippines post office, said: ‘The stamps are all inclusive of people from all walks of life who are being recognised as heroes in our fight against Covid-19. What we only need to do now while facing this pandemic is to…

World Postcard Day was celebrated recently, with collectors and postal historians across the world joining together to celebrate the recently introduced event. Organised by the Portuguese team behind the Postcrossing website, which encourages people around the world to send each other postcards, the special day of celebrations first took place on 1 October 2019, to mark the 150th anniversary of the postcard. Now in its third year, the event included a range of online and in-person events. Åland Post issued a special cancellation to mark the 150th anniversary of postcards in the country which was made available on 1 October, in Mariehamn, and Portugal, Poland and Taipei also produced special cancellations for the day. In Brazil, the Cultural Foundation at Balneário Piçarras held a postcard exhibition at their headquarters, featuring…

A new set of stamps from Tristan da Cunha recall what has been described as ‘the single most important social event in the island’s history’, when the Duke of Edinburgh visited the island in 1957. Each of the new stamps, with values of 45p, 80p, £1.05, and £2.30, features a portrait photograph of Prince Philip, charting his life, but for many islanders it is his visit in 1957 that is most memorable, with a series of special events taking place. The Chief Islander of Tristan da Cunha, Councillor James Glass, said: ‘Prince Philip visited Tristan da Cunha in 1957. He steered the boat that brought him ashore, and islanders still recall the energy and generosity with which he engaged in activities in our village. He showed interest in our crafts…

Guernsey Post has released the third of four stamps in a series commemorating the centenary year of the Royal British Legion. The third stamp was issued on the 1 September, 100 years after the British Legion was formed, bringing together four national organisations of ex-Servicemen that had established themselves to support those who had suffered as a result of service during the First World War. The £1 stamp depicts British soldiers on patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, and follows the release earlier this year of the first two stamps, one depicting two Supermarine Spitfires and the other featuring a Hawker Hurricane fighter plane, which were issued in February and May 2021, respectively. An image of HMS Ardent during the Falklands conflict features on the fourth and final stamp, which, along…

‘This was a lovely project to work on,’ commented Chris Wormell when speaking about Jersey’s latest stamp set. He may well have enjoyed a bit of research at the many hostilleries around the island, but he was of course referring to the artistic elements of the set, rather than the deliciously drinkable subject. ‘The main challenge was to capture just a few of the many stages of brewing beer in Jersey while maintaining a nice balance of contrast and variation in the stamps,’ he added. Made using a hybrid lino-cut technique, the new set celebrates 150 Years of Brewing in Jersey, and consists of a set of six stamps, a miniature sheet and a souvenir sheetlet. Brewing is an integral part of Jersey’s cultural heritage and can be traced back…

There are few areas which have as many potentially rare issues as Latin America. Not only are many of the stamps highly interesting but also printed in ridiculously low numbers which in no way is reflected in catalogue values. For those who closely study the area there are many bargains to be had. Uruguay is one of these countries. Starting in 1923, this South American nation released several definitive stamp sets depicting the Chilean Lapwing, the national bird of Uruguay known locally as Teruteru. This bird is famous for its boisterous sounds and it is popular with cattle ranchers as it warns against approaching dangers. The four major sets can be distinguished between by checking the imprint. The first set has no imprint at all while the three others have…

Traditionally the rolls of Post & Go stamps are printed by International Security Printers (Walsall) in gravure with the service indicator and datastring printed at the point of sale using the kiosk’s thermal printer, writes Stuart Leigh. However, when the Asian International Stamp Exhibition came around in 2015, Royal Mail decided to use the Hong Kong skyline stamp from the ‘Sea Travel’ issue for all values. For such a small print run of the rolls of stamps, ISP chose to print the image and underprint (wavy ROYAL MAIL - ROYAL MAIL) digitally at their Cartor facility. Only under magnification and close inspection can the difference be seen. The easiest way to spot the difference is by looking at the underprint, the gravure printing has smoother edges and is solid, whereas…

1 Which country was first to feature an aeroplane on a stamp… and when was the stamp issued? 2 Which country refused to allow its leader’s portrait to appear on its first stamps because striking the portrait with an obliterator would have insulted the leader? 3 What was the postal rule introduced by Haiti’s new government in 1888 regarding postage stamps of the previous ruler? 4 In which armies did these three soldiers serve (see figure 1) and what was the campaign they were celebrating? 5 What was missing from the central area of this stamp BEFORE we obliterated most of it? (See figure 2). 6 An overprint in connection with The Boxer Rebellion of 1900 was applied to this stamp. What was the overprint.. and to whom did it…

The Qajar dynasty ruled Iran from 1794 to 1925, uniting the country after a vicious civil war. It was a time when Iran sought to rebuild its influence in the region and to raise its international profile. But that meant European powers began to notice Iran, which was then called Persia; they saw it as a potential ally to counterbalance the Turkish Empire, and also as a potential market. Britain and Russia were the two states most involved in this and their rivalry in the region became known as the Great Game. Stamps begin with the Shah Nasr ed-Din, who ascended to the peacock throne in 1848. He was the most outward looking of all the Qajars, keen to visit, learn from and copy European countries. Nasr ed-Din became aware…

BDPh offers free access to its Philately Marketplace on 13 November. The Bund Deutscher Philatelisten (BDPh) has organised an online Philately ‘Marketplace’ on 13 November 2021 with no less than 21 presentations and discussion groups. A wide range of topics will be covered under three general headings: Germany and its territories, Thematics, Practical Philately. For further details download the BDPh Philately Marketplace Programme at: https://tinyurl.com/arge-marktplatz. Alternatively you can send an e-mail to Eric Scherer at eric.scherer@bdph.de. Please note that the presentations and discussions will be conducted in the German language. Serbia launches SOFIZ II, virtual exhibition with international participation. The Union of Philatelists of Serbia (SFS) has published details of SOFIZ II, which this year will be an online exhibition. It will be open from 8 to 17 December 2021.…

Think of the word yes, and it’s impossible not to conjure up images of that magical day when he or she said ‘yes’, whether the question was ‘will you marry me?’ or the more prosaic ‘do you fancy a coffee?’ France has long been known as a nation that celebrates love and the 1999, 3f ‘oui’ greetings stamp, is decorated with two literal love-doves. The USA’s 2013 ‘Yes I do’ is an equally lovely issue, in which the words are used to form the blossoms on a rose bush. The stamp is part of the United States Postal Service’s popular wedding series, which began in 2004. Australia’s 2019 stamp saw ‘yes’ being used to mark an important milestone, marriage equality. Australia granted gay couples the right to marry in 2017…