Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Stamp: Philatelic
Stamp: Philatelic
STAMP CLASSIC GB
Why we love
the £5 Orange
PHILATE LIC
ADV EN T URES th stamps!
the world wi
Explore
SOUTHERN MAURITIUS
NEW ZEALAND RHODESIA
WE CAN
Sometimes the ‘old’ ways are the best use time and systems to leverage price, others will
ways aren’t they? But in today’s enthusiasm to want to agree a specific price and know that they
obscure the obvious so that money may be tak- are paid precisely this amount. No client is treated
en, almost surreptitiously, in numerous different
SAFELY
like a number and no client is forced like a square
ways, (without us apparently noticing until we
see the cheque in our pocket) – the transparent
peg into a round hole. M
‘seller pays’ has been deliberately ‘obscured’ –
15► OK, What Do I Do Next?
COLLECT
so much so that, amazingly, the latest 2017
European Auction Selling Legislation just in- a). You contact UPA to discuss with Andrew or a
troduced – now requires auctions that charge highly-qualified Auction Valuer/Describer what
‘buyer’s premiums’ to warn the buyer in you have to dispose of and your options bearing
YOUR
advance. Just imagine going into the petrol in mind your specific interests / requirements
station, and being warned that the price you’re b). If you wish, get a 2nd opinion, but investigate
paying to put fuel in you tank is not the real what type of auction / dealer you are dealing
price, you have to pay a premium! Obviously,
STAMPS
with. Is it a Dealer’s auction with relatively few
there would be an uproar… collectors? Can you see where / how the Dealer
sells? If you can’t easily see any pricelists or high
9► How can you cut out the middleman
and sell to Collectors instead? Well, I quality selling catalogues – that Dealer may sell
NOW
can think of two ways. 1). DIY - Do It Your- your stamps to other dealers…
self selling on eBay. That may be fine for lower c). Finally you ask U P A to collect your stamps,
grade material – but, would you risk auctioning insure in transit for an estimated replacement
relatively unprotected rare material on eBay ? retail value… CBS
We don’t and we’re professionals, so we should
know what we’re doing. Or 2). Cut out the extra
middle-man. Use my company UPA, which
reaches collectors instead. Here’s how it
16► What Happens then?A member of my
Team telephones/e-mails you to confirm
safe receipt. ‘Overnight’ valuations, unless simple,
works: Continuing from our previous Example: Contact UPA: 01451 861 111 are rare. Valuing stamp collections that have taken
The auction sold your stamps to a dealer for UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL:
tens of years to create takes time. Depending upon
£1,000 – but You received circa £656 your priorities / timescale I, or an experienced
UPA sells them to collectors for you for up to Dear Folk at UPA, member of my Team will contact you to discuss
£2,000 – even after 40% commission you receive up your requirements and the options available to
to £1,200. Up to £544 more. Now that’s amazing, I’ve dealt with the public for 37 + years, and
as both a consumer, and a businessman, I you for the sale of your collection. Provided only
isn’t it? G have created huge numbers of orders from that you feel well-informed and comfortable do
all over the world from a complete range of we agree strategy TD
10► Sounds Good Andrew, but Can You
‘Deliver’? Obviously, nothing is as simple suppliers from all aspects of our daily lives.
as that, and as we auction stamps to collectors
some collections may ‘break’ to the example
But I don’t believe I have ever encountered
such sensitivity, such kind thought, such
understanding as I have with you in our
17► How Strong is the Stamp and Cover
Market? Everybody knows that the
strongest areas are GB and British Empire. Post-
£2,000+/- but the stamps may be sold for more
or less – especially as we reserve all lots at 20% initial meeting, our subsequent successful Independence / QEII material sells but if hinged
below, (Estimate £2,000 = £1,600 reserve) and transaction, and now this. at considerable discount. Mint hinged material
not everything sells first or even 2nd time so I recall well the item you highlight, and pre 1952 is regarded as the industry ‘norm’ and
prices may come down… Naturally, it’s not that realise that this one item has such colossal therefore desirable – but genuine never-hinged
straightforward for a dealer either – he may sell at personal value, I could never part with it. commands a premium. Europe sells but at reduced
a discount to ‘move’ stock OR, like many dealers It has been an absolute pleasure dealing levels, Americas is good, as generally is Asia but
he may be sitting on the same unsold stamps, that with yourself, and I am more than willing for the ‘heat’ has come off China which is still good –
you see time and time again, in dealer’s stocks years you to use this e-mail as commendation to and Russia which can still be good. East Europe is
later and still at the same unattractive prices… others who may be thinking of disposing of weaker. Overall, Rarities throughout can command
So, I think it is more reasonable for you to expect their collection. their own price levels and real Postal History has
up to 36% to 50% more, indirectly or directly via Many, many thanks for a memorable
my Collector’s Secret Weapon: Universal good demand.
experience, and I will try to emulate your
Philatelic Auctions, which moves material more thought and care in my own business sphere.
quickly, by incrementally reducing estimate (and
reserve) price in a structured selling system… Yours sincerely
18► What Should I Do Next?
Discuss your collection
with U P A. Contact Andrew or
Q.❱ What is the Collector’s D. E. B. Bath, UK an experienced member of his
11► ‘Secret Weapon’?
This Unique Philatelic Selling System Formula is the
Team now… BC
L 19►
A.❱ It’s called the Unique Guarantee: I want You to be absolutely
reason why we are the largest stamp auction in the Sure So If You’re not sure we’ll transport
UPA Reducing Estimate UK today with more than 2,250 different regular
System... and return your stamps for FREE up to £200 in
This is a rather long explanation, I don’t want to
bidders. E actual shipping cost at our expense. It sounds
bore you, but 20 years ago, when my wife and I set In Hindsight Dealers warned me 20 years ago generous (and it is), but it’s far less than the cost
up Universal Philatelic Auctions I detected that the that my idea wouldn’t work. 20 years later I think of driving 100+ miles each way and 3 to 6 hours in
stamp trade’s biggest problem then was not what I’ve proven that it does. (Reader: Please Request a
complimentary UPA catalogue – using the contact
your home valuing your stamps U
sold – but what didn’t sell… So, because I didn’t
details further below) My Double Cast Iron Guarantee: We can
want to try to keep on offering the same either
20 ►do a better job valuing your stamps in our
unsaleable or overpriced stock I created the unique
UPA Reducing Estimate (and reserve) Selling System.
Simply put, if a lot doesn’t sell in the 1st auction we 13► OK, Cut to the Chase Andrew, what’s
the offer? All of my Selling Systems are
based upon selling to Collectors Globally, so
office than in your home. If you don’t agree I’ll pay
you an extra £50 for you to pay somebody trusted
reduce the estimate (and reserve) by 11% and unlike to open the boxes and put your albums back, in the
that 95% of stamps sold by UPA are sold directly to
other dealers and auctions WE TELL YOU – ‘US’
Collectors. If you wish to benefit by up to 50% or
same place, on the shelf they came from. UU
= once unsold. If unsold after the following auction
more, depending upon your circumstance and type
we reduce by a further 12% and WE TELL YOU
‘US2’, if unsold after a 3rd UPA auction we reduce
by a further 13% and WE TELL YOU ‘US3’ and
of material, by cutting out the middleman – then
this offer may be for you. Generally ‘time’ is the
21► Act NOW: Contact Andrew or an
experienced member of his Team using
the on-line selling form at our website, by fax,
so on till the lot finds its price, is sold or virtually enemy in our lives, and for most dealers not being telephone or by mail. We’ll work harder for you
given away... ✔ able to sell stock. Now is the time to let ‘time’ do
the ‘heavy-lifting’ and consider making ‘time’ work
not to regret the decision to sell all or part of your
collection… CB
12► Any Scientist will tell you that for you, so that at UPA you can make time your
A
combinations of ingredients can produce
powerful results. So we created the unique
friend. I
combination of my UPA Reducing Estimate System,
married (in stone), with UPA’s fair ‘NO BUYER’S
Premium’ policy, PLUS each lot carries my total ‘no
14► AND the SMALL PRINT? Some lots
are too small in value for us to offer this
system. Other lots may not be suited to selling
quibble’ guarantee – this formula is the reason why in this manner (e.g. surplus mint British decimal Andrew McGavin, Philatelic Expert,
within the span of 4 auctions (one year)… 90%- stamps best used for postage) – especially if the Author, Managing Director
95% of lots broken from a collection have sold. market is heavily compromised by stock overhang Universal Philatelic Auctions UPA
EDITORIAL
16 GB STAMPS
Editor: Matt Hill The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is celebrated 50 CELEBRATED SETS
matthewh@warnersgroup.co.uk
with a new set of stamps from Royal Mail. How a move to modernise stamp design
Contributors: David Bailey, Christer Plus, your chance to win the stamps! and production matched a new mood on
Brünstrom, Ed Fletcher, David Gwynn,
Paula Hammond, Devlan Kruck, Stuart
the island of Mauritius, resulting in a
Leigh, Eva Mealing, Richard Stenlake. 18 MARKET INSIGHT classic set for today’s collectors to pursue
ADVERTISING The latest auctions and internet sales, our
Mark Dean regular ‘Stamp Detective’ column, and 49 STAMP STORY
mark.dean@warnersgroup.co.uk
Tel: 07503 707023 your price guide to stamps of Danzig The story of the longest road in the world
and the stamps that celebrate it
Kay Cotterrilll
kay.cotterill@warnersgroup.co.uk 28 COLLECTORS’ CORNER
Tel: 01778 395065
Our popular section brings together 59 THEMATICS
PRODUCTION special collecting guides to postcards, Paula Hammond looks at a rather morbid
Senior designer: Nathan Ward
nathanw@warnersgroup.co.uk
Post & Go, Cinderellas, and FDCs. Plus, but inevitable theme, and we take a look
Designers: Rajneet Gill, test your knowledge in our latest quiz at the many frog species to have hopped
Jackie Grainger, Mary Ward
stampcoinproduction@warnersgroup.co.uk on to postage stamps over the years
33 NEW ZEALAND EARLY ISSUES
MARKETING
Lauren Freeman David Bailey looks behind the catalogue to 66 POSTAL HISTORY
lauren.freeman@warnersgroup.co.uk
see how Zealand went from off-the-shelf We examine the correspondence to
SUBSCRIPTIONS solutions to stamps it could call its own, and from a young woman who was a
scm@warnersgroup.co.uk
Tel: 01778 392030
many of which are now considered classics British star of many silent films, and John
Scott continues his postal history travels,
PRINTED BY
Warners (Midlands) plc, The Maltings,
40 MUSEUM OF PHILATELY guiding us through the ephemera and
Manor Lane, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH A remarkable collection explains the postal items reflecting the history of Sussex
DISTRIBUTION BY ongoing appeal of the £5 Orange.
Warners Group Publications plc Plus, the life of philatelist Alfred H. Caspary
West Street, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH
SUBSCRIBE
Disclaimer
The views expressed by contributors are not
necessarily those of the publisher. Every care
is taken to ensure that the contents of the
TODAY!
magazine are accurate, but the publisher
assumes no responsibility for errors. While
reasonable care is taken when accepting
advertisements, the publisher cannot accept
responsibility for any resulting unsatisfactory
transactions, but will immediately investigate
any written complaints. Thousands of collectors receive
Copyright Stamp Collector straight to their home
No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted without the every month, why not join them?
prior written permission of the publisher.
© WARNERS GROUP
PUBLICATIONS PLC 2022
DON’T MISS OUR
SPECIAL OFFER:
5 ISSUES FOR £5
See page 48 for details or
give us a call: 01778 392030
Welcome
A WONDERFUL HOBBY… WITH A GLOBAL APPEAL
The recent London 2022 exhibition reminded me
of the global appeal of our hobby. Even with the
Covid restrictions in place for many countries, and
ongoing safety measures complicating things for
others, the show attracted collectors from around
the world, all keen to come together and celebrate
stamps and postal history.
It’s always nice for us self-effacing Brits to be given a vote of
Canada Post recently used the famous ‘Machin’ confidence from fellow collectors from other shores, and there was a
portrait of the Queen on their stamps for the first lovely friendly atmosphere at the Business Design Centre, no doubt
time. Read more about this and other new stamps many visitors appreciating just how challenging the organisation – and
on page 12 enforced re-organisation – of the event had been.
It was also fantastic to chat to so many collectors, from near and far,
about Stamp Collector and the www.allaboutstamps.co.uk website.
70 CLASSIFIED ADS Many non-UK collectors subscribe to the digital edition of the magazine,
Buy, sell and swap your stamps! saving money and not having to wait for the issue to make it’s way
across the waters, and it was great to see so many new recruits to the
Stamp Collector community!
73 THE CHRONICLES This global theme is reflected in every issue of the magazine and
OF NOELLA BRAY especially in this issue, with in-depth collecting guides to a variety of
Our Victorian fiction series continues countries’ stamps, including the beautiful early issues of New Zealand,
and the more modern definitives of Mauritius issued in the 1950s.
74 ADVERTISER INDEX Wherever we are, whatever we collect, stamps, and stamp collecting,
make the world a little smaller and friendlier. Let the adventure continue!
Your A to Z guide to advertisers
featured in this issue. ADD TO YOUR
ALBUM, SUPPORT THE TRADE, AND BE SURE
PROMOTE YOUR
BUSINESS TO Writing in this issue…
OVER 40,000 Devlan Kruck is a professional philatelist and philatelic
COLLECTORS! journalist, currently working for the Swiss-based
International Auctioneers David Feldman SA. In this
Showcase your latest stock to issue Devlan takes us on another tour of the Museum of
thousands of collectors with Stamp Philately, charting the history of the popular £5 Orange.
Collector and the allaboutstamps.
co.uk website. We have a range of
Paula Hammond has worked as a publisher,
packages available to meet your
copy-writer, ghost-writer, author, and journalist.
needs and budget. Just call Mark
She’s written over thirty fiction and non-fiction
or Kay today to discuss options: books as well as comics, poetry, and scripts for
Mark Dean 07503 707023 DVDs and CD-ROMS. Paula writes our A to Z of
mark.dean@warnersgroup.co.uk Thematics article on page 72.
STAMP
COLLECTOR
stamps issued during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
See page 9 for details of how to enter.
STAMP Quick Links
UPDATE
Page 9 All About Stamps Competition
Page 10 Barcode stamps reaction
Page 12 Latest new stamps
EXHIBITION RESULTS
THE SHOW DID GO ON! World Stamp Championship
James Peter Gough (USA)
‘UPU and its Impact on Global Postal Services’
Grand Prix International
Vitoria Morani (Italy)
‘Tuscany 1836 to UPU: Letter mail in, from
and to Tuscany: routes, rates and charges’
Grand Prix National
Howard Hughes (United Kingdom)
‘The Maltese Cross’
Postal History – Best in Class
Vitoria Morani (Italy)
‘Tuscany 1836 to UPU: Letter mail in, from
and to Tuscany: routes, rates and charges’
Traditional – Best in Class
Joseph Hackney (United Kingdom)
‘The Half Lengths of Victoria’
Aerophilately – Best in Class
Bjorn A. Schoyen (Norway)
‘First United Kingdom Aerial Post 1911 –
The First Sustained Air Mail Service
in the World’
Revenues – Best in Class
Michael Mahler (USA)
‘U.S. Civil War Fiscal History Panorama’
Postal Stationery – Best in Class
Behruz Nassre-Esfahani (USA)
After years of planning amidst a worldwide ‘Persia, Qajar Postal Stationery 1876-1925’
pandemic, the London 2022 exhibition Picture Postcards – Best in Class
finally took place in the capital in February, Jenny Long (New Zealand)
and even a major storm couldn’t stop the ‘A study of New Zealand Picture Postcards’
show going ahead. Open Philately – Best in Class
Opening on the day after Storm Eunice Iva Mouritsen (Denmark)
had battered the UK, the international event ‘A Royal Ménage À Trois and
attracted collectors and exhibitors from around its Historical Consequences’
the world, though many had to endure travel
Modern – Best in Class
disruption and hair-raising landings to reach
Guy Heyblom (Belgium)
a windstrewn London. By the time the event ‘Belgium’s Royal Portrait King Baudouin,
opened, the weather had calmed, the many Type “VELGHE”’
frames of exhibits had been assembled, and the
philatelic celebrations could begin. Thematics – Best in Class
In addition to the exhibits, which were David Griffiths (United Kingdom)
‘Here be Dragons’
changed half way through the event in order
to accomodate the volume of entries, the Literature (Printed) – Best in Class
world’s top auction houses, post offices, and James Peter Gough (USA)
dealers offered their latest stock. The Faroe ‘The Postal History Of The
Islands stand was particularly popular, with British collector Howard Hughes (left) won the Grand Prix UPU: The Postal Card’
renowned engraver Martin Morck (as featured National award for his comprehensive exhibit on the Maltese Literature (Digital) – Best in Class
in the March issue of Stamp Collector) signing Cross, the famous postmark first used in the 1840s Maurice Buxton (United Kingdom)
his stamp artwork and meeting collectors. GBPS Website (www.gbps.org.uk)
The Stamp Collector stand was also popular, The Postal Museum’s stand included a
Youth – Best in Class
with collectors buying back issues and taking fascinating display of woodblocks used to create
Dinda Alisha Rahima (Indonesia)
advantage of special subscription offers. stamps designed by David Gentleman, ▶ ‘The Feather Friends’
www.allaboutstamps.co.uk
▶ whilst curator Douglas Muir signed copies of his
new book Just Large Enough, A Guide to The Postal
Museum’s Philatelic Collections which proved very
popular with visitors. George Tomlinson, Deputy
Curator of Philately at The Postal Museum, said: ‘It’s
great to be here and one of the things we’re keen to
tell collectors is that the Museum has some fantastic
resources for philatelists. Of course we have the Mail
Rail attraction and the Museum, but there are also
many records which would be of interest to any
philatelists researching a particular subject.’
Souvenirs created to celebrate the event included
a large first day cover, produced by Brian Austin
of Buckingham Covers, which featured the new
mini-sheet of David Gentleman stamps, along with
the original values issued during the 1960s and
1970s. Brian said: ‘We spent a long time arranging
the stamps and working out the best configuration
and eventually had to go for larger than A4. The
original stamps that are featured on the new mini- James Peter Gough (right) won the Stamp Championship for The Grand Prix International award went to Vitoria Morani
sheet are all on the cover’s reverse.’ his exhibit ‘UPU and its Impact on Global Postal Services’ (left) for his postal history exhibit on mail to and from Tuscany
The Royal Mail stand offered a range of
souvenirs, including a limited edition, numbered miniature sheet of the overcame many obstacles to ensure the show went ahead. ‘Frank deserves
recent David Gentleman set, and the new ‘barcoded’ definitive stamps. great credit for this,’ a source told Stamp Collector. ‘He deserves a peerage
Of course, with the challenges faced in the run up to the event, for his determination after what has been at least six years of planning. I
and with Covid restrictions still in force in certain parts of the world, am not sure many others would have remained so calm and controlled.’
there were some philatelists that were unable to attend the event, and Meanwhile, the many volunteers were also praised, with collectors
this, coupled with travel difficulties caused by storms, meant visitor coming together to change over the many exhibits half way through
numbers were lower than previous internationals. the show, in order to accomodate the many entries.
Members of both the trade and the organising committee were keen to
express their gratitude to Frank Walton, the Chairman of the event, who See more photos from the event in our London 2022 Gallery on page 56.
T
he competition challenges on the Mezzanine.
collectors around the world to
produce a one-page entry using The Stamp Collector team are
stamps or postal history, with the delighted to be working with
overall winner receiving the All stamp engraver Martin MÖrck
About Stamps Medal, a £100 amazon voucher, to offer a series of limited
and a range of stamps issued during the reign of edition, signed prints of the
Queen Elizabeth II. artist’s work. The collectable
prints feature portraits of
What should I exhibit? figures including Mahatma
We’d like you to stick with stamps issued during Gandhi, Mother Theresa,
the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, and since we’re and stamp engraver Czeslaw
celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this year, Slania, all of which have been
displays reflecting any of the following topics are used for stamp issued. The
encouraged: How to enter prints will be available to buy
• The long reign of Queen Elizabeth II Put simply, you need to create a philatelic via the www.allaboutstamps.
• Historic moments during the reign presentation on a single page (A4 or slightly larger co.uk website. Make sure you
• Interesting stamps issued during the reign to accommodate postal history items). All entries hear about the sale of the
• The development of stamps since 1952 should be scanned or photographed at a resolution prints first by signing up to
of at least 300 dpi (not sure? don’t worry, just drop the free newsletter, just visit
The challenge is for your one-page (A4) display us an email and we’ll be happy to help). www.allaboutstamps.co.uk/
to tell a brief story using your stamps, explain Entry is FREE and Stamp Collector subscribers can account/register
a particular aspect of stamps, stamp collecting, enter twice if desired. Please visit the website to submit
production or design. In short, the judges will be your entry as a PDF or JPG file, just visit: www. Australia Post have
looking for the following: allaboutstamps.co.uk/virtual-events/stamp-displays continued their tradition of
• A well told story or explanation of a topic All entries will be shared on the allaboutstamps. issuing a postage stamp for
• A clear, accurate and engaging presentation co.uk website (subject to approval), and highlights Olympic gold medallists,
will also be published in the June 2022 issue of with a new stamp celebrating
The competition is open to both stamp collectors Stamp Collector magazine. The closing date for Jakara Anthony’s success in
and postal historians. Non-philatelic material (such as entries is 18 April 2022. Every entry will be judged the women’s freestyle skiing
ephemera, documentation, tickets) is also permitted, by an independent panel, with the top three entries moguls at the recent Winter
provided there is a philatelic element to the entry. then going to a public vote. Olympics in Beijing.
T
he world of philately is
reacting to the news that all
British definitive stamps will
feature barcodes (actually data
matrix codes) and existing
definitives will soon lose postal validity, as
reported in last month’s Stamp Collector.
Collectors quickly pointed out that what
Royal Mail are referring to as ‘barcoded
stamps’ actually feature something more
like a QR code or matrix code. But it
is the effect the new stamps, and what
their replacement of all previously issued
definitive stamps by January 2023 will have
on collecting that has raised most concerns.
‘Specialist Machin collectors in the future
will want at least one of each Machin
issued but they may be very expensive if
they are rare because people have used
them or handed them in on the exchange
scheme,’ said collector Richard Camp. ‘And
what about collectors who have built up a
collection over many years and then find Has the barcoded stamp scheme been thought through properly? At the time of going to print there are still many
they cannot use the stamps when they give unanswered questions, with both collectors and traders uncertain of how the exchange of old stamps will work
up collecting just because they do not have a
code on them?’ the swap involves – it needs to be clarified.’
The same concerns were expressed by Dealer and blogger Ian Billings shared WHAT WE KNOW (AND
members of the stamp trade, many of these concerns, having written a lengthy DON’T KNOW ) SO FAR
whom will have accumulated definitive letter to Royal Mail, including a ‘two-and-
stamps over the years and continue to use a-half page list of grey areas.’ Writing on • Commemoratives and Post & Go
these stamps for postage. The Philatelic his Norvic Philatelics blog Ian explained: stamps will remain valid.
Traders’ Society (PTS) told us they ‘will be ‘I believe that many dealers will continue
working with Royal Mail over the coming as before, but may rationalise their • Country definitives are likely
months to assist with communications to stocks, trading in the over-stocks for new to be demonetised.
the trade, to collectors and to members of stamps. But some older dealers who were
the public. Once exact details of the Swap contemplating retirement and wondering • The ‘swap-out’ scheme is likely to be
Scheme are defined, the PTS will work with which other dealer would want their extended well past the initially published
its members to ensure the impact of this stockholdings may use this as a reason to date of January 2023.
change is as smooth as possible.’ retire sooner, disposing of much of their
There are still many unanswered stock to Royal Mail on trade-in. • As the old stamps are exchanged, there
questions at the time of going to print. ‘Most collectors who have been collecting is likely be a huge number of the new
Allan Grant of Rush Stamps told Stamp for many years must have, at some time, barcoded stamps on the market, meaning
Collector: ‘As far as trade is concerned, it is thought long term, and about the eventual traders will have to sell them on the
technically a disaster. This effects all stamps disposal of their collections… they will now secondary market, as postage rather
issued since 1971, so there’s no fall-back be reassessing their options for the future… than as collectables.
value in respect of face value, they will only Newer collectors and those for whom this
be collectors’ items. It’s like the pre-decimal does not represent a threat should be looking • It is unclear if the changes include
stamps that had a high value, suddenly they to add to and complete their collections as definitive stamps in prestige stamp
have no postal validity.’ quickly as possible, while the stocks are still booklets, smiler sheets, and on
‘There are so many other factors that there to be bought. Never was “when it’s miniature sheets.
are unclear. We don’t yet know what the gone, it’s gone” truer.’
requirement will be for stamps from prestige • The barcoded stamps are being
books or smiler sheets. When you send them SHARE YOUR VIEWS! introduced to avoid forgeries, yet some
in you’ll need to send them special delivery to What do you think of Royal Mail’s plans have suggested the exchange scheme
ensure they are not lost, so swapping the stamps and how it will effect stamp collecting? Just could see many fakes being swapped
won’t be free. The public are not aware of what email: matthewh@warnersgroup.co.uk for legitimate stamps.
AUSTRALIA
Safety belt stamps
Australia Post has released a new stamp to recognised as part of Australia Post’s stamp program:
commemorate fifty years since Australia became the ‘We have thousands of Australia Post drivers and
first country in the world to legislate for compulsory posties on the road every day right across the
seatbelt wearing in front and back seats. country, so road safety is something that is close
With road-user behaviour among state and to our heart,’ he said. ‘Even though it seems like
territory responsibilities, Victoria led the way in an obvious road-safety measure, the path leading
passing seatbelt legislation on 22 December 1970. to legislation took years of research, campaigning
New South Wales followed on 1 October 1971 and and public education, and it has helped to protect
all remaining states and territories passed legislation Australian road users from fatality and serious injury
by 1 January 1972. for five decades.’
Australia Post Group Manager Philatelic
Michael Zsolt said the anniversary of this world- Issue date: 25 January 2022,
first achievement was more than worthy of being australiapostcollectables.com.au
JERSEY
Seafood stamps
Jersey’s seafood features on a new set of Post & Go stamps, entitled ‘Harvest of the Sea’,
nicely complementing the new set from Guernsey (see page 12) to create a philatelic feast.
The Island of Jersey enjoys access to a wide range of seafood found in its
surrounding waters, often Atlantic in origin, fresh-caught each day and supplied to the
local fish markets and eateries. Local fishers often adopt sustainable catching methods
such as traditional potting methods for the lobster and hand diving for scallops.
These six Post & Go stamps are designed by local artist Ron Mills and depict Lobster,
Mackerel, Scallops, Turbot, Spider Crab and Jersey Oysters in a colourful modern
illustration style.
Ron Mills said: ‘As a designer and illustrator, it has always been my ambition
to design a set of stamps. I work in various artistic styles, so I thought a splashy
watercolour look would best represent the watery nature of the subject matter.’
FREE VALUATIONS
We will provide a free, professional valuation of your collection,
without obligation on your part to proceed. Either we will make
you a fair, binding private treaty offer, or we will recommend
inclusion of your property in our next public auction.
FREE TRANSPORTATION
We can arrange insured transportation of your collection to our
Warwick offices completely free of charge. If you decline our offer,
we ask you to cover the return carriage costs only.
FREE VISITS
Visits by our valuers are possible anywhere in the country or
abroad, in order to assess more valuable collections.
Please phone for details.
ADVISORY DAYS
We have an ongoing programme of advisory days, in all regions of
the United Kingdom, where you can meet us and discuss the sale
of your collection. Visit our website for further details.
EXCELLENT PRICES
Because of the strength of our customer base we are in
a position to offer prices that we feel sure will exceed
your expectations.
ACT NOW
Telephone or email Patrick Collyer today
with details of your property.
NORWAY
with a single
stamp, with
a design
that reflects
the modern
Explorer extraordinaire
aspects of Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian polar
journalism. explorer who led the first expedition to
reach the South Pole, has been honoured
New Zealand’s ‘Historic Ships of the with two new stamps from Norway.
19th Century’ stamps feature paintings Amundsen became the first person to
by Sean Garwood depicting important sail through the Northwest Passage with
historic scenes. We see an 1843 trading the same ship, in 1993. He also studied
scene in Golden Bay near Nelson, an the Inuit lifestyle on King William Island,
1852 whaling expedition on American north of the Canadian mainland. In 1910
whaling vessel the Charles W. Morgan, he sailed to Antarctica with the polar
settler ship the Mataura shown ship Fram, and it was with this ship that
navigating rough seas and the Felicity he took on the expedition to the South
and a fleet of sailing vessels in what was Pole. Together with four other expedition
known then as Blind Bay (now Tasman members, he became the first to reach the
Bay or Te Tai-o-Aorere). South Pole on 14 December 1911 – five
weeks before his rival Robert F. Scott.
In 1926, he flew with Lincoln Ellsworth
over the North Pole in the Italian-built
airship Norge piloted by Umberto Nobile.
Amundsen died in 1928 while searching for
Nobile’s failed expedition.
MONACO
Motor-racing legends
Born in 1942 in Mainz (Germany), Jochen Rindt competed in his first
Formula 1 Grand Prix event in 1964, and his career is celebrated on a
new stamp from Monaco.
With an aggressive and spectacular driving style, he was considered
to be one of the best drivers of his era. In 1970, on the eve of the
Italian Grand Prix, he had four consecutive wins under his belt and
was sitting twenty points ahead of his competitors. A victory in Monza
would have secured him the world championship title.
However, during the practice sessions, Rindt lost control of his
Lotus 72, probably due to a mechanical fault. He was seriously injured
and was pronounced dead several hours later. The season continued,
and Rindt’s lead was such that he was posthumously crowned world
champion. A unique and tragic moment in the sport’s long history.
Meanwhile, Monaco celebrates two legendary racing cars in their
March 2022 issue, recalling the Vanwall motor racing team, and the Little known by the general public after disappearing from the scene
Benetton B19, which was driven to World Championship victory by too soon, Vanwall was a motor racing team that competed in Formula 1
Michael Schumacher. from 1954 to 1961, achieving nine victories in just 28 Grand Prix events.
The team’s name was a contraction of the names of its founder, British
industrialist Tony Vandervell, and his mechanical parts firm Thinwall.
Vanwall developed a high-performance, sturdy VW5 which won the first-
ever constructors’ world title in 1958, thanks to six wins by Stirling Moss.
Powered by a Renault V10 engine, the Benetton B195 enabled
Michael Schumacher to sail through the 1995 season, scoring nine
victories and his second world championship title, while Benetton
secured its first and only constructors’ world title.
USA
Butterfly gardening
The US Postal Service has issued two new that butterflies love to visit. These, and blocks, she inked the blocks and pressed
non-denominated stamps intended for other flowers, play a vital role in preserving them onto paper. The artist then scanned
bulk mailings by authorised non-profit populations of butterflies, pollinators that are the images into the computer and added
organisations, which depict ‘Butterfly an incredibly important part of biosystems. colour digitally. As in most traditional block
Garden Flowers’. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the printing, the colour palette is limited.
The Butterfly Garden Flowers stamps stamps with original art by Rigel Stuhmiller. With recent interest in supporting
will be issued in coils of 3,000 and 10,000. Stuhmiller used a combination of traditional pollinators, butterfly gardening as a hobby
Each coil includes two designs, illustrations and digital tools to create the art. After has taken off. The requirements for a
of either cosmos or scabiosas, two flowers hand-carving the images into linoleum successful butterfly garden are few: plenty
of sun, the right kinds of plants and no
pesticides. The garden can be as small as a
few containers on a sunny patio or as large as
acres of land in the country or in a city park.
Scabiosas are called pincushion flowers
because they resemble a pincushion loaded
with needles. Cosmos, also known as the
Mexican aster, grow on a sprawling plant
that produces a profusion of blossoms.
Adding these two plants to a well-planned
garden with lots of colour from native
plants will provide a beautiful haven for
butterflies and gardeners alike.
Platinum postage
Royal Mail celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II with a new
set of eight stamps that recall moments in her long reign
I
n case you missed it, this
year marks the seventieth STAMP DETAILS
anniversary of the Queen’s
accession to the throne, on 6 Issue date: 4 February 2022
February 1952. It’s the first Printer: International Security
time a Platinum Jubilee has been Printers
celebrated in the UK and we get an Process: Lithography
additional bank holiday to celebrate Format: Square
and hold street parties – the perfect Size: 35mm x 35mm
chance to reacquaint ourselves with Perforations: 14.5 x 14.5
our neighbours after the trials of Phosphor Bars: as appropriate
the past few years. As with all royal Gum: PVA
anniversaries and events (the Queen’s 1st: Her Majesty The Queen
Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees during a visit to the headquarters
were also marked with special stamp of MI5, London, February 2020
issues from Britain), a range of 1st: Her Majesty The Queen
collectables are being issued to mark Below: panes from the with His Royal Highness The
the occasion, and post offices around Prestige Stamp Booklet Duke of Edinburgh during a tour
the Commonwealth are revealing of the United States, Washington,
their stamp designs. October 1957
Royal Mail’s stamp issue celebrates 1st: Her Majesty The Queen on
The Queen’s dedication to service a walkabout in Worcester,
during her reign, with each stamp April 1980
showing a different facet of her work 1st: Her Majesty The Queen
from Trooping the Colour to visits during Trooping the Colour,
across the United Kingdom, the London, June 1978
Commonwealth and the wider world £1.70: Her Majesty The Queen
Simon Thompson, CEO, Royal after touring the Provincial
Mail, said: ‘These stamps are a Museum of Alberta, Edmonton,
celebration of the second Elizabethan Canada, May 2005
Age and a tribute to a remarkable £1.70: Her Majesty The
lifetime of duty and public service. Queen during the Silver Jubilee
We are honoured to be releasing celebrations, Camberwell,
them to mark the occasion of the first June 1977
Platinum Jubilee in the UK’s history, £1.70: Her Majesty The Queen
a momentous occasion.’ during a tour of the West Indies,
in Victoria Park, St Vincent,
Platinum Jubilee souvenirs February 1966
There are, of course, much more £1.70: Her Majesty The Queen
than just the eight stamps to collect. at the Order of the Garter
The presentation pack features all ceremony in Windsor, June 1999
INSIGHT
Page 20 Stamp detective
Page 22 Latest online sales
Page 24 Danzig price guide
AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS
PRICES INCLUDE BUYER’S PREMIUM UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED
17 February 2022
1 April 2022
6WDPSVDQGVRXYHQLUVKHHWOHWVDUHDOVRDYDLODEOHRQÀUVWGD\FRYHUVDQGLQ
presentation packs. Visit the website to see our full range and to order online.
W W W . J E R S E Y S TA M P S . C O M
Email: stamps@jerseypost.com or call us on +44 (0) 1534 616717
www.facebook.com/jerseystamps @JerseyStamps
MARKET INSIGHT
SPECTACULAR MULTIPLE
Spink’s sale of New Zealand material also included this block of
25 1/- yellow-green stamps, from the right of the sheet with part
‘postage’ marginal watermark.
ALBINO FRAME
This Antigua 1949 1/-
black and red-brown fine
mint, showing a double
JAPAN TO LONDON frame print, with the
The Cherrystone Auctions sale also featured many Japanese covers, including second frame in albino,
an 1875 cover to London, franked with a horizontal pair of 30sen grey, was recently sold by
foreign wove paper, tied by Tokyo Intaglio Cross, with ‘Yokohama Paid All Stanley Gibbons.
Sep 25’. The cover had travelled via San Francisco to London, and showcases
an ‘extremely rare usage of the 30sen horizontal pair on cover’. SOLD FOR £900
STAMP DETECTIVE
Our philatelic private eye spies another stamp set that’s likely to go up in value
Collect
Alderney Patois
Stamps
52P 73P
73 79
Cha saonne migniet à St Anne (Bells sounding midnight at St Anne) Ma graond maire a trop pessaons (My grandmother has too many fish)
A PO RT RA
GU ER NS EY IT O F TH E
A PORTRAIT OF THE LA NG UA GE
GUERNSEY LANGUAGE
GUERNSE
Y
G UER NSE Y £1.35
£1.26 £1.35
PRE-ORDER
21.03.22 ye (A fishing boa
t in Braye Harbou
r)
u au port d’ Bra
En battay peckho
£1.10
Full Philatelic
IT OF TH E
product range
A PO RT RA NG UA GE
L’houm
LA A PORTRAIT OF THE (The m me dedans li
GU ER NS EY GUERNSEY LANGUAGE
available on our an in th le
e moon une ne porte
doesn’t pa
wear tr s di hardes
G U E R N SE Y
ousers)
GUE R NS E Y
website
Order Guernsey & Alderney stamps online or by tel: +44 (0) 1481 716486
email philatelic@guernseypost.com
Guernsey Stamps @guernseystamps www.guernseystamps.com
SOLD FOR
£2,225
SPECIAL OFFER: Buy 1 lb World, 1 lb British Commonwealth and 1 lb West Europe Scoop for the
discounted price of £130. List price £150.00.
WORLD SCOOP. An Off paper mix scooped from our oddments tub. Emanating from Charities, Auc-
tions, personal collections etc. You will find high Cat (please tell us when you do ) & many additions
for your collection. Each 1 lb lot is over 7000 stamps, costing around ½ p each. ½ lb £18.00, 1 lb
£35.00, 5 lbs £155.00.
BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SCOOP. Sold out over the last 8 months, we can now supply more of
our popular Off paper mixture covering old Empire & modern Commonwealth. Several clients found
stamps cataloguing £10 to £50 each. No promises but with at least 7,000 stamps/1lb you’ll have
great fun sorting. ½ lb £31.00, 1 lb £60.00.
WEST EUROPE SCOOP. An Off paper mixture of small and large stamps with much earlier material.
Many better and unusual values. Approx. 10,000 stamps to 1 lb costing around ½ p each.
½ lb £28.00, 1 lb £55.00.
Court Philatelics
WRITE, EMAIL OR PHONE FOR OUR LISTS
Please state any particular interests
B & S STAMPS Dept SCM, P.O Box 6198, Leighton Buzzard, Beds LU7 9XT.
RUSHCLIFFE HOUSE
17-19 RECTORY ROAD TEL: 01296 662420. E-mail: courtphilatelics@aol.com
WEST BRIDGFORD
NOTTINGHAM NG2 6BE PAYMENT: We accept cheque, postal orders or all major credit & debit cards. Paypal
Tel: 0115 981 6214 Email: chris@robinhood-stamp.co.uk payments can be made to courtphilatelics@aol.com or you can pay direct into our
bank: RBS, A/C no. 10088313, sort code 16-1620. NO MINIMUM ORDER.
D
espite a mere two be ally against another would-be
decades as a stamp enemy, and to keep Poles, Prussians,
issuing authority, Russians and Swedes off-balance
Danzig enjoyed down to the 18th century and the
more than half a arrival of Napoleon Bonaparte, who
millennium of thriving city state conquered Prussia in 1806 and, in
£16
prosperity before 20th-century the following year, declared Danzig a
madness ripped Danzig apart and semi-independent client state of the
scattered her population to the French Empire. Napoleon renamed it
winds. In early medieval times the Free City of Danzig; the name it
the confluence of the mighty river lost when Napoleon suffered defeat
Vistula with the deep coastal waters by Prussia and her allies at the Battle
of the Baltic Sea offered easy routes of Leipzig in 1814. Prussia then took
to Scandinavia and to the wider a turn at ruling Danzig; and when US eBayer Nowallp’s Stamp Emporium from Nebraska recently offered
European continent. Geography and Prussia became part of the German these 1921 – 1922 issues (40 pf, 60 pf, 1 mark, 2 mark, 5 mark),
geology provided an ideal site for the Reich in 1871 Danzig fell into with colours including emerald, dull purple, carmine, bistre-brown, and
growth of a bustling international German hands. blue-violet. They were described as used and mint, in fine to very fine
market. Grain, furs and luxury World War One and its aftermath condition. The BIN price was US $21.65, plus $2.25 s&h.
goods transported on river barges to threw all the cards into the air.
Danzig quays filled the holds of ships Poland argued that Danzig must
sailing to foreign ports. Gold and revert to its former Polish name – blocked Polish access to an open sea.
silver flowed in, brought by foreign Gdansk – and become Polish once Germany, on the other hand, argued
merchants. again because Danzig’s entire land that 95% of the Danzig population
Inevitably Danzig’s wealth drew area, approximately 800 square were ethnic Germans who wished
envious attention; but the city always miles, was already Polish territory; to retain their citizenship. A British
managed to play off one would- and that the existence of Danzig compromise proposed that as Danzig
£83
£1.50
had functioned well as a free city in 1 mark) circulated until 1923 when and olive branch, were surcharged, in
the past it ought to exist once again the gulden replaced the mark. On blue or in carmine, with values of 40
as the Free City of Danzig under the 1 October 1921, the Free City of pf, 60 pf, or 1 mark), together with an
protection of the League of Nations. Danzig became a member of the image of an aeroplane, or of wings, and
The Paris Peace Conference embraced Universal Postal Union (UPU). the name Danzig across ‘DEUTSCHES
the compromise and Freie Stadt Under the terms of the Versailles REICH’. The aeroplane image is
Danzig flourished. Treaty, Danzig citizenship depended on reversed on the 60 pf value.
Poland operated a local post residency. Germans living in the city On 3 May 1921 Danzig issued
office in Danzig where it issued lost their German citizenship, which 40 pf, 60 pf, 1 mark, 2 mark and
Polish stamps overprinted ‘PORT could be reinstated during the first two 5 mark stamps, designed by M.
GDANSK’. The city had its own post years of Danzig’s creation. Those who Buchholz. With Art Nouveau design
office at a different address, from chose to remain German, however, had influence obvious, they displayed an
where the first stamps of the Danzig to quit their property and reside beyond aeroplane flying over Danzig, with
Free City issued on 14 June 1920. Danzig’s borders. the inscription Flugpost Freie Stadt
They were stamps of the German In September 1920 three of Danzig. Colours included emerald,
Empire overprinted with different Germany’s 40 pfennig carmine stamps dull purple, carmine, bistre-brown,
values, and with the name Danzig depicting Germania, personification and blue-violet. On 15 May 1922 a 10
superimposed on Deutsches Reich. of the German nation, wearing her mark olive-green, similar in design to
The city’s currency (100 pfennig = octagonal crown and holding a sword the 5 mark, completed the set.
£62
£83
Aztec Collectables from Florida described this lot as a 1923 early registered
airmail cover from Danzig to Baden, postmarked June 23, 1923; with beautiful 1924 air post, set of five, 10 pf to 2½ gulden, never hinged; offered by
stamps and cancels. Its stamps include Danzig 25 mark (two), 50 mark and Cherrystone Auctions from New Jersey at US$85 plus shipping.
250 mark values. The BIN price was US $112.49 plus shipping.
£250
£19
£29.50 1935 set of air stamps; 10 pf to 1
gulden; fine used. Offered by Russian
eBayer suertealicia with a BIN price of
US $25.99 plus $4.99 postage.
5.99
UK eBayer i.b.redguy from Leominster recently
US eBayer superiorstamps from Minnesota recently offered this offered this German Cinderella item for £5.99:
interesting Danzig 1937 philatelic exhibition airmail souvenir a 1913 DANZIG from the Lost Colony Series;
sheet for U.S. $40.00 plus shipping. unmounted mint. Such publicity encouraged
German citizens to covet Danzig’s free city status.
Caldey Island
Located on the northern side of the Bristol Channel, Caldey Island can
be reached from Tenby in Pembrokeshire, writes Christer Brunström.
The island’s name is very probably of Norse origin and means Cold
Island. The Welsh call it Ynys Bǔr. The tiny island has a recorded history
going back some 1,500 years.
Caldey is one of Britain’s holy islands and it is home to an abbey
and a community of Cistercian monks who own the island which
currently has a resident population of forty, not counting the monks.
The island attracts many tourists who visit to enjoy the rich birdlife
and the many flowers.
In addition to the tourist industry, the monks make a living producing four stamps depict various church buildings on the island and they were
and selling perfumes and chocolate. They are particularly famous for sold as souvenirs.
their lavender perfume. During the Covid-19 restrictions, the monks’ A dab is a kind of flat-fish which is found in the waters surrounding
business has continued thanks to their online shop. Caldey. The word for fish in Greek (IXڧYZ) has a religious significance
Back in the 1970s, Caldey Island issued four different stamp-like labels as it represents the first letters in what can be translated as Jesus Christ,
all carrying the curious denomination of 2 dabs. They were not local Son of God, Saviour. Isn’t it amazing the kind of strange things you learn
carriage labels as the island was and still is served by the Royal Mail. The while studying Cinderella stamps?
STAMP QUIZ
Test your stamp knowledge with our monthly quiz (answers on page 30)
4 What is the caption at the bottom of the vignette seen on the USA
2c stamp in the commemorative set of 1898?
6
7
SOCIETY NEWS
Chelmsford And District Philatelic Society’s recent meeting gave symbolical subjects.” All designs contained the photographic portrait
members the chance to present a few frames on the subject of their of Queen Elizabeth II taken by Dorothy Wilding Ltd. on 15 April
choice. Eric Lienhard’s presentation included envelopes with Cachets 1952. The first stamp issued was the 3d value on 18 August 1958.
for the Swiss town of Bethlehem; Paul Green described envelopes A total of four different denominations were produced for Jersey,
and correspondence from the sunnier setting of Jamaica and the Up Isle of Man and Guernsey, and seven for Northern Ireland, Scotland
Park camp, which served as a base for soldiers, an internment camp and Wales. The last issued being the 9d value of Scotland on 28
during the Second World War, and an evacuation area during the September 1970.’ Full details of the Great Britain Philatelic Society
war for Gibraltar citizens who wished to leave for their safety. Chris can be found at www.gbps.org.uk
Norton concluded the first part of the afternoon meeting with a
display covering Christmas cards from Hong Kong. John Rawlins The British Thematic Association has now opened its recordings
commenced the second half of the meeting with recent purchases that of past online Zoom thematic presentations to everybody. Seven
he has added to his collection, comprising envelopes with cachets presentations ranging from Christmas Menus to Watermarks, Copper
sent during the period of early flights in Canada including the Trans to the Statue of Liberty are now available on the BTA website under
Prairie route of the 1930s. John Copeland followed with a display the ‘Events’ tab: www.britishthematic.org.uk. In future all Zoom
of Essex Post Offices illustrated on post cards over the years. Finally presentations will be opened to all after three months of the original
Patricia Adams displayed a selection of Christmas seals from Norway showing to BTA members.
produced over the decades to generate funds for various charities.
For Society details contact Dave Everard on tel: 01245 465506; The Kingston & District Philatelic Society has now established itself
email: davideverard@live.com at the new venue at the Day Centre at Claygate, Surrey. This venue
is still within easy reach of the centre of Kingston upon Thames,
A meeting of the Great Britain Philatelic Society will be held on has excellent facilities and a congenial atmosphere with excellent car
Saturday 19 March at the Royal Philatelic Society, 15 Abchurch Lane, parking. We are also inviting new members from those who would
London EC4N 7BW from 11am. The morning session will consist find Claygate more convenient to attend an evening meeting here
of a display from David Poynton entitled Stamps Issued in Rolls rather than at Surbiton. The Society has regular meetings on the first
– KGV to QEII. David says: ‘The display shows the development Thursday and third Friday of each month, where interesting displays
of stamp rolls for use in both vending and office affixing machines have been viewed. Often suitably masked. Details of the Society can
from the very earliest trials through to the QE2 period where postal be obtained by contacting the Hon Secretary, Brian Sole, FRPSL
rates were changing rapidly. A number of scarce coil leaders from all on tel: 01932 220677; email: brian.sole@btinternet.com or via the
reigns will be shown.’ The afternoon session, commencing at 2.15pm, website: www.kingstonphilatelicsociety.com
will consist of a display from Trevor Shimell entitled £sd Regionals
1958-1971. Trevor says: ‘This display provides a detailed study of the SHARE YOUR SOCIETY NEWS!
Regional £sd issues of Great Britain from 1958 until 1971 including Send your society news and events to us and we will include them
their usages. On 18 June 1956 an announcement was made from in a future issue of Stamp Collector …or why not become a Featured
the House of Commons which stated that consultative committees Society and enjoy coverage on our website and in the Classifieds
had been appointed to advise on “individual stamps for the regions pages of every issue? Just email: matthewh@warnersgroup.co.uk to
in small size showing the Queen’s portrait framed by heraldic or submit your updates or to find out more.
POST & GO
.net
The collectors’ marketplace
Michael G. Read
Poachers Retreat, Common Lane, Kings Langley,
Name: .......................................................................................
Address: ...................................................................................
+HUWV:'+33KRQH ...................................................................................................
e-mail: mg.read@btinternet.com ...................................................................................................
Visit our new website www.michaelgread.co.uk
Postcode ............................... Tel ...........................................
(VW<HDUVRI&DUHDQG$WWHQWLRQ SC
LARGE FORMAT WORLD MIXTURES, £p PER 100g ENTIRELY COMMEMS WHERE INDICATED ‘COMM’
K468 ALBANIA: . . . . . . . . 17.75 K58 DENMARK: COMM HV . . 33.85 K158 JAPAN: COMM . . . . . . 14.05 K242 R.S.A: HOMELANDS . . . 18.45
K452 ANTIGUA: . . . . . . . . 22.65 K59 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. . 18.45 K166 KOREA (N): . . . . . . . 12.85 K443 RWANDA: . . . . . . . . 14.25
K14 AUSTRALIA: COMM. . . . 6.35 K68 EAST GERMANY: COMM . 11.35 K168 LESOTHO: . . . . . . . . 15.65 K475 SERBIA: . . . . . . . . . 12.85
K16 AUSTRALIA: COMM HV . . 24.75 K69 EGYPT: . . . . . . . . . 10.05 K448 LIBERIA: . . . . . . . . . 18.45 K463 SEYCHELLES: . . . . . . 17.05
K18 AUSTRIA: COMM . . . . . 22.65 K70 ETHIOPIA: . . . . . . . . 14.25 K169 LIBYA: COMM . . . . . . 11.60 K240 SOLOMON ISLANDS: . . . 18.45
K19 BAHAMAS: . . . . . . . . 14.25 K79 FIJI: . . . . . . . . . . . 17.05 K174 LUXEMBOURG: COMM . . 12.85 K376 SPAIN: COMM . . . . . . 4.95
K20 BAHRAIN: . . . . . . . . 14.25 K402 FRAMA: IRISH . . . . . . 5.00 K176 MALAWI:. . . . . . . . . 15.65 K257 ST. VINCENT:. . . . . . . 17.05
K26 BELGIUM: COMM . . . . 11.45 K420 FRAMA:REST OF WORLD. 5.00 K180 MALDIVE ISLANDS . . . . 17.05 K264 SWEDEN: . . . . . . . . 12.65
K28 BERLIN: COMM . . . . . 21.25 K88 FRANCE: COMM . . . . . 9.85 K182 MALTA: COMM . . . . . . 5.30 K173 SWISS: COMM . . . . . . 11.45
K30 BERMUDA: . . . . . . . . 14.25 K370 FRANCE: COMM HV . . . 36.65 K181 MALTA: COMM HV . . . . 16.35 K267 SWISS: COMM HV . . . . 13.90
K435 BOLIVIA: . . . . . . . . . 21.25 K100 GERMANY: COMM . . . . 5.00 K184 MAURITIUS: . . . . . . . 17.05 K270 SWISS: DEFS HV . . . . . 4.80
K32 BOTSWANA: . . . . . . . 14.25 K400 GERMANY: COMM HV . . 10.05 K185 MEXICO: . . . . . . . . . 14.25 K271 SWISS: SEMI-POSTALS . . 24.05
K36 BULGARIA:. . . . . . . . 17.05 K101 GERMANY: SEMI POST: . 24.75 K361 MONACO: . . . . . . . . 18.45 K276 THAILAND: COMM . . . . 16.35
K470 BURMA: . . . . . . . . . 18.45 K105 GIBRALTAR: . . . . . . . 12.85 K191 NAMIBIA: . . . . . . . . 18.45 K369 TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: . . 17.05
K454 BURUNDI: . . . . . . . . 17.05 K107 GREENLAND: . . . . . . 17.05 K192 NEPAL:. . . . . . . . . . 19.85 K440 TUNISIA: . . . . . . . . . 10.05
K467 CAMBODIA: . . . . . . . 14.25 K456 GUYANA/BR. GUIANA: . . 18.45 K196 NEW ZEALAND: COMM . . 10.75 K290 U.S.A: COMM. . . . . . . 7.75
K40 CANADA: COMM . . . . . 24.05 K118 HOLLAND: COMM . . . . 13.35 K363 NEW ZEALAND:COMM HV 35.25 K286 U.S.A: XMAS . . . . . . . 5.00
K360 CANADA: COMM HV . . . 35.25 K117 HOLLAND: XMAS. . . . . 6.35 K198 NIGERIA: . . . . . . . . . 15.65 K284 U.S: AIR MAILS: . . . . . 6.35
K38 CANADA: XMAS. . . . . . 4.25 K120 HOLLAND:SEMI-POSTAL . 12.85 K202 NORWAY: COMM HV . . . 33.85 K293 UNITED NATIONS: . . . . 21.25
K47 CHINA PEOPLE’S REP: . . 14.25 K128 ICELAND: . . . . . . . . 31.75 K201 NORWAY:LARGE/COMMS. 9.85 K294 VATICAN: COMM . . . . . 17.75
K445 COSTA RICA: . . . . . . . 13.55 K391 IRELAND: COMM. . . . . 11.25 K208 PAKISTAN:LARGE DEFS. . 10.05 K211 VIETNAM: COMM. . . . . 14.05
K465 CROATIA: . . . . . . . . 15.65 K410 IRELAND: COMM HV . . . 38.75 K434 PANAMA:. . . . . . . . . 18.45 K372 WALT DISNEY: COMM . . 10.05
K329 CUBA: COMM . . . . . . 11.45 K145 ISRAEL: COMM. . . . . . 18.45 K220 PORTUGAL: COMM . . . . 21.25 K301 ZAIRE . . . . . . . . . . 18.45
K350 CYPRUS: . . . . . . . . . 9.15 K149 ITALY: COMM . . . . . . 12.15 K474 PORTUGESE C/WEALTH . 12.85
K56 DENMARK: COMM . . . . 10.55 K155 JAMAICA: . . . . . . . . 17.05 K244 R.S.A: COMM . . . . . . . 12.85
WORLD MISSION MIXTURES, £p PER 100g CONTAIN COMMEMS, DEFINITIVES AND SOME HVs
K152 ALGERIA: . . . . . . . . 15.65 K102 GERMANY: . . . . . . . . 5.00 K481 LATVIA: . . . . . . . . . 14.25 K234 SCANDINAVIA: . . . . . . 5.00
K11 ARGENTINA: . . . . . . . 10.05 K318 GHANA: . . . . . . . . . 9.35 K429 LEBANON: . . . . . . . . 15.65 K239 SINGAPORE: . . . . . . . 14.25
K15 AUSTRALIA: . . . . . . . 4.25 K106 GREECE: . . . . . . . . . 7.95 K355 LITHUANIA: . . . . . . . 14.25 K401 SLOVAKIA: . . . . . . . . 6.10
K367 AUSTRALIA: DEFS HV. . . 7.05 K119 HOLLAND: . . . . . . . . 4.95 K175 LUXEMBOURG:. . . . . . 6.20 K460 SLOVENIA: . . . . . . . . 15.65
K364 AUSTRIA:. . . . . . . . . 6.35 K122 HONG KONG: . . . . . . 5.30 K381 MADAGASCAR: . . . . . . 18.45 K253 SPAIN: . . . . . . . . . . 5.00
K21 BANGLADESH: . . . . . 12.85 K319 HUNGARY: . . . . . . . . 11.45 K178 MALAYSIA: . . . . . . . . 8.65 K255 SRI LANKA: . . . . . . . 6.70
K450 BELARUS: . . . . . . . . 22.65 K131 INDIA: . . . . . . . . . . 7.00 K356 MOLDOVA: . . . . . . . . 19.85 K446 SUDAN: . . . . . . . . . 8.65
K27 BELGIUM: . . . . . . . . 6.35 K136 INDONESIA: . . . . . . . 10.75 K189 MOROCCO: . . . . . . . . 10.05 K262 SWEDEN: . . . . . . . . 5.00
K374 BELIZE/BR. HONDURAS . 19.85 K378 IRAN: . . . . . . . . . . 12.85 K373 N. ZEALAND: DEFS HV . . 12.85 K272 SWITZERLAND: . . . . . 4.25
K35 BRAZIL: . . . . . . . . . 10.05 K423 IRAQ: . . . . . . . . . . 14.25 K484 NETHERLAND ANTILLES . 19.85 K273 TAIWAN:. . . . . . . . . 17.05
K333 BRIT C/W:PRE QUE II . . 28.25 K139 IRELAND: . . . . . . . . 5.00 K195 NEW ZEALAND: . . . . . 4.25 K371 TANZANIA: . . . . . . . . 12.85
K42 CANADA: . . . . . . . . . 5.65 K140 IRELAND: DEFS HV. . . . 5.65 K204 NORWAY: . . . . . . . . 4.95 K277 THAILAND:. . . . . . . . 11.45
K39 CANADA: DEFS HV . . . . 5.65 K375 IRELAND: XMAS . . . . . 5.00 K424 OMAN: . . . . . . . . . . 14.25 K279 TURKEY: . . . . . . . . . 8.65
K432 CHILE: . . . . . . . . . . 15.65 K146 ISRAEL: . . . . . . . . . 10.05 K212 PHILIPPINES: . . . . . . 15.65 K291 U.S.A: . . . . . . . . . . 5.00
K305 CZECH REPUBLIC: . . . . 12.15 K134 ITALY: . . . . . . . . . . 7.00 K215 POLAND: . . . . . . . . . 6.35 K476 UKRAINE: . . . . . . . . 17.05
K396 CZECHOSLOVAKIA: . . . . 7.00 K490 IVORY COAST: . . . . . . 18.45 K219 PORTUGAL: . . . . . . . 9.35 K421 UN. ARAB EMIRATES: . . 14.25
K57 DENMARK: . . . . . . . . 4.25 K159 JAPAN:. . . . . . . . . . 6.35 K428 QATAR:. . . . . . . . . . 14.25 K442 VENEZUELA: . . . . . . . 15.65
K67 EAST GERMANY: . . . . . 4.95 K506 KAZAKHSTAN . . . . . . 5.00 K245 R.S.A: . . . . . . . . . . 5.00 K477 YUGOSLAVIA: . . . . . . 12.85
K379 ESTONIA: . . . . . . . . 14.25 K483 KENYA/UGANDA/TANZ.. . 12.85 K229 ROMANIA: . . . . . . . . 14.25 K303 ZAMBIA: . . . . . . . . . 14.25
K81 FINLAND: . . . . . . . . 4.25 K162 KENYA: . . . . . . . . . 7.00 K451 RUSSIA: . . . . . . . . . 12.15 K304 ZIMBABWE: . . . . . . . 8.65
K89 FRANCE: . . . . . . . . . 4.25 K471 KOREA - SOUTH: . . . . . 14.25 K387 SAN MARINO COMMEMS . 19.85
OFF PAPER GREAT BRITAIN MIXTURES, £p PER 100g
K515 CASTLES HV . . . . . . . 14.25 K129 COMM/XMAS PRE-DEC . . 6.10 K414 GREETINGS/MULTIPLES . 11.45 K164 PRE QUE II: . . . . . . . 24.75
K393 CHANNEL ISLES: . . . . . 12.85 K94 COMMS/XM PRE DEC HV . 15.65 K482 ISLE OF MAN: . . . . . . 24.75 K153 REGIONALS HV. . . . . . 84.25
K163 COMM/XM DECIMALS HV. 21.25 K97 DEFINITIVES . . . . . . . 5.00 K95 MISSION:. . . . . . . . . 4.95 K504 WILDING DESIGN . . . . 14.25
K171 COMM/XMAS DECIMALS . 7.00 K520 DEFINITIVES HV . . . . . 15.65 K501 PRE DECIMAL MISSION. . 5.30 K519 WILDING HV. . . . . . . 24.75
N
ew Zealand’s country. This guaranteed the Below, from left: constitutional framework for the
postal service rights of both Maori and Paheka the 2/- value of the future growth. That year, nine Post
began in 1840, (non-Maori) people to property 1898 set; an early Offices opened on both islands.
with the Treaty of and representation in Parliament. Richardson printing In 1841, New Zealand officially
Waitangi, signed It signalled the end of lawlessness on blued paper (image became a Crown Colony and control
by the Governor and over 500 in the North Island by bands of courtesy of Robert of the Post Office passed from New
Maori Chieftains all around the whalers and sealers. And it set a firm Siegel Auction galleries) South Wales to the GPO, who ran
things until 1848.
New Zealand’s first
stamps appeared in
1855 and were created
by Perkins Bacon.
Known as the ‘Full
Face’ stamps, they used
the portrait of Queen
Victoria by Alfred
Edward Chalon, which
depicts the Queen on
the occasion of her first
speech in the House
of Lords. The portrait
appears in the stamps
of nine other colonies.
And like all Perkins
The top value of the first sideface The Post Office building and ship
issue by De La Rue (Robert Siegel in harbour, Wellington, late 19th
Auction Galleries); the first ½d century (Pump Park Vintage
value of the Pictorials: replaced by Photography / Alamy
a ½ green in 1900 Stock Photo)
GP KEEF
PHILATELIST
20% DISCOUNT
ON OUR PRICES OVER £5.00
• Established company supplying collectors
for over 85 years
• Large variety of stamps in stock
• Beginners & advanced collectors welcome
• Ask if you’re looking for a special stamp
Send for your 14 days approval now!
www.allaboutstamps.co.uk
38 APRIL 2022
)RU\RXUSKLODWHOLFLQVXUDQFHUHTXLUHPHQWV
FRQWDFW+::RRG/LPLWHGWKHSUHIHUUHG
LQVXUDQFHEURNHUIRUVWDPSFROOHFWRUVDQG
GHDOHUV:RUOGZLGH
:KHWKHU\RXUHTXLUHLQVXUDQFHDWKRPHDWD
EXVLQHVVSUHPLVHVDWH[KLELWLRQDQGRULQ
WUDQVLW
JLYHXVDFDOOZHKDYHDUDQJHRI
IOH[LEOHLQVXUDQFHSODQVWKDWZHFRQVLGHUDUH
VXUHWRRIIHU\RXWKHFRYHUDJH\RXQHHG
What do we buy?
We buy virtually anything in stamps and covers, from specialised one country collections to general lots and
accumulations, from better quality single items to complete dealer’s stocks. If it’s philatelic, we're interested.
ACCURATE VALUATIONS We have over forty years full time experience as a major buyer in the stamp trade and we buy from all the main
UK & Continental auction houses. We make accurate, efficient valuations based on the very latest market values.
FAIR VALUATIONS We work on high turnover with low profit margins which means we must buy - and we pay the top market price.
IMMEDIATE PAYMENT All our offers are backed by immediate payment. We agree a price and you get paid there and then. It’s that simple.
HOME VISITS We travel extensively, which means we can easily arrange to view bulky, valuable collections in your own home.
And finally...
We buy most of our material from auction, usually at well below our “top price”. Auctioneers typically take between 15-25%
from BOTH SIDES! If those people had sold directly to us they would have saved time, been paid more and paid immediately.
I
t makes you think what on earth could anyone send that would extraordinarily eye
cost that amount of cash? But that’s not the half of it, because catching on account of it
one of the key inspirations and ultimately the driver behind the including four of the £5
Post Office in Great Britain producing these tangy adhesives was on blued paper plus four
that someone wanted to send a telegram costing £32. 2s. 0d., of the £1 postage values
which in today’s money amounts to more than £6,000. and a 10s, all difficult
That is a lot of dosh but as we are about to find out, it is even more stamps to locate used in
in stamps. With 5s being the highest telegraph stamp at the time, it combination with any of
required six sheets of 5s, that’s larger than the size of the telegram form! these valuable rarities.
So the genius of this often misunderstood citric fiver is that it is the size The collection even
of two 5s telegraph stamps but equal in value to a block of twenty. So, includes forgeries both
with a £5 stamp, the same telegram form would accommodate £32.2s.0d postally used – those put
easily. By anyone’s standards that’s much better value for space. through the postal system
And this is all artfully and succinctly illustrated in the exhibit ‘The in order to rob the
£5 Orange 1876 to 1902’ which is part of a dedicated collection on authorities of revenue
this value, and is without doubt the finest and most comprehensive – and those produced
study on this legendary and iconic Great Britain high value, listed in to deceive collectors, of
the SG Specialised Volume One as SG133, 137, spec J128. which there is a gorgeous
This unique display, which is being presented under the name ‘The 1928 Paris Forgery which is so called because it was discovered by
Nimrod Collection’, tells the story behind this issue from inspiration, Robson Lowe in that city in that year. But it is worth pointing out
to die proofs, colour trials, specimens, issued stamps, officials, the that had it not been for the impossible lettering (AQ), which appears
stamp’s interaction with unification, and also the varieties which in the corners of this proof, it would by many dealers and collectors
appeared as the plate became worn and damaged. have been taken as genuine.
Of course this presentation covers the telegraphic use and the Now what a lot of people don’t tend to realise is that the original
transition from a ‘telegraph’ to becoming a ‘postage’ stamp. It intention back in 1876 was to print this prestigious high value in
also includes a stunning usage on a docket accounting for monies gold and not orange, and indeed there is a page dedicated to the
received in payment for unstamped bulk mail. This docket original colour trials in gold with examples overprinted ‘Specimen’
bearing £24.10s.0d, is the most important £5 piece known, and and those with no overprint, and these trials come from one sheet of
56 stamps, making these very rare indeed, especially in private hands.
In the end the costs of printing in this precious hue were too costly,
and the gold took on the carrot colour, so to speak, after trialling
various other inks such as green, claret, brown and mauve – all of
which are illustrated in this wonderful collection.
At the end of this exhibit are the die proofs produced in 1901
when King Edward VII came to the throne and these are the only £5
examples which no longer have the corner check-letters, the Inland
Revenue apparently no longer feeling there was a justifiable purpose
for them, and this was also the start of the demise of this stamp
because the need for them had dropped from a juicy 22,000 in 1896,
down to a rather bitter 2,000 in 1900, eventually resulting in the Post
Office abandoning the King Edward VII version of this previously
fruitful orange adhesive. So what started out as a sweetly genius
stamp, ended in a bit of a bitter end.
FINLAND VENEZUELA
Very many 100’s from a couple roulettes 100’s from 18591r, 2r range Bolivar
(average) most Red Cross sets to types to 3b, later with many mint sets
Order online at - www.prinz.co.uk 2006inc 1930 mint and FU, 1917 etc,
Karelia complete, much more up to about
LQF7UXMLOOR+LJKZD\
Centenary etc Cat £650
Please note our new address! All offers subject to stock on seven days approval against full payment with order.
We accept all major credit cards. E-MAIL: gina@milsomstamps.co.uk
Southern Rhodesia
In this collecting guide Ed Fletcher provides historical background to the former colony of
Southern Rhodesia, and selects some interesting stamps issued between 1890 and 1950, noting
that creating a collection doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think
I
n 1853, the year in which gold panning, textile weaving and Below, from left: farming settlements that would
Cape of Good Hope issued growing food crops. Trade and the Admirals issues (1924 flourish beyond British control
Africa’s first adhesive postage communications within and between -1929) were Southern and interference. Their treks out
stamp, the southern border the tribes relied, in those days, on Rhodesia’s first stamps to of the south to find new territories
of what we now know as runners and message carriers. When carry the colony’s name alerted Britons already settled in
Zimbabwe lay in territory more than the first Europeans to venture into the Cape of Good Hope to the
1,000 miles to the north of Cape the almost unknown region that later Victoria Falls featured on dangers of the increasing numbers of
Town. In those days Zimbabwe became Rhodesia felt a powerful several of the Colony’s Boers occupying more of southern
included several distinct cultural human urge to write letters home stamps. This was the first, and central Africa. The British
and language groups with their own they had to hire runners or riders issued in 1932 government’s responses included
natural borders, and with settlements to carry their correspondence to supporting British entrepreneur
and trading centres spread across a post office in the Cape of Good 1935 issues for the and politician Cecil Rhodes and
an area three times the size of the Hope Colony. Later they could use Silver Jubilee of King his British South Africa Company
British Isles. Its native tribes had for a slightly closer office in the South George V featured the in their enthusiastic calls for the
centuries subsisted on cattle rearing African Republic (Transvaal). monarch, the Falls and colonization and exploitation of
supported by small-scale enterprises Dutch Boers arrived in the 19th several of Southern Central Africa’s interior. Rhodes
including iron and copper smelting, century with plans to form new Rhodesia’s wild animals hoped to raise funds that would
This stamp from the 1947 Royal Visit set shows Block of 1947 Victory stamps 1950 Southern Rhodesia Diamond Jubilee stamp
Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret
the design with several wild animals. coach at the fort gates; and the
Values included 1d, 2d, 3d and 6d. 3d shows Rhodes making peace
To mark the Coronation of George with native Matabele in 1896.
VI (12th May 1937) a large stamps The Victoria Falls Bridge is shown
once more showing Victoria Falls on the 4d; the 6d has a statue of
also had a steam locomotive crossing Southern Rhodesia’s first premier
the Zambezi Railway Bridge, as well (1925); while the highest value (1s)
as portraits of the new King and depicts King Lobengula’s Kraal and
Queen. The same year also brought Salisbury’s Government House,
the new monarch’s first definitives together with busts of Queen
– a thirteen values set (½d to 5s) Victoria and King George VI.
of small stamps bearing a head and A Royal Visit in 1949 yielded
shoulders portrait of George VI in six stamps showing portraits of
military dress. the King, Queen and Princesses.
Despite the World War raging in A handsome Southern Rhodesia
Europe and North Africa, 1940 saw Diamond Jubilee stamp was issued
a handsome issue of large pictorials in 1950; and a five-stamps issue The figures involved in the slave
to commemorate the British South of large pictorials celebrated the trade have long created impassioned
Africa Company’s Golden Jubilee. colony’s medical services, agriculture, debate, as we seek to readdress our
The ½d displayed the Arms of the architecture, water supplies, and imperial history. Many of these
Company flaked by a native warrior transport services in a 1953 set controversial figures have also been
armed with shield and spear, and marking the Cecil Rhodes Centenary. honoured on postage stamps, so
by a native bugler of the 1940 should we remove them from our
Imperial Forces. The 1d stamp Images courtesy of the following dealers who albums for good? Read the online
shows the hoisting of a Union Jack regularly have other Southern Rhodesia stamps article ‘Empire, race and… postage
at Fort Salisbury in 1890; while for sale and/or auction: Daniel F Kelleher Auctions, stamps’ on the website at:
the 1½d has a handsome portrait Grosvenor Philatelic Auctions, BC Stamps, www.allaboutstamps.co.uk/stamp-
of Cecil Rhodes. The 2d presents Hip Stamps, Azuckuss, delboy999, tfphockey, guides/reassessing-colonial-stamps
a view of Fort Victoria with a mail 1st4stamps1840, surlamer07, cbeal-uk8
STAMP
(SUBSCRIBERS GET IT SOONER AND CHEAPER!)
THE ADVENTURES
COLLECTOR
The stamps marking the opening of CONTINUE…
THE PANAMA CANAL The design created by
‘LAWRENCE OF ARABIA’
PLUS…
The beautiful stamps promoting tourism around the
How much to pay for world • Joint issues explained… celebration and
CLASSIC GIBRALTAR
collaboration on stamps • News, views, price guides,
and much more! Why not join the adventure?
Join today and save on the cover price! See page 48 for details.
www.allaboutstamps.co.uk APRIL 2022 47
COLLECTWITH
CONFIDENCE
with STAMP COLLECTOR
13
WWW.ALLABOUTSTAMPS.CO.UK
CLASSIC STAMPS IN DETAIL
Celebrated Mauritius
Sets definitives 1950
David Bailey discovers how a move to modernise stamp design and production matched a new
mood on the island, with the result being a classic set for today’s collectors to pursue
L
ike many smaller colonies, Meanwhile, the island’s disparate enfranchised all adults who could pass
Mauritius had used De La population had begun to come a simple literacy test and increased
Rue’s key and duty plates together to seek more autonomy for the electorate from 12,000 people
since 1910, to provide the island and representation for to nearly 72,000. The Constitution
serviceable stamps at low themselves. After much negotiation, also set up a new Legislative Council
prices. But they did nothing for the island. a new Constitution was granted in comprising nineteen elected members,
And while plate and colour variations 1947 to take effect in 1948. It gave twelve appointed by the Governor and
appealed to specialists, there was nothing the vote to women, and abolished the three ex officio members. A General
to attract the general collector. property qualification for voters. This Election was held in August 1948 and
the first Council met on 1 September.
When it came to a new set of stamps,
there was a useful precedent from
another Indian Ocean territory, the
Seychelles. In 1938, they had issued the
first Commonwealth pictorials to be
printed by photogravure.
This dramatically reduced the
time and skill required to produce
pictorial stamps. It created continuous
tone images, ideal for reproducing
photographs. It was cheaper than line
engraved. And it broke away from the
‘black vignette, coloured frame’ format
which had dominated Commonwealth
pictorials since the 1920s and was
looking decidedly dated after the war.
The stamps were printed by
Harrison, who had produced the
Seychelles stamps and would print a or ‘gunni’ bags, for the transport of But its appearance can only guessed
similar set for North Borneo at the sugar and other commodities. Now, at from drawings made at the time,
same time. Aloe fibre offers an environmentally which vary considerably in detail.
conscious alternative to plastics and
1c Sugar Mill the industry is seeing a revival. 20c Legend of
Like Cornwall with its tin mines, Paul and Virginia
Mauritius is dotted with the chimneys 4c Tamarind Falls The Legend of Paul and Virginia
of abandoned sugar mills. Up until This cascade of seven waterfalls is one was published in 1788 and is set in
the 1970s, it constituted 90% of the of the most beautiful sights on the Mauritius under French rule. It tells
economy but was suffering from falling island. However, you would not know of childhood friends who fall in love
prices and intensive competition. Since this from the stamp. A slightly better but run up against the class divisions
then, a government initiative has led picture was used on the QEII version. of 18th century French society. Author
to diversification of the economy and Jacques-Henri Bernadin de Saint-
sugar now accounts for only 25% of 5c Rampart Mountain Pierre once lived on Ile de France (as it
the island’s exports. Standing 1,968ft (600m) tall, Rampart then was) and based part of the novel
Mountain has ladders to help hikers on a shipwreck he witnessed there. The
2c Grand Port get almost to the top and enjoy the book was an important statement of
Grand Port is the site of the first spectacular views. The final ascent to the Enlightenment ideas about nature and
Dutch landing in 1598, when they peak is for experienced climbers only. society but is little-known today.
christened the island: Prins Mauritz
van Nassaueiland after the stadtholder 10c Transporting cane 25c Statue of La Bourdonnais
of the Dutch Republic. In 1950, ox carts like this were the Bertrand-Francois Mahe, Comte de
In 1810, it saw a naval battle island’s main method of transporting La Bourdonnais became Governor
between the British and the French goods. Now, while a few farmers keep of Mauritius in 1735 and set about
in which the Royal Navy suffered a the old traditions alive, ox-carts are the development of the island, He
crushing defeat. Today, the old town mainly used for tourist excursions. established Port Louis as a naval base
of Mahebourg and its surrounding and shipbuilding centre. He greatly
beaches are a popular tourist area. 12c Dodo and map expanded the sugar cane industry and
First sighted by Dutch sailors in 1598, planted other cash crops like pepper,
3c Aloe plant the Dodo was all but extinct by 1662 cinnamon and cloves. He also began
The Aloe Fibre plant grows wild and now, no-one knows precisely what the rapid expansion of slave-ownership
all over Mauritius and was once an it looked like. Semi-fossilised remains on the island. By the late 18th century,
important industry. It was used to show that the bird stood a little over 3’ slaves accounted for 80% of the
make ropes and woven into ‘goni’, tall and would have weighed 23-29lb. island’s population.
T
he idea of building a The Brazilian Highway
communication link Expedition, which spent
from one end of the ten years traversing the
Americas to the other three Americas from
was first mooted at south to north, selecting
an event called the First Congress of and charting the most
American States, held in 1889. The plan practical route for the
was to build a railway. The idea was not construction of the Pan-
pursued, however. By the 1920s, the American Highway, being
USA was filling with Model T Fords received by President
and a new idea, for a ‘Pan-American Roosevelt, c.1938
Highway’, was presented to the Fifth (Library of Congress)
Congress in 1923. It was viewed more
favourably, though not actually agreed.
Planning began, but was interrupted
by the Great Depression. A formal
agreement to build the Highway was not
signed until 1937.
The USA and Canada already had
roads, so the construction work would California. In the 1930s, a radical The Highway now runs from
be in the other twelve countries on Mexican government nationalized US the poetically named settlement of
the route. From the US border, the oil interests in the country. However Deadhorse, in Prudhoe Bay on Alaska’s
Highway would run through Mexico once the Second World War broke Arctic Ocean coast, to Ushuaia, the
and Central America (where there were out, Mexico’s trade with Europe world’s most southerly city, 680 miles
still very few arterial roads), then down was interrupted and it came to rely from the edge of Antarctica – a journey
the western edge of South America more and more on dealing with the of around 19,000 miles.
to Valparaiso, where it would dog-leg USA. It entered the war on the allied Two caveats, however. First, the exact
across to Buenos Aries. side in 1942, and as a result of this, route is open to debate. Neither Canada
The relationship between Mexico received substantial US investment. An nor the USA has formally designated
and the USA has always been complex. economic boom followed. one, so road-trippers can pretty much
Resentment south of the Rio Grande One result of this boom was that choose their own way through North
goes back to the war of 1846-8, when Mexico embraced the Pan-American America (though there aren’t too many
the US drove Mexico out of West Texas, Highway idea. The Mexican section was ways out of Deadhorse). There are
New Mexico, Arizona and Southern completed in 1950, hence the illustrated various crossings into Mexico.
stamp, one of a set of four celebrating Secondly, there is still a gap in the
the achievement. The two places middle. Between Central and South
mentioned on it are Ciudad Juárez, America lies the province of Darién,
on the US border, opposite El Paso, where Balboa first saw the Pacific.
and Ocotal, a small town on Mexico’s This is one of the world’s last great
The Pan-American southern border with Guatemala. wildernesses, with swamps, mountains
Highway has featured Mexico was the first country to and rainforest. The Highway is yet
on a number of stamps, complete its section, and it did so to cross this. Plans were mooted in
including a range of without US aid. Other countries were the early 1970s, but came to nothing.
1961 values from slower to do this, and required financial It is a sign of the times that it has
Colombia, a 3c stamp assistance from Uncle Sam. now been effectively agreed that the
from Panama in 1957, A high point in the Highway’s 66-mile section between Yaviza in
and this Mexican value construction was the opening of the Panama and Turbo in Colombia,
from 1950, one of magnificent Bridge of the Americas the Darién Gap, be left unspoilt.
four designs issued to across the Panama Canal, in 1962. Adventurers still make the crossing – it
celebrate the completion The Canal Zone issued a special can take several days – as do (another
of the Mexican leg of stamp for this – a valuable error has sign of the times) poor migrants
the route the bridge omitted! ultimately seeking to enter the USA.
TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL
.BZUIUI4BMF
0VS.BZBVDUJPOJODMVEFTBDPMMFDUJPOJO%BWP%FMVYFBMCVNTPGGFSFECZ
DPVOUSZ
(#JODM27-JOF&OHSBWFE
IJHIWBMVFT
2&FSSPSTFUD
On-line bidding via Easylive.
8&h3&-00,*/('03$0--&$5*0/4
%PZPVIBWFBDPMMFDUJPOZPVIBWFCFFOHJWFOBOEXPVMEMJLFJUUPHPUPTPNFPOF
XIPXJMMBQQSFDJBUFJUBOETQFOEUJNFPOJU
%PZPVOPMPOHFSIBWFUIFUJNFUPTQFOEPOZPVSDPMMFDUJPOBOEXBOUJUUPHPUPTPNFPOFXIPXJMMFOKPZJU
8FhSFBMXBZTMPPLJOHGPSDPMMFDUJPOTUPCVZPSQVUJOPVSBVDUJPOTBOEXJUIUIFTUBNQUSBEFUISJWJOHBUUIF
NPNFOU
UIFSFhTOPCFUUFSUJNFUPTFMMZPVSDPMMFDUJPO*GZPVXPVMEMJLFBGSFF
GSJFOEMZWBMVBUJPOGPSZPVS
TUBNQDPMMFDUJPOQMFBTFHJWFVTBDBMMPOPSFNBJMVTUPOZMFTUFS!CUDPOOFDUDPN
TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TLwww.allaboutstamps.co.uk
TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL TL
LONDON 2022 GALLERY
The London 2022 International Stamp Exhibition took place over eight days in Islington,
and saw collectors from around the world come together to celebrate philately.
See some of the sights from the show in our special gallery
Top: just some of the many exhibits on display during the show
Above: Mike Roberts poses with… Mike Roberts, one head of staffing for
the event (left) and the other the Commissioner General
28/01/2022 13:17
MÖRCK’S
MODERN
CLASSICS
DISCOVER THE STAMPS
OF RENOWNED ENGRAVER
MARTIN MÖRCK
PRICE GUIDE:
COOK ISLANDS
BACK OF THE
BOOK STAMPS
REASSESSED
WIN! ROLLING
STONES STAMPS
A-Z THEMATICS
A deadly theme
There are said to be only two certainties in life: death and taxes, which
is perhaps why we’ve learnt to laugh at both, writes Paula Hammond.
And, while death may seem like a grim topic for a thematic, it’s one
that’s full of the interesting, the humorous, and the curious
P
ratchett’s Death loved cats and curry. Fortunately not all death-themed stamps are
Bergman’s played chess. In Russia, as grim. The USPS’s 2021, four-stamp Day of
Death is a little old lady, while in the Dead Forever stamps are, in fact, very lively D IS FOR DEATH
Mexico she’s personified as Santa collection and feature a family of decorated sugar
Muerte, whose colourful image skulls, complete with Mom, Dad, and kids. And Why collect?
dominates Day of the Dead celebrations. of course Mexico, where the Day of the Dead • Curious, grim, and
Most cultures feature an anthropomorphic celebrations began, has issued a range of stamps interesting topic!
death. In modern times, it’s often an angel of marking the tradition of remembering – and • History and mythology links.
death, or a cloaked skeleton. From the Celtic celebrating the lives of – friends and family who • Large thematic that can be
Morrigan to Egypt’s Osiris, ancient cultures are no longer with us. tailored to suit.
also had their own spirits, gods and goddesses Dead Letter Offices are the place that letters go to • A real talking-point thematic.
of death, and many have appeared on postage metaphorically die. Despite the name, most postal
stamps. Cyprus’ 1997 ‘Tales and Legends’ series, services work very hard to get these lost missives to Notable releases
for instance, purports to show a struggle between their final destinations. Letters that do get sent back 1879, Canada, Dead Letter
Dighenis and Charon, although the image of the into the postal system are often franked, stamped or Office stamp.
scythe-carrying figure seems more like a Grim labelled as such, and Dead Letter collectables make 1966, USSR, The Alive
Reaper than the legendary ferryman. San Marino’s a great theme in their own right. Canada’s 1897 and The Dead.
1965 four-stamp set features a more familiar- Queen Victoria black is an especially lush example. 1972, Equatorial Guinea,
looking Charon, with illustrations taken from Thanks to the popularity of the horror genre, films dead cosmonauts.
Dante’s inferno, to mark the 700th anniversary of and books about the undead abound, and characters 2003, Grenada Carriacou &
the author’s birth. such as Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Mummy have Petite Martinique, Turn of the
While it used to be the rule that everyone all been celebrated on stamps. One of the earliest was Millennium, diseases, 50-cent issue.
shown on a postage stamp, apart from a nation’s USSR’s 1966 release, commemorating the popular 2021, USA, Day of the Dead
ruler, was dead, Equatorial Guinea’s 1972 stamp book and war-film, The Alive and The Dead. Forever stamps.
stretched that to the bad-taste limit. The issue While death may be final, strange thematics like
featured an illustration of the dead bodies of this are sure to keep the hobby alive and kicking. Expand the theme
three cosmonauts who died in an accident Mourning mail is a much-neglected
while returning to Earth. Ugly, terrifying, and but fascinating topic.
unnecessary are words used to describe this issue,
which has bizarrely become something of a must- Collecting links
have for some collectors. The Postal Museum’s feature on
According to philatelic legend, Serbia’s Miss-sent and Misdirected Mail
1904 stamp contains the hidden death-theme, makes a good introduction to the
with a death mask of Serbian king Alexander subject. See: www.postalmuseum.
I Obrenovich, set between the profiles of org/collections/highlights/
Karageorge and Peter I Karageorgevich. philatelic-collection/british-postal-
(Alexander I Obrenovich was murdered by markings/missent-mail
Karageorgevich supporters.)
THEMATICS
O
n Saturday 30 April, it highlight what makes these species
will be the fourteenth particularly special among the 7,400
Annual Save The Frogs species of frogs known to science!
Day, a day with the Common names are great, but the words
aim to help raise the used to name species vary in different
awareness of the plight of amphibians languages and geographical locations,
globally. Currently 41% of amphibians so most scientists prefer to use scientific
are threatened with extinction by the names, especially for those species that
end of the century, with threats such as occur across a range of countries.
habitat loss, disease, and climate change Starting close to home, Royal Mail
being the biggest factors. recently featured a species of frog
As part of our stamp journey, we’ll which not many people will be aware
is present in Great Britain. This is the
pool frog (Pelophylax lessonae), which Like the mountain in New South Wales. Unfortunately,
made an appearance in the 2018 chicken, the Hispaniolan they’re currently listed as Critically
‘Reintroduced Species’ special issue. giant tree frog was Endangered with fewer than 200
Pool frogs went extinct in England in also featured on frogs left in the wild. Thankfully,
the late 1990s, although they made collaborative stamps conservationists are working hard
a return in the mid-2000s thanks to with the WWF, released to safeguard this species, including
a reintroduction project run by the by Haiti in 1999 captive breeding at institutions such as
Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Taronga Zoo.
Trust. They’re currently restricted to You’d be forgiven for thinking that
a couple of sites in Norfolk, so you’re an animal called the mountain chicken
unlikely to come across them while would be a species of bird. However,
walking the dog. it’s a species of large frog, Leptodactylus
The UK isn’t the only country to fallax. It’s another Critically
feature rare frogs on their stamps – Endangered species but this time native
Australia has featured the southern to the Caribbean islands of Dominica
The European tree frog has been the subject corroboree frog (Pseudophryne and Montserrat. Mountain chickens
of many country’s stamps, but the most eye corroboree). These black and yellow get their name from the fact that these
catching is that released by Luxembourg in 1985 frogs are poisonous, and are found frogs were once a local delicacy, and
www.allaboutstamps.co.uk
THEMATICS
Being the only toad native to Ireland, the natterjack toads were in the spotlight Despite being common across Europe, midwife toads have not featured on many
in 1995 through the circulation of this stamp stamps from the continent. The best is this example from Spain, printed in 1975
not surprisingly, they taste like chicken. here in the UK, but these small Ireland, mainly being found on coastal
Conservationists are currently trying to green frogs are quite widespread sites. They can be distinguished from
help the species recover from threats, across the rest of the continent. The other toads by having a yellow stripe
such as those of disease and habitat European tree frog (Hyla arborea) down their back. Extensive conservation
loss. Elsewhere in the Caribbean, is small green frog, growing to 5 efforts are aiming to ensure the survival
endemic frogs have been featured cm in length. Populations in some of their populations within the British
on the stamps of Haiti. The stamps European countries are declining due Isles, including reintroductions to
celebrated the giant tree frog (Osteopilus to pollution, and the destruction of formerly inhabited sites. In Britain, the
vastus, formerly Hyla vasta) which wetlands. The species is known for natterjack toad is listed as Endangered
is only found in Hispaniola, and is their loud calls, which sounds like but across Europe, natterjack toads are
threatened by habitat degradation and high-pitched chirruping. These calls Least Concern. This highlights how a
deforestation. This species like many, can often be heard emanating from species can have a varying conservation
has variable colouration, with some the vegetation surrounding a pond, or status throughout its range. Just because
individuals being brown, whereas other within the pond itself. If you’re ever it is common in one location, it doesn’t
may be grey, and others green. This visiting the continent, be sure to listen necessarily mean it will be common
variation helps the frogs to blend into out for them! elsewhere. This is especially true of
their surroundings, while also being Another species found across Europe species that have a large range, or one
able to survive in different habitats. is the natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita). that also extends to islands.
Did you know that Europe has Unfortunately, natterjack toads have Did you know that there is a group
tree frogs? They may not be present a restricted range here in the UK and of toads that carry eggs on their hind
legs, until they’re ready to hatch, at
which point the male deposits them
in a pond? They’re small, light brown
in colour, and very secretive (which
is probably why you’ve never seen
one). Six species are known, being
present across Europe and North
Africa. The most widespread of these
is the common midwife toad (Alytes
obstetricans), found across North-west
Europe and Iberia, with introduced
populations in Great Britain. They
can grow to 5 cm in length, and their
secretive behaviour often makes them
difficult to locate. Another quirk of
their biology is the fact that males make
a high-pitched beeping sound, which
has been likened to a smoke alarm with
a dying battery.
Other frogs have the ability to fly
(well, glide) from tree to tree in the
Cambodia released a stamp set in 1993 highlighting the diversity of gliding animals found in the country, Wallace’s tropics of South-east Asia. It may also
flying frog was among them along with a diagram showing where I’s gliding surfaces could be found surprise you to learn that you’re also
www.allaboutstamps.co.uk
Malaysia is one of a handful of countries to display horned frogs Living in leaf-litter, the small Seychelles frog is capable of easily blending in,
prominently on their stamps, including this example from 2007 as demonstrated by a stamp released in conjunction with WWF in 2003
able to find gliding snakes, lizards and they’re listed as Least Concern
mammals here. Wallace’s flying frog due to their wide geographical
(Rhacophorus nigropalmatus) can be range, although the species may
found across the Malay archipelago, be multiple, containing currently
named after the 19th-century biologist unrecognised ‘cryptic species’ that
Alfred Russell Wallace who collected are morphologically similar to one
the first specimen. Despite their gliding another. The only real way to resolve
ability, these green frogs are quite large these sorts of issues is through the use
and photogenic. of DNA comparisons.
It may surprise you to learn that a On the other end of the spectrum,
number of amphibians are extremely there are some frogs that wish to be
well camouflaged. Natural selection seen, such as the dyeing poison dart
has acted to ensure that only those frog (Dendrobates tinctorius), found in
with the best camouflage survive, northern South America. They advertise
meaning that in some environments, the fact they’re highly toxic to would
these frogs are extremely hard to be predators, in an attempt to stay safe.
find. An example of one of the best This is known as aposematism. The
camouflaged frogs is the long-nosed dyeing poison dart frog is a popular pet,
horned frog (Megophrys nasuta), found and currently listed as Least Concern.
in southern Thailand through to This strategy works well for the most
Sumatra and Borneo. Looking down part, although it can also lead to other
on them, the horned frog looks just species evolving a similar colouration, in The dyeing poison dart There are a number of toxic
like a pile of dead leaves. Thankfully, an attempt to mimic the toxic species. frog is brightly coloured amphibians found across the world
to warn predators that it (including some we’ve already met),
is toxic, as shown most of which display some level of
on this 1981 stamp warning colouration. Poison dart frogs
from Suriname get their name from the fact that the
tribes of South America tip their darts
with the poison skin secretions from the
frogs, to help them hunt monkeys and
other animals in the treetops above.
Some species of amphibians have a
huge natural range. The guttural toad
(Sclerophrys gutturalis, formerly Bufo
gutturalis) can be found throughout
most of sub-Saharan Africa. The
guttural toad is a generalists, meaning
that they can feed off of a wide variety
of food sources, and are tolerant
of a range of varying temperatures.
They can be found in a wide range
Guttural toads are widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, this stamp produced by Lesotho in of habitats from lakes, savannahs,
1994 best captures this species and arable land. The Seychelles frog
and an essential
guide for collectors. COINS YOUR EXPERT
GUIDE TO 50P, £2
AND 10P COINS
o n li n e b i d d
asy i ng
E Oldlouis
AP s.r.l.
Geigle Fickert
Aix-Phila Bolaffi
stampedia La Postale MDC
Hörrle
Filatelia FischerDrei Löwen
Cavendish Mirko Franke Casati
AB Philea Schluma's Belegekiste Bach Merkurphila classicphil
Dr. Derichs Köln Auction Phila
KaramitsosLenz Philadria Auction Gallery Straßberger
Harmers SAYves Siebers Veuskens Michael Rogers Golden Oak
Straphil
Sellshop GmbH Langbrief abacus Victoria Stamp Co.
Plumridge Schulz Forster Nomisma Bielefelder Ghiglione
IberphilWormser UPA
Numismatikauktion
Badische Bfm.
Tel Aviv Stade
Philatino Pilatusmail.chDBA Ferrario
Dessau Filatelia Gazzera
Le Timbres Classique
Callies Hettinger Büterow SchlegelSommer Corinphila
Lugdunum Filatelia Quattrobajocchi Zofingen
Rauss & Fuchs Böhmenphila Weiser David Feldman
Athens Kelleher Siegel Roumet HP Van Looy Auction Galleries HH Mazzini
Kempf Art La Rosa SFP Group Merkur Rauhut & Kruschel Eppli
Spink Cherrystone Burda
FischerHonegger L. Bendon Eisenhammer
cedarstamps
Behr John Bull Harlos Cover Story Raritan TiergartenHWPH
Münzzentrum Rheinland von Poblocki Schatztruhe Christ Colonial Stamp Co.
Heuberger chaponnière & firmenich Romano Heickmann
Held F. Feldman Toselli Hodam Arbeiter
Bloxham
KieferHonegger AGVoigt
Pfankuch Teutoburger Schantl Viennafil
Rauch Luzernerraute
Phila China Eastern Tosunidis Scriposale
Zanaria AsteBoule
Südphila Lippolds
Embassy Hadersbeck Deider stampBAY Corinphila NLCortrie
Van Dieten Vaccari
Rijnmond Gert Müller StraphilDresdnerLeiningen WAP Cambi Casa d'asteGS. Phil
Geier Gärtner Roumet Felzmann
Nordphila Argyll Etkin Morrison Cérès Skanfil PhilAuction Rüstkammer
Weissenböck Freimarke Klüttermann
Numphil Köhler Kupersmit HöhnDr. Fischer
Stilus Dorotheum
Artam Antik Soler yBalkanphila Llach Wohlfeil Chris Rainey
Il Ponte Götz Kirstein-Larisch
Schwarzenbach CompuStamp Grosvenor Schuyler Rumsey
Stanley Gibbons Postiljonen Corbitts AF Milano Auktion
Harmer of LondonMH Marken Harmers Internat.Llach
Interasia
Zanaria
MAR
Filatelia D&T Intl.Kelleher & Rogers
Harald
Rapp
Möller Rölli Complete Stamp HBA
Philasearch.com
COVER EXPLAINED
T
here are times when are beyond description’, ‘we saw
our interest in stamps, Faust’ and ‘the music was glorious’.
postcards, letters, and Meanwhile her father was in
all that goes with this Madras, India, and postcards are
wide-ranging hobby is sent to him there. With Christmas
rewarded with an unexpected find, and 1913 in sight, Mr G.A. Duke
this is what this article is all about. A arranged to come home to London,
lengthy look through four boxes of very via Brussels to escort his daughter
mixed postcards – probably at least safely home. Expecting to see her
2,000 – that were stacked beside a stand father on 16 December, Ivy wrote
at an antiques fair at The National to him after her mother gave her
Exhibition Centre in Birmingham the Shipping Company address in
last November was rewarded when it Trieste so that he would receive the
was realised that the same surname card on his voyage home. She says
kept appearing randomly. The first ‘am expecting your wire any day’
box had to be revisited to take them and ‘with love from I.’
out, and from the four boxes a total The latest of the three illustrated
of 36 spanned a period 1911 to 1914 postcards was to Ivy herself in
and were all addressed to the surname Brussels, Belgium, though whether
Duke. Most were written to the mother studying, holidaying or working
and father and were from their teenage is not yet known. There are four
daughter Ivy. postal marks including the first
From the surviving correspondence, over the 5 centimes stamp which
it can be seen that Ivy kept in constant has an unclear handstamp but
contact with her mother back in their is timed ‘16-17’, which are the
family home in Maida Vale, London, post midday times before the two
and with her father who was working in small and also unclear circular
Madras, India. As a possible vulnerable ring marks numbered ‘613’. Perhaps Ivy Duke in 1917 the message and the written address.
teenager, this brought comfort to the the postal worker was rushed with The ‘Votes for Women’ movement is
parents to know all continued to be well, quantity, or just didn’t have enough ink a vast subject, but suffice to say that by
and the first postcard which is from to hand! These would signify further June 1914 it had reached a pinnacle that
November 1913 and has Ivy in Paris, transmission, but fortunately the was suspended by the beginning of the
has a machine cancellation over the 10 main postmark is vividly clear, stating Great War, but the years just before this
centimes stamp. Telling her mother what ‘BRUSSEL / 18-19 / 6 . VI / 1914 / postcard was written were characterised
she had seen that day, Ivy said ‘pictures BRUXELLES’. What is interesting is by the suffragettes’ motto ‘deeds, not
words’. The writer has added the word
‘Suffragette’ between the name and local
address in Brussels where Miss Ivy Duke
had lodgings, but the level of involvement
1 Our first postcard is dated November 1913 when Ivy was in Paris,
and has a machine cancellation over the 10 centimes stamp.
the 5 centimes stamp which has an unclear handstamp but is timed
‘16-17’, which are the post midday times before the two small
and also unclear circular ring marks numbered ‘613’. These would
2 The second card sees Ivy writing to her father. Her mother gave
her the Shipping Company address in Trieste, so that he could read
signify further transmission.
POSTAL HISTORY
Sussex
Sussex has been pulling in the crowds for centuries, writes postal historian John Scott, as his travels
across the country take him to the south coast in search of more ephemera and postal artefacts
E
ven in the 1820s, Pigot’s Hand coloured Note
Directory describes Paper of ‘The Pavilion,
Brighthelmstone, or Brighton’, engraved by J.
Brighton as we know Newman and published
it today, as ‘The seat of by H.H. Sugg
Royalty and the resort of rank and fashion’.
Originally a mere farmhouse,
Brighton Pavilion was transformed in
1784 as the favoured residence of King
George IV and was seen as ‘a truly
magnificent structure… of the greatest
munificence and the most refined taste’.
Unsurprisingly therefore Sussex is a
Mecca for the postcard collector but even
in the 1840s the promenaders could buy
A Letter View Book containing photographs of Hastings published by Robertson The Postal Souvenir Card contains advertisements and photographs of Eastbourne published by
Printing Co. for sale by King Bros. in Hastings and St. Leonards Strange the Printer c 1900
ACCESSORIES
2) British Comm and Foreign -
GREAT BRITAIN
A to Z Sets, Thematics, Omnibus,
Errors and Varieties, Specimens,
WWW.ALLABOUTSTAMPS.CO.UK
70 APRIL 2022 Please mention Stamp Collector when replying to any advertisement
Web directory
Scandinavia, Europa, Great Britain
Online listing for all Scandinavian countries, Great Britain
and Europa 1957 to present. Printed lists available.
Please write stating interests.
Great Britain 1839-1951
www.andrewglajer.co.uk ADVERTISE
B. McLean P.O. Box 323, ELLON, Aberdeenshire. AB41 7YA
• Email: info@bmclean.co.uk • Web site: http://www.bmclean.co.uk Andrew G Lajer Ltd
sales@andrewglajer.co.uk
T: +44 (0)1189 344151
HERE!
Contact Mark
www.robinhood-stamp.co.uk 07503 707023
BRIAN REEVE STAMP AUCTIONS Singles, sets and collections from around the World. or email:
Regular public stamp auctions in London, also monthly Retail Shop open every Friday.
First Day Cover postal auctions. mark.dean@warnersgroup.co.uk
Many substantial lots are sold totally unreserved Rushcliffe House, 17-19 Rectory Road,
£8.99
OF PHILATELY?
CRYPTO-STAMPS: THE FUTURE
UNSOLD LOTS ALWAYS FOR SALE FROM LAST AUCTIONS West Bridgford, Nottingham. NG2 6BE SOUVENIR‘DEMOCRATIZING’ THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSI
WIN
IN!
N!
Exploring XM AS
STA
STAM P
PS
ANNTA
TARC
RCTI
T CCAA
Stamps of the South
Pole territories
explained
MÖRCK’S
MODERN
CLASSICS
WIN! ROLLING
STONES STAMPS
NEWWSSOU
SOUTH
O
OUUTH W
WALES
WALE
FRANCE’S PROUD CENT
CE
C ENT
EN
NTEEN
NARY
NAR
SYMBOL ON STAMPS DISCOVER THE
STORY
OF THIS CLASSIC
SET
Try Approvals
Est 62 years–
1st £25 Free
73
UPA VIP Series: ‘Because’ …
ADVERTISE
allaboutstamps.co.uk
£8.99
FUTURE OF PHILATELY?
CRYPTO-STAMPS: THE Issue www.allab
outstamps.co.uk
London 2022 Special
4, Issue 3
SOUVENIR
STAMP
MARCH 2022 Volume
HERE!
CATALOGUE
SOUVENIRS FROM
SHOW
LONDON’S 1890
OF
THE CHALLENGE N
PLANNING LONDO
2022 DURING COVID
ED
of an Era ? – Making an
EXHIBITING EXPLAIN
Contact Mark
informed Decision ... MÖRCK’S
MODERN
CLASSICS
DISCOVER THE STAMPS R
OF RENOWNED ENGRAVE
MARTIN MÖRCK
07503 707023
Dear Very Important Philatelist,
or email:
PRICE GUIDE:
Is this the end of postage? About, two weeks ago as I type, Royal
COOK ISLANDS
BACK OF THE
BOOK STAMPS
REASSESSED
mark.dean@
Mail (The British Post Office) issued an unanticipated major
WIN! ROLLING
STONES STAMPS
warnersgroup.co.uk
announcement. I don’t wish to be alarmist, but this affects many, even
most of us – therefore being informed NOW may be important to
you so that you can take appropriate action …
Royal Mail (RM) Announcement: “Non-barcoded stamps can be
used as postage up until 31 January 2023. If you are able to use them
ADVERTISER’S INDEX
within this time — that’s great. If you aren’t going to be able to use
them up — that’s fine too — you can send them in to us and we’ll
swap them out for barcoded stamps. Our ‘Swap Out’ scheme will
AC Stamps. . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 MJ Promotions . . . . . . . . . 42
open on 31 March 2022” …
Here’s the unwritten agenda:
AJH Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Mrs Clifford . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
… but how long will RM ‘swap-shop’ operate, when will it close,
just how will it operate, and will there be ‘minumum’ sending
requirements that render existing definitives and commemoratives B&S Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . 23 North Staff Stamps . . . . . . 53
effectively useless in terms of under-pinning usability value … It is a
significant consideration in collecting modern for collectors to know Court Philatelics. . . . . . . . . 23 Philasearch. . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
that they can get something back ?
On the face of it - apparently, all very practical – but how does
invalidation of your existing mint decimal stamps impact our hobby? Delcampe . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Philatelink . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
I estimate that this anti-fraud high tech innovation, (or invalidation)
may save Royal Mail more than One Hundred Million Pounds Gary J Lyon . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Prinz Publications. . . . . . . . 43
liability to offer their service to the public (including collectors)
against pre-paid unused (non-barcoded) decimal postage currently
outstanding in the public domain. £100Million sounds like a huge Guernsey Post Office . . . . 21 Robstine Stamps . . . . . . . . 27
figure – but consider UPA has not bought a single postage stamp
from the Post Office in the past 10 years, we buy them in collections
G Milsom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Saracen Stamps . . . . . . . . .xx
bought from collectors … and we use more than £30,000= postage
face value per annum. Roll this out against a 60 million population
and millions of businesses. GP Keef . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Stanley Gibbons . . . . . . . . .xx
Presently, it appears that ‘Special Issues’, or Commemoratives as
we know them are excluded, and New Issues of such will continue H W Wood Ltd . . . . . . . . . . 39 The Stamp Group . . . . . . . 42
without barcoding … But, does this mean that if you continue to
collect non-barcoded special issues, that ultimately their face value
may become useless ? Good question. Jersey Post . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Tony Lester . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Ethically there may be issues too, because collectors (and
the General Public) have purchased postage stamps based upon Jerwood Philatelics . . . . . . 23 UPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 3, 72
validity, closing the RM ‘swap-shop’ early or making it ‘inoperable’ (a
potentially likely scenario) to collectors and small-holders of stamps/
singles of multiple denominations by having minimum denomination John Curtin . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74, 75, 76
submissions … OR, highly likely - 6 month delays to service swapping
… You can just envisage it, can’t you? I can.
John Lamonby . . . . . . . . . . 42 Warwick & Warwick . . . . . .13
Over the years hundreds of collectors have told me that they
intend to continue collecting New Issues for as long as our Queen is
on the throne. How do you feel about this now ? MG Read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 We Sell Stamps. . . . . . . . . .11
Will prices of decimal issues go up, or down? My view is ‘down’.
I also believe that as in year 2000 many collectors will draw the line
on New Issues NOW.
Will this affect the market overall? … Yes, potentially I can envis-
| Putting Collectors
Like You First
SC 04 2
SIGN UP FOR FREE AT
www.allaboutstamps.co.uk
Don’t think You’re Treated like a VIP?
Try Philatelic Route-Finder NOW !
VIPs START HERE
COLLECTOR: GENERAL ADVANCED SPECIALIST
Visit: www.UPAstampauctions.co.uk
Fax: 01451 861297 ~ info@upastampauctions.co.uk ~ T: 01451 861111
Participate in this Philatelic Route-Map to Enjoyable Collecting.
Find UPA also on-line at www.top-uptwenty.co.uk SC 04-22