Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2023 i Stamp Collector

We collectors are often the first to raise an eyebrow when Royal Mail’s stamp schedule for the year is revealed. Increasingly we see stamp subjects that only have a tenuous connection to Great Britain and its people, many aimed squarely at fans of a certainTV show, film franchise, or musician, rather than commemorating ‘appropriate anniversaries and occasions, to reflect Britain’s unique contribution to the arts and world affairs,’ as Postmaster Tony Benn ambitiously suggested back in the 1960s. Of course that was six decades ago and times have changed. Countless stamp issues have been issued over the years and it can’t be easy to identify new and original subjects that deserve to be celebrated. Whether we like it or not, modern stamps are a commercial enterprise too, so one eye…

New Zealand Post recently invited New Zealander pet owners the chance to have their cherished companions appear on a new stamp collection, which is set to be issued in August and titled ‘Pets of Aotearoa’. The contest invited pet owners to send in a photograph into one of the competition’s four categories: Best Dressed, Cutest in Show, Cheekiest Rascal and Kiwi Spirit. NZ Post’s Head of Stamps and Collectables Antony Harris said: ‘We are excited to be putting out these special Pets of Aotearoa New Zealand stamps and have already seen some really great entries from proud pet owners.’ New Zealanders were also asked to write a small blurb about why their pet should win. As well as bragging rights, each of the four winners is set to receive a…

The Crest of Jersey is featured on six new Post & Go stamps which have been redesigned to include the official cypher of His Majesty King Charles III. The Crest of Jersey first appeared on a set of Jersey Post & Go stamps issued in 2016. Now the crest appears alongside the King’s cypher, whilst the Crest itself is depicted in a new palette of colours. The names of all twelve of Jersey’s parishes are incorporated within the wave pattern on the left-hand portion of the stamps. As well as being available to vend from the JE02 kiosk at Jersey’s main Broad Street post office and from the JE03 kiosk at Postal Headquarters, Rue Des Pres, The Crest of Jersey Collectors Strips are available from Jersey Post’s back office B002…

The 1995 vintage of European postal community stamps already had the motto ‘Peace and Freedom’ as its theme, on the occasion of the 50th year since the end of the Second World War. At that time, 50 countries from Aland to the two postal administrations of Cyprus circulated their philatelic contributions in a quite varied design. Albania and Turkish Cyprus also added miniature sheets. Several issues of that peaceful theme can still be found today for low prices; complete year sets can be found without major surcharges. When comparing catalogue values in detail with Michel’s CEPT volume of 2002, one can find a number of climbers. Gibraltar’s pair of sheetlets with se-tenants (Mi 710-713) went from €17 to €25. Guernsey and the Isle of Man each have four euros more…

The Exhibition of Youth Philately held in April in Teruel is commemorated in a special stamp from Spanish Post featuring the dinosaur Aragorsaurus ischiaticus, a 17-metre quadropedal sauropod whose remains were first discovered in Aragon. It is the first dinosaur to have been defined in Spain. Croatia has issued a 2023 Climate Action – Plastic Waste in the Sea set of stamps, with through-provoking images of marine life enveloped in plastic reflecting the scientific estimate that by 2050 the amount of plastic in the seas will exceed the amount of fish. Greenland has issued a new set of stamps to mark the 75th anniversary of women’s suffrage in Greenland. The new design by Ivínguak’ Stork Høegh marks the right of woman to vote and stand for election that was achieved…

Swiss Post’s new Pro Patria – Culture of Dialogue stamps and stamp sheet stress the importance to Swiss culture of lively communication across language and cultural borders. Switzerland is a multilingual coutnry with four national languages: German, French, Italisn and Romansh. The 2023 stamps encourage people to reach out and speak to each other, featuring an empty speech bubble. With an invitation to dialogue the images offer a motivational suggestion from the Pro Patria foundation: what would people say to each other? Stickers on the stamp sheet feature typical words and idioms from all four of Switzerland’s language regions. The Pro Patria foundation began in 1909 and is committed to a Switzerland that is proud of its diversity and creates a home for everyone. 2023 is also the 175th anniversary…

Each stamp in The ‘Legend of Robin Hood’ set, all 1st class, vividly depicts a key moment in a legend that has been told over and over, in stories and films. Together, they form the outline of the well-loved tale: Robin declared an outlaw; Robin meeting Little John; Robin being carried by Friar Tuck; Robin robbing the rich; Robin winning an archery contest; Robin capturing the Sheriff of Nottingham; Robin helping Maid Marian to escape; Robin marrying Marian; King Richard removing his disguise, and, finally, Robin shooting his last arrow on his deathbed. Robin Hood’s origins are believed to be in the early Middle Ages, but his outlaw appeal has never faded. Since his first on-screen appearance in an early silent movie, 1908’s Robin Hood and His Merry Men, Robin…

IRAQ TO INDIA FLIGHT Spink recently sold this cover, which was flown from Baghdad to Dehra Dun, India in January 1920. The cover featured a British Occupation of Iraq 1918 ½a. on 10pa. and 1a. on 20pa., both tied by a ‘civil posts/aerial/iraq’ circular handstamp in violet with the ½a additionally tied by ‘baghdad h.o. (iraq)’ datestamp and showing arrival datestamp (9.3) on reverse. The auction lot description noted: ‘this cover was flown frm Baghdad to Karachi by Capt. G.C. Matthews and Sgt. T.D. Kay, contestants in the England to Australia air race won by the Australians Ross and Keith Smith. Cover No. 5 recorded in “Airmails across the Middle East 1818-1930” by Lawrence Kimpton, p.60.’ SOLD FOR £13,000 MOROCCO TO KANSAS The Mazagan Collection of Morocco & Sudan recently…

Many enjoy researching the designs as they generally provide us with details about the geography, culture or economic activities of the territory. Many collectors focus on the engraved sets and one of the most attractive examples was released by Cyprus in 1955. The set comprises 15 different denominations and 15 different designs. It is extremely attractive and printed in strong colours. The common denominator is the portrait of a rather young Queen Elizabeth II. A short recap of the history of Cyprus will certainly be of interest in order to fully appreciate some of the designs. Archaeological finds indicate that the first people lived on Cyprus some 10,000 years B.C. It is believed that they survived on hunting and collecting whatever could be eaten. The first Greeks migrated to Cyprus…

Chelmsford and District Philatelic Society were delighted to welcome Don Davies to their recent meeting for a talk entitled ‘Don Davies Entertains’. He began by displaying materials covering pre-1840 Penny Post and explained how postal charges were calculated and the markings used to show the charges made. With the introduction of the Penny Post covering the whole of the country there was a short period in 1840 before stamps were issued and Don displayed various envelopes with different markings dependent upon where the envelope was posted. Pre-1840 it was usually the recipient that paid the postal charge, but this changed to the sender being charged with the introduction of the Penny Post. Don concluded the first part of the evening by showing a variety of envelopes carrying these handstamp markings…

The two month period over Christmas and the New Year of 1839-40 was one of intense change in postal services where the sending of correspondence based upon distance and the number of letter-sheets altered in two stages to a uniform payment of one penny. Before then, for example, one folded sheet of paper from London to Brighton attracted a postage cost of eightpence. However, those that could afford it most paid less. In fact, nothing! Admittedly there was a daily restriction in numbers sent, but as a Member of Parliament, provided you wrote the date of despatch in full above the name and address and signed your name at the bottom, then transmission was free. It is from this period of privilege in the 1830s that the first illustrated item…

The stamp market is being flooded with counterfeit Ukrainian stamps following the growing interest in the country’s recent issues, many of which make direct reference to the Russian invasion. The stamps of Ukrposhta, the national post office of Ukraine, grabbed headlines around the world as they reflected the conflict with Russia and the nation’s determination and defiance. The first stamp design, a result of a national design competition, directed disdain toward a Russian warship that was later sunk. A more recent issue recreated a mural by renowned British street artist Banksy, depicting a young Ukrainian fighting a grown man thought to represent Putin. Naturally, these proud and often provocative designs interested collectors, and the value of the stamps quickly increased as demand surpassed supply. According to reports, the Ukraine post…

Royal Mail has revealed images of four new stamps that will be issued to mark the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on 6 May 2023. The stamps illustrate the Coronation ceremony and the traditional street party, as well as some of the causes His Majesty has dedicated his years of public service to: cultural diversity and community; the global ties of the Commonwealth, which he now leads; and sustainability and biodiversity. Simon Thompson, Chief Executive of Royal Mail said: ‘Royal Mail is proud to issue this set of commemorative stamps which celebrate the Coronation, and some of the causes which His Majesty has championed throughout his many years of public service. This is only the third time we have issued Coronation stamps and…

A new philatelic exhibition is set to open at the Spear Museum of Philatelic History at the Royal Philatelic Society London (RPSL) shedding light on the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War. ‘When British and Colonial forces invaded the Zulu Kingdom on 11 January 1879, they ignited one of the most famous conflicts of the Victorian era,’ the exhibition preview explains. The public exhibition, entitled ‘Clash of Empires: The 1879 Anglo-Zulu War’, will display more than 500 postal, historical, and cultural objects exploring the context, history, and ongoing legacy of this period. ‘The exhibition’s narrative will begin in the early years of the 19th century with the emergence of King Shaka kaSenzangakhona and the rise of the Zulu Kingdom and go all the way through to 2019, 140 years after the start of…

An intriguing bit of Cold War history is commemorated in a new Faroese stamp showing the two alien-looking white domes that adorn the top of the Sornfelli mountain plateau on the island of Streymoy. During the Cold War, the Faroe Islands had a particuluar strategic and technological significance due to their location in the mid-North Atlantic – between the two super-powers, the United States and the Soviet Union. Sixty years ago, in 1963, the radar station designated ‘NATO Early Warning Station Site 09’ was completed. One dome was equipped with a vast horizontal radar and the other with an equally sizeable vertical radar, whose purpose was to provide a three-dimensional picture of of the waters and airspace of the North Atlantic. An operations bunker had been drilled 80 metres into…

Isle of Man’s newest stamps set shows off the beauty of the island’s glens and waterfalls, as painted and designed by Manx-born artist Tracey Dean. Tracey’s paintings also form part of a new book, The Magic of the Manx Glens, with text by Susan Jellis, which was published in April, with profits going to Disability Network. The Isle of Man has 18 mountain and coastal glens, preserved in a semi-wild state, and open to the public throughout the year. ‘I was delighted that Isle of Man Post Office has asked me to provide my paintings for yet another stamp collection,’ said Tracey. ‘It fills me with immense pride and knowing that the images will also be used in Susan’s book is just the icing on the cake.’ Issue date: 12…

Flowers, the Royal Mail’s first Special Stamp issue to feature the silhouette of the newly crowned King Charles III was issued at the end of March (see Stamp Collector May 2023). Fittingly for a monarch whose love of nature and gardening is well-known, the ten stamps in the set carry bright, beautiful images of the classic flowers beloved of gardeners throughout the UK. The flowers on these stamps are familiar friends – fragrant and lovely – seen in gardens the length and breadth of the country. • 1st Sweet Pea Sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) is a sweetly scented annual climbing plant native to Sicily and Southern Italy, where they grow wild. In the 19th century, Scottish horticulturist Henry Eckford, working as head gardener for the Earl of Radnor, cross-bred and…

This issue from 1986 marked the 900th Anniversary of the Domesday book and this cover the centenary of Legal and General, so you could argue that this combination does sort of work. It has always been the hardest cover for this issue to find and it is thought that only 100 full sets exist. They were produced by cover dealer Covercraft who always seemed to make it very hard for collectors to get hold of them, though with this cover Legal and General may have just wanted them supplied to their customers and suppliers, but if this was the case it is normally done with just single stamp covers. I think every collection I am offered has at least one single stamp first day cover in, maybe a cover produced…

There are many reasons why numerous postage stamps have received a wide variety of overprints. In some cases frugal postal administrations decided to overprint old stocks of perfectly good stamps but with completely useless denominations. Another cause for overprints has been rampant inflation rendering the stated value of no use. Major political developments have also been the reason for overprinted stamp issues. One of the most common reasons for the surcharging of stamps with new denominations is the change of postage rates. Frequently such decisions are made at short notice, giving the postal authorities very little time to prepare and print new stamps with denominations reflecting the new rate schedule. In most cases the rates are increased but this is not always the case. Surcharging existing stamp stocks with new…

Saarland is one of the smallest German states. It lies to the southwest of the country and is bordered by France’s Moselle District, the Rhineland Palatinate and Luxembourg. The territory was long coveted by French Kings and Emperors but was lost to Germany in the Franco-Prussian War. Coal has been mined here for hundreds of years – but the industry expanded rapidly in the 19th century and the Saar became an industrial hub where thousands of people worked in its coal-mining and steel-making industries – all of which made it even more attractive to France. After the first World War, the Treaty of Versailles decreed that the area was to be administered by the League of Nations, while France gained ownership of the coal mines. Then after 15 years, a…

Every century has produced great art masterpieces. Regardless of the subject matter, these canvases portrayed the world as seen through the artist’s eye. Over the years, there have been as many styles of art as there have been origins and tastes of the artists themselves. Yet, even without fully understanding the complexity of composition, colour, and texture, we can identify the master works of each period. They each have the ability to stir our emotions and spark our interest. The first representation of artwork and paintings on postage stamps date back to the 19th century. They consisted primarily of engraved portraits featuring famous people and monarchs. In the 1940s and 1950s, reproductions of drawings and paintings on stamps became widespread, and by the 1960s and 1970s, high-quality colour stamp sets…

An Post, the post office of Ireland, is inviting suggestions for stamp topics in 2025 and beyond, before a shortlist is put forward to the government for approval. Significant anniversaries, and aspects of Irish history, culture, community, geography, outdoor living, environment, flora and fauna are just some of the topics that feature on Irish stamps. Subjects to be commemorated on Irish stamps this year include ‘Keeping it Country’, a stamp booklet dedicated to country music; a set celebrating Sean O’Casey’s ‘Three Dublin Plays’ and four stamps marking the outstanding contribution of Women in Public Life, issued ahead of International Women’s Day. ‘Perhaps there is an event, from the past or in the future, that you think is worth marking. Maybe there’s an special anniversary, a person or a particular aspect…

Jersey Post has issued A History of Jersey’s Emergency Services, a new set of stamps celebrating the island’s emergency services, past and present. Designed by Martin Mörck, a renowned Norwegian stamp artist and engraver, the eight stamp set features a Jaguar MkII police car (1960s), RNLB Elizabeth Rippon (1948-1975), a Ford Model T field ambulance (1917), the Lord St. Helier fire engine (c. 1905), Channel Islands Air Search (2019-), inshore fire & rescue craft (2000-), a BMW i3 electric police car (2019-) and a King Air 200 air ambulance (2018-2020). Jersey Post commissions a mew set from Martin Mörck every year. ‘It’s been like this now for a number of years and I’m always prepared with rolled-up sleeves,’ he said. ‘It’s not just a case of designing a set of…

Aland has issued two new postage stamps in the Europa 2023 stamp series with the theme of ‘Peace’. PostEurop took a last-minute decision to switch to the ‘peace’ at the suggestion of Ukraine Post. One of the two new Aland stamps shows the Europa stamp’s motif, the winner of PostEurop’s design competition. It was designed by Luxembourg and will be used as a shared stamp by all participating postal services. The second stamp shows Aland’s entry, by Finnish illustrator Sofia Pusa. ‘I decided on the familiar peace symbol to ensure that the theme of peace came through clearly in the image,’ said Sofia. ‘I also found that Gerald Holtom’s peace sign, created for a campaign for nuclear disarmament in 1958, had maritime roots, so that tied in a fresh, new…

For most Great Britain collectors to define ‘high value definitives’ is easy. Before decimalisation it was the values from 2s 6d to £1. Following decimalisation there was a temporary reduction to 10p (2s), while the upper limit has increased to £5 (not counting the £10 value of 1993). I wonder what Victorian collectors thought when a 5s stamp was issued in 1867, to be followed by the 10s and £1 in 1878. Then, to cap it, came the £5 orange in 1882 – at a time when you could still send a letter for 1d. (£5 in 1882 would be the equivalent of nearly £350 today.) Not long after arrived new designs for the values from 2s 6d to £1 – with a further change of colour for the £1…

SOLD FOR £2,225 France, Definitive booklet Marianne of Luquet, curiosity: join print SOLD FOR £593 French Levant, French 30c International ‘coupon-réponse’ cancelled Constantinople-Pera 1907 SOLD FOR £712 Catsellorizo, 20pi on 5F Merson French Levant stamp overprinted ‘CASTELLORISO’ with ‘S’ instead of ‘Z’ 1920 MH SOLD FOR £1,468 Switzerland Zürich cantonal post, letter franked 6Rp black cancelled ‘black ‘Rosette’ & additional cancellation ‘WALD’ to Horgen 1843 (with cert.) SOLD FOR £738 Belgium, Railway & parcel post 2f violet King Albert 1915 ‘Winged wheel’ MNH (signed with cert.) SOLD FOR £1,157 Algeria, 90c red view of Algier 1938-41 MNH with dated sheet corner (signed) SOLD FOR £1,286 Germany (Bavaria), 1Kr dark grey (Mi: 1 Ib) 1849 used SOLD FOR £774 Ukraine, rare sheetlet ‘Kateryna Bilokur’ 2022 MNH SOLD FOR £356 Italy, Letter…

On a visit to Helsinki, the Finnish capital, I noticed that one of the bus routes terminated at Drumsö, a small island on the outskirts of the city, writes Christer Brunstrom. In 1935 a bridge linking the island with the mainland was opened and it effectively put an end to the privately operated Drumsö ferry service started by Julius Tallberg in 1914. He had acquired large parts of the island in 1912. The island was not only home to a small number of summer villas but also a popular destination for the citizens of the capital who wanted to visit Tallberg’s casino. The ferry service was inaugurated in 1914 and in addition to passengers the ferry also carried parcels and letters. The Finnish Post Office placed a mailbox on the…

The Faroe Islands are a small archipelago to the north of the UK equidistant between Iceland and Norway, part of the Kingdom of Denmark, comprising some 18 volcanic islands, writes Stuart Leigh. The Faroe Islands are connected by a series of bridges, road tunnels, causeways and ferries. Since 2008 Posta Faroe Islands – the postal administration of the islands – has been issuing Post and Go style stamps known locally as franking labels. The latest issue of Post & Go stamps was released on 20 February 2023, under the theme ‘Villages’. They are produced on the original aCon printer as well as the more recent Intelligent AR system, identified from its datastring across the bottom of the printed section – D2FO23 F001, translated – D for Desktop Kiosk Unit, 2…

The term 'tourist cachets’ refers to the private handstamps struck on mail posted in special boxes at tourist locations – what might be termed ‘Cinderella postmarks’! As you might expect, the vast majority appear on picture postcards – the first examples are from the postcard ‘boom’ of the late Victorian and Edwardian era. Indeed, probably the main cash value of the cachets to the proprietors was to encourage visitors to buy cards to post, in order to create a souvenir of their visit. This article is concerned with the British ones (although of course they exist for many other places too). The earliest known of these come from the traditional opposite ends of the British mainland – Land’s End at the far southwestern tip of Cornwall in England, and John…

Vesuvius has a long and mythical status but has also been a magnet for generations of tourists. Consequently the volcano has a significant presence reflected in postal history, which enables a thematic collection to be acquired with relative ease and tolerable expenditure. Since there is no catalogue, unlike the case with stamps and postmarks, the collector can make their own decision about what to include and, while such a story can never be complete, neither will it be evident what is missing – until you find it that is. Perhaps the volcano is best remembered for the eruption of AD 79 which destroyed the Roman city of Pompeii, and it was not until the 19th century that the House of the Faun was excavated. By the 1840s the tourist industry…