The Philatelic Database – Archive of Stamp Collecting Articles

The message from Danzig on the back of this card is a simple enquiry: “why has it been so long since we have heard any news from you?” The writer’s anxiety may well have been heightened when the card came back over three months later as the addressee could not be traced.

In 2009, the Finnish postal service depicted the traditional sauna in a five-stamp self-adhesive booklet.

Most of us will be familiar with the Language of Flowers. In Victorian times flowers were often sent to convey messages. However few will be aware of the Language of Stamps.

The following article was first published in Australian Stamp Monthly (December, 1952) and written by Alec A Gavin. THE little Registered Label (R6 in P.O. phraseology) plays a very important part in a vital post office activity, and the collection and study of these items of Commonwealth postal stationery has attracted the attention of a [...]

Originally published in “The Railway Magazine” in March 1898, this article gives a fascinating insight into railway activities and life in Japan at the close of the nineteenth century.

This little hunt for butterflies in West Africa requires neither net nor mosquito repellent, so forget your pith helmet and take a relaxing look at the beautiful and exotic stamp issues of Gabon.

Astrophilately was born soon after the launch of the first ever earth orbiting satellite, the Soviet Union’s Sputnik on 4th October 1957, reached its peak during the Apollo mission years 1969—1972.

In my first year in junior high school I discovered a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandra Dumas at my local library. I still vividly remember how…

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) wrote some three dozen plays, writes Scotland based English Teacher Jeff Dugdale, many of which have been celebrated with the issue of at least one postage stamp…

In its 76-year history the Commonwealth Games movement has had several names – the British Empire Games, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games, the British Commonwealth Games and now the Commonwealth Games.

The cover has a total postage of 1/ 7d made up of a pair of ½d orange KGV heads and the 1/6 Hermes airmail stamp. It has two ENMORE/ 130P 16 JL 36/ N.S.W postmarks plus a blue By Air Mail/ Par Avion vignette. It is addressed to E. L. Angeloglou. Esq./ 13. El. Manakh. [...]

This is a fascinating article written by William C. White, an American who was trying to obtain an interview with Adolf Hitler prior to his rise to power in 1933.

The Anglo-German boundary of 1890, had done much to separate many of the tribes of West Africa…

Chess is the oldest of all games of pure mental skill – those in which the element of chance does not enter. Further, no game has been as influential in cultural history as chess. I was surprised that the ATA Topical Association chess check list comprised four full pages and featured stamps from practically every [...]

On January 29, 2009, Post Sweden issued a most interesting set of stamps featuring classic cars. The issue basically comprises a booklet containing five different designs for first-class inland mail and a 12-kronor coil stamp for international letters.

Originally published in “Peoples of All Nations”, by Educational Book Company, London 1923.

This article was originally published in the “Daily Telegraph” (UK), August 4, 1911. I have read a number of articles on these early experimental aerial flights but this one is interesting because it notes the use of “aerial” post boxes located in London department stores and firms.

In the 1970s I spent most of my summer holidays in the south of France. At that time Radio Andorra was a major radio station in that part of the world dishing out a variety of popular music with a distinctly Spanish flavour. I tuned in on a daily basis but never realized my dream of visiting the tiny principality nestled high up in the Pyrenees Mountains between Spain and France…

Originally published in “Shipping Wonders of the World” in 1937, this comprehensive article features detailed information on the US Naval fleet of the time.

The following article was written by Oscar Karl Goll and first published in “Stamps” (April 6, 1935).

Z 127 Graf Zeppelin was a large rigid airship (or dirigible). It was named after the German pioneer of airships, Ferdinand von Zeppelin.

This is one of the most extravagant advertising covers I have written about, and it is also the third cover to the Congo I have recorded.

Lot 142 in the Postal History Auction run by Yorkshire Cover Auctions, which closed 5 June 2004, appeared to have a familiar address. And yes, it was another Blatter cover, this time from Bahamas.