The Ichang Post-Office (1895)

Friday, July 4th, 2008: "The Stamp News", Asia, China, Philatelic Journals, Post Offices

The following article comes from The Stamp News (February and March, 1895) and should be of interest to collectors of China.

For the following cutting we are indebted to the Chairman of the “Ichang Public Improvements Committee,” who has, however, omitted to furnish us with the name of the paper from which it is taken. It may be of interest to mention that the wrapper enclosing the cutting was franked with one of the new ½ candarin stamps, that being apparently the rate for a book packet from Ichang to Shanghai, a 2 cent Hong Kong stamp representing the postage from Shanghai to London.

Read the rest of this article »

Messrs. Harmer, Rooke & Co: Stamps in the Sale Room (1910)

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008: "The Postage Stamp", Auction Houses, Nostalgia, Philatelic Journals

The following is an account of the philatelic auctioneering of Messrs. Harmer, Rooke & Co as published in The Postage Stamp (December, 1910).

The Romance of Philatelic Auctioneering
It is nearly forty years since the first stamp auction was held in London. That was in 1872 at Sotheby’s. The enterprise then was a little in advance of the progress of philately, for there was a long interval before the experiment was again tried.

The principal, Mr E.G. Harmer, in his private office.

Read the rest of this article »

Edwin Cradock Nowell: An Extraordinary Tasmanian Clerk

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008: Australia & Dependencies, Postal History, Tasmania

Maurice Mishkel.

Edwin Cradock Nowell

A series of 7 covers addressed to Edwin Nowell in Hobart from January 1850 to February 1860, from South Australia, New South Wales and Tasmania appeared in a Tasmanian stamp auction in April 2005. The covers were well described and many were of more than passing notice, but no details were given concerning the addressee, who was an early Tasmanian of considerable importance. The covers are presented here in chronological order, with descriptions largely following those provided by the vendor. All were addressed to Nowell, except for the first which was sent to his wife.

Read the rest of this article »

Great Scott!

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008: "The Postage Stamp", Dealers, Errors, Nostalgia, Philatelic Journals, United States
Richard A. Turton.

Mr John Walter Scott

This entertaining account was first published in The Postage Stamp (October, 1913). It ran as first in a series under the title “Postage Stamp Romances: The True Stories of the Stamp World, Collected by Cornelius Wrinkle from Authentic Sources. No 1 - Great Scott!”

Read the rest of this article »

Perfins of New Zealand and Australia

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008: Australia & Dependencies, New Zealand, Perfins
John Mathews.

In 1858, Joseph Sloper of London was granted Letters Patent for the process of perforating holes in the pattern of letters or insignia, and for the perforating apparatus to produce them, as a means of marking cheques and other documents so that they could not be altered, or otherwise fraudulently dealt with.

Read the rest of this article »

Madagascar: Definitive series (1930-1944)

Monday, June 30th, 2008: France & Colonies, Indian Ocean, Madagascar, Malagasy Repbublic, Stamp Profiles

The definitive series of 1930-1944 was unusual, as French colonial sets went, in that four of its designs were typographed, while the fifth was recess-printed.

Read the rest of this article »

Blatter and the Bahamas

Monday, June 30th, 2008: "NSW Philatelist", Bahamas, British West Indies, De La Rue, Overprints, Postal History, Switzerland
Russell W. Stern.

Lot 142 in the Postal History Auction run by Yorkshire Cover Auctions, which closed 5 June 2004, appeared to have a familiar address (see for example NSW Philatelist, Article 449, November 1996). And yes, it was another Blatter cover, this time from Bahamas.

It was described as “1919 regd cvr. to Switz., 1d Red X (SG90) + 5d Sp. Delivery (S2). Address part erased.” Regretably the illustration was too small to reproduce well. (Figure 1 above)

Read the rest of this article »

The First Hawaiian Philatelic Exhibition: A £14,000 Display in Honolulu (1913)

Saturday, June 28th, 2008: "The Postage Stamp", Exhibitions, United States

The following account was first published in The Postage Stamp (June 1913).

As we have noted on several occasions there is an active philatelic life in the Territory of Hawaii. The latest development in the activities of the Hawaiian Philatelic Society is the inauguration of an annual philatelic show or exhibition, the first of which was opened on Thursday, May 8th. For accounts of this show we are indebted to Mr. John Gribble, J.P.S. From the newspaper and other newspaper reports and other details sent by Mr. Gribble we take the following interesting account. :-

Read the rest of this article »

War-time Reporter Meets General MacArthur

Friday, June 27th, 2008: Australia & Dependencies, Postal History, World War II
Maurice Mishkel.

The newspaper wrapper that prompted this research is postmarked PAID AT SYDNEY/-14 MY 43/ N.S.W. and is addressed to Lewis Sebring, Tribune Herald Newspaper, USA Army Hdqrs., (General Douglas MacArthur), AUSTRALIA. This was sent by “Reveille”, Official Organ, R.S.L (N.S.W. Branch), Anzac Memorial, Hyde Park, SYDNEY. “Reveille” is the journal published for the Returned Soldiers’ League in Australia. Read the rest of this article »

Stamps of Thailand (Siam): The First Issues (1883)

Thursday, June 26th, 2008: Asia, Classic Stamps, First Issues, Printers, Printing Processes, Siam, Stamp Profiles, Thailand, Waterlow

Thailand’s first postage stamps appeared in August 1883, Waterlow and Sons recess-printing printing different designs and using different colours to denote the values: solot (½ att), att, sio (2 atts), sik (4 atts) and salung (6 atts).

Read the rest of this article »

SS Columbus Postcard

Tuesday, June 24th, 2008: Germany & Colonies, History, Shipping Lines, Ships

Read the rest of this article »

Editor's Choice

Zeppelin Flight To Palestine

William Cochrane.

There is a certain romance about Zeppelins. The famous pop band Led Zeppelin took its name from the airship.

Z 127 Graf Zeppelin was a large rigid airship (or dirigible).…

Feature

How to look after your Collection – A Basic Guide

David R Beech FRPSL

Curator and Head of the Philatelic Collections at the British Library

Based on a Paper given at the 87th Philatelic Congress of Great Britain, Derby on 8th July,…

Book Review

Western Australia, The Obliterators

Bill Lloyd-Smith.

This monograph is the latest addition to the growing literature on Western Australia. It is a joint effort between Brian Pope and the late Max Reynolds. It covers the…

Glossary

Blind Stamp

An extra unprinted area of paper of stamp size left between two other stamps or between a stamp and the sheet margin. This was necessary in certain combinations of printing…

Latest Link

Psywarrior.com

Psywarrior is a historical website dedicated to the Millitary use of Psychological Operations. Collectors of rocket mail should find this article on German Rocket Leaflet Campaign of interest.

This is a great article