THE WORLD’S BEST PHILATELIC MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

TM
MAGAZINE

The Falklands’ Joyful issues

first set with a recalling the
local flavour end of the war

What’s in a name?

It’s not always about rarity, nor even about

market value. Why do some famous stamps
attract catchy nicknames when others don’t?

Britain’s wartime provisions

www.stampmagazine.co.uk £4.75
COLLECTING GROUP

How careful contingency

planning, cost saving and
stockpiling took priority
over commemoration
 ...masterpieces from the
remote islands in the North

Faroe Islands Stamps

Stamp Issues April 2020
British FPO’s in the Faroes during WW2
The mini-sheet illustrates a photo of the military post
office in Miðvágur and a pencil drawing of the military
post office in Tórshavn made by Faroese artist Ingálvur
av Reyni. The three FPO cancellations (611, 695 and
219) which were used by the British on the Faroe Islands
during WW2 are also illustrated on the mini-sheet.

HM Queen Margrethe II’s 80th birthday

Celebrating the Queen of Denmark’s anniversary on
16th April, Posta Faroe Islands is issuing an exclusive
souvenir sheet with gold hot foil printing. The motif is
a painting of the Queen by renowned Faroese artist,
Edward Fuglø. A special blackprint is also available.
FO 929

FO 929

Posta Faroe Islands - one of the smallest Postal Services in the world, yet known for its unique, beautiful and creative
stamps, which have gained worldwide recognition since 1976.

Buy Faroese stamps at www.stamps.fo

Posta Stamps, Óðinshædd 2 Tel. +298 346200
FO-100 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands stamps@posta.fo
Great Britain & British Empire Specialised Auction
including the “Tatiana” Collection
NEW DATES - June 30th to July 2nd, 2020 in Geneva

This specialised Great Britain and British Empire auction week will feature 3 catalogues including a series of collections
from the famous 'Tatiana' philatelic holding:
• St. Vincent with many of the rarities from the Jaffé collection and much more
• Classic Mauritius
• Great Britain & British Empire with very comprehensive sections of India, Australian States especially New South
Wales and Western Australia, British North America, Cyprus, Gibraltar and Jamaica.

David Feldman SA 59, Route de Chancy, 1213 Petit Lancy, Geneva, Switzerland
Tel. +41 (0)22 727 0777 Fax +41 (0)22 727 0778 Email info@davidfeldman.com

Browse the lots and bid on

www.davidfeldman.com
 TM
MAGAZINE

WELCOME
IN THIS ISSUE
Made the most of your one daily outing
for exercise? Check. Watched the latest
Government briefing on the news
channel? Check. Mown the lawn? Check.
Finished reading War & Peace? Check.
Reorganised the kitchen cupboard whose drawer
hasn’t shut properly for three years because it has
too much stuff in it? Check. Redecorated the spare
room which can’t welcome any guests for the
foreseeable future anyway? Check.
Well then, you must be in serious need of a
philatelic fix by now. The good news is that there is
still some activity out there, if you look for it.
Some auction houses are continuing to plan sales
despite social-distancing rules, by moving online
(although we’ve decided not to attempt a listing
because the situation remains fluid and uncertain).
Some societies are migrating online too, not just
for discussion but for displays, and a correspondent
in our Letters pages has been pleasantly surprised
by how entertaining this has proved.
The temporarily closed Postal Museum is offering
‘virtual’ experiences on its website, and the Royal
Philatelic Society London is holding face-to-face
meetings via Zoom, just like many parted families up
and down the land.
If you’re not an internet user, allow me to
recommend Stamp Magazine! In spite of myriad
difficulties, we fully intend to keep publishing in
printed form in the UK (although export copies 33 Why do some stamps deserve exotic nicknames while others don’t?
cannot currently be guaranteed), so take out a
subscription to make sure you don’t miss a copy.
Keep well.

GUY THOMAS, Editor 8 WORLD NEWS

guy.thomas@mytimemedia.com Pandemic special issues from the
Isle of Man and other countries,
and a strange Australian set
Stamp Magazine, My Time Media Ltd, Suite 25, Eden which is only partly perforated
House, Enterprise Way, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6HF
(please mark correspondence either ‘Editorial’ or ‘Advertising’)
10 NEW ISSUES
Celebrating 25 years of Tristan
Art Editor Publishers da Cunha’s World Heritage Site,
Alexandra Bourdelon My Time Media Ltd
Advertisement Sales Consultant Tel: 01689 869840 (UK) one of the least disturbed wildlife
Jay Jones Tel: +44 1689 869840 (rest of the world) habitats on the planet
jay.jones@mytimemedia.com Printers
Overseas Advertisement Sales William Gibbons & Sons Ltd
Uty Rohrs 14 AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS
Tel: 020 7834 0085 Subscriptions A striking British Empire error,
My Time Media Ltd, 3 Queensbridge,
Commercial Sales Manager missionary handstamps from a
The Lakes, Northampton NN4 7BF, UK
Rhona Bolger
Tel: 0844 243 9023 (UK) remote Atlantic island and a rare
rhona.bolger@mytimemedia.com
Tel: +1 866 647 9191 (USA & Canada)
Subscriptions Manager Tel: +44 1604 828748 (rest of the world) Russian cover
Kate Hall help@stamp.secureorder.co.uk
Chief Executive
Owen Davies
Current & Back Issues 18 GB NEW ISSUE 14 Auction action
Tel: 01795 662976
ISSN 0307-6679 www.mags-uk.com Full details of the stamps and
miniature sheet marking the 75th
USA Stamp Magazine, ISSN 0307-6679, is published monthly by MyTimeMedia Ltd, Suite 25S, Eden Anniversary of the End of the
House, Enterprise Way, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6HF, UK. The US annual subscription price is 108USD.
Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Second World War
Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn NY 11256. US Postmaster: send
address changes to Stamp Magazine, WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica,
NY 11434, USA. Subscription records are maintained at DSB.net Ltd, 3 Queensbridge, The Lakes, 20 GB COLLECTOR
Northampton, NN4 5DT, UK. Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent.
Slogan cancellations back the
Government’s public health
message, while blue postboxes
hail the heroics of the NHS 18 VE Day remembered

4 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020

 CONTENTS
JUNE 2020 | Volume 86, Number 6 | www.stampmagazine.co.uk

60 Greatest work by the Czech engraver Vaclav Fajt

52 Wartime contingency plans for British stamp supplies 63 Cutting corners from Penny Blacks 49 Falkland Islands landmark 8 Australian oddity

FEATURES 24 LETTERS COMPETITIONS

How many 20th-century vending
machines are still on the streets?
33 STAMPS WITH THEIR And how can we keep active in our Win a Romantic Poets
OWN NICKNAMES hobby when we’re stuck indoors? presentation pack!
A small number of historic and Or a copy of our
famous stamps are habitually 49 COMMONWEALTH GB price guide!
referred to not by country of CLASSICS See page 29
origin or date or denomination, The 1929 issue of the Falkland
but by a nickname. Why do they Islands was the bridge between
deserve special treatment? the earlier portrait definitives and

52 BRITISH STAMPS
later pictorials
‘During the lockdown, we have
IN WORLD WAR II 60 GREAT ENGRAVERS been taking to our online forum
Given the privations of wartime, Frozen out by the authorities
issuing new stamps was a very during the Cold War, Vaclav Fajt for philatelic chat and displays’
low priority. More importantly, eventually had a huge influence on
could printing costs be contained, Czech and Slovak stamps
see page 24
could ink be eked out, and could
supplies be safeguarded? 63 BLACK MAGIC SUBSCRIBE
Why did some users trim the
corners off Penny Blacks before
‘New research reveals affixing them to covers?
Take advantage of our
special subscription offer
the stockpiling of GB 73 STRANGE BUT TRUE and have Stamp Magazine
stamps in wartime’ How the redundant stamp of a delivered to your door.
monarchy made a comeback See page 64
see page 52 during a civil war between
communists and islamists

JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 5

250-257 CORINPHILA
NEW DATE: 7-12 SEPT

La Chimba/Antofagasta

Error of Colour

1 July 1875: First day cover UPU for

Great Britain - but not for France

ex Dublin Find (1899)

ex Earl of Crawford (1913)

Highlights from the September 2020 sale

• Great Britain 1840-1910 – The ‘BESANÇON’ Collection (part II)
• British West Indies – The ‘BESANÇON’ Collection (part I)
• British Post Offices Abroad – The ‘Dubois’ Collection (part I)
• South & Central America – The Brian Moorhouse Collection (part III)
• Austrian Post Offices in the Levant – The Werner Schindler Collection
• Austria & Lombardo-Veneto – The ERIVAN Collection (part II)
• Switzerland, incl. The Jack Luder Collection (part VI)
• All World, incl. Austria, Italy 1855/63 – Vittorio Emanuele II,
Rhodesia – The ‘BESANÇON’ Collection
AUCTION
EMBER 2020 www.corinphila.ch

Overland Mail

“REGISTERED” from
Chile to Australia

Peruvian Post Office

PIURA / PERU

‘Plate 9’! The largest mint block ‘Wmk. Multiple Crown CA’, Unique! ex Philipp von Ferrary
outside the Royal Collection. ex Kimball (1962) (1924)

ORDER AUCTION CATALOGUES NOW

Postage for a complete set of 8 catalogues CORINPHILA AUKTIONEN AG
CHF 20.–  EUR 20.–  US $ 30.-  GB £ 20.- WIESENSTR 8 · 8032 ZURICH · SWITZERLAND
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starting August 2020

 WORLD NEWS

Isle of Man’s defiant

response to pandemic...
In a rapid reponse to the coronavirus pandemic, the Isle of Man 1st class values, two at the Large rate and two at the Rest of the
issued a set of eight stamps on May 4 to celebrate community spirit. World rate, the stamps were designed at short notice by London
Under the title Carry Us Through, they emphasise the optimistic agency Glazier Design. A donation from all sales will be made to the
message that love, care, compassion, faith, community, work, Manx Solidarity Fund.
science and words will give the world fortitude during the global Although they are not being described as definitive stamps, the
emergency. All the designs also include the Three Legs of Man, suggestion is that they will temporarily replace definitives in
said to summarise the Manx spirit: ‘Whichever way you throw us, we general use during the crisis.
will stand.’
Isle of Man Post
says the issue
‘celebrates people
supporting each other
and working hard to
overcome adversity’,
and is ‘a thank you to
everyone who has
followed the rules
during the current
crisis, so our key
workers and our
community, including
doctors, nurses,
health workers and
volunteers, can carry
us through’.
Comprising four

...and coronavirus stamps worldwide

Following the first stamp on the coronavirus
theme from Iran (May issue, page 9), a
handful of other countries produced issues
in late March and April, especially on
April 7, which was World Health Day.
Vietnam issued a set of two on March 31,
entitled Join Together In Preventing &
Controlling Covid-19. The 4,000d value
depicted medical and security personnel
assisting and testing members of the public,
with face masks being worn but no social
distancing. The 15,000d stamp showed
doctors working on treatments or a vaccine,
and a defiant clenched fist.
Switzerland launched a 100c + 500c stamp
entitled Covid-19 Solidarity on April 6, with a
design combining the Swiss flag and a circle
of humanity. The proceeds of the surcharge
will be split between two charities, Swiss
Solidarity and the Swiss Red Cross, to help
people left in need by the outbreak.
China issued a se-tenant pair of 1.20y
stamps on April 7, one illustrating health,
research and security workers, all wearing
masks, and the other a single individual in a
full protective suit, with clenched fist.
Another se-tenant pair, from Indonesia on
the same day, featured a health worker in
full protective clothing on one design and
the slogan ‘Give corona no chance! Stay at
home’ (in English) on the other.
Stamps have been mooted from Bosnia
and Sri Lanka, but with philatelic services
widely disrupted these issues have not
been confirmed.

8 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020

 WORLD NEWS AUCTIONS | GB COLLECTOR | LETTERS | COMMENT | COMPETITIONS | FEATURES | EVENTS | STRANGE BUT TRUE
Captain Cook commemoratives NEWS IN BRIEF

create a catalogue conundrum > There is no What’s

On section in this
month’s magazine,
Australia celebrated the 250th anniversary of the arrival design, with overlapping styles and themes. because it was
of Lieutenant James Cook, on his historic voyage of Having left Britain 20 months earlier (Royal Mail’s difficult to confirm
in advance which
discovery in HMS Endeavour, with a set of stamps in a commemorative issues was in August 2018), the crew events might go
radical and confusing format. of Endeavour became the first Europeans to set foot on ahead during the
The Navigating History stamp issue is being marketed the east coast of Australia in April 1770. Over the pandemic. All
as five vertical pairs of 55c stamps, which come in a following months they charted the coastline, collecting exhibitions, fairs
and club meetings
horizontal se-tenant strip with a composite design. and sketching its flora and fauna.
are presumed
In reality, however, the designs come as a single strip Cook (navigating) and the Southern Cross cancelled, although
of five $1.10 values, because the horizontal perforations constellation are illustrated on the first ‘pair’ of stamps, some auctioneers
between each pair are incomplete. With just three a map of Australia and Endeavour on the second, Cook are continuing to
perforation holes, they would be impossible to separate (resting ashore) and Aboriginals on the third, the hold sales with
online, postal or
in a satisfactory manner. botanist Joseph Banks and naturalist Daniel Solander telephone bidding.
Despite presenting a conundrum for catalogue and banksia plants on the fourth, and a compass and the
editors, the block has an attractive and interesting Torres Strait on the fifth. > The Philatelic
Congress of Great
Britain, which was
due to be held in
Market Harborough
on September 3-6,
has been cancelled
due to the
pandemic. The
Association of
British Philatelic
Societies now plans
to hold a weekend
meeting in the town
next March, while
the 2021 Congress
is scheduled for
Harrogate in July.

> The ABPS has

awarded this year’s
Congress Medal to
Nigel Gooch, for his
contributions to
organised philately
at national, local
and specialist
levels.

Channel Islands’ > It has emerged

that Iran’s stamp
saluting medical

Liberation Day sets staff fighting the

coronavirus
pandemic (May
issue, page 9) is
The Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey each celebrated the
based on a drawing
75th anniversary of their liberation from wartime occupation with by Alireza Zakeri of
a joyful and colourful set of six stamps. doctors alongside
Jersey’s stamps depict contemporary scenes from Liberation soldiers during the
Day, which is celebrated each year on 9 May, with its mix of Iran-Iraq war in the
1980s. This explains
formal ceremonies, military cavalcades, re-enactments and live the rather over-
music, all in the style of 1940s poster art. cautious gas mask
Guernsey’s designs take a similar approach but with a twist: seen in the image!
their diagonal divisions reflect the way stamps were bisected
during the war to extend supplies, with the colours in the lower
> British winners of
annual awards from
right halves matching those used at the time. the European
Both postal administrations also added ‘Liberation 75’ Federation of
commemorative inscriptions to their machine-vended Philatelic Societies
self-adhesive Post & Go stamps although, sadly Liberation Day are Chris King, for
services to
events were muted this year due to the health emergency. organised philately,
German troops occupied the Channel Islands over two days in and Stamp Active,
the summer of 1940, and remained until they surrendered on for the promotion of
May 9, 1945, the day after VE Day. youth philately.

JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 9

 WORLD NEWS
NEW ISSUE
World heritage wildlife
of Tristan da Cunha
beautifully photographed set of
A wildlife stamps from Tristan da
Cunha celebrates the 25th
anniversary of the remote archipelago’s
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The site comprises Gough Island and the
wonderfully named Inaccessible Island,
volcanic outcrops which are uninhabited by
people and have remained almost free from
human interference. Their isolation has
made them some of the least disturbed
habitats on Earth, home to an array of
exotic plants and animals.
Seven species on Gough and three on
Inaccessible are globally threatened, not
least because some are endemic (unique to
this location).
Gough Island is one of the world’s most
important seabird nesting sites, with 22
10 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020
different nesting species, including the
Tristan albatross, which is illustrated on the
35p stamp. The southern elephant seal and
sub-Antarctic fur seal also breed on the
island, whose towering cliffs are covered in
rare lichens, mosses and ferns.
One of Inaccessible Island’s vulnerable
species is the spectacled petrel, which is
shown on the £1.60 stamp.
Gough and Inaccessible each have a
distinct species of bunting, of which the
former is seen on the 55p value. Together
the islands are a nesting site for 85% of the
world’s northern rockhopper penguins,
seen on the £1.80 stamp.
The set of four is accompanied by a £3.50
single-stamp miniature sheet which
features the Inaccessible Island rail, an
endemic species which is the world’s
smallest extant flightless bird.
In all of Britain’s worldwide territories,
this is one of only four World Heritage Sites
which were granted the status for their
outstanding natural heritage, but this
status itself is under threat. Seabird nests
on Gough Island are attacked by mice,
which were inadvertently brought to the
islands by sealers two centuries ago, and
this could eventually make some of the
region’s unique species globally extinct. An
operation to eradicate the mice is
scheduled for this year.
Based on photographs by Michelle Risi,
Andy Schofield and Jaimie Cleeland, the
stamps were issued on March 24, although
the closure of Pobjoy Mint’s stamp division
during the coronavirus pandemic may slow
down their distribution.
Selling your stamp collection?
Warwick and Warwick have an expanding requirement for world collections, single country collections, single
items, covers, proof material and specialised collections. Our customer base is increasing dramatically and we
need an ever-larger supply of quality material to keep pace with demand. The market is currently very strong
for G.B. and British Commonwealth and the Far East. If you are considering the sale of your collection, now is
the time to act.

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, usually within 48 hours, in order to value larger
and 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.

Warwick & Warwick Ltd., Chalon House, Scar Bank,

Millers Road, Warwick CV34 5DB England
Auctioneers and Valuers Tel: (01926) 499031 • Fax: (01926) 491906
www.warwickandwarwick.com Email: patrick.collyer@warwickandwarwick.com

Get the experts on your side! /warwickauctions @warwickauctions

 COMMEMORATIVE
GUERNSEY STAMPS GUERNSEY & ALDERNEY STAMPS
First Day Covers and
Available with all issues:

AND COLLECTABLES Presentation Packs.

New Issue: 2nd May 2020

Collect
75th Liberation Day Anniversary
Stamps

Endangered Species:
Kordofan Giraffe

50 85

PRE-ORDER
17 APRIL 2020
95

£1
Full Philatelic £1 .02

product range
available on our 250th Anniversary The impact of the Coronavirus pandemic
continues to affect us all in many ways.
Guernsey

website of Beethoven - Part 2 Please be assured that we are working hard

to process orders but do bear with us as there
may be delays beyond our control.
Order Guernsey & Alderney stamps 250 Thank you so much for your patience
online or by tel: +44 (0) 1481 716486 and custom.
email philatelic@guernseypost.com

Guernsey Stamps @guernseystamps www.guernseystamps.com

Select Your 1st 500 Stamps FREE
Regardless of Catalogue Value!
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Contrary to what you might think, or have been
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Q: What made me collect stamps this
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Hindsight is a wonderful thing isn’t it ?, but…
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The simple answer is… it Doesn’t !
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MIXTURES ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR VERY ADVANCED COLLECTORS – TAKE MY UPA £55 AUCTION OFFER 13
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SM 06/20
 AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS Edited by Julia Lee. stampauctionhighlights@gmail.com
Prices quoted exclude buyers’ premiums

SOUTHERN RHODESIA 1932 TRISTAN DA CUNHA 1929

R
3d perforation error LD
FO Rare missionary handstamps
S O
00 ,0
One of the great
£11 Argyll Etkin’s sale offered an attractive cover from Tristan da Cunha
rarities of to Brazil, with a selection of the unofficial ‘missionary handstamps’
Southern Rhodesia used in the first half of the 20th century.
came up at Spink’s It has Great Britain 1d and 1½d stamps cancelled by the type IV
auction, in the cachet in magenta, and alongside is the very scarce type IVa, with
shape of a 1932 the outer circle in magenta and the inner arc in red. Backstamps
perforation error. are two type V cachets in violet, one of them dated March 20, 1929.
This was a Written by the Reverend Partridge, a new arrival on Tristan, the
marginal vertical letter notes: ‘I am enjoying life. Out of 157 inhabitants, men, women
pair of the 3d and children, I get 92 to Holy Communion every Sunday.’
ultramarine from Used from 1908-52, the ‘missionary handstamps’ are so-called
the Victoria Falls because they were mostly used by clergymen recruited from the UK.
set, from the top
of the sheet, SOLD BY ARGYLL ETKIN £4,000
imperforate
horizontally.
The unused pair
was mounted in
the margin only.
This error has a
catalogue value of
£17,000; listed
separately (and the
only item in the
standard
catalogue with a
higher price) is a
pair of the same
stamp imperforate
between. SOLD BY SPINK £11,000

RUSSIA 1894
Cover from Kyrgyzstan
The highlight of Philea’s sale was a registered Russian cover of 1894
from Osh (now in Kyrgyzstan) to Sweden, sent by the famous
Swedish geographer and explorer Dr Sven Hedin.
It bears a vertical pair of Russia 20k stamps on the reverse,
cancelled on June 15, along with a Stockholm arrival handstamp of
July 15. On the address side is a Russian ‘R’ circular handstamp.
Hedin led four major expeditions across Asia, visiting Russia,
Turkey, Persia, India, China and Japan. Addressed to his brother,
this is among his earliest surviving correspondence, from a region
of the world that is rare source of 19th-century postal history.
SOLD BY PHILEA £2,800

14 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020

 STAMP COLLECTIONS
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TONY LESTER
For a friendly and personal service just call 01926 634 809
and ask to speak to Tony.
Tony Lester Auctions Limited, The Sidings, Birdingbury Road,
Marton, Nr. Rugby CV23 9RX. Email: tonylester@btconnect.com
Web: www.tonylester.co.uk
We are long standing members of the Philatelic Traders’ Society, complying with its strict code of ethics.
We have been established for over 30 years, with a reputation for honesty and fair dealing.

REVISED AUCTION SCHEDULE

Our June 14th Auction is now cancelled owing to the Covid 19 situation.
Our next auction is scheduled for September 6th. We are hoping that this will be a public auction,
but in the event that this is not possible, it will be a postal only sale.
If you are not already on our mailing list, please contact us for a free copy of this catalogue.
 WINSTON CHURCHILL
o be
❛To be really
really happy
happy and really safe, one
or
or three
three hobbies,
hobbies, and they must all be
Understanding Quality
Previously I have discussed the ‘Importance
of Condition’ – but how do you recognise and
understand quality?
Of course, the easy answer is ‘experience’, but how do you
gain experience when you have not physically handled a
particular type of stamp?
Obviously, there is no substitute for seeing or handling a
stamp ‘in the flesh’, but stamps possess an unusual quality
that makes them so suitable for sale upon the internet
and for posting and trading throughout the world – they
are basically flat. Over the past 10 years I have bumped
into a reasonable number of antique dealers who blame
the internet, and eBay in particular, for the demise of the
‘antique shop’...
... apparently the ‘transparency’ of information and
values upon the internet has ‘finished’ off the high street
‘antique shop’ as many remember it. Certainly, I know
this to be true of certain types of antiques in the U.K. -
dealers could ‘hide’ in their own mystique of knowledge
gained over many years of trading, visiting auctions, even
museums, that many collectors were unable then to access
during normal working hours. Additionally, most collectors
had an unreasonable ‘fear’ of attending and purchasing
at ‘public auction’ – citing all manner of ‘old-witch’ tales –
where they might ‹touch their nose› and end up winning a
lot they could not afford!
Those days of the ‘old boys club’ of dealers are gone, and
the transparency of the internet, apparently, is the
reason. But something different happened along the way
with stamps - stamp values were always that bit more
transparent in the first place due to their being so well
catalogued by Stanley Gibbons and other publishers. Out of
interest in 1980 there were an estimated 300 stamp shops
in the UK – today there may be just 30. Stamp collecting
and stamp dealing went ‘underground’, long before the
internet took hold. Antique dealers’ average price of an
item might £100’s – whereas most stamp shops average
price might be pence to pounds.
So, most stamp dealers were forced to adjust to their
market conditions of selling by low-overhead methods –
from home or office, by mail or at fairs/exhibitions – which
is why stamps have uniquely adapted and transferred
themselves so well to sale by postal auctions and upon the
internet.
The internet is the key starting point to how to learn
about stamps and assess quality. Catalogue publishers
usually make a start at the front of their ‘physical’
catalogues by giving an illustration by appearance of good,
fine, very fine, and superb quality of an imperforate stamp
based upon appearance only. But it is so easy now being on-
line – to compare quality by image against description. Put
a little quality time aside and start by visiting the websites
of the more ‘expensive’ dealers who retail on-line. Look for
high quality and see the high prices requested ...
... Now, open another ‘browser window’ and go to eBay.
Start searching for similar, even the same catalogue number
stamps in differing conditions. Read the descriptions –
compare the starting prices and put some of these items
16
in your ‘watch’ category. Be prepared for a shock. You
are going to see the most horrendous variances between
descriptions, prices and realisations.
Unless you are ‘watching’ items from the most respected
‘main-stream’ dealers on-line – pay absolutely NO attention
to sellers with 100% on-line ratings. Yes, your purchases will
be delivered – but on the face of it – what you see on the
front of the stamp is what you get. There are thousands of
on-line sellers with little or no knowledge of what they are
selling and thousands with knowledge who know that what
they are selling is not what it is ‘cracked-up’ to be.
I see dealers with 1,000+ feedback 100% ratings offering
items described as fine used which are merely average. Be
aware that the oldest ‘trick in the game’ is to describe ‘good’
as ‘fine’, ‘very fine’ as ‘superb’, and so on. Stamps easily trap
the unwary in this respect.
In Part II of ‘Understanding Quality’ we will discuss what
to look for, how to look for it and ‘train your philatelic eye’.
Part II:
How to Train Your Philatelic Eye
In part I of ‘Understanding Quality’ we discussed the
benefits of stamps being ‘flat’(!) and just how helpful this
is in making quality comparisons. I hope you have been
making comparisons between the ‘best’ and most expensive
dealers internet illustrations and those of other vendors at
say, eBay.
Have you been horrified at what you have seen?
Certainly we are – regularly. We don’t profess to be perfect –
and with 20,000+ lot quarterly auctions we are always going
to make our share of errors too – but never deliberately,
and always guaranteed by prompt full refund or credit as
required …
But, over the years, one of the most important and
overlooked aspects of ‘understanding quality’ that I have
noticed – is ..... amazingly ....., that many collectors do not
carefully examine their purchases – but more than that –
they don’t appear to know ‘how’ – perhaps that’s because
nobody has ever explained ‘how to train your philatelic eye’.
How have I reached this rather fundamental conclusion?
I’ve lost count of the times that I have handed over a x10
magnifying glass to collectors, inviting them to look at the
stamp we are examining together. Most collectors do not
realise that the focussing distance of the most practical
magnifying glass is actually having their eye and the ‘glass’
approximately one to two inches from the stamp.
That’s how close you need to get in to examine the
detail of a stamp.
Understanding this opens so many doors to what you
are actually looking at and what you may start looking for.
Now that you are perhaps thinking of examining stamps
‘closer up’ than before – start by consciously selecting a
point that you will consistently start from – say the top
left north west (NW) corner ... then actually work your
way ‘clockwise’ around the stamp. What you are now doing
is ‘disciplining’ your eye to work to a pattern – you’ll be
conscious of this to begin with – but soon it will become an
unconsciously efficient process which will prove invaluable
when looking for varieties and checking for faults.
ought to have at least two
Sir Winston chose Painting,
real.❜ thank You for choosing Philately
1. Start by examining the perforations all of the way
around the stamp, are any too short, ‘pulled’ or
missing? Don’t forget to look for ‘closed tears’ – or even
scissor cuts. Closed tears are easily missed – but easily
detected if you look for fine lines emanating from the
perforations and running into the design. (Tip – flex
the stamp gently, but not with your fingers! – a good
time is when filing the stamp into a mount or a stock-
card).
Depending upon scarcity of the stamp, one pulled
out/missing perforation – upon a commonly available
stamp is not acceptable when you can so easily have a
perfect example. The scarcer and older a philatelic item,
the more ‘forgiving’ you can become.
2. Now examine the margins/centring of the design to the
perforations or the width of margins of an imperforate
stamp. How off-centre a stamp are you prepared to
have in your collection? This can have a big impact
upon price in classic issues, and in modern issues – do
you need it – when you may relatively easily obtain
better?
3. Next, look for thins or pinholes – not just upon the
reverse – but also for facial abrasions. Thinning has
one of the heaviest impacts upon price. Hold the stamp
against good quality background light – preferably a
‘daylight’ type bulb. Invest in a a good quality daylight
bulb/tube desk-light – seldom seen when we visit
collectors to value their collections.
4. Now, check the colours of the stamp – are they ‘true’
– how do they compare with other stamps in your
collection. Beware of faded stamps; consider the period
of stamp you are working with – for example Queen
Victoria GB often have crayon marks (from registered
envelopes) – stamp ‘improvers’ often ‘reduce’ such
marks in an attempt to reduce their overall impact
upon the stamps appearance.
5. Is the stamp ‘toned’? – if mint – is the gum creamier
than it should be. In this area – everything is ‘relative’
– toning on a modern stamp within the last 50 years
is pretty unacceptable as it is unnecessary to accept
it. Earlier stamps – a degree of overall toning becomes
more acceptable and in some cases virtually the only
quality available. But, beware of tone/rust spots –
these can be severe. As with everything the degree of
severity affects the price. Remember that some stamps
the gum was always brownish, creamy or off-white. In
the British Empire KGVI ‘key types’ high values, for
example, a brownish streaked gum often indicates an
6.
early printing which actually went to the colonies.
Creasing – look for creases – minor bends/ gum bends
are common in classic issues and in some cases hard
to purchase the stamp without such. In used stamps –
particularly the ‘top’ end, a pressed out crease can as
much as halve the value of the stamp, sometimes more.
Look for a crease as you would look for a phosphor
band – let the light from your desk-lamp glance across
the surface of the stamp. Remember that all creases are
not vertical – diagonal, even horizontal are common.
Victorian/classic stamps are likely to have the highest
chance of bearing a crease. A crease can convert an
‘exhibition’ appearance stamp to an ‘also-ran’ worth
50% or less. Be aware that heavy creases are often
‘pressed out’ –
so the crease
could be a ‘finer’
line. ‘Improvers’ use
‘hydraulic presses’ these
days to eradicate creases.
7. Look at the postmark – is it
a beauty? In the US they have a philatelic phrase
which has ‘travelled’ – SON – otherwise ‘socked on the
nose’ – probably the finest quality of a used stamp is a
full crisp clear cancel beautifully positioned and with
perfect balance/harmony between stamp and postmark.
However there are many who term a contemporary part
CDS (circular date stamp) cancel as the finest quality
sought – particularly clear of profile is highly desirable
in typically heavily cancelled Queen Victoria line
engraved issues such as the British 2d blue. No matter
how ‘sound’ the stamp, the heavier the cancellation –
the lower the resale price.
Finally consider that a combination of defects – whilst
acceptable in the unique British Guiana (a US$10 million
auction value) – are less and less acceptable in lesser
high-flying stamps. When you are considering the value of
a stamp – it helps not to think of ‘how many £’s or $’s to
deduct for this or that’ – a sure-fire way to confuse oneself
– think in terms of ... is this a super-fine stamp – in which
case you may think to yourself it’s an X % of catalogue
value example, incrementing down to it’s a ‘space-filler’ with
multiple faults worth say 5% to 10% of catalogue value to
you – or no value at all to you – if it lowers the tone of
your collection too much.
By adopting a systematic approach to examining stamps
you will soon ‘train your philatelic eye’ so that all of what
I have written automatically, effortlessly and enjoyably
becomes second nature to you. If you start to think how
faults relate to value, this will stand you in good stead
when understanding quality.
Dedicated to De-mystifying Philately
Andrew McGavin,
Author, Managing Director
ANDREW PROMOTING PHILATELY ON
Universal Philatelic Auctions (UPA)
THE ALAN TITCHMARSH SHOW UK ITV
P.S.
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17
 GB COLLECTOR
NEW ISSUE
The most colourful of
peace celebrations
set of eight stamps and a miniature
A sheet, released on May 8, marks the
75th anniversary of the End of the
Second World War. Royal Mail says the
issue is built on three concepts:
celebration, homecoming and
remembrance.
The eight counter-sheet stamps capture
the sense of relief and celebration shared
by service personnel and civilians after six
long years of conflict. Originally
photographed in black and white, each
scene has been given extra vibrancy by
being colourised by Royston Leonard.
An entirely different tone is set by the
miniature sheet, which focuses on
remembrance through modern images of
cemeteries and monuments to the fallen,
both in battle and in the Holocaust.
World War II officially came to an end in
18 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020
Europe on the morning of May 7, 1945, when
representatives of Germany signed a
document of unconditional surrender.
Public celebrations began spontaneously,
and the following day was declared a public
holiday, as ‘VE Day’.
The war in the Pacific did not end until
Japan surrendered on August 14, prompting
more celebrations for ‘VJ Day’ on August 15,
the first of two more public holidays.
Designed by Hat-Trick Design, the issue
was printed in litho by International
Security Printers. The counter sheets of 60,
divided into two panes of 30, yield vertically
se-tenant pairs.
2nd class SERVICEMAN WELCOMED HOME
A serviceman enjoys a flag-waving
reception as he returns home to Oreston, a
village on the outskirts of Plymouth in
Devon, from his wartime airbase in
Lincolnshire.
2nd class NURSES CELEBRATE
Squeezing inside or clinging precariously to
the outside of an ambulance, exultant
nurses celebrate VE Day in Liverpool.
1st class JUBILANT PUBLIC
Waving flags, carrying banners and wearing
rosettes, ecstatic crowds enjoy VE Day in
London’s Piccadilly.
1st class EVACUEES RETURN HOME
Evacuees alight at St Pancras Station in
London, returning home to their families
after a wartime stay in Leicester.
£1.42 TROOPS PARADE
British and Commonwealth troops march

along Oxford Street in London during a
parade for the Victory Over Japan
exhibition, which opened a week after
VJ Day.
£1.42 DEMOBILISED SERVICEMEN
‘Demob-happy’ soldiers and sailors leave a
demobilisation centre carrying their civilian
clothes in boxes, keen to return to their
everyday lives.
£1.63 ALLIED POWs LIBERATED
Prisoners of war from various Allied
nations cheer their rescuers as they are
liberated from Aomori Camp near
Yokohama in Japan following VJ Day.
£1.63 NAVY PERSONNEL CELEBRATE
A member of the Women’s Royal Naval
Service proposes a toast to Royal Navy
servicemen and revellers during the VE Day
celebrations in Glasgow.
PRICES
Set of 8 stamps £8.92
Miniature sheet £4.78
Presentation pack £14.60
Press sheet £73.61
Stamp cards £5.85
First day cover (stamps) £11.35
First day cover (mini sheet) £6.40
MINIATURE SHEET
1st class YAD VASHEM, JERUSALEM
Israel’s official Holocaust memorial was
established in 1953. The Hall of Names
holds the names of millions of victims of the
Nazi genocide, with some 600 portraits
displayed on the cone-shaped ceiling.
1st class RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
Located in Surrey, and also known as the
Air Forces Memorial, this commemorates
more than 20,000 airmen and women who
were lost during operations from bases in
the UK and Europe during the war, and who
have no known grave.
£1.63 PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Unveiled in 1924 to commemorate more
than 7,000 sailors who died World War I and
have no known grave, this was extended in
the 1950s to include around 16,000 sailors
who perished during World War II.
WORLD NEWS | AUCTIONS GB COLLECTOR LETTERS | COMMENT | COMPETITIONS | FEATURES | EVENTS | STRANGE BUT TRUE
£1.63 RANGOON MEMORIAL, MYANMAR
Established in 1958 within the Taukkyan
War Cemetery, this site commemorates
almost 27,000 British and Commonwealth
soldiers who fell during the campaign
against Japanese forces in Burma
(Myanmar) and have no known grave.
OTHER PRODUCTS
The presentation pack explores the events
leading up to and immediately following the
end of the war.
A press sheet of 14 uncut miniature
sheets is available, along with stamp cards,
first day covers and a choice of coin covers.
VERDICT
COMMEMORATIVE WORTH
Major anniversaries such as this should
always be marked, and this may be the
last one before the events of 1939-45
pass from living memory into history
QUALITY OF DESIGN
Colourising the monochrome images in
such a sympathetic way has made them
easier for modern eyes to relate to
WOW FACTOR
The sheet stamps’ focus on social
celebration presents a sharp contrast
with humanity’s current crisis
JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 19
 GB COLLECTOR

NEWS IN BRIEF

> A stamp issue

marking the 60th
Prestige stamp book
anniversary of the
television soap opera
Coronation Street is
due to be released on
May 28. It is expected
to comprise eight
with end of war set
stamps and a Accompanying the End of the
miniature sheet, with Second World War stamp issue is
two of the designs a prestige stamp book which
also appearing in a includes four panes of stamps.
retail booklet.
One pane has the four 2nd class
> The stamps and 1st class designs, and another
gummed to backing the four £1.42 and £1.63 values,
cards, found in some both in se-tenant blocks.
presentation packs A third pane has the four
of the James Bond
set (May issue, page miniature sheet stamps, in the
23), had been same se-tenant arrangement but
intended for special with a different border.
packs sold to film The pane of definitive stamps
fans through online
features four 5p, two 50p and two
retailer Amazon,
according to £1.63 Machins, arranged around a
investigations by GB ‘V for victory’ label.
dealer Ian Billings.

> Royal Mail

suspended Saturday
letter deliveries
Putting names Royal Mail relays
from May 2, saying it
was a temporary
response to the
to faces of VE Government slogan...
coronavirus
emergency. Day revellers Royal Mail backed the Government’s social distancing policy to limit
the coronavirus outbreak in April by turning its campaign slogan
> GB dealer into a slogan postmark which was used nationwide.
Rushstamps is The faces of revellers seen the End of the The slogan reading ‘Stay home. Protect the NHS. Save lives’ was
offering an
uncatalogued variety, Second World War stamps were identified subtitled ‘Royal Mail — keeping communities connected’.
a 1883 Government by various media outlets during the days
Parcels 9d official following the announcement of the issue.
with an inverted The man at the centre of the 1st class
watermark, recently
stamp showing jubilant members of the
discovered in an
old-time collection. public on VE Day was revealed by the Daily
Despite not being Mail to be George Sumpter, a Covent Garden
catalogued, it has an market trader who was also a member of
RPSL certificate from the Home Guard. He went to Trafalgar
1984! Visit www.
rushstamps.co.uk Square to sell patriotic flags that day.
The woman behind the American flag to ...and honours
> Although his left was identified by BBC News as
temporarily closed
during the pandemic,
Bette Williamson, who was a teenager at
the time and is still alive. She remembered
celebrity centurion
The Postal Museum
has released a virtual the photograph being taken on Shaftesbury Captain Thomas Moore, who became a celebrity figure in the days
tour of its Mail Rail Avenue and being used in Picture Post. before his 100th birthday in April by raising more than £30m for the
attraction which you BBC News also revealed that, on the 2nd National Health Service during the coronavirus crisis, was
can enjoy from home. class design showing a serviceman honoured by Royal Mail with a specially decorated postbox and a
Visit www.postal
museum.org returning home to Oreston near Plymouth, slogan postmark.
the boy waving a flag on the far left was A postbox was painted blue, with a
> Maundy money, Roger Axworthy, who was a keen stamp golden balloon, near his home in
traditionally handed collector. His brother Brian and sister Tina Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, while
out by the Queen on
also appear in the background. a slogan introduced on April 30 also
the day before Good
Friday to pensioners One discordant note was sounded by a offered birthday wishes.
selected for reader’s letter published by the Yorkshire Postboxes were also painted ‘NHS
service to their Post, pointing out that the London, Midland blue’ outside notable hospitals in
communities, was & Scottish Railway carriages at St Pancras London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast,
this year posted via
Royal Mail to remove Station, seen in the 1st class Evacuees and Trafford General Hospital in
the need for a pubic stamp, should correctly have been Manchester, where the NHS was
gathering. coloured maroon rather than green. officially launched in 1948.

20 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020

 1/9d Dull Orange & Black ....................................744y £65.00 £19.50

PRE-DECIMAL REGIONALS
UNBEATABLE AND S.G. Cat Price
INCREDIBLE PHOSPHOR Guernsey 4d Blue ..................................................9y
Guernsey 4d Brown...............................................10y
£50.00
£50.00
£15.00
£15.00
OMITTED ERROR I.O.M. 4d Brown ...................................................5y £25.00 £8.00
I.O.M. 5d Royal Blue ............................................7y £175.00 £60.00
COLLECTIONS ALL SUPERB Northern Ireland 4d Olive-Sepia ...........................NI8y (£200.00) £50.00
Scotland 3d Deep Lilac .........................................S7vy £4.00 £1.00
UNMOUNTED MINT Scotland 4d Blue ...................................................S8y £10.00 £3.25
Scotland 4d Brown ................................................S9y £3.00 £0.75
Scotland 4d Vermillion..........................................S10y £2.50 £0.65
Wales 3d Deep Lilac..............................................W7y £70.00 £25.00
Wales 4d Vermillion ..............................................W10y £2.00 £0.50
Wales 5d Blue........................................................W11y £3.00 £0.75
Wales 1/6 Grey-Blue .............................................W6y £50.00 £12.50
1974 Xmas 3½p.....................................................966a £9.00 £2.00
COMMEMORATIVES
DECIMAL REGIONALS
Price
£2.25 S.G. Cat Price
£0.95 N.I. 5½p Violet ......................................................NI19y £250.00 £95.00
£2.25 N.I. 11p Scarlet......................................................NI 30y £5.00 £1.25
£0.30 Scotland 2½p.........................................................S14y £10.00 £2.50
£3.00 Scotland 2½p FCP/PVA (XS31a)..........................S14y £20.00 £5.00
£2.50 Scotland 3p............................................................S15y £17.00 £4.50
£2.50 Scotland 3½p FCP/PVAD .....................................S17y £50.00 £12.00
A) PRE-DECIMAL MACHINS, 10 Different, Cat. £103.00; 1d Olive £2.50 Scotland 7½p OCP/PVA .......................................S25y £7.00 £2.00
(SG 724y), 2d Lake Brown Type II (SG 727y), 3d Violet GA (SG £0.35 Scotland 11p ..........................................................S32y £3.50 £0.90
729y), 3d Violet PVA (SG729vy), 4d Sepia PVA (SG 731vy), 4d £1.75 Wales 2½p OCP/PVA............................................W13y £7.50 £2.00
Vermilion (SG 733y), 5d Royal Blue Head Type A (SG 735y), 6d Claret £2.95 Wales 3p ................................................................W14gy £12.00 £4.00
(SG 736by), 1/- Pale Bluish Violet (SG 742avy) and 1/6d Prussian Wales 3p OCP/PVA...............................................W21a £30.00 £8.50
£0.70
Blue/Indigo PVA (SG 743vby) ONLY ...............................................£17.50 Wales 5p OCP/PVA...............................................W29a £20.00 £6.50
£2.75
£1.50 Wales 5½p .............................................................W20y £180.00 £65.00
£15.00
9
NON-PHOSPHOR SE-TENANT
COIL STRIP ERROR (OCP/GA)

B) DECIMAL MACHINS, 14 Different, Cat. £258.00 ½p Turquoise

Blue FCP/PVAD (SG X841y), 1p Crimson CCP/PVA (SG X844y), 1½p
Black (SG X848y), 2½p Magenta OCP/PVA Type3 I (SG X851y), 3p TTER! S.G. 841ny (Gum Arabic) Cat. £45.00, Special Offer £12.50
Ultramarine FCP/PVA (SG X855y), 3½p Olive (pale)- Grey PVA (SG
Wales 5½p .............................................................W20y £180.00
X858y), 4p Ochre-Brown (SG X861y), 4½p Grey-Blue (SG X865y), 6p £1.50
Light Emerald (SG X870y), 7p Purple-Brown (SG X874y), 8½p £15.00
Yellowish-Green (SG X881y), 9p Deep Violet (SG X883y), 10p Orange- £0.40 COMMEMORATIVES
Brown and Chestnut (SG X885y) and 11p Brown-Red (SG X892y) £2.75 EMBOSSING OMITTED
..............................................................................................................£37.50 £5.00
£2.00 S.G. Cat Price
BOTH MACHIN COLLECTIONS (A & B), Cat. £361.00 £49.50 £10.00 1969 Xmas 1/6d ....................................................814f £12.00 £3.50
£4.50 1970 Anniversaries 9d...........................................820b £15.00 £3.75
£3.50 1970 Anniversaries 1/- ..........................................821e £12.00 £3.75
£9.50 1970 Anniversaries 1/6d........................................822c £6.00 £1.50
£2.95 1970 Literary 1/6d.................................................828c £6.00 £1.50
£2.00 1972 Churches 3p..................................................904c £35.00 £10.00
Page 26 Page 26
1972 Churches 5p..................................................906C £50.00 £15.00
£1.25
£1.50 1973 Explorers 9p .................................................927e £40.00 £12.00
£8.00 1973 Cricket 9p .....................................................930b £85.00 £20.00
£3.50
£1.25 COMMEMORATIVES EMBOSSING
£1.50
£2.25
& PHOSPHOR OMITTED
£2.00 S.G. Cat Price
£2.00 1969 Xmas 1/6d ....................................................814ya £12.00 £3.50
£1.50 1971 Xmas 3p........................................................895ya £100.00 £25.00
£2.00 1971 Xmas 7½p.....................................................896ya £35.00 £8.00
£3.50 1972 Churches 3p..................................................904yb £22.00 £6.00
£1.50 1972 Xmas 3p........................................................914ya £15.00 £4.50

Page 26
COMMEMORATIVES 1967 TO 1974, 22 STAMPS, Cat. £159, 1967
Discoveries 4d (SG 752y), 1968 Paintings 4d (SG 771y), 1968
Christmas 4d (SG 775y), 1969 Concorde 4d (SG 784y), 1970
RUSHSTAMPS (RETAIL) LTD
Architecture 1/6d (SG 818y), 1970 Anniversaries 9d, (SG 820y), 1970 P.O. Box One, Lyndhurst, Hampshire, England SO43 7PP
Anniversaries 1/6d (SG 822y), 1970 Philympia 5d (SG 835y), 1970
Philympia 9d (SG 836y), 1970 Philympia 1/6d (SG 837y), 1970 Tel: +44 (0) 23 8028 2044 Fax: +44 (0) 23 8028 2981
Christmas 1/6d (SG 881y), 1971 Literary 3p (SG 884y), 1971 Christmas Email: enquiries@rushstamps.co.uk
3p (SG 895y), 1972 Explorers 3p (SG 897y), 1972 Churches 3p (SG
904y), 1972 BBC 5p (SG 910y), 1972 BBC 9p (SG 912y), 1972
Christmas 3p (SG 914y), 1972 Christmas 7½p (SG 915y), 1973 Send for RushExpress No. 75
Explorers 5p (SG 925f), 973 Christmas 3½p PVA and Dextrine Gum
(SG 948k) and 1974 Churchill 5½p (SG 963a) ................................£32.50 covering Great Britain 1840 to
date with special discounts and
ALL 3 COLLECTIONS AS ABOVE, Cat. £520.00
EXTRA SPECIAL OFFER ONLY £75.00
special offers.
RushTelegraph No. 69 now available. Lots of Discounts.
Page 27
COURT PHILATELICS CANADA
We are also interested in buying any of your surplus stamps on or off paper for
payment or exchange.Guaranteed full refund if not satisfied. Please E-Mail us if you 232. FINE MINT BLOCK OF FOUR, TWO UNMOUNTED ...............£100.00
would like to receive our special offer lists.Postage: UK customers pay no postage.
Overseas, please add £4.00 / 1/4 lb, £5.00 / 1/2 lb, £7.00 / 1 lb and £3.00 for all collec- 266/70. CONFEDERATION SET IN FINE U/M MINT BLOCKS OF 4 £100.00
tions ordered. We will use latest Commems including very rare high values!

FOREIGN & COMMONWEALTH ON PAPER MIXTURES. 330. NORTH WEST CORNER MARGINAL PLATE 1 BLOCK OF 4. STAMPS
SPECIAL OFFER NO.2 Buy 1 lb Aus, Canada, N.Z & U.S.A for the discounted price U/M ...........................................................................................£55.00
of £62.00.
AUSTRALIA On paper charity mix, includes modern with dream variety, many Com-
mems and high values, collected from a school-teacher in the Outback. Approx. 2500 331. NORTH EAST CORNER MARGINAL PLATE 2 BLOCK OF 4. STAMPS
stamps / 1 lb. 1 lb £18.00, 2 lbs £34.00. U/M ..........................................................................................£50.00
CANADA Sold out before, we have been fortunate to get fresh stocks from the increasingly
difficult country. A colourful on paper charity mixture from the Canadian Save the Chil- 355. U/M MINTBOTTOM MARGINAL IMPRINT BLOCK OF 6 .............£20
dren Fund of Commems, Defins, Large Pictorials and high values. ½ lb £11.00, 1 lb £20.00.
NEW ZEALAND On Paper charity mixture with Commems and higher values includes
difficult to find modern. Supplied to us exclusively by a N.Z Charity. Approx. 2500 NEW ZEALAND
stamps / 1lb. ½ lb £11.00, 1 lb £20.00.
U.S.A. An on paper charity mixture with stupendous variety. There can’t be many
mixtures so attractive and with such good count. Approx count 3500 to 4000 stamps. 1lb
370/3. SUPERB L/M MINT SET .................................................£150.00
£16.00, 2lbs £30.00.
EUREKA! We’ve found it. This has to be our best world mixture yet. At least 85%
463/5 SUPERB USED SET ..........................................................£60.00
commems with a staggering variety with around 100 countries/states (yes we have found
stamps from that many). Much modern and many high values included. Our SUPER 684. U/M MINT SOUTH WEST CORNER MARGINAL BLOCK OF 6.
WORLD 100. ½ lb £28.00, 1 lb £55.00, 2 lbs £105.00. IMPRINT, PLATE 110 .................................................................£70.00
GENUINE FOREIGN CHARITY! All charity packets received from overseas and those
marked ‘Foreign Stamps Only’ are separated. Here is your chance to buy it by the kg. Over- 686c. U/M SOUTH WEST CORNER MARGINAL BLOCK OF 4.
seas packets from our experience may contain high value GB including the very elusive
recent high value Commems. Guaranteed unpicked direct from the donor. 1 kg Box £80.00. PLATE 3A. 2 ..............................................................................£35.00
OVERSEAS FOREIGN & COMMONWEALTH CHARITY MIXTURE 688. U/M SOUTH WEST CORNER MARGINAL BLOCK OF 4. PLATE 1
With over 120 Charity sources in this country it is not surprising that this is the ultimate ..............................................................................................£40.00
mixture of Foreign & Commonwealth stamps essentially on paper. Enormous variety
and mostly modern as it is collected from offices on a day to day basis. Many h. values as F.152 SUPERB USED COPY ........................................................£ 70.00
many are Air mail values and a lot will never be seen in approval books! 1 lb £30.00, 2 lbs
£55.00, 4 lbs £105.00.
BRITISH COMMONWEALTH We have taken the best stamps from around the Com-
____________________________________________________
monwealth to give you this superb mixture of mostly Commemoratives. Great variety MICHAEL HALE
with no GB, India, or Pakistan, but a great selection from Africa, Indian Ocean, the PO BOX 5408
Caribbean & Pacific. Much modern (you’ll find many stamps that are not even in the
catalogue yet!) & many h. values. A very superior mixture. ½ lb £33.00, 1 lb £65.00. WELLS BA5 9BT, Somerset
EUROPEAN COMMEMORATIVES New in the spring again it has been remarkably TEL 01749 677669
successful. Mostly Commemoratives from all corners of Europe (No GB). Great variety
with high values and semi-postals. Includes very interesting stamps from the new Russian
States, Iceland, Faroes, Greenland, Vatican, Monaco, San Marino, United Nations and
Liechtenstein. A must for all collectors of Europe. ½ lb £28.00, 1 lb £55.00.
CHANNEL ISLES & ISLE OF MAN An On Paper mixture of Jersey, Guernsey, Alder-
ney and I.O.M containing a wealth of variety, strong in Commems, Booklets, Greetings
& h.values. ½ lb £18.00, 1lb £35.00.
IRELAND CHARITY On paper. This emanates from convents throughout the Republic,
is mostly modern with a wealth of Commems. Price 1 lb £16.50 / lb, 2 lbs £30.00.
JAPAN An on paper Charity mixture, great variety with many Commems and modern. 1
lb £25.00, 2 lbs £48.00.
FAR EAST Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. A very colourful on paper mixture
including many modern issues and high values. ¼ lb £13.00.
PORTUGAL A very colourful and modern on paper mixture. 2 oz £13.00, 1/4 lb £25.00.
MIDDLE EAST A great on paper mixture covering Jordan, U.A.E, Kuwait, Iran,
Bahrain, Iraq, Oman, Lebanon and others. Includes high values and many unusual. 1/4
lb £24.00, 1/2 lb £45.00.
RUSSIAN STATES A modern very colourful mix includes Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania,
Moldova, Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus and Ukraine. ¼ lb £34.00 ½ lb. £65.00.
NEW! SWEDEN CHARITY Becoming very hard to find, includes a very good percent-
age of hard to find Commems and modern. ½ lb £12.00, 1 lb £22.00.
SWITZERLAND A very clean charity mix, incl. many commems and Semi-postals. ½ lb
£21.00, 1 lb £40.00.

COMMEMORATIVES & LARGE ONLY ON PAPER MIXTURES

Further discount, purchase 2 items and deduct 5%, 4 items deduct 10%
AUSTRALIA ¼ lb £22.00, ½ lb £40.00 AUSTRALIA HIGH VALUES ¼ lb
£36.00, ½ lb £70.00 AUSTRIA ¼ lb £35.00, ½ lb £68.00 BERMUDA 1/4 lb £18.00,
1/2 Lb £32 BOTSWANA ¼ lb £18.00, ½ lb £35.00 CANADA ¼ lb £40.00, ½ lb £70.00
CYPRUS ¼ lb £30.00, ½ lb £58.00 ESTONIA 2 oz £33.00 FAROES 2 oz £42.00, 1/4
lb £78.00 FINLAND ¼ lb £20.00, ½ lb £39.00 FRANCE ¼ lb £23.00, ½ lb £42.00
FRENCH AFRICA ¼ lb £47.00, ½ lb £90.00 GERMANY ¼ lb £16.00, ½ lb £30.00
GERMANY HIGH VALUE COMMEMS ¼ lb £28.00, ½ lb £55.00 GERMANY
SEMI-POSTALS ¼ lb £22.00, ½ lb £40.00. GREECE ¼ lb £31.00, ½lb £60.00
GUERNSEY ¼ lb £17.00, ½ lb £33.00 HOLLAND ¼ lb £18.00, ½ lb £35.00 HOL-
LAND SEMI-POSTALS ¼ lb £20.00, ½ lb £39.00 IRAN ¼ lb £30.00, ½ lb£58.00 IRE-
LAND ¼ lb £32.00, ½ lb £60.00 ISLE OF MAN ¼ lb £17.00, ½ lb £33.00 ITALY 2 oz
£26.00, ¼ lb £50.00 JAPAN ¼ lb £22.00, ½ lb £41.00 JERSEY ¼ lb £17.00, ½ lb £33.00
LATVIA 2 oz £33.00 LIECHTENSTEIN 2 oz £43.00, ¼ lb £85.00 LUXEMBOURG
¼ lb £39.00, ½ lb £77.00 MALAWI ¼ lb £20.00, ½ lb £39.00 MALTA ½ lb £16.00,
1 lb £30.00. NEPAL ¼ lb £20.00, ½ lb £38.00 NORWAY ¼ lb £23, ½ lb £45.00
SOUTH AFRICA HOMELANDS ¼ lb £22.00, ½ lb £40.00 SPAIN ¼ lb £23.00,
½ lb £44.00 THAILAND 1/4 lb £23.00, 1/2 lb £45.00 U.S.A ½ lb £25.00, 1 lb £48.00.

COURT PHILATELICS
Dept SM, P.O Box 6198, Leighton Buzzard, Beds LU7 9XT.
TEL: 01296 662420 • E-mail: courtphilatelics@aol.com
Payment: We accept cheque, postal orders and all major credit & debit cards. Paypal
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.
 www.robstine-stamps.com
www.robstineextra.com

Two great web sites for fine used stamps!

Trading in stamps since 1982, I have been known

especially for fine used European material. Now,
my range of Commonwealth stamps is equally
strong from QV to QE2. Go to either web site to
see what I can offer or fill in the attached coupon
to receive more information.
Robstine Stamps
P O Box 129
Bordon
Hants
GU35 8YD
EXCELLENT QUALITY * PROMPT SERVICE
Please send me
The Commonwealth booklet ..................... ❑
The Europe and Worldwide booklet .......... ❑
I am happy to receive further details
related to my collecting interests .............. ❑
Name ............................................................
Address ........................................................
......................................................................
Postcode ......................................................
 YOUR VIEWS
GET IN TOUCH
These pages are devoted to giving
you the opportunity to have your say.
Whether you want to praise or
complain, suggest or advise, add
information or correct it, or just get
something off your chest, we’d love
to hear from you.
Send your letters to:
Stamp Magazine, MyTimeMedia Ltd,
Suite 25, Eden House, Enterprise
Way, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6HF
Or send an e-mail to:
guy.thomas@mytimemedia.com
The Editor reads all letters, but is
unable to answer them all personally.
We reserve the right to edit letters
for publication.
Society activity booming
during the lockdown
After weeks of stay-at-home restrictions
due to the coronavirus pandemic, we are all
up to date with the gardening and DIY
around the house, so what to do now? How
about daily philatelic society meetings?
The Forces Postal History Society has
always had well attended monthly meetings
in London, but as an international club our
common meeting place is our website. So
during the lockdown we have been taking to
our online forum to engage in philatelic
discussion, chat and displays.
We’ve been asking members to display
their ‘cover of the day’, and some gems of
military and wartime postal history have
come out of the boxes, old albums and even
the cupboard under the stairs.
Members have been checking in daily,
helping each other by answering questions
and sharing their knowledge.
All this activity could inspire bumper
issues of our journal in the autumn!
Anyone interested can visit us at
www.forcespostalhistorysociety.org.uk
Peter Harvey, Publicity Secretary, Forces
Postal History Society
24 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020
LETTER OF THE MONTH
Booklet vending machine on the streets
of London is a blast from the past
On my daily walk for exercise during the pandemic lockdown, I made a new discovery in
north London. At the junction of Caledonian Road and Frederica Street, opposite
Pentonville Prison, I spotted an old stamp booklet vending machine.
It was located next to a double-slot postbox, and I guess that at one time there may have
been a post office nearby, although there is no sign of one now.
It’s curious that the machine is still there, since the information label on the front
indicates that what it was selling was £1 booklets (comprising three 26p, one 20p and
two 1p stamps). From what I have gleaned from the Stanley Gibbons GB Concise
catalogue, these date from 1998. I can’t say I thought to put in a pound coin to see if there
were any still available inside!
I wonder how many of these machines remain dotted around the country? Whilst I have
seen some built into the walls of buildings, I haven’t seen too many that are free-standing.
Steven Ardron, London
Computer-style design without the use of a computer
After reading your interesting
feature on the first computer-
designed stamps, the Netherlands’
1970 Cultural Health & Social
Welfare issue (May issue, page 78),
I came across a set of two from the
same country in 1969, celebrating
the 50th anniversary of the
International Labour Organisation.
It struck me that their common
design looks very computer-
generated, although I realise that is
not to say that it is!
I wonder whether more is known
about this clever creation, and whether it fits into the narrative in any way?
Donald Craven, Nottingham
The author of our feature, John Winchester, replies that the 1969 issue was consciously created
using computer-style typography, and that the designer, the influential Jurriaan Schroffer, has
actually been credited with ‘computer design before the computer’.
However, the artwork would have been painstakingly executed by hand, perhaps aided by
photography. Despite appearances, no computer was involved. -Ed

SOAPBOX
Uncatalogued varieties of Great Britain’s Victorian stamps can still come to light
today, more than 130 years after they were issued, as Abed Najjar discovered
I have in my collection a fine used
example of the Queen Victoria 6d on 6d
lilac (SG 162), one of the two values
issued by Great Britain with a carmine
overprint in 1883.
With the plate number 18 (all these
stamps were printed from the same
plate), corner letters O-I and a London
circular datestamp, it at first appears
unremarkable.
On closer inspection, however, the
surcharge shows a major variety, having
just one dot instead of two under the
letter ‘d’.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
I examined the stamp under a light
microscope at 100x magnification, and
© ROYAL MAIL, COURTESY OF THE POSTAL MUSEUM
ABOVE: The incomplete registration sheet of the 6d on 6d held by the Postal Museum, and a close-up of stamp O-I
WORLD NEWS | AUCTIONS | GB COLLECTOR LETTERS COMMENT | COMPETITIONS | FEATURES | EVENTS | STRANGE BUT TRUE
could see no evidence whatsoever of any
abrasion which might have been caused
by removing the dot.
I am in no doubt that scientific analysis
using Raman and X-ray fluorescence
would also confirm the complete
absence of red ink where the second dot
should have been.
Even so, confirming the authenticity of
this variety appeared difficult, until it
occurred to me that The Postal Museum
might have an imprimatur sheet of this
stamp, and the possibility existed that
this would show the same error.
In fact, an imperforate registration
sheet can be seen on the museum’s
website, although it is incomplete. Of the ABOVE: Abed Najjar’s used example of the 1883
original 240 stamps (two panes, 6d on 6d overprint, with corner letters O-I, showing
arranged vertically, each comprising 10 the uncatalogued missing-dot variety
rows of 12), it comprises 168, plus 46
perforated examples added for This is a fantastic find and, if genuine
completeness at the top of the sheet, (and I can see no reason why anyone
and one removed but pasted back in the would want to fake an overprint to make
right-hand margin. it less rare), might indicate that the
Importantly, however, stamp O-I is error was spotted by the printers,
present, in the almost intact lower part-way through the print-run, and
pane, and when I examined it closely I that a repair was carried out by hand on
found it had the same missing-dot the plate.
variety as my example. I would suggest that the missing-dot
Clearly this error, which seems to variety could be very scarce indeed, and
appear only once in the sheet, was would invite collectors who have an
overlooked before printing occurred. example of stamp O-I to examine it
carefully, to see whether it is in its
SUBSEQUENT DISCOVERY original or repaired state.
The story does not end there. I reported A legible datestamp, of course, could
the find to Guy Thomas, the Editor of be invaluable in helping to establish
Stamp Magazine, and by sheer good when the repair was made.
fortune he found in the magazine’s Abed Najjar
image library a scan of an unused
example of stamp O-I.
The scan was created in 2009, and is
thought to be of a stamp sold at auction
around that time. Fascinatingly, its
overprint shows both dots, but the
right-hand dot appears malformed.
ABOVE: A mint example of the same stamp from
Stamp Magazine’s image library, which may show a
plate repair of the overprint
JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 25
 YOUR VIEWS

Chilling plotline confirmed by the James Bond set Good time to buy shares
Did anyone see Royal Mail’s television advertisement for the James Bond stamp issue in in the philatelic trade
March? I didn’t catch it on the telly, but it was all over the internet.
Whatever we think of its past forays away
Made by Saatchi, apparently, it featured a fluffy white cat being scared off by a letter
from its core business, which brought it to
coming through the front door, addressed to a Mr Blofeld and bearing the six images of 007.
the brink of bankruptcy, all collectors must
It was quite funny, but in a way also quite chilling. The cat may have been spooked by the
recognise that we need Stanley Gibbons to
appearance of the spy, but I was spooked by the fact that no attempt at all had been made to
survive as a leader of British philately.
give the stamps on the cover the cancellations they should have.
With its shares trading at around 2p on
It seems Royal Mail really has abandoned all pretensions that a letter passing through the
the stock market, it is currently possible to
postal system ought to be postmarked!
pick up thousands of them for the price of a
Bryan Maitlis, Manchester
good stamp.
I am not suggesting that share purchases
by collectors can have any significant effect
on the stock market as a whole, but maybe
it could give the staff and management
some welcome moral support.
Roger Holden, Richmond

Stamp issue for NHS?

Royal Mail should scrap the Roman Britain
stamp issue scheduled for June 18, and
replace it with a special issue to pay tribute
to the National Health Service staff who are
working so hard for all of us —especially as
Artist behind the Romantic Poets designs revealed May 12 is the bicentenary of the birth of
Florence Nightingale.
Since Royal Mail gives Adrian Bradbury, BFDC Ltd, Leicester
faceless design
agencies most of the
credit for stamp issues
these days, I was
Will the pandemic kill
pleased to see the off commemoratives?
Dundee-based
regional newspaper During the coronavirus crisis, it strikes
The Courier featuring me that one thing we should grateful for is
the artist who did the self-adhesive stamps, and the fact that
classy illustrations definitives no longer need to be licked
for the Romantic Poets before being affixed to an envelope.
set issued in April. But perhaps this is the final nail in the
Apparently the coffin of gummed commemoratives?
lino-cut designs were David Brown, Chessington
created by Linda
Farquharson, who lives
in Dunkeld in HOT TOPICS
Perthshire and makes
all her artwork by hand
You can debate the philatelic
using a Columbian
issues of the day, and exchange
printing press dating
opinions and information with
from 1850!
other collectors, in the Forums
It is stated that she
section on our website. Visit
began working on the
www.stampmagazine.co.uk
project in November
2018 after being
approached by the
appointed design
agency, The Chase,
and touchingly she
told the newspaper it
was her ‘dream
commission’
Audrey McTominay,
Dundee

26 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020

 COLLECTIONS !
Every month, hundreds of collections in the price range £20 to £500+, strong in European countries plus some
Colonies and Foreign. (No GB.) Estate clearances, collections in printed albums, stock card lots with better
items, and a few better stamps individually. Why gamble in auction and pay commission plus postage, when you
can quickly buy direct, the price asked is the price you pay, no buyer's commission and post free in UK (even for
large boxed lots) - plus fuller describing!
Here are a just few of the lots available
to buy at the time of going to press :
FRENCH COLONIES - TUNISIA
6984 : 1885-1930 mint and used collection on old-
style Schaubek pages, with 1888 first issue set
(blank backgropund) mainly used (SG 1/8 cat
c£350), same less 1c with inverted “T” ovpt for post-
age due (SG unlisted), 1888 lined background set
mint or used (S G 9/21 cat c£200), also set with “T”
ovpts (SG unlisted), 1899/1901 new colours set
and similar “T” dues, 1901 Duval dues set, 1906
pictorials set mainly mint, 1906 Parcel Post mint,
1923 War Wounded set mint (SG 83/99 cat £65),
1923 and 1925 Child W elfare mint sets, virtually
all 1920s pictorials, all very fresh. Cat £1000++
(140 stamps) ... ............................................. £250
FRENCH COLONIES - TUNISIA
7068 : 1888-c1950 mint hinged (couple used) col-
lection with c1900 turn of century issues, good run
from 1915, surcharges, Views, 1938 Postal Serv-
ice set (SG 196/215 cat £100), wartime issues,
immediate postwar (300 stamps) ... ............. £135
GERMANY
7072 : Large accumulation in two cartons, with 13
stockbooks plus further on leaves, includes Ba-
varia, Germany interwar Reich, DDR, but main
strength in West Germany and West Berlin, mint
(many u/m) and used, with duplication (a dozen in
places) but good coverage and thousands of
stamps. needs time to sort (weight 19kg) ... . £225
GERMANY - DDR
7039 : 1949-1984 used (a few mint hinged) in
Davo printed album (peg binder, titled), nearly com-
plete, a few early have faults but still good value in
the early 1950s, and are substatially complete to
1984 (2500 stamps) (weight 3 kilos) ... ........ £150
GERMANY - DDR
7027 : 1945-1966 Russian Zone and DDR mint
(hinged) and used collection on Schaubek printed
leaves, about two-thirds complete, some well-cata-
logued material of the 1950s incl 1951 Mao 12pf
and 50pf used (weight 1 kilo) ... ..................... £85
JUNE 20
20
40+ years in the same
successful format.
Ask for our monthly list :-> 121 East Parade YORK YO31 7YD telephone 01904 400648
e-mail JBarefootL@AOL.com website : www.jbarefoot.co.uk
GERMANY - WEST
7037 : 1949-1979 vitually complete collection in
hingeless Lighhouse printed album (blue padded
springback, titled), mint (hinged) and used (a few
sets with some of each)includes 1949 Parliamant
mint hinged (SG1033/34 cat £145), Stamp Cente-
nary mint hinged (SG 1035/37 cat £130), UPU mint
hinged (SG 1038 cat £90), Welfare used (SG 1039/
42 cat £200), 1951 Stamp Exhn mint hinged (SG
1067/68 cat £130), Welfare used (SG 1969/72
cat£180), 1952 Welfare used (SG 1082/85 cat
£140), and virtually all others to 1979. About 850
stamps (weight 2½ kilos) ... .......................... £275
GERMANY - WEST
7012 : 1949-1977 used collection in Lighthouse
hingeless album (blue padded titled springback,
as new), virtually complete (just needs several mi-
nor definitives), all the good early commems and
charities are present, also quite a few extras. Cat
4600++ Euros. About 1000 stamps (weight 2½ ki-
los) ... ............................................................. £250
GERMANY - WEST
7035 : 1949-1970 mint and used collection in Borek
printed album (springback, as new), with 1949
Charity 30+15pf Wichern used (SG 1042 cat £160),
1951 Lubeck Church 20+5pf (SG 1066 cat £110),
and other better early 1950s, through to 1970
nearly complete (500 stamps) (weight 2 kilos) ...
....................................................................... £100
GERMANY - WEST
7033 : 1981-1994 virtually complete u/m or used
collection on Lindner hingeless leave, earlier years
mainly used, nearly all u/m from 1988. Needs c3
stamps to complete (700 stamps) (weight 4 kilos)
... ...................................................................... £75
GERMANY - WEST GERMANY
7032 : 1959-69 mint hinged ( a few are used)
collection on Stender printed leaves, virtually com-
plete with most charities (about 350 stamps) ...£30
GERMANY WWII AZAD HIND
7001 : Full sheet of 100 x 2½a Spinner imperf
(centre fold, a few imperfections), also 9 x 1a Gun-
ner perf, 10 x 2a Buffalo imperf, 6 x 12a Map perf in
mint blocks (125 stamps) ... ............................ £75
GHANA
6879 : 1987 Musical Instruments set of four (SG
1217/20) each in block of six with complete T. D.L.R.
/ SPECIMEN perfin u/m (24 stamps) ... .......... £20
GREECE
6556 : 1933 75D Allegory (Hellas) mint light hinge
(SG 476 cat £350) (1 stamp) ... .................... £125
GREECE
6559 : 1926 Aeroespresso set mint light hinge
(SG 406/09 cat £90) (4 stamps) ... ................. £25
GREECE
6555 : 1933 Aeroespresso set mint light hinge
(SG 461/67 cat £190) (7 stamps) ... ............... £65
GREENLAND
6681 : 1916-37 Pakke Porto issue 2 ore unmounted
mint (SG P5A, Michel 5A cat 900 Euros as un-
mounted mint) (1 stamp) ... ........................... £250
HUNGARY
JOHN BAREFOOT
6217 : 1934 LEHE Exhibition min. sheet unmounted
mint (SG MS658 cat £225) (1 stamp) ... ......... £75
HUNGARY
6218 : 1947 Roosevelt post and air miniature
sheets, mint light hinge (Mi Block 10 + 11) (2
stamps) ... ........................................................ £75
HUNGARY
6216 : 1934 LEHE Exhibition miniature sheet mint
light hinge (SG MS658 cat £225) (1 stamp) ...£50
INDONESIA
5422 : 1949 Dutch rule pictorials basic set mint
(couple tropical toned, rest fine) (SG 548/71 cat
£325) (24 stamps) ... ....................................... £75
IRAN
7056 : MAP : 1841 map of Persia by Thomas Kelly,
(uncoloured) 245x190mm (fits album page) (1
map) ... ............................................................. £20
ITALIAN COLONIES
5737 : 1934 General Colonies Fascist March set
post + airs all fine used (SG 53/70 cat £475 (18
stamps) ... ...................................................... £150
ITALIAN COLONIES
6410 : 1905 Postage Due 50L and 100L high vals
fine used (SG D.41/42 cat £515) (2 stamps) ...£85
ITALIAN COLONIES - JUBALAND
6187 : Postage Dues1925 2L and 5L top values
used (SG D37/38 cat £500) (2 stamps) ... ... £100
ITALIAN COLONIES - LIBYA
6841 : 1937 1937 the rare 10L perf 11 fine used
(SG 61 cat £700) (1 stamp) ... ...................... £250
ITALIAN COLONIES - LIBYA
6838 : Dues, 1915 set (less the 1926 60c brown &
orange), and 1934 set,the 2L to 10L are mint and
the rest mainly used incl the good 1915 2L and 5L.
Cat £700 (25 stamps) ... ............................... £175
ITALIAN COLONIES - LIBYA
6839 : Parcel, 1915 to 10L in joined pairs mint or
used (the 12L is used cat ££120), 12L to 20L just
as used left halves, plus several mint pairs of 1927
etc. Total cat £725 (20 stamps) ... ................. £175
ITALIAN COLONIES - LIBYA
6837 : Express, the issues complete for 1915 to
1926 (but not 1927), the 1923 60c is used and the
rest are mint. Cat 200 (11 stamps) ... ............. £50
ITALIAN COLONIES - SOMALIA
5984 : 1935 King’s Visit set fine used (all with
MOGADISCIO cds), (SG 209/22 cat £1000) (14
stamps) ... ...................................................... £385
ITALIAN COLONIES - SOMALIA
6743 : 1929-1936 mainly mint collection of
commems and defintives on Scott printed leaves,
with 1929 Montecassion set mint (SG 119/25 cat
£90), 1930 Ferrucci, 1930 Virgil mint, 1931 St
Anthony mint set plus several used incl top value
(cat £164), 1932 defin itives set used less top value
(cat £275 as cheapest perfs), 1934 Abruzzi set mint
(SG 179/86 cat £90), 1934 Exhibition postage and
...and many more, A to Z...
all just a phone call away!
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as a 77p value from the 2012 Diamond Jubilee set, illustrating the
Queen inspecting troops from the Royal Welsh Regiment in 2007.

JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 29

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 THIS IS JUST A SMALL PART AJH STAMPS LTD Registered Business No:
OF OUR 2020 CATALOGUE THE LAURELS 24407076
MANCHESTER ROAD, ACCRINGTON LTD. Co No. 4110518
email: sales@ajhstamps.co.uk
LANCS, BB5 2PF Est: 1970
Web Page: www. ajhstamps.co.uk
TEL: (01254) 393740 FAX: (01254) 382274
REF T500 REF T501 REF T502 REF T503
FREE GENUINE 1840 Id BLACK WITH FREE C. O. G .H TRIANGULAR FREE STOCK FREE GENUINE 1840 2d BLUE
EVERY GREAT BRITAIN BOX FILE CAT £130 WITH EVERY BOOK WITH
COMMONWEALTH BOX FILE WITH EVERY GREAT BRITAIN
A SUPERB MIX INC 500 DIFF OFF PAPER, EVERY FOREIGN BOX FILE
ALSO STAMPS ON & OFF PAPER INC KGVI BOX FILE INCLUDING ALBUM PAGES, LOOSE
& WILDINGS IDEAL FOR WTM ETC PLUS A SUPERB MIX INC 1,000 DIFFERENT
OFF PAPER USED STC £100+ ALSO CONTAINING STAMPS STAMPS ON AND OFF PAPER
ALBUM PAGES MOST REIGNS, MINT & CAT £90 ON AND OFF PAPER CAT £900 6 REIGNS. A BAG CONTAINING
USED AND FDCs, ITEMS OF NOTE ARE 1841 ALBUM PAGES WITH A GOOD RANGE EARLY TO MODERN
CAT £375 1d & 2d IMPERF PLUS QV TO 1/- GREEN. OF COUNTRIES, PLUS STAMPS LOOSE ON AND OFF PAPER 500 DIFFERENT GREAT BRITAIN OFF PAPER AND
ALBUM PAGES AND AUCTION FDC’s. ALSO SINGLE ITEMS 1855 1d & 2d QV TO
KEVII WITH VALUES TO 1/-, KGV WITH VALUES TO 2/6 TO SORT, WITH COUNTRIES A TO Z, ALSO AUCTION LEFT LEFT OVERS CONTAINING STAMPS
OVERS CONTAINING STAMPS CAT £20+, MAKES THIS A GOOD CAT £20+ PLUS 1000 DIFFERENT 1/- 1887 GREEN AND RED KEVII TO 10d, KGV TO
SEAHORSE, KEVIII SET, PLUS KGVI WITH VALUES TO 1951 SORT WITH BETTER ITEMS EARLY TO MODERN FOR JUST 5/- SEAHORSE, KGVI TO £1 1939 AND QEII TO £10,
£1 AND QEII TO £5 MAKES THIS A GOOD SORT WITH MANY WORLD USED STC £100+ MAKES
THIS A GOOD SORT FOR JUST MAKES THIS CAT £1000 +
BETTER VALUES WITH A CAT PRICE OF £1,000+ FOR JUST
£139.50 PLUS £8.50 FOR £89.50 PLUS £8.50 FOR £89.50 PLUS £8.50 FOR £159.50 PLUS £8.50 FOR
DELIVERY BY DPD DELIVERY BY DPD DELIVERY BY DPD DELIVERY BY DPD
REF T504 REF T520 REF T521 REF T522 REF T523
GREAT BRITAIN BOX FILES FOREIGN SHOE BOX COMMONWEALTH CHANNEL IS, REGIONALS & IOM GREAT BRITAIN SHOE BOX, FREE
BUY REF T500 & T503 AND RECEIVE BOTH CRAMMED WITH ON AND OFF PAPER FOREIGN SHOE BOX SHOE BOX 1841 IMPERF 1d RED & 2d BLUE
FREE GIFTS, 1840 1d BLACK & 2d BLUE, COUNTRIES. ALL WORLD MIXTURE STATED TO BE CONTAINING ON AND OFF PAPER, CONTAINS STAMPS ON & OFF PAPER, CAT £130
AND WE WILL REPLACE 500 DIFFERENT A MINIMUM OF 1000+ DIFFERENT. ALSO ALBUM UNCHECKED A TO Z EARLY TO DEFINITIVES & COMMEMORATIVES, PLUS CONTAINING A GOOD MIX OF ALL 6 REIGNS
WITH 1,000 DIFFERENT TO MAKE THIS PAIR PAGES, LOOSE STAMPS AUCTION LEFT OVERS MODERN, LOOSE AND ON LEAVES, ALBUM PAGES FDCs ETC, ALSO SOME FROM 1d REDS TO MODERN INC STAMPS
OF BOX FILES A SUPERB SORT & VALUE CONTAINING STAMPS CAT £5+ THIS IS A VERY A GOOD MAINLY MODERN MIX, SETS & SINGLES, MINT & USED, A GOOD ON & OFF PAPER, INC SOME EARLY, IDEAL
FOR MONEY CAT AT £2,000+ AT JUST GOOD CHEAP SORT (NO GREAT BRITAIN) OVER BUT SOME EARLY MIXED IN, BETTER SORT FOR THESE POPULAR COUNTRIES, FOR WATERMARKS, ALSO ALBUM PAGES,
SINGLES, CHEAP LOT, 1000+ STAMPS, FOR JUST
4000 SOLD THE LAST 37 YEARS FOR JUST MAINLY USED, FOR JUST FDCs, MINT & USED SETS & SINGLES ETC
£289.50 PLUS £9.50 FOR
DELIVERY BY DPD £39.50 PLUS £7.50 DELIVERY £39.50 PLUS £7.50 DELIVERY £39.50 PLUS £7.50 DELIVERY £39.50 PLUS £7.50 DELIVERY
REF T519 REF T510
WORLD (NO GB) 12KG BOX THE FAMOUS ALL WORLD
BOX OF ALL WORLD COLLECTIONS
WOODEN TEA CHEST OF STAMPS
YES, THE ULTIMATE SORT WITH OVER 1,000 OF THESE SOLD IN THE
COMMONWEALTH AND FOREIGN (NO
LAST 40 YEARS, A MUST FOR COLLECTOR/DEALER OR ANYONE WHO
GREAT BRITAIN) AND NO STAMPS ON
LIKES A GOOD SORT, INC COLLECTIONS, PACKETS, LOOSE STAMPS
PAPER A GOOD MIX OF COUNTRIES REF T510 ON & OFF PAPER, ALSO MIXED COUNTRIES IN VARIOUS BOXES &
AND SINGLE COUNTRY COLLECTIONS THE FAMOUS STOCKBOOKS OF WORLD ETC A GOOD MIX INC GB, C/W & FOREIGN
IN STOCKBOOKS AND ALBUMS AS
ALL WORLD WITH STAMPS CAT £50+ 1,000s OF STAMPS A LOT UNCHECKED ETC
RECEIVED COULD BE ANYTHING 1,000S
WOODEN WITH A RETAIL VALUE OF £1,400 AND WEIGHING APPROX 30 KILO
OF STAMPS
SUPERB LOT
TEA CHEST
£259.50 PLUS £15.00 DELIVERY OF STAMPS
HAVE YOU TRIED ONE YET FOR
BY DPD. £899.50 PLUS £28.00 FOR DELIVERY BY DPD
REF T550 REF T551 REF T552
COMMONWEALTH WOODEN HALF TEA FOREIGN WOODEN HALF TEA CHEST
GREAT BRITAIN WOODEN HALF TEA CHEST
CHEST CONTAINING COLLECTIONS, STOCKBOOKS, LOOSE
CONTAINING COLLECTIONS, STOCKBOOKS, LOOSE PAGES
CONTAINING COLLECTIONS, STOCKBOOKS, LOOSE PAGES PAGES & STOCKSHEETS, ALSO BOXES OF UNSORTED
STOCKCARDS, BOXES OF ON & OFF PAPER & LOOSE STAMPS,
& STOCKSHEETS, FROM QV TO MODERN INC CAPE OF MATERIAL, STAMPS LOOSE ON & OFF PAPER , &
FROM QV TO MODERN INC 1840 1d BLACK, 1d REDS AND A
GOOD HOPE TRIANGULAR, ALSO BOXES OF UNSORTED SINGLE STAMPS & AUCTION LEFTOVERS CAT £50+
GOOD SELECTION OF MINT & USED, ALL REIGNS, PLUS FDCs ETC,
MATERIAL, LOOSE STAMPS ON & OFF PAPER, COVERS & EACH, GOOD HIGH CAT LOT, EARLY TO MODERN,
A GOOD LOT, VERY HIGH CAT, WITH TOP VALUES AND AUCTION
AUCTION LEFTOVERS CAT £50+ EACH, SETS & SINGLES, STATED TO RETAIL £750+
LEFTOVERS CAT £50+ EACH, STATED TO RETAIL £750+
GOOD HIGH CAT LOT, STATED TO RETAIL £750+

£499.50 PLUS £20 £499.50 PLUS £20 £499.50 PLUS £20

FOR DELIVERY BY DPD FOR DELIVERY BY DPD FOR DELIVERY BY DPD
REF T508 REF T547
REF T524 WORLD (NO GB) MYSTERY
MASSIVE LOT OF ALL WORLD IN SUITCASE ALL WORLD FUN BOX MIX INC PACKET OF 1,000
INCLUDING VARIOUS COLLECTIONS OF COMMONWEALTH, IN ⅓ BOX DIFFERENT
INCLUDING LOOSE STAMPS
FOREIGN, GREAT BRITAIN AND CHANNEL ISLANDS ETC INC A PLASTIC ZIP UP BAG OF
ON AND OFF PAPER PLUS
1,000s OF STAMPS ON AND OFF PAPER EARLY TO MODERN PLUS CHILDREN COLLECTIONS, UNCHECKED WORLD ON & OFF
BOXES OF UNCHECKED MATERIAL, STOCKBOOKS OF WORLD ETC PAPER AS RECEIVED FROM VARIOUS
COVERS, LEAVES ETC STATED PLUS OTHER BITS, ALBUM PAGES, THE ODD COVER, EVERY BOX IS CHARITY, UNCHECKED WITH 750 GRAMS AND A PACKET OF
TO HAVE A RETAIL OF £500+ DIFFERENT 1,000s TO SORT 1,000 DIFFERENT

£59.50 PLUS £9.50 FOR £17.99

£299.50 PLUS £25.00 DELIVERY BY DPD PLUS £3 POSTAGE
FOR DELIVERY BY DPD

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MONTHLY PUBLIC AND POSTAL AUCTION
HELD AT THE DUNKENHALGH HOTEL AND SPA, CLAYTON LE MOORS, ACCRINGTON, LANCASHIRE BB5 5JP (JUNC. 7 OFF M65)
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WRITE OR PHONE ON 01254 393740 OR E-MAIL: sales@ajhstamps.co.uk NOW FOR OUR FREE MONTHLY
PUBLIC AUCTION CATALOGUE CONTAINING APPROX 700 LOTS, WITH CARTONS, COLLECTIONS, FOLDER ONE COUNTRY LOTS,
PLUS GREAT BRITAIN, COMMONWEALTH SETS AND SINGLE ITEMS, PRICES FROM £20 TO £20,000 PER LOT.
OUR PRE SALE ESTIMATE IS OVER 1½ MILLION POUND PER YEAR
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WRITE PHONE OR FAX FOR OUR MONTHLY WHOLESALE/RETAIL SALE LIST WITH OVER 1,000 ITEMS, INCLUDING COMMONWEALTH A TO Z
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 MILLSTAMPS
Great Britain & Commonwealth
Established 2000 Friendly & Efficient service Many satisfied customers
Competitively Priced FOR COLLECTING & INVESTMENT All Countries A-Z
‘Excellent service, stamps and value’ ‘Excellent Selection thank you’ ‘Many thanks again your service is outstanding’
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See samples above of what we send out with many more available.
TO RECEIVE YOUR SELECTION CONTACT US BY POST OR PHONE
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Interests: Great Britain Commonwealth Mint Used Victoria Edward George 5th George 6th Elizabeth

Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Send to: Millstamps 14 The Spinney Ivybridge Devon PL21 9TU. 07972 846242
 NICKNAMED STAMPS

What’s in
a name?
A select group of rare stamps are so famous that they have their own nicknames,
casually bandied about without any apparent need for a country name or a
historical date to give them proper context. Sometimes, it pays to remind
ourselves precisely what they are, and why they are so celebrated
■ Report by Monica Catchey

lmost everyone has heard

A of the Penny Black. Many

people who have no
interest in philately can even state
confidently that it was the first
adhesive postage stamp.
Plenty would know that it was
issued by Great Britain. A few
might even pinpoint its date of
issue as 1840.
Fast running out of expertise,
most would probably then blot
their copybook by assuming that it
was especially rare — otherwise,
why would it have such a singular-
sounding nickname?
You should perhaps forgive them
this unwarranted assumption, just
in case they come back with
questions about other famous ABOVE: In spite of its What is an Inverted Jenny? That’s precise meaning, and gloss over
stamps which take you to the outer singular-sounding easy enough to answer in outline, their all-important context.
edges of your own knowledge. nickname, the Penny but can you recall its face value? It’s immediately obvious where
Black is impressively What is a Basel Dove? There are the Blue Mauritius comes from, for
INDEX abundant. Most
nicknamed stamps
several clues in the title, but do you
know in which year it was issued?
example, less so where the
Treskilling Yellow comes from. It’s
are much less What about the Blue Boy? Where pretty obvious that the Red
Stamp page common was it used, when was it issued and Mercury and the Baden Green are
1940 Penny Black 34 what was its purpose? named for their colour, but which
If you are hazy on any of this, it’s one was supposed to be that colour,
1845 Basel Dove 35
time for a refresher course! and which one wasn’t?
1846 Blue Boy 36 And what of the Tyrian Plum?
1847 Lady McLeod 37 Lazy shorthand? When did this country called Tyria
1847 Blue Mauritius 38 Nicknames are convenient exist, some might wonder, and why
shorthand for philatelists. Using did its stamps depict fruit?
1851 Baden Green 39
the ‘Inverted Jenny’ abbreviation is
1854 Inverted Swan 40 much less unwieldy than saying Forgotten detail?
1855 Treskilling Yellow 41 ‘United States of America 1918 Every now and then, it is advisable
1856 Red Mercury 42 Airmail 24c blue and red with to set aside the catchy moniker and
inverted vignette illustrating the remind ourselves of the significant
1867 Missing Virgin 43
Curtiss JN-4 aircraft, widely detail. Which country issued this
1910 Tyrian Plum 44 known as a Jenny’. stamp? When, and why?
1918 Inverted Jenny 45 But nicknames have their Most importantly, why is it one of
dangers, too. They can make us only a dozen or so stamps in 180
Famous series 46
lazy, tripping off the tongue so years of philatelic history that
easily that we can forget their merits its own nickname?

JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 33

NICKNAMED STAMPS

Penny Black
What is it?
It is Great Britain’s and the
world’s first adhesive postage
stamp, no less, and eternally
desirable as such.

When was it issued?

May 6, 1840.

Who does it depict?

Queen Victoria, the monarch who
had come to the throne just three
years earlier, and would always be
portrayed on British stamps as a
young woman, even when she was
over 80 years old.

What makes it special?

This was the template for all
postage stamps. Millions of issues
from all over the world have used a
similar concept, with gum on the
reverse which could be activated
by licking, and a similar
rectangular shape, portraying a
monarch or head of state.
Although perforations were
introduced in the 1850s, for easier
separation, and multicoloured

‘This was the template for all
postage stamps. Millions of
issues from all over the world
have used a similar format’
printing became common in the
20th century, modern stamps can
still trace their lineage very clearly
back to 1840.
have a red stamp cancelled in black
than a black stamp cancelled in
red. Therefore, although the design
would remain in use for decades,
the Penny Black was replaced by
the Penny Red from February 1841.
How many survive?
More than 68 million Penny Blacks
were printed, and the survival rate
has been estimated at 2%, which
amounts to well over a million.
What is it worth?
You can pick a used example in
reasonable condition for well under
£100, although if you want one with
four margins and in mint condition
you’ll probably have to pay more
than £10,000.

What’s the back story? SHEETS OF 240

Adhesive stamps came into being
as a result of Rowland Hill’s postal
The world’s first postage stamp was printed in sheets of 240,
reforms, which introduced cheaper
comprising 20 rows of 12 impressions, because this made for easy
postage rates and the pre-payment
accounting given Britain’s currency of pounds shillings and pence.
of these by the sender. One penny
A row of 12 1d stamps added up to 1s in value, and a complete
was the basic domestic rate.
sheet of 240 added up to exactly £1.
Affixing a stamp to an envelope
Since adhesive stamps were a novel concept, both for post office
was proof of payment, and its
clerks and for the general public, it was deemed necessary to
cancellation by a handstamp,
print instructions for their sale and use in the sheet margins. The
usually in red ink, prevented it
inscription read: ‘Price 1d per label. 1/- per row of 12. £1 per
from being reused.
sheet. Place the labels above the address and towards the right
The experimental nature of
hand side of the letter. In wetting the back, be careful not to
stamps was emphasised by a rapid
remove the cement.’
decision that, for the purposes of
preventing fraud, it was better to

34 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020


Basel Dove
What is it?
It’s a 2½-rappen stamp produced by
the canton of Basel (Basle) in
Switzerland, at a time when there
was not yet a unified national
postal service.
When was it issued?
July 1, 1845.
What does it depict?
The central image is of a dove
carrying a letter in its beak, below
‘A single stamp met the local rate for postage
within the city of Basel, so a pair of stamps was
required for the wider cantonal rate’
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enterprising local postmasters in
the United States.
What’s the back story?
Switzerland’s unique brand of
federalism meant that its 22
cantons each had their own
constitution, government and
currency. Three of them jumped
onto the bandwagon of postal
reform, with Basel following the
examples set by Zürich and
Geneva in 1843.
Basel was a growing industrial
powerhouse in the Swiss
Confederation, with a strategically
important location on the River
Rhine and borders with France to
the west and the German state of
Baden to the north.
It only ever produced this one
denomination; 2½r met the local
rate for postage within the city of
Basel, so a pair of stamps was
required for the wider cantonal
rate of 5r.
How many survive?
Fewer than 42,000 Basel Doves
were printed, and they were
withdrawn from sale at the end of
1848, with the standardisation of
Swiss currency and postal rates in
the offing.
These are the scarcest of the
cantonal issues, with, for example,
only seven surviving examples of a
pair used on cover.
a bishop’s crozier motif from the What is it worth?
Basel coat of arms. As local issues, the Swiss cantonal
stamps are not listed in standard
What makes it special? Stanley Gibbons catalogues, so
This was the first postage stamp in collectors will require a specialised
the world printed in three colours catalogue. Here, they will find a
(blue, crimson and black), and the very fine used example of the Basel
first with an embossed image. Dove priced above £10,000.
Basel was joining what was still a
mere handful of stamp-issuing
entities, which comprised only
TRAGIC TALE
Great Britain, Brazil, two other
The stamp was designed by the Basel-born
Swiss cantons and some
architect Melchior Berri, but he never got to see
it in everyday use because he committed suicide
before it was issued.
It was printed by the letterpress technique by
H B Krebs of Frankfurt, an independent city
state within the German Confederation.
JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 35
NICKNAMED STAMPS
Blue Boy
What is it?
It’s a postmaster’s provisional 5c
stamp issued by the post office in
Alexandria, Virginia, during the
period when local issues were
authorised prior to the
introduction of national stamps for
the United States.
Whilst all other surviving
examples were printed on buff
paper, this one is one blue paper.
When was it issued?
Alexandria’s stamps were in use in
1846-47, but no precise issue date
is known.
What does it depict?
The primitive circular design,
thought to have been typeset and
printed by the local newspaper, is
simply inscribed ‘Alexandria’ in an
upper arc, ‘Post Office’ in a lower
arc, and ‘Paid 5’ in the centre, all
enclosed by a circle of 40 rosettes.
What makes it special?
All US postmaster’s provisionals
are rare, but this one is unique.
Only seven examples of the
Alexandria 5c survive in total, and
36 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020
this is the only one on blue paper. Appealingly, this particular item
It is postally used, on a cover of mail has its own back story. The
addressed to Richmond, Virginia, cover originally contained a
on November 24, 1847. clandestine love letter written by
one James Hoof to his second
What’s the back story? cousin Jannett Brown, whose
Postmaster’s provisionals were family disapproved of the liaison.
produced by 11 municipalities Many of their letters were burned
between 1845, when national after being read, so the stamp only
narrowly escaped destruction.
‘All US postmaster’s provisionals
How many survive?
are rare, but this one is unique’ One.
postage rates were standardised, What is it worth?
and 1847, when the first national When it came onto the market for
stamp issue was introduced. the first time in a generation, in
Although the provisionals were 2019, the cover was sold at auction
officially invalidated in July 1847, by H R Harmer for $1.18m, the
their use continued sporadically. equivalent of about £829,000.
PIONEERING SPIRIT
Besides Alexandria, postmaster’s provisionals were issued for
Annapolis in Maryland, Baltimore in Maryland, Boscawen in New
Hampshire, Brattleboro in Vermont, Lockport in New York,
Millbury in Massachusetts, New Haven in Connecticut, New York
City, Providence in Rhode Island, and St Louis in Missouri.

Lady McLeod
What is it?
It’s a privately issued stamp
produced for paying postage on
mail carried on the steamship route
between two ports on the west
coast of Trinidad, San Fernando
and the capital Port of Spain.
When was it issued?
April 16, 1847.
What does it depict?
The rectangular blue stamp carries
an image of the Glasgow-built
paddlesteamer, the SS Lady McLeod,
above the monogram ‘LMcL’. It is
not inscribed with a denomination,
but was sold at 5c.
What makes it special?
This is the earliest catalogued
stamp from a British colony, and
arguably the world’s first pictorial
stamp, therefore the progenitor of
thematic collecting.
Incidentally, since it was
available to buy in bulk at $4 per
100, this was also the world’s first
discount stamp.
What’s the back story?
The stamp issue was the
brainchild of Scottish businessman
David Bryce, who had taken over
the operation of the ship in 1846
and thought the existing system of
subscriptions to its postal service
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‘This is the earliest
catalogued stamp
from a British
colony, and arguably
the world’s first
pictorial stamp, the
progenitor of
thematic collecting’
was unsatisfactory.
Produced locally by lithography,
and available only from the
dockside office of the shipping
agent, it predated official stamp
issues for Trinidad by more than
four years.
By most criteria, as a local issue
with no official status, this stamp
should not be included in
standard stamp catalogues. Yet it
has long been fully listed by
Stanley Gibbons.
The ship was wrecked in 1854,
and its bell was later acquired by
the Trinidad Phlatelic Society.
How many survive?
It is unclear how many examples of
the stamp exist, but in an average
year only several come up for
auction. The majority are on cover,
pen-cancelled with a black cross.
No multiples are recorded.
What is it worth?
Stanley Gibbons catalogues the
stamp at £35,000 in unused
condition, or £12,000 pen-cancelled.
ULTIMATE IRONY
Correspondence held by The Postal Museum in
London shows that the Governor of Trinidad had
requested an official stamp issue some years
before 1847. This would have been the first by a
British colony, had his approach not been
rebuffed by the Postmaster General.
Ironically, the Governor in question was
Sir Henry McLeod, after whose wife the
steamship was named!
JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 37
NICKNAMED STAMPS

Blue Mauritius
What is it?
It’s the 2d blue from the first stamp
issue of Mauritius, locally printed
from an engraving on copper.

When was it issued?

September 21, 1847.

What does it depict?

Like all the early issues of
Mauritius, it features a quirky but
rather crude portrait of Queen
Victoria.

What makes it special?

This was the higher of two values
(the other being a 1d orange-red) in
what was the first officially
sanctioned stamp issue by a
British colony.
Remarkably, it made this small
island in the Indian Ocean only the
fourth country in the world to
produce a national stamp issue.

What’s the back story?

Mauritius seemed to have little
need for stamps, but they may have
been rushed into production
because Lady Elizabeth Gomm, the
wife of the Governor of the colony,
needed them to send invitations to
a society ball. Accordingly, she is
thought to have purchased a good
number of the initial print-run of
50 of each value.
When more stamps were
required, in 1848, a new plate was
engraved, inscribed ‘Post Paid’
rather than the original ‘Post
Office’, so the rarity of the first
‘Remarkably, a small island in the Indian
issue was ensured. Ocean became only the fourth country in the
It was so rare, in fact, that it was
unknown to collectors until 1864, world to produce a national stamp issue’
when one Madame Borchard, the
wife of a merchant in Bordeaux, of the most highly prized stamps
France, sold a collection of used LOCAL TRADESMAN in philately.
stamps to a dealer.
One reason why European What is it worth?
The printer of the first issues of Mauritius was
collectors had remained unaware Stanley Gibbons catalogues the
Joseph Barnard, a 31-year-old Englishman who
of the 1847 issue until that time is stamp at £1,500,000 in used
had arrived on the island as a stowaway on a
that not a single cover is known to condition; it gives no price for a
ship bound for New South Wales, and had
have been posted to Britain. mint stamp, as it is effectively
started a small business printing calling cards.
unobtainable.
He had no expertise in designing, engraving or
How many survive? When last auctioned in 1993, the
printing stamps, but then neither did anyone
Only 12 examples of the 1847 2d legendary ‘Bordeaux cover’, which
else within thousands of miles. He charged £10
blue are recorded, four of them features the 2d and 1d together,
for engraving a secondhand copper plate.
unused. The majority are in fetched a world record price
museum collections, so this is one equating to around £2,500,000.

38 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020


Baden Green
What is it?
It’s the 9k value from the first
stamp issue of the German state of
Baden, printed on green paper.
When was it issued?
May 1, 1851.
What does it depict?
Printed by typography, the series
had numeral designs in a square
format, with the bold denomination
on an engine-turned background
in a central circle.
What makes it special?
The 9k value was supposed to be
printed in black on pink paper, but
this stamp was printed on green
paper in error.
What’s the back story?
The Grand Duchy of Baden was
one of the historical independent
states of Germany, prior to the
country’s unification in 1871. It’s
first stamp issue, denominated in
kreuzer, comprised values of 1k,
3k, 6k and 9k.
The error is thought to have
arisen due to the visual similarity
between the 6k and 9k. Although
the numeral in each design had a
full point after it, which indicates
its correct orientation, at least one
sheet of the 9k must inadvertently
have been printed the green paper
stock intended for the 6k.
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‘The colour error is thought piece, showing the cancellation of
Achern, and the fourth, discovered
to have arisen due to the visual as recently as 2019, is off-piece with
a Konstanz postmark.
similarity between the 6k The unused stamp has faded
colour, thought to be as a result of
and 9k numeral designs’ heat damage sustained during the
bombing of Berlin near the end of
Although it was not discovered World War II, but has unusually
until the 1890s, the error later full margins and most of its
found its way into several fabulous original gum intact.
philatelic collections, including One of the covers is held by the
those of Philipp von Ferrary, Museum of Post & Communication
Alfred Caspary, John Boker and in Berlin, but the other stamps can
Erivan Haub. appear on the open market.
How many survive? What is it worth?
Only five examples survive, four The Ettenheim cover was auctioned
used and one unused. most recently by Heinrich Köhler
Two of the used stamps are on in 2019 for the equivalent of
covers posted in the summer of £1,100,000.
1851, cancelled in the towns of The unused stamp was auctioned
Ettenheim and Orschweier, close to by David Feldman in 2008 for the
the border with France. One is on equivalent of about £880,000.
STATES OF PLAY
The German states which issued stamps were Bavaria from 1849,
Hanover, Prussia and Saxony from 1850, Baden and Württemberg
from 1851, Brunswick (Braunschweig) and Oldenburg from 1852,
Bremen from 1855, Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 1856, Hamburg
and Lübeck from 1859, Bergedorf from 1861, and Holstein,
Schleswig and Mecklenburg-Strelitz from 1864. The Princely
House of Thurn & Taxis also issued stamps from 1852. Most of
these entities joined the North German Confederation in 1868.
JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 39
NICKNAMED STAMPS

Inverted Swan
What is it?
It’s the 4d pale blue from the
1854-55 second issue of Western
Australia, with the frame inverted.

When was it issued?

The stamp was first issued on
August 1, 1854, but the error was
created in January 1855.

What does it depict?

Like all 19th-century stamps of
Western Australia, the design
features a black swan, an official
emblem of the British colony. This
particular value had a very
distinctive octagonal frame
carrying its inscriptions.

What makes it special?

The inverted-frame error is rare,
affecting only the first, sixth,
eleventh and sixteenth stamps
from row eight of sheets printed
from stone 2. Only 97 sheets were
printed from this stone.
This is one of the most iconic
inverts of the British Empire,
comparable with the USA’s
Inverted Jenny but much rarer.
‘The nickname is misleading. The way the
stone was created means that it is actually
What’s the back story?
The colony’s first issue, of a 1d the frame that is inverted, not the swan’
value in 1854, had been recess-
printed in Britain by Perkins Bacon, was not corrected until the third used condition. At least five of
but the plate was then despatched printing, later in the year, from these are in institutional
to Perth for future issues to be what is known as stone 2A. collections, in Perth, Sydney,
printed locally by the Government The stamp’s nickname is London and Dublin.
Lithographer. misleading, because the way the
During the second such local stone was created means that it is What is it worth?
printing, by Alfred Hillman, definitely the frame that is The invert is catalogued by Stanley
printing stone 1 is thought to have inverted, not the swan. Gibbons at £180,000. Spink
broken. In making the replacement auctioned a three-margined
stone 2, a lithographic transfer How many survive? example in 2015 for about £122,000,
error inadvertently resulted in the Only about 15 examples of the error a world record price for a single
frame being inverted. The error are believed to exist, all of them in stamp from Australasia.

COLONIAL PERIOD
Britain’s six Australian colonies each
issued stamps separately.
New South Wales and Victoria led the
way in January 1850, followed by
Tasmania (whose designs were initially
inscribed Van Diemen’s Land) in
November 1853, Western Australia in
August 1854, South Australia in January
1855, and finally Queensland in
November 1860.
Some of these issues were printed in
England, others locally.
Stamps were never issued for the
sparsely populated Northern Territory,
which was administered as part of New
South Wales until 1963 and subsequently
as part of South Australia.
The colonies combined to form the
Commonwealth of Australia in 1901, but
national postage stamp issues were not
introduced until 1913.

40 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020


Treskilling Yellow
What is it?
It’s the 3sk value from Sweden’s
1855-58 first stamp issue, which
was normally green, printed in
yellow in error.
When was it issued?
The stamp emanates from a set of
five values which was first issued
on July 1, 1855, but the error is
assumed to be from a later
printing, early in 1857.
What does it depict?
Like the other stamps in the series,
the central image on this
rectangular design is of the Coat of
Arms of Sweden with an engine-
turned background.
What makes it special?
This is is the only genuine
surviving example of the 3sk in
yellow, and therefore one of the
world’s few truly unique stamps.
It has a Nya Kopparberget
cancellation of July 13, 1857.
What’s the back story?
Technically, this stamp is probably
an error of value rather than an
error of colour. It is thought that a
stereotype of the 8sk printing plate
probably became damaged, and
was inadvertently replaced by a
3sk stereotype.
From that point onwards, one
stamp in every sheet of 100 would
have been an error of value until
the mistake was spotted, but it is
not known how many sheets
were affected.
The error was not discovered
until 1886, when a schoolboy
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‘The error was not
discovered until
1886, when a
schoolboy collector
found it amongst
his family’s
correspondence’
collector named Georg Wilhelm
Backman found it amongst family
correspondence.
He removed it from its cover
before selling it to a dealer.
Unbeknownst to him, this can only
have detracted from its future
worth on the philatelic market.
Subsequent owners have
included Philipp von Ferrary and
King Carol II of Romania, and its
current owner is the Swedish
nobleman and industrialist Count
Gustaf Douglas.
How many survive?
One.
What is it worth?
In 1996 the Treskilling Yellow was
sold at auction by David Feldman
for the equivalent of more than
£1,500,000, then a world record for
a single stamp.
Since then it has changed hands
three times, most recently in 2013,
for undisclosed prices.
IN GOOD HANDS
A side-effect of the extreme value of the
Treskilling Yellow is that has spent much of its
time in the hands of investors rather than
philatelists.
Between 1996 and 2013, it was owned in turn
by an international consortium, a Swiss bank and
a French businessman, and collectors rarely had
an opportunity to set eyes on it.
Its current owner, Gustaf Douglas, is also a
successful businessman (he needed to be, to be
able to afford it), but he is also a noted collector
of classic Sweden. He has allowed the stamp to
be displayed in public at various prestigious
exhibitions and events.
JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 41
NICKNAMED STAMPS

Red Mercury
What is it?
It’s an Austrian stamp issued
specifically for the prepayment of
newspapers in bulk, part of the
country’s first issue of newspaper
stamps in 1851-56.
Although undenominated, it had
a face value of 6kr.

When was it issued?

March 21, 1856.

What does it depict?

The design portrays Mercury, the
ancient Roman god of
communication and mythical
conveyor of messages.

What makes it special?

The 6kr red was a late colour
change in a series which had been
introduced in 1851, replacing the
previous 6kr yellow. It was in use
for a relatively short period until
the Mercury series was replaced by
a new design in 1858.
There was limited demand for
this value, and fewer than 120,000
were printed. Furthermore, stamps
on newspaper wrappers were
habitually discarded and rarely
found their way into the hands of
collectors, so the Red Mercury is

denoted by their colour. This red How many survive?

‘Fewer than 120,000 were
printed, and stamps on
newspaper wrappers were
habitually discarded’
one of the great rarities of
European philately.
stamp had a face value of 6kr,
covering the rate for a bundle of 10
newspapers. German-speakers
know it as the Rosa Merkur.
It has been much forged,
including by Jean de Sperati, Philip
Spiro, François Fournier and Peter
Winter. Official reprints also exist,
dating from the mid-1860s.
The number of stamps still in
existence is unknown.
What is it worth?
The Red Mercury is catalogued by
Stanley Gibbons at £125,000 mint
and £188,000 used, although prices
realised at auction have generally
been significantly lower.

What’s the back story?

Austria has a long succession of SUPERPOWER STATUS
catalogued newspaper stamps,
from 1851-1921, many of then
Austria may be a medium-sized country with limited international
depicting Mercury in
prestige today, but in the 19th century it was a European
different ways.
superpower, courtesy of its ruling Habsburg dynasty.
The early stamps were also valid
When it began issuing stamps in 1850, the Austrian Empire held
for use in Lombardy-Venetia,
sway over a significant proportion of the continent. Its influence
which was an Austrian territory
looms large in the postal history of Italy, Croatia, Slovenia,
before becoming part of the
Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Romania,
Kingdom of Italy in two stages in
Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro, and it introduced stamps to many
1859 and 1866.
of these countries.
Until 1880 the stamps were
undenominated, their value

42 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020

 WORLD NEWS | AUCTIONS | GB COLLECTOR | LETTERS | COMMENT | COMPETITIONS FEATURES EVENTS | STRANGE BUT TRUE
Missing Virgin
What is it?
It’s the British Virgin Islands 1867
1s black and rose-carmine
missing black.

When was it issued?

The precise date of issue is not
known, but the error comes from
the second of three issues in the
1867-70 period with the same
essential design but different
frames — in this case, a solid
frame extending to the margins of
the stamp.

What does it depict?

What it should depict is St Ursula,
the legendary 4th-century Cornish
princess and Catholic martyr,
holding a bunch of lilies.

What makes it special?

In one of the most striking printing
errors in philatelic history, the
absence of black ink means the
central vignette is missing, leaving
St Ursula’s white starburst
conspicuously vacant.

What’s the back story?

St Ursula is reputed to have been
on pilgrimage in Europe with a
following of no fewer than 11,000
virginal handmaids when they
were killed by the Huns near
Cologne in around 383 AD.
When Christopher Columbus
discovered an island group in the
Caribbean in 1493, the archipelago
of myriad rocky outcrops reminded
him of the legend of Ursula and her
followers, and he named it Santa
Ursula y Las Once Mil Virgenes
(St Ursula and the Eleven
Thousand Virgins). Thankfully,
‘Some experts are convinced this is
this was later abbreviated to the a genuine printing error, while others
Virgin Islands.
Some controversy surrounds the suggest that it comes from a colour
error, with some experts convinced
that it is a genuine printing error,
proof or a perforation trial’
and others suggesting that it
emanates from a colour proof or a How many survive? What is it worth?
perforation trial. All known Some researchers have written that The Stanley Gibbons catalogue
examples have the perforations as many as eight examples exist, values the stamp at £150,000 in
trimmed with scissors on one or but the true number may be as low unused condition.
two sides. as three or four. One of these is in The last time an example was
Collectors could not resist the Royal Philatelic Collection. sold at auction, by David Feldman
dubbing the stamp the ‘Missing Significantly, the error is not in 2015, it fetched the equivalent
Virgin’, a name which stuck. known postally used. of £120,000.

JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 43

NICKNAMED STAMPS

Tyrian Plum
What is it?
It’s an unissued 2d definitive
stamp, printed in a colour
exotically named Tyrian plum,
prepared to replace Great Britain’s
existing 2d green and red.

When was it issued?

It was ready to be issued in the
spring of 1910, with an initial
print-run of 24 million having been
delivered to the Post Office stores
ready for distribution. But the issue
was cancelled due to the death of
the monarch.

Who does it depict?

It portrays King Edward VII, in a
striking new design.

What makes it special?

Although the issue was cancelled,
with the entire print-run slated for
incineration and no sheets
distributed to post offices, a small
number of stamps survived and
made it onto the philatelic market.

What’s the back story?

The King Edward VII definitive
range had been based on designs
from the reign of Queen Victoria,
many of them printed in two
colours. It was decided to reduce
costs by switching to single-colour
printing, with new designs where
necessary. The first of these to be
prepared was for the 2d value.
After the death of the King on

May 6, 1910, the Postmaster General handwritten by the Controller of

‘Only one stamp was postally
used, on a cover addressed to the
Prince of Wales on the day he
became King George V’
COLLECTOR KING
It was King George V who made the Royal
Philatelic Collection one of the world’s greatest.
An enthusiastic former President of the Royal
Philatelic Society London, he made sure that he
received samples of every stamp issued in his
Empire, and appointed professional curators.
thought that it would not be
appropriate to introduce the new
design. He ordered stocks of the 2d
to be destroyed. However, two
serious lapses affected this policy.
One was the way a small number
of mint stamps escaped into the
hands of collectors. It is unclear
how this happened, but one theory
is that they came from the sample
stocks submitted to the Universal
Postal Union and returned when
the issue was cancelled.
A more scandalous lapse
(although oddly it was brushed
under the carpet and never treated
as a scandal) was that one stamp
was postally used, on a cover
Stamps at the Inland Revenue and
addressed to the Prince of Wales,
who was well known as an avid
collector. It arrived on the day he
became King George V!
How many survive?
A precise figure is not known, but
some experts have estimated the
number of stamps in private
collections at about a dozen.
The one example used on cover
remains part of the Royal
Philatelic Collection.
What is it worth?
Stanley Gibbons catalogues the
stamp at £115,000.

44 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020

 WORLD NEWS | AUCTIONS | GB COLLECTOR | LETTERS | COMMENT | COMPETITIONS FEATURES EVENTS | STRANGE BUT TRUE
Inverted Jenny
What is it?
It’s the United States’ first airmail
stamp, the 24c blue and red, with
the central vignette inverted.

When was it issued?

May 14, 1918.

What does it depict?

The vignette illustrates a Curtiss
JN-4 biplane, nicknamed the
‘Jenny’, the mainstay of early
airmail services in the USA.

What makes it special?

One sheet of 100 stamps was sold
with the ‘Inverted Jenny’ error,
becoming the most famous
collectable in American philately.
The idea of an upside-down
aircraft captured the public’s
imagination before most of the
population had ever set eyes on
one which was the right way up!

What’s the back story?

The stamp was released to coincide
with the inauguration of a new
regular airmail service.

AIR PIONEER
Sometimes forgotten in the
hullabaloo surrounding the
stamp is the historic nature
of the service for which it
was issued: the world’s
first permanent scheduled
airmail service, no less.
Inaugurated on May 15,
1918, this plied a 225-mile
route between Washington
DC and New York City, via
Philadelphia, speeding up
delivery times between
three major population
hubs on the east coast.
The initial fee of 24c was
slashed to 16c as early as
July, once the service had
proved itself viable, and by
December it had been
reduced again, to just 6c.
The stamps issued to pay
these rates were each
printed in a single colour.
‘This stamp is not a fabulous rarity, nor is its story
shrouded in mystery, but it has iconic status’
On the day of issue, a complete
single sheet with inverted centres
was purchased from a post office
in Washington DC by William T
Robey, a collector who was wise to
the possibility of such an error
occurring in a two-colour printing.
As it turned out, these were the
only examples placed on sale
anywhere.
One week later Robey sold the
sheet, which had a face value of
$24, to a dealer for $15,000.
How many survive?
The sheet was soon broken up into
singles and blocks, but all 100
examples of the error reached the
philatelic market, and their
provenance has been extremely
well documented over the years.
The auctioneer Robert A Siegel
maintains a website detailing the
condition and sale history of each
individual stamp, based on its
original position in the sheet.
In comparison with many other
famous stamps, therefore, this is
not a fabulous rarity, nor is its story
shrouded in mystery. However, it
has iconic status, and is in huge
demand among American
collectors, which keeps its market
price surprisingly high.
What is it worth?
Catalogue values can rise above
the equivalent of £360,000,
depending on condition.
The unique ‘plate’ block of four,
from the bottom of the sheet with
the plate number in the margin,
was sold by private treaty in
2014, reportedly for the equivalent
of £3,200,000.
The unique ‘centreline’ block of
four, clearly identifiable as being
from the very centre of the sheet,
was auctioned by Spink in 2019 for
the equivalent of £1,185,000.

JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 45

NICKNAMED STAMPS

Famous series
his feature has focused on ‘Moldavian Bulls’, and Norway’s 1868-76 ‘Large Queens’ and 1870-97

T single stamps with handy

handles, but collectors love
nicknames, and have bestowed
‘Posthorns’, introduced in 1871.
Later examples are Sudan’s
1898-1954 ‘Camel Postmen’, British
‘Small Queens’, and China’s 1878-
85 ‘Large Dragons’ and 1885-88
‘Small Dragons’.
them equally on large sets and New Guinea’s and Papua’s 1901-32 Inevitably, since nicknames arise
long-running series from around ‘Lakatois’ (depicting a traditional organically rather than being
the world. sailing ship), Australia’s 1913-45 carefully selected by a panel of
Some are named after their ‘Kangaroo & Map’ definitives, and experts, some appear almost
appearance, such as Brazil’s 1943 Great Britain’s 1955-97 ‘Castles’ intended to cause confusion.
‘Bull’s Eyes’, British Guiana’s high values. Great Britain’s 1913-34
1850-51 ‘Cotton Reels’ and In certain cases these central ‘Seahorses’, for instance, do not
Denmark’s ‘Wavy Lines’ definitive images have been portraits, usually illustrate seahorses (species of fish)
series which started in 1905. of mythical or allegorical figures, but sea-horses or hippocampi
Others are named after their such as Greece’s 1861-95 ‘Hermes (mythological creatures).
shape, such as the Cape of Good Heads’ and Germany’s 1900-22 Neither Canada’s 1911-31
Hope’s 1853-64 ‘Triangulars’, or ‘Germania’ issues. ‘Admirals’ nor Rhodesia’s 1913-24
after their colour, such as China’s A few nicknamed issues are ‘Admirals’ depict an active naval
1897 ‘Red Revenues’. subdivided by their size. Well- commander, but both portray King
A few are matter-of-factly named known examples include Canada’s George V in military uniform. ■
after their purpose, including
India’s 1852-54 ‘Scinde Dawk’ series
(which simply means the postal
service of the district of Scinde)
and Israel’s 1948-49 ‘Doar Ivri’
series (which simply means
Hebrew Post).
In some cases, they are more
obliquely named after their
designer, for example the ‘Machin’
definitives used by Great Britain
since 1967, or after their primary
users, for example Hawaii’s
‘Missionaries’ of 1851-52.
Most frequently, iconic series are
named after what they illustrate.
This category is led by New South
Wales’ 1850-51 ‘Sydney Views’,
Western Australia’s 1854-1907
‘Black Swans’, Romania’s 1858 ABOVE: British Guiana 1850-51 ‘Cottonreel’ 2c pale rose ABOVE: Denmark 1933 ‘Wavy Line’ 5ø green

ABOVE: New South Wales 1850 ‘Sydney Views’ 2d blue ABOVE: Sudan 1898 ‘Camel Postman’ 5m red and black ABOVE: Canada 1911-22 ‘Admiral’ 5c deep blue

46 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020

 ElizabethanStamps.co.uk
Offering fine quality material related to the reign of Elizabeth II (excluding
Machins) with an emphasis on items for the more specialist collector but not
neglecting the discerning collector with general interests. Suited to those who
use references such as: SG Spec. Vol 3 & 5, Stoneham GB Catalogue, Collect
British Postal Stationery by Huggins & Baker, SG Collect British Postmarks, The
“Woodstock” Catalogue…… Prices range from under 50p to £000s
Missing Colours, Colour and Perforation Shifts, Inverted Watermarks, Cylinder
blocks, Constant Varieties, selected superb used sets & singles all illustrated
with actual item, Postal History, Postal Stationery…the interesting and unusual.
MachinStamps.co.uk
Devoted exclusively to the Machin issue and related material. Offering
specialised single stamps, cylinder blocks, booklets, errors & varieties. The
listings suited to those who use SG Spec. Vol 3 & 4, The Machin Collectors
Club Catalogue, The Deegam Machin Handbook……Prices range from under
50p for selected specialist items to £00s for scarce and rare items and major
errors.

The website that proves building a collection of fine quality interesting and
specialised material does not have to “break the bank”.

1984 Cattle 16p. Shift of horizontal perforations. SG 1240 var………….….£30 Northern Ireland 17p grey blue ACP/PVAD Type II. A superb pristine
unmounted mint Plate Q1Q1 block of six.
1984 Urban RenewL 16P. Shift of horizontal perforations. SG 1245 var..£45 £525

WorldSpecialistStamps.co.uk
(GBandEmpireStamps.co.uk)
Recently expanded to include “All World” categories as well as GB and Commonwealth. Through this site I offer wide range of material that both show cases my other
websites and also contains much material that does not feature on other sites . If you have fine interesting items you would like to sell and remain in control of the whole
process yourself but still benefit from my promotional facilities I host selected “invited sellers” on this site. Invited sellers have full access to secure online invoicing and
secure payment facilities. If interested please email using address below. Fees for this facility are just 5% of sale price of any items sold. No other fees.

**NEW** I am pleased to welcome AVION STAMPS as a new store. AVION STAMPS have been established over 70 years and have an extensive stock covering virtually
every aspect of World, Commonwealth, Great Britain and Thematics. A varied and representative selection of this stock will appear over the coming weeks.

Ian Lasok-Smith (Philatelist)

6 Hough Green, Chester, CH4 8JG
Email: enquiries@gbphilately.co.uk
Visit the “About Us” section of any of my websites to sign up to my regular e-Newsletter
 WORLD NEWS | AUCTIONS | GB COLLECTOR | LETTERS | COMMENT | COMPETITIONS FEATURES EVENTS | STRANGE BUT TRUE
COMMONWEALTH CLASSICS

Gentoo persuasion
The Whale & Penguin issue of 1929-37 served as a bridge between the
Falkland Islands’ earlier portrait stamps and its later pictorial series
■ Report by John Winchester

S
ince postage stamps were RIGHT: Falkland
introduced to the Falkland Islands 1929-37 £1
Islands in 1879, they had not black on red paper,
stepped out of their comfort zone the top value in the
of elegant royal portraiture. By the Whale & Penguin
late 1920s there was a feeling that definitive series
something different was required
to put this colony on the map.
Perkins Bacon & Co was
commissioned to produce a new
series of definitive stamps, and
looked to the character of the
islands themselves for inspiration.

The basis of the common design

were sketches of Falklands wildlife
by the Harbourmaster of Port
Stanley, a retired naval commander
named Reginald Amedroz.
The focus was on two iconic
species: the gentoo penguin, a
rump-tailed bird that nests on
sub-Antarctic islands, and the fin
whale, a large filter-feeding species
found in offshore waters.
Ten denominations were initially
requested, ranging from ½d to £1,
all in the same format. Each was to
be recess-printed in a single colour,
with the top five values on
different colours of paper.
With its profile head of King Some naturalists also complained were line-perforated. Some of these
George V suspended over a that only dead whales float so high reprints showed variations in
seascape by sprays of ornamental in the water! colour; the 1d was a deeper shade
foliage, the design was prone to The stamps were printed in of scarlet, the 6d a more reddish
criticism. The twin denominations sheets of 120, on paper carrying the shade of purple, and the 1s was
of value against a shaded Multiple Script CA watermark printed on a different green paper.
background made it appear busy, (except for the £1 value which had
with little space left for the wildlife. a Multiple Crown CA watermark), The Whale & Penguin series
and comb-perforated 13.9. The first continued in use until it was
‘Perforation and shade varieties consignment was placed on sale on
August 1, 1929.
replaced by the larger-format King
George VI pictorials in 1938,
make this an issue with much to although denominations
The initial 10 values served until duplicating those of the 1933
interest the specialist collector’ 1932, when a 4d was added. For Centenary, 1935 Silver Jubilee and
this stamp alone, the design was 1937 Coronation commemoratives
MARKET VALUES modified by removing the shading
behind the denominations.
were temporarily withdrawn from
sale while these were current.
Perforation and shade varieties The issue was also used in the
The lower denominations are very affordable,
make this an issue with much to Falklands’ dependencies of South
but the higher values drag the catalogue price of
interest the specialist collector. Georgia and the South Shetlands,
a full set up to £700 mint and £850 fine used.
When stocks of the ½d, 1d, 4d, 6d covers from the latter being rare
Beware of forged cancellations.
and 1s began to dwindle in 1936, because its whaling station was
new printings were made which closed in 1931. ■

JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 49

 ATTENTION OWNERS OF LARGE/ VALUABLE COLLECTIONS –
Are You THINKING of SELLING?
This is
HOW THE STAMP TRADE WORKS
Philatelic Expert Lets You into his Selling Secrets so you can benefit from
a totally different (and New) Selling Experience
1 If You want to learn how the stamp
trade works, please read on… When I was
15, I did. I wondered if there was some secret
source of supply? So, I bought my 1st stamp
mixture, (wholesale I thought), broke it into 50
smaller units, advertised it in Stamp Magazine
‘Classifieds’, and waited for the orders to roll in…
I’m still waiting, 48 years later !...
Wrong Offer ✗ Wrong Price ✗ Wrong Place ✗
(naïve seller✔ = H me but I was only 15 at
the time!)
2 Three years later, attending my first
public stamp auctions I wondered how
some bidders seemed to buy everything, paying
the highest price? It didn’t occur to me that
they were probably Auction Bidding Agents, paid
by absent (dealer) bidders to represent them. I
wondered why two collectors sitting side by side
muttered to each other “he’s a dealer” as if that
justified him paying the highest price…
…but did it really? What was the real reason?
About The Author ➳ Andrew found his
Father’s stamps at the age of 10. A year later at
Senior School he immediately joined the School
Stamp Club. He ‘specialised’(!) in British, but
soon was interested in Queen Victoria which he
could not afford. The 2nd to last boy wearing
short trousers in his school year, he religiously
bought Post Office New Issues on Tuesdays
with his pocket money. He soon found that he
enjoyed swapping / trading stamps as much as
collecting them. Aged 19, eschewing University
he quickly found a philatelic career in London,
leading to creating his own companies in
stamps. Andrew has authored many interna-
tionally published Stamp ‘Tips’ articles, appear-
ing on Local Radio and National TV promoting
Philately with Alan Titchmarsh. Andrew’s area of
expertise is unusual – in so far as his grounding
in collecting and wide philatelic knowledge has
given him a deep understanding of Philately.
He has studied Philately for the past 45 years,
in combination with Commerce and Marketing
Expertise, enabling him to create synergies in
‘lifetime’ interlinked Stamp Selling Systems, sell-
ing unit-priced stamps through to handling col-
lections & Rarities up to £700,000 each. Today
Andrew is fortunate to be co-owner with his
Wife, of Universal Philatelic Auctions (aka UPA)
– the Largest No Buyer’s Premium Reducing-Es-
timate System Stamp Auction in the World, cre-
ating records selling stamps to 2,261 different
bidders from 54 different countries in his latest
auction. Andrew stopped collecting
stamps aged 18 reasoning that his
enjoyment of stamps would be in
handling them and selling them…
REQUE
ST MY
THE TR
A
FREE B
ANDREW PROMOTING PHILATELY ON OOKLE
THE ALAN TITCHMARSH SHOW ITV
50
by Andrew McGavin
How could a Dealer pay a higher price than a Col-
lector? It doesn’t make sense, does it? Collectors
are customers. Customers usually pay the highest
price, unless… for a Collector, this was…
Wrong Presentation ✗Wrong Place ✗ ly evident that the problem for most Sellers of
therefore Wrong Price ✗ Stamps today is no longer absent stock – but
3 Fast-forward 48 years later
to a British Empire collection, lot #1 in
an International Stamp Auction – Estimated
at £3,000, but we were the highest bidder at
£21,000 – YES – some 7×higher. Including Buyer’s
Premium in the extraordinary sum of £4,788
we actually paid GBP£25,788= upon a £3,000
estimate… however, we broke it down into sets,
singles, mini-collections etc. We made a profit.
Some might say it found its price. Others may say:
Wrong Estimate ✗ Wrong Presentation ✗
Wrong Structure ✗ Wrong Protection of Price ✗
– Lucky for the seller that 2 well-heeled
bidders saw the potential value that day or
it could have been given away… the seller could
easily have lost out couldn’t he? or she?
So, by un-peeling the layers of obfuscation,
hopefully we can all agree:
The Secret is Simple –
it’s ALL About: TIMING,
Plus the 3 Philatelic ‘P’s –
Presentation ✔Place ✔and Price ✔
4 Understanding the problem…
I always remember the car trade had their
own little ‘bible’ – Glass’s Guide. I’ve no idea, I’ve
not even looked - in this internet-dominated
world, it may even have disappeared. Well, there’s
an insider Stamp Trade publication for Stamp
Dealers called “The Philatelic Exporter”. There’s
nothing that special about it – and you won’t
learn much or find massively reduced prices by
subscribing – BUT – it is a forum, a paper focal
point, a last ‘bastion’ in this on-line transparent
world that we inhabit… whereby dealers (and
auctioneers) can try and communicate with each
other. I publish my own articles there…
Recently I discussed the outcome of my 10
years’ simple research, asking dealers and auction-
eers ‘what is your biggest problem?’
To a man, (why are we almost all men), they
replied – “my biggest problem is stock, if I can
get more of the right stock I can sell
it easily”
Strange that, nobody ever asked me
the same question back – because
my answer would have been en-
tirely different (and I don’t treat
it as a problem) – I seek to satisfy
collectors
This is the reason why my company
has such massive advertising. This is
the reason why we spend up to 8% of
turnover – up to £200,000 per annum in
marketing costs. (Most dealers don’t even
‘TIPS O
F sell £200K per annum).
DE’
T
5 Why is that? Because, as the
world revolved the Stamp Market,
imperceptibly Changed, and incrementally –
Massively
So, although few will tell you this, it’s clear-
absent collectors in the place they choose
to sell their stamps in. Simply put, other Deal-
ers, Auctions, Stamp Fairs have not invested in
marketing to have a strong Customer-core. To be
fair, this is not true of all – but it is true of most
– so that our nearest competitor ‘Apex’ had 800
bidders in a recent auction. In my most recent
20,000+ lot UPA 65th Auction we had 2,261 dif-
ferent bidders from 54 different countries, 95% of
whom were Collectors. Some other well-advertised
auctions only have 200 bidders (a high percentage
of whom are dealers – so that, essentially they are
Dealer-dominated auctions) – so that when you
sell through them – you’re paying up to 18% (in-
cluding VAT) seller’s commission and the buyer is
paying up to 25% and more in Buyer’s Premium,
credit card fees, on-line bidding fee, delivery and
insurance etc… AND all of that so that your
stamps may be sold, wait for it – TO DEAL-
ERS (and some collectors), but Dealers, that
naturally must make a profit to survive…
6 Now, let’s examine the cost
implications – Example: Your
stamp collection sells in public auction for £800.
Upon a 25% buyer’s premium, the dealer pays
£1,000 and it could be more. He breaks it into
£2,000+ selling price (much lower and he’ll go
out of business). The auction charges you a
seller’s commission of up to 18% (VAT included)
upon the £800 sale price. This is GBP£144.
Therefore you receive approaching £656 – which
is approximately 33% of the dealer’s £2,000+/-
retail selling price - BUT… now that we have
identified the problem…
Isn’t the Solution Staring us
Right in The Face ?
7 Why Pay an Auction to Sell to
Dealers: Sell to Collectors instead
?In our example with buyer’s premium, sellers
commission, lotting fees, extra credit card
charges, VAT and even insurance - you’re already
being charged in different ways up to 40% of the
selling price to sell, possibly or probably, to the
wrong person.
Why not direct that 40% cost you’re paying to
sell to Collectors instead? Sounds good, so why
hasn’t this been done before ?
8 Truth is, it Has been done before…
Sometimes the ‘old’ ways are the best
ways aren’t they? But in today’s enthusiasm to
obscure the obvious so that money may be taken,
almost surreptitiously, in numerous different
ways, (without us apparently noticing until we see
the cheque in our pocket) – the transparent ‘seller
pays’ has been deliberately ‘obscured’ – so much
so that, amazingly, the latest 2017 European
Auction Selling Legislation just introduced – now
requires auctions that charge ‘buyer’s premiums’
to warn the buyer in advance. Just imagine

going into the petrol station, and being warned
that the price you’re paying to put fuel in you
tank is not the real price, you have to pay a
premium! Obviously, there would be an uproar…
How can you cut out the
9 middleman and sell to Collectors
instead? Well, I can think of two ways. 1). DIY
- Do It Yourself selling on eBay. That may be fine
for lower grade material – but, would you risk
auctioning relatively unprotected rare material
on eBay ? 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 works:
Continuing from our previous Example:
The auction sold your stamps to a dealer for
£1,000 – but You received circa £656
UPA sells them to collectors for you for up to
£2,000 – even after 40% commission you receive
up to £1,200. Up to £544 more. Now that’s amaz-
ing, isn’t it? G
Sounds Good Andrew, but Can
10 You ‘Deliver’? Obviously, nothing
is as simple as that, and as we auction stamps
to collectors some collections may ‘break’ to the
example £2,000+/- but the stamps may be sold
for more or less – especially as we reserve all lots
at 20% below, (Estimate £2,000 = £1,600 reserve)
and not everything sells first or even 2nd time so
prices may come down… Naturally, it’s not that
straightforward for a dealer either – he may sell at
a discount to ‘move’ stock OR, like many dealers he
may be sitting on the same unsold stamps, that you
see time and time again, in dealer’s stocks years
later and still at the same unattractive prices… So,
I think it is more reasonable for you to expect up
to 36% to 50% more, indirectly or directly via my
Collector’s Secret Weapon: Universal Philatelic
Auctions, which moves material more quickly, by
incrementally reducing estimate (and reserve)
price in a structured selling system…
Q.❱ What is the Collector’s
11 ‘Secret Weapon’?
A.❱ It’s called the
Unique UPA Reducing
Estimate System... L
This is a rather long explanation, I don’t want
to bore you, but 17 years ago, when my wife and I
set up Universal Philatelic Auctions I detected that
the stamp trade’s biggest problem then was not
what sold – but what didn’t sell… So, because
I didn’t want to try to keep on offering the same
either unsaleable or overpriced stock I created the
unique UPA Reducing Estimate (and reserve) Sell-
ing System. Simply put, if a lot doesn’t sell in the
1st auction we reduce the estimate (and reserve)
by 11% and unlike other dealers and auctions WE
TELL YOU – ‘US’ = once unsold. If unsold after
the following auction 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 so on till the lot finds its price, is
✔
sold or virtually given away...
Any Scientist will tell you
12 that combinations of ingredients
can produce powerful results. So we created
the unique 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 quibble’ guarantee – this
formula is the reason why within the span
of 4 auctions (one year)… 90%-95% of lots
broken from a collection have sold. This Unique
Philatelic Selling System Formula is the reason
why we are the largest stamp auction in the UK
today with 2,261 different bidders in my recent
auction.E
In Hindsight Dealers warned me 17 years ago
that my idea wouldn’t work. 17 years later I think
I’ve proven that it does. (Reader: Please Request a
UNIVERSAL PHILATELIC AUCTIONS SM 06/20
4 The Old Coalyard, West End, Northleach, Glos. GL54 3HE UK
Tel: 01451 861111 • Fax: 01451 861297
www.upastampauctions.co.uk • info@upastampauctions.co.uk
Contact UPA: 01451 861 111
UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL:
Dear Folk at UPA,
I’ve dealt with the public for 37 + years, and as
both a consumer, and a businessman, I have
created huge numbers of orders from all over
the world from a complete range of suppliers
from all aspects of our daily lives.
But I don’t believe I have ever encountered
such sensitivity, such kind thought, such
understanding as I have with you in our
initial meeting, our subsequent successful
transaction, and now this.
I recall well the item you highlight, and
realise that this one item has such colossal
personal value, I could never part with it.
It has been an absolute pleasure dealing
with yourself, and I am more than willing for
you to use this e-mail as commendation to
others who may be thinking of disposing of
their collection.
Many, many thanks for a memorable
experience, and I will try to emulate your
thought and care in my own business sphere.
Yours sincerely
D. E. B. Bath, UK
complimentary UPA catalogue – using the contact
details further below)
OK, Cut to the Chase
13 Andrew, what’s the offer? All of
my Selling Systems are based upon selling to
Collectors Globally, so that 95% of stamps sold
by UPA are sold directly to Collectors. If you wish to
benefit by up to 50% or more, depending upon your
circumstance and type of material, by cutting out
the middleman – then this offer may be for you.
Generally ‘time’ is the enemy in our lives, and for
most dealers not being able to sell stock. Now is the
time to let ‘time’ do the ‘heavy-lifting’ and consider
making ‘time’ work for you, so that at UPA you can
make time your friend. I Act NOW: Contact Andrew or an
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 in this
manner (e.g. surplus mint British decimal stamps best
used for postage) – especially if the market is heavily
compromised by stock overhang in specific areas. Some
Collectors will not wish to use time and systems to
leverage price, others will want to agree a specific price
and know that they are paid precisely this amount. No
client is treated like a number and no client is forced
like a square peg into a round hole. M
OK, What Do I Do Next?
15 a). You contact UPA to discuss with
Andrew or a highly-qualified Auction Valuer/
Describer what you have to dispose of and your
options bearing in mind your specific interests /
requirements
b). If you wish, get a 2nd opinion, but in-
vestigate what type of auction / dealer you are
dealing with. Is it a Dealer’s auction with relative-
ly few collectors? Can you see where / how the
Dealer sells? If you can’t easily see any pricelists
or high quality selling catalogues – that Dealer
may sell your stamps to other dealers…
c). Finally you ask U P A to collect your
stamps, insure in transit for an estimated replace-
ment retail value…C B S
What Happens then? A member
16 of my Team telephones/e-mails you
to confirm safe receipt. ‘Overnight’ valuations,
unless simple, are rare. Valuing stamp collections
that have taken tens of years to create takes time.
Depending upon your priorities / timescale I, or
an experienced member of my Team will contact
you to discuss your requirements and the options
available to you for the sale of your collection.
Provided only that you feel well-informed and
comfortable do we agree strategy T D
How Strong is the Stamp and
17 Cover Market? Everybody knows that
the strongest areas are GB and British Empire. Post-
Independence / QEII material sells but if hinged
at considerable discount. Mint hinged material
pre 1952 is regarded as the industry ‘norm’ and
therefore desirable – but genuine never-hinged
commands a premium. Europe sells but at reduced
levels, Americas is good, as generally is Asia but
the ‘heat’ has come off China which is still good –
and Russia which can still be good. East Europe is
weaker. Overall, Rarities throughout can command
their own price levels and real Postal History has
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51
BRITAIN AT WAR 1941-46

War rations
Long before victory stamps and cancellations could be
contemplated, the Post Office had to consider special
measures during World War II to safeguard the supply of
stamps. On the agenda were saving ink, saving paper,
cheaper printing, alternative printers and stockpiling
n some minds, clearly, the

I outcome of World War II was a

foregone conclusion. As early
as April 3, 1941, Sir Ernest
Graham-Little MP tabled a
parliamentary question asking the
Postmaster General to consider a
Victory stamp! THE AUTHOR
This was about six months after Richard West, a
former editor of
the Battle of Britain had prevented Stamp Magazine,
a German invasion, but still fully researched this
18 months before the Battle of El feature in the
Alamein began to turn the tide of archives held by
The Postal
the war on the ground.
Museum in
When the suggestion was raised London
at a meeting of Post Office and
Government representatives on
June 19, the reaction was that ‘the
time was far from ripe’.
In fact, as the relentless German
bombing campaign which became
known as The Blitz was still being
inflicted on Britain during the
spring of 1941, the Post Office had
far more pressing concerns. These
included reducing the cost of
printing stamps, and preventing
disruptions to supplies.

Stamp colours
The most obvious wartime
cost-saving exercise was the
introduction of paler colours for
the King George VI low-value
definitives during the second half
of 1941. Given the large quantities
of these stamps required, this
saved a significant amount of ink.
The 2½d blue was reissued in a
paler shade on July 21, followed by
the 1d red on August 11, the ½d
green on September 1, the 2d
orange on October 6, the 3d violet
on November 3, and finally the 1½d
red-brown on September 28, 1942.
Most of these values were sold
both in sheets and in booklets.
Printing processes
Alternative printing techniques
were also considered, although
ABOVE: During the dark days of the Blitz in 1940-41, Victory commemoratives seemed a distant dream
but protecting supplies of British definitive stamps was a very real and pressing concern
ultimately not adopted. for the 3d and 6d too.
As early as 1936-37, concerns had The stamp design was that which
been expressed about the Post Eric Gill had created for the postal
Office’s dependence on Harrison & stationery postcards issued in 1940,
Sons as its sole supplier of stamps slightly reduced to fit the existing
printed by photogravure. What adhesive stamp format better.
would happen if a fire or some Once war broke out, the potential
other problem disrupted disruption of supplies became an
production at its works at High even greater concern, and the idea
Wycombe in Buckinghamshire? of letterpress printing was revived
The alternative of letterpress at a meeting on October 20, 1941.
printing elsewhere was considered, Harrisons stated that it had the
and in 1939 the Royal Mint went as necessary equipment at its Hayes
far as preparing master plates for plant in west London, but would
this eventuality, initially for the need extra perforating capability,
values from ½d to 2½d, and later plus new machinery for the

52 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020


ABOVE: 1937-38 ½d green, 1d
red, 1½d red-brown, 2d
orange, 2½d blue and 3d
violet in their original shades
ABOVE: 1941-42 ½d pale green,
1d pale red, 1½d pale red-
brown, 2d pale orange, 2½d
pale blue and 3d pale violet
ABOVE: Die proof in blue of the 1d design used for postal stationery postcards, considered for possible
use for letterpress-printed definitives in case printing in photogravure was disrupted by bombing
production of stamp rolls. It would
take two or three months to be up
and running, and in the meantime
it would be able to maintain
supplies thanks to the reserve stock
held at High Wycombe.
Further master plates were
prepared by the Royal Mint at the
end of 1941 and in 1942. Those for
the 1d and 6d, and for (endways
delivery) rolls of the ½d, are held
by The Postal Museum, together
with imperforate pulls in black
from these plates.
In addition, what appear to be die
proofs of the design exist in values
from ½d to 2½d, in the colours
which would be introduced in 1951;
presumably these were made much
later, to test the new colours.
Stamp formats
Not only were printing methods up
for discussion, it seems, but even
printing formats, in a bid to save
precious paper.
Also held by The Postal Museum
are photogravure essays produced
in 1943 of the 2½d value in a
smaller size than the normal
definitives, seemingly inspired by
South Africa’s famous ‘Bantams’
JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 53
WORLD NEWS | AUCTIONS | GB COLLECTOR | LETTERS | COMMENT | COMPETITIONS FEATURES EVENTS | STRANGE BUT TRUE
COURTESY OF CHRISTINE EARLE
issue of 1942-44.
There is no documentation
accompanying these, but the
assumption must be that they were
considered as a way of saving ink
and paper costs.
Contingency plans
Further contingency plans put into
place included keeping the original
artwork and master plates for the
definitive stamps at an
unidentified ‘head post office in
the West of England’.
The Royal Mint also held a set of
master plates, and reserve
multipositives were kept at the
Wolverton premises of the printers
McCorquodales & Co in
Buckinghamshire.
His Majesty’s Stationery Office
held emergency printing plates for
the ½d and 1d values, and for the
old King George V definitives as a
last resort.
Paper stocks were held at
Ivybridge in Devon. Gumming
could take place at Harrisons in
Hayes or at J Dickinson & Co in
Kings Langley, Hertfordshire. If
necessary, perforating machines
could be transferred from
 BRITAIN AT WAR 1941-46
© ROYAL MAIL, COURTESY OF THE POSTAL MUSEUM
HMSO, which also had the
capability to print half of the
requirement for rolls of stamps.
If damage occurred to the
Waterlow & Sons plant,
recess-printing of the high-value
definitives could be taken over by
Bradbury Wilkinson.
Secret stockpiles
New research in the archives at
The Postal Museum has revealed
the existence of wartime
stockpiling, in locations other than
the central Stores Department.
On November 19, 1940, a
memorandum suggested
‘consideration to establishing local
emergency “dumps” of stamps, etc,
at convenient points, from which
head post offices could be supplied
in the event of serious interruption
of communications or temporary
failure of supply’.
The fear was disruption in
supplies either at the printers,
which faced labour shortages as
well as bombing, or at the High
Wycombe distribution centre.
Thus arrangements were made
for stocks of postage stamps (low
values, high values and rolls), along
54 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020
with insurance and National
Savings stamps, postal orders and
National Savings certificates, to be
held in selected strong rooms.
Booklets were not included,
because of the time-sensitivity of
the advertisements they included.
Nor was postal stationery, because
of the difficulty in accumulating
enough supplies to form a reserve.
Valuable reserves
Each ‘dump’ was to hold at least a
month’s supply, although some had
several months’ stock. It was
emphasised that stocks were to be
maintained and not encroached
upon, as long as normal supplies
were available.
Clear specifications were laid
down, particularly relating to
security, ventilation and shelving.
If the stamps became soiled or
obsolete, they were to be replaced
with fresh supplies; this should
have applied to the darker-colour
definitives towards the end of 1941,
but there is no evidence of exact
records being kept so it could be
that the old stamps were not
replaced in all cases.
The high value of this stockpile
can be gauged by the recorded
estimate of what was to be held at
ABOVE: Unadopted Woking in Surrey: £870,000 worth
photogravure essays of postage stamps, £2,470,000 worth
produced in 1943 of of insurance and National Savings
the 2½d definitive in stamps, £880,000 worth of postal
smaller formats than orders and £1,350,000 worth of
normal, in a bid to National Savings certificates,
reduce ink and paper making a total value of £5,570,000.
costs The reserves at Woking were
BELOW: Home-made VE Day commemorative cover of May 8, 1945 (a rare date because this was a public
holiday), making clever use ‘Jubilee lines’ from sheet margins of red and blue stamps
expected to supply a region which
extended as far as Windsor to the
north, Dover to the east, Brighton
to the south-east and the Isle of
Wight to the south-west.
Back to normal
Come October 10, 1944, a
memorandum could record: ‘In
view of the improved war
situation, it is suggested that the
time is now opportune to absorb
the main stocks and gradually
dispose of the stamps which are
being held in emergency stocks.’
A further memorandum on
October 17, however, struck a
contradictory note: ‘While the war
situation is improved, there is still
the risk of loss of main stocks and
that therefore the reserves should
be maintained.’
By January 1, 1945, the advice had
changed again: ‘Increased stock
should be used up as soon as
possible’ and ‘emergency stocks
held on postmasters’ charge should
be cleared by March next — in
view of the latest war
developments it is agreed that the
utilisation of deep stocks may be so
arranged as to commence in June.’
Thus, from June 1945, the reserve
supplies in the ‘dumps’ were
transferred to normal stocks.
Slogan postmarks
As ultimate victory in the war had
edged closer, following the D-Day
landings in Normandy in June 1944
and the start of the liberation of
France, more pressure had been
COURTESY OF CHRISTINE EARLE

ABOVE: The ‘Victory Bells’ slogan cancellation on a 1941 2½d pale blue definitive, used on June 9, 1945, to celebrate VE Day
ABOVE: The ‘Victory Bells’ slogan cancelling an obsolete 1937 2½d blue definitive, used on August 30, 1945, to celebrate VJ Day
brought on the Post Office to
prepare Victory stamps.
However, a memorandum of
October 7, 1944, advised that no
such stamps would be issued at the
end of the war, but that ‘special
victory stamp cancelling dies
should be used instead’.
In fact, these had already been
prepared. As early as 1943, sealed
packages of slogan dies had been
sent to all postmasters, with the
orders that these were to be opened
only following subsequent
instructions, which would be
issued when the war was over.
The pictorial slogan had no
inscription proclaiming victory or
peace, but simply depicted two
‘Victory Bells’ in anticipation of
church bells ringing to celebrate
the end of hostilities. It was duly
put into use from May 8, 1945
WORLD NEWS | AUCTIONS | GB COLLECTOR | LETTERS | COMMENT | COMPETITIONS FEATURES EVENTS | STRANGE BUT TRUE
Slogan curiosities
The Victory Bells slogan naturally
appears most commonly on
envelopes bearing the low-value
definitives, and one would expect
that these stamps would be in the
paler colours introduced in 1941.
However, some examples are
known of the later usage of the
slogan, in August and September,
postmarking stamps in the original
COURTESY OF CHRISTINE EARLE
dark colours.
Of course, this could simply be a
result of members of the public, or
stamp dealers, using up old stocks.
Now that the existence of the
wartime stockpiles has been
revealed, however, there is another
plausible explanation.
If any of these ‘dumps’ had still
held the obsolete low-values, these
would once again have been put on
sale from June onwards, and would
therefore have been available for
use on envelopes posted in the
aftermath of VJ Day.
Demand for stamps
Calls for stamps to celebrate the
end of the war eventually
became irrresistible, although they
COURTESY OF CHRISTINE EARLE
were a slow-burner.
On October 12, 1944, an artist
named Sydney Carter
opportunistically submitted a
possible stamp design, showing the
King and Queen with the ensigns
of the three armed forces and the
inscription ‘Victory 1939-1944’. He
was thanked for his suggestion, but
it was taken no further, which was
hardly surprising as the war
continued to rage.
Soon afterwards, in November
‘New research has revealed the 1944, the postal authorities in New
existence of the wartime Zealand placed an order for Peace
stamps with three British stamp
stockpiles of stamps in various printers, but in Britain the Post
office remained unmoved. There
locations, in case of serious were concerns about the logistics,
interruptions to supplies’ not only in terms of the time
needed to obtain suitable designs
but also regarding the shortage of
(designated Victory in Europe Day) labour at Harrisons.
until June 9. Although a further flurry of
In practice, with May 8 being suggested designs was received
declared a public holiday, the from members of the public, a
slogan is generally seen on letters stamp issue was not considered
postmarked from May 9. However, until the war was finally over, in
there were reports of early usage in the east as well as the west.
Birmingham on April 22, and in The decision was prompted by
London W1 on May 7. the Government announcing first
Although it was withdrawn after anniversary Victory celebrations
a month, the slogan came back into for the Bank Holiday weekend in
use from August 15 (Victory over June 1946. At the end of January it
Japan Day) until September 15. was advised there would be a
JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 55
BRITAIN AT WAR 1941-46

special stamp issue, released on RIGHT: 1946 Peace &

Tuesday, June 11, the day after Bank Reconstruction 2½d
Holiday Monday. and 3d stamps,
designed by H L
Stamp designs Palmer and Reynolds
It was agreed that two designs Stone respectively
would be issued, of 2½d and 3d,
and that their focus should be
‘peace and reconstruction rather
than military victory’.
Both the Fine Arts Commission
and the recently established
Council of Industrial Design were
consulted on suitable artists.
During February 1946, a total of
15 individual artists were invited,
plus the Royal College of Arts and
the four main stamp printers,
Bradbury Wilkinson, De La Rue,
Harrisons and Waterlows. Ideas
were required by March 8.
The total of 20 submissions were
assessed on March 11, from Robert
Austin, Edmund Dulac, John
Farleigh, Barnett Freedman,
E J Jackman, Harold Nelson, Agnes
Miller Parker and Reynolds Stone,
and also from Jackman and W S
Matthews for Bradbury Wilkinson,
and H L Palmer and an unnamed
staff artist for Harrisons.
The preliminary discussion
favoured two designs. One, by
Dulac, illustrated rebuilding and Reconstruction issue, the two use in Tangier).
industry against a sunrise, together stamps were released on June 11, There are three catalogued
with masons’ and architects’ tools. BELOW: Registered printed in photogravure in sheets varieties due to constant flaws. On
The other, by Palmer, showed first day cover for of 120, perforated 15x14. the 2½d, the ship can be found with
blueprint outlines of a tractor, a the Peace & Harrisons had to continue what appears to be an extra
house, a factory and a ship, with Reconstruction production to ensure there were porthole forward, or an extra one
V-shaped shading behind the stamps, with an adequate supplies to meet demand. aft, while on the 3d the olive
King’s head and floral emblems. illustration focusing The total numbers sold were branch can be found apparently
Four other designs were also firmly on the concept 2,565,271 sheets of the 2½d blue with seven berries instead of six.
considered of merit, and bromides of victory, and 359,881 sheets of the 3d violet As expected, the set was well
of all six were rapidly prepared. postmarked in Exeter (around 3,850 sheets of each value used by the public, with the 2½d
By the end of the following day, on June 11, 1946 were also sold with overprints for selling out by the end of August. ■
the Postmaster General’s authority
was obtained for colour essays to
be produced not only of the two
designs originally favoured, but
also of a third by Stone, illustrating
a builder’s trowel, dividers and
square, and a dove, with an
ornamental flourish.
All three contenders were
essayed in blue and violet, Dulac’s
and Palmer’s designs as 2½d values
and Stone’s as a 3d.
COURTESY OF CHRISTINE EARLE

The essays were shown to King

George VI, who approved those by
Palmer and Stone, in the latter case
with minor adjustments.

Stamp issue
Described in many catalogues as a
‘Victory’ or ‘Peace’ issue, but
officially hailed as a Peace &

56 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020

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 GREAT ENGRAVERS
In search of perfection
When the communists’ grip on Czechoslovakia began to loosen, Vaclav Fajt’s
influence on Czech and Slovak stamps increased. It has been present ever since
■ Report by Adrian Keppel
F
rom a very early age, Vaclav
Fajt was obsessed with the
art of engraving, inspired by
the works of the legendary
Albrecht Dürer, the Renaissance-
era German artist famous for his
woodcut prints. He says he never
considered any other career option
but that of an engraver.
He would become one of the
most accomplished Czech artists in
modern philately, although first he
would have to overcome a period
of being cold-shouldered by his
country’s communist regime.
Born in Pilsen in what was then
Czechoslovakia, in 1952, Fajt
learned his trade at the High
School of Art in Turnov, from
1967-71, becoming well acquainted
with various engraving techniques.
He continued his education at the
Hollar Art School in Prague for
60 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020
ABOVE: Vaclav Fajt’s another two years, developing his
first stamp engraving skills and delving into
engravings were for typography as well.
Czechoslovakia’s By 1975 he was working for the
1983 Nature State Printing Works, engraving
Protection set, banknotes and quickly earning a
including this image solid reputation in that field.
of a grey heron’s nest He also began submitting essays
for stamps, but time and again
they were turned down, not due to
the quality of his work but for
political reasons.
The communist authorities had a
stranglehold on the stamp
‘Renowned for his reproductions
of classic art, Fajt insists that it
is about identifying with the
original artists, and the spirit
of the age’
programme. Everyone involved in
the design and production of
stamps had to be a member of the
Creative Artists Union, and in
order to join the union one had to
be a member of the Communist
Party. Fajt could not bring himself
to sign up, which meant that doors
remained closed to him.
Fortunately, by the early 1980s
the totalitarian regime started to
show signs of crumbling under
popular pressure. When some of
the old guard of stamp engravers
were pensioned off or passed away,
there was an urgent need for young
blood, and this finally gave Fajt the
opportunity to enter the domain
without having to renounce his
political convictions.
His first stamps were two values
for the 1983 Nature Protection
issue, one depicting water lilies
 WORLD NEWS | AUCTIONS | GB COLLECTOR | LETTERS | COMMENT | COMPETITIONS FEATURES EVENTS | STRANGE BUT TRUE
ABOVE: This 2017 stamp in the Czech Republic’s
long-running Art series, reproducing a modern
work by Jaroslava Pesicova, was named the
best intaglio stamp of 2018

ABOVE: Two details from Sebastiano Ricci’s painting Bacchus & Ariadne, which is held by the National Gallery in Prague, were Nevertheless, the dawn of the
exquisitely engraved by Fajt for a miniature sheet celebrating the Praga 88 international stamp exhibition 21st century saw Fajt going from
strength to strength. He has won
and an edible frog, and the other a achieve some form of perfection the Government Postage Stamp
grey heron and its nest. Such was in my work.’ Printers’ Association’s prestigious
his evident talent that the set award for the best intaglio stamp
promptly won a prize for the best When the anti-communist twice, for engravings for his
nature stamps at an international reformer Vaclav Havel became country’s annual Art series in
awards ceremony in Italy. President of Czechoslovakia in 2003 and in 2017.
It was an impressive start to an 1990, the honour of creating stamps He is especially renowned for
illustrious career, and Fajt never bearing his portrait was given to a this kind of work, reproducing
looked back. Four more issues more senior engraver, Milos classic art, but insists that it will
followed in 1983, and no fewer than Ondracek. When Fajt sent Havel an not do simply to try to copy
11 the following year. He has been engraved portrait as a gift, existing paintings.
gainfully employed on postage however, the President thanked BELOW: For the Czech ‘One has to try to identify with
stamps ever since. him and said he preferred it. Republic’s 1997 the original artists, and the spirit of
There are now well over 150 In 1996, Fajt finally got the stamps promoting the age. Renaissance art needs a
stamps bearing Fajt’s name. opportunity to engrave a stamp the Praga 98 classic engraving style, whereas
Around 60 issues for portrait of Havel, who by then was exhibition, Fajt had more modern artworks require a
Czechoslovakia were followed, President of the Czech Republic, as his work cut out less formal style. Basically, it’s
after the union dissolved at the end part of a miniature sheet marking engraving Albert about capturing the essence of the
of 1992, by many more for both the his 60th birthday. Ironically, that Fuchs’ evocative artist, rather than merely copying
Czech Republic and Slovakia, and portrait is less well regarded. views of Prague his work.’ ■
there was also a single commission
for Croatia.
Among his finest work were the
stamps produced for the Praga 88
and Praga 98 international stamp
exhibitions, for Czechoslovakia in
1988 and the Czech Republic in
1997 respectively.
In the former case, his exquisite
reproductions of two details from
Sebastiano Ricci’s painting Bacchus
& Ariadne brought more awards his
way. In the latter case, he worked
with the famous stamp designer
Albert Fuchs, who praised Fajt’s
admirable ability to solve technical
issues with the design to ensure a
finer end product.
‘It is dissatisfaction and
restlessness of the soul which
keeps me going,’ Fajt once stated,
‘in search of better ways to

JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 61

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 WORLD NEWS | AUCTIONS | GB COLLECTOR | LETTERS | COMMENT | COMPETITIONS FEATURES EVENTS | STRANGE BUT TRUE
BLACK MAGIC

Cutting corners
Some early users of postage stamps preferred to trim the corners from Penny
Blacks before affixing them to covers. Did this serve any functional purpose?
■ Report by Norman Watson

E
arly postage stamps of the
1840s, starting with the
Penny Black, can sometimes
be found with their four corners
uniformly chamfered off, a practice
which later went out of use.
Until the introduction of
perforations in 1854, of course, all
stamps were cut from sheets. But
why cut a rectangular impression
into an octagonal shape?

Trimming stamps before affixing

them to letters is believed to have
had a functional purpose: to
prevent the stamp from being
accidentally torn off in transit, if a
corner caught on another letter in
the mailbag, or while being sorted
into bundles at the post office.
The consistency of the trimming
on some surviving covers suggests
that certain senders of mail were
quite sceptical about the
stickability of the adhesive on the
new stamps, and their ability to
survive a journey through the post.
At the heart of their concern was
an important point. In the new
postal arrangements, under which
letters were expected to be paid for
by the sender, rather than by the
recipient, the gum on the back of
the stamps was essential.
If a stamp became detached, the
postage would appear not to have
been pre-paid, and the recipient of
the letter might be obliged to pay
double the rate.
Whilst it is hard to find a specific
mention of chamfering in the
contemporary press in 1840, the
possibility of the ‘cement’ on the
new adhesives becoming detached
from letters was being debated.
Soon after the issue of the first
stamps, the John Bull newssheet
noted soberly that ‘Many letters to
which the adhesive stamp had been
applied arrive at the post office
minus that adhesive stamp.’
The Wexford Conservative of
May 27 (three weeks after the
introduction of stamps) had more
of a rant: ‘They can never bring
their sticking-plaster system into
general use, for a common idiot can
almost see the inutility and
absurdity of it. In hundreds, nay
perhaps thousands of instances,
those bits of things might be
rubbed off the letters, and what
should then be done by the letter
carrier? Would he demand double
postage, or would the letter be
stopped on the way when found
divested of its label?’
Bizarrely, readers were
recommended to lick the corner of
the envelope, rather than the stamp
itself, which probably caused more
problems than it solved!
Amid the debate, the Post Office
‘Certain senders of mail were
sceptical about the stickability of
the adhesive on the new stamps’
took out newspaper adverts
instructing users how to lick and
attach the new stamps properly.
The Penny Blacks illustrated here,
with uniformly cut corners, are
ABOVE: Penny Black
with chamfered
edges, on an 1841
entire from Forfar to
Lauder, tied by a
black Maltese cross
cancellation
ABOVE: Penny Black with chamfered edges, from
an 1840 letter from Norwich to London, with a
double strike of a Maltese cross in red-orange
both in intense black shades from
early printings.
A double strike of a Maltese cross
handstamp in red-orange cancels a
stamp printed from plate 2, on a
letter from Norwich to London,
sent on September 28, 1840, while a
stamp from an indistinguishable
plate is tied by a black Maltese
cross on an entire posted from
Forfar to Lauder in the Scottish
Borders in March 1841.
Note the way the date has been
excised from the Forfar boxed
datestamp. Curiously, several
Scottish offices mutilated these
handstamps when they were struck
on the obverse of letters. ■

JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 63

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TO ADVERTISE HERE CALL TEL: 01689 869 852 FAX: 01689 869 874
STAMP SHOPS

CORNWALL WARWICKSHIRE GLOUCESTERSHIRE

West Cornwall Phill-lately & M & C Stamps

Stamp Centre Stamps 26 Westgate Street,
Gloucester,
Bond’s
Prinz Publications UK Ltd, Unit GL1 2NG.
Antiques and Tel: 01452 506361
3a, Hayle Ind Park,
Hayle, Cornwall TR27 5JR Interiors Fax: 01452 307161
Tel: 01736 751910 Dodwell Trading Estate, GB, Commonwealth and
www.prinz.co.uk Evesham Road, World Stamps. GB New
prinzpublications@gmail.com Stratford-Upon-Avon Issue Service.
CV37 9ST Accessories for all
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shop! Wide range of philatelic www.phillatelyandstamps.co.uk Open: Thursdays -
material on offer – plus largest Open to buy and sell Monday
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tors in the South West. Shop and collections of GB and 11-5 pm. Access and Visa
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I hold over 1 million stamps of GB, Commonwealth and Foreign, covering
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Refreshments are available whilst you browse and study our stamps.
Our comfortable premises is open all day and most evenings,
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Langley Station (Euston, Birmingham line) is a 10 minute drive.
I can collect and take you back to the Station.
Please ring in advance to book appointment.
I like to discuss your collecting needs to enable me to prepare stamps and
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Alternatively for collectors who cannot journey to our office you
might like to trial
THE STAMP PAD
Poachers Retreat, Common Lane, Kings
our Approval Service. We hold over 800
Langley, WD4 9HP
single country books.
Tel: 01923 269775
Please write, phone or email indicating mg.read@btinternet.com
countries; your period and mint or used preference. www.michaelgread.co.uk

66 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020

 WEB DIRECTORY
WEB DIRECTORY YOUR GUIDE TO THE BEST PHILATELIC WEBSITES

FEATURED WEBSITES www.philatelie-gaertner.de

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Andrew G Lajer Ltd

sales@andrewglajer.co.uk
T: +44 (0)1189 344151

www.Stamps-Europe.com
www.robinhood-stamp.co.uk
www.Stamps-America.com Singles, sets and collections from around the World.
Retail Shop open every Friday.
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West Bridgford, Nottingham. NG2 6BE
Tel:0115
Tel: 0115982 6152
9826152

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1,000’s of G.B. stamps from
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Fine quality world stamps, Visit our site and send for
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mint and used Perfect for www.brianreeveauctions.com

Beginners/General Collectors Regular public. Stamps

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Postage paid both ways (UK) UNSOLD LOTS ALWAYS

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Generous Discounts www.purvesphilatelics.co.uk

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DAVID MILTON P. O. BOX 139

TO ADVERTISE HERE
RUISLIP MIDDLESEX HA4 8UX
PLEASE CONTACT
UNITED KINGDOM
E-mail: david.milton139@gmail.com JAY JONES

JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 67

TO ADVERTISE HERE CALL TEL: 01689 869 852 FAX: 01689 869 874
CLASSIFIED GUIDE TO THE SPECIALISTS
APPROVALS BRITISH COMMONWEALTH

GB AND KG VI Collectors List 1 Indian Feudatory

States. List 2 Convention both for Crown and
COMMONWEALTH New Age Albums List 3 earlier or other
issues of the Indian States
APPROVALS !!would help Imperial Collectors!!
Court Fees, Revenues, Postal History
GVI TO 2016 FINE USED STAMPS or you may send a wants list for a firm quote
! ALWAYS BUYING Indian States
AT 75% OR MORE
PO Box 1096. Sunderland. SR3 1WZ
DISCOUNT ON SG CATALOGUE Tel: 01915 235 811 Mob: 07764 830 136
PRICES, WANTS LISTS Email: bill@sunstamps.co.uk
WELCOMED. POSTAGE PAID
BOTH WAYS.

E PICKUP,
8 FAIRDOWN AVE,
WESTBURY, WILTSHIRE,
BA13 3HS
TEL: 01373 865474,
EANDVPICKUP@HOTMAIL.COM

BRITISH COMMONWEALTH

Commonwealth FOREIGN
BASIC MINT AND USED AT A MAXIMUM OF HALF SG CATALOGUE
Our price guarantee – has been for the last 35 years!
REGULAR LISTS
Retail Shop open every Friday
B & S STAMPS
RUSHCLIFFE HOUSE, 17-19 RECTORY ROAD WEST BRIDGFORD, NOTTINGHAM. NG2 6BE
Tel: 0115 981 6214 alan@robinhood-stamp.co.uk

I buy Bushire Under

“ NEW ZEALAND” BritishOccupation.
£140 (post-paid) email: bushire@yahoo.com
Phone: +44 (0) 7899 795 494
PO Box 99988, Newmarket, Auckland 1149, NZ
www.campbellpaterson.co.nz Email: service@campbellpaterson.co.nz

g.fisher243@btinternet.com

68 www.stampmagazine.co.uk JUNE 2020


FOREIGN
EUROPE • GERMANY
UM, Mint, Used, East and West Europe
A D Stamps, 72 Lowerhouses Lane,
Huddersfield HD5 8JW
Tel: 01484 318987 or
adyer@adstamps.co.uk for current lists
Lists also available on website:
www.adstamps.co.uk
TO ADVERTISE HERE CALL TEL: 01689 869 852 FAX: 01689 869 874
GREAT BRITAIN
6
EASTERN EUROPE GREAT BRITAIN
SCANDINAVIA FIRST DAY COVERS
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HUNGARY, POLAND, USSR Royal Mail, Benham, Bradbury, Cotswold, Abbey,
DANZIG, EAST GERMANY, Connoisseur, RNLI and other cover producers
Early Covers listed by cover producer and design
DENMARK, FAEROES, GREENLAND FINLAND, Official Covers, Signed Covers and Coin Covers
ICELAND, NORWAY, SWEDEN RAF Museum Covers, Railway, Royalty, Maritime,
Flight, Military, Sport and Special Event Covers
Free lists sent on request, or download Free 150 page illustrated Price List

AUSTRALIA USED 1913 - 2009 from www.djmkerr-stamps.com STEVEN RILEY

FAROE ISLANDS MINT AND USED 1860 - 1985 D J M KERR
PO Box 7082, Grantown on Spey
PH24 2WW Tel/fax 01479 831374
E-mail: david@djmkerr-stamps.com
37 BADGER GATE, THRESHFIELD,
SKIPTON BD23 5EN
Email: stevenrileycovers@btinternet.com

75
can be viewed/downloaded from our website

Federal USA State

2019
DUCK HUNTING STAMPS 20 5 paid
for details and price list, contact
John Wells Ask for our World Rush Express No.75 (with big discount)
P.O. Box 222, Waltham Cross, Herts EN8 8GS
Tel: 01992 628976 Tel: 01386 841923 Email:blomefield@aol.com
E. mail: john.wells123@btinternet.com

GREAT BRITAIN

SELECTED GREAT BRITAIN

1840 – 1952 K & C Philatelics
MY NEW COLOUR BOOKLET WITH THE GB SPECIALISTS in
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QUEEN VICTORIAN STAMPS AND
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REQUEST YOUR COPY TODAY
AND IRISH ITEMS
PO Box 5003, Danbury CM3 4JU, UK.
Tel/Ans: 01245 223120
Do visit our expanded website: new material
added daily at

www.kcphilatelics.co.uk
FOR SALE.
2,000 GREAT BRITAIN STAMPS.
UNSORTED, OFF PAPER @£5.00
POST PAID
DO YOU COLLECT BRITISH STAMPS? Keith Long Dept. SM. 12 Colesmead Rd
Redhill, RH1 2EW
We offer Great Britain stamps from Queen Victoria through to 2018 mint and used.
We can send you approvals please let us know your interests. Or you can send us
your wants lists by post or email. You will be impressed by our competitively priced
stamps. Discounts available including 20% on first selection. TO ADVERTISE HERE
Robert Williams
1 Butt Hill Drive, Prestwich, Manchester M25 9PL CONTACT
Tel: 0161 798 4734 riw@isaglo.com

JAY JONES
www.stampmagazine.co.uk jay.jones@mytimemedia.com

JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 69

TO ADVERTISE HERE CALL TEL: 01689 869 852 FAX: 01689 869 874
CLASSIFIED GUIDE TO THE SPECIALISTS
GREAT BRITAIN POSTAL AUCTIONS

GB POSTAGE
FOR SALE FROM 85%
FACEVALUE
Reduce the cost of your mailings .Values supplied in
100’s @ 90% £50 mixed bags at 85% of face value.
Weekly lists of stocks values available by fax.
No charge for mailing costs but minimum order
required £200
L&R Stamp Auctions
JOHN CURTIN LIMITED Regular Commonwealth and Foreign
International Stamp Dealer postal auctions with no buyers’ premium
P.O. Box 31,
Sunbury - on - Thames, and wide selection of quality material.
Middlesex, TW16 6HD
Tel: 01932 785635 (24 hrs) Contact us for free catalogue.
Fax: 01932 770523
e-mail: jcbuying@btinternet.com L & R Stamps (ADPS)
12 Townsend Close, Wyton,
Huntingdon, PE28 2AR
INSURANCE STAMP AUCTIONS 01480 464552 • info@lrstamps.co.uk

INSURE YOUR COLLECTION Postal Auction

With Free Catalogues
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S tam ps, Postcards, Coins, D iecast m odels, R.A.J Philatelics 35 Castlecombe Drive Wimbledon
D olls Houses M odel Railw ays etc. London SW19 6RN www.raj-stamps.co.uk

STAMP INSURANCE SERVICES

C G I Services Limited POSTAL HISTORY
29 Bowhay Lane, Exeter, EX4 1PE
Tel: 01392 433 949
mail @stampinsurance.co,uk WORLD COVERS
Authorised & Regulated by the All aspects including
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MILITARY, AIRMAILS,
IRELAND
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WE BUY IRELAND EARLY-MODERN
Generous prices paid for postal history, FREE LIST ON REQUEST
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Write or telephone: KINVER, STOURBRIDGE
MacDONNELL WHYTE LTD W.MIDLANDS DY7 6JF
102 Leinster Road, Dublin 6, Ireland.
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Fax: (+353-1) 4977440
Members: PTS, BDF, ASDA, APHV, IPTA THEMATICS

STAMP AUCTIONS ALL WORLD NEW ISSUES &

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106 Kimberley Park Road
FALMOUTH
TR11 2DQ, United Kingdom
erentzenbrink@hotmail.com
07468 488 506
stores.ebay.co.uk/
w4stampsandcollectables

70 www.stampmagazine.co.uk MAY 2020

 ON SALE NOW!
2020

From the publishers of

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MAGAZINE
£11.99

ESSENTIAL
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GUIDE
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 WORLD NEWS | AUCTIONS | GB COLLECTOR | LETTERS | COMMENT | COMPETITIONS | FEATURES | EVENTS STRANGE BUT TRUE
STRANGE BUT TRUE

off with his head!

As Afghanistan reeled under civil conflict between communists and islamists in
1979, postal officials turned to a monarchist stamp issue for a ready-to-go bisect
■ Report by john Winchester

W
hen the last King of Afghanistan, Mohammed Zahir
Shah, travelled to Italy for medical treatment in 1973,
he was deposed in his absence by his cousin
Mohammed Daoud Khan, who declared himself President of
a new republic.
After such a revolutionary change in the status of the country,
you might expect that stamps dating from the monarchic era
would soon be destroyed. In reality, stocks depicting the
King continued to languish in the postal service stores, and such
were the upheavals of Afghan politics that they would soon
come in handy.
Although Douad initially had Soviet backing for his new ABOVE: Afghanistan 1971 Airmail 50a
regime, things quickly turned sour. In 1978 he and many RIGHT: Bisect on piece, postmarked in 1979
members of his family were assassinated by the communist
People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan, who took control of One obsolete stamp proved ideal for this purpose. The 1971
the country. In 1979 the islamist Mujahideen launched an 50a airmail design featured a portrait of the King on the left
insurgency in response to this, which in turn prompted Soviet opposite a view of Kabul Airport on the right, but, fortuitously,
troops to invade in defence of their interests in the region. The both the country name and denomination had also been placed
end result would be a decade-long civil war. on the right. Creating a stamp fit for the current regime was
As the postal authorities struggled to cope with the breakdown therefore simply a matter of guillotining the design and
in order, stamps were soon in desperately short supply. discarding the left side.
Ironically, officials were forced to turn to the stockpiles of old The result could be described as the world’s first political
monarchic issues to furnish the requirements of the embattled bisect. It is unclear how many examples were genuinely postally
communist republic. used, but they are much sought-after by collectors. ■

NEXT MONTH
PLUS
■ Ground-breaking
Go with the Flo moments in GB philately

On the 200th ■ A classic Indian stamp

birthday of with a military motive
Florence ■ Sven Ewert’s greatest
Nightingale, engravings for Sweden
with nurses
more highly
valued than SUmmER ISSUE
ever, we
IN ShoPS fRom
investigate
ThURSdAy jULy 2
nursing as a
(ThE PUBLIcATIoN dATE IS LATER ThAN USUAL
theme dUE To ThE GLoBAL hEALTh EmERGENcy)

JUNE 2020 www.stampmagazine.co.uk 73

 st u LL G

k
pa we NG

.u
ns e
pa o E IN
Please choose which
.co
tio it
uc bs
I
w Vis r S UY

service you prefer … ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

o B

am r
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AJH STAMPS....................................31 MICHAEL HALE ................................22

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w

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w

NAME ...............................................................................................................................................
ADDRESS ........................................................................................................................................ ARROWFILE .....................................28 MILLSTAMPS ...................................32
............................................................................................................................................................
............................................................. POSTCODE........................................................ SM 06/20
05/17

POST TO: Universal Philatelic Auctions, 4, The Old Coalyard,

West End, Northleach, Glos. GL54 3HE, UK : 01451 861111 CORINPHILA ................................... 6, 7 PHILATELINK ....................................59

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I collect the following countries / areas: COURT PHILATELICS ........................22
PHIL INDEX ......................................57
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A FREE 4 MARGIN 1841 BLUE CAT. £90 WITH 3rd SENDING ONE OFFER PER UK
I collect  MINT and/or  USED Philatelic Household DAVID FELDMAN ................................3
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NAME ...............................................................................................................................................
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............................................................. POSTCODE........................................................ SM 06/20
05/17 EASTERN AUCTIONS ........................12
POST TO: Omniphil and Avon Approvals ROWLAND HILL ................................58
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PLEASE MAIL, WITHOUT OBLIGATION, UPON APPROVAL

FAROE ISLANDS PO......................... IFC
WORLD OFF-PAPER MIXTURE RUSHSTAMPS ..................................21
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GERMANIA STAMPS .........................58
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NAME ............................................................................................................................................... GUERNSEY POST OFFICE..................12 PHILATELIC AUCTIONS ................... 47
ADDRESS ........................................................................................................................................
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............................................................. POSTCODE........................................................................
TELEPHONE..................................... E-mail ................................................................................. IAN LASOK SMITH ............................48 TONY LESTER ..................................15
POST TO: Avon Mixtures, P.O.Box 10, Tewkesbury, Glos GL20 8YX SM 06/20
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Tel/Fax: 01684 299278
Or …Order on-line at: www.upastampauctions.co.uk – GO TO MIXTURES

IAN OLIVER ......................................59

UPA ......................... 13, 16-17, 50-51,
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CONTACT US NOW ON 01451 861111 or post to:
01451 UPA, (Admin Office), 4, The Old Coalyard,
861111 West End, Northleach, Glos. GL54 3HE, UK JERWOOD PHILATELICS ...................58
........................................ 74, IBC, OBC
Fax: 01451 861297| E-mail: andrew@upastampauctions.co.uk
NAME ...............................................................................................................................................
ADDRESS ........................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................................................ JOHN BAREFOOT .............................27 WARWICK and WARWICK ................11
............................................................. POSTCODE....................................................SM 06/20
05/17
Tel. No. (Day)..................................................................................................................................
Tel No. (Eve) ..............................................................................................................................
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Brief details ..............................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................... JOHN WELLS ...................................58 WE SELL STAMPS ............................62
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TO REQUEST ON-LINE AND

FOR FREE STAMP TRADE TIPS – M.L.CLIFFORD .................................57 WILLARD ALLMAN ...........................22
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 The Question Upon
Every Collector’s Lips
How has Covid-19 impacted the Philatelic Market?
I have received more phone calls and e-mails upon the effect of coronavirus
on Philately in the past few weeks than at any other time previously, and
that is even including during the financial crisis – so, I thought I would take
this early opportunity to respond…
Most of us, sadly not all, may be fortunate not to experience
personal loss to Covid-19 – but just how has ‘lockdown’ affected
our philatelic community? Happily, I am in a position to answer,
because my company has been one of the fortunate ‘non-
essential’ businesses to survive through lockdown, and thrive ...
and therein lies the clue …
Because, whilst ‘public-facing’ companies have been forced to
close or quickly adapt, non-public facing organisations such
as mail-auctions / online auctions / dealers, are permitted to
continue serving their clients providing they follow the rules of
social-distancing, sanitisation, non-essential travel / home-working
where possible …
I must admit I was apprehensive …
Maybe we are kindred spirits? - I rarely hear anything that I want
to hear on the TV or Radio, so I deliberately spend most of my
life not listening to the news. I have even given up listening out for
budget announcements because change can only be influenced,
rather it is all about how we respond to change, isn’t it?
As we prepared our UPA 14th April Auction I must admit I was
apprehensive. Lacking clarity, sometimes it appeared that we
would have to close UPA – and that wasn’t something that I
would allow to happen easily: parts of our business have supplied
stamps to collectors, week in, week out for 63 years. We were
not about to stop now, unless – of course our actions adversely
impacted others.
Considering the livelihood of our ten full-time staff and more
than ten part-timers, I breathed a small sigh of relief as our 5,000
catalogues of 20,000+ lots were printed, then mailed/ airmailed
to collectors (and dealers) in more than 49 different countries
… another step taken towards the April auction.
Next we e-mailed our on-line auction subscribers /
collectors, following up by posting the auction online
accessible to collectors who monitor UPA auctions
at on-line platforms: StampAuctionNetwork (SAN)
USA, The-Saleroom.com UK, CollectorCircuit
Israel, & Philasearch Germany … all in all I
estimate that more than 10,000 different
collectors ‘Universally’ may see our auctions in
different ways …
Slowly, but surely the auction gained momentum …
It took agonisingly longer than usual for our catalogues to arrive,
but arrive they did, and soon a trickle of bid forms developed into
a stream, and then a river - so that in the final 48 hours a flurry
of 300 valuable bid forms flooded in, mainly on-line …
… and was the auction a success? – You betcha
We’re still selling unsold lots at reserve after the auction (no
buyer’s premium, all lots guaranteed, most lots delivered loyalty
post-free) … but as I type, so far 1,732 different bidders from 49
different countries worldwide have delivered a more successful
auction than our previous pre-covid-19 auction in January! So,
was it a success? You betcha.
So – the answer is simple – Collectors, You Are STILL
Collecting. Thank you. You are spending as much as, if not
more than before, and you are still winning valuable stamps up to
£1,000’s each. To all extent and purposes today’s collecting profile
is unchanged.
As to the future, a current trends article in the Guardian suggests
that there is more going on in matters ‘philatelic’ than meets the
eye, with the so called ‘Millennials’ generation (born between
1981-1996) finally taking up stamp collecting as they get older
(note – stamp collecting, not philately), perhaps proving the old
adage – ‘what goes round comes round’.
Obviously, the world has changed – and whilst some of us may
be doing better, sadly others are faring worse. Exhibitions, Stamp
fairs, stamp fair dealers, what few stamp shops remain, may never
be the same again, but what your support of our auction tells us,
is that provided we’re all prepared to adapt to what the future
portends – we’re not isolated – fortunately the ‘Philatelic’
show goes on ...
Collect Your Next Complimentary UPA Auction
Catalogue:
www.upastampauctions.co.uk
Apply now in any way today.
Go to coupon below
– Together, keeping Philately Open

New Client Auction Offer: Yes, I’d like to See Stamps like these I can win in auction. Send Me Your Next FREE Secret
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Fax Your Request: 01451 861297 OR e-mail your contact details to: info@upastampauctions.co.uk
3➜ Write: Universal Philatelic Auctions, UPA (SM Summer/20), 4, The Old Coalyard, West End, Northleach,
Glos GL54 3HE England

We’re OPEN: Apply Now: www.upastampauctions.co.uk

 Experience Security
in ‘Time-Travel’
Sadly, parts of our world may never be the same again, but fortunately not
everything has to change, because whilst we are in lockdown, it’s still OK to
continue ‘time-travelling’ our minds …
UPA’s Philatelic departments have been serving stamps to collectors for the past 63 years. Not
since 1957 has there been a single day when UPA has not delivered: naturally, with your help, in
the face of heartfelt circumstance, we’ve no intention of stopping now. Understandably face to
face organisations must be circumspect, but fortunately our mail auctions, approvals, mixtures
and on-line sales, many operating remotely, are permitted to continue serving you at this time.
We’re determined to continue: HM Government assures that there is no risk of transmission via the postal/
courier system.

“Never, never, never give up” – Winston Churchill

Time-Travellers Tap-into UPA’s at Home Service Now – We’re :
It’s easy to get started – obviously you’ll find all of the relevant application forms on-line at
www.upastampauctions.co.uk or turn to the coupons page beside the index in this magazine to get started –
Simply determine which of UPA’s service(s) précised below you would like to access:
1. Universal Philatelic Auctions: Home Service – We’re OPEN: Apply Now: www.upastampauctions.co.uk
20,000+/- World lot auctions, strong in GB and British
Empire, Europe, Americas and Asia are the largest NO 5. Universal Philatelic: Home Service – since 1999 UPA
Buyer’s Premium, ALL Lots Guaranteed, structured price- has successfully auctioned stamps upon eBay – you’ll
drop stamp auctions in the World. You’ll be joining 2,000+ find specific eBay accounts offering individual items
regular bidders from 54 different countries 90% of whom OR the most famous ‘universalphilatelic’ auctioning
are successful. Collect Your 1st £20 catalogue Free + original collections on-line NO RESERVE, start price
1st £55 Free stamp lots of your choice, when you win 1p. Unsurprisingly everything sells – Access UPA’s eBay
£75+ so you can test the UPA auction. Simply pay any on-line via UPA website
difference. Loyalty-Free Shipping & Insurance, naturally
(coupon by index) We’re OPEN: Apply Now: www.upastampauctions.co.uk

We’re OPEN: Apply Now: www.upastampauctions.co.uk 6. Selling Your Stamps: Free Collect from Home Service
– Large/valuable collections handled – Free Collect,
2. Top-UpTwenty: Home Service – Philatelic World’s Value & Diagnosis Service if you are intending to sell
1st Instant-Buy Price-Drop ‘Dutch-Auction’ selling
We’re OPEN: See ‘This is How The Stamp Trade
system. Drops prices from Retail Wholesale Trade
Works’ double page ‘advertorial’ inside this magazine
Price. 1st to bid buys. How long can You wait? Sign
which fully explains how the system works, then contact
up for week-daily price-drop e-mails or save in your
/ call UPA to discuss options of how UPA may assist you,
favourites. Loyalty-Free Shipping & Insurance – View/
should you wish.
apply on-line

We’re OPEN: Apply Now: www.Top-UpTwenty.co.uk Above all - Thanks for

3. Avon & Omniphil Approvals: Home Service – have Collecting. There’s now talk
been supplying stamps to collectors on approval in of a Philatelic Resurgence or
their homes since 1957. Andrew received Omniphil Renaissance (if you will) as
Approvals in his teens. Like Victor Kiam of Remington
fame, Andrew bought the company 15 years later! Hi, that’s me Promoting
most of us stay at home, but
See/Select stamps of your choice in the comfort of Philately with Alan on
UK National ITV’s
most important – Stay Safe.
your home. Accept 1st £30 FREE trial Approvals Offer Alan Titchmarsh Show
(Coupon by Index)
Apply now in any way. Together, let’s keep Philately Open

A
We’re OPEN: Apply Now: www.upastampauctions.co.uk Best Wishes from
4. Avon Mixtures: Home Service – Since 1986 week in,
week out, ‘Avon’ has supplied more than 250,000 bags
of OFF-PAPER mixtures to collectors on a ‘Buy One:
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