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Autumn 2008 Newsletter

MORE OF THE SAME

Sandra Poole

2008 appears to be the year of stamp gimmicks. Austria Post has produced a miniature sheet depicting the European Football Championship trophy, next to which are set real crystals. Austria has also produced a plastic stamp. In June, Hong Kong issued a set of six jelly fish stamps which glow in the dark. A $5 beaded stamp in a miniature sheet has been produced by Singapore Post to celebrate the opening of their Peranakan Museum. These three stamps appear below.

From Geoff Taylor: In Gibraltar, two issues containing extraneous material were printed:

(1) 15 September 2002- ‘VIEWS OF THE ROCK’ Four stamps, two values, 2 x 30p, 2 x £1. Lithographed printing and powdered limestone rock sintered and thermographically applied within the stamp design.(The rock was actually bored out of the centre of the Rock of Gibraltar. Ed.)

(2) 1 January 2005- 200th Anniversary of ‘The Battle of Trafalgar. £1.60 value. Timber from HMS Victory was used in the printing of the wooden areas of the ship depicted on the stamp. With all these stamps, the change in surface texture can be felt.

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

Sandra Poole

At a recent meeting, Wendy Orr passed on to me a letter she had received concerning the launch of ‘yourStamp’ from TNT Post. They claim ‘yourStamp’ is the first alternative stamp in the market, (but see following article) They explain that their customers get to design the image they want to use and these stamps are then applied to their direct mail. To celebrate the launch of ‘yourStamp’, they were offering Wendy and others the opportunity to purchase one of only 130 commemorative sheets, signed by their Chief Executive, (WOW!) at a cost of just £14.99. Well, how could I resist. Unfortunately, the response was overwhelming and I wasn’t among the first 130 to apply. Now that this once in a lifetime opportunity has passed me by and this very collectible item will not now be taking pride of place in my TNT collection, we’re all just going to have to make do with the following scan!

TNT Post Commemorative Stamp Sheet 2008

DID YOU KNOW ?

George Vella (Gozo Philatelic Society)

The rest of the top part remained red and the top face was painted with a special green paint, which changed colour if anti-personnel gas-bomb attacks were made in cities, thus serving as an early warning. Poisonous gases reacted with this yellow green paint to give different colours according to what gas was thrown.

(Thanks to members of the Gozo Philatelic Society for permission to publish the article.)

YOU WRITE- Mike Cornish sent the following:

Regarding unusual Post Offices, I attach a photo I took in !998 of the office in Maleala, Lesotho- I never managed to get there when it was open! The photo includes the whole of the local shopping centre.

INTERNET POSTAGE, USA

Sandra Poole

Having discovered some ‘alternative’ stamps and labels in my collection, I decided to visit the website address printed on the stamps themselves.The company, Stamps.com is approved by the US Postal Service to allow customers to buy and print postage online. I will spare you all the technical details but, basically, the NetStamps service started operating in 2002 and allows you to print official USPS postage from your PC The first picture below is a standard label for letters or packages. There are different labels for different services-eg,express, international, shipping, etc. Postage can also be printed directly on to the envelope. You pay a monthly fee of $17.99 to use the service and each time you print postage, the cost is deducted from your NetStamps account.

More interesting for collectors, no doubt, are the photo stamps. I quote from the website-‘The PhotoStamps service is a new service that allows customers to include their favourite digital photographs, designs or images on valid US Postal Service postage. Customers design state- of- the- art…postage by simply uploading pictures from existing image files, digital photographs and original graphics Users maintain a secure online account that allows for the storage of images for future purchases Using advanced printing technology, we send customers high-quality, adhesive-backed Photostamps,…for a wide variety of personal and business usages.

IF ONLY - A MAN OF NOTE

George Kirkham

Many, many years ago, in the middle of the last century, when I was young and beautiful, I started work in the Building Trade with my father and Co., engaged in domestic decorating (after dinner speeches a speciality, particularly after radishes and cucumber.)

At this time, Radcliffe-on-Trent was one mass of spinsters ‘of a certain age’. At the time, we were working for these two sisters who said to me: ‘We think you are a damn fine chap, top hole number. Now, fellow, if you behave yourself, we will give you our late father’s stamp collection, but only on the condition that you tell nobody.’

The job continued and finished with no sign of the stamp collection. We were just leaving, when one of the old dears beckoned me into the kitchen and said: ‘No doubt you are wondering about the stamps. Well, I am sorry to tell you that we have had a change of heart and have decided not to give you father’s collection after all.’ They then told me why. I told them that complaints of so serious a nature should be put down in writing, otherwise they are not official and cannot be acted upon. No letter was ever forthcoming, neither did I ever get the stamps. My sin? I was accused of whistling mucky songs.

Radcliffe-on-Trent Male Voice Choir has an international reputation for excellence, of that there is no doubt. I was working on the choir’s secretary’s staircase. It was an awkward stairwell and I was getting nowhere. The customer went with the choir to the Channel Islands and brought back several items of Jersey WWII material for me as a tip. His return would be on the Thursday.

On the Friday, all of a sudden, I could see progress being made to such a degree, that if I buckled down, I could be finished by Saturday afternoon. My spirits lifted, lifted to such a degree I felt compelled to burst into song. I treated the populace to a few lines of High Opera. I’ll admit the words were my own and the tune made up; my mistake was thinking I was in an empty house. I wasn’t! Mr S- came out of his room and asked if I had thought of joining the Choir. I said I hadn’t. He said that was a pity as they were looking for a bus driver. Never mind- I kept the stamps this time.

LEGENDS OF THE NATIONAL PARKS U.S.A. stamp issue of 1934

MICK INGER (Sourced from an early brochure)

1 Cent YOSEMITE: Tutokaluna, Chief of the Ahwahnee tribe fell in love with a beautiful maiden who was among a group of strangers who visited one day. She refused his request to marry him and, realising he would not take no for an answer, she disappeared. Tutokaluna left to search for her and on his return, the tribe had all left. Should they return, Tutokaluna carved his face in a rock to indicate the direction of his search. His face can still be seen today in the rock known as El Capitan.

2 Cents GRAND CANYON :The Colorado river had long been looked upon as a place where evil spirits lived. One day, a brave was killed in battle and his loved one appealed to the Medicine Man for his safe return, but to no avail. So the maiden turned to The Great Spirit who said “Come with me, I will take you to him.” In a trance-like state, the maiden walked into the Canyon never to return. The people then realised that the Canyon was God’s pathway to the Happy Hunting Ground.

3 Cents MOUNT RAINIER: Hiaqua, a small perforated shell, was the most prized of all the Wampum. A hermit who lived in the mountains spent all his time hunting and fishing. Some of the surplus was salted and stored and some he traded for Wampum, especially Hiaqua, the possession of which gradually warped his mind. One night, the evil spirit, Tamanous, told him where he could find much Hiaqua and led him to the top of the mountain where he found his prize. On the way down, he was surrounded by a black mist and in his panic, he dropped the Hiaqua. Legend says that when the wind and mist rage around the mountain, someone is trying to steal Hiaqua and the elements are at war against him.

4 Cents-MESA VERDE: Most of the North American Indians were migratory but the community of Mesa Verde were not. They were sun worshippers and in the Temple Hall, a fire was kept alight, each member of the tribe taking turns to keep it so. One old man took his turn and, during the night, his son went to check on him only to find the old man dead and the fire out. The son left for a nearby village where they also had a Holy fire, lit a torch and returned before dawn to re-light the fire. The son then told his story to the Chief, who rewarded him and the tribe made him a hero.

5 cents- YELLOWSTONE: John Colter, a member of the Lewis-Clark Expedition was exploring in the area of Yellowstone when a group of Blackfoot Indians appeared. He well knew the merciless hatred these Indians had for all white men and felt his end was nigh. Knowing a little of the language, he was puzzled by the order given by the Chief; this was to run about 5 miles to an area feared by the tribe. If he could stay ahead of the braves, his life would be spared. On reaching the feared place, a thunderous roar was followed by a jet of water escaping from the Earth. The Indians turned back and Colter was safe. To this day, Old Faithful still erupts every 70 minutes.

6 cents- CRATER LAKE: Many years ago, the land was ruled over by 2 great Gods- Skell, the Spirit of Good, who controlled the Sun and Liao, the Spirit of Evil, who controlled the darkness. A wise Chief ruled over the Indians, but he was sad because he had no son to follow him. In time, a child was born but it was a girl. Thinking that the Gods had made a mistake, the chief decreed that the child was to be brought up as a boy and taught to hunt and fish. As she got older, Liao wanted her for his own. Feariing Liao’s wrath, the Chief conferred with the Elders, who asked Skell for advice. Skell fell in love with her and war broke out between the Gods. Skell was killed, his heart cut out and thrown into the lake. Skell’s servant, the Eagle, retrieved it and restored it to Skell’s body. This time, Liao was killed, his body cut up and thrown into the lake where the monsters, assuming it was Skell, devoured it. On discovering it was Liao, the monsters sunk to the bottom of the lake in terror. To this day, no living thing can survive in the lake.

7 cents- ACADIA: Acadia, with Mt.Desert at its centre, was originally French. After the French were defeated in Europe, it became English, but the inhabitants refused to swear allegiance to the English Crown. This refusal called for sterner measures and after much debating and pleading, the ultimate blow fell. All French Acadians were taken prisoner, all possessions seized and the men deported. Some were taken to Boston, some to Virginia and others to various towns along the coast. For many years, the families left behind searched for their loved ones. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the poem ‘Evangeline’ about their suffering.

8 cents- ZION: Sina-wa-va is a rock formation hundreds of feet high in Zion Park. At its base is The Great White Throne, stratum which starts red and gradually fades through pink, pale grey and, finally, white. The area was settled by the Mormons and there were many differences between them and the Government. In 1857, about 150 emigrants bound for California passed by and decided it was a safe place to camp for the night. They soon became aware of Indians gathering around them and, at dawn, the Indians attacked. As all seemed lost, a group of white men with a white flag appeared and a truce was arranged. The emigrants soon realised their mistake, as the Indians and the ‘peacemakers’ attacked from all sides. Only two children survived.

9 cents- GLACIER: One day, the beautiful daughter of a local Chief and her two handmaidens were gathering twigs and berries, when a terrifying storm broke. The Princess raised her arms and implored: ‘Oh God of Thunder, I will pledge myself to you, if you will cease this storm.’ Immediately, the storm ceased and, to the handmaidens’ amazement, the Princess had disappeared; the Thunder God had claimed her. For a time, she was happy but grew homesick and, after much pleading, the Thunder God allowed her to visit her people. A visiting Medicine Man, on hearing herstory, fell in love and asked her to stay. At this point, the Thunder God appeared and he and the Medicine Man battled for the Princess Eventually, they declared a draw, but every now and then return to do battle over their affections for the Princess.

10 cents- SMOKY MOUNTAIN: The region was populated by Cherokee Indians long before the White Man crossed the Atlantic. As the Eastern population grew and moved inland, the Indians were pushed further and further West. Sometimes the White Men would barter with trinkets and trash; at other times, they used force. At the beginning of the 19th century, agreement was reached, whereby the Cherokee would move to a distant land beyond the Mississippi. Some, however, refused to leave and it was many years before they realised it was in their best interests to move to the new reservation, which is just to the west of where the park is now.

SOLILOQUY OF A POSTAGE STAMP

Ernest W. Brady, (Submitted by Steve Speak)

I am the world’s greatest traveller. I have been transported by camel, dog, sled, pony express, bicycle, train, steamship, automobile, airplane, airship and rocket. On my face are the portraits of kings, presidents, queens, princes, princesses, shahs, sultans, tribal chiefs, adventurers, explorers, patriots, martyrs, inventors, pioneers, artists, musicians, architects, poets, aviators, dramatists, novelists, painters, athletes, cardinals, saints and sinners.

I picture maps of the world and parts of the world. I reveal views of strange foreign beaches, rivers, lakes, sounds, waterfalls, geysers, mountains, monuments, castles, temples and ruins of temples, missions, bridges, docks, locks, waterfronts, locomotives, balloons, rockets, zeppelins, wind- jammers and transatlantic liners, native canoes and modern grand seaplanes. I depict all manner of sports, curiosities, handicrafts, customs, sacred rites, ceremonies and parades, almost every variety of bird, animal, fish, flower, fruit and vegetable. I delineate the vanished forms of the phoenix, the griffin, the dragon, the centaur and unicorn.

The heroes and heroines of mythology pose willingly within my borders and I frame the horrors of war, the blessings of peace, the plight of indigence, the blight of famine, the hardships of emigration and the beauty of male and female nudity. I illustrate the adventures of Don Quixote, the fairy tales of childhood, the legends, the symbols of art, commerce, peace, agriculture, industry and the coats of arms and flags of all nations.

I commemorate the wars, expeditions, inventions, voyages and discoveries, creations and constructions that make social life safe, livable and happy. I am the world’s greatest picture chronicle. Millions collect me. Thousands have escaped boredom. Hundreds have been saved from insanity through my fascination, yet- I am only a postage stamp.

From Steve Speak: Philately has not always proved universally popular. The writer, George Orwell, once described stamp collectors as a ‘strange, silent, fish-like breed, of all ages’, but only of the male sex; women, apparently, fail to see the peculiar charm of gumming bits of coloured paper into albums.

MISCELLANY

STAMP ISSUING POLICY: Sandra Poole

Looking back at some old copies of ‘Stamp Weekly’ (14.9.67), I found the following report: Postmaster General Edward Short says…Britain to restrict new issues- Great Britain will not flood the stamp-collecting world with special issues. Collectors’ fears that too many stamps may be issued in coming years have been expressed recently, but this week Postmaster Edward Short, MP, made it clear that there was no such intention. He told ‘Stamp Weekly’ that the high reputation Great Britain has gained for its skill in designing and printing stamps would be maintained by resisting the temptation to increase the number of special issues. ‘Our present plans to bring out five or six a year are, I think, just about right.’ So what made them change their minds ?

STAMPS FOR KIDS: Gordon Low

The second meeting of the ‘Stamps for Kids’ initiative took place on Tuesday 2nd September in the Baptist Church on Albert St.in Stapleford. Unfortunately, only Gordon Low was able to attend on this occasion. However, it was a good meeting with a more manageable 9 children in attendance, all of them young ladies. Apparently, the boys were making a film in other parts of the building, although one of the boys did put in an appearance later.We started by handing over a boxful of ‘Stamp Bug Club' magazines,which had been donated by Mrs. Bulmer. I suggested that a ‘Post-it’ note stuck on the inside cover would enable the children to pass the magazines round to be initialled as each one read it- a bit like a library I was also able to hand out 11 small stock books- eagerly accepted. We are nursing our reserves of actual stamps; we thought it best to keep some back for subsequent visits. We have a boxful of Central & South American stamps donated by Mr.Price to go through with the children. One young lady had brought along a batch of stamps, which she was unable to identify for placing in her album. The countries in question were ‘Camboge’. ‘CCCP’ and ‘Magyar’, I think. I gave her the right answers. I then emptied a small plastic bag of foreign stamps on to the table and that was it- everyone tucking in and busily filling their stock books. At the first visit, we suggested collecting GB stamps was the easiest starting point, but it would be nice to have a second subject to concentrate on- for example a theme such as flowers, animals or sport or another country where they might have contacts. One young lady announced she had recently returned from living in Botswana and another had relatives in New Zealand. For me, it was an enjoyable meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 4th November, which will be confirmed nearer the date. PS. Any more surplus stamps from members will be gratefully received.

STAMPS AS AN INVESTMENT: Jacqui Benham

Are stamps a good investment in the uncertain economic times? Yes, they may well be, if the more rare stamps are bought. However the following letter, dated 1979, may be of interest. You may remember in the early 1980s, they took a spiral downturn.

From Urch Harris & Co., Ltd. 26-9-1979:

We are frequently asked this question and our answer is an emphatic ‘Yes- especially if one is selective in the stamps one chooses to buy. Kiribati is a classic example of sound choice at the present time. As with almost any type of investment, it would be easy to quote specific items which have done particularly well while ignoring others which may have failed. To do so would be misleading; therefore, to produce an accurate and true picture, it is essential to take everything into account…For this reason, and in order that our customers may have all the evidence on which to judge for themselves, we have undertaken the truly mammoth task of analysing the growth records of all…mint stamps of the British Commonwealth distributed through our New Issue Service during the last 12 years- nearly 20,000 stamps in all. We have assessed the precise prices at which all these stamps were originally distributed to members of the service and today’s prices for the same stamps… those members who have been non-selective and have purchased the rough as well as the smooth are now the proud possessors of superlative stamp collections, which have appreciated in value at a rate of more than 36% per annum. Those members who have taken our advice and selected only the issues of more popular countries have done very, very much better. It is our convinced opinion that the trends of the last 12 years will continue into the future- indeed, there are logical reasons which make us believe that they will probably improve still further. Demand for stamps continues to increase each year and it follows…that this will mean that many of the easy-to-obtain inexpensive stamps of today will become the hard-to-obtain rarities of tomorrow. (The letter then goes on to promote its new issue service –Ed.).

WORLD RECORD- GEOFF TAYLOR

On 21st April 2001, a Gibraltar stamp created a world record- 10 hours, 5mins from design, approval by H.M., printing and to going on sale in Gibraltar. It was issued to commemorate the Queen’s 75th birthday and is also recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. (Although not quite in that league, Australia decided to produce a stamp for every Australian athlete and team who won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, as they had at the previous two Olympics. The stamps were to be issued within 48 hours of the medal ceremony. Ed.)

A BARGAIN- GEOFF TAYLOR

In 2007, at ‘HABRIA’- ‘Hanover Stamp International Exhibition’ (I am a member of the Hanover Club), one of the dealers present had a Zeppelin item from Gibraltar to Brazil via London and Berlin on the Chicago World Fair flight. Gibraltar acceptances are not very easy to come by and all are philatelic, but very collectable I had already acquired some 60 euros worth of items from the dealer (he was also a well known German auction house) but, as yet, had not paid for them. On attempting to bargain over the Zeppelin item, I met with a definite ‘No, the price is solid’. Trying to plead poverty and the fact I was a pensioner with one child, six wives and a mistress to support was to no avail, but after a few minutes of my pleading, he suddenly said: ‘What else have you there?’ (stamps that is). I showed him and, to my surprise, he said: ‘Pay the price I am asking for the Zeppelin card and you can have the other items free.’ So I feel I won in the end!

DISCLAIMER: Whilst every care is taken during the production of this newsletter, neither the editor nor the Society officials can accept any liability for views, opinions or unintentional publication errors which may occur.

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