Philatelic News

Worldwide news about postage stamps, stamp collecting, philatelic literature, exhibitions, auctions and more!

Together with the forthcoming stamps commemorating the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, Australia has produced three Royal Wedding stamp issues, which embrace three generations of the royal family.

On 20 November 1947, the marriage of Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh was commemorated by a 1d (one penny) stamp featuring a portrait of Princess Elizabeth, based on a photograph by Dorothy Wilding of London. Although issued as a commemorative, the 1d stamp served as a definitive issue, remaining on sale at post offices until 1953. 

In November 1980, Australia Post commenced preparations for a possible stamp issue to commemorate the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. The official announcement was made on 24 February 1981; the wedding was subsequently fixed for 29 July that year.

In addition to approving the 1981 Royal Wedding stamp issue, Australia Post management permitted a departure from the stamp issue policy to allow Lady Diana Spencer to be depicted on the stamps. The policy at the time precluded living persons from being portrayed on stamps except “The Sovereign and His or Her Spouse or the Heir Apparent”. The prohibition against living persons was removed with the introduction of the annual Australia Post Legends Awards in 1997.

Brian Clinton was commissioned to prepare the stamp designs. Interestingly, the artist produced painted portraits of Charles and Diana, rather than using actual photographs. The inscription on the two stamps reads “Marriage of HRH Charles, Prince of Wales & The Lady Diana Spencer”. Following her marriage, and until her divorce in 1996, Diana was styled “HRH The Princess of Wales”.

The Royal Wedding stamps were issued on 29 July 1981 in denominations of 24c and 60c, representing basic letter postage within Australia and the first weight step for air mail letters to Europe, respectively.

Source
1. “Royal Wedding Stamps”. Stamp Bulletin, Australia Post, Mar-Apr 2011. Pag. 18.

Posted at 6:00am and tagged with: Australia, Royal Family, issues, two column,.

This stamp issue marks the retirement of the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) most prominent aircraft –the F-111 “Pig”. After 37 years service, this stalwart of aviation combat is being replaced from 2010. The aircraft represent a range of military functions and capabilities and includes F-111’s replacement.

The F-111 “Pig” is a twin-engine, swing-wing aircraft that can take off and land at relatively low speeds. The aircraft gets its nickname from its ability to hunt at night with its nose to the ground due to its terrain-following radar. The aircraft was introduced to the RAAF in 1973.

Technical details:

  • Date of issue: 22/Feb/2011
  • Denomination: 2 x 60c se-tenant, 1 x $1.20, 1 x $3
  • Printing process: lithography
  • Design: Simone Sakinofsky, Australia Post Design Studio
  • Stamp size: 37.5mm x 26mm
  • Sheets: 50 stamps (2 x 25)

Visit Australian Post‘s online shop.

Source
1. “Air Force Aviation”. Stamp Bulletin, Australia Post, Jan-Feb 2011. Pag. 14-15.

Posted at 2:00am and tagged with: Australia, issues, military, two column,.

Mar 1: Siegel Auctions (US) ~ Sale #1004 The Gordon Eubanks Collection of the U.S. 1869 Pictorial Issue. Download catalogue.

Mar 2: Warwick & Warwick (UK) ~ Stamps Sale 667. Visit auction’s site. Worldwide stamps auction featuring 883 lots.

Mar 2: Siegel Auctions (US) ~ Sale #1005 The “New Amsterdam” Collection of City Despatch Post. The city despatch post was established in New York City in February 1842. According to an account published in 1894 and provided by Charles Windsor, the post was founded by his father, Henry Thomas Windsor, a London merchant who at the tme was living in Hoboken, New Jersey. Inspired by Rowland Hill’s postal reforms in Great Britain, Windsor and his friend, Alexander M. Greig, started operating the City Despatch Post during the first week of February 1842, in time for the busy Valentine season. Greig was advertised as the post’s “agent,” and his name is usually used alone by historians and philatelists when referring to the post’s proprietor. Download catalogue.

Mar 2-3: Siegel Auctions (US) ~ Sale #1006 The Wagshal Collection, Part 4: Perforated One-Cent 1857-60 Issue. This fourth and final part of the series of Wagshal sales presents the perforated 1¢ stamps, produced by Toppan Carpenter and issued from mid-1857 until all circulating postage stamps were demonetized in 1861 with the outbreak of the Civil War. The 1857-61 perforated 1¢ stamps were created in the same manner as the earlier imperforate stamps, except for some modifications intended to provide more space for perforation holes between the stamps. Download catalogue.

Mar 5: Prestige Philately (AU) - Auction #162 “The World at War”. Postal services during wartime in four discrete sections: 1. Russell Stern’s Australian Military Mail. The World War II conflicts in North Africa, Mediterranean, Palestine & Borneo, 2. Accumulation of civil censorship mail of the British Empire formed by John Little from England, 3. Australian material, from WWI POWs in New South Wales, and the balance of John Little’s censor mail, from the Great War and 4. G. Darge’s Gold Medal exhibit of “New Zealand Forces in WWI”. Visit auction’s site. Download catalogue.

Mar 7-12: Philatelie Christoph Gärtner (DE) ~ Auction #17 is composed by seven catalogues. 1. India & Indian States, 2. Asia, 3. Overseas and thematics, 4. Europe, 5. Germany, 6. Collections and 7. Rarities. So you will find a very special selection of fantastic stamps and covers as an extract of the more than 24.000 lots. Visit auction’s site.

Mar 9-10: Cavendish Philatelic Auctions (UK) ~ The Bentwaters’ Collection of Mulreadies with over 100 covers, plus over 100 1d Black and  1d Red covers. The Dr. James Kyle  CBE, FRCS, FRPSL Collections of the British Empire, with Australia, New Zealand, West Africa, and more. The Admiral Collection of Canada formed by the late Sandy Mackie, with foreign destination covers (Java, Mexico, Seychelles etc.), WWI censors, advertising mail. The John Bodman Collection of Papua (with Cocos Is.), an astonishing new discovery: an original find of 1870s stamped covers to Thailand (3 surface printed frankings from GB earlier than any item in the ‘Wheat’ Collection).

Mar 14: Soler y Llach (ES) ~ Worldwide stamps and postal history. Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Danish WI, Ecuador, Egypt, France & French colonies, Germany & states, GB & British commonwealth, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Italy, Levant, Mexico, Netherlands, Palestine, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay, USA & Venezuela and much more. Download catalogueVisit auction’s site.

Mar 17: Grosvenor (UK) ~ British Empire. The Lord Cornwallis Collection of Australia with Gambia, Gibraltar and Malta. An outstanding auction of 553 lots, including exceptional rarities of the Kangaroo and King George V Head issues of Australia. Download catalogue.

Mar 17: Apex Philatelic Auctions (UK) ~ Sale #106 is a 6500 lot general world sale. It includes extensive sections of Germany, Liechtenstein, Austria and Switzerland, the majority from the purchase in November of the entire stock of Leo Baresch Ltd., one of the world’s foremost dealers in the stamps of those countries (and who will be familiar to most serious collectors thereof). For single items, we draw your attention to lot 495 GB 1902 Board of Education 1/- green and carmine fine used, with 2007 BPA Cert. Cat £4500, lot 491 GB 1882 IR Official £1 green ‘TA’ with framebreak fine used. Cat £4500, Lot 1721 Bermuda 1938 line perf 10/- yellow green and carmine u/m [very slight gum toning as always found on this printing) and with variety “Lower right scroll with broken tail.” Cat £4000 1938 line perf 10/- yellow green and carmine u/m, with variety “Lower right scroll with broken tail.” Cat £4000, (plus several other varieties of this issue), lot 1858 British Virgin Isles 1857 (GB) 1d rose red ‘star’ used with fine strike of ‘A13’ cancel, a lovely example, very scarce. Cat £3750. Visit auction’s site.

Mar 19: Ron Leith Auctions (CA) ~ Sale #43 Stamps and postal history of Canada and United States.
Postal History auction highlights: includes the entire Tripo Costello Postcard Stock along with his famous Santa Clause Collection, the Wally Gutzman Canada Fancy Cork Cancel Collection, the “Calgary Collection” of Postal Artifacts comprising over 200 Canada postal hammers, part one of the Lila Walcer lifetime collection of British Royalty Memorabilia noting signed photos of King George-V and Queen Mary, a scarce group of USA General McClellan Civil War Patriotic Covers, a rare Amelia Earhart autographed cover (lot #782), and part one of the Donald Rogan Railroad Collection of RPO cancels, maps, books, and ephemera.
Stamp auction highlights: the Canada section includes the “Vernon Collection” of Superb Mint and Used Canada Classic Stamps, an extremely rare Newfoundland 5 Pence Favour “CANCELLED” Stamp that resulted in a British political scandal (lot #2476), the finest collection of Canada Coil Start and End Strips that we have ever offered, a fully operational USA Schermack Experimental Coil Vending Machine, the massive stock of recently retired packet dealer Hank Vander Veen, the Bill Anderson Precancel Collection listed as one of the top 10 collections in the Precancel Survey, and an outstanding collection of Canada Christmas Seals that includes many of the rare proofs. Visit auction’s site.

Mar 23: Stanley Gibbons (UK) ~ Worldwide Postal Bid Auction #220. Noteworthy sections in this auction include: Good selection of Bermuda, China, Ascension, Bahamas, Barbados, St. Helena, Malaya, Hong Kong, and Great Britain surface printed. Visit auction’s site.

Mar 25-26: Postiljonen (SE) ~ The “Leif Ericsson” Large Gold Collection of classic Iceland. Classic Sweden, Iceland, Norway and Portugal. Exhibition collection classic Denmark. Download catalogue.

Mar 28: Lugdunum Philatélie (FR) ~ France, French Colonies and Worldwide. Visit auction’s site.


Posted at 6:30am and tagged with: Australia, Canada, France, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States, auctions, two column, Spain,.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. It is the story of ordinary women as makers of history and is rooted in the struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men. The IWD global centenary is celebrated in 2011.

The first IWD was held on 19 March 1911 when more than a million European women united, calling for the right of women to vote, work and hold public office and an end to discrimination. In 1910, at an international conference of women held in Copenhagen, a woman named Clara Zetkin (leader of the “Women’s Office” for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women’s Day. Clara would go on to launch the very first International Women’s Day on 19 March the following year.

International Women’s Day has been celebrated on 8 March each year since 1913, when the date was transferred from 19 March. It aims to promote positive change and raise awareness about problems women face in their everyday lives and is also a chance to celebrate the achievements of women. This date is also designated in many countries as a national holiday.

The stamp combines images and graphic elements, including the symbol for women, to create a celebratory feel that conveys the sense that this is a centenary for all women.

Technical details:

  • Date of issue: 15/Feb/2011
  • Printing process: Lithography
  • Stamp size: 37.5mm x 26mm
  • Sheets: 50 stamps

Visit Australian Post‘s online shop.

Source
1. “Centenary of International Women’s Day”. Stamp Bulletin, Australia Post, Jan-Feb 2011. Pag. 12-13.

Posted at 2:00am and tagged with: issues, Australia, two column,.

This national exhibition will host various classes including: Traditional Philately, Postal History, Thematic Philately, Aerophilately, Astrophilately, Maximaphily and Philatelic Literature among others.

The Organizing Committee is firmly committed to supporting philatelic clubs and societies. The confirmed meetings are: Royal Philatelic Society of Victoria, Perfin Club of Australia and New Zealand, National Association of Philatelic Exhibitors, Australian Cover Society Inc, Malaya Study Group, Postal Stationery Society of Australia and Australian Philatelic Federation.

There are free activities scheduled for children up to 17 years. Activities include a bug scavenger hunt, badge making, games, videos, see stamps close up, Insect stamp displays, Stamp collecting advice and more. The first 400 children will receive a free show bag & book.

There will be many dealer stands at the Exhibition as well as an important stand of the Australia Post.

Venue
Shannon Room
Royal Randwick Racecourse 
Alison Road
Randwick NSW 2031

Contact
Secretary
Linda Lee
C/- Philatelic Association of NSW, Inc. 
PO Box 220, Darlinghurst NSW 1300 
Tel: +61 2 9337-5241
lindajoy@optusnet.com.au
www.sydneystampexpo2011.org.au

Posted at 2:00am and tagged with: events, exhibitions, Australia, Sydney,.

The Philatelic Society of Australia will celebrate its centenary during 2011. A commemorative book outlining the history of the society along with a limited edition souvenir item are planned for release during the year. 

The society meets at Philas House, Sydney, on third Wednesday of each month except December. For details write to PSA, PO Box 220 Darlinghurst, NSW 1300.

Source
Stamp Bulletin, Australia Post, 2011 (1). Pag. 22.

Posted at 2:00am and tagged with: Australia, societies, one column,.

The first items of Australian Commonwealth stationery were released in 1911, two years before the first issue stamps.

The designs used in this set of definitive postage-paid envelopes were inspired by the scenic views used in the design of lettercards issued by the Commonwealth of Australia between 1911 and 1925. The release of this new set celebrates 100 years of Australian postal stationery.

Technical details:

  • Date of issue: 8/Feb/2011
  • Denominations: 4 x 70c, $1.40, $2.70 and $3.20
  • Printing process: Lithography
  • Design: Jo Muré, Australia Post Design Studio

Visit Australian Post‘s online shop.

Source
Stamp Bulletin, Australia Post, 2011 (1). Pag. 10. 

Posted at 2:00am and tagged with: Australia, postal stationery, issues, one column,.

This new publication of over 360 pages contains details of stamps and postal stationery of Australia, Australian Antarctic Territory, Christmas Island, and Cocos (Keeling) Islands from commencement of issues (1913 for Australia) to May 2010. All illustrations in full colour. Printed on heavy matt art paper to cut down reflected glare when working under artificial light. 

This comprehensive catalogue list all Australian:

  • Pre Decimal Stamps 1913 - 1965 
  • Decimal Stamps 1966 - May 2010
  • Australian Postage Dues 
  • Occupation Forces and Postage Dues 
  • Australian First Day Covers 
  • Australian Koala Reprints 
  • Australian Stamp Packs 
  • Australian Maximum Cards 
  • Australian Stamp Replics Cards 
  • Australia Post Annual Collections 
  • Australian Special Events Souvenir Sheets 
  • Australian Postal Stationery: Postal Cards, Letter Cards, Envelopes, War Time Issues, Registration envelopes, 
  • Letter Sheets, Newspaper Wrappers, Aerogrammes 
  • There is also a listing for territories stamps:
  • Christmas Islands, Cocos(Keeling) Islands, Australian Antarctic Territory 

(Source: sevenseas.com.au)

Posted at 10:03am and tagged with: Australia, literature, catalogue, two column,.