STAMP COLLECTING

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 72, 18 December 1937, Page 23

STAMP COLLECTING

By

“KAATA”

With the ever-increasing number of pictorial stamps being issued in recent years, the specialised collecting of monument stamps has been given an impetus. Most countries to-day number among their many pictorial issues a monument stamp. Even in recent years Canada has issued several, the most recent the current 1-dollar value featuring the monument of. Champlain at Quebec City. In 1934 there was the United Empire Loyalist monument at Hamilton on a 10-cent value. Newfoundland has several monument stamps, the latest on the 32-cent value of the 1933 Sir Humphrey Gilbert issue. The United States issued a monument stamp on October 18 of the Hawaiian native king, Kamehameha, and has issued several others recently. France, Peru, Guatemala, Italy, Jamaica, Abyssinia, Argentine, Salvador, Mexico are some of the other countries known for their monument stamps. A collection of monument stamps can be gathered at no great expense, though patience is needed, as it means obtaining individual stamps either from other collectors or dealers. A blank looseleaf album is the best way to house such a specialised collection, as it enables placing in whatever position desired and gives ample room to make neat, notes about the person featured on the monument. A specialised collection is made more interesting with notes, and gives the collector a vast amount of knowledge of explorers, statesmen, heroes, kings and scientists of the world. THE POSTMARK SIDE

Whether it is early envelopes postally used or first-day sets of Coronation covers, the fact remains that the interest and value in the postmajk side of stamps is growing apace, according to an overseas observer.

At a postal history auction in London last October, in which practically all the lots wer e Hong-Kong stamps, with Treaty Port or unusual postmarks, the keenest bidding was shown. So much so that in some cases the prices obtained were a dozen times the catalogue-value of the same items with ordinary cancellations. One cover with five Hong-Kong stamps fetched no less than £3O, but then it was the only known cover with the first type of a certain Treaty Port postmark on the stamp. Current events in China will undoubtedly attract the attention of philatelists to the stamps of this country, and it is possible that there may be some interesting “finds” during • the period of its upheaval.

FRANCO STAMPS ONLY It is reported that all unused SpanishRepublican stamps have been withdrawn in the area occupied by the Government of General Franco, since August 10, and only stamps issued by Franco will be valid. A few days after this information, and to celebrate the anniversary of the civil war’s beginning, the Franco authorities at Burgos issued two new pictorial stamps.

Inscribed simply “Espana correos 2 Ptas,” the designs are striking enough, and represent a very definite example of political propaganda through the medium of picture stamps. One of the illustrations shows the famous Alcazar as it wag in its pre-war glory. The other design shows the ruined arches and piles of rubble that to-day represent the appearance of this world-fam-ous building. The information suggests that the Franco “Rebel” stamps will soon be obsolete. Obviously the use of overprinted provisionals and fiscal stamps used postally cannot go on indefinitely, although such covers are philatelically quite interesting. Among a collection of such covers can be found current Republican stamps, censored, and with the stamps obliterated with an oval rubber stamp mark inscribed “Communicationes Valencia. Control Official.” This mark occurs with two or three varying sizes of type, and seems to have been used alone or in conjunction with the normal black postmark From the territories occupied by the Franco Government the letters are much more complicated in regard to their postmarks. An envelope addressed to the Carlist Commissioner of War in Aragon lias no postage stamp, but has an ordinary circular postmark, military censor mark from Segovia, and a most elaborate oval mark in violet inscribed “Junta Carlista, Segovia ”

Another cover, again without a postage stamp, and from Huesca to Zaragoza. carries a censor mark in violet, and also a four-line Fascist franking mark in violet. The majority of the Franco covers with stamps seem to have a charity stamp as well. There has been also a large use made of fiscal stamps, which are used and postmarked as ordinary postage stamps. Bisects have been used a« well.

NEW ISSUES Four new postage stamps are shortly to be issued by the Turkish Government in honour of the congress of Turkish history to be held at the former sultan’s summer palace at Dolma Bagtohe on the Bosphorus. Two of the stamps will be used for postage to countries overseas and two will be valid only for postage in Turkey. Their designs will recall various phases of ancient Turkish civilisation. . . . Nicaragua, in Central America, joined the United States in marking the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the United States Constitution with a set of 11 air mail stamps featuring a map of Nicaragua. . . . France marked the same event with a commemorative stamp.. . . Honduras also marked the anniversary of the United States Constitution with a fivecolour stamp, two inches across, showing the flags of the United States and Honduras in natural colours . . . Japan, which started a national heroes series recently, continues the set with pi'tures of old Japanese warships, native sports and native life. . . . An InterAmerican Technical Aviation Concre < was held at Lima, Peru, late last month and will be honoured with a four-vain ■ ,air mail set.... The 1937 Swiss charity Pro Juvenute stamps will be issuM in two formats this year, the low valuein regular small postage size and tinhigh values featuring a young girl’head in double size.. . . Last month the Alaska and Puerto Rico territorial com memoratlve stamps of the United States were issued in their respective capitals. . . . The Virgin Islands commemorative will go on sale in that territory in mid-December. . . . Early next year the United States will issue a tercentenary stamp for the State of Delaware. . . . Bolivia has overprinted current air mail stamps for 1937 use.