STAMP COLLECTING

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 142, 12 March 1938, Page 6 (Supplement)

STAMP COLLECTING

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STAMP COLLECTING. The small Negro republic of Haiti, or Hayti; iu the West Indies, which was recently in the news because of the massacre of hundreds of its citizens 011 tiie Haiti-Dominican boundary, is well known among stamp collectors as a country which issues beautiful pictorial stamps. Canada not long ago made a trade treaty with the small republic, which occupies half of the second largest island iiTthe West Indies. Haiti’s stamps date back to 1881 when a simple stamp with a Liberty head, common to many American stamps, was issued. In 1887 the first of its soldiers appeared on it stamp, and in 181)1 the country’s coat-of-arms (cannon, flags, a palm tree and Liberty cap) was featured, to remain on various issues for many years. The Negm patriot. Toussaint I’Ouverture, who led the uprising toward the end of the eighteenth century when the Negroes took the country from the French colonists, appeared on the centenary of the indeitendenee issue in 11)0-1. Various presidents and soldiers of the negro country have been featured too as late as 1033.

Pictorials of Haiti first appeared in 1906 for external use, and others have been issued since 1920, including the famous Christophe's castle, palace of Sans Souci, and similar historic landmarks of the negro kings of the earty days of the country which are seen by all tourists of the West Indies. In 1936 Haiti honoured the famous novelist Dumas, his father and son. with a set of three stamps bearing the three portraits. Airmail stamps appeared in 1929, and a second issue iu 1936. Scarcest airmail from Haiti is a regular postage with a map showing the route of a non-stop flight from Haiti to New York in 1933. A large number of over-printed and surcharged issues make Haiti’s stamps worth extra study by more advanced collectors. GUNS ON STAMPS

The present war in China, the con diet in Spain, and the general tendency of the Great Powers to increase their irrmaments, naturally directs'the attention of philatelists toward military designs used 011 postage stamps, says a writer in an English stamp magazine. It is, however, surprising—and also perhaps rather depressing—to realise that naval ami military subjects are undoubtedly the most popular with the world’s stamp designers, judging by the frequency with which ' such subjects have been selected in the past. It is'of interest to consider one of the three chief arms, artillery. The first country to issue a postage stamp showing a cannon was Haiti (referred to above). The crude arms design of 1891 and the more elaborate pictures of IS9B both include two muzzle-loading guns of a type which dates back to the time of the Napoleonic Wars. The United States (1926) shows us a very similar piece of ordnance actually being loaded, one member of the gun crew ramming the charge home from the muzzle while another is carrying up a small cannon-ball. Other artillery men are “traversing” the gun —are moving the trail with levers in order to point the muzzle in the required direction. Though this design refers to the Battle of White Plains, which was fought in 1776, the gun depicted is in all essentials the same as those used at Waterloo. An almost exactly similar field-piece is shown on the .Saratoga Commemoration issued in the United States the following year, the stamp in this ease illustrating the surrender of the British General Burgoyne, in 1777.

ALL OBSOLETE The 2c. value of Salvador's 1893 issue illustrates the founding of the city of Isabella. The cannon visible in the foreground is apparently of the type till recently used by naval landing parties, a 12-pounder with low carriage and no shield. This is the gnu seen by thousands of Londoners every year during (lie Naval Inter-Port Competitions at the Royal Tournament, at Olympia, its most notable characteristic being the ease witli which it can lie taken to pieces and reassembled in order to cross obstacles stieh as wide ditches. 9

A very different type of obsolete gun can lie seen on tlie 5 bani value of Rumania's commemorative set of 1906. Tliis is typical of tlie heavy mobile gun of about 1870. its characteristics being the comparatively high carriage and large wheels. The 3e. denomination of the Chilean Independence Centenary set of 1910 is alleged to portray a scene at the battle of Roble, but a soldier may be forgiven if he throws doubt on the artist's accuracy. It is unlikely that a general officer would make his headquarters in a battery position so close to a gun, and the gun itself appears to lielong to a much later period than 1810.

On the other hand, the curious weapon shown on Bulgaria’s stamps of 1901 and again on those of the Vazov issue of 1920, is believed to have been actually used by the patriots against tlie Turks during die 1876 war of Independence. Made of cherry wood perhaps strengthened by iron hoops—diis archaic piece of ordnance on its clumsy carriage must have been a far greater menace to the brave men who tired it than it was to the enemy!

MODERN TYPES One of the best stamp pictures of a modern gun was provided by Austria in 1915, when a 10 heller charity stamp was placed on sale at a premium of 2 heller in aid of the war orphans’ fund. The design shows one of the famous 11-inch Skoda howitzers in action, the piece pointing almost vertically in the air. A few 9.45-inch howitzers of au earlier but similar type were bought by Britain from the Skoda factory nearly 40 years ago for the express purpose of bombarding the Pretoria forts, but they were never required for this duty and were used for training purposes. , Many new army siege gunnels 01 1914-15 will remember the “Quarter-to-Tens’’ which, however, were never sent to France. The Austrian 11-iuch howitzers were more modern, and the effect of their lire on Russian fortresses was devastating, particularly as die shells came down on to the target almost vertically, because of the large

“KAAIA"

angle of elevation given to the piece. Italy gives us an excellent picture of a modern lield-gun with the 7.>c. value of her Military Medal Centenary set of 1934. The stamp shows a typical 7.7 mm. quick-firer in action wilh three men of tlie gun detachment’ behind the steel shield. Behind ami to the left can be seen an artillery ollieer lying on a hilltop observing through field-glasses the fall of tlie shells. Such a gun throws a projectile of almost 161 b. to a distance of more than live miles and. in the hands of a welb trained detachment, can tire up to 1.7 rounds a minute for short periods.

The Straits Settlements King George VI stamps recently issued are interesting because they show for the lir-t time the right-hand side of His Majesty’s bead in profile—the side which does not show the hair-parting . . . ■ The Ophthalmological Congress stamps issued by Egypt have quite nil interesting design once it is discovered what it is supposed to show. Actually in the middle is the Sacred Eye of*Horus, at the left the goddess Nekhbet in the form of a vulture, an.l at the right the goddess Unto in die shape of a serpent. All these three are from the earliest period of Egyptian mythology. Horus, originally a sun god, was one of the most important if those deities. He waged continual warfare with Set, the god of darkness, and in one of these eneoiii tors Set shot a bolt of (ire into bis eye. But Ra restored his sight and possible because of this miracle die Eye ”f Horus became representative ot he god and a talisman ensuring strenßh. vigour and safety. Nekhbet and Unto also were present at some of th, battles against Horus. . . . The flitted States is understood to lie pulline he finishing touches on a new regular P“-'-tage set. in addition to special ”ommemoratives to be issued soon

San Marino is issuing a special m’nt.iture sheet featuring Abraham Linco'n. . . . Manchukuo has issued a new sixvalue set showing new government buildings in the capital ot the Japanese puppet State, Hsinking. . . . Japan has issued two more values to its new pictorial regular issue . . Costa Rica has issued a short-postage and airmail set of a four-value set of triangular stamps. . . . The Canary Islands are understood to be issuing two sets "f airmail stamps at an early date, one for interior and the other for exterior use. . . . Czechoslovakia will print this month a miniature sheet to the late President Masaryk.

TURKEY'S CONTRIBUTION From Turkey comes the only stamp picture of an anti-aircraft gnu, and even in this case the weapon is in reality a Krupp tield-gun on a wheeled carriage mounted for liigh-augle tire for winch it was not designed. This stamp was issued as a postage due label, but was overprinted in 1917 fur use as an ordinary postage stamp. An interesting point in ihe design is tlie gun wheel, which seems to be titled with small slats in order to increase the bearing surface of the tread and thus to facilitate movement over loose sand.

No country has yet provided a stamp picture of a mountain gun of the type which has for many years taken so decisive a part in many "small wars.” In any case the collector has already a formidable arsenal to study if he examines all the guns shown on stamps.

PHILATELIC EXHIBITION Though little has appeared lately >f Australia’s sesqui-eenteuary celebrations. they have not concluded so far as philatelists are concerned. A philatelic exhibition will open at Sydney mi April 4, for which special commemorative envelopes and stickers will be issued. Covers may be obtained on application, with Gd. for each, from Mr. Hunter Mcßae, secretary to the exhibition, 77 Elizabetli Street. Sydney. NEW HEBRIDES

It is announced that the British denominations of the new New Hebrides stamps are as follows and will be issued soon: 5c., green; 10c„ orange: 15c., blue-purple: 20c., red; 25c., brown; 30c., blue; 40e., olive: oOc., mauve; lfr.. red on green: 2fr„ blavk on green; sfr., red on yellow; loir., purple on bine. The currency is “gold" francs ami centimes and the stamps are so inscribed. There is only one design, a beach scene, with panels on either side showing the British and French arms iu the top right and left-hand corners respectively. The name of the territory is in English at the top. An.Eng' sh postage due set is also in preparat on and, though the design has not yet been announced, values ami colours are as follows: 5c., greeu: 10c., orange; 20c„ red; 40e., olive; and lfr.. red. SOUTHERN RHODESIA A sheet of the current 3d. “Victoria Falls” stamp of Southern Rhodesia has appeared with all horizontal perforations missing. Stocks of the King George V stamps will remain until exhausted, bid after May 31 this issue, together with the silver jubilee and coronation issues, will be demonetised.

ST. VINCENT A complete new set is on order tm St. Vincent as follows: 4d.. blue and green; Id., blue and red-brown: 1.91.. green and red: 2d., purple ami grey; 24d., black and blue: 3d., yellow and purple; 6(1., black and claret: 1/-. purple and green; 2/-. blue and purple: 5/-, carmine and myrtle: fl. maii'c and black. The design of tlie Ad.. 2d.. 3d.. <><!.. 2/-, 5/- and £1 stamps will show lie colony’s badge, with Ills MitjesU's portrait in the top right con er and a sprig of the cotton plant at the top left. The other four values will also portr iv the King but with tlie following designs: Id.. Young's Island ami Fort Duvernette: l}d.. Kingstown ami Fort Charlotte: 2M1.. bathing beach at Villa ; 1/-. Victoria Park. Kingstown NEW ISSUES