FOR STAMP COLLECTORS

Evening Star, Issue 21469, 21 July 1933, Page 2

FOR STAMP COLLECTORS

[By B.W.W.]

Any news and notes of philatelic interest will always be appreciated. Address care Editor.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. “ J.C.8.” (N.E. Valley).—The Philatelic Congress Souvenir Labels, mentioned in this column last week, may be obtained from Stanley Gibbons Ltd.. 391 Strand London, W.C. 2, at the cost of one shilling (plus postage) for the set of seven labels.

“ Non-collector ” (Dunedin). —Unfortunately the stamps you mention are of little value, about Is per 100. Your best plan is to take the whole lot to a dealer, as they are the only people who will buy stamps in such quantities. “ G. 0.” (Mornington). I take no part in the stamps session broadcasted during the children’s hour from 4YA. Any article to appear in this column must be addressed as above. NEW ISSUES.

Canada.—A fine 5 cents stamp commemorates the meeting of the World's Postal Executive of the Universal Postal Union in Ottawa during May. It was placed on sale on the 18th nit. Rather largo in size the stamp bears a view of the Ottawa skyline, featuring Parliament Hill and the Confederation Building from the north of the Ottawa River. Mexico.—A commemorative stamp of one value, but in three different colours, marks the centenary of the foundation of the Mexican Geographical and Statistical Society. The design reproduces the arms of this body. Newfoundland.—Another air mail series of five values, designs, and colours are as followsc, brown (aeroplane with landing wheel gear, disturbing a flock of partridge) ; 10c, light orange (a fishing scene, with a seaplane and canoes in the foreground); 30c, blue (a sealing scene in Northern Newfoundland, this shows plenty of detail, including a plane equipped with skis) ; GOc, sea green (fishing off the Grand Banks with a seaplane lending a hand); 75c, dull gold (three aeroplanes above a gold mining settlement). Holland.—The new 124 c peace stamp has arrived. It is the result of an international competition, and is rather a weird stamp. The dove and the broken sword (used in the Swiss disarmament issue) are utilised as the motif of the design. Iceland.—The new chanty issue has appeared, and consists of most quaint but interesting designs. A new value showing the portrait of Christian X. of Denmark has been added to the current series.

Belgium.—Behind the announcement of the unemployment relief stamps lies a scandal that links this forthcoming series to the Oryal series, states the ‘ Philatelic Magazine.’ That journal is officially informed that Father Marie Albert, of the Orval staff, proposed to the Belgian authorities that a special issue of stamps should be made and sold at a premium to provide funds for the employment of men on the restoration work at the abbey. Owing to the lack of support accorded to the Orval issue, the restoration fund is depleted, and progress on the work has been slow. Furthermore, Father Marie has on hand a large stock of the Orval stamps that ho has been Unable to sell. These are being repurchased (at their . postal franking value) for destruction by the Post Office on the understanding that the reverend gentleman purchases the new stamps at a rebate. Tho general mass of unemployed in Belgium will not, therefore, receive any direct benefit from this “Unemployment Relief ” issue, which is regarded with distaste by all Belgium philatelists. It is stated that there will be 20,000 complete sets only. ■

' NOTES. It is now known that the proofs of the Nfew Zealand new issue did not come up to expectations, with the result that the authorities decided that it would be more satisfactory to have the set produced by line engraving, even although the expense of tlie production would be greater. By present indications it is unlikely that the new series will appear until some time next year. If it takes time to produce a good set of stamps, then New Zealand should have the best set the world has ever seen. I wonder ! _ Germany is to have a new series of historic Germans’ stamps. They will include portraits of .Uhland, the poet, and Tichte, the philosopher. German war leaders in the 1914-18 campaign are to be honoured with a special series to appear next January. As it is the intention of the Argentine 1 postal authorities to issue an entirely new set of postage stamps, and as they are anxious to liquidate the tiock of Air Mail Stamps on hand, they authorised the use of these stamps for ordinary postage, but tho practice has created so much confusion abroad and so many large firms have protested that the stamps are now only available for internal postage. The new postal series of Uruguay will include a 10 pesos stamps as its highest value. This is the first time such a denomination lias been used in Uruguay; 2,000 copies have been ordered.

According to the ‘Philatelic Magazine,’ mint copies of the sixpenny kangaroo. C of A wink., and overprinted “OS,” are selling at 5s each in Great Britain. The same journal reports that the Postal Department in Great Britain made a profit of £10,000,000 for the year just closed. BANNED STAMPS. The Falkland Islands’ commemorative set will have no franking value in Argentina.' according to a resolution announced on March 9 by the Government. Consequently the recipients of letters bearing those stamps will be called upon to pay the postage, plus tlie usual tine. 'The great Argentine daily, ‘ La Prensa,’ had a leading article recently in which that paper claimed that the Argentine authorities should not consider valid the stamps referred to, inasmuch as the Falklands rightfully belonged to Argentina, and letters should therefore be franked with Argentine stamps. Furthermore, it was pointed out, the new issue bears the dates 1833-1933, commemorating the British occupation of the islands, which ‘La Prensa ’ considered a further reason for withholding recognition of their validity. Tho Minister of the Interior announced, on March 9, that steps had already been taken before the newsK’ article referred to appeared, as ad communicated with tho Ministry of Foreign Affairs in that connection on two occasions, in February, and at the beginning of March. A communication had been sent to the Legation in Berne, instructing it to notify the Postal Union that the Ar-

gentine Post Office refused to recognise tlie franking power of the stamps.— A.S.M. A HISTORY OF AVIATION. Latvia has often been accused ol ex ploiting the stamp collector by the manufacture of unnecessary com memorativc and charity issues. The latest emission to raise funds for dis abled airmen is likely to prove popu lar, however, for the designs provid an interesting though brief history c the development of aviation.. The set contains only five values, i sued at varying premia, in both pc .orate and imperforate lorm. The u sign of the 5 sant, depicting Icarus ik ng to the sun, is specially interestin;, Icarus, Greek legends tell us, was in; prisoned with his father Daedalus o; the island of Crete. Daedalus fashioned a set of wax-coated wings into which feathers were stuck, and with the aid of these wings he and Icarus made good their escape by flying across the sea to Italy. Subsequently Icarus stole the wings and flew alone in an attempt to roach the sun. He ventured too near, the wax melted, and he fell headlong into the sea. , The 10s value shows a portrait ot Leonardo da Vinci, the great Italian artist-philosopher, who was the first to study the science of flight. Hie 15s stamp shows the hydrogen-filled balloon constructed by the physicist Charles, in 1783. Charles had witnessed the H-mile flight of Montgolfier s balloon filled with heated air, and at once recognised the greater possibilities or hvdrogen. . , "The 20s stamp brings ns to more modern times. It shows the famous first flight of the Wright biplane m 1903. The high value of the senes, the 255, provides a link with the famous Bleriofc monoplane that made the first crossing of the English Channel in 1909. THE FIGURE THIRTEEN. There is an interesting story involving an unique run on the figure id relating to the, withdrawal _of the original 13c stamp of U.S.A. m 1921. A petition protesting against tfiis withdrawal was sent_ to the United States postal authorities by a band ot enthusiastic stamp collectors. Hie following were the reasons why tlie stamp ought to be retained: 1 America was discovered on the eve of the 13th of the month. 2. The original republic consisted ot thirteen colonies. 3. The first official flag had thirteen stripes and thirteen stars. 4. The American national emblem, the American eagle, required thirteen letters to spell its name, as does also the motto' 1 E pluribus unuin. 5. The first word sent over the American cable was sent on the thnteenth day of the month. 6 The silver quarter-dollar is written all over with 13. The eagle has thirteen leaves in one claw and thirteen thunderbolts in the otheix On its breast is a shield bearing thirteen bars. Hanging from its beak is a ribbon bearing the motto with its thirteen letters. Each wing has thirteen feathers. It takes- thirteen letters to spell “quarter-dollar.” 7. There are thirteen letters in the name of John Paul Jones, the famous American, . 8. There were thirteen ships m the first American Navy. 9. Parry’s victory on Lake Erie was won on the thirteenth day of the month. . ■ 10. The Stars and Stripes were raised on Fort Sumter on tho thirteenth day of the month. 11. General Pershing reached France on June 13, 1917. ■ 12. The thirteenth amendment of the American constitution freed the (Country of slavery. , "Obviously, in support of such a petition a thirteenth reasmi had to be given. It was the printing of a 13c stamp would cost no more than any other! Regardless of these interesting reasons, the 13c stamp was discontinued. A PHANTOM REPUBLIC. In 1893 an enterprising clique manufactured some labels purporting to be postage stamps for the “Republic ot Counani,” and at the same time rumours were circulated regarding other series alleged to have been issued between 1887 and that date. Apparently stamp collectors were somewhat sceptical regarding the bona-fides of these labels, for very few seem to have been sold. However, nothing daunted, the creators of this non-existent republic tried to float another issue of stamps in 1900. This also was unsuccessful, and in 1904 an even more impudent attempt to foist Counani “stamps” on philatelists was made. Various dealers in London and elsewhere received an imposing looking circular dated “Counani, October 1, 1904, which stated that the “postal service of this State has been reorganised, and from January 1. 1905, there will be a regular service between Counani and Europe via French Guiana.” A set of ten different labelswere mooted, and dealers were invited to send their orders, which were to be generously executed at 10 per cent, below face value. No one was so foolish as to speculate in the rubbish, and since then nothing more has been heard of the mythical State of Counani. The republic is said to he situated in South America, between Brazil and French Guiana, but as these territories join at the point indicated, there does not appear to be much room for this socalled land of “ liberie et justice.” —‘ Melceel’s Weekly Stamp News.’