FOR STUMP COLLECTORS

Evening Star, Issue 21723, 18 May 1934, Page 2

FOR STUMP COLLECTORS

[By Philatelist.] PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. I. have seen a first-day cover with three new stamps—2 cent, baseball; fie, tennis; ICc, basketball issued for tenth Far Eastern Chanipionshij) Games; special cachet—Bureau of Posts, official cachet, Manila, PI. First day sale, April 14, 1924; commemorative stamps Tenth Far Eastern Championship Games. Two special postage stamps Vvill be issued shortly, a John Maearthur stamp to commemorate the centenary of the founder of the Australian wool industry, and a Melbourne centenary stamp. Making that announcement, the Actiiig-Postniaster-Gencral (Sir Harry Lawson) said that he had given instructions for the preparation of a special stamp, which would bear the likeness of Captain John Maearthur, as lie considered that- die Maearthur centenary was too important to be allowed to pass without Commonwealth recognition. It was hoped to have the stamp ready within two or three months, though normally six months’ notice was required. Tim Melbourne centenary stamp design will show a view of the Yarra as Batman and Fawkner saw it, and also an impression of the city as it is to-day. The issue of both new stamps will be strictly limited.

Postmasters and employees of the United States Postal Service were notified last September that the department was preparing to issue a special postage stamp in the 3-cont denomination in commemoration of the Byrd Antarctic expedition of 1933 for use on letters mailed through ■ the Little America post office to be established at the base camp of the expedition in the territory of the South Pole.

The stamp is of the same size and shape as special delivery stamps, 0.83 in by 1.42 in, arranged vertically. The stamp is surrounded by a narrow double line border, printed in navy blue. Across the top of the stamp is the inscription “Byrd Antarctic Expedition II,” arranged in two lines in solid Roman. In the central part of the stamp is a large geographic globe, the sides of which are partly bidden behind the border. Routes of the several Byrd flights are depicted by dotted lines with the dates thereof in solid gothic. Proposed new flights to the Antarctic and to the South Pole are also indicated. The position of the base camp is marked by a solid dark circle, with 1 the wording “Little America” in solid gothic extending parallel with the meridian to the west of the base. Within a circle with white ground and double line border, in each lower corner, is the large numeral “3” in solid colour. At the bottom of the stamp is a narrow horizontal panel with white ground containing the word “ Cents ” in solid gothic. In a ribbon panel directly above, with white ground, are the words “ U.S. Postage,” also in solid fotliic lettering. A clouded effect, envy below and lighter at the top. forms a background for the central globe. Collectors desiring the Little America postmark will send all covers to the “ Byrd Antarctic Expedition, care of Postmaster, Washington, D.C.” (accompanied with postal money order remittance at the rate of 53 cents per cover, payable to Byrd Antarctic expedition, .Washington, D.C.), from which point the covers will be forwarded to the Little America post office for post marking and return. Covers will continue to be received by the expedition office in Washington, D.C., until about November 1, approximately the latest date mail can be forwarded to Dunedin in time to reach the relief ship before its departure to Little America to return the expedition from the Antarctic. These covers will reach addresses approximately one year later than those carried io"Little America on the first trip.