FOR STAMP COLLECTORS

Evening Star, Issue 22595, 12 March 1937, Page 2

FOR STAMP COLLECTORS

[By Philatelist.]

The monthly meeting of the Dunedin Philatelic Club was held last Thursday evening in the Y.M.C.A. Rooms. Thirty-three members were present, and one new member was elected. The main business of the evening was the reading of papers hy two of the members. Mr C. Hely contributed paper on ‘ Ship Stamps,’ in which he dealt in an interesting manner with short descriptions of various sea craft depicted on the stamps of different countries. The subject of the paper lead by Mr J. D. Inglis was ‘Do You KnowP’ or ‘ Littleknown Facts About Stamps.’ This was a most interesting contribution, and clearly showed that the writer’s powers of observation, so far as the designs of stamps, are concerned, are very pronounced. Displays illustrative of the subject matter of both papers were exhibited. The evening was brought to a close by stamp sales as between members. FRENCH AIR MAIL STAMPS. Air mail stamps were issued by Franco to commemorate the 100th crossing of the South Atlantic by French air mail service. The design shows a mail aeroplane flying over an old-time caravel, and bears the inscription “ Conquete Aerienne de I’Atlantique Sud.”

The other stamp is a lOf. value in horizontal format showing an aeroplane in front of a hemisphere on which, the route of the transatlantic air mail service is indicated..

At the moment France has two newly issued 50f. air stamps in current use. One of these appeared on July 29 in small format; the other, a larger stamp using the same design surrounded by a network of wavy lines that give it the appearance of a tiny bank note, was issued on July 10. The explanation is that the smaller stamp was actually printed last December, but the Minister of Posts would not agree to its being placed on sale, as he considered the word “ Francs ” in the design was barely readable. In order to use up the printed stock he proposed surcharging it for use as » lOf or 15f provisional, and meanwhile had the stamp prepared in the larger size. Following the change of Government the new Minister of Posts decided that the original stamp was , suitable. for issue, and it was released in spite of the fact that the 50f “ bank note ” stamp was already on sale, A MEXICAN MOTOR ROAD. The opening of the new motor road between Mexico and Laredo has been commemorated in Mexico by the issue of six special stamps, three for general postage and three for air mail use. The 10c air stamp shows a view of the Tasquillo Bridge over the Rio Tula, one of several bridges in the course of the road. The remaining designs are as follow:—Postal stamps—sc, a symbolical map; 10c, the Matalote Bridge; 20c, a general view of a stretch of the road. Air stamps—2oc, the Rio Corona Bridge; 40c, Guayalejo Bridge.

CZECHOSLOVAKIAN PICTORIALS. The recently-issued Czechoslovakian pictorial series is one of the most attractive of scenic sets. It contains nine stamps, ranging in value from 1.20 k to 10k.

The 4k shows a view of Podebrady, m Bohemia. The statue in the foreground commemorates George of Podebrady, one of the most famous of the old-time Czech, kings, who reigned in the middle of the fifteenth century. In the background is the king’s castle._ The 10k stamp shows a pretty riverside view of the Danube at Bratislava. The castle on the hillside was built rather more than 600 years ago, and was the home of the Hungarian kings. It was destroyed by fire in 1811, and _ has remained in its ruined condition ever since. The remaining designs are as follow: —1.20 k, Castle Palanok, near Mukacevo, in Carpathian Ruthenia. _ The site has been a military fortification from very early days, and the castle shown in the stamp dates from 1360. 1.50 k, Banska Bystrica, an old Slovakian mining town. 2k, the castle of Zvikov in Bohemia. The castle is perched on a rocky eminence between the Vltava and Otava rivers. It dates from the twelfth century. 2.50 k, the castle of Strecno in Slovakia. • 3k, the castle Hruba Skala. 3.50 k, the Slavkov Castle in Moravia. sk, the Masaryk Square at Olomouc, in Moravia. NEW STAMPS FOB FIJI. Designs for a new series of stamps for Fiji were invited in a recent official notice in the Fiji ‘ Royal Gazete.’ Fiji is one of the few British colonial possessions that hitherto have remained loyal to the King’s head design, but a change to pictorial stamps in the projected new series is foreshadowed by the intimation that the new designs may feature characteristic scenery and industrial or agricultural pursuits. CALLAO COMMEMORATIVES. The centenary of the establishment of the Province of Callao has been celebrated in Peru by the issue of a set of 12 commemorative stamps featuring various aspects of the history and life of the Port of Callao and the province. The 2c design gives an excellent picture of the caravel “ San Cristobal,” which played a prominent part in the battles along the coast at the time Peru was fighting for its independence from Spanish dominion. The remaining designs are as follow: —4c, La Punta Naval College; sc, Plaza de la Independencia, Callao; 10c, aerial view of Callao; 15c, Callao Docks; 20c, a plan of Callao; 35c, the locomotive “ La Callao ” ; 50c, portrait of D. Jose de la Mar, the first President of Peru; Is, the mail boat “Sacramento”; 2s, D. Jose de Velasco; ss, Fort Maipu. The 10s is probably the most interesting of the whoje series. It shows a plan of the fortifications at Real Felipe, built by the Spaniards in 1770. The borders of the stamp are formed by two old-time cannon mounted on a representation of the battlements of the fort extending across the foot of the stamp. The stamp is one of the most interesting pictorial designs of 1936. The 1937 Paris International Exhibition has been preceded by the issue of a

short series of six postage stamps, values 200 to If _ 50. The four lower values bear a design depicting a herald sounding a fanfare at the_ opening of the exhibition. The two higher values bear an allegorical design showing a curtain being drawn back_ across the globe, typifying the exhibition's revelations of world wonders.