FOR STAMP COLLECTORS

Evening Star, Issue 23094, 21 October 1938, Page 3

FOR STAMP COLLECTORS

[By Philatelist.]

The annual meeting of tho Dunedin Philatelic Chiu was Held in the T.AI.C.A. rooms on Thursday, October id, with 31 members in attendance. Jbo report stated that tho past year had been a satisfactory one both in regard to membership and as to the interest displayed by members in the activities oi the club. The exchange branch was functioning well, and the library, though small, was proving of value, the boohs and journals meeting with a steady demand. Thanks were accorded to those members who, by means of papers, talks, and displays, bad made trie monthly meetings instructive aud interesting. The finances of the club were satisfactory. 'The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows:—President, Mr J. M‘Ara; vice-presidents—Dr M. N. Watt, Messrs J. Pemberton and W. H. Stothart; secretary and treasurer, Mr A. Clark; exchange superintendent, Mr 11. C. Halford; committee —Messrs J. D. Inglis, P. W. PeHs. P. R. HJones, Ur Iv. Davies; librarian, Mr A. Chapman; auditor, Mr A. Dickison. The displays for the evening were furnished by Messrs ,W. H. Stothart, E. H. Broad, and A. Clark, and were particularly good. Mr Stothart showed 15 sheets, comprising Tonga, Niue, and Aitutaki, The stamps mounted on these sheets were in fine condition, and included some rare items. Amongst the Tongans were the bisected Id pale rose of 1892, together with the 2d value on piece, anti the bisected Id olive green of 1895 also on piece. Three unique blocks of the 1923-1924 provisionals were shown, used copies, on piece. They consisted of a block of eight of the 2d on sd, a block of 15 of the 2d on 2s Gd, and a block of 12 of the 2d on ss. His Niue and Aitutaki exhibits were noteworthy on account of the large number of used copies contained therein. As most collectors know, used stamps of these islands are not easily acquired. Mr Broad showed five sheets containing recent scenes of Piji, Belgium, Russia, Spain, and Nyassa. These were in mint condition aud neatly mounted. Mr Clark hung 15 sheets, the majority of which contained blocks, pairs and singles of the Australian Commonwealth, Id green issued during 192 - -1930. Its plate numbers, retouches, major and minor varieties, together with plate flaws, combined to make an interesting exhibit. He also showed copies of the recent 5s and 10s values issued by Australia.

BRITISH COLONIAL GEORGE VI. ISSUES. The flow of colonial new reign stamps lias now reached its peak, and within a very few weeks will virtually have finished. The most interesting of the new designs that have appeared are from Trinidad and Tobago. The old ipopular designs have been adapted very cleverly to a larger format to permit the inclusion of the King’s portrait. A 4c. value now' introduced takes the Memorial Park design previously used on the 48c. value, which is dropped from the range. The 72c. value also has been discontinued, its place being taken by a new 60c. value using the “ Blue Basin ” design. Newfoundland has issued four new designs bearing royal portraits, that of the 4c. value having an excellent portrait of Princess Elizabeth. Of the other designs, the 2c. show’s King George VI , the picture being identical with that chosen for the South-West Africa Coronation issue. Queen Elizabeth is shoivn on the 3c. stamp, this portrait being the same as on Australia's current Id value; and Queen Mary appears on the 7c. value, the portrait being the one used on the 3c. value of the Newfoundland 1932 issue. Cyprus is another colony that has retained the majority of its old designs, the only alteration in the majority of its 13 new issues being the incorporation of the King’s portrait. The 4} p. value, however, uses the map of Cyprus design that was last seen on the 11 p. value of the 1928 Jubilee series. New designs are a view’ of the “ Citadel,” Othello’s Tower, at Famagusta, on the 9 p. valine, and a head and shoulders portrait of King George VI. on the 90 p. and £1 values. The Cayman Islands have produced an entirely new range of five designs, spread oved 12 stamps as follows; Id and Is, Caribbean dolphin; Id. lid, 2s, a beach view’ at Grand Cayman; Jd and 3d. map of the islands; 2Jd and ss, a Cayman schooner; 2d, 6d. and 10s, a beach view’ with hawksbill turtles and cocoanut palms. The Ascension Islands issue has retained the 1934 pictorial designs, the words “ Postage and Revenue ” being deleted, however.

Sierra Leone has introduced the first five values of its new series. These show two new designs, a rice harvesting picture being used for the lad and 2d values, and a view of Freetown, as seen from the harbour, appearing on the id, Id, and 3d stamps. THE STAMPS OF ATLANTIS. Readers who are offered stamps purporting to be issues of the Empire of “ Atlantis and Lemuria ” should be on their guard. It seems that a body of Scandinavians engaged in developing the group of islands known as Lemuria, lying in the Pacific Ocean to the west of the isthmus of Panama, have prepared a crude stamp issue for use on outgoing mail and have _ announced their intention of applying _to the Postal Union for recognition in 1940. It is unlikely that the Islands are not already under the sovereignty of one or another of the world’s nations, and the status of the “ Atlantis ” stamps must remain in doubt until the ownership of the islands is established. No private group of people may issue stamps; that is the prerogative of sovereign States only. The position, in fact, is identical with that of the Lundv Island issue. made by the owner, Mr M. C. Harman, which was withdrawn on the intervention of the British Government.