The Stamp Club

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 25 June 1943, Page 3

The Stamp Club

CONDUCTED BY THE STAMP MAN Dear Boys and Girls, — It was only recently while looking through my collection that I realised how many mourning stamps had issued to pay tribute to famous people. The United States of America was the first to have a mourning stamp, printed in black and bearing a portrait of Warren G. Harding, the 29th President of the U.S.A. Next came Russia, who in 1924 issued four black and red stamps to honour Lenin. You may remember King Albert of the Belgians who was very fond of climbing, and who lost his life in March, 1934, when out climbing one day. A large black stamp was issued by Belgium in May of the same year, as well as a similar one by Ruan-da-Urundi (a Belgian colony). President Paul von Hindenburg, President of Germany, died in 1934, and a set of six portrait stamps with a black border round each stamp was printed. Three months after the Austrian Chancellor, Engelbert Dollfuss, was murdered in July, 1934, a splendid black stamp with the portrait of the Chancellor, appeared. When King Alexander of Yugoslavia was shot by a man and killed, the stamps then in use appeared with a black border. Queen Astrid of Belgium lost her life in a motor accident in 1935, and so many people wanted to have a souvenir of the popular and beautiful Queen that about eight stamps were printed in bright colours, but with black borders. These are very popular, and I am sure most of you have at least one, or perhaps a full set in your collection. These are, of course, only a few of the special mourning stamps issued since 1923, and although most of them are printed in black, if those depicting Queen Astrid are included, they will brighten up the others, if you decide to make a separate collection of “mourning” stamps. I have just seen illustrations of our new triangular Health stamps to be issued in October, and I know you will be anxious to get them for your collection as soon as they are issued.— i Your friend, THE STAMP MAN. Thank you for Stamps. —A bag full (no name); Cowgirl, Richmond; Margaret Challies, R.M.D., Richmond; Colleen Bennett, Nelson.