tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282624332024-03-08T00:14:32.275+00:00AKPhilatelyHi, I'm Adrian and this is my blog on all things philatelic. Hope you like it!Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.comBlogger485125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-33418235492615182872021-01-16T11:37:00.006+00:002021-01-16T11:37:10.731+00:00Say it with flowers<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I was writing my stamp engravers column the other day, featuring the Austrian engraver Hubert Woyty-Wimmer, when I was struck again by how beautiful his 1948 Flowers stamps are.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PGnBhhrq6IFn7jrb6IfwV5iyKjljt83QWK4Cvnu_ElKJCrQqRxup6imhsKJIU4gBTY2jiH0ZssKqlMSq4GQl-vZS0FjXPk8rOfxyYE_98UnTK9LWn7MbQUHilCxOlkdJ4i2R/s1880/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1880" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PGnBhhrq6IFn7jrb6IfwV5iyKjljt83QWK4Cvnu_ElKJCrQqRxup6imhsKJIU4gBTY2jiH0ZssKqlMSq4GQl-vZS0FjXPk8rOfxyYE_98UnTK9LWn7MbQUHilCxOlkdJ4i2R/w510-h640/13.jpg" width="510" /></a></div>And as luck would have it, I then received an email from the Merkurphila auction house about their upcoming auction, and of course it would include some lovely items from this set.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jbENcdpp8MO90a3FfZ7MhpnOS4GmEiPNtgKHg90-sw2MTkmCzrWtUDtnAoGTHHaAevaHaN7x1974JylAj-gk0oD4AIF6G7RhQmrRhETysa1984axw6csM4LA1xRTKqmv96ZY/s1200/BMB_1465204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="982" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jbENcdpp8MO90a3FfZ7MhpnOS4GmEiPNtgKHg90-sw2MTkmCzrWtUDtnAoGTHHaAevaHaN7x1974JylAj-gk0oD4AIF6G7RhQmrRhETysa1984axw6csM4LA1xRTKqmv96ZY/w525-h640/BMB_1465204.jpg" width="525" /></a></div>Unusually, the stamps are printed in a combination of both recess-printing and letterpress. One of the lots in the auction is a proof of the letterpress part only, which basically takes care of the dark background colours. It is a perfect item to highlight the different components of the stamp.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_ElA4qWcF0mwCW8eJ-WDpyAOQvCGy7SU2QfoVkT1e34LdK-Hvmmmxnj0KanT9Cf-AtWuihSYYRslLSHkzwiwfpO6XM-eDFTYPKa-IExxZ5pUCaizKx-l0J12PXg7LNIO4h3n/s1600/BMB_1465206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1600" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_ElA4qWcF0mwCW8eJ-WDpyAOQvCGy7SU2QfoVkT1e34LdK-Hvmmmxnj0KanT9Cf-AtWuihSYYRslLSHkzwiwfpO6XM-eDFTYPKa-IExxZ5pUCaizKx-l0J12PXg7LNIO4h3n/w640-h450/BMB_1465206.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>More common, but still very nice, are the progressive proofs, which show how the actual engraving is being executed.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkf-jIJ4mDUShahk0H4RNhnQmuC_wyi11psDIxzkdcXnPxYsCtndB05WyN2-xPXKzBBYsmyyV5KAwFGTRVlhtzPC6FLBbCnwCsgswxFEhgUg6qwWEDmi3QvD9kBzL1hA2s6nZj/s1600/BMB_1465210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkf-jIJ4mDUShahk0H4RNhnQmuC_wyi11psDIxzkdcXnPxYsCtndB05WyN2-xPXKzBBYsmyyV5KAwFGTRVlhtzPC6FLBbCnwCsgswxFEhgUg6qwWEDmi3QvD9kBzL1hA2s6nZj/w640-h480/BMB_1465210.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>One of the lots, of the 40g stamp, shows that Woyty-Wimmer abandoned his first engraving and started all over again.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhEtuoTL6RmK1q1g9hpx5LbtptlkYabHJ5368DbQ2cAxnY2X1Mylq6rcifQDcB3y_iNtvy1ZwgP38cjd0cAQwBL9fqlY-oKsFYY_9E3CD0jKEeX3xTzAxzKj0-7zI2xRQAQsa/s1400/BMB_1465212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1011" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhEtuoTL6RmK1q1g9hpx5LbtptlkYabHJ5368DbQ2cAxnY2X1Mylq6rcifQDcB3y_iNtvy1ZwgP38cjd0cAQwBL9fqlY-oKsFYY_9E3CD0jKEeX3xTzAxzKj0-7zI2xRQAQsa/w462-h640/BMB_1465212.jpg" width="462" /></a></div>And finally, there are also progressive proofs of designs which were in the end never issued.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Thankfully, quite a few of these are out of reach, but the ones that aren't really mess up my planned budget for February! So I've a lot of thinking to do!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">:-)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Adrian</span></div>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-11622873421120816852021-01-12T11:16:00.055+00:002021-01-12T11:16:04.999+00:00Flying high<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I was sorting away some of the goodies that my ever faithful inlaws (hi Liesbeth!) keep sending me over Christmas, and was glad that there were two more sheets from the long-lasting 'Experience Nature' series among them. Now I have always liked my birdies on stamps, and the two sheets happen to be both of various types of birds! The series does include other animals, and even flora, but in 2020, the focus was solely on birds, with four sheets in all having been issued.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguA6qzhm24hiybUquCUCfzU1fjqAVoxzZtX3Lygy-GC2Nmu2DZyrW1WdrjI93x3jFjuxeXafBpLXUupINDGFN0NO9a5_pgzDlAJ0Osgz5xAumKcUYLISPDDoYaQB1XrPCoE92m/s2048/41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1485" data-original-width="2048" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguA6qzhm24hiybUquCUCfzU1fjqAVoxzZtX3Lygy-GC2Nmu2DZyrW1WdrjI93x3jFjuxeXafBpLXUupINDGFN0NO9a5_pgzDlAJ0Osgz5xAumKcUYLISPDDoYaQB1XrPCoE92m/w640-h464/41.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The two sheets I'm showing you here depict forest and moorland birds, and coastal birds. They may seem a bit messy at first sight, but they do improve when studying them closer, as there is so much to see and read as well.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe8x0moLOVWwIpW_uQupJ7kOBYiE3Hw-EUMDu2LA_lfOVUSi9voya-3BP2-0BKKvMyLNdabsPvEX8pOYw4S6hBZ-0U8G7lWmCY8bMak5oBzpVGpXbzeAxGgWTay-jhhS5jpNQW/s2048/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1479" data-original-width="2048" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe8x0moLOVWwIpW_uQupJ7kOBYiE3Hw-EUMDu2LA_lfOVUSi9voya-3BP2-0BKKvMyLNdabsPvEX8pOYw4S6hBZ-0U8G7lWmCY8bMak5oBzpVGpXbzeAxGgWTay-jhhS5jpNQW/w640-h462/10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Not only do you get the basic information such as the names of the birds (in both Dutch and Latin), but every stamp is accompanied by snippets of information about them in the margins; where you'll find them, what they eat, their behaviour, etc. Methinks that would be great for thematic collectors!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">:-)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Adrian</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-88374925083102944152021-01-08T10:28:00.022+00:002021-01-08T10:28:00.228+00:00Get voting!<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">In 1968, Britain issued a set of various 'British Anniversaries', which included one for 50 years of Votes for Women. The stamp, designed by C Abbott, depicted a statue of Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-z3kHXgw2ss3BKrTYdZI2Iwr62XutbD3pXCf_zTIYiW3n5pNwD5-n_UoWDN3QMkvj_5VcfTIZNDHWhrlbb6mCaL-0V_WqcDl8ahmfp0g6xelFSPWGpUBLblWfE62fVUV8eYmS/s1600/s-l1600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="965" data-original-width="1600" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-z3kHXgw2ss3BKrTYdZI2Iwr62XutbD3pXCf_zTIYiW3n5pNwD5-n_UoWDN3QMkvj_5VcfTIZNDHWhrlbb6mCaL-0V_WqcDl8ahmfp0g6xelFSPWGpUBLblWfE62fVUV8eYmS/w400-h241/s-l1600.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I recently came across a set of four colour separation proofs, which I thought were rather stunning, so I'll share them here with you. Despite there being four proofs, the stamp was actually printed with only three colours:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">reddish violet</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhmB-llrNIEwtCSmXkPsDZabdjTaHNDjKz2HUQflA_9La-9jnHtyu0eY8reMEITMiu7H4sNBZhR9uNCUj2_TEP7QHjva9ZPo5ScriUo0r1Wu5Bbs1a-0Gowa9iE_KLQsnQhj_/s2032/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="2032" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhmB-llrNIEwtCSmXkPsDZabdjTaHNDjKz2HUQflA_9La-9jnHtyu0eY8reMEITMiu7H4sNBZhR9uNCUj2_TEP7QHjva9ZPo5ScriUo0r1Wu5Bbs1a-0Gowa9iE_KLQsnQhj_/w400-h238/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">bluish grey</div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGEIBrhK3S3nQCKNLiUA5NpocN7PFLLHsTxH0HBh43jeUtF8P6aSR5Z8oV47FfrcMV7i7ubGkm79OYSosg9YW_dyYkIS1x27cxY9he3mQjhhid2JOp-DGfJrUtrJ9UNvVwjcQ/s2048/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1299" data-original-width="2048" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGEIBrhK3S3nQCKNLiUA5NpocN7PFLLHsTxH0HBh43jeUtF8P6aSR5Z8oV47FfrcMV7i7ubGkm79OYSosg9YW_dyYkIS1x27cxY9he3mQjhhid2JOp-DGfJrUtrJ9UNvVwjcQ/w400-h254/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>black</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJAxnAUvyRz8EsU8xBR9_iNw1D2-X6DJMcoC2-NW4cBhOh_0gJjx2HyoP5dfHAa4WnxrUGF7z48LOeT1sSbS7oSo-8ijFb5HEYGy7je3waKtWcFibcHd6ZhcPSnIpxHKlSNtT/s2048/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="2048" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJAxnAUvyRz8EsU8xBR9_iNw1D2-X6DJMcoC2-NW4cBhOh_0gJjx2HyoP5dfHAa4WnxrUGF7z48LOeT1sSbS7oSo-8ijFb5HEYGy7je3waKtWcFibcHd6ZhcPSnIpxHKlSNtT/w400-h249/9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The fourth proof is of the two colours (violet and black)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">that make up the statue image.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCseoCPUsSbZ-k3GkrqLlvDvZ6Ouilb6SyfmruUVSPj-idme-_ssf1gHhjWvHXV1AfA_MPR0mYF_jZ530US2ZDAGQFtcW1yDzmjy297FT2tuV4DqnZaLiCK2DKLMw7PqP3o8N4/s2048/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="2048" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCseoCPUsSbZ-k3GkrqLlvDvZ6Ouilb6SyfmruUVSPj-idme-_ssf1gHhjWvHXV1AfA_MPR0mYF_jZ530US2ZDAGQFtcW1yDzmjy297FT2tuV4DqnZaLiCK2DKLMw7PqP3o8N4/w400-h239/7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I think it's fascinating to see how black was used to add a few shading tones to the image of the statue, which is why proofs such as these are such a joy to behold. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">:-)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Adrian</span></div>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-34776860778042847322021-01-03T06:05:00.001+00:002021-01-03T06:05:06.785+00:00Must do better<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The upcoming sale of <a href="https://corinphila.ch/en/home#">Corinphila Auktionen</a> includes some beautiful proof material of the first issue of Liechtenstein. This type of material illustrates perfectly the amount of (artistic) work done before a stamp is finally printed and issued.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJdZofzAg45UquvV4DYeLXX4QWH-RElDi9cpn4NOWMlPUGkdCLrIplydrQ3-L4IzQ50twqS8Kv8OCUnChtF_kJFQgxKk2jDUadFH74hfguyN7M0TJHDxzFSApBn2sLbwotCBJ/s455/9576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="340" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJdZofzAg45UquvV4DYeLXX4QWH-RElDi9cpn4NOWMlPUGkdCLrIplydrQ3-L4IzQ50twqS8Kv8OCUnChtF_kJFQgxKk2jDUadFH74hfguyN7M0TJHDxzFSApBn2sLbwotCBJ/w238-h320/9576.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>So we start off with design no. 1. The design was by the famous Austrians Ferdinand Schirnböck and Koloman Moser. It depicts the Liechtenstein monarch Prince John II in a typical Moser frame. The design was proofed and shown to the monarch who rejected it, saying he thought his portrait was too dark.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlrHQEj-rAUrcHi3KfE9Hg47Ouo3mXYYV-bO-zEkzFyk4uQ7dfH7SnI6vCh_hB26bSGb5Bc65fYSzTGWXYKBFPM5wvdpFHq_RyOUV1wo4qmrw0GWdwG5WM8eWcczR2c9AvPaO/s378/9577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlrHQEj-rAUrcHi3KfE9Hg47Ouo3mXYYV-bO-zEkzFyk4uQ7dfH7SnI6vCh_hB26bSGb5Bc65fYSzTGWXYKBFPM5wvdpFHq_RyOUV1wo4qmrw0GWdwG5WM8eWcczR2c9AvPaO/w237-h320/9577.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>So back the two went to improve on their design. They were given a medallion with a better portrait of the prince and so they included that into their design. Their first attempts at this second design consisted of the existing frame with a photograph of the medallion portrait glued on top. Prince John II was shown this design as well and he approved it.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrESpUhsg00ME6yJJy2IaJO_a1jQE_tAbPrlP1G9K8ZkpvSMRkbE0fi7mgjDYfvW9mnlXbRBsPD2YEvHJflmwBVR9C-Uc4dCEIA7KzoP_HtBiymCo_UZLbSTCFIJ4x9Y1V69-/s1089/9578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1089" data-original-width="818" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrESpUhsg00ME6yJJy2IaJO_a1jQE_tAbPrlP1G9K8ZkpvSMRkbE0fi7mgjDYfvW9mnlXbRBsPD2YEvHJflmwBVR9C-Uc4dCEIA7KzoP_HtBiymCo_UZLbSTCFIJ4x9Y1V69-/w300-h400/9578.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>And so a new engraving was made of this portrait, of which proofs exist as well.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJb-HJLltdqjkdpEEITdrvJ97bJKq1qu5lCZbu-mkZzM9Hcar03PKxy5i0NkSYWcwHyXo1F-dLEHfFcQKvObFDZ4jDgT45DwfNa_TwTBwviKmW-92dv67fTSYVvDvPn-MATROx/s411/9581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJb-HJLltdqjkdpEEITdrvJ97bJKq1qu5lCZbu-mkZzM9Hcar03PKxy5i0NkSYWcwHyXo1F-dLEHfFcQKvObFDZ4jDgT45DwfNa_TwTBwviKmW-92dv67fTSYVvDvPn-MATROx/w245-h320/9581.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>The frame and the portrait vignette were subsequently put together and the result was printed off again as a proof. And still they were not satisfied. It was thought the shading behind the prince was not right, too dark, and the contour lines in the arms were too light.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5agQQ5fx5t89enN9Flk8H2FBOctDiAsexigRu0cw9QzkulTYg9BHQK9bYHMHBALPRrxqn_2sirGZGtFu1EziDOVFnvjnMdIPArrUFR79SORyQn4BO2ekxWkucMJ5f_xf5vqQ/s413/9589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5agQQ5fx5t89enN9Flk8H2FBOctDiAsexigRu0cw9QzkulTYg9BHQK9bYHMHBALPRrxqn_2sirGZGtFu1EziDOVFnvjnMdIPArrUFR79SORyQn4BO2ekxWkucMJ5f_xf5vqQ/w242-h320/9589.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>And so, these changes to both shading and the arms were made, after which yet another proof was taken. This time, the design was deemed satisfactory, and the actual stamps could be printed.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Isn't it gorgeous? Unfortunately, with starting prices already in the four figures per item (in Swiss francs, mind you, but still), I will never own any of these, but even looking at the images of them makes my heart beat a little faster, so that's going to have to be good enough for me, I'm afraid!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">:-)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Adrian</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-4633352922723582232021-01-01T01:32:00.001+00:002021-01-01T01:32:05.825+00:00Happy New Year!<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Wishing you a lot of 'philatelying'!</span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhin5l6micvDFF5SJIc09fyqKitVrSojsbUTDUks_QN6EAQ7jZxXS_LRSxvipps2YufRULB1cXF78ORK9ryENFsBQXwCsHp_xi9EbneoXDkwnMDR8CLWT0Bn3H6JYgkv8XIrEPp/s1465/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cartoon by Jack Ziegler" border="0" data-original-height="1465" data-original-width="1463" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhin5l6micvDFF5SJIc09fyqKitVrSojsbUTDUks_QN6EAQ7jZxXS_LRSxvipps2YufRULB1cXF78ORK9ryENFsBQXwCsHp_xi9EbneoXDkwnMDR8CLWT0Bn3H6JYgkv8XIrEPp/w640-h640/image.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cartoon by Jack Ziegler</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Gosh, we're a sad bunch, aren't we!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />:-)<br />Adrian</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-40385721532647185952020-12-30T10:30:00.000+00:002020-12-30T10:30:27.558+00:00Coil test stamps <div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I managed to get hold of a great collection of Dutch coil stamps which also included a range of test stamps. These, as the name suggests, were used to perform various trials to do with the production of coil stamps. I thought I'd show you some here.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyh_OCXJFGJvOLFdIITNws4AYPTQo3eaEVrXt9qWkx6sI99lTxKl4E63xsenjfo8wkCAXFIqPCcC7qtei0IBLH4DfgLwjmLVlu4au0lGq-pUQEwO4RsmzEOMxHeXvw_KOwGPB2/s4243/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="4243" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyh_OCXJFGJvOLFdIITNws4AYPTQo3eaEVrXt9qWkx6sI99lTxKl4E63xsenjfo8wkCAXFIqPCcC7qtei0IBLH4DfgLwjmLVlu4au0lGq-pUQEwO4RsmzEOMxHeXvw_KOwGPB2/w640-h112/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The first one up is a strip of five blank stamps with so-called interrupted perfs. In the 1920s and 30s, printers Enschedé were looking for ways to produce coils which would not tear prematurely, one of the main complaints of coil users. So they experimented with removing various pins from the perforators. This particular pattern, with the two top side pins removed, was tested and introduced in 1930, on the contemporary definitives.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzxGFIVgh2CUe37vbAbVDlTut2On1M0ujTKExafpAXpsjZvGjC5noEB6IlW6ChxaUP0P0qSzgoV2HkkrEDyClT_NKvwErz0LyXj3qMg3e8XZKrInirehsKnwHvOuqy4N3zlK5/s4263/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="4263" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzxGFIVgh2CUe37vbAbVDlTut2On1M0ujTKExafpAXpsjZvGjC5noEB6IlW6ChxaUP0P0qSzgoV2HkkrEDyClT_NKvwErz0LyXj3qMg3e8XZKrInirehsKnwHvOuqy4N3zlK5/w640-h110/2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This was not ideal, though, so Enschedé kept on experimenting until they finally came up with a regular perforation, measuring 13.5 x 12.75, which proved strong enough to be used for coil stamps as well. Tests with this perforation type were performed in 1933 and stamps with this perforation were introduced in 1934.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_P081a3qagSMZGwGG9PmZ180FIxup5Go38VlL-gtA2h9wcJoIVHhImifQeXNGfemUIVp7DI5RKkRWhPQTqL7Rwx1rd-PXHEEl-srb52KD-xo5DuqwVnEBMk4mvKSEXwdInAE/s2472/Image5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="2472" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_P081a3qagSMZGwGG9PmZ180FIxup5Go38VlL-gtA2h9wcJoIVHhImifQeXNGfemUIVp7DI5RKkRWhPQTqL7Rwx1rd-PXHEEl-srb52KD-xo5DuqwVnEBMk4mvKSEXwdInAE/w640-h274/Image5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The large-scale introduction of coil dispensing machines in the 1930s led to an increased demand. In 1936, Enschedé moved from sheet inlay coil printing to printing on the web, which was a much faster way of producing coil stamps. This coincides with the 'Shirley Temple' coil stamps, which also date from 1936, so I presume that these were used to trial web printing. And yes, it has since been established that this is emphatically not Shirley Temple, but the name has stuck! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BjDStkRY1_dvo6wKRRcQRo8Zu2AKNOOj9sztPwMIkIspoX1tsp1_U0A9OP4vCspFoLqdXtEeZ9EzM_limJieA1a0kQ9xDpGWwft3SuqN1-t1ta6HCbAH5kTIqhJSaq4ao7z7/s3286/Image6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="957" data-original-width="3286" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BjDStkRY1_dvo6wKRRcQRo8Zu2AKNOOj9sztPwMIkIspoX1tsp1_U0A9OP4vCspFoLqdXtEeZ9EzM_limJieA1a0kQ9xDpGWwft3SuqN1-t1ta6HCbAH5kTIqhJSaq4ao7z7/w640-h186/Image6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">In 1937, a test stamp was created with the St Andrews Cross on it, in several colours. I haven't been able to find the exact reason why these were introduced. Being so near the Shirley Temple design of 1936, these may also have been used in web printing trials, but that's just a guess, and probably not a good one. If anyone knows more about these, I'd be happy to hear from you!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1W5i9v3FFrc9wuk2tvQpFWnjhZUag8_D7bwhSlAKXOvMyXEgN7nD5roKBqgu4wTzGX4DkcYBWWwBYwwZHNELRw7Cf1lDDSjjejjlYgy9BUj2QpmQNeADE3KIWlvorszJzW-UK/s4188/Image7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="4188" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1W5i9v3FFrc9wuk2tvQpFWnjhZUag8_D7bwhSlAKXOvMyXEgN7nD5roKBqgu4wTzGX4DkcYBWWwBYwwZHNELRw7Cf1lDDSjjejjlYgy9BUj2QpmQNeADE3KIWlvorszJzW-UK/w640-h114/Image7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Moving on to 1971, we find our final test stamp. Ever since the post offices had been supplied with coil dispensing machines, it was thought to be handy to have counting numbers on the back, for the benefit of post office staff. These were introduced in 1965, but the numbers were printed in such a way that they were always seen inverted when looked at by staff. So a new type of number was introduced in the late 1960s, which solved that problem. Test coil stamps with this new way of printing counting numbers are dated 1971, so I don't quite get that, but anyway, they exist in both the small (shown) and large format of the newly introduced Juliana Regina definitives.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">So you see, I've still a lot to learn about these, but that's the fun of this whole philately thing, isn't it?!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">:-)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Adrian</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-39067899556369674392020-12-29T09:56:00.001+00:002020-12-29T09:57:28.968+00:00Park it here<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkvNdTXiOW-R6O4y5oV53nu841rWaj7vH-NUynWeBCH0gRdXCKUjHxcQG1_7_1321KeIKaXbcVRKJ8DreVqfUMNEwJl9-Qlfg54JOFKNNNpQy3eZjVVlV8RPpMn6R-mCviY7j/s2048/National+Parks+New+Forest+NP+Stamp+400%25EF%25BF%25BD.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkvNdTXiOW-R6O4y5oV53nu841rWaj7vH-NUynWeBCH0gRdXCKUjHxcQG1_7_1321KeIKaXbcVRKJ8DreVqfUMNEwJl9-Qlfg54JOFKNNNpQy3eZjVVlV8RPpMn6R-mCviY7j/s320/National+Parks+New+Forest+NP+Stamp+400%25EF%25BF%25BD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />So you'd like to see some more national parks? Well, I can oblige. My second favourite stamp from the set of ten is (I think) the one featuring the New Forest National Park, with its ponies.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But they are all rather atmospheric, so it will be a good start to 2021! I might even venture to the post office and get a set.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">What I like even better is that Royal Mail will also issue one of those mixed retail booklets. These are booklets of six 1st class stamps; four of which are regular Machin definitives, and the other two are special stamps. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">For this issue, the Peak District and Snowdonia national parks are included. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZR3JnZsKFa9fQFUGQwf7m8YVEcrVjpTZ7M_-uDtu5i-g2EA29w-3UHCLXa76V0YfiLuCbCe0TENj69yWPuRcwhCWZELzTYRw4NEI1Y8eLvILMm-rjyqkFqw_CDkq8ZeitZdW-/s582/Image1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="582" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZR3JnZsKFa9fQFUGQwf7m8YVEcrVjpTZ7M_-uDtu5i-g2EA29w-3UHCLXa76V0YfiLuCbCe0TENj69yWPuRcwhCWZELzTYRw4NEI1Y8eLvILMm-rjyqkFqw_CDkq8ZeitZdW-/w400-h150/Image1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">These booklets a are favourite of mine, and it's just as well that my local post office doesn't stock them, for I would probably buy them all. As it is, I only have a couple of them, but I do have the first one, issued back in 2001 with submarine stamps, which has by now become rather collectable, I believe.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">:-)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Adrian</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-81982603914921379442020-12-28T16:15:00.005+00:002020-12-28T16:15:49.675+00:00Tilting at windmills<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOP7JUrq3wVF4bGFJj1Ji-R12XHwIdn75YyxRURh5ErFy1uzM5CVp1w06hj4QJ6HZsoU8KP2wiF7adJwhLeQcw7BgMbfYr_mPOgT7moMrLISCOGo9oE2Pu3N5S6JYF82Q1sYem/s2048/National+Parks+Broads+NP+Stamp+400%25EF%25BF%25BD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1949" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOP7JUrq3wVF4bGFJj1Ji-R12XHwIdn75YyxRURh5ErFy1uzM5CVp1w06hj4QJ6HZsoU8KP2wiF7adJwhLeQcw7BgMbfYr_mPOgT7moMrLISCOGo9oE2Pu3N5S6JYF82Q1sYem/s320/National+Parks+Broads+NP+Stamp+400%25EF%25BF%25BD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I like windmills on stamps. Not so much that I would collect them seriously, but well enough to notice them when they come along. So I was well pleased when I saw a gorgeous one in the latest Royal Mail press release. The set, which will be issued in January 2021, celebrates national parks and this particular stamp features a windmill in the Broads National Park. It is by far the most beautiful in the (large!) set.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But I didn't really want to tell you about windmills, I wanted to tell you about this guy, Graham Beck, who has a great youtube channel with loads of philatelic videos. I've only recently discovered him and have been binge-watching ever since. </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Here's one of his videos, on windmills! (see what I did there?!). Click </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz-9LA-VoG4&list=WL&index=20&ab_channel=ExploringStamps" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">HERE</a><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">. (Sorry, the file was too large to include the video in this post.)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">You'll find many more of his videos on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkeSM6aOWfaUPIGb5rPOGyA">youtube</a>. Try and find the one where he recreates the US 'Mail in the Mailbox' stamp, which is, like, so cool!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">:-)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Adrian</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-29515124695205621132020-12-27T11:54:00.000+00:002020-12-27T11:54:30.716+00:00Sitting on a dolphin<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEgRA26VjxWcTzM88-gjz4hWAsPCa1NsR2OAmKXCvb1Qo_xG_Q8pJys_4FtNuoPbHWYUsCpGiH4EuvA3jc2qAADLy_14JyYlZWgE0Zklj13yhQlqf72-VOsH-oK6OvjsHYTOOM/s2048/1940a.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1292" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEgRA26VjxWcTzM88-gjz4hWAsPCa1NsR2OAmKXCvb1Qo_xG_Q8pJys_4FtNuoPbHWYUsCpGiH4EuvA3jc2qAADLy_14JyYlZWgE0Zklj13yhQlqf72-VOsH-oK6OvjsHYTOOM/s320/1940a.jpg" /></a></div><br />I really really like the Dutch Child Welfare issues, which have been issued annually since 1924. And I know I'm not the only one: they are by far the most popular charity stamps among collectors. maybe because we all remember taking part in the annual campaign to sell them door to door when we were kids?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Anyway, they are so popular that there is even a special <a href="http://kindmax.nl/">philatelic society</a> in the Netherlands, which I joined a year or two ago. They have a bulletin which usually contains interesting articles and, even more important for overseas members like me: they have (postal) auctions! And, this being a specialised sciety, the items are usually quite rare, which is fantastic.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Now I love the promotional posters that were produced every year. They come in all sorts of sizes, from flyers included in magazines to big wall posters. They were produced by the committee that coordinated the annual child welfare stamp issue, although the Dutch Post themselves also created promotional material. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">As it happened, the latest bulletin included a good article on the early posters, from 1924 to 1940. I had just managed to get some in their latest auction, so that was handy. I know they have a handbook as well, which will include all this material, but it is large and rather costly to send overseas so I haven't come round to ordering one of those yet.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpVV6oIo-HD_dIqF2b-ZVDO9snxd6lNo1RrUl27oQ9ciZV10SP0Bn3Jgb3rV0ilObrxmuh3K3Pvv_ZCq9B_k2MNigMO1FBMWLLlTHOZRtxGirdkqd5EX3Abqdxyxbz49L0rO0/s2048/1929a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1685" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpVV6oIo-HD_dIqF2b-ZVDO9snxd6lNo1RrUl27oQ9ciZV10SP0Bn3Jgb3rV0ilObrxmuh3K3Pvv_ZCq9B_k2MNigMO1FBMWLLlTHOZRtxGirdkqd5EX3Abqdxyxbz49L0rO0/s320/1929a.jpg" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But anyway, I'm showing you here the promo poster for 1940, depicting a girl among mushrooms etc, designed by Samuel L Schwarz, and a rare Dutch Post promo flyer for the 1929 issue, of the wee bairn on a dolphin. The latter one is of course based on the actual stamp design, by Harm Henrick Kamerlingh Onnes,which is always a bonus I think.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">See yous later</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Adrian</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-61327958931711764632020-12-26T23:20:00.001+00:002020-12-26T23:20:33.378+00:00I'm back!<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslBmlyFKNMHKn7nyWdLPJRKP-08jtDzlTE6-T5Ui4vjBI1diOqWDPEsPRjQWCuubhuKnClZFa-ixU8f956Fjcp9Vv4Oi7eDpeMMV3H2ptsClnQTd2a4QRiwoZv4w2aGGFj3JG/s1200/42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1056" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslBmlyFKNMHKn7nyWdLPJRKP-08jtDzlTE6-T5Ui4vjBI1diOqWDPEsPRjQWCuubhuKnClZFa-ixU8f956Fjcp9Vv4Oi7eDpeMMV3H2ptsClnQTd2a4QRiwoZv4w2aGGFj3JG/s320/42.jpg" /></a></div>Hello everyone!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It has been ages since I last wrote something here on this blog, as I have been preoccupied with my <a href="https://stampengravers.blogspot.com/">stamp engravers</a> for so long. But I feel I have OD'd on them and therefore I've decided to revert to more general collecting practices. In other words: I'm back to collecting anything and everything, and I would love to share this with you all, despite my feeling a bit rusty!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Having said that, I do still have a few major collecting interests, these being The Netherlands (and territories) and GB. So these may feature quite often in my future writings, but I'm sure that other things will pop up as well with any regularity. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">For my comeback entry, however, I'm sticking to GB, and especially GB proofs. I'm rather fascinated by them, especially when they are visually attractive and different to the existing stamps.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In 2003, the regional stamps for Wales, which had been in circulation since 1999, were reissued with a white border, the original versions having designs that bleed into the perforations. The change was needed because the original stamps were too dark for the sorting machines to pick up enough of the phosphor signal.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uv6h0jLSLYVoPTEq-Hrc7AErRMNyzzFcTYUBC_EBfDSPnHSFZ7aHeCo6Y82ugaKeRoHHvmPck35VcWjc03-HJiZE150kCVfhqw2u_q-6GoR7Mj6Cr7OQCFvf7pRQjTm8UFR_/s1200/43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1040" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uv6h0jLSLYVoPTEq-Hrc7AErRMNyzzFcTYUBC_EBfDSPnHSFZ7aHeCo6Y82ugaKeRoHHvmPck35VcWjc03-HJiZE150kCVfhqw2u_q-6GoR7Mj6Cr7OQCFvf7pRQjTm8UFR_/s320/43.jpg" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I prefer the original design, I must say, but the great thing is that for these new stamps, colour trials were made, and I managed to get the three that exist of the 2nd class value. They also exist for the other values, and for England and Scotland as well. The strange thing is, however, that the original designs (and colours) were never changed, so one wonders why these colour trials were made. I have so far not seen a satisfactory explanation for them.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7ZZeMROtqZOcGPg61w1fZe925h03SxGCxCboA3HNFXRUF0dWLOTRvrOfp0FChEqZGjSh5Cs9g6YhbBgE8CpLWsI-MMkzaOtJ4jiS5OZF-Rrd2YM4Imsy5ZCHgBiIOFz4O00k/s1188/44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1188" data-original-width="1056" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA7ZZeMROtqZOcGPg61w1fZe925h03SxGCxCboA3HNFXRUF0dWLOTRvrOfp0FChEqZGjSh5Cs9g6YhbBgE8CpLWsI-MMkzaOtJ4jiS5OZF-Rrd2YM4Imsy5ZCHgBiIOFz4O00k/s320/44.jpg" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Also, the time when these were made is still up for debate as well, I believe. The values on them coincide with the 2003 sets, so that seems like a logical date to opt for.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But if any of you know more about these, then I'd love to hear from you!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">:-)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Adrian</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-61699992669190138512011-11-12T10:46:00.001+00:002011-11-12T10:57:38.113+00:00Roll on 2012 !Ooh, yes, 2012 is going to be a great year for GB issues! And I haven't said that since 1999! We had already had the fantastic news about those great Olympic definitives, which will be issued on 5 January.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXUrfNzerox3OZ9xp6ApkJQUkwNg88BASSR8yJsLjaGmH0vfJKImEgwfmOoCD2W9bdd4qhyphenhyphenskUg3SwMiJVvjsDRls8MYga8LyPvNfBGjYeHj1okJZh23gSExyCQiSvrH7GlaG/s1600/120105_1st_olympic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXUrfNzerox3OZ9xp6ApkJQUkwNg88BASSR8yJsLjaGmH0vfJKImEgwfmOoCD2W9bdd4qhyphenhyphenskUg3SwMiJVvjsDRls8MYga8LyPvNfBGjYeHj1okJZh23gSExyCQiSvrH7GlaG/s320/120105_1st_olympic.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
I love them and even though I'm anything but a sports/Olympics fan and even less of a sports/Olympics on stamps fan, I think these are absolutely great.<br />
<br />
But it gets even better, for to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, we will get a diamond blue Machin first class stamp and an absolutely stunning miniature sheet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mP1grJHm8OO2OLhHc_as_9yfEOsZ5i-2Jqe2f_U-5L0TtoTrItQ1RUWYPHsubJnVfa3mEHXbr_9bK0Jyiek4-7wui5WfPE9KzGsifwqPa0W5Qmm0RKE2_5oE2t0inMuVjOYa/s1600/120206_jubileeMS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mP1grJHm8OO2OLhHc_as_9yfEOsZ5i-2Jqe2f_U-5L0TtoTrItQ1RUWYPHsubJnVfa3mEHXbr_9bK0Jyiek4-7wui5WfPE9KzGsifwqPa0W5Qmm0RKE2_5oE2t0inMuVjOYa/s320/120206_jubileeMS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It's so good and beautiful that I don't even know where to start! I'm in need of a myriad of superlatives! And all the values are first class stamps so we can actually use them on our everyday mail. The sheet will be issued on 6 February, with the Machin in various formats issued in February and March.<br />
Life is good again!<br />
:-)<br />
AdrianAdrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-15257166258535362792011-10-31T11:17:00.000+00:002011-10-31T11:19:44.494+00:00I see greenWell well well. I only recently reported on a major change in the French definitives (see <a href="http://akphilately.blogspot.com/2011/07/theyre-here-no-not-poltergeists-sorry.html#links">here</a>), and here's yet another one! This is turning out to be a very nice and varied set!<br />
I'm not totally in the know but I believe that for a long time there have been green definitives, representing a slower, surface mail rate. Now, these green definitives have become properly green. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPsYS899NztmLwEJba2kAfCnE5NEdH259BOeH9ePTqGr-6n3Nkn5UeF9SE1gPEc3HL4g-L502en6Hnftl7HXyAGTJkwSFGWNGMCgZSs7sRqlAd-h1jAXrUcJcllLlOl0W25TB/s1600/1111820_g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPsYS899NztmLwEJba2kAfCnE5NEdH259BOeH9ePTqGr-6n3Nkn5UeF9SE1gPEc3HL4g-L502en6Hnftl7HXyAGTJkwSFGWNGMCgZSs7sRqlAd-h1jAXrUcJcllLlOl0W25TB/s320/1111820_g.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
The general definitive image has been placed into a leaf, ramming home its economic-friendly message. The publicity bumph glorifies the eco-friendly rate, as no airplanes are being used in the transport of mail franked with these stamps. Everyday users have, I believe, been grumbling for years that this rate represents mail taking ages and ages to reach its destination. But there you go.<br />
I love the design, think it's quirky, and I like the idea behind it. And it's a perfect sideline in a collection of this set. <br />
And what's even better: instead of the one green stamp which we used to have, the green stamp is now available for four different weight rates, in four different shades of green.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyis05zFBiQ9NuIZUYPXt4HHjQWVo6wPRdEAYcupJSIXFvI28ii08lm1RrT7dxNDzo9BxqftyAU-ytxigM4RCprFDCT3VS8ob71z7gQykTWO55cHCzfFPUJT7Ox6cS8ykhQgT/s1600/2111791_g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyis05zFBiQ9NuIZUYPXt4HHjQWVo6wPRdEAYcupJSIXFvI28ii08lm1RrT7dxNDzo9BxqftyAU-ytxigM4RCprFDCT3VS8ob71z7gQykTWO55cHCzfFPUJT7Ox6cS8ykhQgT/s320/2111791_g.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
I'm a fan!<br />
:-)<br />
AdrianAdrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-24847468539213173042011-10-16T09:41:00.002+01:002011-10-16T09:41:54.714+01:00ECSCI've mentioned the ECSC before, the European Coal and Steel Community, founded in 1952 when the general idea in Europe was that economic cooperation was so much better than isolationism or even war. Among the top men involved with the foundation of the ECSC was Robert Schuman, then French Foreign Minister, after just having been French Prime Minister for some time.<br />
To mark the 20th anniversary of the ECSC, Luxembourg issued a stamp in 1972, depicting a bronze by R. Zilli portraying Robert Schuman.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBBY9Lqqo8AzuMmPg8G1DSmpL2K28PnZfL0Gnoj8RXraZYmGTgEZcy4xPfMFTiAAQONu8PzCVWb_BOY6AHrauiiJbU3NPpJ0jPj8Xc4FiodYQBlIxOn7hI4ARevw_iqd2Mmpp/s1600/16n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBBY9Lqqo8AzuMmPg8G1DSmpL2K28PnZfL0Gnoj8RXraZYmGTgEZcy4xPfMFTiAAQONu8PzCVWb_BOY6AHrauiiJbU3NPpJ0jPj8Xc4FiodYQBlIxOn7hI4ARevw_iqd2Mmpp/s320/16n.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>
<br />
Just in case, like I did, you wonder why Luxembourg would portray him rather than "one of their own", I found out that he was actually born in Luxembourg, albeit more or less on the Lorraine border with France.<br />
Another great item for my Peacemaking collection! Or should it go in my Engravers collection, under the B for Béquet?!<br />
<br />
:-)<br />
AdrianAdrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-37621372884142687022011-10-07T08:42:00.000+01:002011-10-07T08:42:26.848+01:00Purrfect (sorry!)Just a short note today. I love cats and as such I've always been interested in cats on stamps. Downside? They're pretty much all horrific. I can't think of a single cat stamp I like! Until now, that is. For when I went to the Prestwick stamp fair this weekend, I finally found cat stamps I not only like but absolutely adore! They're a bit wacky, but they're so good and lifelike and great, that I had to buy them and I simply had to show them to you straightaway! (well, five days late but sometimes life gets in the way).<br />
So here they are:<br />
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<br />
I wish I lived in Sweden! I would buy up to 1000 of that top right stamp and use nothing else on my mail for years to come!<br />
<br />
:-)<br />
AdrianAdrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-46103620204114834982011-09-29T08:42:00.000+01:002011-09-29T08:42:12.035+01:00<strong>Gentlemen</strong><br />
I believe it was the Dutch engraver Sem Hartz who once said when talking about recess-printed stamps that they are the gentlemen among stamps. And how true is that! He had just as outspoken an idea about multicoloured stamps: rubbish! In his view a well-engraved stamp only needed one colour. So he would hopefully have been pleased if he could have seen this post of mine, for it will feature nothing but monocoloured recess-printed stamps!<br />
I'm still ploughing through the stamps I got from my friend Paulo, you see, and there's quite a few of recess-printed stamps among them. The set that I like in particular is the 1966 set to mark the Tercentenary of the Solemn Promise to Our Lady of Luxembourg. In plainer English this means that in 1666 the Mother of God was chosen as Patron Saint for the City of Luxembourg.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkS85e8vGvrWN_h9az7SrmwA1yD0e0DgkcY3166i21rI9qDRSVtPchndsYCjD-fvjZP2serBT6PMJaXpgpQujwQFecOm9Sr71hZ7mOATrFhp_R_cA-jWNLDXDoeG8BqvRjpuMG/s1600/27y.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkS85e8vGvrWN_h9az7SrmwA1yD0e0DgkcY3166i21rI9qDRSVtPchndsYCjD-fvjZP2serBT6PMJaXpgpQujwQFecOm9Sr71hZ7mOATrFhp_R_cA-jWNLDXDoeG8BqvRjpuMG/s320/27y.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>The stamps are engraved by abovementioned Sem Hartz and are absolute gems. He seems to have a bit of a fussy style, but there's so much to see on these, it's absolutely amazing. However, as usual, they look better in real life than in scans, but there you go.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioc6EjYDIIZtDE-mQCrLQ9Tf-efjQ4kM3Hn8a3-vvAIr3ew4ggi_a2-g6PUw9SWqcEMwoFh3dSGPsObcYp_u7hBZCwYeX_SRddlca-7zW7eqIWAbAdil_G12K2nl2odqLP1Zr_/s1600/29b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioc6EjYDIIZtDE-mQCrLQ9Tf-efjQ4kM3Hn8a3-vvAIr3ew4ggi_a2-g6PUw9SWqcEMwoFh3dSGPsObcYp_u7hBZCwYeX_SRddlca-7zW7eqIWAbAdil_G12K2nl2odqLP1Zr_/s320/29b.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>Not being an expert at all, it is great to see that even within engraving there are different styles. Compare the two stamps shown above with the two coming up next.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bogOTJFFhheGMCPfzxUzoQ3RrGdBGm4-EZLUvjjLoAvH8-D5skBv9mBWxeb-iUmYZDS7AOiKvgipTd7ZolsLnMl1XremUOQp-EAPel40FcTDklP4vEPCPZ5ME1ENqrOioMaC/s1600/29i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bogOTJFFhheGMCPfzxUzoQ3RrGdBGm4-EZLUvjjLoAvH8-D5skBv9mBWxeb-iUmYZDS7AOiKvgipTd7ZolsLnMl1XremUOQp-EAPel40FcTDklP4vEPCPZ5ME1ENqrOioMaC/s320/29i.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>These two were also issued in 1966. They seem to be very French in nature. No wonder I suppose, for they were engraved by the Frenchman René Cottet. I don't know what makes them French in style, is it the whiteness around the image, or is it maybe just the subject matter?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20Ro_eZWfz6cpOzVAHnyoUi29dlOadb4Zzjmh8b7lL5jvPr6Sc3iNo_DDl3w0Dx_gjRv59MUYXYofruVlpou7XPwNywc-b71JIQHHz-O1uFQfER1XpGtrhW4EbjbObpLMkAyt/s1600/29h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20Ro_eZWfz6cpOzVAHnyoUi29dlOadb4Zzjmh8b7lL5jvPr6Sc3iNo_DDl3w0Dx_gjRv59MUYXYofruVlpou7XPwNywc-b71JIQHHz-O1uFQfER1XpGtrhW4EbjbObpLMkAyt/s320/29h.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>Yet another different style can be found in this 1980 stamp portraying Jean Monnet (yes, him again, which is why I was doubly pleased with this stamp as it fits in my Peacemaking collection!).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXt6oDgIxbQgXOnK5n3y2xnqgpg9cBO1d_BWSO1hJAvs2fEWIbE8rPyOgkZbExHPEdh2uevZIAVbbb_aNQX7KR1aDUtHFyMZ3ZJmK8qyTDliNAFhYEaQCoQmR7D0jV8ShTrbM/s1600/27r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXt6oDgIxbQgXOnK5n3y2xnqgpg9cBO1d_BWSO1hJAvs2fEWIbE8rPyOgkZbExHPEdh2uevZIAVbbb_aNQX7KR1aDUtHFyMZ3ZJmK8qyTDliNAFhYEaQCoQmR7D0jV8ShTrbM/s320/27r.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>A very modern stamp and yet so well executed that for me it still proves good old Mr Hartz right!<br />
:-)<br />
AdrianAdrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-43214277972401363382011-09-25T09:04:00.000+01:002011-09-25T09:04:18.447+01:00<strong>Indulging</strong><br />
Forgive me but I've just received another batch of wonderful Europa stamps, from my dear friend Paulo, so I can't help myself, but I just have to show some of them to you. They make me feel so happy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZfeNdMTOnJStNluXd7u_ruqgq7slRNbmGRp4Te3Yw1NL0IXLXXel5aU3vxjJR-t_RCQ5VJSEL3B0fQHCiMA6uxoXk24zvewm66D8cntkviCTK61ifDjnRFV3zXiJZbc0wUzq/s1600/25l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ZfeNdMTOnJStNluXd7u_ruqgq7slRNbmGRp4Te3Yw1NL0IXLXXel5aU3vxjJR-t_RCQ5VJSEL3B0fQHCiMA6uxoXk24zvewm66D8cntkviCTK61ifDjnRFV3zXiJZbc0wUzq/s320/25l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I promise I won't touch the subject again for some time.<br />
:-)<br />
AdrianAdrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-55223167250408875342011-09-22T08:30:00.000+01:002011-09-22T08:30:44.380+01:00<strong>Errare humanum est</strong><br />
I've just finished a few features on errors in philately, so I'm probably still very much focused on that, but it's not why I bought this set. I only got it because I thought they looked nice! It is the 1952 set issued by the German Democratic Republic or DDR, marking cultural anniversaries. And it is the top value which displays the error.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06M4xMdlY9i9poIWOfHxEs8_dN8kFVBy2ZihmvN5U1WPHksUb388CD9L08iMX_h9eKSEwgOupbgAoQkixxEb-qiJkzA3NhQDRbd3VJHqK8pONeowKwh14fhrYrQ86GeU7YdTG/s1600/22d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06M4xMdlY9i9poIWOfHxEs8_dN8kFVBy2ZihmvN5U1WPHksUb388CD9L08iMX_h9eKSEwgOupbgAoQkixxEb-qiJkzA3NhQDRbd3VJHqK8pONeowKwh14fhrYrQ86GeU7YdTG/s320/22d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The physician Avicenna was not born in 952, as inscribed on the stamp, but in 980!<br />
The three other values mark the 150th birth anniversary of the writer Victor Hugo on the 12pf value,<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8aWDUVSQF_2opZcYZ6cCFrcJWykXANnDLolsGbbcugqFNQ9aPIumYlaOpAvulAwiCzknd9GGY5vawIUh_7jF3pvj_wBjGyZ0nvpwljliTMouwaeAJplcZDq0q7RVcP1k8urZj/s1600/22c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8aWDUVSQF_2opZcYZ6cCFrcJWykXANnDLolsGbbcugqFNQ9aPIumYlaOpAvulAwiCzknd9GGY5vawIUh_7jF3pvj_wBjGyZ0nvpwljliTMouwaeAJplcZDq0q7RVcP1k8urZj/s320/22c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>the 500th birth anniversary of the artist Leonardo da Vinci on the 20pf value,<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQXF5mY7LMl6fcrJNO50kthyphenhyphenG8WR48IH2uqJiTdxi3ZzHV-jb5cbWvJJ2jkp8PbJtKvvJEPyMaMAvoVKo1aiM9rdFiC0Wr7wGza4G8ncFcFaz6cW2srcgkekOT9qcovQnGDcb/s1600/22b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQXF5mY7LMl6fcrJNO50kthyphenhyphenG8WR48IH2uqJiTdxi3ZzHV-jb5cbWvJJ2jkp8PbJtKvvJEPyMaMAvoVKo1aiM9rdFiC0Wr7wGza4G8ncFcFaz6cW2srcgkekOT9qcovQnGDcb/s320/22b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>and the death centenary of the writer Nikolai Gogol.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxPydiEwJq4RTbhoJs7GkkvdNYIeMFN4pqg0L9-N4fqyiqhFDEXvyVfymLA_k7d6ONoVaKgQgkOOVfQXYDE3lb2oD5rDBv1wENBLKTdHCvCiB_HqP9ykFXLGBRLioybJvtTDb/s1600/22e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxPydiEwJq4RTbhoJs7GkkvdNYIeMFN4pqg0L9-N4fqyiqhFDEXvyVfymLA_k7d6ONoVaKgQgkOOVfQXYDE3lb2oD5rDBv1wENBLKTdHCvCiB_HqP9ykFXLGBRLioybJvtTDb/s320/22e.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The DDR designs became ever more communist in appearance, but in the early days they issued gems like these which is why it is such an interesting period to collect!<br />
:-)<br />
AdrianAdrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-67216271877614949152011-09-18T09:24:00.000+01:002011-09-18T09:24:38.129+01:00<strong>In dreams...</strong><br />
What is it with that woman? Why is it that I'm always enchanted by Victoria on stamps? Must be something Freudian! But once again I just had to give in and get the latest GB issue from Royal Mail, featuring the royals from the House of Hanover. And that meant buying low value commemoratives which are priced at over a £1 each! Which is really not done in my book but there you go. I had to because one of the top values depicts Queen Victoria.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8ye0Z0c77myI6R56btvZpmCP5j5o8AAuO2dDLehjo3YSfuzBTJ685hOugiOSGAFllnmr_JhbYH6bNq0X9fivonY_h2Wchwsn-VW-8iLcT5BmFulf2WH-yX7-iL6bPapv5w35/s1600/18e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8ye0Z0c77myI6R56btvZpmCP5j5o8AAuO2dDLehjo3YSfuzBTJ685hOugiOSGAFllnmr_JhbYH6bNq0X9fivonY_h2Wchwsn-VW-8iLcT5BmFulf2WH-yX7-iL6bPapv5w35/s320/18e.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>Isn't it an absolute beauty?! She also features on the accompanying miniature sheet but I cannot get those from my post office.<br />
When I will win the lottery, I will mosty definitely build up a Victorian collection. Mint of course! Not necessarily specialised, just one of each. Maybe even without the overprinted ones, just the crisp beautiful designs on page after page... Sigh...<br />
Not having done that yet, I make do with a used collection of an as yet very meagre appearance. What I also plan to do is try and find an old Victorian album where I can put those in. Nearly got one on Ebay the other day but it went for over a £100 and that was really a bit too much for me. <br />
So for the time being I'll have to be satisfied with victorian dreams...<br />
:-)<br />
AdrianAdrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-58626001433197149512011-09-02T08:41:00.001+01:002011-09-02T08:43:30.517+01:00<strong>Europa</strong><br />
I've always thought it an enormous shame that the CEPT countries decided to let go of the "one design for all" principle. Since then, the CEPT stamps have just become like all the other issues, with nothing linking them together.<br />
The fun thing with the common design is that you are so used to the stamps of your own country that those of other European nations always look fresh and usually much more beautiful!<br />
As part of my "omnibuses" collection, I've therefore decided to collect all the CEPT stamps with similar designs. So that means basically all the stamps from 1956 to 1973, plus 1984 and 2000. And I must say that it has been a great pleasure to find these lovely stamps coming through my letterbox!<br />
Yesterday two more sets came in, both from Monaco.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkxFfRA0beEvfd1bwFH-rvAfwRgNVAlJlyw26_oyGfJhHc5DKbOhMrR274I8Kw0HJKFQiSzeaUFgXwPXeFKoMqrDPcpjlUiJCOAIVF-78j-g5Y1CXA4JL111RCje5d8SvhLLU/s1600/2c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkxFfRA0beEvfd1bwFH-rvAfwRgNVAlJlyw26_oyGfJhHc5DKbOhMrR274I8Kw0HJKFQiSzeaUFgXwPXeFKoMqrDPcpjlUiJCOAIVF-78j-g5Y1CXA4JL111RCje5d8SvhLLU/s320/2c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This one here is from 1965, the year I was born, so just that little bit extra special. The design is by Hördur Karlsson and represents the Europa sprig. The three leaves stand for post, telegraph and telephone (PTT), by which many of the European postal services were known. As with many of the Monaco stamps, this stamp was recess-printed, engraved by C. Haley.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUjWhB3qpxcuX1hnJqGan0SNqgJLwQDPyZBJCpXg513f9x2uSOJbBnGK6PqvB-inHG0eAksotEfvUbLKEHD3I1gMVIbvefIHN5z3fx9OGFFXfMSWvAzLBaMZlB-JvWX50NrgJk/s1600/2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUjWhB3qpxcuX1hnJqGan0SNqgJLwQDPyZBJCpXg513f9x2uSOJbBnGK6PqvB-inHG0eAksotEfvUbLKEHD3I1gMVIbvefIHN5z3fx9OGFFXfMSWvAzLBaMZlB-JvWX50NrgJk/s320/2a.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>The other one is a later one, from 1972. This design is by Paavo Huovinen, representing the Aurora Borealis, although it also known under the name "Communications". Again, this stamp is recess-printed, but this time engraved by G. Bétemps.<br />
In think they're absolute beauties and they make me happy every time I see them!<br />
:-)<br />
AdrianAdrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-89842629018314544432011-07-19T09:15:00.000+01:002011-07-19T09:15:45.303+01:00<strong>They're here!</strong><br />
No, not the Poltergeists (sorry, but I am from that tender age), but the new French definitives, which I talked about <a href="http://akphilately.blogspot.com/2011/06/france-goes-tvp-when-i-think-of-french.html#links">here</a>. Just got them sent to me by <a href="http://my-philately.blogspot.com/">Eric</a>, for helping him with his frog cover project..<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRVcxCYGJTUaJUF1ZDVPc50DAaw-poVupIBSPI66ADQ6OYJ1W7_k5n26Tf3EruZ_WRZyJXmqMoq58Dnq0eJR_V7XcdBy0S7iyiaCm2ZTJpI3GyVo9B74L0VmVxx0izGcJYK1v/s1600/19b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRVcxCYGJTUaJUF1ZDVPc50DAaw-poVupIBSPI66ADQ6OYJ1W7_k5n26Tf3EruZ_WRZyJXmqMoq58Dnq0eJR_V7XcdBy0S7iyiaCm2ZTJpI3GyVo9B74L0VmVxx0izGcJYK1v/s320/19b.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br />
I'm still getting used to the design itself, but they're slowly growing on me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpxCoV3wM1QEkxotv_g8jU8o5novCuX_qJ9cEiH22OLse7tfLV7i_A8phzlsaut0fmKaOCAnaW0cHGpFRHv8diPjWP27BqRa-rb5sy7arAIUCxdA-DoEzR26qPSgzK3xFN5kC/s1600/19d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpxCoV3wM1QEkxotv_g8jU8o5novCuX_qJ9cEiH22OLse7tfLV7i_A8phzlsaut0fmKaOCAnaW0cHGpFRHv8diPjWP27BqRa-rb5sy7arAIUCxdA-DoEzR26qPSgzK3xFN5kC/s320/19d.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />
And here's the new version for the ecopli rate.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4c81WWdgotZOM6HyBSKqZn4PPV_wfGtwW0DN5uYrZ8PRgirO-bdFKM0jXe7bsmlJUUcldME53z0eqp3hYWjHHTwIOZlAbPigPaR5T3kdsg_lc3cepUSendxhk17ihoBgbkuzE/s1600/19g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4c81WWdgotZOM6HyBSKqZn4PPV_wfGtwW0DN5uYrZ8PRgirO-bdFKM0jXe7bsmlJUUcldME53z0eqp3hYWjHHTwIOZlAbPigPaR5T3kdsg_lc3cepUSendxhk17ihoBgbkuzE/s320/19g.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><br />
What do you think? Is it better/nicer than the head with background version? To be honest, I'm not sure yet. I think it might have looked better if it had not been in grey.<br />
:-)<br />
AdrianAdrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-72118646539496918232011-07-12T08:46:00.000+01:002011-07-12T08:46:01.429+01:00<strong>Six or eight?</strong><br />
Yes, I'm still on the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC or CECA). I just received my latest item which is this 2001 stamp from Luxembourg, marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Paris, which founded the ECSC.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbWR2ZlLOLP4D39v8H8qXKDhHXKa3jLzyafqXQNqKJUkx77vpVMw1bRNXzZnHHiOxwAMhq3xKrhHnMpi3QirPFCkCWM9eNAKAdav5b8THWLQ1hnySSLm9iClt5p0_9B1Laei2/s1600/12a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbWR2ZlLOLP4D39v8H8qXKDhHXKa3jLzyafqXQNqKJUkx77vpVMw1bRNXzZnHHiOxwAMhq3xKrhHnMpi3QirPFCkCWM9eNAKAdav5b8THWLQ1hnySSLm9iClt5p0_9B1Laei2/s320/12a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Now the ECSC was founded by six nations: West Germany, France, Italy and the Benelux. So how come there are eight signatures on the stamp? I only recognised the top one, that being Germany's Adenauer. Thankfully, a quick look on the <a href="http://www.ena.lu/signing_ecsc_treaty_paris_18_april_1951-022500007.html">internet</a> gave me the full list of signatories:<br />
1) Konrad Adenauer (Federal Republic of Germany)<br />
2) Paul van Zeeland (Belgium)<br />
3) Joseph Meurice (Belgium)<br />
4) Robert Schuman (France)<br />
5) Carlo Sforza (Italy)<br />
6) Joseph Bech (Luxembourg)<br />
7) Dirk Stikker (Netherlands)<br />
8) Jan van den Brink (Netherlands).<br />
Now all we need to find out is why both the Netherlands and Belgium had two signatories.....<br />
:-)<br />
AdrianAdrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-36626951341240073612011-07-06T10:44:00.000+01:002011-07-06T10:44:10.693+01:00<strong>Coronation</strong><br />
<br />
I know I like to get lost in the minutiae of stamp collecting every now and then, but don't worry, I can also enjoy the simplicity of a beautiful stamp. No need to specialise, no need for anything, just get a lovely stamp on a page and enjoy looking at it.<br />
And that's what I'm showing you today. A stamp from the 1953 omnibus set for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbwpqK9CG8QmTp6pC8TTJcbmwfi6p2eX1ey8o614a6fk5D-lLkulx9JIEPBskL0yVG5GFBXSkHKMGz__dyTsSFvnd-pG5icOeCQWyXBSaHO9R4wJPMkEClPLp4wc9tfP6aNvx/s1600/6d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbwpqK9CG8QmTp6pC8TTJcbmwfi6p2eX1ey8o614a6fk5D-lLkulx9JIEPBskL0yVG5GFBXSkHKMGz__dyTsSFvnd-pG5icOeCQWyXBSaHO9R4wJPMkEClPLp4wc9tfP6aNvx/s320/6d.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Although I must admit I couldn't resist sorting them by printer!<br />
:-)<br />
AdrianAdrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-10980091561914229092011-07-04T08:27:00.000+01:002011-07-04T08:27:12.457+01:00<strong>Armistice</strong><br />
<br />
I've finally sorted the remainder of my French lot and, before I come to today's topic, will just show you another heraldry stamp.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgOCJe43P2tTgFmZ5p-CrydkeHkUy6_Ga-Nfj8GpYAVHDSgQSrmT2yMg7quwJycU-TN_nSxFCUULfS6WW2Mn2TW4dlMfdWuvmCHh89b1R46GcSilylt53QnReUEsPvh615qd4/s1600/1l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgOCJe43P2tTgFmZ5p-CrydkeHkUy6_Ga-Nfj8GpYAVHDSgQSrmT2yMg7quwJycU-TN_nSxFCUULfS6WW2Mn2TW4dlMfdWuvmCHh89b1R46GcSilylt53QnReUEsPvh615qd4/s320/1l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
Very much like the other one, but this time celebrating the bicentenary of the union of Corsica and France. As in the other stamp, we have the arms of France on the left, and here we see the arms of Corsica on the right.<br />
<br />
But the reason I got this whole lot was because I needed a stamp marking the armistice of 11-11-1918. Now I haven't looked very specifically into this, but a two-day search left me with only one option:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3D1HFdRuGM5or7PR_8nafRMo5U1yJ81RsgIygg-3lY7pXpfk5g-JLvey2cTstC-n7tDxQvKFmq98AhXzBuGuOjNw5zFdO1UPFXpkFcQLgvdQYbA5pRPkWumoLONhf9DzrpNTy/s1600/1k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3D1HFdRuGM5or7PR_8nafRMo5U1yJ81RsgIygg-3lY7pXpfk5g-JLvey2cTstC-n7tDxQvKFmq98AhXzBuGuOjNw5zFdO1UPFXpkFcQLgvdQYbA5pRPkWumoLONhf9DzrpNTy/s320/1k.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br />
This French stamps marks the 50th anniversary of the armistice, and was the earliest stamp I could find to actually mention the date. There's a lovely French stamp from 1938, which I would rather have used, but that only mentions the celebratory date of 11-11-1938.<br />
<br />
You'd think that at the time more countries would have marked the occasion, even though in 1918 we weren't yet bombarded (excuse the pun) with commemoratives. But as far as I know it's only the USA who issued a victory stamp, in early 1919.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYefeo7xY1jnn7_VW7BibkLfZAy4P0o4VRzoPYfKyjbZB3IjB-6wopd2UmjYdkCzv6fxei6xDQMmIgvm8r2Br7b7LCkwGG_05eBxrY6iNrfc1wN5aWSWoaCu2Ba9xvP6hiB0x/s1600/4b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYefeo7xY1jnn7_VW7BibkLfZAy4P0o4VRzoPYfKyjbZB3IjB-6wopd2UmjYdkCzv6fxei6xDQMmIgvm8r2Br7b7LCkwGG_05eBxrY6iNrfc1wN5aWSWoaCu2Ba9xvP6hiB0x/s320/4b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
But if you know of any others, let me know!<br />
<br />
:-)<br />
AdrianAdrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-71311023071532608742011-06-30T19:04:00.000+01:002011-06-30T19:04:25.446+01:00<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><strong>Extras</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I've probably said this before, but sometimes buying a bigger lot will yield a nice surprise or two. And so I was looking for a French armistice stamp of 1968, and found that buying the 1968 year set would be much more cost effective. So I did and they arrived yesterday. While sorting them I found two stamps that would fit perfectly in two collections I don't have but have been thinking about starting up for some time now!<br />
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2xDzK1qntlJoGWbtVxnjhQ-svUf1fw73Yf1mY7ApF7TvE6ZRfciOuZivfGqWwVLCqbP6Z-L-uJMq7BzRYlVp5ZWu6hLTIFViLaayx_8XEqhieUWMdUaYSUMrhv-EowwT-2Qg/s1600/30j.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2xDzK1qntlJoGWbtVxnjhQ-svUf1fw73Yf1mY7ApF7TvE6ZRfciOuZivfGqWwVLCqbP6Z-L-uJMq7BzRYlVp5ZWu6hLTIFViLaayx_8XEqhieUWMdUaYSUMrhv-EowwT-2Qg/s400/30j.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The first one is this stamp marking the 300th anniversary of the first Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. It's a lovely stamp on its own but it contains the Arms of France and Flanders. Now I think heraldry is a fascinating subject and coats of arms always look great on stamps, so I would love to one day start a heraldry collection. Do any of you collect this? I have no idea how to set up such a thing, as I don't want to just collect them and that's that. So I suppose I'm looking for some sort of framework here. A general development of arms? Various subjects depicted on arms? Families? Countries, Cities? I haven't really looked into this yet, so I'm interested to hear if you collect heraldry and how you collect heraldry.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_g-sVFRcWR0j0lF5mbUqEClFbVAK1_pRgmZLQEnFvitkuodhHHmsOuzbrOtNoUB827lY4Z7rrEddvQeexMFiAsKdN5s3mnurwcAMIaDwIoOqQVUpia_x9Zt5-xG4L5JqYiTS9/s1600/30x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_g-sVFRcWR0j0lF5mbUqEClFbVAK1_pRgmZLQEnFvitkuodhHHmsOuzbrOtNoUB827lY4Z7rrEddvQeexMFiAsKdN5s3mnurwcAMIaDwIoOqQVUpia_x9Zt5-xG4L5JqYiTS9/s400/30x.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The second item I found useful is the 1968 set for Europa. This is a lot more straightforward, because one day I'd love to have a basic collection of all those Europa stamps of the 50sd, 60s and 70s, when countries adapted and used a single design.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">So much for my downsizing programme!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">:-)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Adrian <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div>Adrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28262433.post-58671881116510501872011-06-28T09:14:00.000+01:002011-06-28T09:14:15.137+01:00<strong>Top speed</strong><br />
<br />
It's been a while since I last mentioned our dear old queen Wilhelmina, but don't worry, she's still on the cards! I find that collecting her goes in fits and starts. I had a real fling some time ago because I had to display her at my local society last February. After that I had had enough of her, but now she's back with a vengeance!<br />
<br />
The thing is, you see, that next year our local society is organising the ASPS (Association of Scottish Philatelic Societies) Congress in Perth. As host society we have to display umpteen frames, and I've been asked to do four frames of Wilhelmina. That's 64 sheets! Now I'm alright with that if I include the definitives of the overseas territories, and all the commemorative stamps, but seeing that I prefer to do just the Dutch definitives, I really need to give my collection a bit more meat.<br />
<br />
And so I'm back looking at all the auction sites and catalogues, in search of more stuff to add. Great fun of course but also rather frustrating because I've found that, especially on eBay, the majority of dealers who have what I want are from Holland (makes sense) and most of those only send to Holland, which is a bit of a bummer. But I've finally found one who has lots of plate flaws and who ships to the UK as well! So here's my latest addition.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ48USG1JmoR372DyO-ts9dkP7ob2r-m1ihEKjGtZR5ThLcP0x2a3dbLPHPRm38e1tTeTS2zUqLPgSLLbM22dPtCgdz08SBem9LwG29Yt3hCowP8Kbk4qoKjSbX2x6oK9oUc29/s1600/28a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ48USG1JmoR372DyO-ts9dkP7ob2r-m1ihEKjGtZR5ThLcP0x2a3dbLPHPRm38e1tTeTS2zUqLPgSLLbM22dPtCgdz08SBem9LwG29Yt3hCowP8Kbk4qoKjSbX2x6oK9oUc29/s320/28a.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
It's the plate flaw "diagonal scratch in front of 1 of 15" on the 15c value of the 1924 Veth set. Here's the enlargement, just in case you couldn't spot it!<br />
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AdrianAdrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16745769665637978663noreply@blogger.com2