Posts Tagged ‘postal history’

This is the first stamp issued by Bermudians to inaugurate their capital, Hamilton, and is signed by Bermuda postmaster William Bennet Perot. In 1848, the town of Hamilton was incorporated as the Capital of Bermuda, and these stamps were printed under Postmaster William Bennet Perot. He wrote the words “1 penny” above the year stamp and signed his name below.

Till now, only 11 copies of this stamp have been discovered. Most of them are in the possession of European royalty, such as the specimen belonging to Queen Elizabeth II. This stamp’s worth is approximately $100,000.

Mail in Hawaii used to be carried by ships with no official postal system in place. However, by 1851, traffic in Hawaii was high enough that the government set up a postal office and established official postal rates.

On 1st October, 1851 The stamps went on sale in three denominations covering three rates: the 2-cent stamp was for newspapers going to the US, the 5-cent value was for regular mail to the US, and the 13-cent value was for mail to the US East Coast, combining the 5 cents of Hawaiian postage, a 2-cent ship fee, and 6 cents to cover the transcontinental US rate. These stamps are most often used by missionaries working there at the time.

The top line read “Hawaiian / Postage” for the 2- and 5-cent values, but “H.I. & U.S. / Postage” for the 13-cent value, reflecting its unusual role of paying two different countries’ postage. And design of these stamps was very simple, having a central numeral of the denomination framed by a standard ornament and the denomination repeated in words at the bottom.

Till now there are only 200 stamps of Hawaiian Missionaries have survived, including all values.

The 2-cent is the rarest of the Hawaiian Missionaries, with only 15 copies existing. In 1921 the 2 cent Missionary stamp was sold for US$15,000 and in 1963 the same stamp sold for US$41,000. And Present estimated value of these 2 cent Hawaiian Missionaries stamp is £450,000 for unused copy and £225,000 for used copy.

An interesting story about this stamp is: in 1892, one of its earlier owners, Gaston Leroux, was murdered for it by an envious fellow philatelist, Hector Giroux.

An envelope containing a 2 cent and 5 cent Hawaiian Missionary stamp (as well as two other 3 cent stamps) survived to this day and is known as the Dawson Cover, in the 1995 Siegel auction it realized a price of US$1.9 million, and was last sold publicly for $2.09 million, making it one of the highest-priced of all philatelic items.

The Red Mercury is the rarest of Austrian stamps (stamps issued for sending newspapers).

Austria issued newspaper stamps for the first time in 1851, they represented a profile of Mercury, the Roman messenger god. The Mercury Stamps did not have a denomination printed on them but was specified with the color of the stamp – Blue, Yellow, and Rose. The color of the stamp indicating the value. Blue said 6 / 10 kreuzer rate for a newspaper, yellow for ten newspapers (6kr), and rose for 50 newspapers (30kr).

In 1856, the model has been replicated in the red (or scarlet), and with the rose, was the equivalent of six kreuzer. However, it was soon replaced by a new model that came out in 1858, and only a few copies have survived.

Recent auctions are estimated at approximately $40,000.

We can find that specialists study their stamps to an extent far greater than the general collector, for, in his limited field, his energies are not scattered to the extent that those of a devoted general collector are. We all admit and perhaps this is one of our pet arguments as to the benefits of Philately, that the study of our stamps, and the knowledge gained thereby, is one of the most important advantages conferred by the Goddess Philately on her prostrate admirers and worshippers. This granted, to make a proper and advantageous study of our stamps, it is, of course, reasonable to state that it is not wise to have a field too extensive, else it is a case of “knowing everything, yet knowing nothing well”.

Specialism may be practiced to a greater or less extent. Some collectors seem to have the idea that to be a specialist you must throw up the greater part of your collection and confine yourself to a single country. This idea seems to be sheer foolishness. We are all specialists of a kind. We all have some favorite country that we prefer to all others, even though we collect everything from everywhere. Thus a general collector is in a small degree a specialist, having some country he devotes more attention to than to others.

Again oddities are collected by many, as an outside specialty; albinos, miss-cuts, miss-strikes, double impressions, and in fact anything of a like this nature seems to be carefully hoarded up.

Another very useful specialty is that of counterfeits, which are of great value for comparing with the genuine stamps, and the Philatelist who masters the points of difference between the genuine and the forged stamps has acquired an important portion of his Philatelic education.

So much for a few interesting side specialties, for either specialists or general collectors.

A large number of stamps of the United States, including popular first stamp issued by USA, bear a likeness of Franklin.

Franklin was one of the most noted careers among all the great careers of Americans.  Born in Boston in 1706, he struggled against adversity and secured an education, taking the trade of printer, in which he became famous in Philadelphia, the city of his adoption.  In science, he was also notable, his electrical researches first proving that lightning and electricity were identical.  Many other scientific discoveries are accredited to him.

Probably he was best known in his role of statesman.  In colonial days he was prominent in affairs of state. During the Revolution he was sent as Ambassador to France to secure the aid of that country in the war for Independence.  He was also Governor of Pennsylvania for several Terms, having been elected unanimously.  He was Postmaster at Philadelphia, was Postmaster General under royal appointment during the colonial days, thus serving Canada as well as what is now the United States. It is probably for this reason that the United States always honors him by using his picture on one of its stamps, the lowest denomination usually bearing his face, except since 1912 when the custom was reversed and all values above the 10c bear his picture.

Some of the stamps on which his face appears cost small fortunes.  His genial and fatherly face is quite familiar to all collectors of the stamps of the United States.  He died at Philadelphia on April 17th, 1790.

Before the discovery of Australia, it was believed that a black swan was impossible. However, after people discovered the existence of black swans in Australia, it soon became the symbol of the continent.

In 1854, Western Australia issued its first stamps, featuring the colony symbol, the Black Swan, as did all WA stamps until 1902. While 1d black was engraved in Britain by Perkins Bacon, other values, including the 4d blue, were produced by Horace Samson in Perth using lithography, and with various settings around the design for each swan value.

The Inverted Swan, a 4-pence blue postage stamp issued in 1855 by Western Australia, was one of the world’s first invert errors. Technically, it is a “frame invert”.

In January 1855, the 4d stamps were needed. When Alfred Hillman had the impression of stone out of storage, it was found that two of the impressions had been damaged, so he had to redo them. One of the replaced frames has been replaced tilted, and one was accidentally redone upside down. The stone block of 60 has been transferred four times to give the impression of stone, and 97 cards were printed before Hillman discovered and corrected the error, resulting in a total of 388 printing errors are produced.

However, the errors went unrecognized and unreported for several years. Only 15 complete copies, plus a part of a stamp in a strip of three, have survived. No unused copies are known.

Estimated value of this stamp is around US$80,000.

The 1910 commemorative issue of Italy, issued to commemorate the National plebiscite of the Southern States, in 1860, bear a likeness of Garibaldi, one of the world’s patriots and the idol of the Italian.

Garibaldi was born at Nice, France, on July 4, 1807.  He was the son of a fisherman and was not well educated.  In early youth he was a sailor.  Condemned to death in 1834 for his share in the Mazzini affair, he escaped to South America.

In 1848, he returned to Italy to engage in the war against Austria.  In 1849 he took part in the Mazzini war but had to flee from Rome with 4000 of his troops.  During his flight his wife died from privation and fatigue.

He then went to the United States where for a time he engaged in making candles for a living.  Returning to Italy, he settled on Caprera Island, which was later purchased and presented to him by admirers.

In 1860 he was proclaimed dictator of the Two Sicilies but acquiesced in its annexation to Italy, declining all honors and retired to his island home.

He fought, unsuccessfully against the Austrians in the Tyrol.  In 1867 he attempted the rescue of Rome, but was defeated by the French and pontifical troops.  He fought in 1870 with France against Germany.

He held a position in the French Assembly, later going back to Italy, holding a seat in the Italian Parliament.

The Benjamin Franklin Z-Grill is a 1-cent postage stamp issued by the United States Postal Service in 1868 depicting Benjamin Franklin.

The Benjamin Franlink Z-Grill Stamp has the unique feature that there are tiny squares embossed into the paper in the back of the stamp to absorb the ink. This is to prevent people from cheating the postal system by washing out the cancellation marks. The use of grills was not found to be practical and they were soon discontinued.

There are currently only two known 1-cent 1868 Z-Grills. One is owned by the New York Public Library as part of the Benjamin Miller Collection. And only a single Benjamin Franklin Z-Grill is in private hands.

In 1998, Mr. Robert Zoellner’s complete USA collection was sent to auction, and Donald Sundman, president of the Mystic Stamp Company, acquired The Benjamin Franklin Z-Grill for $935,000.

Later, in late October 2005, Sundman traded this Z Grill to financier Bill Gross for a block of four Inverted Jenny stamps worth nearly $3 million. After completing this trade Gross became the owner of the only complete collection of U.S. 19th century stamps.

Jose De San Martin appears on the stamps of Argentine, Peru and Chile.  He is a national figure in South America in general and these countries in particular.  He was their liberator.

February 25th, 1778, witnessed his arrival in the Jesuit mission town of Yapeyu, on the Uruguay River.  His mother was a Creole and his father a Spanish Officer, who destined his son to his own profession.  At the age of eight he was sent to Spain to attend the best military school in that country and later served in the Spanish army against the Moors and Napoleon.  In that country’s service he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, but resigned this shortly to return to Argentine to aid her in her fight for freedom.

In March, 1812, he landed at Buenos Aires, to find that the ‘revolution’ almost wasn’t, and seemed to be in the last stages of suffocation.  San Martin’s first step was to raise and train some good troops in the city of Buenos Aires, who could later serve him in the capacity of officers in the wars that were sure to follow.

At this time only Argentine and New Grenada expressed the desire for independence.  The other countries were either willing to swing with the old power or else were awed into silence by the show of (Spanish) power.  His first plan (to strike the Spanish troops through Bolivia, a mining and fortified mountainous country) was impossible to carry out, so he asked for, and obtained, the commission of Governor of Cuyo, a province of Argentine adjoining Chile, now held by the Spanish.  After the fall of this country many loyal Chileans fled to Cuvo and when San Martin arrived and announced that he came with the intention of raising an army they flocked to him to offer themselves.  This was a fine recruiting ground.  The men were numerous and brave, and all waiting for a chance to redeem their country.

He now prepared for the invasion of Chile.  He spent most of his time in preparing rations, gathering mules for mountain transport, making sledges to cross the mountains that meant disaster to gun and crew of a wheeled cannon carriage.  Every mile of the proposed route was mapped and guarded.

When January, 1817, came the passes were free from snow, his time had arrived.  He split his command into two divisions and taking command of the larger himself, he sent the other through another pass under command of one of his able generals.

A small party were met in the mountains, but were soon dislodged so San Martin entered Chile practically unopposed.  Within a short time he was reorganizing his troops on the broad plains of Aconcagua.

Although he had crossed two of the loftiest passes of the Andes very little, time was required for refitting his command.  He was soon on the highroad to Santiago.  The battle of Chacabuco (displayed on the Chilean commemoratives) was won by the Argentine general, and not only benefited the vicinity but gave self-confidence and morale to the rest of South America.  Up to this time the different countries were considering asking a foreign government’s protectorate, but now with this victory this was forgotten. From this period on, San Martin’s military career really belongs to Chile and Peru and no longer Argentine.  He subdued Chile and then went up the coast.  In July, 1821, he entered the city of Lima and proclaimed the independence of Peru, resigning September 20th, 1822.

It was in Peru that his military career came to a sudden end. He met Bolivar, the liberator of the North, in conference at Guayaquil with a plan for co-operation which would push the Spanish off the continent into the ocean, but Bolivar could not see his way to co-operate.  San Martin saw here failure for the Republicans should he and Bolivar have any kind of a disagreement.  He explained his position to no one.  Rather than split the cause of independence at the moment when the last Spaniard would be ousted from his stronghold in the Peruvian mountains, he submitted to reproaches of cowardice, in silence.  Rather than jeopardize independence he sacrificed all: Money, home honors and even reputation itself.  The History of the world records few examples of finer civic virtue.

The rest of his life he spent poverty stricken in Paris.  Only once did he try to return to his native land.  At Montevideo he heard that Buenos Aires was again in turmoil so he took the next noat for Europe.  For many years his struggle against poverty and ill health were pathetic.  It was the generosity of a Spaniard, not a countryman that relieved his last days.

It was on August 17th 1850, at the age of seventy-two that he expired at Boulogne-sur-mer, where he had gone to be benefitted by the sea air.

Peru has decreed a monument to his memory and Argentine and Chile have erected statues and all of these countries have placed him on their postage stamps.

It is about hundred and forty five years since Turkey first attracted the Philatelists’ attention. Turkey’s first stamps were issued in 1863. In the same year Russian offices were opened and a large square label, a 6k blue, was put forth by the Russian Steam Navigation Company.  This is now quite an un-common stamp.

Austria, seeing the advantage of having its own office in such a cosmopolitan land, followed by issuing a set in 1867 for its newly formed postal station.

Germany was third, putting forth a series in 1884.

Great Britain was fourth, issuing adhesives in 1885.

In the same year France, the fifth nation to establish its own Levant mail service also put forth a number of surcharges. Separate issues for Dedeagh, Port Lagos, Cavalle and Vathy did not come out until 1893-94 however.

Roumania was sixth, overprinting six values with Turkish currency in 1896.

Italy was seventh, making the first two definite sets, for Albania and Janina in 1902. However, a set for use all over the world had been available since 1874.  A general issue for the whole Levant and separate issues for Constantinople, Durazzo, Jerusalem, Salonia, Scutai, Smyrna and Valona come out within the following five or six years.

Russia followed Italy’s lead by issuing separate stamps in 1909 for the following cities: Constantinople, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Kerassmunde, Mont Athose, Salonique, Smyrna, Trebizonde, Beyrouth, Dardanelles, Metelin and Rizeh.

The seven nations kept up their own services until 1914. Then come a crushing blow, the Abolition of Capitulations which did away with all for foreign offices in the land of the star and crescent.

But collectors who hoped that this act would lessen the flood of labels from this part of the world were destined to be disappointed.  Turkey was on its way to the carving.

The first piece to bereak loose was Hejaz, which declared its independence in 1916.  A little later the British occupied Palestine and Mesopotamia.

The next nation to wield the butcher knife was Greece.  Although three sets came out about this time all were bogus.  The first for Rodosto, a place never occupied by the Greeks and the second and third for Smyrna and Cydonia, both private speculation.

As hostilities had ceased, Roumania and Poland opened offices at Constantinople and the adjacent coast in the latter part of 1919.

Then came an avalanche of issues make by France, for Cilicia, Syria and Castellorizo.

Three independent countries Arabia, Armenia and Trans-Jordania were also formed from fragments of the ‘old bird’.

Later all these countries issue many interesting stamp issues, which attract philatelist’s attention.