Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2025 i Stamp Collector

Chris King RDP won the RPSL’s Devonshire Bowl and Jirí Kraus was runner-up at the 5th Devonshire One-frame Competition held at the Royal Philatelic Society London (RPSL) on 3 July. The Postal Museum in London is hosting a ‘Summer of Storytelling’ from 24 July until 30 August, which is inspired by their new exhibition, ‘Voices of Resistance’. For more details, see their website (www.postalmuseum.org). The American Philatelic Society (APS) has announced Kirk Gillis has been hired as the executive director of the society. He most recently served as deputy associate director and chief sales and marketing officer for the US Mint. Gillis assumed the leadership role on 14 July, replacing outgoing Executive Director Scott English, who announced his departure in November 2024, completing almost 10 years in the role. As…

The Venice International Film Festival will take place 27 August until 6 September in the Palazzo del Cinema, situated on the Venice Lido. An affordable way to become a part of the show is a stamp collection showing the films and stars of the festival. IT STARTED IN AUGUST 1932 The festival originated in the international Venice Biennale art show (see ‘View from Europe’, September 2024). Its programme expanded from 1930 to include other areas such as cinema, music, theatre, architecture and dance to create a multidisciplinary event. Held as the Esposizione Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografica from 6 to 21 August 1932, the first Venice International Film Festival was held on the terrace of the Hotel Excelsior on the Venice Lido. Its aim was to honour film as an art form…

AUCTION RESULTS PRICES EXCLUDE BUYER’S PREMIUM UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED Registered cover to US The Warwick & Warwick auction on 2 July included a 1914 Foreign Office large, registered cover addressed to British Ambassador Sir Cecil Spring Rice at the British Embassy in Washington (lot 191). The cover bore four 1913 Waterlow Seahorses (two 2s 6d sepia-brown and two 5s rose-carmine), along with a 1912–24 1d and 1s. There was a hooded London B registered mark of 20 March and a hooded London ‘OFFICIAL PAID’ mark, both in black, as well as a Washington ‘PASSED FREE’ boxed handstamp. The cover was additionally signed ‘Grey’ at the top-right by the Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey and endorsed ‘with a packet’. Sir Cecil Spring Rice went on to be instrumental in ending American…

14–17 August Great American Stamp Show Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center, 1551 North Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg, IL 60173, USA stamps.org/events/great-american-stamp-show  12 September–14 September NORDIA 2025 MalmöMässan Mässgatan 6, Malmö, Sweden nordia2025.se 17 September–21 September PHILAKOREA 2025 COEX Magok, 143 Magok Central Ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea philakorea2025.kr 10 October–12 October Stampa 2025 Griffith College Conference Centre, South Circular Road, Dublin 8, Ireland stampa.ie 22 October–25 October STAMPEX 2025 Business Design Centre, Islington 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH stampexinternational.com 23 October–25 October Internationale Briefmarken-Börse Ulm Messe-Ulm Ulm, Germany briefmarken-messe.de 7–8 November Stafford Stamp Show Staffordshire County Showground, Weston Road, Stafford ST18 0BD staffordstampshow.co.uk 16–17 January 2026 York Stamp & Coin Fair The Grandstand, York Racecourse, York YO23 1EX stampshows.net 4 February 2026–8 February DUBAI 2026 Sheikh Maktoum Hall, World Trade…

The origins of philately are closely tied to the invention of the postage stamp itself. Prior to the 1840s, postage was typically paid by the recipient, based on distance and the number of sheets. The system was cumbersome, often unreliable and inaccessible to the general public. THE VERY FIRST STAMP The first adhesive postage stamp, commonly referred to as the Penny Black, featured a profile of Queen Victoria and went on sale in London on 1 May 1840. It was the result of postage reform provided by Rowland Hill between 1837 and 1840 (Figure 1). The Two Pence Blue (sometimes called the Two Penny Blue) stamp went on sale on 6 May 1840 and was valid on the same day, making it the second stamp in the world. Except for…

The theme for this year’s EUROPA stamps is ‘National Archaeological Discoveries’, with member countries issuing stamps featuring finds and locations that are of national significance. These include the Viking castle of Aggersborg in Denmark built between 970 and 980 by King Harald Bluetooth, a bronze canon from Portugal and Ice Age art from Germany. To extend this theme further, Stamp Collector has compiled a list of top archaeological discoveries of international significance to see how they have been depicted on stamps. CAVE OF ALTAMIRA The Cave of Altamira in northern Spain is a key example of Palaeolithic cave art that developed across Europe, from the Urals to the Iberian Peninsula, from 35,000 to 11,000 BC (Figure 1). The cave was discovered in 1879 by Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola and was…

CINDERELLAS London–Isle of Wight airmail service Back in the late 1960s, I spent a most enjoyable week on the Isle of Wight, discovering everything about Cowes you cannot milk, cycles you cannot Ryde and Needles you cannot thread, writes Christer Brunström. I remember lush greenery and beautiful beaches. I undoubtedly had a wonderful time. I was reminded of all this when researching a couple of what looks like airmail stamps issued by Portsmouth, Southsea & Isle of Wright Aviation Limited in the 1930s. This airline provided flights from Heston Airport to Ryde and Shanklin on the Isle of Wight. The total time from London’s Victoria Coach Station to the Isle of Wight was 1½ hours, with the flying time being just 40 minutes. A single ticket cost 19s 6d and…

The history of the German mark (Deutsche mark) as a nationwide currency begins in 1871 with the unification of Germany and the formation of the German Empire under Kaiser Wilhelm I and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Before 1871, what is now Germany was a collection of independent states, each with its own currency (e.g. the Prussian thaler or the Bavarian gulden). After unification, there was a need for a unified national currency to facilitate trade and national identity. As the designation the term ‘mark’ was chosen. AN EARLY MEASURE OF WEIGHT Until the Middle Ages, there had been many regional variations of the mark as a measure of weight. The Cologne mark (Kölnische mark) was already in use in the 12th century and was fixed at half the Cologne pound.…

In ‘Stamp Update’ this month, we report on the latest virtual competition from the British Thematic Association (BTA). In this year’s competition, the BTA attracted a record level of interest in their youth classes, which is a great achievement, and entries were received from eight countries, highlighting the impact of social media and the internet on the hobby. The BTA’s competition and the forthcoming ‘Display Your Way’ at Stampex mean there are plenty of ways to be competitive with your stamp collection if you are unsure where to start with the more formalised philatelic competition system. Taking part in these events is a brilliant way to expand your philatelic horizons and think about your collection in a new way. You never know, it could also lead on to other competitive…

AUSTRALIA Opals Most of the world’s precious opals are sourced in Australia, and it is the country’s national gemstone. These beautiful gems are unique for their remarkable play of colour, produced by the diffraction and interference of light by the microscopic spheres of silica that form the opal’s structure. The formation of Australian opals began tens of millions of years ago, when much of central Australia was a vast, shallow inland sea. Fine sands rich in silica were deposited along its shorelines. As the sea receded, the Great Artesian Basin was formed below ground and today’s deserts were slowly created. Through millions of years of weathering, a silica-rich solution seeped along faults and joints in the earth, filling in cracks and voids. This gel eventually hardened to form opal. Sometimes,…

In the realm of Australian philately, few pieces command the reverence and fascination afforded to the 1d carmine-pink Cooke printing of 1918 with the inverted large multi-crown watermark (Brusden-White 73Aa and SG 49aw). Among collectors and scholars of the King George V issues, this rarity is a little mystical if not elusive. Only four used examples of this variety have ever been recorded, each bearing testament to a quirk of production that has elevated them into the pantheon of philatelic treasures. Yet among these four, one stands alone in its singularity because there are three used stamps but our featured item is the only known example preserved on cover. This remarkable cover, bearing the fabled inverted watermark stamp, is tied by a Rochester, Victoria, postmark, ensuring not just its origins…

6 August – Warwick & Warwick Chalon House, Scar Bank, Millers Road, Warwick CV34 5DB www.warwickandwarwick.com 9 August – Bil & Co Washingborough Community Centre, Fen Road, Lincoln LN4 1AB www.bilandco.co.uk 13 August – AJH The Laurels, Manchester Road, Accrington, Lancs BB5 2PF ajhstamps.co.uk 20 August – Tooveys Spring Gardens, Washington, West Sussex RH20 3BS www.tooveys.com 30 August – AVH PO Box 569, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL7 9NP www.avhstampauctions.co.uk 2–3 September – SGB 399 Strand, London WC2R 0LX sgbaldwins.com 2–4 September – Cavendish Cavendish House, 153–57 London Road, Derby DE1 2SY www.cavendish-auctions.com 3 September – Warwick & Warwick Chalon House, Scar Bank, Millers Road, Warwick CV34 5DB www.warwickandwarwick.com 6 September – Worthing Charmandean Centre, Forest Road, Worthing BN14 9HS www.worthingstamps.com 10 September – AJH The Laurels, Manchester Road, Accrington,…

The history of the mail was, for many thousands of years, the history of willing horses and bold people. Cyrus the Great’s Royal Road may have been one of the earliest mail routes to rely on couriers strapped to swift horses, but America’s Pony Express was undoubtedly the most iconic. An imminent civil war and the California gold rush was impetus for its creation. And, while it only lasted 18 months, it had the distinction of being America’s first transcontinental mail service. WIDOWS AND ORPHANS It all began in 1859, with three men – William Russell, Alexander Majors and William Waddell – who already ran successful businesses delivering supplies to frontier towns. From conception to launch took around four months, with mail deliveries starting on 3 April 1860. By this…

Located south of the US state of Florida, Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, and it currently has a population of some 11 million. It is a one-party socialist republic, and in recent times, the country has experienced numerous economic and other problems. On 27 October 1492, Christopher Columbus and his crew were the first Europeans to set foot on Cuba on their first voyage to America. At the time, the island was populated by three different native peoples (Arawak, Siboney and Taino). Columbus does not seem to have been too impressed by what he saw and continued his journey in search of gold and other riches elsewhere. However, they managed to pick up the name of the island, which was Cubanacán. It was only in 1511 that…

When a family had the loss of a loved one and this was known by friends and other family members, a letter of sympathy would be sent within an envelope that would display recognition of the adverse event by a symbolic black border around the outer face of the cover. This was known as a mourning cover, and this one has survived from over a 100 years ago, sent northbound from Hamburg to Stockholm in Sweden in July 1923. The letter of sympathy has long gone, probably, but is no longer with the cover. Nothing is certain, but logic suggests that Fräulein Ruth and Martha were sisters, and that their loss was a parent. The multitude of stamps on the envelope – there are 11 – reflect the turbulent financial…

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COINEX is being held on Friday, 26 September and Saturday, 27 September at The Ballroom, The Biltmore Hotel, Grosvenor Square, London W1K 2HP. See the website for details (bnta.net). In July, the Bank of England asked for the public’s views on potential themes for its next series of banknotes. Six possible themes were identified: notable historical figures; nature; architecture and landmarks; arts, culture and sport; noteworthy milestones; and innovation. The Royal Numismatic Society (RNS) has opened registration for its Summer Symposium, ‘Coinage in Roman Britain: New Perspectives and the Way Forward’, which is taking place on Saturday, 6 September at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Places can be booked via Eventbrite (www.eventbrite.co.uk). On Independence Day, the US Mint began the official countdown to the 2026 Semiquincentennial – 250 years of the…

Postcard design competition Every year, the Philatelic Traders’ Society (PTS) prints thousands of postcards to give out free to visitors at Stampex in London. This year, the PTS and the Stampex team have opened a postcard design competition to create the free postcard that will be issued at the show. These postcards are used by Postcrossers, collected, picked up by young philatelists and used as a bookmark or a quick notelet at the show. The more inspiring the design, the more likely someone is to stick a stamp on one and mail it to someone who will appreciate it. The competition will be judged anonymously, and the winner will not only have their name featured on the back of every postcard printed, but they’ll also receive 25 copies of their…

Guernsey Post’s philatelic bureau has announced the release of a new set of stamps that feature the characters who appear on the Wombles Trail in Alderney. This stamp issue also pays tribute to celebrated author Elisabeth Beresford, creator of the Wombles, who made Alderney her home for over 30 years. The stamps, which recently received royal approval, depict four-foot high wooden sculptures of iconic Womble characters carved from English oak by chainsaw artist Mike Burgess, which are part of a trail curated by the Guernsey Lions Club in honour of Beresford’s legacy. Each stamp captures a Womble in situ around Alderney: Madame Cholet bustles at Alderney Harbour; Great Uncle Bulgaria presides wisely at Alderney Airport; inventive Tobermory waits at Mannez Train Station; and the ever-relaxed Orinoco reclines on a children’s…

BUY AND SELL ON DECAMPE, MORE THAN 80 MILLION COLLECTABLES ARE WAITING FOR YOU!…

A few previous articles by me, in these pages and elsewhere, have looked at topics that fall under the general subject of the registration of mail in the UK. That’s probably not surprising, given that this is my main and longest-standing collection! What I haven’t done though is an introduction to the history of the registration service itself – an omission I now propose to rectify in a short series, although I can see I’ll be fighting the urge to go into too much detail. One note in particular before we start: I’ll be focusing on inland registration. Overseas postal rates before the UPU varied according to the treaties in force and can be complicated even for ordinary mail. When you add to the mix several alternative ways of charging…

Go to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and stand in front of the Ognissanti Madonna, painted by Giotto di Bondone in 1310 for the Florentine Church of Ognissanti (All Saints). Ignore the baby Jesus – it took artists a while to learn how to paint realistic infants – and look into the eyes of Mary. A real woman stares back. Nobody knows who the model was, but she was clearly an individual: strong, thoughtful, a little intense. I like to think it was the artist’s wife, Ciuta. Whoever she was, she lived in 14th-century Florence, breathed its not very clean air and, one suspects, loved her children intensely and argued furiously about the issues of the day. You are also looking at the moment Western culture was born. Maybe that’s…

This month, ‘New Coins’ features a Canadian coin celebrating the 50th anniversary of the beaver as a national symbol. Although it was only officially recognised in 1975, the beaver first appeared on a Canadian coin in 1937, when it was part of a modernisation of the coinage. Throughout the world, many other countries have incorporated their national animals into their circulating coin designs to express cultural identity, natural heritage and national pride. These include the United States, where the bald eagle has come to symbolise America’s freedom, strength and democracy. It featured on the Great Seal of the country in 1782, and an eagle first appeared on US coins, copper cent issues from Massachusetts, in 1787. The rooster is one of the emblems of France, with its origins in a…

We recently returned from Orlando, FL, having attended the summer edition of the Florida United Numismatists (FUN) Convention. The summer show is usually much smaller than the January winter convention. This year, however, the show boasted nearly 750 tables and was comparable to the more iconic winter FUN show. The bourse was a buzz of activity from start to finish. The only big difference is that the summer FUN show is dominated by smaller dealers, especially those based in Florida. Most of the national and international firms were either not present or only sent junior representatives. The most interesting development was the amazing volume of business being done based on demand from several new sales channels. Dealers with fresh material found eager buyers for those needing merchandise to feed their…

Latest music legends issue Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden are set to be immortalised on a UK £5 coin with a design featuring their iconic mascot Eddie. This new commemorative coin coincides with Iron Maiden celebrating 50 years since their formation in 1975. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail by contemporary Iron Maiden artist Albert ‘Akirant’ Quirantes, the design features the band’s infamous mascot Eddie in a dynamic pose that will strike a chord with fans worldwide. The design features numerous hidden ‘Easter eggs’ referencing the band’s illustrious career, albums and world tours – giving collectors plenty to discover. Iron Maiden, who formed in 1975, worked closely with the Royal Mint throughout the design process, ensuring the coin captures the essence of a band whose influence has spanned five decades.…