JUNE & AUGUST 2009

June 2009

• New United States Flag Definitives continues complex series -  Additional Flag definitives have followed the recent increase in US postal rates and Michael Goodman looks at some of the complexities of this series.
  
  
• Two London Castles on Postcards - Baynard's and Holloway are described by Dave Hill. 
  
  
• News Special - WestBex 2009 - a report on the Displays given at the succesful National Philatelic Society "country meeting" held at WestBex, Thatcham, Berkshire on 28 March 2009
  
  
• Recent Saturday Displays - comprehensive reports on the presentations given and material shown at recent meetings of the National PS - Michael L Goodman's reports on  

"Philatelic Congresses of Great Britain" given by Martin Robinson on 14 March 2009 
  
"Canada" by David Armitage FRPSL and "British Empire Exhibition" by Peter Denly given on 11 April.

• To-day's Definitives and Postal Rates - Namibia - Continuing our new series which aims to look at some of to-day's definitives - not just the stamps, but the issuing Post Office and its current postal rates. In this article, Peter Mellor looks at the recently reprinted Biodiversity issue from Namibia.
  
  
• Checklist of Articles in the British Philatelic Press - our twice yearly listing covers the period July - December 2008
  
  
• New Issues  - A look at some of topics chosen by a number of countries for special issues in 2009 

  - Louis Braille - born 200 year's ago this year 

  - Charles Darwin 1809-1882 

  - Astronomy - the theme chosen for this year's Europa stamps 

  - Railways - a regular theme. The Czech Republic marks the 150th Anniversary of the Pardubice-Liberec Railway - formerly known as the South-North German Junction line.

• PLUS -  Regular Features - 
  
  

  • Book Reviews
    

  • Letters to the Editor, The President's Piece, National PS News and other Philatelic News
    

  • Stamp Fairs Listing - June, July & August 2009.

August 2009

• A Strange Tale of HMS Beryl - The steam yacht Beryl was hired by the Admiralty in 1915 for special duties in the Aegean Sea. Keith Tranmer describes the mission through some surviving letters from Chief Petty Officer George Heath. 
  
  
• New United States Flag Definitives continues complex series -  In part two of his article,  Michael Goodman takes the  Flag definitives from 2002 through to the present day.
   
• Fiji - Davis Alford outlines the history of Fiji and its postal services as a prelude to the Display he is giving to the National Philatelic Society later this year. 
  
  
• Recent Displays - comprehensive reports on the presentations given and material shown at recent meetings of the National PS - Michael L Goodman's and Michael Round report on  

"Union of South Africa" given by Chris Oliver on President's Afternoon, which took place on 9 May 2009 
  
"Cselaw Slania"  given at the  Midweek Meeting on Thursday 21 May 2009  by Harry Wright when members were treated to a feast of the work of the Polish-born master engraver who later became Court Engraver in Sweden and Denmark.

Members Displays given on the day of the Annual General Meeting, 11 June 2009. 

• New Issues   
  • Summer is here - Belgium has issued its fifth summer issue
  • Centenary of Naval Aviation - Eight countries and territories have taken part in this issue from CASCO marking one hundred years since the Royal Navy ordered HM Airship 1 ("Mayfly"). The developments that have taken place since then are described together with details of the stamps making up this mini-omnibus issue.
  • An Unissued Stamp on a Stamp - It is 90 years since the "Chain Breaker" stamp was issued to meet the needs of the Slovenia in the early days of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, prior to the introduction of the uniform stamp issues throughout the new kingdom. However the recent stamp from Slovenia marking the event does not show a "Chain Breaker" stamp but an unadopted design for the postage due stamps. 
  • Portugal - Urban Transport (Series III) - the third issue in this series has now appeared and takes us into the `1950s and 1960s. Details of the new designs and the two previous issues - both gummed and self-adhesive - are summarised for convenience.
    
    

• PLUS -  Regular Features - 
  

  • Book Reviews
    

  • Letters to the Editor, The President's Piece, National PS News and other Philatelic News, including an account by  National PS member, David Hunter of his journey by train from London to the Sofia to compete in the seventh European Philatelic Exhibition held in Bulgaria in May 2009. David was one of eleven UK philatelists to competing in the event and his entry "Sugar" won a Large Vermeil. 
    

  • Stamp Fairs Listing -  August, September & October 2009.
    
    

• The Reports presented at the Annual General Meeting of the National Philatelic Society held on 11 June 2009.

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