OCTOBER 2009

October 2009

• Downstream Access Mail - David P James explains how private  companies operate in conjunction with Royal mail and illustrates some of their logos and imprints.
  
  

• A Researcher's Story - how I studied UN issues - Two line engraved stamps in a stamp dealer's window caught the attention of Ramon Goodey in 1953 and led to 25 years of collecting and studying United Nations stamps. In this article he describes his researches into the first issues released in 1951 and printed by Enschedé and De La Rue.
  
  
• To-day's Definitives and Postal Rates - New Zealand - Continuing our 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 Scenic definitives of New Zealand together with the country's postal rates only recently updated to allow for the use of the Kiwi stamps issued on 7 September 2009. 
   
  
• Bibliography of Philatelic Pseudonyms - Many of us have come across philatelic pseudonyms over the years and enjoyed the fruits of their pens. But who were they? The fourth part  of Brian J Birch's new listing reaches extends from George Kauffmann to Peter Whittington.
  
  
• Recent Displays - comprehensive reports on the presentations given and material shown at recent meetings of the National PS - Michael L Goodman's reports on  

"Surcharges and Overprints" on 8 August members of the New Zealand Society of Great Britain joined with members of the National in giving feast of displays featuring Surcharges and Overprints beginning with from the first OPSO overprints from New Zealand in 1898.

"Rhodesia"  given at by Eric Day on 11 July meeting which covered the philatelic history of what is now Zimbabwe from 1892 to 1970.  

• New Issues   
  • Louis Blériot celebrated - France issued its commemorative stamp on 27 July marking the centenary of the celebrated cross Channel flight which the eccentric Louis Blériot accomplished against the odds.
  • 100 Years of the Sassnityz-Trelleborg Train Ferry - A more traditional crossing the German stamp issued on 2 July features the longest of the Baltic train ferry crossings.

December 2009

• Downstream Access Mail - Further examples of the logos and operator numbers of private operators from David P James.
  
  
• Sorry we don't need any architects today....Newly arrived in Cyprus in 1936, Arthur Hubert Stanley Megaw CBE ("Peter") corresponded with his parents in Belfast and his future wife in Athens. The correspondence has survived and some of the covers, most of which bear Cyprus Circular Publicity Cachets, are described and illustrated here by David Alford, with specialist commentary on the postal rates by Robin Davis.
  
  
• Kamerun-French Equatorial Africa Border Survey Commissions of 1911-1913 and the Aftermath - Following the 'Agadir Crisis' of 1911, France and Germany agreed to the transfer of French territory to the Germany colony of Kamerun in recognition of France's claims to the establishment of a Protectorate over Morocco. As explained here by John Yeomans, the services of a survey team was required to establish the new boundary, and here he looks at three surveying covers from members of that team.
  
  
• Checklist of Articles in the British Philatelic Press January - June 2009.
   
  
• Recent Displays - comprehensive reports on the presentations given and material shown at recent meetings of the National PS. 

"Hong Kong 1937-1952" - Ron Rakusen displayed on 12 September and his coverage of the pre-war King George VI issues, the effects of the Japanese invasion on postal services, the resultant internee mail and the re-establishment of postal services in 1945 are all covered in Michael Round's report.

Country Meeting at Leamington Spa - Chris Oliver describes the various displays that were given by members at the second country meeting of 2009.

"King Cakobau and all that" - Although pre-viewed in the August 2009 issue of Stamp Lover, Michael Goodman still finds plenty to describe as regards David Alford's display of Fiji which he gave to the Society on 10 October.

• New Issues  - A look back at some of the 150th Anniversaries that have been commemorated during 2009 with an occasional comparison with the relevant centenary issues of 1959:
  
  
  • The first Bahamas postage stamp - the Colony's one penny stamp Interinsular stamp was released on 10 June 1859.
    
    
  • The (first) Return to Pitcairn in 1859 - even though the centenary was commemorated ninety-eight years ago!
    
    
  • Unification of the Principalities 1859 - When the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia each voted to have Alexandru Cuza as their ruler after centuries of Ottoman rule, they effectively created the modern state of Romania, an anniversary marked with a 2.40L stamp and a souvenir sheet on 24 January 2009.
    
    
  • King "Bomba"  - Sicily belatedly introduced postage stamps bearing the portrait of King Ferdinand II just as the movement for the unification of Italy was about to bring his kingdom to an end. One of the stamps and the unusual canceller used, appeared on the commemorative stamp issued by Italy on 18 June.
    
    
  • Queensland 1859-2009 - Two stamps from Australia marking the 150th anniversary of the sunshine state as a separate colony which up to then had been part of New South Wales.
     
  • Luxembourg Railways - Three appropriate stamps from Luxembourg mark the opening of the first lines on the Grand Duchy in October and November 1859. 
    
    
• Bibliography of Philatelic Pseudonyms - Many of us have come across philatelic pseudonyms over the years and enjoyed the fruits of their pens. But who were they? The fifth and concluding part  of Brian J Birch's new listing reaches extends begins with Pharé and ends with Yul Brynner.
  
  

• PLUS -  Regular Features - 
  

  • Book Reviews

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

  • Stamp Fairs Listing -  December 2009, January & February 2010.
    

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