We need your letters, views, reports & articles on philatelic & numismatic activities in your area or region for publication here. You can send the same to kansalmitul@gmail.com or emmkayinternational@gmail.com and by post to –

My Contact Address- 336/14 Near Markanda Press, Shahabad Markanda, Distt. Kurukshetra, Pin 136135, Haryana, INDIA

Note:  1) We may edit & fact-check your entries for publication.

2) The bulletin will be sent to the readers only on request. Those who wish to receive it regularly please reply giving their name, postal address, and philatelic & numismatic interests with the subject “SUBSCRIBE GLOBAL EXPRESS”. Also it is available on the blog http://emmkayglogalexpress.wordpress.com

3) If you’ve found this newsletter useful, recommend it to a friend. Better still, forward a copy of this issue. Also, please mention this newsletter when contacting other collectors.

Editorial

I have great pleasure in presenting you the LAST ISSUE OF GLOBAL EXPRESS. The response from our regular readers is excellent which proofs the grand success of this bulletin.

Philately is one of the popular hobbies. It not only instills a sense of history, especially in the youth but also cultivates the habit of presentation of our cultural heritage. This hobby has always been a mighty leveler, having ensnared monarchs and high dignitaries along with young school children whose delight knows no bounds at the sight of the first foreign stamp on a letter from a pen-friend.

In this issue I am including many scanned articles collected by me over the years. I hope you will enjoy them.

…MITUL KANSAL

Contents

• Dak Tikiton Mein Bapu- _{(Suman Saurabh April 2002)}
• Ratan Tatha Aabhushan INDIPEX ASIANA 2000- _{(Suman Saurabh April 2002)}
• Kahani Motercycle Ki- _{(Suman Saurabh April 2002)}
• Kahani Christopher Columbus Ki- _{(Suman Saurabh April 2002)}
• Europe Ke Liye Nayi Mudra: Euro Note Aur Sikkon Ki Suruvat- _{(Suman Saurabh April 2002)}
• Kaise Dhale Jate Hain Sikke- _{(Suman Saurabh April 2002)}
• Madhubanimethila Chitrakala- _{(Suman Saurabh April 2002)}
• Bharat Ki Rashtriye Aur Antrashtriye Dak Ticket Pradarshniya- _{(Suman Saurabh April 2002)}
• Manoranjan Hi Nahi Danoparjn Bhi Karate Hain Dak Ticket
• Mint (Coinage)- _{Microsoft Encarta 2008}
• Bamra State Postal Stationary- _{Souvenir Cum Catalogue INDEPEX 97}
• Agarwal Postage Stamps
• Global Warming- Guest Article

Mint (coinage)

Courtesy: Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2008.

Introduction

Mint (coinage) (Latin moneta,”mint” or “money”; derived from Moneta, a surname of the goddess Juno, whose temple at Rome was used for coining money), establishment for making coins, or pieces of metal designed to circulate as money. Before the coinage of money, trading had been accomplished either by exchange of goods in bulk or by use of granular or bar gold and silver in the settling of accounts. This system was cumbersome and inconvenient and acted as an obstacle to the expansion of commerce and industry. The invention of coinage, or minting, was a solution of this problem.

HISTORY OF COINAGE

Coins first appeared around the 6th century bc in the district of Lydia, in Asia Minor, at that time the principal industrial and trading country of the ancient world. During the next few centuries, a great many varieties of coins were issued by the Greek and other city-states. Under the Roman Empire, however, this multiplicity was ended, and the first important standardization of sizes, weights, and values of coins was inaugurated through the banning of private or unauthorized minting. Minting again became chaotic throughout Europe after the collapse of the empire of Charlemagne, Holy Roman emperor, in the 9th century. During the Middle Ages, hundreds of local authorities minted their own money, and kings, nobles, and individual cities all issued coins without regard to uniformity or general convenience. After the Norman Conquest, for example, as many as 70 mints existed in Britain alone. Later, centralized modern states made coin uniformity possible for wider areas.

STANDARD AND TOKEN COINS

Metallic coins may be either standard coins or token coins. Standard coins are made of standard monetary metal and are worth as much as or slightly more than the metal they contain. Token coins are those that have far greater nominal than metallic or intrinsic value; in this respect they are analogous to paper money. These coins usually consist of alloys of precious and base metals. The mints of most countries made both standard and token coins during the 19th century, but with the widespread abandonment of the gold standard between World Wars I and II, standard coins have been withdrawn from circulation in almost every part of the world.

MINTING PROCESS

Modern minting involves several distinct processes. The particular metal is first melted and cast into bars, which are then rolled into strips of uniform thickness and quality. These strips are run through machines that punch out circular metal disks, called planchets. The planchets are then checked for accuracy of weight. If they are too heavy, they are filed down at the edges, if too light, they are remelted and recast. The rims of acceptable planchets are rolled so as to project beyond the surface of the coins and protect them from wear. The planchets are then cleaned and, at the last stage in the process, struck by dies with the impression of the finished coin. Many types of coins also have their edges milled, that is, grooved, to expose later clipping or filing, in the case of standard coins, and to aid in their handling.

Very Special Guest Corner

GLOBAL WARMING

- By Mr. Himanshu Vijay Singh

THE DESTRUCTION of forest may be localized but its effects are global. Recently in comprehensive analysis of the potential effects of human made global warming in the proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences have predicted environment to be very close to an alarming stage. Predictions, are that more than half of the world’s major forest will be lost if global temperatures rise by an averages of three degrees or more by the end of the century. Extreme floods, forest fires and drought will also become more common over the next 200 years owing to climate change, University of Bristol. Dr.Scholze said that effects of a two degree centigrade newer inevitable.

This is the temperature rise that will happen, on average, l even if the world immediately stopped emitting greenhouse gases. A rise of 2 C to 3C will be proved enough to reducing the fresh water availability in parts of West Africa, Central America, Southern Europe, and the Eastern United States and raising the probability of drought in these areas. In contrast, the tropical parts of Africa and South America will be at the greater risk of flooding as trees are lost. Dr.Scholze says a global temperature rise of more than 3 degree will mean even less fresh water .And loss of forest in Amazonian and Europe, Asia Canada and Central America could reach 60 %.

The immediate cause of the global warming as predicted by the scientists is the emission of green house gases. And the main greenhouse gas is nothing but carbon dioxide. According to James .Wolfenson, former president of World Bank. “Our world is not only unbalanced, but also endangered. “Fenestration is increasing, with almost 100 million hectares-lost in  last decade alone much of it is use to millions of poor  farmers i Africa and Latin America being force to cut down trees because they have no other access to land or energy sources.

At the same time, carbon dioxide emission are rising: the European Union’s target is to cut green house gas emission by 8 percent by 2015, but with the current policies,only 0.5 percent will be achieve . Of the world’s fauna,12 percent of birds ,24 percent of mammals and 30 percent of the fish are either vulnerable or in immediate danger o extinction according to an estimation conducted by group of world’s scientist in 2004.

The environmental challenge is even starker in the developing countries, where five billion of the earth’s six where five billion people live. In these nations, the environmental is linked to human development an to poverty. More than a billion people in developing countries lack access to clean water. More than 2 billion have no access to basic sanitation. Millions of children is use to warehouse disease, such as diarrhea, and air pollution. But surprisingly richer countries o much of the environmental Damage .And victims are developing an under developed countries. Accounting for only 15 percent of the world’s population, they cause 50 percent of global carbon dioxide emission with all their implications for climate change. But the poorer countries pay u much of the “cost”-losing up to 8 percent of their GDP per year use to environmental degradation ,as well as suffering devastating effects on health and human welfare.

Rich countries’s large contribution of environmental damage means that they must shoulder greater responsibility for fixing the problem. That means changing the way they produce an consume energy reducibility subsidizes, ensuring appropriate pricing, and adequately taxing environmentally damaging products.

If the wear on environmental degradation is to be won, we need a major turnaround. Developed countries must set the example by moving towards environmentally friendly production and consumption patterns, including more control of greenhouse gas emission. We all are actually too late but time is still under control to make the right choices. For the sakes of future generations, we must act now.

Volume No. 1                     Issue No. 5                     May 2010

We need your letters, views, reports & articles on philatelic & numismatic activities in your area or region for publication here. You can send the same to kansalmitul@gmail.com or emmkayinternational@gmail.com and by post to –

My Contact Address- Mitul Kansal, Editor- Global Express, SRM University Hostel- “F Block”, Room No. 222, NCR Campus, SRM University, Delhi-Meerut Road, Sikrikalam, Distt. Ghaziabad, PIN-201204, U.P., INDIA

My Permanent Address- 336/14 Near Markanda Press, Shahabad Markanda, Distt. Kurukshetra, Pin 136135, Haryana, INDIA

Note:  1) We may edit & fact-check your entries for publication.

2) The bulletin will be sent to the readers only on request. Those who wish to receive it regularly please reply giving their name, postal address, and philatelic & numismatic interests with the subject “SUBSCRIBE GLOBAL EXPRESS”.

3) If you’ve found this newsletter useful, recommend it to a friend. Better still, forward a copy of this issue. Also, please mention this newsletter when contacting other collectors.

Contents-

• Hobby library opened on World Book Day
• Achieve Articles

Hobby library opened on World Book Day

The Hindu, Saturday, Apr 24, 2010

Rapt attention: Kanna English Medium School students participating in World Book and Copyright Day in Guntur on Friday.

GUNTUR: In a fitting gesture to celebrate the World Book and Copyright Day, the Guntur Numismatic and Philately Society in association with Kanna English Medium School, Railpeta, opened a ‘hobby library’ on Friday with an initial collection of 300 informative books pertaining to several hobbies.

Involving school students from the Kanna English Medium School, where the Library has been houses, and students from other schools, who were members of this club, they propose to allow children to have access to some of the world’s finest journals on philately, numismatics and book reading.

The Society members donated a number of world catalogues that are beyond the reach of ordinary stamp or coin collector at student level. These books allow the enthusiasts to ascertain their collection was genuine and also gather additional information so that they could develop thematic collections for competitions at district and State level.

After the school director Kanna Master formally declared the library open, former head of Department of Telugu at Acharya Nagarjuna University S. Gangappa, a well-known numismatist and Telugu/Sanskrit reader of AC College N. Kishore Babu and writer, Abhyudaya Rachayuthala Sangham State president Penugonda Lakshminarayana spoke.

A good book was like a good friend, which could enlighten us in many aspects and help us reach our goal by showing the right path and gave the examples of Maxim Gorky’s Amma and Mahatma Gandhi’s several books, which had helped people tread in right direction worldwide. The books not only provide us with knowledge from world over, they also build our personality, he opined.

‘A must read’

Vemana Satakam and Sumati Satakam must be read by all people, who could follow Telugu as they help you remain in good stead at time in your life, said Mr. Gangappa. Describing the importance of book reading, he said Internet cannot replace books for next few decades. The society secretary MVS Prasad also participated.

Reported by- mvsprasad, Secretary, GUNTUR NUMISMATIC & PHILATELIC SOCIETY, 6/18, BRODIEPET,GUNTUR – 522 002. – Mob: 098667 10379, EMAIL: prasad_mandali@yahoo.com
gnpsguntur@gmail.com

Archieve Article

Source: Microsoft Encarta 2008

Archives consist of articles that originally appeared in Collier’s Year Book (for events of 1997 and earlier) or as monthly updates in Encarta Yearbook (for events of 1998 and later). Because they were published shortly after events occurred, they reflect the information available at that time. Cross references refer to Archive articles of the same year.

1938: Philately

Approximately 2,100 new postage stamps were issued throughout the world in 1938, an increase of about 300 over 1937. This figure may be low by nearly 100, since some of the stamps whose official or postal status is still doubtful, notably many of those from Spain, may prove to have seen actual postal service. Of the 149 governments which issued stamps during the year, Venezuela led in number with 95. Two new stamp-issuing governments, Alexandretta and Italian East Africa, appeared; but sixty countries found their current designs and denominations satisfactory and added no new stamps.

Collectors who specialize in the subjects illustrated on stamps have 700 new designs to choose from, ranging from the Australian duck-billed platypus to the newest airplanes. About 350 new air-post stamps were issued, with South and Central American countries taking the lead.

The stamps issued before 1938 by the 410 past or present stamp-issuing governments had a net increase in value of about $6,700, and nearly one third of that amount is contributed by the stamps of the United States. Most of the increase comes from a few rare stamps such as the 1882 special printing of the 5 cent gray brown, valued last year at $500 and now held to be worth $1,500, unused. Other unused United States stamps which have increased in value by $50 or more are the St. Louis (postmaster’s provisional) 5 cent greenish ($150-$500); the 24 cent steel blue of the second 1861 issue ($400-$500); the 1894 2 cent pink (Triangle I, imperforate pair) ($375-$450); and the 1851-56 5 cent red brown (Type I) ($350-$400). Smaller increases in value, from a few cents to a few dollars, are shown by more than 400 unused and about 300 used United States stamps.

A few stamps account for the greater part of the net gain of about $4,000 in used foreign stamps. The 1854 4 cent red and blue of India, with the head of Queen Victoria inverted, has increased from $3,250 to $5,000, and the stamps of India as a whole, including States, have increased about $2,400 in value. Moldavia’s (Rumania) 27p rose tête bêche pair of 1858 has gone to $6,000 from $5,000; Spain’s 25m blue and rose with inverted frame, 1867, is worth $500 more than the $1,500 quoted last year.

Still the world’s most valuable stamp, the British Guiana 1 cent octagonal magenta of 1856 is valued as formerly, at $50,000, in spite of rumors that it has been offered for less.

After the 1937 outburst of ‘commemorative’ stamps, nearly 45 per cent of the total number issued, 1938 was a year of comparative calm. The world’s philatelic presses added about 400, or approximately 25 per cent of all stamps issued, to the commemorative list.

The chief contribution by the United States to 1938′s new issues was the series of ‘Presidentials’ portraying our ex-presidents. Through McKinley, each president appears on a stamp whose denomination corresponds numerically to his administration. Fractional values, the ½ cent, 1½ cent, and 4½ cent show Franklin, Martha Washington, and the White House, respectively, and so do not disturb the order. McKinley, on the 25 cent, is followed by Theodore Roosevelt (30¢), Taft (50¢), Wilson ($1.00), Harding ($2.00), and Coolidge ($5.00).

When the ½ cent stamp was assigned to Monroe, the fifth president, and consequently each succeeding president became one number out of line, but before the stamps were issued, the change was made, adding the White House to the series on the 4½ cent.

Only four United States Commemoratives, all 3 cent, were issued during the year. These marked the 300th anniversary of the landing of the first Finnish and Swedish colonists in America, the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the Constitution by the ninth state, New Hampshire, the sesquicentennial of the settlement of the Northwest Territory, and the centennial of the establishment of Iowa Territory.

‘National Air Mail Week,’ May 15th to 21st, was designated to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of air-mail service, May 15, 1918, and brought out a new 6 cent air-mail stamp, the preliminary sketch for which was made by the President.

One of the outstanding flights of the year, Howard Hughes’ record spin around the world has, so far, produced no available philatelic record. Mr. Hughes carried some letters, which were variously postmarked, and these souvenirs he distributed to friends on his return. It is not improbable that eventually some of them will find their way into flight collections. Corrigan’s ‘mistake’ was not complicated by air-mail covers.

The Hayden-Duffy Bill—the ‘new illustration law’—was signed by the President on January 27th. Its provisions made possible the importation of illustrated stamp catalogues and more complete illustration of all United States stamp catalogues and albums.

Sales to philatelists of United States stamps by the Philatelic Agency in Washington were numerically the greatest for any fiscal year (July 1st to June 30th) in the Agency’s history. Over the counter and mail order sales numbered 149,499 for a total of $1,685,752,73, an amount unsurpassed by the sales of 1935, 1936, and 1937.

Outside the United States, political changes and unrest were widely reflected in postal issues. Either the subjects illustrated on the stamps or the circumstances of issue, and in some cases both of these, marked the course of European events. German stamps replaced those of Austria; Italian East Africa superseded Ethiopia as a stamp-issuing government; many stamps of Spain, Czechoslovakia and Russia were militant; Hitler was a dominant figure on German postal and semipostal issues.

Both in the United States and abroad, the 1938 stamps showed serious attempts at improved design and less reliance on intricate, and extraneous, ornament. The presidential series is the United States’ best contribution. Among the well-designed foreign stamps are Czechoslovakia’s Falcon (A78); Finland’s series commemorating the 300th anniversary of her postal system (A40-A43); French Guinea’s ‘Native Women’ (A10); the first stamps of Italian East Africa (A1-A6, AP1-AP4, APSD1); Lithuania’s ‘Olympics’ (SP1-SP4); Russia’s air posts (AP34-AP40); and Sweden’s ‘New Sweden’ series (A49-A53).

1939: Philately

More than most hobbies, philately is sensitive to political and social change. Except for the United States, the 1939 stamps of most of the major powers, and of many minor ones, were affected by war or conquest. Five stamp-issuing governments — Albania, Alexandretta, Czechoslovakia, Danzig, and Poland — lost their identities; five — Carpatho-Ukraine, Ethiopia, Greenland, Hatay, and Slovakia — were added to the list.

The current war in Europe did not, however, add nearly so many new issues in 1939 as were produced during the corresponding period in 1914 — a few hundred as against more than a thousand.

About 920 new designs, exclusive of overprints and surcharges, were issued by all governments during the year, and about 2,600 major and minor varieties — new designs, new issues of earlier designs, overprints, surcharges, souvenir sheets, etc. — were produced for postal use. The number is probably a trifle smaller for 1939 than for 1938, but the two years are nearly equal in the number of new stamps.

The continued business depression and the deflation of the boom which had sent values in some speculative issues soaring, were reflected in the general lowering of the catalogue prices of stamps in 1939 as compared with 1938. Quotations in the current (1940) catalogue represent a net loss of approximately $6,000 from the previous year, and price levels would seem to be about on a par with those of 1937. The greater part of this loss was accounted for by a few of the higher priced stamps, like the United States 5 cent brown of 1861, unused, which dropped from $2,250 to $1,500. Prices generally were at their lowest at about the time — September — when the catalogue was issued, and tended to rise in the later months. In the auction sale of the Brown collection of United States stamps, held in New York in November, most of the items sold at catalogue or better, and many brought from two to three times their estimated price.

The Philatelic Agency in Washington announced that the fiscal year ending June 30 had been the fourth in the Agency’s history in which sales had gone over the million-dollar mark, total for the year being $1,312,016.48. Although the Presidential series was completed in 1938, final figures on its distribution were not immediately available, and the announcement comes properly in a review of 1939. First day sales of this series of thirty-two stamps brought $639,036.91 for 7,970,732 stamps.

Seven commemorative stamps, all 3 cent values, were issued by the United States in 1939. These were the two World’s Fairs (San Francisco and New York) and the Washington Inaugural, issued in April; Baseball, in June; Panama Canal, in August; Printing in America, in September: Four States, in November. The ‘Heroes of Peace’ series of famous Americans, which was to have been started in December, was postponed. In addition to the United States’ Panama commemorative, both the Canal Zone and the Republic of Panama issued series of stamps marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening of the canal.

From the stamp collector’s point of view, one of the most important events of the year was the establishment of regular transatlantic air mail service in May. A special 30 cent air mail stamp was issued for transatlantic service. With the opening of this service the last link in regular air mail routes around the world was forged. First day transatlantic covers, and first ’round the world’ covers, although not among the great rarities, are among the most historically significant air mail items. It is, of course, impossible to predict how much the war will affect transoceanic air service, but 1939 was a year of both expansion and preparation, and created an unprecedented number of international air-mail covers.

The year’s most spectacular philatelic event began late in 1938 and was completed in January with the sale to a New York collector, Mr. E. B. Martin, of the now famous 24 cent green, United States 1869, block of four stamps with inverted centers, first used to pay postage from the United states to Liverpool. This block, the only one of its kind known, was sold at the Crocker sale in London, in November 1938, to Mr. Y. Souren, a New York dealer, who kept in touch with the sale by transatlantic telephone, the first time this system of communication had been used for a stamp sale. After its purchase, the block came to New York and was exhibited, with other rarities, at the Waldorf-Astoria in January. Two thousand collectors attended the exhibition. The block was purchased from Mr. Souren by Mr. Martin for $25,000, approximately twice its auction price of £2,500.

Although an unusual number of interesting pictorial stamps appeared during the year, there were few new designs of outstanding merit. The United States produced two of the worst in its history — the Washington Inaugural, A313, and the Four States commemorative, A317 — and two that are well above average. Both of the latter, the Golden Gate commemorative, A311, and the Printing commemorative, A316, are successful departures from traditional American design. From foreign countries the French semi-postal, SP51, reproducing Fragonard’s ‘The Letter’; Mexico’s printing commemoratives, A134, A135 and A136; Morocco’s air mail, AP4, using flying storks as a motive; and the railroad commemoratives from the Netherlands, A43 and A44.

1940: Philately

Philately came of age in 1940, celebrating its centennial year. On May 6, 1840, Great Britain issued the first adhesive postage stamp, the famous ‘Penny Black’ devised by Sir Rowland Hill. To mark the anniversary a great international exhibition to be held in London had been planned, but the war made this impossible.

A number of countries issued special stamps to mark the centenary and of these the most successful was Great Britain’s own. The design, No. A106 in the Standard Catalogue, followed the style of the first stamp but included two portraits — Queen Victoria, reengraved from her portrait on the ‘Penny Black,’ and George VI.

In the hundred years ending May 5, 1940, approximately 99,350 different postage stamps were issued. About 43 per cent of them were surcharges and overprints, that is, stamps with new denominations or indications of new postal use printed over the original designs.

The full calendar year 1940 brought the total number of postage stamps issued well over the 100,000 mark. From January 1 through December, 1,620 new issues were added to the Standard Catalogue. This is the smallest number in many years, and the marked decrease from 1939 is largely owing to war conditions throughout the world. Fewer stamps have been issued, and there is an uncountable number of new stamps known or reported about which no exact information can be obtained. It is quite probable that many of the stamps issued in European countries occupied by Germany will eventually be catalogued, but at present it is impossible to determine their postal use or official character. Estimates of the number of ‘World War No. 2′ stamps vary from the fifty-two definitely catalogued to more than four hundred, and it seems reasonably certain that at least two hundred stamps, postally valid, were issued during 1940 as a direct result of political and military changes in Europe.

Of the 1,620 stamps catalogued, 615 are new designs. The others are either additional denominations or overprints. Forty-four new designs appeared on seventy-eight United States stamps.

An unusual number of souvenir sheets — forty-one, containing seventy-eight stamps — were added to the catalogue. Twenty-four of these are earlier issues, the 1937 French colonies, which had not been officially recognized before.

Prices on about 10 per cent of the stamps listed in the Catalogue were revised, and the edition (1941) published in 1940 shows a net decline of $20,750 from the previous year. In general, prices were increased, but big declines in those of a few rare stamps brought about the net loss. Four United States stamps, the 1 cent, 5 cent, and 12 cent of 1861 and the 3 cent (147a) of 1870-71, account for $6,000 of the decline. Issues of the Confederate States were reduced in price by $6,300.

Evidence of the growing trend toward the establishment of museum collections of stamps was given by the gift of Miss W. Penn-Gaskell of her famous air mail collection to the South Kensington Museum, London. This is the largest philatelic gift to a public institution since the late Benjamin K. Miller presented his collection of United States stamps to the New York Public Library in 1925.

Among stamp issues of unusual interest brought out during the year are the eight of the Pitcairn Islands — Pitcairn’s first stamps — which illustrate the romantic story of the Bounty, William Bligh and Fletcher Christian; the ‘Balkan entente’ series issued simultaneously by Greece, Turkey, Rumania and Yugoslavia; and Hungary’s five stamps, perhaps the best designed series of the year, commemorating the birth, in 1440, of Matthias Corvinus, Hungary’s great king and scholar.

The most ambitious contribution of the United States to philately was the ‘Famous Americans’ series of thirty-five stamps in seven sets, presenting portraits of American authors, poets, educators, scientists, composers, artists, and inventors. The first of these sets was put on sale on Jan. 29, the last on Oct. 28. Each set was in five denominations, 1 cent, 2 cent, 3 cent, 5 cent, and 10 cent. Fifty million each were printed of the 1, 2, and 3 cent stamps, 20,000,000 of the 5 cent, and 10,000,000 of the 10 cent. On the several first days 13,556,193 copies were sold for a total of $428,105.42. Total first day sales for all United States new issues was $518,179.69.

In spite of the widespread criticism of the designs and subjects of the series it was popular with collectors, and it is probable that more stamps of the same character will be issued. Frank C. Walker, appointed U. S. Postmaster General to succeed James A. Farley, has made the suggestion and has outlined a fairly heavy schedule of new issues for 1941. Collectors’ and dealers’ purchases represent a considerable part of postal revenue. The Philatelic Agency in Washington alone sold $1,000,670.29 in U. S. stamps during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1940.

One of the important developments in United States stamps was the determination of the official status of the famous ‘gift sheets’ of the National Parks series. These sheets, presented imperforate to a few government officials, and later separately gummed, had been variously claimed to be rarities, freaks, unofficial issues with no philatelic standing. The Post Office had made ungummed sheets available to collectors in an effort to still complaints. It announced, late in 1940, that it would gum sheets now in collectors’ hands. The ‘gift sheets’ will, therefore, have no distinguishing feature and will not be recognized as a separate variety.

Throughout the world, fewer stamps especially distinguished in design were produced than in 1938 or 1939. Among the best were a number of heraldic stamps, including Latvia A52, Liechtenstein A95, Portugal A119, and Finland SP40. Consistently interesting stamps, among the best of the year, were issued by Lithuania.

1941: Philately

Philately in 1941 followed the lead of the rest of the world, and events which in other times would be extraordinary became the commonplace happenings of everyday. A very large percentage of the stamps added to the 1942 catalogue, probably more than half, were direct or indirect results of the present world conflict. Even many of the apparently innocuous stamps printed to commemorate historic events or personages of centuries ago were brain children of active propaganda bureaus, put out to indicate historical or ethnic relationship with the current allies, or invaders, of the issuing governments.

From the Democracies point of view, the bravest gesture was that of those French Colonies in Africa and Asia, who dared to indicate their adherence to the De Gaullist government by overprinting their stamps with ‘Libre,’ ‘Libre Français’ or some similar indication of their faith.

In sharp contrast to these are the ‘Occupation issues’ and the stamps issued by conquered governments. The status of many of these stamps is in doubt, and estimates of the quantities which will come on the market, used and unused, are largely guess-work. For some time to come the 1941 war issues must, so far as their ultimate values are concerned, be regarded as speculative. Those for which postal use could be proved were entered in the Catalogue and, as minor records of World War II, they are important and significant. But no one can tell which of the many varieties will be the collectors prizes of 1950 and which will eventually be used to fill cheap packets.

The total number of stamps added to the 1942 Catalogue was 2,186, including 183 listed as ‘Tentative’ because of lack of exact or reliable information. The figure is higher by twenty per cent than that of the previous year, and the increase is very largely accounted for by the occupation or overprint issues already mentioned.

One hundred and ten political divisions, about one-sixth of all those listed in the Catalogue, issued these stamps. Since revenue stamps of the United States only are listed, this country took the lead with 123, but of these 103 were revenues and one was the current hunting permit. Of the countries whose listings of stamps issued for some form of postal use only, those credited with 50 or more stamps are as follows: Poland, 115; China, 100; Russia, 68; Spain, 67; Greece, 66; France (not including the Free French overprints), 58; Rumania, 54. The Chinese stamps include only a small number of new designs, but a great and somewhat confusing number of varieties and overprints. Unsettled conditions in China are indicated by the variations in printers, papers, perforations and plates, as well as by the many local overprints employed to counteract speculation and profiteering.

The stamps of the year, numerically by categories, were as follows: (1) Postal and Semi-postal, 1,383; (2) Airmail, 259; (3) Revenue (U. S. only), 103; (4) Postage due, 82; (5) Official, 81; (6) Postal tax, 30; (7) Parcel post, 20; (8) Souvenir sheets (1 to 6 stamps each), 15; (9) Newspaper, 8; (10) Postal fiscal, 6; (11) Special delivery, 6; (12) Hunting permit (U. S.), 1. ‘Tentative issues,’ including 3 souvenir sheets, many of which will probably be added to the Catalogue at some future date, numbered 183. Grand total, 2,186.

The year was marked by the expansion of continental and trans-oceanic air mail service, and provided an unusual number of ‘first flight’ and ‘first day’ cancellations. In spite of the war, world wide air mail routes increased in number, and schedules were improved. Only commercial covers were available to collectors generally, since military and official covers, domestic and international, have not yet come on the market in appreciable quantities.

Few stamps really distinguished in design appeared in 1941. The revenues of the United States, Documentary and Stock transfer (10 to $1,000.00) included portraits of Treasury officials from Alexander Hamilton to Salmon P. Chase, and so have biographical and historical interest. Designs meriting place in a philatelic gallery of graphic arts were issued by Belgium, Dahomey, Dutch Indies, Finland, Hungary, Mexico, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland and Togo.

In the United States, at least, the World War seems to have stimulated interest in stamp collecting. The Philatelic Agency in Washington reported sales to collectors and dealers of $1,157,985.20 of mint current United States stamps during the fiscal year, an increase of about 6 per cent over 1940. Prices for older United States issues and for foreign stamps were generally higher in 1941 than in 1940.

1942: Philately

Estimates as to the number of stamps issued by all governments in 1942 vary from 2,000 to twice that number. Only about 600 were added to the Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue during the year, although an equal number were classed as ‘tentative.’ There are two reasons for the discrepancies in figures, first the Government ruling that no stamps of enemy countries, issued after the declarations of war, should be imported, offered for sale or catalogued; second, the impossibility of determining the nature of many stamps reported to have been printed. It is known, for example, that there have been many ‘occupation issues’ of both new stamps and overprints, but there is no means of knowing how many of these have really been valid for postage. Some, like many of the Vichy colonial issues, were obviously printed for propaganda purposes and may never have been used on mail. Other stamps issued by or for the Axis or Axis-controlled countries are equally doubtful.

To a greater degree than usual, stamps of the United States led in popularity through the year. Next to these, and perhaps more spectacularly, the stamps of Free France, later Fighting France, were in demand. Some of the early overprints, hastily printed in small quantities to fill emergency demands, have already disappeared from the market or command high prices. The new designs, with the Cross of Lorraine, were also popular.

The war has stressed the importance to the United States of relations with South and Central America, and philately is one of the many fields which has been affected. Collectors showed much greater interest in the stamps of Latin America than they have in the past.

It is natural that there should be unusual interest in the stamps of countries currently in the war news, but the hobby seems also to have been generally stimulated by wartime conditions. In spite of the fact that thousands of the millions of men drawn from civilian life into the armed forces were stamp collectors, there appears to have been no decrease in the pursuit of stamps. Some of the demand still comes from men now in the army and navy, and the United Service Organizations have established ‘philatelic centers’ in several hundred of their recreation rooms near military camps. In these, stamps, albums, and philatelic periodicals, gifts from collectors, dealers and publishers, are available.

At the beginning of the year, dealers’ stocks of foreign stamps were fairly large, but by December even some of the common varieties began to get scarce, since importation from some of the most prolific sources of supply had stopped after Pearl Harbor. For this reason, the general level of prices was higher at the end of the year than in the beginning. This price change was reflected in many of the auction sales, notably the seven in which part of the collection of the late Col. Edward R. Green was dispersed. These sales, held by as many auction houses, disposed of about 14,000 lots of United States, British and other foreign stamps. Prices in all categories were above usual auction levels, and many of the United States items brought full catalogue prices.

In the United States, most of the ‘war stamps’ issued in 1941 and 1942, 156 out of 161, were for revenue or war savings use. The five postage issues were the 1, 2 and 3¢ Defense Stamps, the ‘Win the War’ 3¢ and the 3¢ China commemorative. In December 1942, the Post Office Department announced the acceptance of new designs to replace the 1¢ and 2¢ Defense stamps.

Until the summer of 1942, the Treasury Department had not encouraged collectors to mount war savings stamps in their albums, but at that time the government gave its official approval. A number of companies printed special album pages for these stamps and gave widespread publicity to the several philatelic varieties available. By the end of the year, most stamp dealers were offering plate number blocks and other collector’s pieces, so far as they could find them, all, of course, at face value. In December, governmental authorities instituted a campaign to promote the collection of war stamps.

1943: Philately

The stamps of 109 neutral or United Nations governments were added to the Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue in 1943. There were 1,198 stamps, including 281 overprints and surcharges, 351 major varieties of previously listed designs — perforation varieties, reissues, reprints, color changes, etc., and 238 airmail stamps. The latter were issued by 35 governments. The total, 1,198, includes 77 United States revenue and 9 war savings stamps.

This total probably represents about one third of the number of stamps issued by all governments, but lack of exact information about the stamps of Axis and Axis-controlled countries, and the spirit of United States regulations with relation to these stamps, prohibit their admission to the Catalogue until after the war. The largest number of stamps from one country, 45, came from Brazil. Syria was next, with 43, followed by China and the Congo with 41 each.

The Chinese stamps, though offering little new in design, afford a graphic picture of the invasion and the difficulties which the government had to overcome. When the printing facilities at Shanghai and Canton were lost and quantities of Chinese stamps fell into Japanese hands, those left were hurriedly and crudely overprinted at Chungking and Chengtu for use in the remaining provinces, Fukien, Kiangsi, Honan and the departments of Szechuan. At Chungking, stamps were issued imperforate to supply the immediate need. As means became available they were first rouletted, probably by hand, and then perforated. All three types are known of most of the Chungking and Chengtu printings.

The growing stability of the Free French organization was reflected in the stamps of its adherents among the French colonies. A few of these were still content to overprint their Colonial issues, but most of them brought out new designs, some of them among the best of the year. Notable among these are the series of fourteen values, postage, issued by St. Pierre and Miquelon and the new stamps of Madagascar and French India.

The stamps of Norway catalogued in 1943 offer another, and different, commentary on the war. The earliest of these is the August 1941 issue, showing a lion rampant against a large V. The latest are the six stamps in the series issued after the invasion by the Norwegian offices abroad, for franking mail carried on free Norwegian vessels.

In the United States, the one-cent Four Freedoms stamp and the two-cent United Nations replaced the earlier Defense stamps. The one-cent was designed by the sculptor Paul Manship and the design is probably the first in philately to be carved in plaster. The stamps were produced from photographs of Mr. Manship’s model.

The Catalogue year ends with August, so only one of the calendar year’s most popular United States series, the ‘Overrun Countries,’ was included. This was the first, for Poland, issued in June, 1943. It was followed by stamps honoring Czechoslovakia, Norway, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Greece, Yugoslavia, Albania, Austria and Denmark, in that order. The last was issued on Dec. 7, 1943.

Each of these five-cent stamps, the size and shape of the Special Delivery, has a conventional border in blue violet with the flag of the honored country in the center. The flags are in full color against a white ground. The frames are engraved and the centers lithographed, and all the stamps were produced by the American Bank Note Company. They are the first United States stamps since the Columbians of 1893 which have not been done by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing at Washington. First-day sales for each of the stamps were at Washington and averaged over 500,000. About 150,000 first-day covers were cancelled for each stamp.

Washington explained that the Bureau was ‘too busy’ to print the ‘Overrun Countries’ issue. How busy, and with what, was announced soon after the invasion of Italy when the first United States ‘occupation stamps’ and notes were released there. These stamps were planned in the Spring, and consist of a machine engraved background and a white center with an engraved number, and an overprint in another color giving the place, in this case Italy, and the currency. The backgrounds were printed well in advance but the country for which the stamps were intended was kept secret. The invasion began on July 9. The army gave the print order on July 13. On July 19 the first shipment, seven tons on two planes, was forwarded. This first invasion series was issued in nine denominations, for use in Italy only, and few unused examples have come to the United States. The denominations are 15 centesimi, 25¢, 30¢, 50¢, 60¢, 1 lira, 2L, 5L and 10L.

Trading in stamps by retail and auction was brisk throughout the year, with prices in general somewhat higher.

1944: Philately

Nearly one fourth of the 1,390 stamps of the world added to the Standard Catalogue in 1944 came from Central and South American countries. These countries, continuing their profitable custom of recent years, produced many new series and their stamps carried nearly one half of the world’s new designs. All but 34 of the world’s 159 airmail stamps came from them. Ecuador led Latin America with 52 stamps, followed by Brazil and Costa Rica with 38 each. Twenty-four of Venezuela’s 34 stamps were airmails.

Throughout the world, the percentage of overprints and surcharges was unusually high. Of the 1,390 stamps issued by 83 governments, only 354 were produced from new designs. Most of the others were overprints or surcharges, issued in the wake of the Allied advance or, as in China, to keep up with increasing postal rates. The Somali Coast, for example, led the world in the number of stamps issued, 82, and of these all but the 14 handsome ‘railroad’ stamps were Free French overprints. All of Madagascar’s 54 stamps were Free French overprints as were, also, Reunion’s 71, except for the 14 stamps of a new airmail series.

In the total of 1,390, there are 52 revenue and 2 war savings stamps of the United States, categories not counted for other countries. The United States issued four commemoratives and two of the proposed series of Asiatic Overrun Countries stamps which is to follow the 1943 Europeans. These have the same frame as the earlier stamps and the two so far issued show the flags of Korea and the Philippines, respectively.

The commemoratives celebrated anniversaries of the opening of the transcontinental railway, the first ocean crossing by steamship, the birth of the telegraph and of the motion picture industry. Three other new stamps, the 8¢ airmail and the 13¢ and 17¢ special delivery, were issued to conform with new postal rates.

Although thousands of American stamp collectors are in the armed forces, the demand for United States stamps was higher than ever and was particularly strong for the 1938 Presidentials (32 stamps), the 1940 Famous Americans (35 stamps) and the 1943 Overrun Countries (12 stamps). Few of the stamps in these series remained in post offices or the Philatelic Agency in Washington at the close of the year, and most were selling at considerable premiums. In general, collectors showed most interest in twentieth-century issues.

The Philatelic Agency announced in January 1944, that its sales for 1943 were $1,077,552.58. Figures given out through the year indicated that the 1944 total will be higher.

Long series of new stamps, not overprints or surcharges, were issued by Algeria, China, Monaco, Portugal, Russia and Turkey. The first stamps of the Republic of Iceland were issued in June 1944, to mark the island’s separation from Denmark.

Many stamps from the liberated European areas have been brought to this country by returning servicemen and others, although they have not been officially sanctioned for importation. Among them are some of the Vichy stamps, very well designed and executed. The Vichy issues were invalidated for postage by decree of the De Gaulle Committee in August 1944, and invalidated in fact as the Allied armies advanced. The decline and fall of Mussolini’s empire was recorded by overprints on Italian stamps, some of which had originally been issued to boost Fascist morale.

1945: Philately

In the United States, through 1945, popular collecting continued to follow the course of war and peace, with particular interest concentrated on the San Francisco, Roosevelt and Armed Services issues and the several Victory stamps from Europe and the Pacific. Great potential interest was shown in the 1941-1945 enemy issues and these are certain to be in great demand. None was included in the 1946 Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, published in 1945. ‘Official’ and fairly complete information about the legitimacy, postal character and value of these stamps will probably be available in 1946.

Next in order of collecting interest were the stamps of China. Their great variety and the unusual possibility for the discovery of unsuspected rarities have made them especially attractive to the more advanced collectors. The issues continued complicated as political shifts and economic instability necessitated a great number of overprints, surcharges and hurried reissues. It will be many months before all of the wartime Chinese stamps can be fully catalogued.

China led the world in the number of stamps catalogued — 76 — followed by France with 74 and Russia with 50. The Central and South American countries continued to lead in the number of air mail stamps issued. Venezuela alone produced 38. The postage and air mail issues included 218 commemoratives.

Two distinguished series of stamps were issued by the United States — the Franklin D. Roosevelt memorials and one honoring the Marines, Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Maritime Service. The 5¢ of the Roosevelt series and the Maritime Service stamp will be released in January and February, 1946, respectively.

The San Francisco Conference 5¢ stamp, whose design and wording were suggested by the late President, was issued on the opening day of the Conference, April 25th. First day sale at San Francisco — $60,000 — was the largest for any U. S. 5¢ stamp. On the second day, 3,959,403 were sold in Washington. This stamp was the subject of Mr. Roosevelt’s last directive. It had been designed originally with the inscription ‘Toward United Nations, April 25, 1945,’ Mr. Roosevelt’s words, but without his name. It was planned that he should buy the first sheet at the opening of the Conference. Plate numbers 23262, 23263, 23264 were assigned to the stamp in this form but these plates were never sent to press. After Mr. Roosevelt’s death on April 12th, his name was added to the stamp, the new plates, with numbers 23265, 23266, 23267, were printed and the stamps were delivered in San Francisco in time for sale on April 25th.

A 3¢ stamp honoring the late Alfred E. Smith was issued on November 26th, with first day sale in New York City.

Postal routes and services throughout the world were opened as the Allied armies and navies advanced — to Guam on January 11th, the Philippines on January 12th, Belgium on February 2nd, etc. In many of the French post offices, American troops found stocks of Vichy stamps overprinted ‘R F,’ ready for use immediately after liberation. These were among the first of the many European Victory issues. Two of the best of these are the Luxembourg ‘Thanks to the Allies’ set and the French ‘Victoire.’ The former comprises four stamps with flags and inscriptions expressing gratitude to France, Russia, Great Britain and the United States.

The French stamp was designed by Edmund Dulac and shows a beautifully drawn head of Victory. A number of values have been issued and more are to come.

The Vichy government issues, invalidated after the liberation of France and apparently never used in the colonies, were duly chronicled although their final status remains in doubt. They are handsome stamps but may prove interesting only as souvenirs of a vicious regime.

Even before V-E and V-J days, stamps from the Axis countries arrived in the United States in considerable quantities. Among them are many so-called rarities which may well prove worthless and careful collectors should refuse to buy until legitimate prices can be established.

Stamps of 103 governments were chronicled for addition to the Standard Catalogue of 1945. The total number of stamps of all kinds, including 22 United States revenue and 1 war savings stamps, was 1,341, only 49 less than in 1944. In this total were 970 postal and semi-postal issues, 261 air mails, 34 officials, 21 postage dues, 12 postal tax, 8 military, 6 special delivery, 3 postal fiscal, 2 parcel post and 1 insured letter.

As in other recent years, the percentage of overprints, surcharges and reissues was high and only 346 new designs were produced.

1946: Philately

Popular Interest.

The return to the United States and to civilian life of millions of servicemen, and the resumption by all Americans of somewhat more normal ways, added impetus to stamp collecting in 1946.

Apparently the proportion of stamp collectors in the armed forces was high. Returning G.I.’s brought in hundreds of thousands of stamps — new or recent issues, occupation issues, and a vast amount of ‘liberated’ pre-war material. The natural interest in these stamps spread to all collecting fields. Stamps of all countries were in great demand during 1946, with those of the United States far in the lead, as usual. Prices for some of the recent United States series — the Presidents, Famous Americans and Over-run Countries especially — advanced sharply, and many of the older issues such as the Columbian and Trans-Mississippi commemoratives made new records. The sale at auction of President Roosevelt’s personal collection for $228,000 was an outstanding event of the year.

1945 United States Commemorative Issues.

The Post Office Department announced, early in 1946, the number printed of each of the eleven commemorative stamps issued in 1945. Lowest figures, 60, 65, 70, and 75 million each were given Florida, Roosevelt, United Nations, and Texas, respectively. The Alfred E. Smith stamp, which created a mild storm, had the largest number, 300 million. Others were from 100 to 150 million.

Catalogue Listings.

Not including those issued by enemy or enemy-controlled governments, about 2,200 stamps were added to the Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue in 1946. These were issued by 115 countries, colonies, or dependencies. The greatest number of additions from a single country, 126, came from the United States but this figure includes 49 revenue stamps and one hunting permit stamp, categories not listed for other governments. Sixty-four of the remaining 76 were occupation stamps, issued for postal use in Europe. Czechoslovakia led the world in postal issues of all kinds with 89 and was followed by Rumania, 85, Italy, 84, the United States and Russia, 76 each, and China, 66.

Stamps with new designs greatly outnumbered overprints and surcharges, reversing the trend of the past few years. Only 469 stamps were overprinted or surcharged, the number of re-issues was small, and about two-thirds of the year’s stamps were completely new. Various denominations of 634 new designs were catalogued.

In the major categories in the Catalogue, the numbers of stamps added were as follows: postage, 1356; semi-postal, 223; air mail, 183; postage due, 103; official, 90; Parcel post, 56.

Air Mails.

Latin American countries continued to be the most prolific source of air mail stamps. Of the world’s total of 183, Mexico, and Central and South America put out 140. Mexico issued 19, Ecuador 16, Bolivia and Costa Rica, 12 each.

Russian Issues.

Except for one souvenir sheet, all of Russia’s 76 issues were for ordinary postage, designed to commemorate various personalities or achievements. So great a number of commemorative stamps in a single year is probably a philatelic record.

Political Implications of Stamps.

Postage stamps are indicative of the nature, policy, and economic status of the issuing government. Stable and conservative governments usually have few new ones, restless or ‘enterprising’ governments have many. The course of war and peace is quickly traced. Inflation brings out a rash of new issues and surcharges. Russia’s commemoratives, obviously designed for propaganda and Great Britain’s current series of 94 peace commemoratives for colonial use, which was to be completed during 1946, may have more than postal significance. The liberation of invaded countries and the defeat of the Axis powers naturally accounted for the majority of the year’s stamps. Germany and Italy reappeared in the Catalogue, first with zone and occupation issues, later with new national series. In May 1946 Korea issued its first stamps since Japan assumed control in 1904. Between 1904 and V-J day some Japanese stamps had been overprinted for Korean use. The Philippines issued its Independence series on July 4, the day the islands became a nation. These are typical examples of political philatelic changes. The stamps of China, Greece, and Hungary — the latter in denominations of trillions of pengos — recorded the breakneck pace of hysterical inflation.

List of Axis Issues.

Since stamps issued by Axis or Axis-controlled countries were invalid for postage after V-E and V-J days, restrictions on their possession and sale were soon lifted. In January 1946 an ‘official’ list of some hundreds of these stamps was published, and most of them will eventually be added to the Catalogue. Information about quantities issued and used is still fragmentary.

Forgeries.

Fragmentary, also, but full of warning for the collector of war issues, are the reports of wholesale forgeries of overprints, especially on Italian and Greek issues. The first stamps used after a country’s liberation, often hurriedly prepared and overprinted by hand, are naturally of great interest, but they are valuable only if they are genuine.

Exhibit Plans for 1947.

Plans were announced for an International Philatelic Exhibition, the first since the beginning of World War II, to be held in New York in the spring of 1947. Since that year is the centenary of United States postage, unusual interest has been shown in the 1847 five and ten cent issues, with a consequent rise in price, the first substantial increase in some years. Reports from collectors and dealers indicate that, in addition to the usual ‘classic’ exhibits there will be many of recent occupation and provisional issues.

1947: Philately

Approximately 3,000 stamps issued by 164 governments, were added to the Standard Catalogue during the catalogue year of 1947. Several hundred others, war issues of Axis or Axis-satellite countries, were only tentatively listed since information about their official status and use was incomplete. They are not included here.

Russia, the Russian zone in Europe, and China were the largest producers of new stamps. Bulgaria led with 157 stamps in all categories, followed by Hungary, 111; China, 104; Romania, 93; and Russia, 88. The same five countries led in ordinary postage issues: Bulgaria again first, with 121; followed by China, 97; Hungary, 94; Russia, 88; and Romania, 81.

By large categories the year’s stamps were divided as follows: postage and semi-postage, 1,672; air mail and air mail semi-postage, 405; postage due, 167; official, 75; postal tax, 62; parcel post, 60; souvenir sheets, 28; occupation stamps, 21; special delivery, 8; postal fiscal, 3; revenue (United States), 53.

As usual in recent years, Latin America led the rest of the world in air mails, with 148 out of the 405 issued, but individual leadership was taken by Lebanon with 33, followed by Costa Rica, 21; Venezuela, 20; Bulgaria, 18; and Ecuador, 16.

There was an unusually high percentage of new designs on the year’s stamps. Two hundred and fifty-three of the 907 new designs came from Russia (75), Bulgaria (71), Austria (56) and Romania (51). These figures include only single designs, many of which were repeated in series of various denominations. Canada, Belgium, Colombia, Finland, France, Hungary, Japan, Norway, Poland, Spain, and Turkey also brought out large new series. Overprints and surcharges on older issues accounted for 491 of the year’s new stamps.

Except for three groups, commemorative issues were fairly evenly spread among the several stamp issuing governments. The British Victory commemoratives, two stamps issued throughout the empire, and the four stamps in honor of the African visit of the royal family issued for the African colonies and dependencies, accounted for 100 of the world’s 631 commemoratives. China tried to make its new and higher values more acceptable by making 73 of them commemoratives. Russia remembered its heroes on 31 commemorative stamps.

Public difficulty in keeping up with advancing postal rates was reflected in the unusual number, 167, of new postage dues.

For both collectors and dealers, one of the most interesting events of the philatelic year was the International Philatelic Exhibition, celebrating the 100th anniversary of United States postage, held in New York from May 17th to 25th. Dealers, private collectors and governments sent stamps and covers to fill 2,000 exhibition frames with many of the world’s rarest stamps. Part of George VI’s collection was shown; Switzerland and Egypt sent exhibits valued at $1,000,000 and $200,000, respectively. The United States Post Office Department issued special stamps and sold them at the Exhibition for more than $1,000,000, these were a 3-cent centenary, 15-cent souvenir sheet and 5-cent centenary airmail envelope.

More than 100,000 visitors attended the Exhibition. Much of the local and international success of the show was due to the efforts of the late Alfred F. Liechtenstein, one of the world’s great collectors and first chairman of the Exhibition committee, who died on Feb. 24, 1947. Some of the finest exhibits, including King George’s, were grouped in a Court of Honor dedicated to Mr. Liechtenstein.

Many countries issued stamps commemorating the first United States issues, the 5-cent Franklin and 10-cent Washington, first sold in New York on July 1, 1847.

Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Honduras, Hungary, Mexico, The Netherlands, and El Salvador issued stamps during the year in memory of the late Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Brazil was the first country to use a portrait of President Truman on a stamp, an issue commemorating his official visit to that country in 1947.

Sales of United States stamps at the Philatelic Agency in Washington for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1947 broke all records. The $3,331,291 realized was $310,599 over 1946, the previous high year. In the twenty-five years since its establishment the agency has sold about $26,461,300 worth of mint stamps to collectors and dealers.

Few large collections were sold at auction in 1947. Prices were, in general, higher, but the volume of public and private sales was under that of 1946.

Some kind of record was broken by the last Hungarian postage based on the pengö. The series of stamps, issued in 1946 but catalogued in 1947, began at 1,000,000 pengö and extended, by jumps of millions, to 500 quadrillion pengö. These were for ordinary postage and were the last before the reformation of Hungarian currency. China’s current $5,000 postage seems mild by comparison.

1948: Philately

A study of philatelic precedent shows that in any year in which the world is beset by political disturbances involving aggression such as occupation of territory, either by force or through ‘cold war’ tactics, government printing presses invariably work overtime in producing bits of postal paper. Such a year was 1948.

World Stamp Issues.

Behind the ‘Iron Curtain’ more than 450 stamps were issued for Russia, for the Soviet Zone in Germany, and for the satellite lands of Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, North Korea, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia. The American, British, and French authorities in Germany released about 250. Approximately 130 appeared in China, many of these resulting from currency inflation. British forces in Eritrea, Somaliland, and Tripolitania, former Italian possessions, Egyptian and Transjordan invaders of Palestine, and Allied military officials in Trieste all placed postal paper in circulation. The statistical analysis discloses that the foregoing developments were responsible for more than one fourth of the year’s stamps.

At the year’s end it was not possible accurately to state the number of major and minor varieties issued throughout the world. This is true partly because no information had been made available as to what the Chinese Communists may have done postally. It was recognized that it would be well into 1949 before the year’s total would be known.

By the end of 1948, the count had reached 3,164 varieties. This is the highest total in any twelve-month period in philately’s history extending back to 1840. In only two other calendar years had the 3,000-mark been exceeded.

The tentative 3,164 varieties for 1948 were produced by 173 governments. Nearly 24 per cent of the stamps were created, for provisional use only, through overprinting new values or special inscriptions or outlines of airplanes.

More than 36 per cent of the 3,164 fall within the commemoration classification. Ten governments — Chile, Bolivia, Russia, Ecuador, Monaco, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Romania, Yugoslavia, Japan — released nearly one third of the 1,140 commemoratives put forth by 128 governments.

Fifty-three governments issued 415 air-mail stamps, and about 55 per cent of these came from 18 of the 21 Pan American countries. Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua did not print air items.

About 260 semipostals were issued by 33 governments, all but 47 of the stamps originating in 18 European countries.

United States Postage Stamps.

The government was responsible for 79 varieties. Of these, 49 are revenues not valid for postage. Of the 30 postage items only one (a 5-cent red airmail released in coil form on January 15) appeared because of utilitarian need. The other 29 are ‘specials.’ The Post Office Department described all of them as commemoratives, but the philatelist who is a perfectionist can cite reasons why eight of them definitely are not commemoratives.

On May 28 a 3¢ stamp released at Washington, D.C., honored four Army chaplains, George L. Fox, Clark V. Poling, John P. Washington, and Alexander D. Goode, who perished when an army transport was torpedoed in 1943. On July 31 a 3¢ stamp was released at Emporia, Kansas, introducing a portrait of William Allen White, publisher. Francis Scott Key, of National Anthem fame, and Chief Justice Harlan Fiske Stone were similarly honored on 3¢ stamps released at Frederick, Md., and Chester-field, N. H., on August 9 and August 25. Clara Barton, Red Cross founder, was remembered on a 3¢ stamp issued at Oxford, Mass., on September 7. The Gold Star Mothers were honored on a 3¢ stamp released at Washington, D.C., on September 21. Portraits of Juliette Gordon Low, Girl Scouts founder, and Will Rogers, humorist, appear on 3¢ stamps released on October 29 at Savannah, Ga., and on November 4 at Claremore, Okla. These eight stamps are memorial items. They are not true commemoratives because their releases do not correspond with any significant dates.

The United States deluge was attributed primarily to the fact that 1948 was an election year. Some fence-mending members of the Senate and the House sought to please constituents by introducing bills authorizing postage stamps requested by the folks back home. Not all of the congressional suggestions offered were enacted, but enough were so that some philatelists and newspaper editorialists gave public vent to criticism.

Philately’s Portrait Gallery.

Except for Will Rogers, the aforementioned persons are all newcomers to philately’s gallery. United States stamps during the year also introduced Winthrop Sargent, territorial administrator; Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucretia Coffin Mott, woman suffrage pioneers; John McLoughlin and Jason Lee, Oregon pioneers; William Owen O’Neill, a Rough Rider hero; Moina Michael, Poppy Day founder. Stamps issued throughout the world added portraits of figures or monuments of more than 170 personages never hitherto associated with philately.

First-Day Covers.

One of 1948′s features was the increased interest taken by collectors of first-day covers bearing United States stamps. At the first-day sales of the 30 issues approximately 12,400,000 covers received initial-date postmarks. On the thirty dates nearly 29,000,000 stamps were sold, the income realized exceeding $900,000. In no previous year have these totals been approached.

Philatelic Agency.

In July, the Post Office Department announced that collectors and dealers throughout the world had purchased, during the Federal fiscal year ended June 30, approximately $2,490,700 worth of unused stamps at the Philatelic Agency, a government bureau in Washington. This figure compares with the record, $3,331,300, established during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1947.

New Governments.

The year’s new philatelic titles (governments issuing postal paper for the first time) are Israel, Muscat, Perlis, Rheinland-Pfalz, Singapore, Tokelau Islands.

Educational Interest.

The broadening interest being evinced by educators in the cultural phase of philately received stimulus when Temple University, in Philadelphia, announced ‘a two-year college course in philately leading to a degree of Associate in Business (Philately).’ Registration for this course begins in February 1949. In connection with the project the University works in association with a Philatelic Museum, with stamp library and exhibitions, developed by Bernard Davis, textile manufacturer.

1949: Philately

Political and geographical changes in many parts of the world were among the developments which both interested and affected philately during 1949. There were many major transitions.

World Stamp Issues.

In Germany, a Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Federal Republic of Germany) was set up by the Western Powers. The U.S.S.R. retaliated by establishing a ‘German Democratic Republic’ in the Eastern zone. Each new regime issued its own stamps. At the year’s end, Baden, Rheinpfalz and Württemberg, all within the French-controlled area, ceased to have their own stamps and were joined postally to the federal republic. This change, however, did not affect the Saar, which earlier had become economically a part of France, thus giving the Saar individual postal paper.

What had been philately’s Dutch Indies (geography’s Netherlands Indies) became the United States of Indonesia as an equal partner in union with the Netherlands. The Indonesian Federal Government and the rebel ‘Republik’ authorities had issued stamps separately. The two governments merged late in 1949, and the stamps of both were then made valid for use throughout Indonesia pending the printing of U.N.I. postal paper early in 1950.

In Africa, part of Cirenaica (which with Tripolitania and Fezzan had formed Italy’s Libya) became an Arab state under British sponsorship. The new Cirenaica government announced that stamps would appear in 1950. France retained claim to Fezzan, which issued its own postal paper.

Italy’s former Italian Somaliland colony in Africa was under British military administration, with overprinted British stamps reflecting the situation. Late in the year, Italy announced it intended to take over from the British early in 1950, and this foreshadowed an end to the British overprinted provisionals.

Meanwhile, Capricorn Africa was proposed by assembled representatives of Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia, and Nyasaland. They envisioned first a Central African Dominion comprising the three, and second an East African Dominion made up of Kenya, Tanganyika, and Uganda, with the two dominions to merge eventually into Capricorn Africa. Should these plans mature, collectors anticipated an end to separate stamps by the six British possessions.

Spanish Western Sahara (Sahara Español) disappeared politically and its place was taken by Spanish Occidental Africa, which issued its first stamps. Ifni, which had been attached to the Sahara government, continued to have its own postal paper.

Curaçao, a Dutch possession in the West Indies, became Netherlands Antilles, and this new title entered philately. Newfoundland’s postal emissions terminated because Newfoundland joined Canada. Meanwhile, Canada dropped ‘Dominion’ from its official documents.

Transjordan became the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan, and the new title was promptly inscribed on stamps. That part of Palestine which was under Jordan occupation was merged with Jordan politically, thus making the use of overprinted Transjordan stamps no longer necessary.

Ceylon in 1949 issued its first stamps as a dominion, in commemoration of the first anniversary. Modern Iran restored its ancient name of Persia. Gaelic Eire became the Republic of Ireland. India proclaimed its independence, to become formally effective with the establishment of a republic on Jan. 26, 1950. Two southern Indian states, Travancore and Cochin, merged under the former name, thus ending Cochin’s philatelic record.

The followers of Mao Tse-tung, Communist Generalissimo in China, formed the People’s Republic of China and issued stamps. The Chinese Nationalist government fled to Taiwan and did likewise. Former parts of philately’s Indochina were merged by France into the Viet Nam Republic, and Bao Dai, an earlier Emperor of Annam (within Indochina) proclaimed himself chief of state of Viet Nam.

Approximately 2,900 major and minor varieties of postal paper appeared in 1949. They were products of 208 governments. This postal deluge, slightly smaller than the previous year’s, was featured by the appearance of nearly 700 stamps issued by about 170 governments in observance of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Universal Postal Union. Some 300 of these emanated from British possessions. The year set a new record for commemorative stamps: more than 1,300 released by 186 governments.

The 1949 tentative figure of 2,900 varieties did not include the Chinese Communist issues, literally hundreds in number. The postal validity of these must be established before they can be chronicled in the Scott Standard Catalog.

United States Postage Stamps.

Contrasting with the previous year’s deluge of 29 special stamps, the United States 1949 program was restricted to 11. This was because Postmaster General Jesse M. Donaldson successfully intervened with Congressional postal committees. They agreed to give him the say-so as to the events to be chosen for commemoration. Thus, although approximately 100 bills providing for stamp-issuing were introduced in the Senate and the House, the measures were not reported out favorably by the committees, and Mr. Donaldson was permitted to use his own judgment.

Of utilitarian character appeared a small-size 6-cent airmail stamp on January 18 at Washington. D. C., the same stamp being issued in coil form on August 25 at Washington. Booklet panes of this 6-cent stamp received first-day sale on November 18 in New York City. A red-on-cream 4-cent airmail postcard was issued at Washington on January 10.

For the Treasury Department, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing overprinted ‘Series of 1949′ on 48 documentary and stock transfer revenues of 1940. For the Department of the Interior was printed a 52 bright green revenue stamp for use on wildfowl hunting licenses. All previous editions of this ‘duck stamp’ were of the $1 denomination.

Post Office Department Sales.

This government bureau at Washington achieved a new federal fiscal-year sales record. During the 12 months ending June 30, 1949, the agency disposed of $4,136,122 worth of its postal wares. This all-time high mark compared with $3,331,291, the previous best figure, recorded during the 1946-1947 fiscal period.

The unprecedented sales during the 1948-1949 period were attributed in part to the fact that 24 special stamps were issued during the second half of 1948, and these were supplemented by five commemoratives and a regular air stamp (6 cents) during the first half of 1949 — 30 stamps throughout the fiscal year.

Philately’s Portrait Gallery.

During 1949 the hobby’s panorama of portraiture was enriched with effigies of 97 persons whose likenesses had not hitherto been postally used. These newcomers were contributed by 44 governments. On United States stamps appeared heads of Edgar Allan Poe, Orville and Wilbur Wright, Robert E. Lee, and George Washington. Of the five, only Orville Wright was not a philatelic familiar.

Necrology.

During the year death removed five persons whose portraits were on stamps. They were Juan Sinforiano Bogarin, Paraguay’s first archbishop (from 1930 until his passing); Douglas Hyde, Ireland’s first president (from 1938-1945); Louis II, ruling prince of Monaco (from 1922 until his death); Sigrid Undset, Norwegian author and poet; and Husni Zayim, who was executed during a revolution a few months after he had become president of Syria.

American philately lost two of its outstanding figures: on July 20, Frederic R. Harris, Rear Admiral, United States Navy, retired, died at the age of 74; and on October 6, Y. Souren, died at the age of 57. Admiral Harris, chairman of the board of the Philatelic Foundation, headed the 1947 Centenary International Philatelic Exhibition in New York. Mr. Souren, born Souren Yohannessiantz in Armenia, was a New York dealer who applied to philately his knowledge of medicine, chemistry, and photography and became recognized as one of the world’s foremost scientists in the stamp field. His Philatelic Research Laboratories, Inc., played a major role in successful prosecution of stamp counterfeiters by the United States Secret Service.

Exhibition.

The American Stamp Dealers Association staged its first National Postage Stamp Show in New York’s 71st Regiment Armory on November 18-20. The affair attracted a 30,000 attendance.

United Nations.

This international organization studied the legal and administrative aspects of establishing its own postal system, and it was indicated late in 1949 that the United Nations hoped to arrive at an agreement with the United States Post Office Department some time in 1950. The U.N. asked both Washington and private stamp-engraving companies about the probable cost of printing special U.N. stamps.

The United Nations budget experts pointed out that the U.N. could save at least $21,000 annually — excluding income from sale of mint stamps to collectors throughout the world — by operating its own postal system.

Meanwhile, Switzerland announced that Swiss stamps would be overprinted for the U.N.’s European office and placed in use on Feb. 1, 1950.

1950: Philately

In 1950 the inscriptions and designs on postage stamps continued to reflect geographical and political developments throughout the world.

First Stamp Issues of New Governments.

Appearing for the first time were stamps bearing the inscription Republik Indonesia. These stamps were listed in the 1951 Scott Standard Catalog under United States of Indonesia, a subtitle of Dutch Indies, thereby reflecting the political transition from the Dutch or Netherlands Indies (Nederlandsch Indie) to Indonesia to the United States of Indonesia (Republik Indonesia Serikat) to the Republic of Indonesia (Republik Indonesia). Netherlands New Guinea (Nieuw Guinea), which remained a Dutch possession apart from Indonesia, was also given its first stamps in 1950.

Stamps imprinted Archipel des Comores (Archipelago of Comoro) became a new philatelic title, Comoro Islands, which was listed as a subtitle under Grand Comoro Island. The latter title was discontinued in 1914, when the islands of Grand Comoro, Mayotte, Anjouan, and Mohéli were attached (by France) to Madagascar. The new stamp issue, and title, followed the granting of administrative and financial autonomy to the archipelago in 1947.

In India, which is no longer a British Dominion, the first stamps inscribed Republic of India appeared on Jan. 25, 1950, replacing the title India. Rajasthan (‘Land of the Princes’), a merger within India of Jaipur, Bundi, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaisalmar, and smaller states, was given philatelic recognition for the first time after inquiry produced evidence that its 1949 postal paper (stamps of Bundi and Jaipur with ‘Rajasthan’ overprinted) was authentic.

France sanctioned postal autonomy for the Indochinese states of Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia, which are now entitled Associated States of the French Union. Thus Indochina seemed destined to disappear as a current philatelic title.

The Saar, although peace treaties with Germany might later alter its status, was to attain virtual independence on Jan. 1, 1951. During 1950 it became a member of the Council of Europe, a development which it commemorated with a Saar postal issue.

Tripolitania, Cirenaica, Libya, and French-occupied Fezzan, all formerly belonging to Italy, were merged in 1950 into one political unit, Libya, recognized as an independent sovereign state by the United Nations. In December the U.N. General Assembly created a federation under which Eritrea, formerly an Italian possession, was united with Ethiopia (philately’s Abyssinia). Italian Somaliland (Somalia), which is eventually to receive independence, was given to Italy under a U.N. trusteeship. These changes brought to a close some stamp issues and foreshadowed new ones.

World Stamp Issues.

During 1950 approximately 2,500 major and minor varieties of stamps, several hundred fewer than in 1949, were released by 150 governments. The Soviet Union led all countries, with 130 varieties, followed by Hungary with 93, Switzerland 87, Communist China 78, Venezuela 70, Poland 64, Trieste (under Allied military control) 52, Colombia 51, Romania 49, and East Germany (under Soviet occupation) 47. Together, these ten released 721 varieties, or about 30 per cent of the year’s total.

More than one fifth of the 2,500 came from the Soviet Union and satellite nations, at least 550 varieties being issued by Albania, Bulgaria, Communist China, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, North Korea, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union. Reports indicated that stamp collecting as a hobby had come into disfavor in some of these countries because of unpopular official controls. Observers suspected that the primary purpose of many of the stamps was to foist them on collectors in foreign countries, in return for American dollars, British pounds, and other Western currencies.

U.S. Stamps.

During the life of the 81st Congress, which went out of existence on Jan. 2, 1951, about 140 bills requesting new stamps were introduced. The Congressional postal committees, however, agreed in 1949 to leave to Postmaster General Jesse M. Donaldson the final decision on persons and events to be remembered postally. Accordingly, nearly all the bills died with the 81st, and in 1950 only 11 special stamps were issued. All were of 3-cent denomination, and all but two — honoring railroad engineers and the Boy Scouts — were commemorative stamps,

In addition to the adhesives, four embossed stamped envelopes appeared. For airmail use, a 6-cent carmine illustrating a plane was released on September 22, with first-day sale at Philadelphia. For regular use, a 1-cent green, with portrait of Benjamin Franklin, and a 2-cent red and 3-cent violet, each with head of George Washington, were issued on November 16, 17, and 18, respectively, with first-day sale at New York City. Thirty revenue or fiscal items (not valid for postage) were recorded. Besides a $2 ‘hunting permit’ item, some 1940 documentary and stock transfer revenues were given a ‘Series of 1950′ overprint.

Philatelic Agency.

In the 28th full fiscal year of the U.S. Philatelic Agency at Washington ending June 30, 1950, collectors and dealers throughout the world purchased mint postal paper amounting to $2,891,976.31 (a monthly average of $240,156), compared with the record total of $4,136,122 during the 1948-1949 fiscal period. The decrease of more than $1,244,000 was attributed to the fact that only 15 new stamps were issued from July 1, 1949 through June 30, 1950, compared with 30 in the 1948-1949 fiscal year. From December 1921, when the Philatelic Agency was placed in operation, to June 30, 1950, the sales aggregated $36,000,986.

U.N. Stamps.

Late in 1950 it was announced at Lake Success that a postal agreement between the United States and the United Nations would be signed by President Truman and Secretary General Trygve Lie to permit the establishment of a separate U.N. postal administration empowered to print and sell its own stamps. Under the agreement, which was expected to become formally effective in July 1951, the U.S. Post Office Department would operate the U.N. post office in New York City, using U.N. stamps subject to reimbursement by the United Nations. Bertil A. Reneborg of Sweden, chief of U.N. communications, was assigned to head the project.

It was stated that the United Nations would in time open a philatelic agency for sale of the stamps to collectors. Some U.N. philatelic experts estimated that such sales should amount to at least $300,000 annually. The aspect of thus inducing philately to help support the United Nations was not relished by American collectors, especially since a tentative U.N. program called for stamps in denominations ranging from one cent through $5. Harry L. Lindquist, chairman of the National Federation of Stamp Clubs, sent a questionnaire to members, and 74 per cent replied in opposition to special U.N. stamps. Most of the others urged that such a series be restricted to denominations not higher than ten cents.

Portrait Gallery.

Likenesses of 111 men, women, and children never before postally honored appeared on stamps during 1950, the issues coming from 40 governments. Only nine were living persons: Perak’s Sultan Abdul Jalil, Mexico’s President Aleman, Denmark’s Princess Anne-Marie, England’s Prince Charles, Haiti’s President Estimé (who later was forced out of office), Trengganu’s Sultan Ismail ibni Almarhum, Soviet Deputy Premier Molotov, East Germany’s President Pieck, and President Quirino of the Philippines. Five of the 111 were women: Anne-Marie of Denmark, Bulgaria’s thirteenth-century Queen Desislava, France’s Mme. Sévigné and Mme. Recamier, and Mary Melnik, a guerrilla fighter of the Soviet Union.

Only two of the newcomers appeared on U.S. stamps: Samuel Gompers (1850-1924), labor leader; and John Luther (Casey) Jones (1864-1900), locomotive engineer, famous in folklore and song.

Exhibition.

The Second National Postage Stamp Show of the American Stamp Dealers’ Association, Inc., attracted an estimated 45,000 persons in New York City’s 71st Infantry Regiment Armory on November 16-19. The new 1-, 2-, and 3-cent stamped envelopes, the first, except for airmail envelopes, in thirty-four years, received first-day sale at this exhibition. At a special substation in the armory, visitors paid more than $10,000 for mint postal paper, commemoratives as well as the new envelopes.

1951: Philately

The year 1951 brought approximately 2,400 new major and minor varieties of postage stamps, the products of 159 governments.

For the first time in several years the Soviet Union did not issue the most new stamps. Hungary was the leader with 101 different stamps, followed by Czechoslovakia 62, Bolivia and the Soviet Union 60 each, South Korea and Poland 58 each, Yugoslavia 52, Venezuela 49, and Japan 48. These nine countries alone released 544 stamps, or more than one-fourth of the total. (The United States is omitted from the foregoing because only 9 of the 58 postal pieces printed at Washington were valid for postage, the others being for revenue.) More than one-sixth of the 2,400 output came from nine Iron Curtain lands.

Commemorative postal paper issued by 102 governments totaled 858, or only 35.6 per cent of the total, whereas in some years more than one-half of the world’s stamp output had been commemoratives. Bolivia led in this category in 1951 with 60, all its stamps being of this character.

A total of 357 airmail stamps, or between one-sixth and one-seventh of all the varieties, were issued by 51 governments. The United States issued only one. Better than 45 per cent of all the airs came from 15 of the 21 American republics, of which only Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, and Uruguay refrained from printing such stamps.

As usual, European countries led in producing semipostals, with 14 releasing 85 of the year’s total of 130. Only 11 governments elsewhere issued semipostals.

Suggesting the approaching settlement of some of the world’s political problems, fewer occupation stamps appeared. Only 87 such pieces were released — in Eritrea and Tripolitania under British administration, in eastern Germany under the Soviet Union, in the Fezzan part of Libya under French rule, and in the Allied Military Government sector of Trieste. On December 24 Libya became independent with United Nations sanction, foreshadowing an end to stamps for Fezzan.

Of the year’s total of 2,400 stamps, 357 were provisionals which 51 governments created by overprinting special inscriptions or new denominations. The overprints were only 14 per cent of the total, whereas there have been years in which more than half of all the stamps were overprinted varieties.

Portrait Gallery.

Generally in one year’s time approximately a hundred persons never before postally honored enter philately’s gallery, either with their portraits or figures used, or names inscribed, or statues or tombs pictured. During 1951 a probable record was set when the number of men and women thus honored exceeded 150. The United States issued only one such stamp — portraying Cadillac, the French colonizer in southern Michigan.

Governments use portraits to commemorate achievements in drama, exploration, geographical expansion, literature, medicine, music, painting, religion, science, sports, statesmanship, and in other fields. The Soviet Union in 1951, for example, honored 20 scientists, composers, artists, and writers, few of whom are mentioned in English-printed reference works. France placed 19 more famous Frenchmen on stamps. Nearly 50 governments in all added such stamps to the hobby’s panorama of portraits.

United Nations.

It was with some misgiving that philatelic leaders throughout the world heard of the plan announced by the United Nations organization to have its own postal paper. The grumblings recorded in stamp journals died away when artists retained by the United Nations produced stamps that many collectors consider among the hobby’s most beautiful vignettes. One of the artists is a Mexican-born New Yorker, Leon Helguera, several of whose sketches have been utilized in the past for United States postal items.

The U.N. stamps, with the inscriptions in the U.N.’s five official languages (Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish) are postage 1, 1′, 3, 5 and 25 cents and $1 released on October 24; postage 2, 10, 15, 20 and 50 cents on November 16; and airmail 6, 10, 15 and 25 cents on December 14. The designs reflect the purposes, activities, and achievements of the world organization.

Under the contract between the U.N. and the U.S. Post Office Department the latter operates the only U.N. post office, which was placed in the U.N. Headquarters Building (illustrated in Mr. Helguera’s design on the postage 1′-cent and 50-cent) in New York City. The stamps are valid on mail only when deposited at the post office, and nowhere else in the world.

During the meeting of the U.N. General Assembly at Paris, beginning in November, the stamps were sold to collectors and dealers, but exclusively for philatelic purposes. Purchasers of stamps with face value exceeding $100 were required to sign papers that they would not export them to the United States in an effort to make ‘black market’ profits because of the international currency situation.

In New York, Bertil A. Renborg, Chief of the U.N. Postal Administration, opened a Philatelic Office through which unused stamps could be obtained by mail. The post office itself was within the restricted area and so was inaccessible (except on the dates of first-day release of the stamps) to the general public. This hardship for collectors would be eliminated, Mr. Renborg said, by removing the post office to a building being erected on unrestricted land nearby.

New Governments.

The year brought three other new philatelic titles, Cambodia, Laos, and Viet Nam, and the announcement of a fourth, Tristan da Cunha.

Cambodia, Laos, and Viet Nam had been constituent parts of French Indochina. France made each one independent, and each issued its first postal paper as a royaume (kingdom). But inscribed on the stamps is, also, ‘U.F.’ — thus reminding that the three countries remain within the orbit of the French Union.

Great Britain disclosed that on Jan. 2, 1952, stamps would be issued for the first time in Tristan da Cunha, a chain of tiny islands in the Atlantic between Africa and South America. The population is only a few hundred — but there are millions of collectors to buy the stamps. The initial series comprises postal paper of St. Helena with the newcomer’s name overprinted on it.

United States Issues.

Washington produced 58 philatelic pieces during 1951. Of these, 49 are revenue stamps — 48 earlier Documentary and Stock Transfer fiscal items with ‘Series 1951′ overprinted, and the 1951-1952 Federal 2-dollar ‘duck stamp’ for use on wildfowl hunting licenses.

The other nine, valid for postage, include six commemoratives (listed herewith); a provisional six-cent-airmail stamped envelope contrived by overprinting ‘Revalued 6c P.O. Dept.’ in red on some remaining stocks of the five-cent airmail stamped envelope; and a two-cent red postcard (November 16) and a 20-cent black special delivery (November 30) printed to accommodate postal rate increases (from one cent and 15 cents respectively) which Congress legislated to become effective in 1952.

During the first session of the 82nd Congress 11 Senate and 34 House bills requesting special stamps were introduced by hopeful senators and representatives. Postmaster General Jesse M. Donaldson’s task under such pressure was eased, however, by the fact that a tacit mutual agreement with the Senate and House postal committees left the selection of persons and events to be honored to his discretion. So the bills never became law, as the committees did not even report them out for legislative action. Collectors generally considered six special stamps too few for any one year and late in 1951 Mr. Donaldson indicated that twice that many would be issued in 1952.

Philatelic Agency.

When relatively fewer stamps are issued within a Federal fiscal year, sales of mint stamps and other postal stationery at the Government’s Philatelic Agency in Washington is, logically, smaller. During the 12-month period which ended on June 30, 1951, five commemorative stamps and four stamped envelopes were issued, and sales at the Agency totalled $1,336,050. This compared with 15 stamps and sales amounting to $2,891,976 in the previous fiscal year. The drop in income was nearly $1,556,000. The Agency’s record sales figure of $4,136,122 had been achieved during the fiscal year that ended June 30, 1949. During that year 30 new stamps appeared. From mid-December in 1921, when the Agency was placed in operation, through June 30, 1951, sales aggregated approximately $37,316,335.

National Exhibition.

The Third National Postage Stamp Show, sponsored by the American Stamp Dealers’ Association, Inc., a non-profit organization, was held in New York City in November. The Post Office Department gave the two-cent postcard first-day sale there on November 16 and provided a $1,000,000 display of postal wares brought from archives in Washington. New York’s Postmaster Albert Goldman installed a subpostal station. The Bureau of Printing and Engraving operated machines to show how stamps are printed. The United Nations put on an exhibit which gave the viewer a graphic picture of how the U.N. postal paper was developed from the inception of artists’ sketches, through the printing processes, to delivery of the stamps from England and the Netherlands. Peter G. Keller, executive officer of the A.S.D.A., estimated that 57,000 persons visited the show.

1952: Philately

During 1952 approximately 2,500 varieties of stamps were released by 138 governments. Venezuela led with 159, followed by Romania, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Cuba, Turkey, Egypt, Hungary, Jordan, and Libya. These ten countries alone produced 750, or more than one-fourth of the total. The ‘Iron Curtain’ lands, seeking to attract American dollars, and operating state monopolies which virtually eliminated private dealers, issued better than one-seventh of the year’s total.

About 800 of the 2,500 stamps were commemoratives printed by 98 governments. Air mail items exceeded 370, with 225 of these released by 16 of the 21 American republics. Of 130 semipostals issued for charity reasons by 27 governments, 12 European countries were responsible for more than 90.

U. S. Stamps.

Fifty-one philatelic items were issued at Washington. Of these, 35 are revenues — of interest to American but not to foreign collectors because such fiscal paper is not valid for prepaying postage. The 16 for postal use were 13 commemoratives, and 80-cent air for use primarily on packages flown between the mainland and Hawaii, and two ‘Revalued 6-cent’ provisional-airpost 5-cent stamped envelopes.

First Days.

Interest in collecting first-day covers was undiminished. The postmasters of the cities and towns where the 13 commemoratives were given initial sale serviced 4,640,275 envelopes to which the new stamps and the ‘First Day of Issue’ cancellation were applied. In all, the postmasters sold 17,105,334 of the 13 stamps on the release dates.

Multicolor by Rotary.

In 1952 for the first time the Post Office Department printed a bicolor stamp — the International Red Cross commemorative — by the rotary process. About ten years ago the Bureau of Engraving and Printing at Washington began experiments which culminated in the multicolor rotary press. All of Uncle Sam’s previous bicolor postal paper was produced by the flat-bed method.

In the opinion of some art critics the Red Cross commemorative was one of the most artistic stamps produced at Washington since the Government began printing its own stamps 60 years ago. The new press is the Post Office Department’s response to demands by American collectors that Washington turn out stamps comparable in beauty with that of the postal paper of some foreign countries.

Philatelic Agency.

During the fiscal year which ended on June 30, 1952, the Government’s Philatelic Agency at Washington sold $1,578,633 worth of mint stamps and postal stationery to collectors and dealers throughout the world. This compares with $1,336,050 during the previous fiscal period — an increase of approximately $240,000. The record is $4,136,122, achieved during the fiscal year which closed on June 30, 1949.

The Agency was opened in mid-December of 1921. From then until the end of June 1952 the aggregate income exceeded $38,900,000.

Colored Illustrations.

A 1952 development of extreme value to philately was a Treasury Department ruling liberalizing Federal interpretation of that section of the United States Code affecting reproduction of postage stamps in color. Under this revision, illustrating of foreign stamps in their original colors was now permissible in the United States — and foreign-printed books containing such reproductions could be imported — if the stamps thus pictured are obsolete issues. This ended the Government’s practice of confiscating literature presenting colored illustrations of those foreign stamps which no longer have any postal validity. It was still illegal to publish or have possession of illustrations of United States stamps — even those long since demonetized.

The liberalization came in connection with a British-made book, ‘The Royal Philatelic Collection,’ describing the postal holdings which King George V assembled and which his successors, including Queen Elizabeth II, augmented. This $180 volume, years in the making, was intended for bibliophiles, educational institutions, and libraries, as well as for collectors. The British Embassy at Washington presented ‘the question of admissibility’ to the U.S. Attorney General, and the Treasury Department’s ruling was based on the Attorney General’s favorable decision.

United Nations.

The U. N. Postal Administration ended it first year of operation on October 23, after having released 11 postage stamps, 4 air mail items, a 10-cent air lettersheet and a 2-cent postal card. Philatelic sales exceeded $800,000 gross — a somewhat amazing figure because the philatelic press and collectors in general had, in advance, opposed stamp-issuing by the world organization.

On October 1, Bertil A. Renborg of Sweden retired as Chief of the Postal Administration and was succeeded by Reidar Tvedt of Norway. One of Mr. Tvedt’s first acts was to set up a stamp-selling counter in the public lobby of the U. N. General Assembly Building, thus making the postal paper obtainable in an area accessible to collectors. He was able to do this because the United Nations and the U.S. Post Office Department, which operates the United Nations post office in the basement of the Headquarters Building, revised their original agreement. Under the latter, the public had been excluded, except on certain days, from patronizing the post office, which is within a ‘restricted area,’ and had to order stamps by mail for philatelic purposes. Now collectors can buy at the new counter and post letters there.

Late in 1952 Secretary General Trygve Lie conducted a contest among leading artists throughout the world in search of acceptable designs for future United Nations stamps. He appointed a jury comprising Dr. Luis F. Thomen, the Dominican Republic’s Ambassador to the United States, as chairman; Bernard Davis, founder of the National Philatelic Museum, Philadelphia; Harry L. Lindquist, chairman of the National Federation of Stamp Clubs and publisher of Stamps magazine; and Jan Juta, a South African artist and designer.

Sixty-seven illustrators representing 32 countries submitted 194 sketches. Three first prizes of $1,000 each were won by Messrs. Wind and Struski, Israeli artists who had successfully collaborated in contriving Israeli postal designs; Leonard C. Mitchell, New Zealand; Dirk Van Gilder, Netherlands. Three second awards, $500 each, went to Johannes Haukland, Norway; Steven P. Ir-Shay, Israel; Hubert Woyty-Wimmer, United Kingdom. Honorable mention was accorded illustrators whose designs were purchased outright. Not one American was among the successful contestants.

Exhibition.

A major event during the year was the fourth annual National Postage Stamp Show held in New York by the American Stamp Dealers’ Association (ASDA) on November 21-23. The Post Office Department co-operated by releasing the International Red Cross commemorative there and by displaying $1,000,000 worth of mint sheets, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing gave public demonstrations of the flat-bed and rotary processes of producing stamps. The New York Red Cross operated a bloodmobile for the benefit of the Armed Forces. Peter G. Keller, executive officer of the ASDA, estimated the attendance at 65,000 persons.

Volume No. 1                          Issue No. 4                       April 2010

We need your letters, views, reports & articles on philatelic & numismatic activities in your area or region for publication here. You can send the same to kansalmitul@gmail.com or emmkayinternational@gmail.com and by post to –

My Contact Address- Mitul Kansal, Editor- Global Express, SRM University Hostel- “F Block”, Room No. 222, NCR Campus, SRM University, Delhi-Meerut Road, Sikrikalam, Distt. Ghaziabad, PIN-201204, U.P., INDIA

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3) If you’ve found this newsletter useful, recommend it to a friend. Better still, forward a copy of this issue. Also, please mention this newsletter when contacting other collectors.

Editorial

Thank you very much for your kind words on the previous issue. It’s an honour for me to receive your valuable comments and suggestions to make this newsletter more and more useful for every collector of any age. This time I am adding some very interesting articles that were published in various national and international magazines & Newspapers. Hope you will like the same.

…MITUL KANSAL

Contents

• ^{· April Fools’ Day in the Stamp Album}
• ^{· Currency}
• ^{· NOTE-ABLES-(Junior Jagran)}
• ^{· Ek Mahal Medalo Ka-(Dainik Bhaskar)}
• ^{· Dak Tiket: Kabhi Uchale, Kabhi Ludke}
• ^{· Bhartiye Sikon Par Devi- (Kalyan Magazine)}
• ^{· Bhartiye Rail Engine-(Suman Saurabh- April 2002)}
• ^{· Saina Dak Saiva Core- (Balhans, Sep. 1999)}

April Fools’ Day in the Stamp Album

This article has been reprinted from Global Stamp News April 1991 – Issue #6

One of the world’s first mail services began on April Fool’s Day. That was in 1680, when William Dockwra’s Penny Post started carrying mail in Old London Town. At that time, Britain’s General Post Office merely connected the country’s major towns, and Dockwra launched his epochmaking service in these glowing terms: “A Penny Well Bestowed, or a Brief Account of the New Design contrived for the great increase of Trade, and the Ease of Correspondence, to the great Advantage of the Inhabitants of all sorts, by Conveying of Letters or Pacquets under a Pound Weight, to and from all parts within the cities of London & Westminster, & the Out Parishes within the weekly Bills of Mortality, for One Penny.” To use the service you had to pay in advance, as we do today. There were attractive postal markings applied to letters, including some shaped like hearts, and the triangular Dockwra PENNY POST PAID mark is regarded as the world’s first postage stamp. The service was so effective that the government had it officially suppressed – then opened it again under their own control! Now we can skip to April Fools’ Day in 1772, when in the Austrian city of Vienna the “Kleine Post” (Little Post) was begun. This one had

mailmen who walked the streets sounding a wooden clapper so that people could come from their houses and hand over mail to be carried. Philatelic All Fools’ Days seem quiet for a while, but in 1851 both Denmark and the Italian state of Tuscany issued their first stamps. One the same cheery day in 1857, Ceylon engaged the firm of Perkins Bacon – who were responsible for the Penny Black, the world’s first stamp – to provide their own issues, while it was on April Fools’ Day in 1860 that the government of the colony of British Honduras took over control of its own mail service, previously operated by the British GPO in London. Wells Fargo gallops on to the philatelic scene exactly a year later with 2 stamps, somewhat unbelievably denominated $2 and $4, for its Pony Express service. So costly was this idea that I suspect the $4 was an April Fools’ Day joke, for it was never actually used at all. The first stamps of the Netherlands Indies appeared on our famous date in 1864, hotly followed by the Russians in 1865 who suppressed the former local issues for Poland and introduced their own stamps for use from that day forward. In 1879 the GPO upset the Irish – for neither the first nor the last time, I imagine – by issuing Penny postal cards inscribed “Great Britain”. That term refers solely to England, Scotland and Wales, but the cards were declared valid for use in Ireland, though by October they relented and withdrew the offensive issue, replacing it with cards inscribed “Great Britain and Ireland”. Cyprus, acquired by Britain in a curious manner that we haven’t time to examine right now, was given its first stamps on April Fools’ Day 1880. When just two years later stamps were provided for tiny Funchal, which is merely a small part of the island of Madeira, everyone was perplexed. Why separate stamps for such a tiny place? That was a busy day, though, for it also saw the issue of the first stamps of Cochin – not to be confused with either Cochin-China or Cochin-Travancore or, for all I know, cochineal either.

The French Post Office at Port Lagos (nothing to do with the Nigerian capital city of Lagos, which also had its own stamps at one period) was given its first issues on April Fools’ Day in 1893; the French place was just a seaport in the former Ottoman Empire. The same day brought the postal control of British Bechuanaland into the hands of the Cape of Good Hope, though they didn’t formally annex the area until 16 November 1895 when the local stamps were withdrawn and replaced by Cape issues. Up till 1897, the German colony of the Cameroons managed without its own stamps, using ordinary German ones; on April Fools’ Day they were given overprinted stamps for two good reasons – to demonstrate German political Sovereignty, and to raise money from philatelists for the Treasury. Then in 1898, the world’s very first “omnibus” series of stamps appeared on April Fools’ Day. To add these to your collection, check them out under Portugal, the Azores, Macao, Madeira, Portuguese Africa, Portuguese India and also Timor. The stamps mark the 400th Anniversary of Vasco da Gama’s epic voyage around the Cape of Good Hope to reach India by sea, and since that seven-country omnibus appeared nearly ninety years ago we have seen countless such issues from all around the world, so maybe there really is something in the fact that they appeared on April 1. Entering the 20th Century, we find that a collection devoted solely to April 1 stamps can be expanded considerably. In 1903 the French “Sower” design appeared for the first time – and remained in use, in varying states and denominations, right into the 1960’s. Before the 1st World War broke out, tiny Monaco saw an amazing event – an Aerial Rally, for which souvenir cards were issued & used with a rare airmail vignette attached – all for April Fools’ Day, 1914. By 1920, April 1 marked the opening of the Belgian airlines Sabena airmail service between Kinshasa and Gombe in the Belgian Congo; from April 1 through 15 in the Saar, French overprinted stamps were postally valid alongside un-overprinted stamps of Germany and Bavaria – is this unique, I wonder? April 1, 1921, saw the first airmails carried from Memel to Konigsberg and on to Danzig, though no stamps were available till July 6, and from now on the pace seems to hot up. Thus the British decided to hand over the administration of mails within the new Irish Free State on April 1, 1922 – but to be precise this was

merely a Provisional Government of Ireland, for although IFS stamps had been issued already on February 17, the Free State was not proclaimed until December 6, a typically confused Irish situation.

The next year brought Kuwait its first stamps, overprinted on Indian issues; in 1924 it was the turn of Southern Rhodesia and in 1925 of Northern Rhodesia; in fact April Fools’ Day really came into its own that year, for that’s when the USPO issued a 25c “special handling” stamp having the effect of allowing 4th class mail to be treated as 1st class mail! Our famous – or infamous – day in 1926 was marked by Syria issuing its first semi-postals, including an airmail set, with a subject that’s strangely apt today: the relief of refugees of the Djebel Druze War. The first Malta airmail stamps appeared on that day in 1928 – and upheld the curious nature of our chosen date because mail prepaid with them went not by air but by sea all the way to Egypt, then it was transmitted onward by air.

More airmails in 1929 – the first Panama Canal Zone issue, overprinted on a regular issue. More April Fools’ Day fun in 1930 brought Transjordan’s first semi-postal stamps, overprinted on regulars to raise money for the defeat of a plague of locusts! The Indian Feudatory State of Morvi had its first stamps on that date in 1931, and Iraq the following year for the first time as an independent kingdom (earlier issues had been under British Mandate). Many collectors are fascinated by the uncatalogued stamps of the tiny island of Lundy, in England’s Bristol Channel; the first local airmail stamps for use on mail flown to and from the island appeared on April Fools’ Day in 1935, and the British connection turns up again in 1941

when – again appropriately – our date saw the issue of the first stamps by the German occupation forces in the Channel Island of Jersey.

Up till 1937, Aden had used Indian stamps; that year’s April Fools’ Day saw the appearance of the famous Dhows set, but one of the most striking commemoration of our chosen day occurred in 1939. Argentina hosted the 11th Universal Postal Union Congress then, and demonstrated its unique “Fonopost” service: you made a little 8-inch 78rpm acetate phonograph record as a personal message, and used the Fonopost stamp and a specially reinforced container to mail it to a friend. Two wartime issues appeared on April 1, 1943: Japanese occupation provisional stamped envelopes in the Philippines, and the now rare and sought after “Afrika Korps” label, showing a palm tree and swastika, used in North Africa. April Fools’ Day 1948 saw the issue of British stamps with overprints, and in some cases surcharges too, for use at British Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia – such places as Muscat and Dubai, for example; these issues were later to cause headaches because those merely overprinted were made fully valid for use in Britain, while those surcharged in strange currencies were not valid. Lots of people got confused, & lots of mail was again surcharged for Postage Due. Oh, I nearly forgot; it was on that same 1948 date that the Maharajah of Bahawalpur issued his own first specially designed stamps. These had an immense following at the time because they were so unusual and because the Maharajah himself was a keen collector and a colorful character, but when later the state disappeared with the partition of India between the new Indian government and that of Pakistan, they fell into a hole somewhere and have never regained popularity with collectors. Maybe the Maharajah should have chosen a more auspicious day of the year for their launch! And it was in fact on April Fools’ Day 1950 that all the Indian Feudatory States postal services were closed down unilaterally by the new Indian government, never to reappear and robbing us of some of the world’s most intriguing stamp designs, some so weird that they are to this day collectively know as “The Uglies”! Yes, I did forget to mention the fact that in 1949 Newfoundland became the tenth province of Canada – but did its own stamps disappear on or before that date! On now to 1957, when the name of Qatar appears as Britain supplied it with its first stamps, used by the British postal administration in the Sheikhdom. We draw close to our April Fools’ Day survey with the appearance in 1960 of the first US Federal Boating stamps, in $1 and $3 denominations, and finally we turn to Britain and growing interest there in tourism. The town of Hastings is where William the Conqueror landed in 1066 and subsequently defeated King Harold and took over the whole country; to welcome tourists, on April Fools’ Day 1963 the city of Hastings used Britain’s first pictorial tourist slogan postmark, which read rather

amusingly “We’re ready for your invasion at Hastings”! I leave it to my readers to dig out any events in subsequent years; that’s quite enough April Foolery from me!

Currency

Note: This article was originally published in Microsoft Encarta 2008.

Introduction

Currency, in economics, term designating all the circulating media of exchange of a country. In this sense, a currency includes coins and paper money. The term sometimes includes credit instruments. Coins are generally designated as metallic currency, and paper money and credit instruments, as paper currency. Further distinctions are made in the latter classification: Government notes are called government currency; bank notes are designated as bank currency; and checks drawn on bank deposits are called deposit currency.

This use of the term currency is of comparatively recent origin, dating from the period following World War I. Earlier uses of the term were more restricted. In countries in which the governments did not issue paper money, the term paper currency was applied exclusively to bank notes. In the United States and a number of other countries, on the contrary, the application of the term currency was limited to government-issued, legal-tender paper money. The change from the earlier, restricted meanings of the term to its modern significance resulted in part from the great increase, following World War I, in the use of credit instruments.

The volume of currency needed to transact the business of a country is determined, basically, by the volume of commodities and services in circulation. Ordinarily, the larger the volume of commodities and services, the greater the volume of currency needed to circulate them. During periods of increasing production, the volume of currency tends to rise; during recessions it may fall.

Currency Management

Problems of currency management have occupied a prominent place in the economic history of the U.S. At the time the national government was established in 1789, the amount of metallic money in circulation was insufficient to meet the needs of the new nation and comprised varying denominations and values of British, Spanish, French, and Portuguese coins; the paper currency previously established by the Continental Congress had become worthless and had ceased to circulate; and the paper money issued by the states had become depreciated. Early efforts to establish a sound metallic and paper currency led to the inception of the First United States Bank (1791); a national currency (1792), including the present decimal system of coinage; and a mint (1794). State-chartered banks, however, continued to issue paper money, and a positive solution of the problem of currency management was impossible in the absence of a national banking system and uniform banking practices in the states. This lesson was made emphatically clear to statesmen and economists by the conditions that resulted from the refusal of Congress, in 1833, to renew the charter of the Second United States Bank, successor to the First United States Bank. During the following three decades, sometimes referred to as the dark decades of American banking, abuses of sound banking practices multiplied and assumed scandalous proportions, and speculators and counterfeiters flourished.

A basis for resolving the problem of a sound currency was achieved when the American Civil War induced the federal government to raise large sums of money through the issuance of bonds. The National Currency Act of 1863, later amended and renamed the National Banking Act, was enacted by Congress to establish a national banking system and a uniform national currency. Later experience revealed that this system was not sufficiently elastic in providing adequate amounts of currency during periods of prosperity and in contracting the volume of currency in slack times.

Federal Reserve System

Efforts to remedy the defects of the national banking system led to the establishment, in 1914, of the Federal Reserve System; the Federal Reserve was planned as an equivalent in some respects of the central banks of other countries. Among the chief functions of the Federal Reserve System are control of the volume of money and credit in the U.S. and the substitution of Federal Reserve notes for bank notes previously issued by the national banks. In the mid-1980s Federal Reserve notes constituted about 99 percent of the total volume of paper money in circulation. Other U.S. notes and national bank notes made up the balance of the total volume of paper money in circulation. As of December 31, 1974, private citizens have been allowed to own gold but not to use it as currency.

Volume No. 1                          Issue No. 3                       March 2010

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Editorial

I am here to present the new and improved issue of Global Express. From this Issue I will publish only the most interesting and necessary articles on Philately and Numismatics. All the latest news about new issues, Exhibitions, etc. will be make available on the blog of EMM KAY STAMP COINAGE DOM i.e. http://emmkaystampcoinagedom.wordpress.com. I hope you will like this issue and give me your feedback.

Wishing you all a very HAPPY HOLI !

….Mitul Kansal

Contents

• India’s 6 Annas 8 Pies Stamp of May 1867 Used to Great Britain
• Maritime and Overland Mail between India & England till  the End Of 19^th Century
• List of Stamps and Covers On Jainism
• Letter Box for Indian Postal Services
• Curtain Raiser- Part 1 & 2

India’s 6 Annas 8 Pies Stamp of May 1867 Used to Great Britain

W. Danforth Walker

Note: This article was originally published in “INDEPEX 97”- Souvenir Cum Catalouge

In May 1867 India issued a six annas eight pies stamp in distinctive design. This article will discuss the history of this stamp and its use on mail from India to Great Britain.

Why a 6 annas 8 pies India Stamp Was Needed

The most rapid route, and thus the most popular route, for mail to be carried from India to Great Britain was the land route “via Marseilles”, France. Prior to 1 June 1863, this route required postage of 6 Anna’s for a quarter ounce and 8 Anna’s for a half ounce letter. On 1 June 1863 the “via Marseilles” rate from India to Great Britain was changed to 6 annas 8 pies for up to half-ounce letter. The normal means of making this 6 annas 8 pies franking was to use three stamps, a 4 annas, 2 annas and 8 pies stamp. There were no issued 6 annas 8 pies stamp, there was no issued stamps denominated in 6 annas 8 pies and there were no issued 6 annas stamps.

Thus starting on 1 June 1863 India needed a 6 annas 8 pies stamp but did not take action to issue such a stamp until years later. As will become clear below, the demand for a 6 annas 8 pies stamp was high as the “via Marseilles” route was the most popular way for mail to travel from India to Great Britain. The alternative route, an all water route from Alexandra, Egypt to Southampton, England was slower and thus less popular even though the postage rate for a half ounce letter was 40 percent less expensive.

Printing of the 6 annas 8 pies India Stamp

The De La Rue History of British & Foreign Postage Stamps, 1855 to 1901, john Easton, 1958, pages 184-185, tells the story of the printing of this stamp. De La Rue was asked for a 6 annas 8 pies India Stamp on May 11^th 1866 as follows:

“A demand having been received from India for 5,000 Sheets (320 stamps per sheet) of Postage Stamps of a new value viz., six annas and eight pies, I have to request that you will submit a design for the same at your earliest convenience. It is requested in the correspondence from India that these Stamps should be markedly different in Shape from any now in use in India, as it is intended that they should be used for Postage between India and this Country (Great Britain). With this view the government officers suggest that the Border should be longer than that of other Stamps, and the shape a long oval. The selection of the colour will be left to you.”

De la Rue was fast at getting back to Westminster officials who wrote to them concerning the 6 annas 8 pies stamp. On May 15^th 1866 a design was submitted with the following comment:

“In reply we have the pleasure to submit a design which we think suitable for the purpose, and to be preferred to a long oval as suggested in the correspondence from India.

We should purpose to print the stamps in the bright mauve color, of which we enclose a specimen. We would further remark that the lettering round the stamp will be reversed, i.e. the words “East India Postage” will be placed on the top of the stamp, and the duty will be placed on the bottom of the stamp, running from left to right.”

The India government was changed £135 for the original die and plate on June 15^th 1866. There were two deliveries of the stamps, first of 800,000 stamps (2,500 sheets of 320 stamps) were delivered October 6^th 1866 and the second delivery of 820,480 stamps (2,564 sheets) was made on October 17^th 1866.

Instead of being printed in “bright mauve” the issued color was slate. Gibbons lists the stamp as issued in May 1867 with the earliest use recorded by the author as May 9, 1867 on a cover containing a solo copy of the 6 annas 8 pies stamp from Allahabad, India to Dorset, England. The author does not know the reason why the colour was changed from the “bright mauve” proposed in the May 15^th 1866 letter to the slate colour delivered in October 1866. Also the reason for the relatively long time between the delivery of the printed stamps in London by October 17^th 1866 until the issue in early May 1867 is not known.

Use of the 6 annas 8 pies India Stamp to Great Britain

Via Marseilles India to Great Britain

The main demand for the 6 annas 8 pies stamp when it was introduced in May 1867 was to pay the half ounce via Marseilles rate from India to Great Britain that was introduced on June 1^st 1863. This 6 annas 8 pies per half ounce rate was in use for almost five years but only during the last year of the rate was someone in India able to pay this rate by using on stamp rather than three stamps. Less than a year after the issuance of these 6 annas 8 pies stamp the half-ounce rate between India and Great Britain was raised to 8 annas 8 pies. It is interesting to note that the new via Marseilles rate of 8 annas 8 pies never had a stamp issued for this value.

Even though 1,620,480 6 annas 8 pies stamps were printed, this stamp saw very limited use. It is not uncommon even during the 11 months the 6 annas not be used on mail via Marseilles from India to Great Britain. The majority of covers in the author collection during the period May 1867 through March 31^st 1868 are still franked with four annas, a two annas and an eight pies stamp combination to make the 6 annas 8 pies via Marseilles rate.

Although this article only analyzes usage of the 6 annas 8 pies stamp on mail from India to Great Britain the 6 annas 8 pies rate was not a common rate for other mail service. A check of “Overseas Letter Postage from India 1854-1876” by Martin and Blair, Robson Lowe Ltd., 1975 rate tables show very few postage rates at the 6 annas 8 pies level and very few rates that included 8 pies. This stamp was not often used for the high demand mail service it was issued for and served very few other services.

Officers Letters India to Great Britain

When the half ounce via Marseilles rate was increased from 6 annas 8 pies to 8 annas 8 pies on April 1^st 1868 one other rate change to Great Britain was made. The officers Letter rate a half-ounce letter via Marseilles was increased from 4 annas to 6 annas 8 pies. Officers’ letters were endorsed by their Commanding Officer similar to Soldiers’ letters except officers in Civil Employment or on Privilege Leave were exempt from the endorsement by their Commanding Officers requirement. This special rate of officers ceased after December 31, 1869.

6 annas 8 pies of September 1867 usage on covers in the author collection:

What happened to the India 6 annas 8 pies Stamps

The author does not know what happened to the unused stock of the 6 annas 8 pies stamps. One collector had the following write-up on their album page:

“The 6 annas 8 pies value continued in use until April 1^st 1874. During the period 1872-1873 only 26,707 copies of this stamp were sold. Shortly after April 1^st 1874 the remaining stock of this 6 annas 8 pies stamp were destroyed except 18 sheets preserved for reference copies.”

Although the above collector’s opinion on what happened to the unsold stocks of 6 annas 8 pies of May 1867 cannot be verified, it sounds logical.

Maritime and Overland Mail between India & England till the End Of 19^th Century

By G.B.Pai

Note: This article was originally published in “INDEPEX 97”- Souvenir Cum Catalouge

…….Continued From Previous Issue

Overland Route

In the early years of the Century there were always complaints about the slowness of the movement of the letters and the advent of steam to power the ships in European waters only aggravated the complaints forcing the British Government to take some action at least by 1835. In that year the Government financed an expedition under Colonel Chesney, to open up a route to India by way of the river Euphrates and the Persian Gulf. The attempt was abandoned a year later but subsequently an occasion E.I.C vessel sailed up the Persian Gulf with mail for Britain by this Overland route once a month (see Fig 16).

Fig. 16

Later we have the record of Captain J.H. Johnston, who realised a cherished dream of commanding the “Enterprise” the first steamship to reach India via the Cape Egypt gave support to the Overland proposals of Waghorn and others and promoted the Suez, Alexandra and the Mediterranean, most of the European and English Mail travelled on this route, through the longer way around the Cape of Good Hope continued to be used to a decreasing extent for another decade.

With the coming of stream commercial relations with the east developed a new interest and importance, and it was the Steam Committees of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras, that gave the impetus to Overland Service from 1823 onwards. This free force of public opinion, backed by funds raised to promote the object in view, overcome all the hesitation of the political leaders and the inertia of such bodies as the Court of Directors of the East India Company and the permanent officials of the general Post Office 1830 “Hugh Lindsay”, an E.I.Co steamer steamed from Bombay to Suez in 33 days, (22 days net under steam) and the Mail reached England in 51 days.

Waghorn issued his first Prospectus and started his express service across Egypt in 1836-40 and this was the first period of “CARE of Mr. WAGHORN” letters. Some of them are illustrated below along with his picture and of his mail coaches used on his Overland service Figs. 17-19. In 1837 Waghorn succeeded in carrying mails from Bombay to London in less than 65 days. Waghorn received the appointment as Deputy Agent for East India Company in Egypt in the same year. Marseilles route was adopted by British Post office after Waghorn had proved it quicker than that from Southampton. In 1842 Waghorn received the rank of a Lieutenant in the British Navy and fulfilled a long cherished dream and in that year he advocated the Trieste route. In 1846-47 he carried out six experiment trips with Indian Mails via Trieste under authority of the British Post Office. This was also the period of his Egyptian Transit Markings.

Fig. 17                                                                                                                     Fig. 18

Fig. 19

Bombay to Suez

In 1837 the East India Company was given a contract to carry mails between India and Suez on a monthly service. Between 1838 to 1844 the E.I.C, operated the following 4 ships on a reimbursement by the government of 50,000 ponds per ship per month. Hugh Lindsay from 24.4.1838. Atlanda from 1.8.1838. Bernice from 4.7.1839 voyage commencing in April 1842 to Suez is given below as Fig.20.

Fig. 20

Suez to Alexandria

Mail was carried by camel from Suez to Cairo and thence by boat on the Nile and the Canal to Alexandra.

Alexandria to Falmouth

At first by Admiralty Packets and from 1860 P&O obtained a Contract- Alexandra to Falmouth via Malta and Gibraltar, once a month and Malta to Corfu, twice a month.

The Marseilles Route- 1 May

This route was opened under a convention with France both British and French Admiralty packets were used between Alexandra and Marseilles and between Calais and Dover, even if a war broke out except by withdrawal with formal notice.

January 1845 to August 1846 Two Mails a Month

1. Bombay to Suez via Aden by E.I.C ships
2. Calcutta to Suez via Madras, Pointe de Galle and Aden by P&O ship.
3. Hong Kong via Singapore and Pending connected with above at Points de Galle by P&O ships.

September 1845 to December 1852: Three Mails a month from India

1 to 3 as above.

1. Bombay to Aden by E.I.C Steamers. These connected at Aden with the Calcutta to Suez route.

January 1845 to December 1852 Suez to Alexandra: Twice a month

The Mail service from Bombay to Suez and from Calcutta to Suez were only the two to arrive at Suez. Carried by Camel or River and Camel as before.

September 1845 to December 1852. Alexandra to England. Three times a month.

(1) To Southampton

The mails marked “via Southampton” from Calcutta, Madras and Bombay which joined together at Suez were carried via Malta and Gibraltar to Southampton which replaced Falmouth.

(2) To Marseilles

The mails marked “via Marseilles” carried on the same boat to Suez were taken to Malta along with the Southampton mails. They were then carried from Marseilles by British of French packets. A cover from Madras via Marseilles Fig 21.

Fig. 21

(1) To Marseilles

The mails marked “via Marseilles” from Bombay to Suez were carried direct from Alexandra to Marseilles by British or French Packets.

Peninsular & Orient Shipping Company

In 1837 P&O Company obtained the contracts from General post office for conveyance of Indian Mails and return. The government overland Mail Service also started in the same year. In 1840-2 the Peninsular their Steamship Company was incorporated as the Peninsular and Oriental company and their steamers started on Suez to India route. In 1842 the P&O steamer “Hindostan” sailed for India. In 1843 “Bentinck” steamer was acquired by P&O. Below is a picture of a letter carried by S.S Hindostan Fig. 22

Fig. 22

In 1840, the P&O Steamship Company received a Royal Charter on the express conditions that the company would extend its shipping service to India within two years from this date. The first thing it did was to improve conditions there was noticed a marked increase in the number of travelers using the Overland route, about 125 persons each way, but in the year 1841, the number increased to 600 and in 1842 to well over 800. Before the present luxurious overland route was opened on the completion of the Suez canal in 1869 enabling passengers to avail themselves of the easy going sight seeing visits afforded by the various steamship services there were 3000 to 4000 camels employed to transport a single ship’s freight and the value of the goods transported was valued at pounds 40,000,000 a year. The present overland journey is like travelling in America in a Pullman car. In 1843 a newly formed lines the P&O took up the service and provided direct service between Calcutta and Suez, calling at Madras, Pointe de Galle and Aden on the way.

The illustrated London News of March 1, 1845, chronicles the arrival of the overland mail from India as under:

“The experiment of opening a communications with India twice a month has commenced. On Monday news was received by the first intermediate mails from Calcutta, but it is only eight days later that bought by the usual conveyance, which reached London at the beginning of the months. The mails was bought to Suez by the Peninsular and Oriental Company’s ship Hindostan, and arrived there on the 4^th instant having left Calcutta on the 8^th, Madras on 13^th Ceylon on the 18^th and Aden on the 28^th ultimo. Great Liverpool brought the mail to Malta and from thence it was forwarded to Marseilles by the Acheron.

“It would have reached London sooner, had it not been for the bad state of the Roads in France from snow. The intelligent by this Mail, although somewhat scanty is important”

Thus by 1845 a regular mail service was established by the Overland route and letters handled by Lt. Waghorn’s agency by transmission by this route were impressed with several types of cachets on both westward and eastward mails some of which are illustrated here.

Tragic End of Lieut. Waghorn

Lt. Waghorn died on January 7, 1850s at an early age of 47 in the prime of his life old and weary by the hard and strenuous life he was forced to lead in his younger days and of a broken heart. In acknowledgement of his invaluable services, he was given the rank of a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy a grant of pounds 1,500/- and an annuity of pounds 200/- each year from the British Government and the East India Company. But his shattered constitution did not enable him to enjoy his well earned but meager awards for long due to his untimely death.

November 1850 via Trieste

Letters for and from Northern Europe marked “via Trieste” were handed over to the Austrian Post Office, at Alexandria carried to Trieste by Austrian Lloyds. Postage had to be prepaid in Alexandria whence they would be forwarded postage to pay. Payment from India to destination in Europe could not be made until 1871 Occasional references up to 1861 in the Gazettes of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras indicate that this route could be used for letters to England examples are very rare. A rare cover ‘via Trieste’ to Genoa is given in Fig. 23 below

Fig. 23

1852-54 Steamers via the Cape of Good Hope

From the General Screw Steam Navigation Company carried mails via the Cape of Good Hope to Ceylon by 21^st July 1852. Their route was extended to Madras and Calcutta but this portion at least was closed on the 21^st June 1854. (Calcutta Gazettes of the dates quoted.)

1869 to 1883 Trans- Egyptian Railway to Opening of Suez Canal

First section of trans-Egyptian Railway opened 1869, Suez Canal opened 1870 Mail was diverted from Marseilles to Brindisi in consequence of Franco Prussian War 1871. Mount Cenes Tunnel opened 1881. British Mail carried through Suez Canal by steamer 1883. It may not be generally known that Lieut. Waghorn was the projector of the Suez Canal and this was testified by Baron de Lesseps at a banquet in his honour in Paris in November 1884. “Great as the honour that falls on me, I would be less than a man did I take to myself the full measure of the position for a moment if I fail to mention the name of the great overland pioneer and explorer, the late Thomas Waghorn R.N, of the Naval service of Her Majesty Queen England. He it was who first conceived the idea, it was his indomitable courage and great perseverance that led me on to prove its practicability. I am pleased to have the opportunity to proclaim the noble qualities of that much underrated gentleman but he was in advance of position as the engineer of the works, have enabled me to carry them through”.

At Chatham in England at his birthplace a statue stands to the memory of the pioneer to the overland route to India and another statue is at Suez at port Suez:

“The poet’s fate is here in emblem shown

He asked for bread and he received a stone”

1^st January 1858

4 mails a month went from India, but with improved intervals. Mails went from Bombay twice a month to Suez instead of Bombay to Aden Bombay mails “Via Marseilles” were sent direct from Alexandria to Marseilles instead via Malta. The Bombay mails via Southampton were detained in Egypt until the arrival of the Calcutta mails. There were two crossings monthly for each set of mails from Suez to Alexandria.

1^st April 1868

Bombay became the sole port of the entry and exit of Indian Mails.

November 1869 to October 1870 Experiment use of Brindisi

The 1870 Contract made provision for the PMG London to substitute Brindisi for Marseilles on three months but not to take effect till Mount Cenes Tunnel was opened. Brindisi was however was used experimentally earlier.

The mail Agent ceased throughout the whole route.

1874 Main Postal Route in operation.

(1)   Bombay- Southampton via Aden, Suez, Malta and Gibraltar. Once a week

(2)   Alexandria- Brindisi, once a week. Bombay- Suez by steamer, Suez- Alexandria by Rail

(3)   Calcutta- Suez Madras, Galle Penang, Singapore and Hong Kong. Once every two weeks.

(4)   Bombay- Shanghai, via Galle, Penang, Singapore and Hong Kong. Once every two weeks.

(5)   Hong Kong- Yokohama once every two weeks.

A cover from Calcutta “via Brindisi” dated 10.5.1872 Fig. 24

Fig. 24

1^st August 1874 Partial use of the Canal

The mails “via Southampton” were routed through the Canal.

The mails “via Brindisi” crossed Isthmus by Rail.

1^st February 1880

The long sea route to Southampton was abandoned and all letters sent “via Brindisi”.

1^st February 1888

Suez Canal becomes fully operational. A letter dated 15.9.1889 addressed to a passenger on S.S. Carthage of P&O Company passing through the Suez Canal Fig. 25 is given below:

Fig. 25

Notice on a service post card by the Postmaster, Tanjore, dated 2.12.1889, intimating date of arrival of the Overland Mail on 3.12.1889 Fig.26

Fig. 26

19^th Century Map showing shipping routes used Geo W. Wheatley & Co

Fig. 27

LIST OF STAMPS AND COVERS ON JAINISM

( Compiled by : SUDHIR JAIN, Universal Cables Ltd., Satna(M.P.) 485 005, E-mail : mrsudhirjain@yahoo.com )

A.      STAMPS

INDIA

18.10.29        GIRNAR (ISSUED BY SAURASHTRA STATE – PART OF INDIA BEFORE INDEPENDENCE)
06.05.35        BHAGWAN SHEETALNATH JAIN TEMPLE, CALCUTTA
15.08.49        SHATRUNJAY TEMPLE, PALITANA
01.07.66        MEDIAEVAL SCULPTURE FROM PARSHWANATH JAIN TEMPLE, KHAJURAHO

30.12.72        VIKRAM AMBALAL SARABHAI  (FAMOUS JAIN ATOMIC SCIENTIST)
13.11.74        BHAGWAN MAHAVIR 2500TH NIRWAN ANNIVERSARY (PAWAPURI JAL MANDIR)
10.01.75        WORLD HINDI CONVENTION (IMAGE OF JAIN SARASWATI)
12.04.75        WORLD TELGU CONFERENCE (IMAGE OF JAIN SARASWATI)
27.07.78        KACHCHH MUSEUM (PIECE FROM OLD JAIN TEMPLE)
09.02.81        GOMMATESHWARA BAHUBALI 1000^TH ANNIVERSARY, SRAVANABELGOLA
09.05.88        DR. KARMAVEER BHAURAO PATIL (JAIN SOCIAL REFORMER AND EDUCATIONIST)
24.08.91        JAIN MUNI MISHRIMALJI
20.12.94        BARODA MUSEUM – BRONZE IDOL OF BHAGWAN RISHABHNATH (SE-TENENT)
28.01.98        DR. JAGDISH CHANDRA JAIN  (FAMOUS JAIN WRITER AND EDUCATIONIST)
20.10.98        JAIN MUNI ACHARYA TULSIJI
06.03.99        SCULPTURE FROM PARSHWANTH JAIN TEMPLE, KHAJURAHO
31.12.00        JAIN RAJA BHAMASHAH
06.04.01        BHAGWAN MAHAVEER 2600^TH JANMA KALYANAK
21.07.01        JAIN HISTORIAN CHANDRAGUPTA MAURYA
18.11.01        JAIN FILM PRODUCER V. SHANTARAM
09.08.02        ACHARYA ANAND RISHI MAHARAJ
27.05.04        DR. INDRA CHANDRA SHASTRI
30.06.04        TERAPANTH AACHARYA BHIKSHU
23.11.04        WALCHAND HIRACHAND (FAMOUS JAIN INDUSTRIALIST)

02.12.05             JAWAHARLAL DARDA  (POLITICIAN & JOURNALIST)

08.12.08             DR. L.M. SANGHVI (EMINENT SCHOLAR)

21.02.09             JAINACHARYA VALLABH SURIJI

28.02.09             HARAKCHAND NAHTA

14.10.09             DILWARA JAIN TEMPLE

14.10.09             RANAKPUR JAIN TEMPLE

08.11.09        JAIN SCHOLAR VEERCHAND RAGHAVJI GANDHI

FOREIGN

23.08.79        EAST  GERMANY BHAGWAN MAHAVEER
06.04.06        NEPAL WORLD HINDU FEDERATION (JAIN  PRATIK)

20.01.07        CANGO WORLD RELIGION DAY (JAIN PRATIK)

B.      REGULAR PICTORIAL CANCELLATIONS

SRAVANABELGOLA (KARNATAKA) (3 Diff)    573135  -    BAHUBALI                   (From 02-11-77)
DHARAMASTHALA (KARNATAKA)                    574216  -    JAIN HOLY PLACE     (From  02-01-89)
BADAMI (KARNATAKA)                                         587201 –    JAIN CAVES                 (From 29-09-87)
PATTADAKAL (KARNATAKA)                              587221 –    JAIN TEMPLE              (From 30-09-87)
KHAJURAHO (MADHYA PRADESH)                    471606 –    JAIN TEMPLES            (from 10-06-65)
ELLORA (MAHARASHTRA) (3 different)             431102 –    JAIN CAVES (from 8.6.65/26.1.77/26.11.91)
PALITANNA (GUJARAT) (2 different)                    364270 –    JAIN TEMPLES            (From 27-02-86/03.07.92)
KARKALA (KARNATAKA)                                      574104 –    PARASNATH                (From 05-02-91)
DELWARA (RAJASTHAN) (2 different)                 313202 –    JAIN TEMPLES            (From 27-02-86/3.7.97)
KHANDGIRI (ORISSA)                                              751030  –    JAIN CAVES
PHIL. BUREAU, LUDHIANA (PUNJAB)                141001 –    BHAGWAN MAHAVEER CLOCK TOWER
PHIL. BUREAU, PATNA (BIHAR)                           800001 –    JAIN YAKSHI DIDARGANJ
GANGASHAHAR (RAJASTHAN)                            334401  -    SHAKTIPEETH ACHARYA TULSI (From 31-12-04)

RANAKPUR                                                                  306702  -    JAIN TEMPLE S           (From 12.02.05)

DILWARA, MAUNT ABU                                          307501  -    JAIN TEMPLES
C.      SPECIAL COVERS AND CANCELLATIONS

28.03.73        BHOPAL                             MAPPPEX-73 APSARA OF PARSHWANATH TEMPLE, KHAJURAHO

10.04.73        JAIPUR                                RAJPEX-73 VICTORY TOWER

15.08.73        HASSAN                              JALPEX – 73 BAHUBALI
13.11.74        PAWAPURI                        BHAGWAN MAHAVEER 2500TH ANNIVERSARY

14.06.75        BANGALORE                    KARNAPEX – 75 GOMATESHWAR

01.02.76        SATNA                                 GANDHI LENIN PHIL. EXHIBITION – COVER & CANCELLATION

BEARS SCULPTURE FROM JAIN TEMPLE KHAJURAHO

05.06.76        JUNAGARH                        SORPEX-76 GIRNAR HILL ON COVER &CANCELLATION

06.06.76        JUNAGARH                        SORPEX-76 GIRNAR HILL ON CANCELLATION
07.06.76        JUNAGARH                        SORPEX-76 GIRNAR HILL ON CANCELLATION

10.10.76        LUDHIANA                        LUPEX – 76 BHAGWAN MAHAVEER CLOCK TOWER
12.11.76        AKOLA                                AKOPEX – 76 ANCIENT JAIN TEMPLE AT SIRPUR

27.07.78        BHUJ                                    SPECIAL COVER ON KACHCHH MUSEUM STAMP

17.02.79        COCHIN                              COCHINPEX – 79 SHRI CHANDRAPRABHU JAIN TEMPLE
23.10.80        BIKANER                           GANGAPEX-80 JAIN SARASWATI IN SPECIAL CANCELLATION
26.10.80        LUDHIANA                        LUPEX – 80 BHAGWAN MAHAVEER CLOCK TOWER
15.12.80        CHITTORGARH               KIRTI STAMBH IN SPECIAL CANCILLATION

09.02.81        SHRAVANABELGOLA   1000th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

09.02.81        CALCUTTA                        BHAGWAN OMATESWARA

17.10.81        AHMEDABAD                   GUPEX-81GIRNAR HILLS
03.02.82        CALCUTTA                        PANCHAKALYANAK MOHOTSAVA
03.02.82        DHARMASTHALA          PRATISTHAPAN MAHOTSAVA OF BHAGWAN BAHUBALI (2 Covers)
05.03.84        KHAJURAHO                    SCULPTURE OF ADINATH TEMPLE KHAJURAHO IN CANCELLATION

05.08.84        BOMBAY                            150th ANNIVERSARY OF SHRI ANANTNATHJI   JAIN TEMPLE
28.01.85        DEOGHAR                          PANCHKALYANAK MAHOTSAV
08.02.85        NEW DELHI                       3rd   INTERNATIONAL JAIN CONFERENCE
12.04.86        RAJGIR                               BHAGWAN MAHAVEER PRATHAM DESHNA SAMARAK
06.11.86        RAJGIR                               GAUTAM GANDHAR 2500th NIRVAN MAHOTSAVA
27.12.86        PATNA                                 BIPEX-86 MAHAVEER PRATHAM DESHNA SAMARAK, RAJGIR
29.01.88        AURANGABAD                 PANCHKALYANAK PRATISTHA
26.03.88        CALCUTTA                        SHRI S.S. JAIN   SABHA DIAMOND JUBILEE
28.03.88        CALCUTTA                        SHRI S.S. JAIN   SABHA DIAMOND JUBILEE
22.10.88        REWA                                  REWAPEX – 82  VEGETARIAN  ALWAYS  HAPPY
11.12.88        ARRAH                               PANCHAKALYANAK  PRATISTHA
14.02.89        CALCUTTA                        PANCHAKALYANAK  -  GARBHA KALYANAK
15.02.89        CALCUTTA                        PANCHAKALYANAK  -  JANMA KALYANAK
16.02.89        CALCUTTA                        PANCHAKALYANAK  -  TAPA KALYANAK

17.02.89        CALCUTTA                        PANCHAKALYANAK  -  GYAN KALYANAK
18.02.89        CALCUTTA                        PANCHAKALYANAK  -  MOKSHA KALYANAK
11.01.90        MANGALORE                   DHARMASTHALA MANJAYYA HEGGADE ART EXHIBITION / MAHAVIR
12.02.92        CALCUTTA                        PANCHAKALYANAK  -  GARBHA KALYANAK
13.02.92        CALCUTTA                        PANCHAKALYANAK  -  JANMA KALYANAK
14.02.92        CALCUTTA                        PANCHAKALYANAK  -  TAPA KALYANAK
15.02.92        CALCUTTA                        PANCHAKALYANAK  -  GYAN KALYANAK
16.02.92        CALCUTTA                        PANCHAKALYANAK  -  MOKSHA KALAYANAK
17.12.94        CALCUTTA                        JAINPEX – 94  DIAMOND JUBILEE OF SHREE JAIN VIDHYALAYA

24.04.96        KATHMANDU                  INAUGURATION OF JAIN TEMPLE

03.10.98          RAJGIR                                 VEERAYATAN SILVER JUBILEE YEAR

04.10.98        RAJGIR                               VEERAYATAN

05.10.98        RAJGIR                               RASTRA SANT UPADHYAYA SRI AMAR MUNI MAHARAJ
25.12.98        CHENNAI                           JAIN FAIR
28.09.99        ISARI                                   125th ANNIVERSARY OF GANESH VARNI JI
10.02.00        VENUR                                BHAGWAN BAHUBALI MASTAKABHISHEKA
08.04.00        UJIRE                                   FELICITATION TO PADMABHUSHAN DR. D. VEERENDRA  HEGGADE
01.08.00        AHMAD NAGAR              BIRTH CENTENARY OF ACHARYA ANAND RISHIJI MAHARAJ
22.02.01        KUNDALPUR                    BHAGWAN  AADINATH  MAHAMASTAKABHISHEKA

30.10.01        VAISHALI                          RELIGIOUS FUNCTION AT JAIN TEMPLE

15.11.01        PAVAPURI                         MAHAVIR, NIRVAN DAY SPECIAL POOJA
26.11.01        AJMER                                AJAYMERUPEX-2001 – JAIN KIRTI STAMBH, CHITTIRGARH
30.11.01        BHINASAR                        125TH BIRTH ANNIV. OF ACHARYA JAWAHARLALJI MAHARAJ
08.12.01        NEW DELHI                       70TH BIRTH ANNIV. OF OSHO (JAIN PHILOSOPHER RAJNEESH)
10.02.02        MALPURA                          ANJANSALAKA & DEEKSHA SAMAROH
16.02.02        KARKALA                         MAHAMASTAKABHISHEKA OF BHAGWAN BAHUBALI
02.03.02        PATNA                                 SEMINAR ON MAHAVEER IN ART & LITERATURE
25.04.02        AJMER                                26OOTH JANMA KALYANAK OF BHAGWAN MAHAVEER
15.08.02        MANGALORE                   SDM COLLEGE OF B.M. (OWNED BY JAIN HEAD OF DHARMSTHALA)
29.08.02        MOODBIDRI                     JAIN BHATTARAK PATTABHISHEK UTSAVA
02.10.02        PATNA                                 SHRIMAD RAJCHANDRAJI WITH GANDHIJI
24.12.02        PATNA                                 TTM-2002 BHAGWAN MAHAVEER & BUDDHA
09.02.03        SADLAGA                           PANCHKALAYANAK PRATISHTHA MAHOTSAVA
11.02.03        KOLKATA                          1st DEATH ANNI. OF JAIN INDOLOGIST BHANWAR LAL NAHTA
22.02.03        VILHOLI-NASIK              SHRI DHARMACHAKRA PRABHAV TIRTHA ANJANSALAKA
15.04.03        PATNA                                 BHAGWAN MAHAVEER JAYANTI
15.05.03        BIKANER                           JASKARAN BOTHRA ( JAIN SOCIAL WORKER )

24.08.03        KANTHAVARA                JAIN SOCIAL WORKER & WRITER K.B. JINRAJ HEGDE

07.10.03        INDORE                              MISHRILAL GANGWAL BIRTH CENTENARY

11.10.03        JAIPUR                                VIRATNAGAR JAIN TEMPLE ON SPL. COVER OF RAJPEX 2003
06.11.03        AMARKANTAK               INSTALLATION OF HEAVIEST JAIN METALIC STATUE OF THE  WORLD
24.01.04        BILASPUR                          JINENDRA PANCHKALYANAK & GAJRATH MAHOTSAVA
29.03.04        INDORE                              MAHAPRAGYAPEX-2004 / 200TH ANNI. OF TERAPANTH ACHARYA BHIKSHU
02.10.04        NIAGRA (CANADA)        INAUGURATION OF JAIN TEMPLE

02.10.04        AHMEDABAD                   DAKBHARTI CANCELLATION – “AHIMSA PARMO DHARMAH”.

04.11.04        VAISHALI                          FOUNDATION OF BHAGWAN MAHAVIR TEMPLE

31.12.04        GANGASHAHAR              ACHARYA TULSI SHAKTIPEETH

08.01.05        MUMBAI                            JAIN DOCTORS CONFERENCE

28.01.05        SATNA                                 SATNAPEX-2005, 125^TH ANNIVERSARY OF JAIN TEMPLE

18.02.05        GADAG                                JAIN ENGLISH MEDIUM SCHOOL CENTENARY

21.03.05        MUMBAI                            “JIYO AUR JINEDO”  IN SPL. CANCELLATION

22.04.05        JAIPUR                                MAHAVIR JAYANTI

04.11.05        HAJARIBAG                      CENTENARY OF PARSHWANATH TEMPLE

08.02.06        SRAVANBELGOLA         MAHAMASTAKABHISHEK CEREMANY           (3 DIFFERENT)

11.02.06             UDUPI                                  KARAVALI PEX-2006 (JAIN TEMPLE IN CANCELLATION)

28.01.07        DHARMASTHALA          BHAGWAN BAHUBALI MAHMASTAKABHISHEK

29.01.07        BIKANER                           JAIN PERSONALITY HIRALAL RAMPURIA

04.03.07             NASIK                                 JAIN TIRTH GAJPANTHA JI

04.05.07        NEW DELHI                       JAIN PERSONALITY DASHRATHMAL SINGHAVI BIRTH CENTENARY

25.09.07        CHENNAI                           ACHARYA JAIMALJEE’S 300^TH BIRTHDAY

02.10.07             AHMEDABAD                   INTERNATIONAL DAY ON NON-VIOLENCE

02.10.07       GWALIOR                            WORLD NON-VIOLENCE DAY

02.10.07        LUCKNOW                         AHIMSAPEX-2007

21.10.07                JAIPUR                                ARYIKA SUPARSHVAMATI MATAJI GOLDEN DEEKSHA CELEBRATION

10.02.08             KOLKATA                          80 YRS. OF SHREE SWETAMBER STHANAKVASI JAINSABHA

29.02.08        DAR ES SALAM                (TANZANIA) EXHIBITION ON STAMPS GANDHI & JAINSABHA

23.08.08        KISHANGARH                  MAHASATI UMRAO KANWAR JI MAHARAJ SAA “ARCHNA”

21.08.09        BILASPUR                          DACK TICKET MILAN COVER ON NON-VIOLENCE

02.10.09        CHENNAI                           SPECIAL COVER ON NON-VIOLENCE

02.10.09        VADODARA                       SPECIAL COVER ON NON-VIOLENCE

12.10.09        LUCKNOW                         SPECIAL COVER DURING AHIMSAPEX ON NON-VIOLENCE

09.01.10        AHMEDABAD                   NATIONAL CONVENTION OF DIGAMBER JAIN MAHASAMITI

16.01.10        SATNA                                 SHRIMAJJINENDRA PANCHKALYANAK & GAJRATH MAHOTSAVA

D.           ONLY COVERS ON JAINISM BUT NOT CANCELLATION

1919               MUMBAI                            BAZAAR POSTCARD WITH PHOTO OF JAIN MANADALACHARYA

1919               MUMBAI                            KAMALSURISHAWAR JI MAHARAJ (Gujrati)

KAMALSURISHAWAR JI MAHARAJ (Hindi)

1970               AHMEDABAD                   PRINTING ON REGULAR P.O.  POST CARD BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF SHRI VIJAY VALLABH SURISHWARJI
01.01.75        BANGALORE                    PHILA FESTIVAL COVER DEPICT PALITANA JAIN TEMPLE STAMP
19.09.76        AMRITSAR                        AMPEX – 76 ANCIENT JAIN SCULPTURE
26.12.76        BHAVNAGAR                   BHAVPEX-76 COVER SHOWING PALITANA JAIN TEMPLE

01.10.78        FATEHGARH                    KAMPIL MAHOTSAVA SWETAMBER JAIN VIMALNATH MANDIR KAMPIL

02.10.78        FATEHGARH                    KAMPIL MAHOTSAVA DIGAMBER JAIN VIMALNATH MANDIR KAMPIL
31.12.78        SANGRUR                          SANPEX – 78 JAIN DHARMSHALA
08.02.79        BARODA                             GUJPEX – 79 JAIN DHARMSHALA

09.02.79        JAMSHEDPUR                  BIPEX-79 JAL MANDIR PAWAPURI
07.02.82        PATNA                                 BIPEX-82 PARASNATH HILLS
25.03.82        JAIPUR                                JAIPEX-82 DILWARA JAIN TEMPLE, MOUNT ABU
26.03.82        JAIPUR                                JAIPEX-82 RANAKPUR JAIN TEMPLE, RANAKPUR

10.12.83        SATNA                                 CITPEX- 83 SIMBOL HAVING   SCULPTURE OF JAIN TEMPLE KHAJURAHO

23.12.84        BOMBAY                            STAMCO 84 COVER SHOWING KACHCHH MUSEUM STAMP

28.11.86        CUTTACK                          ROTARPEX-86 UDAIGIRI JAIN CHAITYA
21.03.87        BOMBAY                            STAMPCO-87 COVER SHOWING KACHHCH MUSEUM STAMP

17.06.89        KANPUR                             KALIKAL SARVAGYA HEMCHANDRACHARYA
25.01.92        BOMBAY                            STAMCO – 92 COVER SHOWING KACHHCH MUSEUM STAMP
16 to 19.11.94 PATNA                                 BIPEX – 94 JAIN DHARMCHAKRA ON COVER
07  to 09.01.00   BANGALORE               KARNAPEX-2000 GOMATESHWARA
14.09.00        PALANPUR                        IDOL OF PRALHAN DEV IN JAIN TEMPLE, PALANDEV
06.10.01        REWA                                  CITPEX-2001 PRESERVE WILD LIFE SLOGAN ON COVER
06.10.01        JALANDHAR                     STAMPEX-23 AHIMSA PARMO DHARMAH SLOGAN ON COVER

02.11.01        JABALPUR                         DAYODAY TIRTH

20.01.02        KOLKATA                          DOBERLANE MUSIC CONF. (DESIGN FROM JAIN SACRED BOOK KALPASUTRA)
15.01.03        MANGALORE                   MANGALAPEX-2003 JAIN QUEEN RANI ABBAKKA DEVI

19.03.04        PATNA                                 MAHAVEER CANCER INSTITUTE

29.05.04        MOUNT ABU                     ACHALGARH JAIN TEMPLE
01.11.04        GWALIOR                          INTACH – IDOL OF PARSHWANATH ON COVER

24.12.06        BANGALORE                    KARPHILEX-2006 (GOMMATESHWAR BAHUBALI ON COVER)

23.11.07        PATNA                                 BIPEX-07 (BHAGWAN MAHAVIR ON COVER) INT. DAY OF NON-VIOLENCE

E.      SPECIAL SLOGAN AND METER CANCELLATIONS

OCT. 1956    BOMBAY                            PROTECT WILED LIFE

24.01.1965    BANGALORE                    ANIMAL WELFARE WEEK “BE KIND TO ANIMALS”

18.11.1967    NEW DELHI                       XIX WORLD VEGITERIAN CONGRESS 1967

15.11.1969    NEW DELHI                       ANIMAL WELFARE WEEK “BE KIND TO ANIMALS’

19.01.1970    MADRAS                            BE KIND TO ANIMALS – ANIMAL WELFARE WEEK

15.01.1971    TRIVANDRUM                 ANIMAL WELFARE WEEK -”BE KIND TO ANIMALS”

06.05.1975    OOTACAMUND                PRESERVE WILD LIFE

24.01.1976    DHIKALA                           SAVE YOUR HERITAGE, PRESERVE WILD LIFE

13.12.1977    NEW DELHI                       ANIMAL WELFARE WEEK -”BE KIND TO ANIMALS”

15.12.1978    MADRAS                            MADRAS SPCA -  “BE KIND TO ALL LIVING BEINGS”

06.10.1979    HYDERABAD                    PRESERVE WILD LIFE – YOUR NATIONAL HERITAGE

24.11.1979    BANGALORE                    BE KIND TO ANIMALS

10.03.1980    BANGALORE                    ANIMAL SERVE MAN VERY WELL. BEKIND TO THEM

04.10.1980    HYDERABAD                    CONSERVE NATIONAL – ENSURE YOUR FUTURE

06.10.1980    CUTTAK                             WILD LIFE WEEK 1980

02.11.1980    JAIPUR                                SAVE BUSTERED

03.11.1980    JAIPUR                                PRESERVE WILD LIFE

26.02.1981    NEW DELHI                       PRESERVE WILD LIFE

28.02.1981    NEW DELHI                       PRESERVE WILD LIFE

01.10.1981    CALCUTTA                        PRESERVE WILD LIFE

01.10.1981    AHMEDABAD                   PRESERVE WILD LIFE

01.10.1981    MADRAS                            PRESERVE WILD LIFE

1981               SRAVANABELGOLA      1000th ANNIVERSARY “LIVE AND LET LIVE”

1984               NAIROBI (KENYA)          OPENING OF JAIN TEMPLE

04.11.1987    BHILAI                               BHILPEX – 87 SPECIAL CANCELLATION – “HAMARE VANYA MITRA”

13.01.2007    AJMER                                RAJPEX-2007  “CONSERVE WILD LIFE”

E.                        REGULAR METER CANCELLATIONS

DHARMASTHALA                     –            SRIKSHETRA OFFICE
NEW DELHI                                 –            KUND KUND BHARTI SANSTHAN (2 different)
JAIPUR                                           –            TODARMAL SMARAK SANSTHAN
ALLAHABAD                               –            JAIN BALADARSH
DELHI                                            –            J.M.JAINA & BROS.
SRAVANBELGOLA                    –            S.D.J.M.I.M. COMMITTEE (LIVING BEINGS HELP ONE ANOTHER)
JALGAON                                      –            JAINS INDUSTRIAL GROUP
JAIPUR                                           –            JAIN VIDHYA SANSTHAN
LADNU                                           –            JAIN VISHWA BHARTI

CHENNAI                                      -            SANGHVI TRUST (JAIN CHARITY TRUST)

NEW DELHI                                 -            BHARTIYA JNANPITH

POONA                                           -            HOUSE OF KEYDEES (JAINM JAYATI SHASANAM)

UDAIPUR                                      -            NARAYAN SEVA SANTHAN- “NARAYAN MAHAVIR PARIVAR”

JAIPUR                                           -            JINWANI MAGAZINE- “GURU HASTI KE DO FARMAN”

SRAVANABELGOLA                 -            (NEW) AHIMSA SE SUKH-TYAG SE SHANTI

LUCKNOW                                   -            JAIN GAZZATE
G.      MAXIM CARD

27.07.78          BHUJ                                    –         AIRAVAT KACHCHH MUSEUM

09.02.81          PUNE                                    -         GOMATHESHWARA
09.02.81          CHANDIGARH                   –         GOMMATESHWARA
20.10.98          AHMEDABAD                    –         ACHARYA TULSIJI

06.04.01          NASIK                                  -         2600^TH MAHAVIR NIRVAN KALYANAK

06.04.01          HYDERABAD                     -         2600^TH MAHAVIR NIRVAN KALYANAK

09.08.02          NASIK                                  -         ANAND RISHI MAHARAJ

30.06.04          GANGASHAHAR               -         AACHARYA BHIKSHU

02.12.05          AJMER                                 -         JAWAHARLAL DARDA

H.      NAME OF POST OFFICES

-                 JAIN GURUKUL, AJMER                              RAJASTHAN

583101           JAIN  CLOTH  MARKET, BELLARY                          KARNATAKA
416110          BAHUBALI KUMBHOJ, KOLHAPUR                         MAHARASHTRA
144001          CHOWK JAIN MANDIR,JALANDHAR                       PUNJAB
321401          BAYANA JAIN GALLI, BHARATPUR                         RAJSTHAN
125021          BHAYANI JAIN CHOWK, BHIVAM                           HARIYANA
201303          JAIN INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, GHAZIABAD              U.P.
802231          H.D.JAIN COLLEGE, ARRAH H.O.                              BIHAR
580028          MAHAVEER GALLI, HUBLI                                         KARNATAKA
322220          SHREE MAHAVEERJEE                                                 RAJSTHAN
825329          SHIKHARJEE PARASNATH, GIRIDIH                      BIHAR
462016           MAHAVEER NAGAR, BHOPAL                                  M.P. (NOW CLOSED)
306401           MAHAVEER UDYOG NAGAR, PALI                          RAJASTHAN
416416          MAHAVEER NAGARY, SANGLI                                  MAHARASHTRA
741127          BIRNAGAR                                                                         WEST BENGAL
713101          BURDWAN                                                                         WEST BENGAL
-                  BADA PADAMPURA                                                        RAJASTHAN
363030          WADHWAN CITY                                                             GUJRAT
250404          DIG JAIN MANDIR, HASTINAPUR                             U.P.

313802          RISHABH DEO (UDAIPUR)                                           RAJASTHAN

-                   MAHAVIRNAGAR,KOTA                                              RAJASTHAN
I.       POSTAL STATIONERY AND OTHER ITEMS

POSTCARD OF 3 PIES ISSUED BY SAURASHTRA STATE – GIRNAR HILLS
PROOF OF DELIVERY CARD OF EMS SPEED POST WITH PHOTO OF BAHUBALI STATUE, DHARMASTHALA
INTIMATION CARD OF EMS SPEED POST WITH PHOTO OF TRIBHUVAN CHUDAMANI JAIN TEMPLE, MOODBIDRI
INLAND LETTER WITH ELLORA CAVES DESIGN ISSUED ON 01-10-01

INLAND LETTER WITH PATTADAKAL TEMPLE

MEGHDOOT POST CARD BEARING “JIYO AUR JINEDO”

Letter Box for Indian Postal Services

© 2007 Industrial Design Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

Introduction

There is a lack of well designed products in the public domain due to the difficulty in tendering process in the Government Sector. Unfortunately, new technology based products need investments in tooling and development, which do not figure in the method of operation for purchase in the Government Sector. The attempt of the project is to provide well designed products in the public domain. Having maintenance-free letterboxes was the long time requirement by the Indian post and the initiative was taken up by Prof. Chakravarthy as an idea to implementation project. The brief given by India Post was to design a maintenance free letterbox, justifiably so, since the existing letter boxes which are made of mild steel were damaged easily and rusted rapidly. As a result the postal department spent a lot of effort and money in painting, repairing and maintaining them.

Design Process

A study conducted prior to designing the letter box among postal staff and public to obtain feedback on the difficulties they faced while using the box as also the additional

features they would like to have to make it more user-friendly.

Idea sketching and concepts

The user insights were converted into idea sketches wherein the core issues regarding seepage of rainwater, rusting of letterboxes and ease of collection of letters were addressed. The ideas were clustered into groups and in line with the requirement of maintenance free letterbox, the idea clusters were based on the materials used for manufacture.

Concept options

Evaluation was conducted on the following three concept options.

Concept A:

Full letterbox in plastic (Fig. A)

Concept B:

Full letterbox in sheet metal (Fig. B)

Concept C:

Main body in Stainless steel and top box in plastic. (Fig. C)

Final concept

Concept C was chosen as the best option and the advantages are illustrated in the following sections. After further refinements using CAD and prototyping, the final design was released for manufacture.

New letter box features

A futuristic elegant letter box made of stainless steel body has been designed with an attractive red beak like top with an aperture for the letters to be dropped. It also has space at the bottom to enable user to rest the letter and push it inside. The letter box, with an increased capacity due to its square cross-section can be mounted quickly on foundation bolts placed in advance in concrete. While the top cover enveloping the body on all the sides prevented ingress of rainwater, the slopes on the top of the box drains out the rainwater. It is mounted on a base, so that the overhang can be used by the postman to place his bag and collect the letters easily. A wide opening to accommodate large envelopes, simple time slider, flat top surface which can be used for writing, common key to open all letter boxes in one region are some of the additional features.

Advantages to India Post

• Projects a strong retail visual identity for India Post and enhances its image.
• Letter box’s modern and elegant look will encourage industries to advertise on them and generates revenue for India Post.
• Maintenance free.
• Longer lifespan – will last for over 20 years, five times the life of present boxes.
• Easy for postmen to collect letters.
• Easy to install.
• Common lock for all letter boxes in one region.

User-friendly Features:

• Easy to post letters.

• Convenient to post large envelopes.

• Can use the top surface for writing.

Manufacturing

The letter boxes were manufactured using:

• High-end CNC machines to ensure excellent surfaces & high quality.
• High quality brush finished stainless steel from M/s. Jindal Stainless Ltd., for long lasting finish and durability of letter box body.
• Engineering plastics from GE plastics for letter box top to provide toughness and strength.
• Rust proof locks from Godrej for long and durable use.

Costs and revenue

The cost of manufacturing the box is relatively higher than the present mild steel letter box. But the new stainless steel boxes will last longer and the postal authorities will save on the replacement costs as it will need no maintenance. The ample space on the sides can be used for commercials and the advertising revenue thus generated will also offset the higher cost. Prof. Chakravarthy funded the pilot project up to the prototype stage and the postal authorities provided the manufacturing cost.

Implementation

India Post approved the design and placed a pilot order with IIT for manufacture of 200 letter boxes, which are ready for installation now. The new letter box was launched on 18th

October 2005 at Le Meridien, Delhi. The 30 test letter boxes installed earlier in Mumbai,

Delhi, Chennai and Patna have been a success as evinced by the feedback received by India Post’s corporate communication group.

Recognition

The letter box has won a “special mention” at the stainless innovation awards 2007 presented by Jindal Stainless Ltd. The recognition has come for the innovative use of stainless steel in product design.

Packaging and transportation

When the letterbox is dismantled it is designed in such a way that the base of the letterbox enters the main body and the top fits inside as shown in the image on the left. This reduces the volume of the letterbox, thus reducing the cost of transportation. This also helps in protecting the plastic top during transit.

Future Plans

India Post now plans to replace the old letter boxes with the new ones wherever necessary. Apart from creating a new corporate identity for the India Post and generating ad revenue it will serve as an icon signifying the changes that are taking place at India Post. It will represent the department’s efforts to reinvent itself with many upgraded services as also new innovative ones like e-post, e-bill post, greeting post, international money transfer, instant money order, speed post passport service etc.

Promotion

• Popularise the new letter box, its unique features and what it signifies among the public
• Promote the letter box among the corporates as a new advertising medium Seeing is believing. Though photographs, brochures and pamphlets can create awareness nothing can equal the impact of a product’s physical presence. Hence in order to create a lasting impression on our targets – public and advertisers – they must be exposed to the product directly and constantly. Since carrying the actual letter boxes or bringing the target audience to the letter box is a difficult task we should create handy miniatures of the letter box and distribute them. The mini letter boxes can be made of plastic but with the same visual effects and features.

Piggy Bank

These letter box replicas with a opening can also ideally double as a piggy bank. By installing a detachable bottom to facilitate removal of coins these boxes can be easily converted into a coin bank. And they can be sold at a reasonable price at post offices as an endeavour to promote savings among children.

Curtain Raiser………… Part ….. 1

By Sreejesh Krishnan

INDIPEX 2011, India International Philatelic Exhibition from 12th to 18th Feb 2011  at Pragati Maidan , New Delhi.

An exhibition is an organized display of works of art, science and Industry for the purpose of simulating public interest and illustrating the progress and accomplishments of one or a wide variety of productive activities. With the expansion of the hobby, the need for exploring individual collections by Stamp collectors was also strongly felt.  Then started Philatelic Exhibitions. The first International Exhibition was however, held on the occasion of the 50^th Anniversary of the first postage stamp in London.

India organized its first International Exhibition in 1954 on the occasion of India’s first postage stamp.  Since then a number of Philatelic Exhibitions were held by various organizations.  International, Asian Countries, National, State level, District level exhibitions also held.

India International Philatelic Exhibition (INDIPEX 1973) was held in ‘Hall of Nations’ (Pragati Maidan), New Delhi, from 14^th to 23^rd November, 1973.

A set of 10 Special covers and one Balloon cover was released during the exhibition. Each day was marked as a special Day with marking with special cancellations.

14-11-1973 :    Cover Design  :  Hall of Nations, New Delhi.

Cachet :  Children’s Day

15-11-1973 :    Cover Design   :  Sanchi Stupa Gate

Cachet :  Promotion Day

16-11-1973 :    Cover Design   :  Sanchi Stupa Gate

Cachet :  Air Mail Day

17-11-1973 :    Cover Design   :  Sanchi Stupa Gate

Cachet   :  Stamp Designers Day

18-11-1973 :    Cover Design   :  Sanchi Stupa Gate

Cachet :  Thematic Day

19-11-1973 :    Cover Design   :  Sanchi Stupa Gate

Cachet :  Dealers’ Day

20-11-1973 :    Cover Design   :  Sanchi Stupa Gate

Cachet :  International Day

21-11-1973 :    Cover Design   :  Sanchi Stupa Gate

Cachet :  Post Office Day

22-11-1973 :    Cover Design   :  Sanchi Stupa Gate

Cachet  :  Awards Day

23-11-1973 :    Cover Design   :  Sanchi Stupa Gate

Cachet  :  Au Revoir

Other materials

16-11-1973 :    Official Cover issued by Airmail Society of India

:      Publicity Card —– duly cancelled

:    Invitation Notice with ticket

Curtain Raiser………… Part ….. 2

-By Sreejesh Krishnan

INDIPEX 2011, India International Philatelic Exhibition from 12th to 18th Feb 2011 at Pragati Maidan , New Delhi.

Third India International Philatelic Exhibition (INDIA 80) was held in ‘Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, from 25^th January 1980 to 3^rd February 1980.  The Posts and Telegraphs Department (now India Post) has issued a set of 10 Commemorating Special stamps on India International Stamp Exhibition (INDIA 80). The first two stamps in the series are INDIA-80 logo and the Centenary of Postcard issued on 2^nd July, 1979.  The next set of 4 stamps, Air Mail 1979 issued on 15-10-1979, shows carriage of mails by air depicts the De Havilland Puss Moth in flight, Chetak helicopter against a background of snow-capped peaks, mail being loaded into a Boeing–737 jet aircraft, Boeing–747 aircraft of the Air India cruising high above the mountains.  The next set of 4 stamps issued on 25th January, 1980, on Inaugural Day  of the Exhibition, which includes Army Postal Service, Money order, Copper Ticket and Sir Rowland Hill. First Day cover illustration of inaugural Day was Han-Driven Transfer Press, Type of Litho Press used for printing of first Indian Postage Stamps in 1854 under the supervision of Henry Thuillier(Inset) then Deputy Surveyor General of India at Calcutta. First Booklet on stamps, pictorial post cards, and postal stationery are also released during the exhibition.

One Army Postal Service cover and three different designs of Special covers issued the entire ten days of Exhibition.  Cover illustrations are Camel Post somewhere in Rajasthan desert, India used Abroad: A collage of stamps and cancellations, Mail Runner (Circa 1933) somewhere in the Himalayan Region. Each day was marked as a special Day with marking with special cancellations.

25-1-1980 – Cancellation  –     Inaugural Day  -  Hall of Nations.

26-1-1980 -                                         India Day – Rashtrapathi Bhawan.

27-1-1980 -                             Philatelic Research Day.

28-1-1980 -                             Youth Philatelists Day.

29-1-1980 -                             P.C.I. Day.

30-1-1980 -                             P & T Day.

31-1-1980 -                             Philately Promotion Day.

01-2-1980 -                             Army Postal Service Day.

02-2-1980 –                             Awards Day.

03-2-1980 –                             Thematics Day.

India 80 – Booklet.  The first booklet issued by India post.  It includes block of 4 of all 10 stamps issued in connection with India 80.

VIP Special folder – India 80 – Includes Last set of 4 stamps duly cancelled.

Volume No. 1                          Issue No. 2                       February 2010

We need your letters, views, reports & articles on philatelic & numismatic activities in your area or region for publication here. You can send the same to kansalmitul@gmail.com or emmkayinternational@gmail.com and by post to –

My Contact Address- Mitul Kansal, Editor- Global Express, SRM University Hostel- “F Block”, Room No. 222, NCR Campus, SRM University, Delhi-Meerut Road, Sikrikalam, Distt. Ghaziabad, PIN-201204, U.P., INDIA

My Permanent Address- 336/14 Near Markanda Press, Shahabad Markanda, Distt. Kurukshetra, Pin 136135, Haryana, INDIA

Note:  1) We may edit & fact-check your entries for publication.

2) The bulletin will be sent to the readers only on request. Those who wish to receive it regularly please reply giving their name, postal address, and philatelic & numismatic interests with the subject “SUBSCRIBE GLOBAL EXPRESS”.

3) If you’ve found this newsletter useful, recommend it to a friend. Better still, forward a copy of this issue. Also, please mention this newsletter when contacting other collectors.

Editorial

I am here to present the second issue of “Global Express”. Thank You very much for your unbelievable response on the first issue. I am considering your suggestions to make this newsletter more and more useful. Here is the season of small Exhibitions again. My best wishes to all the participants. By the contribution of Mr. Shreejesh Krishnan, I am starting a series of articles on the National and International Exhibitions of India. I hope you will like this and also give me your comments on it.

Here is the interesting question asked by our member Mr. De. Tom from England. In his letter he asked “What is the meaning of ‘Dom’ in Emm Kay Stamp Coinage Dom”. I feel pleasure to answer this.

Emm- represents english alphabet M and M is for Mitul

Kay- represents english alphabet K and K is for Kansal

Stamp- Postage Stamp

Coinage- Coin

Dom- It is a Russian word which means House

I want to thank all those collectors who are trying to promote this E-Bulletin. These include Mobile Philately, Stamps of India, M.B. Stamps, etc…

Also I want to thank all the contributors for this first issue. I hope contribution of collectors will increase day by day.

…Mitul Kansal

Contents

• Recent Indian Issues
• Recent & Forthcoming Events
• In History
• Review
• In News
• Beginners Section
• Specialized Section
• Pride of Nations
• New Issues from Other Countries
• Readers Forum
• Alert Collector
• Our Other Blogs
• Blogs & Websites on Philately & Numismatics
• Yahoo Groups on Philately & Numismatics
• Promotional Section
• Current Philatelic & Numismatic Magazines – Newsletters

Recent Indian Issues

Postage Stamps

• Jan 05, 2010 20^th Conference of Speakers & Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth-Rs 5
• 

• Jan16, 2010    Reserve Bank of India-Platinum Jubilee-Rs 5
• Jan 25, 2010  Election Commission of India-Rs 5

Special Covers

• Dec 19, 2009 Karwar, 100 years of Gibbs High School, Kumta
• Dec 30, 2009 Hyderabad, Padma Vibushan, Prof. C.R. Rao. Subject-Statistics is the Future.

• Jan 14, 2010 Tiruchi, 14th Indian Railways Jamboree
• Jan 9, 2010 Agra, Go Polio Forever

• Jan 16, 2010 Satna, To commemorate the Shri 1008 Shrimajjinendra Jinbimb   Panchkalyanak Pratishtha & Tray Gajrath Mahotsava
• Jan 27, 2010 Tamil Nadu, All India Postal Kabbadi Tournament
• Jan 30, 2010 Trichy Railway Junction No. 1, Sub:  Electrification Trichy Villupram Chordline Section.

Private Special Covers

• Jan 12, 2010, Orissa Philatelic Association, Padmasambhava Mahavihar Buddist Monastery.

Packs

• India Post recently issued a new presentation pack of Platinum Jubilee of Reserve Bank issue. The contents are Block of 4 Stamps + 1 FDC with Cancelled Stamp + 1 Information Sheet.

The cost of this pack is Rs. 100.

• India Post came out with a new presentation pack of Traditional Indian Textiles with 1 MS, 1 FDC cancelled & 1 Information Sheet.

The cost of this pack is Rs. 150.

New Postal Stationary

Envelope

• A Rs 5/- Envelope with motif as Sardar Vallabhai Patel was released in Second week of January 2010. The postal stationery was issued from SPP, HYD with Advertisement in Regional Language pertaining to “Jago Grahak Jago”.under Consumer Awareness Programme.

Definitive Coins

• Connectivity and Information Technology- Rs 10
• Golden Coin of Rs 5

Commemorative Coins

• Homi Bhabha- Rs 5 & Rs 10
• Alphonsa- Rs 5
• Louis Braille – Rs 2

• Birth Centenary of “Perarignar Anna”- Rs 5 (The technical details as per RBI Press release are 23mm Circular Coin, 100 serrations, Nickel Brass (Copper 75%, Zinc -20%, Nickel – 5%), Obverse – Lion Capital of Ashoka Pillar with value, Reverse – Perarignar Anna Centenary and “1909-1969).

Recent & Forthcoming Events

Philatelic Exhibitions

• May 7-9, 2010, Ludhiana, STAMP FIESTA-2010

Organizer: Ludhiana Philatelic Club

For further details contact at- Chairman “Stamp-Fiesta – 2010”,Dr. S.K. Sondhi,20 – A, Sarabha Nagar,Ludhiana – 141 001, Mobile: 98156 57647, Ph. 0161- 2455344 or 0161-2740184.

E-Mail: info.sf2010@gmail.com or sksondhi1@gmail.com

Secretary “Stamp-Fiesta – 2010”, Mr. Mukesh Malhotra, B III 1266, Bajwa Nagar, St. No.1, Ludhiana – 141 008, Mobile: 90230 84608, 94173 49808

E-Mail: secretary.sf2010@gmail.com or mukeshlibra@yahoo.co.in

Numismatic Exhibitions

• Feb 19-21, 2010, Calicut, COIN FEST-2010

Organizer: Calicut Numismatic Society numisclt@gmail.com

Venue: Jubilee Hall, Near Tali Temple, Kandankulam, Calicut

Sales Booth: Rs 2,500 including Tea, Snacks, & Lunch for Two

Contact: Soorej 09447124066 soorejsks@yahoo.co.in

• 12-14 Feb 2010 – Ahmedabad – Coinex 2010 (Gujarat Coin  Society)
• 19-21 Feb 2010 – Calicut – Calicut Coin Festival 2010

In History

Dates are like milestones in life.

Enriches the present with

the memories of the past. Brings us closer to

our heritage and history.

Reverberates through the corridors of time,

and echoes in our hearts.

Leaving behind their footprints in the

annals of time.

Emm Kay Stamp Coinage Dom has handpicked a few

important dates… those that changed

the face of our Nation.

February 3, 1925- The first electric train was introduced in India in 1925 between Bombay’s Victoria Terminus (now known as Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus) and Kurla along the Harbor Line of Central Railway, covering a distance of 15.2 km.

In News

USPS Honors John Hotchner

The USPS and Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC) honored John M. Hotchner on January 21 at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. Hotchner served the committee for twelve years, helping select topics for postage stamps and providing input on stamp designs.

According to a post on the National Postal Museum blog by Cheryl R. Ganz, “Postmaster General John E. Potter, Marie Therese Dominguez, David Failor, and Terry McCaffrey of the USPS, and Jean Picker Firstenberg, CSAC Chair, expressed deep gratitude and presented Hotchner with tributes and awards. Hotchner is a member of the NPM Council of Philatelists, a past president of the American Philatelic Society, and one of the most prolific authors in the hobby of stamp collecting.”

Shown above, souvenir tribute card for John Hotchner’s twelve years on CSAC created by USPS’s Terry McCaffrey.

To visit the National Postal Museum blog, click here.

Why Italian Post Offices Are Always Crowded?

According to a piece on the Faster Times website, “An Italian post office doesn’t just take care of so-called prodotti postali (mail-related products), such as pacchi (parcels), raccomandate (registered mail) and telegrammi (telegrams), but also deals with many different money services (servizi in denaro), just as a bank does. Because there are post offices everywhere, businesses and public utilities use them as places to collect money from millions of customers nationwide.”

They go on to say, “And so Italians go to the post office to pay bills (electricity, gas, telephone), fines, the fee for public television, and the car tax, among many others. They also can pay for various services provided by offices and public agencies, such as drivers’ licenses and trash collection.

“In addition to the money operations that cause most of the crowding, there are the mail services. You go to the post office to send a registered letter, a parcel (le poste also sell packaging materials), or a telegram (even if e-mails have made them nearly obsolete). If you weren’t home to receive a certified letter or a package, you need to bring the receipt that the postman left in your mailbox to le poste.

In conclusion, “L’ufficio postale also sells stamps, but no one is so insane as to line up just for stamps.”

To read the entire article, click here.

Top 10 Extraordinary Stamps of 2009

StampNews.com reports, “In spite of the global financial instability the year was rich in interesting philatelic events. Many countries issued a huge number of beautiful stamps.”

The site has named what it considers the 10 most interesting 2009 releases from around the world.

These include…

1. Guernsey Post: Sherlock Holmes stamps with added mystery (shown above)

2. Iceland Post: Preserve Polar Regions and Glaciers

3. Chocolate Stamps from France

4. 3D Dinosaurs stamps from South Africa

5. 3D postage stamps from San Marino

6. Micro Monsters on Australian Stamps

7. Bhutan Resumes World’s First Philatelic CD-ROM Series

8. Handel, Haydn and Mendelssohn-Bartholdy on Vatican stamps

9. Slovak Post: Scented Stamp For Easter

10. Lighthouses of New Zealand on stamps

In addition, Stamp News gave a special award to China Post for the world’s first multimedia stamps.

For additional information on the award winning 2009 stamps, click here.

India Post pays tribute to the Father of Nation

India Post through its association with the Hindi feature film “Road to Sangam” paid tribute to the Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

This film has won a number of prestigious awards in International Film Festivals e.g. Best First Film Director award at International Film Festival of South Africa, Best Feature Film Award at Hamburg International Film Festival Germany and Awards for Best Original Score as well as Best Production Design at Los Angeles Reel Film Festival.

The story of this film is inspired from the discovery of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes in a bank locker some years ago. The film through this event approaches the issues of national integration, religious harmony and peaceful coexistence etc. with complete honesty touching the human core. The protagonist of the film, Mr. Husmatullah, a mechanic living in Allahabad, portrayed by Paresh Rawal, uses post card as a tool of communication to reach out to all the members of his community in Allahabad asking them to join the last journey of Gandhi’s ashes to Sangam.

Business Development & Marketing Directorate have released a 30 seconds advertisement paying tribute to the Father of Nation through this film as per the following schedule on various TV channels:- (24 January, 2010 to 29 January, 2010)

1] TIMES NOW 7am-9am 8pm-11pm

2] NDTV 24×7 8pm-11pm

3] STAR NEWS 8pm-11pm

4] CNN IBN 8pm-11pm

5] CHANNEL V 8pm-11pm

6] ZEE NEWS 8pm-11pm

The first screen shot of this film displays India Post Logo and carries the Legend “India Post pays tribute to the Father of Nation”.

Source: mobilephilately.blogspot.com

INDIPEX 2011

India Post is organizing a World Philatelic Exhibition from 12th to 18th of February, 2011 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The exhibition involves participation of approximately 70 countries. It is expected that there would be around one lakh visitors to World Philatelic Exhibition. Also India post brought out a new circular asking all the circles to organize exhibitions & workshops before INDIPEX

India Post calls for Expression of Interest for working as “Event Manager” to help in organizing the World Philatelic Exhibition at par with international standards.

Expression of Interest to be sent to The Assistant Director, World Philatelic Exhibition Secretariat, Room No.523-B, Dak Bhawan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi-110001 till January 22, 2010.

For further details please visit www.indiapost.gov.in

JOBURG 2010 International Stamp Show

(26^th Asian International Stamp Exhibition)

JOBURG 2010, 26^th Asian International Stamp Exhibition is organized to expand and develop friendly relations and close cooperation among FIAP members and to promote every aspect of philately in the FIAP region. It is jointly sponsored by the Philatelic Foundation of Southern Africa and the South African Post Office under the auspices of the Philatelic Federation of South Africa. It will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa. It will open on October 27, 2010 and close on October 31, 2010, a total of 5 days.

JOBURG 2010 will have all exhibit classes Traditional, Postal History, Postal Stationery, Aerophilately, Astrophilately, Maximaphily, Revenue, and Thematic Philately subdivided as: 1)

Nature, 2) Culture, 3) Technology and Youth Philately class subdivided by age as of January 01, 2010:

1)      Collectors aged 13 to 15 years,

2)      Collectors aged 16 – 18 years,

3)      Collectors aged 19 – 21 years,

Literature class subdivided into:

1)      Philatelic books, pamphlets and studies (issued after January 01, 2005),

2)      Philatelic journals, periodicals (issued after January 01, 2008),

3)      Stamp catalogues (issued after January 01, 2008), and

One-Frame Exhibit Class subdivided into:
1) Traditional, 2) Postal History, 3) Postal Stationery, 4) Aerophilately, 5) Astrophilately, 6) Thematic, 7) Maximaphily, 8) Revenue.

JOBURG 2010 will also have ‘Open Class’ as an Experimental Class. Exhibits in this Class can include material from any other competition class plus non-philatelic material. The exhibit must contain at least 50% philatelic material. The non-philatelic material should not overwhelm the philatelic material. Awards will be made as per One-Frame Exhibits.
There is no participation fee for Youth Philately Class. The participation fee for other Competitive Classes (except Literature, and One-Frame Exhibit Classes) will be US$35 per frame. The fee for participation in Literature is US$35 per exhibit. The fee for participation in One-Frame Exhibit is US$70 per exhibit.
The last date for submitting the Exhibit Application Form to the National Commissioner for India is February 28, 2010. The stamp dealers may contact dealers@joburg2010stampshow.co.za for reserving a Trade Stand at JOBURG 2010.

The Regulations and the Exhibit Application Form for JOBURG 2010 are available at www.stampsofindia.com

National Commissioner for India: Madhukar Jhingan mj@stampsofindia.com

Philatelic Database- New Competition

A new essay competition is announced by the Philatelic Database.

An essay of between 500 and 1000 words on ONE of the following topics:

• My thematic/topical collection
• My favourite country
• Christmas stamps
• Collecting Back-of-the-Book Issues (Revenues,Telegraphs, Custom stamps, etc.)
• Collecting Perfins, Surcharges/Overprints
• Collecting inflation issues
• Zeppelin stamps and postal history
• Exhibiting at shows

The essay should contain at least 6 images or more (200dpi)

First prize: 2000 different world off-paper stamps plus a packet of quality hinges, tongs and pocket magnifier

Second prize: 1000 different world off-paper stamps plus a packet of quality stamp hinges and tongs

Third prize: 500 different world off-paper stamps and a packet of quality hinges

Closing date is March 01, 2010

For more details contact enquiries@philatelicdatabase.com

Caretaker cabinet’s plan to adopt euro in 2016 could meet indifference of future government

The Czech Finance Ministry has outlined an ambitious plan to meet all the criteria for adopting the common European currency. If all goes well, the euro could replace the Czech crown by 2016. But adopting the euro is evidently no longer a priority for the Czech politicians who will replace the current caretaker cabinet after elections in May.

For Full details visit- www.radio.cz

Netaji Anniversary – Netaji Currency

India on January 24, 2010 celebrates the 113th Birth Anniversary of one of its most illustrious Leaders of Freedom Movement -Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

A Rupees one Lakh Currnecy Note of Netaji’s Bank Of Independence with Netaji’s Photograph was also made Public on eve of his Birthday at Bhopal by the Grandson of one of Netaji’s Associates.

In the 1980s, Ram Kishore Dubey, a retired contractor with the State Irrigation Department, discovered the note in his grandfather’s Ramayana book, but did not realise its historical significance till recently.

“My grandfather, Praagilal, worked for Netaji in the Azaad Hind Fauj and passed away in 1958,” says the 63-year-old Dubey.

“He used to stay away from the family for months on end working covertly for the INA [Indian National Army] in the Bundelkhand region on a recruitment drive for its Jhansi ki Rani Regiment, led by Lakshmi Swaminathan. He gave up his land for the cause of the army and so Netaji rewarded him with this note promising him the amount in independent India.”

The currency, of denomination one lakh, has a photograph of Bose on the left side and a pre-independence map of the Indian territory with the inscription “ swatantra bharat” in Hindi on the other. In the middle are inscribed the words “ Jai Hind” in English, with the words “I promise to pay the bearer the sum of one Lac” below it.

On the top of the note is a series of flags of the Azaad Hind Fauj over a bold inscription saying “Bank of Independence” with “good wishes” inscribed at the bottom.

“Nobody is aware of the this fact that submitting to the demands of the British, Nehruji [Jawaharlal Nehru] gave them Subhash Bose in return for India’s independence,” says Mr. Dubey.

Several historians contend that in April 1944, Netaji established the Azad Hind Bank or the Bank of Independence in Rangoon (now Yangon) to manage funds donated by the Indian community from across the world.

Charity Auction for Victims of Haiti Earthquake

Philatelic Society of Malaysia will hold special charity auction in aid to the victims of Haiti earthquake. It will be held at MBPJ Library on the 28th February 2010 at 10am.All, including the public are welcome.

Philatelic Fair in Malaysia

Philatelic Exhibition in Calcutta University

Freeze Frame

Reported By Rainbow Stamp Club

A Calcutta University Cine Carnival held at Calcutta University 12-15th January 2010 at Ritwik Hall, Hardinge Building.

Organized by Media Studies: Film and Television in association with Cine Central, Calcutta and American Centre.

On 12th there was an interactive session- Topic: The need of Classics: in search of a context, Speaker Prof. Sanjay Mukhopadhyay, Jadavpur University.
followed by film show, Zabrieski point ( Michaelangelo Antonioni, italy) and The Journy ( Fernando Solanas, Cuba)

On13th-interactive session- Topic:  Reading contemporary cinema: reviewing perspective, followed by film show from Korea and Portugal.

On 14th-interactive session- Topic:  Students Film: the birth of a new Avant Garde followed by Students’ film show.

15th interactive session- Topic:  Civil Rights Day- Hollywood Cinema as Adaptation- Remarks by Mr. P. Cummins, Director, American Centre
Films shown- Malcom X 9 Spike Lee, USA, Front Page ( Billy Wilders, USA and Grapes of Wrath ( John Ford, USA.

During this period Calcutta University organized a Philatelic Exhibition on Cinema from the collection of Shri Dipok Dey. This is for the first time Calcutta University organized a philatelic exhibition. This mini exhibition has an impact on the academic front. For the future they are planning for a big philatelic exhibition and workshop.

Sagar Philatelic & Numismatic Association organized the annual exhibition on January 31, 2010 at CGK Sabha Bhawan, Sagar, Karnataka.
For Details Contact at prephila@gmail.com

Oswal Antiques has successfully hosted a coin Auction on 23th Jan in conjuction with NAGMONEY 2010.

Organizer: Numismatic Research Institute, Nagpur

Contact: 9320010483

Nagpur Coin Fair NAGMONEY 2010 was held from 23-26 Jan 2010 at Mor Bhavan. Jansi Rani Square, Sitaburdi, Nagpur-12

Contact: Mr. Avinash 9823022662 for more details.

The 20th Annual Congress of South Indian Numismatic Society was held from 23th Jan 2010 to 24th Jan 2010 at Tirupati, Andra Pradesh.

India Post Cup – First Institutional Cricket Invitational Tournament was organised by Department Of Posts from 11th to 15th Jan 2010 at Kolkata. A Special cover on Pankaj Roy was also released on 15 Jan 2010 during Closing Ceremony at Eden Gardens.

Hobby Festival held at Delhi from 26th to 27th Dec 2009 and an exhibition souvenir was released during the festival. For more details contact Vijay Seth, 9810241363.

Beginners Section

The Exciting World of Hobbies

-  By Santosh Kumar Lahoti

Hobbies are the leisure-time interests, occupations, or avocations of individuals. The pursuit of hobby offers enjoyment, education, companionship with others of similar interests, relaxing diversion and very often monetary gain. Hobbies are either consciously chosen, or they arise from an individual’s interests, skills, daily work, tastes, ambitions, or past schooling. Autograph, Stamp or Coin collection are examples of hobbies based on deliberate choice.

All hobbies involve activity, but some involve more than others. Collecting – whether of autographs, coins or first editions of book – is relatively passive compare to doing one’s own

painting or making furniture. Whatever the activity level, all types can require high level of expertise. Many hobbies require both collecting and creating.

Celebrities like film stars, sportspersons, politicians or artists become the idols in the minds of their thousands of fans. Their fans try to imitate their styles. Their one signature could bring happiness to them. The most successful of public figures become legends and live in the hearts of their admirers even after they are dead. Autographs of such legendary personalities are precious possessions for those who admire them.

People who collect autographs would go any distance to fetch a signature from their favorite star. For them an effort to collect an autograph from their favorite personalities is an effort to enrich themselves. In fact, some people collect autographs because they feel that they have an association with legends. It gives them an all time high happiness to acquire an autograph from a legendary personality. It also gives them pride and pleasure to be with their beloved celebrity for a few moments. To be nearer to someone like the famous Indian film star Amitabh Bachchan is considered a matter of pride and a memorable moment.

As a matter of fact, collectible autographs can fetch huge sums of money too. Some collections have been auctioned from time to time. In Western world there are people who collect the autographs as hobbyists and harvest a rich return when they sell them.

Autographs of celebrities taken at different times indicate the inner qualities and outer achievements of those personalities. Graphologists are the autograph scientists who spend time in studying autographs and their analysis ultimately help the biographers.

In our country mainly children pursue this hobby. It has been distinctly noticed that girls tend to seek autographs of male film stars and the boys would be after their favorite sportsperson. In India, the male youngsters are always looking for an opportunity to get a cricketer’s signature. The collection of autographs need not always be something scribbled on paper. There are other surfaces on which the autographs are given by the stars. Then such objects like bats, magazines, clothes, mugs etc. become the value added items for the collectors. For example, Cricketers place their prized signature on bats, balls and stumps. And such autographed bats, balls or stumps are craved items for the collectors. Autographs can be collected on Autograph Books, Photographs. First Day Covers (FDC), Special Covers, Sketches, Cartoons, Books, Magazines and may others items.

Today the class of autograph collectors is increasing in India. It is a hobby of great educational value, gives mental relief, broadens the mind and teaches the collector history of one’s own country. This hobby not only brings the collector in contact with the great personalities who are making history, but also enlarges one’s circle of friends having a common interest.

PHILATELY AND PEX

-By Sreejesh Krishnan

The Department of Post and the Philatelic Congress of India, is organizing Philatelic Exhibition (PEX) to promote and disseminate information about the fascinating hobby of Philately.  It will give an opportunity to the Philatelic Community to display their collections to a discerning audience.  First International Philatelic Exhibition was organized in India in a small way as a part of the Centenary Celebrations of the Indian Postage Stamps in 1954. Several competitive exhibitions have been held in India since INDIPEX at various places, such as Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Trichi, Jullundur, Kanpur etc… Since then India Post had held more International Philatelic Exhibitions like INDIPEX 73, INDIA 80, INDIA 89, INDIPEX 97, INDIPEX-ASIANA 2000 and Asian Countries Philatelic Exhibition ASIANA 77.  In addition 10 National Philatelic Exhibition held since 1970 onwards (INPEX/MILLIPEX/EMPIREPEX).  State level PEX also started later. Uttar Pradesh had held its first 8 days display in 1971 as UPPEX and Kerala State had 5 days display at Trivandrum in 1972 as KERAPEX. During 1972 Philatelic Society of India held a 5 days display in Bombay. Other states also started their display, like MAHAPEX, GUJUPEX, RAJPEX, BIPEX, ORPEX, TANAPEX and MAPPEX in 1973.   KARNAPEX, APPEX, GOAPEX, then WEBPX, DAKIANA, NORPEX, NEPEX, KASHPEX, SIKKIMPEX, CGPEX etc, started in 1975.  Later, India Post introduced District Level and Regional level PEX also. Other Philatelic Associations like SIPA and local Philatelic Clubs are also organizing the Philatelic display. During these exhibitions India Post had released various special covers with Special Postmarks and other Philatelic materials.

First National Philatelic Exhibition’s conducted in 1970 at New Delhi with 15 special covers with various cancellation pictured on monuments of Delhi.

Specialized Section

Maritime and Overland Mail between India & England till the End of 19^th Century

-© G.B.Pai

Note: This article was originally published in “INDEPEX 97”- Souvenir Cum Catalouge

Introduction

The story of modern Indian Maritime mail is intimately connected with England overseas mail service, which commenced from the beginning of the 17^th Century when Queen Elizabeth granted monopoly of Trade with East Indies and the Far East to the “Company established within twelve years thereafter, its first trading post at Surat the West Coast of India and later in 1639 at Madras, in 1660 at Bombay and in 1668 Calcutta.

Even before the grant of Charter the Portuguese had discovered the passage to the East Indies by way of the Cape of Good Hope and had been trading in India for years. The Dutch and the French had followed the Portuguese. Even though all the European traders had forcibly opposed the entry of the English Company into the areas nevertheless the Company’s activities steadily expanded and by 1769 it possessed a fleet of sixty five ships abroad “in the United east India Company’s service.”

In the early years very few letters appear to have been sent on the Company ships as they were mainly built for carrying cargo and were not fast enough to carry mail. The mail whenever carried was that of European settlers, and was carried free and therefore contained no endorsements or indications on each other.

This long sea route round the Cape of Good Hope, by sailing ships took nearly a year to complete. Most of the British mail to India in those early days was carried by the East Indiamen belonging to the East India Company by the long route via the Cape. Two example of letters which look nearly an year to complete the journey are illustrated below

Fig. 1                                                                                               Fig. 2

However, by the introduction of the 1774 reforms payment an all letters was made compulsory except those of the Government to note the inland transport fees on both incoming and outgoing letters, but not the ship postage.

Until early 1800s for the mail to India no special reduced sea postage was introduced. The mail entered India only through the three Ports of Calcutta, Madras and Bombay. The three Presidencies had their own postal services, with their own currencies and weights.

It is the stamps and the post marks on a letter that enable it to tell the story of its travels to the distant lands and seas and the cost incurred and the time consumed to do so. The first date stamp in the world of any Government Post Office is the Bishop Mark, so named after the then Postmaster General, Henry Bishop, who introduced it in London in 1661. This date stamp was introduced to have check on the frequent complaints regarding the delay in delivery of letters. The earliest example, which has come to light, is dated the 19^th April 1661. A portrait of Henry Bishop and the “Bishop Mark” is given below: see Figs 3-4.

Fig. 3                                                           Fig. 4                                               Fig. 5

This Bishop Mark was used in London for 133 years. The Indian equivalent is the Indian bishop mark apparently issued in 1775, the rarest Indian handstamp, of which only four copies are known to exist (Fig.5). It differs from its English stamp. The first Indian rate handstamp was recorded on a letter from India to England in 1794. At Calcutta (See Fig. 6). The first adhesive label in the world is the English Penny Black issued on the 6^th May 1840 by Rowland Hill, the then Postmaster General of England (see Fig 7-8). The first set of adhesive stamps in India were issued on the 1^st October 1854 (see Fig. 9).

Fig. 6

Fig. 7                                      Fig. 8

Fig. 9

The “Post Paid Withdrawn Ship Letter” introduced in 1814 in England was issued by the Post office on the charge of one shilling and two pence per letter and on payment of this amount the payee could thereafter close any vessel to send his letter. There was public outcry against this obnoxious “Letter” that the E.I.C refused to instruct their ship masters to carry these letters. In 1814 the E.I.C monopoly of trade was abolished.

The 1815 Ship Letter Act abolished the “withdrawn ship letter” but did not give any relief from the postage charged. The new packet service introduced by the 1815 Act resulted in a high charge of 3 shilling 6 pence per single letter.

The Act vested greater control in the P.M.G. over the revenues from the Indians mails. All postage other than the Indian Inland Postage was credited to British Post Office. The arrangement for carriage of Post by private ships continued as before. This bifurcation of revenues between India and British Post Office led to the emergence of the “King’s Post” and Inland Post. A variety of stamps to indicate payment of King’s Postage and Inland Postage were issued and some of them are given below (see Figs 10-12)

Fig. 10                                                  Fig. 11                                                    Fig. 12

1819-1850

From the early days until 1819 there was a continuous struggle between the Post Master General in England and the Company for a share in the postal revenues, which the Company resisted on the basis of their monopoly of trade under the Royal Charter. In 1819 a compromise was reached by agreeing to a reduced sea postage on letters to and from India and other countries served by the E.I.C ships. There was also a continued clamour for better postal service between India and England and this demand resulted in the introduction of the so-called Packet service.

The Ship Letter Act of 1819 provided for reduced rate for mail carried by East India Company Vessels to India and other “favoured” countries, from 8 pence to 4 pence. In addition inland postage was charged according to weight and mileage.

The special rates charged required identification of the letter from India on being landed in the U.K. For this purpose special “India Letter” handstamps were issued to all British Ports where Indian letters might be handed over to the postal authorities. A rare India Letter in blue colour of Leith and another rare letter of Hastings along with the picture of the latter Port is given below: Fig 13-15. In 1819 the packet service was abolished.

Fig. 13                                                                  Fig. 14 & 15

The 1837 postal reforms led to uniform postal rates being adopted for the three Presidencies. The ship postage was standardised throughout India the charges for letters not exceeding three tolas being two annas if outward bound and 3 annas if inward bound. These charges remained in force till 1850.

During this period different types of receipts, dispatch stamps and stamps indicating the postage due were used in the three ports of entry, namely Madras, Calcutta and Bombay.

To be continued…

Pride of Nations

Diana, Princess of Wales- ENGLAND’S ROSE

-By Mitul Kansal

Her eyes twinkle like the stars,
which can be seen from afar

Diana, Princess of Wales, was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. She was beautiful, in a fresh-faced, English, outdoors-girl kind of way. She used her big blue eyes to their fullest advantage, melting the hearts of men and women through an expression of complete vulnerability.

Diana’s death sparked much public debate about the role of the British monarchy. Many observers favorably contrasted Diana’s common touch—her personal gestures toward ordinary people—with the more formal approach of other members of the royal family. She will be remembered as a woman who was at once supremely regal and at the same time strikingly human. To the millions who followed her charitable work, she was most certainly the Queen of our hearts, and she will be terribly missed.

Some of the Postage stamps and coins which were issued in memory of Princess of Wales

New Issues from Other Countries

Postage Stamps

• Thai post issued a postage stamp to celebrate the new Chinese year “The Year of Tiger”. The stamp illustrates a native Thai design of the tiger with golden stars constellation. The tiger zodiac uses a tiger as a symbol. According to the royal calendar, the zodiac changes on the 1st of each calendar year.

Date of Issue: 1 January 2010, Denominations: 3 Bhat

• Country-Morocco

Title-Flora of Morocco: Rosa Damscena

Date of Issue: Jan 14, 2010
Value: 7,8 Dh

• Country-France

Title- Abbé Pierre, Famous people

Date of Issue: Jan 23, 2010
Value: 0.56 €

• Country-Israel

Title- Birds of Israel

Date of Issue: Jan 27, 2010
Denominations: 2.40

Country-Israel

Title- Past and Future in our Hands, International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Date of Issue: Jan 27, 2010
Denominations: 6.70

• Country-Spain

Title- Autonomous Communities

Date of Issue: Jan 02, 2010

• Country- HongKong

Title- Past Year of the Tiger

Date of Issue: 6 February 2010
Denominations: $1.40, $2.40, $3.00, $5.00

Readers Forum

Letters to the Editor

1)      Mr. Purushothaman Ramarajan wrote–

“Dear friend,

Thanks for the very nice issue.  I am glad that as a young man you are keenly interested in a hobby which is really the king of hobbies.  Probably this is the only hobby where you can pursue your interest and at the same time use it as investment. In all other hobbies you have to spend money and time and in due course it may become very difficult to maintain such hobbies. I wish more and more young people like you should come forward to pursue this hobby. Do keep it up and encourage others to do so. At the same time do keep up your studies intensely.

Wish you all the best for the magazine and above all for your sincere effort to bring out such a magazine.

Thank you once again and wish you all the best and success in the New Year and all following years

With regards,

R. Purushothaman

E-mail- purushrourkela3@yahoo.co.in

0977 840 0957

Rourkela

27.12.09”

2)      Mukesh Shukla wrote-

“Dear Sir,

Received the maidan issue of e-bulletin viz. GLOBAL EXPRESS. This is very interesting and full of informations. I wish all the success to you and your team. Please send this bulletin to mehuldave1@rediffmail.com as he collects coins and currency.

Regards,

Mukesh Shukla”, m_c_shukla5560@yahoo.co.in

3)      Pradeep Kumar Mallik wrote-

“Dear Mr Kansal,

Through SMS of Mobilephilately I learnt about your website. I found it useful philatelic website. Further I would like to subscribe ‘Global Express” through email.

I am a thematic philatelist working on the theme of “UNESCO – World Heritage”.

My name, address and telephone number is as follows

PRADEEP KUMAR MALLIK

MIGH – 193, Kankarbagh

Lohianagar

PATNA – 800 020

Phone: 09470715050

Email: mallikphila@gmail.com

Wishing you a very Happy New Year 2010,

Pradeep”

4)      Jeevan Jyoti wrote-

“Heartiest Congratulations on launching a very nice & informative newsletter on coins & stamps. Your efforts are highly appreciated. Keep up the good work to promote the hobby of Stamp & coin collecting!!”

5)      Asheesh Arora wrote-

“Dear Mitul,

First of all congratulations for a very nice blog site! I’ve seen several new blogs on Indian philately come up but yours is indeed very well presented and it is very nice to see your achievements at such a young age.

I would like to subscibe to your bulletin (pdf) by email. My interest is in simple post India collection (Mint, FDC, Miniatures/sheetlets and se-tenants).

Thanks,

Asheesh Arora, asheesh_a@yahoo.com

Pune.”

6)      Robert H. Harm  wrotes-

“Dear Mitul,
My sincere thanks for sending the above philatelic/numismatic magazine, which I found very informative indeed.   As President of Thematics Southern Africa I applaude any and all attempts to make the hobby of stamp collecting more accessible, and I am sure that your magazine will help to do just that.   I am conferreing with my Executive on the best way to make your magazine known to our members, and we hope to publish something in our newsletter fairly soon.   But we looking at the possibility of including a link to your website from our own website (www.thematicsa.co.za, back on the air shortly).   I will keep you informed.   In the mean time I am sending you an information brochure to tell some more about us.

Please be so kind to send the next edition of Global Express when it is published.

Stamps sincerely,
Robert H. Harm DTPSA, presidenttsa@mweb.co.za
President, Thematics SA”

7) Prasad Mandali wrotes-

“Dear Sir,

Congratulations for starting a new e-mag on philately and numismatics, I would like to inform that Guntur Numismaic & Philatelic Society celebratd its 15th Anniversary by organising a coin & Stamps Festival from 4th to 6th December, 2009. The event targeting shcool children was really successful with more than 100 children participating with their exhbits. We have released 3 special covers and one souvenir and also orgnaised quiz, letter writing, elocution and drawing competetions on the hobbies.
I shall be grateful if this event is covered in your site
With best wishes

mvsprasad
Secretary, GNPS
prasad_mandali@yahoo.com
gnpsguntur@gmail.com
Ph. 098667 10379”

8) Abhay Tiku wrote-

“Hi Mitul,

I think this a great start for a newsletter that has the potential to become as valuable and regular as stampsofindia.com, also the fact that you have cited Encarta while quoting philatelic literature is something that most philatelists should imbibe in their online endeavors.

I would be looking forward to your future newsletters eagerly.

abhaytiku@gmail.com, http://www.thephilatelist.wordpress.com/”

9) Mansoor.B wrote-

“Hi Mitul
Just recvd.your email and delighted to know about another e-newsletter “Global Express” I wish you all the best and hope that this news-letter will be another train to transport Philatelic news to all the corners of India and the World.

Mansoor.B

http://mbstamps.blogspot.com/

mansoorblr@gmail.com”

10) S.R. Janakiraman wrote-

“Hi Mitul just i read your email global express is extremly bullet train. I m interested in future bulletins most popular of thematic collections in india / world ” gandhi” issues. otherwise i congrates to u the global express is sucessfully to all around readers .

srjanakiramanin@yahoo.co.in”

11)   Baroda Philatelic Society wrote-

“Happiness keeps you sweet, Trails make you strong, Sorrows keep you human, Failure keeps you humble, Success keeps you glowing & God keeps you going! Keep going! Happy New Year!  New is the year, new are the hopes & the aspirations, new is the resolution, and new are the spirits. Forever my warm wishes are for U. Have a promising & fulfilling New Year.”

12)  “G.Sriramarao wrote-

Dear Mitul,
Let me congratulate you on starting an excellent and exhaustive e mag on philately. The range of subjects you covered are very educative and interesting. I wish to receive this regularly.
with best wishes,
G.Sriramarao

sriramarao@gmail.com
Visakhapatnam
Tel o891-2550273”

13) Shrikant K Parikh wrote-

“Conratulations young man for launching your new venture.

Wishing you very best for the same and Greetings for New Year 2010 !

Shrikant Parikh

www.setenantsofindia.blogspot.com”

14) Uli Bantz wrote-
“Dear Mr. Kansal,

Just opened your E-bulletin and found it quite interesting – giving News from a part of the world not so easily accessible from South Africa. Will the bulletin be free? And what do you expect in return except for comments and contributions? Are you a dealer and how do you do business? By mail order?

I collect minerals, fossils and mining / geology related topics on stamps as I am a retired geologist. Kind regards and best wishes for 2010

Dr. H. U. Bantz

P. O. Box 6913

Westgate

1734

SOUTH AFRICA”

15) Dr Satyendra Agrawal wrote-

“Thanks and wish you all the successes.”

Vinod Sabharwal, President West Delhi Philatelic Club

Our visit Experience to Ambala Philatelic Bureau.

Philately is a major source of revenue for the Department of Posts . There are approx 10 Million active Stamp collectors in the Country. These collectors are served through the Philatelic Bureaus throughout the Country. There are approx 85 Bureaus in the Country.

The Department needs to look into Function of these Bureaus in case it does not want to lose these revenues generating outlets. Ambala is the Bureau which we are going to highlight and look into. Ambala is a major centre in North India lying on the main tourist trunk route Delhi- Amritsar and Delhi – Jammu/Srinagar. A large number of Philatelists of Haryana , Punjab , Himachal ,Delhi , J& K are served by this bureau as commuters traveling by road normally would drop by at Bureau to pick up Philatelic material . In addition there are about 2500 regular and part time stamp collectors in and around Ambala. The conditions at the bureau are not condusive to promotion of Philately as enumerated below.

• No supply of Philatelic Bureau has been made to the Philatelic Account holders since Feb till 10 Dec 2009.
• Staff manning the Counters are inadequately trained as they are unaware of availability of items and material and are also unwilling to sell them.
• Untrained staff is not aware of modes of depositing amount in PD accounts and neither is the staff at other counters aware of this and nor are they able to guide.
• The counter is not regularly manned as a result a large of Philatelists go back disappointed.
• The rude behavior of Staff is resulting in Philatelists avoiding opening accounts or regularly maintaining them which is a great loss to the department which wants to open max new Philatelic accounts and generate more income…
• The superiors are shielding their subordinate untrained and rude staff for reasons best known to them.

It is our endeavor to bring to the notice of the Department the functioning of this bureau so that the Services are improved and Philatelists are looked after as they are contributing so much to the revenue of this Department.

“Service with Smile” should be the motto.

After receiving the email of Mr. Vinod Sabarwal, I (MITUL KANSAL)  personally visited Ambala Philatelic Bureau on Dec 31, 2010. It was shocking to see that no staff was at the philatelic counter. The staff at the other counter told me that “At present, there is no permanent staff appointed for the philatelic counter “. When I told him to give me the postage stamp, folder and First day cover of “Jayadeva and Geetagovinda”, then he replied that he knew nothing where the philatelic material was. After that he searched all the cupboards and tables to find my need. After half an hour, he succeeded. But the postage stamp was not in good condition because of the rough work that was done by the staff over the back side of the stamp.

Another shocking thing was the exhibition frames. These frames were in very bad condition. The stamps were wet due to moisture. Also lot of spiders net was formed inside the frames. The old first day cover exhibition was also in same condition. The stamps displayed at the rounded frame, were pasted by Gum over it.

This was very bitter taste. I request the department of post to take notice towards this so that no one collector disappoints after visiting the bureau.

Alert Collector

An Independent Letterbox

INDIA POST forgets its duty

-By MITUL KANSAL

A letterbox is a box in a public place where letters can be left for later collection by an official mail carrier. But sometime this definition doesn’t fit best. Last week I went to the Modinagar Market to collect money from the IDBI ATM. When I am returning back to the Hostel, an unlocked letterbox took my attention towards itself. This letterbox is on the Delhi-Meerut Road just attached to the Modinagar Bus stand. I asked to the shopkeepers whether this letterbox is in use or not? They replied that the letterbox is working properly. Daily lot of people drops their letters into this letterbox. When I asked them why this letterbox is not locked? Then they replied that “They asked the same question to the postman of that area but postman replied that it was not his duty.”

The letter box is in good condition. It was very well painted and has the new logo of India Post. But the letters in the box is not safe. I called it an independent letterbox because it doesn’t require a postman to get letters out. Anyone at any time can open the box and can steal the letters for the Postage Stamps.

Through this column I want to bring notice of this unlocked letterbox to the Department of Post. So that the belief of peoples over India Post does not fall.

My Other Blogs

• www.emmkaystampcoinagedom.wordpress.com – This is a blog of Emm Kay Stamp Coinage Dom.
• www.emmkayglobalexpress.wordpress.com – A blog by Mitul Kansal to publish monthly E-Bulletin on Philately and Numismatics.

Blogs & Websites on Philately & Numismatics

• www.stampsofindia.com – This is the website of India with complete information on Indian stamps.
• http://setenantsofindia.blogspot.com – This is a new blog on se-tenants stamps of India by Mr. Shrikant Parikh of Ahmedabad.
• http://www.vadophil.org/ – Website of Baroda Philatelic Society.
• http://letstalkstamps.blogspot.com – A new Blog created by Commodore Vijay Kapre of New Delhi.
• http://www.indianstampghar.com/ – A very popular Blog by Nr Vinod Sabharwal of New Delhi.
• www.rainbowstampclub.blogspot.com – This is the online Stamp Club Blog by Mrs. Jeevan Jyoti of Kullu.
• http://mbstamps.blogspot.com/ – A Blog by Mr Mansoor B of Mangalore.
• www.universalstamps.blogspot.com- A very new blog by Mr. L Ramachandran Rajagopal, Coimbatore

Yahoo Groups on Philately & Numismatics

• Indian Philatelists- This is an electronic discussion forum dedicated exclusively to Indian Philately that allows members to engage into meaningful discussions on all aspects of Indian Philately. Membership to the forum is open to all philatelists who have interest in Indian Philately. Members can share and discuss their ideas, knowledge, research, collections, events, exhibitions, auctions, publications exclusively related to Indian Philately.
• Saarcphilately- This group is about collecting stamps, phone cards, bank notes, coins,etc of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka , Maldives, Afghanistan. Here you can exchange,trade, sell, buy, your collecting items.
• Indianphilately_disc_group- This discussion group will focus on all topics pertaining to Indian Philately.
• Worldstampsclub- Here you will find lots of philatelists willing to exchange, buy or sell stamps. Whether you are an advanced collector or a Beginner.

Promotional Section

Invitation to Readers

Happy news for all! You can expand your philatelic & numismatic horizons through this column in the “Global Exchange”. This service is offered free to all readers.

You can publish your advertisement for making exchange or seeking philatelic & numismatic friends, with whom you can exchange ideas. Your advertisement may be forwarded to us in the following format:-

1)      Name

2)      Age

3)      Contact Address

4)      Telephone/Mob. No.

5)      Message to be advertised

The following guide books for Autograph Collecting is available for Sale:

“AUTOGRAPHS COLLECTING FOR THE BEGINNERS”

The book covers important topics for beginners like why collect autographs, what and how to collect autographs, preservation of autographs and Autograph Collectors Club of India (Regd.), only Club of its kind in India. In the end, autographs and life sketches of as many as 110 personalities of India have been given.

Author: S.S. Hitkari, Publisher: Phulkari Publications, New Delhi.

52 Pages, Softbound. Rs. 150 postpaid in India/ US$10 postpaid in Worldwide.

“AUTOGRAPHS OF INDIAN PERSONALITIES”

The book covers important topics like introduction, what and how to collect autographs, their care and preservation and graphology. In the end, autographs and life sketches of as many as 250 personalities of India been given.

Author: S.S. Hitkari, Publisher: Phulkari Publications, New Delhi.

112 Pages, Hardbound. Rs. 450 postpaid in India/ US$20 postpaid in Worldwide.

For more details contact sklahoti@vsnl.net

Current Philatelic & Numismatic Magazines – Newsletters

• Stamp of India Collector’s Companion – India’s first and most updated weekly e-newsletter edited by Madhukar and Savita Jhingan from Stamps of India, New Delhi. E-mail: mjhingan@yahoo.com Website: www.stampsofindia.com
• VADOPHIL edited by Prashant Pandya & Timir R. Shah, Published by Baroda Philatelic Society, Vadodara E mail : info@vadophil.org Website www.vadophil.org
• ITS Stamp News

Editor: Suraj Jaitly

Publisher: Indian Thematic Society

e-mail indianthematicsociety@gmail.com

website: indianthematicsociety.com

• RAINBOW STAMP NEWS, Monthly

Editor: Jeevan Jyoti j.jyoti9@gmail.com

Publisher: Jeevan Jyoti, Shimla

Annual Subscription: Free

Also available online at http://rainbowstampnews.blogspot.com/

Courtesy- News and Image Resource to this issue- Stamps of India, Mobile Philately, Philately News, Rainbow Stamp Club, Stamp Collecting Round Up, http://razboifilatelic.blogspot.com, Indian Oil 2009 Calender.

EMM KAY STAMP COINAGE DOM

This a net club coordinated by Mitul Kansal. Emm Kay Stamp Coinage Dom is to give the chance to become friends with collectors in other countries and enabling them to get together, exchange views, letters and their duplicate collection. Here you can publish your views about any philatelic or numismatic item. Also we introduce our new members by this blog. Membership is free for every collector. To become member Please send us the following details-

1)      Name

2)      Address

3)      Interest

4)      Passport size Photo (Optional)

5)      Contact No.

NEXT ISSUE OF “GLOBAL EXPRESS” WILL BE ISSUED ON 1^st MARCH 2010. LAST DATE FOR CONTRIBUTION OF ARTICLES, NEWS, REPORTS, etc. is 25^th FEBURARY 2010.

Volume No. 1         Issue No. 1          January 2010

We need your letters, views, reports & articles on philatelic & numismatic activities in your area or region for publication here. You can send the same to kansalmitul@gmail.com or emmkayinternational@gamil.com and by post to –

My Contact Address- Mitul Kansal, Editor- Global Express, SRM University Hostel- “F Block”, Room No. 222, NCR Campus, SRM University, Delhi-Meerut Road, Sikrikalam, Distt. Ghaziabad, PIN-201204, U.P., INDIA

My Permanent Address- 336/14 Near Markanda Press, Shahabad Markanda, Distt. Kurukshetra, Pin- 136135, Haryana, INDIA

Note:1) We may edit & fact-check your entries for publication.

2) The bulletin in pdf will be sent to the readers only on request. Those who wish to receive it regularly please reply giving your name, postal address, and philatelic & numismatic interests with the subject “SUBSCRIBE GLOBAL EXPRESS”.

3) If you’ve found this newsletter useful, recommend it to a friend. Better still, forward a copy of this issue. Also, please mention this newsletter when contacting other collectors.

Editorial

Dear Friends,

New Year is the time to celebrate a new beginning so it gives me a great pleasure to presents you the first issue of “Global Express”. The purpose to start this newsletter is not only to provide up to date information to the Philatelists & Numismatics but also to introduce collectors from different parts of the world so that they can exchange their views, opinion and their duplicates. This is the first time in my life when I am editing a newsletter for collectors. I need your continues support to make this newsletter more and more informatory. I hope you will appreciate my efforts.

There is also room for your comments. Don’t hesitate to give me your opinion on the Newsletter. Please send in comments, suggestions or even compliments.

Wishing you a very happy and pleasant 2010. I wish God gives You 12 Month of Happiness, 52 Weeks of Fun, 365 Days Success, 8760 Hours Good Health, 52600 Minutes Good Luck, 3153600 Seconds of Joy…and that’s all!

….Mitul Kansal

For high quality images- Click on the image

Contents

• Forthcoming Indian Issues
• Recent Indian Issues
• Recent & Forthcoming Events
• In History
• Review
• In News
• Beginners Section
• Specialized Section
• My Achievements
• Pride of Nations
• New Issues from Other Countries
• Blogs & Websites on Philately & Numismatics
• Yahoo Groups on Philately & Numismatics
• Promotional Section
• Current Philatelic & Numismatic Magazines – Newsletters

Forthcoming Indian Issues

Postage Stamps

• Dec 27, 2009 Indian Mathematical Society
• Dec 27, 2009 Venkatramana Bharavathar
• Dec 29, 2009 Maharaja Surajmal

Recent Indian Issues

Postage Stamps

• Dec 1, 2009 Greetings- 4 X Rs. 5
• Dec 2, 2009 Lancer (Gardner’s House)- Rs 5
• Dec 2, 2009 Convent of Jesus  & Mary, Ambala Cant- Rs 5
• Dec 10, 2009 Traditional Indian Textiles- 4 X Rs 5 + M/s
• Dec 15, 2009 Henry Louis Vivian Derozio- Rs 5
• Dec 17,2009 Lal Pratap Singh- Rs 5

Special Covers

• Dec 4, 2009 Jaipur, Chandrayan
• Dec 6, 2009 Belgaun, Aravind Joshi Birth Centenary, Nadoja Pratishthan
• Dec 7, 2009 Jaipur, Mahatma Gandhi Coins, Schoolpex
• Dec 11, 2009 New Delhi, International Commission on Irrigation & Drainage
• Dec 11, 2009 Madikeri, Centenary Celebrations of St. Joseph’s Convent Educational Institutions

Private Special Covers (During Stampmania 2009)

• Dec 17, 2009 Frontier mail from Bombay to Peshawar via Baroda
• Dec 17, 2009 Bullock Tram Carried Cover
• Dec 18, 2009 Balasinor Dinosaur Park
• Dec19, 2009 Save Energy
• Dec 20, 2009 Golden Jublee of Jasu Patel’s 14 wicket at Kanpur Cricket test match against Australia in 1959

Private First Day Covers

• Dec 01, 2009 Greetings
• Dec 10, 2009 Traditional Textiles

Stamp Booklet

• Dec 17, 2009 Heritage Sites of Vadodara

Definitive Coins

• Golden Coin of Rs 5
• Connectivity and Information Technology- Rs 10

Commemorative Coins

• Homi Bhabha- Rs 5 & Rs 10
• ALPHONSA- Rs 5
• LOUIS BRAILLE- Rs 2

Recent & Forthcoming Events

Numismatic Exhibitions

• Dec 26-27, 2009 Tiruchirapalli, Coin Exhibition

Organizer: Tiruchirapalli Numismatic Society

Contact: Manoharan 094434 95415

• Feb 19-21, 2010  Calicut, COIN FEST-2010

Organizer: Calicut Numismatic Society numisclt@gmail.com

Venue: Jubilee Hall, Near Tali Temple, Kandankulam, Calicut

Sales Booth: Rs 2,500 including Tea, Snacks, & Lunch for Two

Contact: Soorej 09447124066 soorejsks@yahoo.co.in

In History

Dates are like milestones in life.

Enriches the present with

the memories of the past. Brings us closer to

our heritage and history.

Reverberates through the corridors of time,

and echoes in our hearts.

Leaving behind their footprints in the

annals of time.

Emm Kay Stamp Coinage Dom has handpicked a few

important dates… those that changed

the face of our Nation.

January 1, 1880- The Money Order System was first introduced in India in 1880. Prior to this, the Government treasuries located in District Headquarters carried out the money transactions.

Review

60^th Anniversary of the People’s Republic of China

October 1^st, 2009 marks the 60^th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. The past six decades witnessed great breakthroughs and glories. Over this period, under the leadership of CPC, all the ethic groups in China have joined efforts in carrying forward the undertakings of predecessors and opening up a new road for the future and great cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics has demonstrated great vitality to the world. It is our common wish to further national prosperity and realize great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!

Beijing Stamp Company issued a commemorative stamp folder entitled “60^th Anniversary of the People Republic of China” on October 1st 2009. The set of commemorative stamps contain four stamps, 55 X 30mm each, and a souvenir sheet.

The stamp on the souvenir sheet is entitled “Motherland in My Heart”, 48 X 34mm (the sheet sized 115 X 93mm), 6 Yuan in face value, photogravure printed.

1)      Founding Ceremony – 1.20 Yuan

2)      Reform and Opening Up- 1.20 Yuan

3)      The Return of Hong Kong and Macao- 1.20 Yuan

4)      Olympic Pageant- 1.20 Yuan

In News

The First National Philatelic Exhibition was held now. At a time when Philately is facing tough competition from other distractions amongst the youth as a hobby, Baroda Philatelic Society had taken a giant step to reinforce the magic of the hobby. It was organized to provide for both new collectors to start exhibiting on a small scale at a National Exhibition and also to provide established collectors an opportunity to show exhibits on subjects or themes that cannot be treated well in more than one frame or to show new ideas and developments. The three day exhibition, which was commenced on 18 Dec. 2009, was preceded by a series of street events. Hundreds of young philatelists marched the streets Baroda (Vadodara). They bore banners with images of Indian stamps. The participants were not only from India but also from the United States, UK, Germany and Malaysia. Over 448 entries from India were received for the exhibition. The exhibition was attended by more than 45 stamp dealers from India, UK and Malaysia. On this occasion lot of special covers, Postal labels, Carried Covers, etc were issued. The whole list of participants with their awards is now available on the official website of Stampmania i.e. www.stampmania2009.com. We heartily appreciate the efforts of Mr. Prashant Pandya for organizing the event successfully. We also hope that Mr. Pandya will also make his best efforts to organize such an event in the coming years.

JOBURG 2010 International Stamp Show

(26^th Asian International Stamp Exhibition)

JOBURG 2010, 26^th Asian International Stamp Exhibition is organized to expand and develop friendly relations and close cooperation among FIAP members and to promote every aspect of philately in the FIAP region. It is jointly sponsored by the Philatelic Foundation of Southern Africa and the South African Post Office under the auspices of the Philatelic Federation of South Africa. It will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa. It will open on October 27, 2010 and close on October 31, 2010, a total of 5 days.

JOBURG 2010 will have all exhibit classes Traditional, Postal History, Postal Stationery, Aerophilately, Astrophilately, Maximaphily, Revenue, and Thematic Philately subdivided as: 1) Nature, 2) Culture, 3) Technology, and Youth Philately class subdivided by age as of January 01, 2010:

1)      Collectors aged 13 to 15 years,

2)      Collectors aged 16 – 18 years,

3)      Collectors aged 19 – 21 years,

Literature class subdivided into:

1)      Philatelic books, pamphlets and studies (issued after January 01, 2005),

2)      Philatelic journals, periodicals (issued after January 01, 2008),

3)      Stamp catalogues (issued after January 01, 2008), and

One-Frame Exhibit Class subdivided into:
1) Traditional, 2) Postal History, 3) Postal Stationery, 4) Aerophilately, 5) Astrophilately, 6) Thematic, 7) Maximaphily, 8) Revenue.

JOBURG 2010 will also have ‘Open Class’ as an Experimental Class. Exhibits in this Class can include material from any other competition class plus non-philatelic material. The exhibit must contain at least 50% philatelic material. The non-philatelic material should not overwhelm the philatelic material. Awards will be made as per One-Frame Exhibits.
There is no participation fee for Youth Philately Class. The participation fee for other Competitive Classes (except Literature, and One-Frame Exhibit Classes) will be US$35 per frame. The fee for participation in Literature is US$35 per exhibit. The fee for participation in One-Frame Exhibit is US$70 per exhibit.
The last date for submitting the Exhibit Application Form to the National Commissioner for India is February 28, 2010. The stamp dealers may contact dealers@joburg2010stampshow.co.za for reserving a Trade Stand at JOBURG 2010.

The Regulations and the Exhibit Application Form for JOBURG 2010 are available at www.stampsofindia.com

National Commissioner for India: Madhukar Jhingan mj@stampsofindia.com

Maria Sharapova: Stamp collector

Stamp collecting has surged in popularity in recent months, with eBay reporting a 30% increase in stamp sales and Britain’s Royal Philatelic Society claiming a significant rise in membership.

This rise in popularity is also bringing celebrity stamp collectors out of the woodwork. One of these collectors is tennis star Maria Sharapova. She is collecting postage stamps since she was a child.

Maria Sharapova told the London Evening Standard, “It is something introduced to me when I was very young. I have been very lucky over the years to travel to some amazing countries and I always try to collect stamps from every place I go. I am hoping one day that I will be able to hand my collection over to my kids.”

2010 First Spouse Gold Coin Design Images Revealed by US Mint

The United States Mint today revealed the final design images of the new 2010 First Spouse Gold Coins featuring the wives of Presidents Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, and Lincoln. These men will be depicted in 2010 on Presidential $1 clad coins while their spouses will be honored on $10 gold pieces.

Last year in aptly, Mint director Ed Moy said that The First Spouse Gold Coin designs give us a glimpse into the fascinating lives of the women who supported, promoted and often advised the men who led US.

The following are images of each first lady coin, and design information as provided by the US Mint.

Abigail Fillmore First Spouse Gold Coin

Abigail Obverse Design                                                                             Abigail Reverse Design

The obverse portrait was designed and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill. The gold coin’s reverse depicts an image of Abigail shelving books in the library that she established at the White House. It was designed by Susan Gamble and sculpted by Joseph Menna.

Jane Pierce First Spouse Gold Coin

Jane Obverse Design                                                                          Jane Reverse Design

The obverse image of was designed by Donna Weaver and sculpted by Don Everhart. The reverse design, also by Weaver, features Jane listening to debates while sitting in the visitor’s gallery of the Old Senate Chamber in the U.S. Capitol Building. It was sculpted by Charles Vicker.

James Buchanan’s First Spouse Gold Coin Liberty

Buchanan’s Obverse Design                                                               Buchanan’s Reverse Design

Since James Buchanan did not have a spouse while her served as President, the obverse features a design emblematic of Liberty as it appeared on a U.S. coin issued during his time in office. It is a reproduction of the Liberty Head Quarter Eagle that was minted from 1840 through 1907. It was design by Christian Gobrecht. The reverse design is by David Westwood and depicts Buchanan as a young man working as a book-keeper in his family’s small country store. It was sculpted by Joseph Menna.

Mary Lincoln First Spouse Gold Coin

Mary Obverse Design                                                                      Mary Reverse Design

The obverse image of Mary Todd Lincoln was designed and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill.  The reverse features Mary giving flowers and books to wounded Union soldiers. It was designed by Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill.

The United States Mint issues First Spouse Gold Coins on the same schedule as the Presidential $1 Coins issued honoring the Presidents.

Beginners Section

Stamps and Stamp Collecting

By- R. Scott Carlton

Note: This article was originally published in Microsoft Encarta 2008

INTRODUCTION

Postage stamps are adhesive labels affixed to letters or parcels to indicate that a specified amount of postage has been prepaid for delivery. Stamps are usually issued by a government or an agency representing a government, such as a national post office. The collecting and study of postage stamps and related items such as postcards is known as philately, a word derived from Greek meaning, literally, “love of what is free of further tax.” Stamp collecting is one of the most popular hobbies in the world.

STAMPS

The idea for the adhesive postage stamp was first suggested by the English schoolmaster and civil servant Rowland Hill as one of the many postal reforms in Britain in 1837. Hill’s conception, for which he was later knighted, was derived from similar labels that had been issued almost a century earlier in many parts of Europe as a way of collecting a tax on newspapers. In a treatise on post office reform, Hill also suggested that mail be prepaid, that charges be based on weight instead of the number of pages being sent, and that the rates be low enough to allow ordinary citizens to mail letters.

Through Hill’s efforts, on May 6, 1840, Britain released the world’s first officially issued adhesive postage stamp, a one-penny denomination universally referred to as the Penny Black. The stamp features a portrait of Queen Victoria on a black background, establishing a postal precedent in Britain. Since that time, all regular-issue British stamps have portrayed the reigning monarch. Moreover, like the Penny Black, no subsequent British stamp has been inscribed with the name of the country, a privilege reserved for the nation that invented the postage stamp.

A companion two-pence blue Victoria portrait stamp was placed on sale a few days later, and both denominations became so popular that many people bought them not only for postal use but for their design and value as souvenirs. Within days after these first stamps were issued, the hobby of stamp collecting was born. The Penny Black is not a rare stamp—many millions were issued—but, as the world’s first adhesive issue, it remains highly regarded by philatelists (stamp collectors).

Development of Stamps

Brazil became the second country to use adhesive postage stamps in 1843, and the United States was the third in 1847. By 1860 most nations had adopted the use of the postage stamp. Early designs imitated those of Britain. Monarchies and their territories issued stamps with portraits of their reigning king or queen. The United States depicted George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, two deceased statesmen, on its first stamps. Some countries used national symbols.

Nonportrait designs became popular by the end of the 19th century, and stamps created to commemorate important events began to be issued. Today almost all countries issue large, colorful pictorials, often solely for the revenue obtained from sale to collectors. Portraits of presidents and others who have made significant contributions to American life have since been featured on U.S. stamps. Portraits of living people, however, are forbidden—a person’s likeness cannot appear on a U.S. stamp until at least ten years have passed since his or her death. The only exceptions are presidents, whose portraits may appear on stamps immediately after they die.

Postage stamps eventually took on a wide variety of special purposes. Postage-due stamps (or simply “dues,” as collectors call them) were affixed to envelopes to indicate insufficient postage. Special stamps for airmail, newspapers, military delivery, income tax, railway delivery, special handling, and all sorts of other purposes were created. Semipostals, or charity stamps, became a popular way for governments to raise funds for various causes. These stamps cost more than their postage value, with the difference going toward the charitable cause.

Stamps have historically shown a specified amount of prepaid postage. But in recent years many stamps have been printed without denominations, the majority from the United States, which often prints huge quantities of one-ounce, first-class stamps in anticipation of a postage increase. The exact amount of the increase is not known at the time the stamps are printed, so they are simply marked with a letter of the alphabet or some other designation to indicate they represent the going rate for a one-ounce letter. The year of issue is commonly placed at the bottom of U.S. nondenominational stamps to avoid confusion.

The last major postage innovation of the 20th century was the development and wide distribution of self-adhesive stamps—stamps that do not have to be moistened. Consumers love them for their convenience, but collectors hate them because they are difficult to store in a stamp album. Eventually, the only “lickable” stamps will likely be those intended primarily for collectors and souvenir hunters, such as America’s enormously popular Elvis Presley, James Dean, and Marilyn Monroe stamps. The 21st century is apt to bring major changes to the postal industry, due mostly to the growing use of e-mail and other electronic means of transmitting information. As post offices become less and less important and postal revenues decline, stamps commemorating events and folk heroes will likely become more common as a means of increasing sales.

Famous Stamps

The world’s most valuable stamp has long been considered the famed 1856 British Guiana one-cent magenta, an octagonal stamp with corners missing and postmarked “Demerara April 4, 1856.” No report of a second copy has ever been verified. This stamp sold for $935,000 at a New York auction in 1980, then the highest price ever paid for a single philatelic item in a public sale.

Among the most renowned of all U.S. philatelic material was a sheet of 100 bicolored 24-cent airmails, issued in 1918. The stamps feature as their central figure a picture of the Curtiss JN-4 biplane (commonly referred to as the Jenny), the aircraft designated for mail-carrying service, with the Jenny inadvertently printed upside down. Only one single sheet of the inverted centers has ever been found. After it was purchased in the 1920s, the stamps were separated into various singles, pairs, and blocks. The 24-cent Jenny invert has escalated steadily in value. In 1989 a block of four was sold at auction for $1 million.

Other famous, rare, or otherwise interesting stamps include the 1851 Baden 9 Kreuzer Blue Green stamp, the 1849 Bavarian 1 Kreuzer Black tête-bêche (two adjoining stamps printed upside down relative to each other), the 1851 Canada 12-pence Black (issued before Canada adopted the dollar as its unit of currency), the 1925 Honduras “Black” Airmail, the 1855 Sweden 3 Skilling-Banco (printed orange instead of green by mistake), and the 1851 Hawaiian “Missionaries”—2-cent, 5-cent, and 13-cent stamps so named because they were often used by American missionaries in Hawaii for correspondence sent back to the U.S. mainland.

Omnibus Issues

An omnibus issue is any group of stamps, generally with the same design, released by a number of stamp-issuing authorities to mark the same occasion. The British Commonwealth has by far produced the greatest number of omnibus issues, the first being the George V Silver Jubilee series of 1935, another being the series released on July 29, 1981, to commemorate the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Frances Spencer.

COLLECTING

Philately continues to increase in popularity. Today, the number of collectors around the world numbers in the millions. Unique and valuable stamps, apart from their aesthetic or financial appeal to collectors, are also records of history, geography, politics, art, and numerous other aspects of human civilization.

Types of Collecting

From the earliest years of the hobby, most philatelists have preferred to collect by country, specializing in the issues of one or more nations. Since about the mid-1950s, however, many philatelists have become interested in topical collecting, acquiring stamps illustrating certain themes or subjects. Among the wide range of pictorials are stamps devoted to sports, art and music, aviation, birds and flowers, literature, scouting, ships, and telecommunications.

Organizations

National, regional, and local stamp-collecting organizations exist everywhere. Many stamp clubs focus on a particular philatelic specialty, but others encompass the entire realm of philately. The American Topical Association, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is one of the specialized organizations of stamp collectors in the United States. It publishes a monthly magazine, Topical Time, as well as special handbooks. The largest general organization for stamp collectors in the Western Hemisphere is the American Philatelic Society (APS), in State College, Pennsylvania. The organization publishes The American Philatelist, a monthly journal.

The U.S. National Philatelic Collection is housed in the National Postal Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. A philatelic reference library is also maintained in the same building.

Collecting Procedures

One of the attractions of stamp collecting is the ease of starting a collection. With access to enough incoming mail, especially from abroad, a person can build a collection without any expense. Literally tens of thousands of stamps, however, including many of the older issues, are priced very cheaply.

Little special equipment is required. A collector needs only an album to house the collection, some hinges or other types of mounts to attach the stamps to the pages, and a pair of stamp tongs with which to handle them. Stamps and accessories can be purchased easily. Nearly every city has a one or more professional stamp dealers. Thousands of other dealers operate exclusively by mail or the Internet.

Exchanging duplicate stamps is one of the greatest pleasures in philately. The best way to find trading partners is to join a school or other local stamp club.

When collectors have accumulated a number of valuable stamps, they must take precautions for safe storage, preferably in a bank safety deposit box. If the stamps are in mint condition, they should not be overlapped; through changes in humidity, overlapping stamps may stick together and become seriously damaged. Collectors also should keep accurate written inventories of all their philatelic material.

Coins and Coin Collecting

By-R. Scott Carlton

Note: This article was originally published in Microsoft Encarta 2008.

INTRODUCTION

Coins and Coin Collecting, metallic disks or small ingots, usually round, that are used as a medium of exchange and also acquired and saved as a hobby. Coins have been in use for more than 2,600 years, and people have collected them for nearly as long. The technical name for the practice of collecting coins is numismatics, a term derived from the Greek word nomisma, meaning “coin” or “currency.” Numismatics includes the study of coins, banknotes, medals, tokens, and primitive forms of money. Governments and other official agencies issue billions of coins annually, and collecting coins is a popular hobby around the world.

HISTORY OF COINAGE

People have sold and traded goods and services for thousands of years. An early obstacle was finding a common medium of exchange. Metal coins were developed to fill this need and eventually caught on worldwide. Coins continue to serve this purpose today.

Origins

Ancient Babylonians negotiated commercial transactions using gold and silver as a means of exchange as far back as 2000 bc, but the metals were not cast in a form suitable for easy circulation. Lack of standardization meant the weight and purity of the metal had to be tested every time a piece changed hands.

Between 620 and 600 bc, the people of Lydia in Asia Minor came upon the idea of shaping electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver, into bean-shaped lumps of fixed weight and purity and stamping them with official symbols. These early coins soon became popular because of the way they facilitated trade. By 550 bc the practice of striking coins was established in all of the primary trading cities throughout the known world.

The first major improvement in coinage was to phase out the use of electrum. Because it is an unrefined alloy, electrum’s ratio of gold to silver can vary considerably. To achieve a higher degree of consistency, coin makers realized they would have to separate the gold from the silver and produce coins primarily of gold, primarily of silver, or of a controlled mixture of the two. Despite its unpopularity, natural electrum was still used sporadically into the Middle Ages.

Over the centuries, coin designs varied considerably in beauty and complexity. The first coins had a crude design on one side and nothing more than a simple punch mark on the other. Within a few hundred years, coins of great artistic beauty were being struck in Greece and then in Rome. As the Roman Empire declined in the 3rd and 4th centuries, so did the quality of its coins. In the Early Middle Ages, most coins struck throughout the Western world were crude and ugly. But by the 15th century, Europe had begun to produce beautiful coins and medals of outstanding workmanship and artistic design.

Coinage Problems

Some rulers compromised the integrity of the circulating coinage, issuing debased coins as a way to inflict a “hidden” tax on their subjects. Henry VIII, the king of England from 1509 to 1547, was often guilty of this practice. He caused great harm to his nation’s economy by reducing the purity of English gold and silver coins.

Prior to the 16th century, most coin makers produced coins by placing a round disk of metal between two dies and hitting it with a hammer. Hammered coins, as they were known, could be very beautiful—including some of the earliest that came from ancient Greece and Rome—but they tended to be somewhat crude and lacked well-formed edges. Because the edges were irregular, it was fairly simple to cut off thin slivers of gold or silver and then to spend the coins as if they were of full weight. Some coins were clipped so many times that the actual value of the metal they contained decreased considerably.

Minting Coins

A major change in the way coins were produced occurred during the 16th century, when heavy machinery was first used to mint coins. Many of these new mints were located in water-driven mills, thus these coins were referred to as milled coins. This technique was a quantum leap over hammering. Not only were milled coins attractive and much more uniform, but continuous small parallel cuts—known as a milled or reeded edge, as on the United States quarter—made it more difficult to shave off slivers of precious metal.

Spanish conquerors discovered huge amounts of gold and silver in the Americas. Turning these metals into coins made it easier to divide and transport them, and the Spaniards established the first mint in the New World in Mexico City in 1535. Spain soon built minting facilities throughout its Spanish-American empire.

The areas of the New World colonized by Britain did not yield nearly the quantities of gold and silver as the Spanish territories, and English-speaking America did not establish its own mints until much later. Although the colonists still used English pence and pounds, they also exchanged French, Dutch, and German money, as well as coins struck in Spanish America.

The United States established its first official mint in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1792. Regular coinage began the following year, based on a new unit of currency, the dollar. The word dollar was derived from the German thaler, or taler, a large silver coin first issued in Central Europe in the 16th century, and later adapted to daler. The dollar was the world’s first unit of currency divided into decimal subunits, which simplified the use of money. By the end of the 20th century, all developed countries had switched to a decimal system within their units of currency. In addition to the regular denominations in circulation today (cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents, 50 cents, and dollar), the U.S. Mint has produced half-cent, 2-cent, 3-cent, and 20-cent pieces as well as gold coins ranging from $1 to $20. Canada issued its first coins in 1858, borrowing the “dollar” name for its unit of currency from the United States.

Modern Coins

Historically, coins of higher value have been made of gold or silver, and minor coins were struck from copper alloys. In the second half of the 20th century gold became relegated almost exclusively to noncirculating commemorative or bullion coins. Silver was replaced with nickel or nickel alloys to make coins known as token coinage, because they do not contain precious metals nor can they be exchanged for gold or silver. All current United States coins fall under the category of token coinage.

In the Western world, coins traditionally portray the likenesses of living monarchs, deceased presidents, or other key historical figures. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has appeared on more coin types than any other human being. Her portrait has also appeared on the paper money of dozens of nations, many of them Commonwealth countries that historically recognize the British monarch as the leader of the Commonwealth of Nations.

From 1793 until the middle of the 20th century, most regular-issue U.S. coins portrayed a female personification of Liberty. The principal exception was the Indian Head Cent, struck from 1859 to 1909. The model for this coin was actually the daughter of its designer, James Longacre. The practice of picturing deceased presidents on U.S. coins dates from 1909, when the first Lincoln Cents appeared during the centennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. George Washington’s profile was used on the quarter-dollar of 1932, a coin originally intended as a one-year commemorative to honor the 200th anniversary of his birth. The design quickly became so popular that it was retained for regular-issue quarters and is still being used today. Thomas Jefferson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Dwight D. Eisenhower are the other American presidents who have appeared on regular-issue U.S. coinage. In 2006 the U.S. Mint announced plans to issue a series of dollar coins with images of the American presidents. Starting in 2007, four coins were to be issued each year in the order that the presidents served. In February 2007 the U.S. Mint released into circulation the George Washington dollar coin just in advance of Presidents’ Day.

Other historical figures have also been featured on U.S. coins. Statesman and scientist Benjamin Franklin was shown on the half-dollars of 1948 through 1963. Susan B. Anthony, the noted feminist and suffragette, was featured on the first small-size dollar coins, struck from 1979 to 1981 and again in 1999. Representations of Native Americans have been popular on U.S. coins and paper money, but most designs have been abstractions or composites, such as the obverse (“heads” side) of the Buffalo Nickels (1913-1938). In 2000, the United States issued the first “golden” dollar coins honoring Sacagawea, the young Native American woman who guided Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in their exploration of the West (see Lewis and Clark Expedition).

In 1892 and 1893 the United States issued its first commemorative coins, a set of two half-dollars and a quarter-dollar. The coins were intended to mark the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to the New World. From 1892 until 1954, the United States struck silver and gold commemorative coins honoring such famous Americans as explorer Daniel Boone, composer Stephen Foster, and showman P. T. Barnum. No other commemorative coins were issued until 1982, when a silver dollar was struck in honor of George Washington’s 250th birthday. Commemoratives are now being produced on a regular basis.

Some commemorative coins are intended to take the place of regular coin designs for one or two years. Canada changed the design on all its coins in 1969 to mark the 100th anniversary of its confederation. The United States changed its quarter, half-dollar, and dollar designs in 1975 and 1976 to honor the American Bicentennial. All of these coins are dated 1976 even though many were struck the previous year. The reverse (“tails” side) of the quarter-dollar was also changed beginning in 1999 for a special State Quarters program.

Radical changes in the world of coins and circulating money have emerged in recent years. Having one unified currency for many European countries (the euro) is making money more international. This change has made many monetary denominations—such as the French franc and the German deutsche mark—obsolete, reducing the variety of coins being produced.

Another change is the increasingly widespread use of debit and credit cards. These cards reduce the need for coins and paper money. If these types of electronic payments become standardized and universally accepted, coins may no longer be needed by the 22nd century.

COIN COLLECTING

Coins old and new have a special attraction for many hobbyists as well as professional dealers and investors. Estimates of the number of active collectors worldwide range into the millions.

Coins, medals, and paper money touch on every aspect of the human condition: history, geography, philosophy, politics, economics, the arts, and all areas of science. Coins are mirrors of history. Numismatic scholars study coin portraits of monarchs—some famous, others scarcely known except from coins—and the inscriptions and designs on coins that often refer to important events. Even analyzing the purity of the metal from which a coin was made can provide an insight into the conditions of its time. Other people examine and collect coins for their artistic beauty or for their connection to literature or religion. For example, the tiny ancient Judaic lepton (or half-prutah) has become a numismatic curiosity because it is probably the coin referred to in the Bible as the “widow’s mite,” the offering made by a poor woman that Jesus declared was worth more than the gold given by the wealthy (Mark 22: 41-44).

Types of Collecting

Many numismatists start with collecting coins from their own country because of easy availability. Every date, mint mark, and variation in design is counted as a different coin. A typical beginner method is to acquire one of each piece within a series; then a collector may continually attempt to find better quality specimens of the coins already acquired. The number of collectible coins found in circulation has become very limited, so a collector must usually resort to trading or buying to complete or upgrade a top-condition modern series.

Another popular form of collecting is to assemble a type set of coins from a specific country. The word type refers to a classification of coins by their metal, denomination, nationality, and principal designs. For example, instead of acquiring a specimen of every date and mint from a series of dimes, the collector obtains a single coin to represent this series. Every coin is distinct and has its own history in this kind of collection.

Many collectors prefer topical or thematic collecting. The coins are related to one another on the basis of their design or because of the people or objects shown. Animals, plants, ships, maps, buildings, and religious motifs are well represented on coins. Some topical collections can be difficult to assemble. A British Commonwealth set that includes one of each type portraying Queen Elizabeth II would encompass hundreds of coins and probably take many years to acquire.

Some mints have bolstered coin collecting through various programs and efforts over the years, such as special commemorative issues, collectible sets, and by altering the designs of regular-circulation coins. One initiative of the U.S. Mint is the 50 State Quarters Program, which began in 1999. Under this program, the mint issues five new state quarters each year for ten years—each coin featuring a special design that recalls something from that state’s history or heritage. The effort has been very successful, attracting many new collectors, especially children.

Beginning in 2004 the mint introduced a new series of nickels commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Part of the five-coin series included a nickel introduced in 2006 that featured a forward-facing Thomas Jefferson, the first circulating American coin to depict a U.S. president facing forward rather than in profile.

Coin Values

The market value of any coin—the price a dealer can actually receive for it—is determined by supply and demand. Some exotic coins are quite scarce, but their prices remain low because there is no great demand for them. Yet many fairly recent British, Canadian, and American coins, as well as coins from other times and places, are more available, but their prices are relatively high because there are far more numismatists who collect them. As with any collectible, the condition of a coin is a major factor in determining its value.

When deciding on the purchase of expensive coins or notes, collectors must do the same kind of research necessary for any other major investment. The collector must assess the current market value of the item, its current resale value, and its potential appreciation. Above all, the collector must be knowledgeable enough to know if a coin is genuine and properly graded (assessed as to condition) or must have confidence that the dealer does.

Coin catalogs give some idea of the current prices for various coins. However, dealer advertisements in coin magazines and newspapers are usually more up to date. Coin auctions are an important feature of major coin collecting conventions. Catalogs of the items to be sold are issued ahead of time, and lists of the prices that the items sold for can often be obtained afterward. Coin conventions usually have tables where numismatists can consider the offerings of many dealers, and coin shops also often provide a wide selection. Web sites are a good source for information on the value and availability of coins.

ORGANIZATIONS AND MUSEUMS

The largest numismatic organization in the world is the American Numismatic Association. Founded in 1891 and chartered by the Congress of the United States in 1912, the group has the world’s largest circulating library of numismatic material. Its headquarters includes the World Money Museum, one of the top three numismatic museums in America.

A separate organization, the American Numismatic Society, is the most active and respected nonprofit numismatic publisher in the world. The organization has a museum containing more than a million objects and a library noted as the world’s most comprehensive repository of numismatic literature. The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., houses the National Numismatic Collection, one of the largest of its type in the world.

The largest numismatic organization in Mexico is the Sociedad Numismática de México (Numismatic Society of Mexico). Founded in 1952, the society holds monthly meetings, publishes a quarterly journal, maintains a numismatic library, and sponsors an annual convention. Canada’s leading coin organization is the Canadian Numismatic Association, founded in 1950.

Specialized Section

Gems of Indian Philately

By Dilip Shah

Note: This article was originally published in “INDEPEX 97”- Souvenir Cum Catalouge

The postal system of India, like that of other countries, had its origin in the necessity of maintaining communication throughout the various parts of a great Empire in order that the Emperor might be kept continuously informed of what was taking place and might be able to keep in constant touch with officers in charge of Province at a distance from the capital. When IBN BATUTA was travelling in India in fourteenth century he found an organized system by the great Mohmed Bin Tughlak. The system seemed to have been very similar to that which existed in Roman Empire.

From the beginning of Indian History, right upto the period of invasion by the Huns, around, A.D. 400 there is very little evidence of the existence of an organized messenger system. It is however certain that the kings had their own messengers. It is also probable that rich traders had a messenger system during certain periods.

The European trade activities received a boost in 1498 with the arrival of Portuguese in India. The Dutch were next to arrive and they set Dutch East India Company.

The British East India Company received its monopoly rights of Trades in 1600, which continued till 1740. After the victory in the battle of Plassey in 1757 of Robert Clive the British were allowed to fortify the city of Calcutta.

It was Robert Clive who started a postal system on a bigger scale in India to cater to the Company’s need.

Warren Hastings was called from Madras to the Governorship of Bengal in 1772. He became the first Governor General of India to organise the post office in a more stable footing. Prior to the issue of Copper Tickets, Under Bye-Rules of the consultations Authority India’s first Post Mark appeals from 1775 and follows the pattern of Great Britains earliest Postmark introduced by Henry Bishop in 1661. Col. Henry Bishop introduced hand struck post marks known as Bishop Marks— the purpose of which he described as follows.

“A stamp is invented that is put upon every letter showing the day of the month that every letter comes to the post office, so that no letter carrier may dare to detain a letter from post which before was usual.”

His plan for establishing a General post office at Calcutta and for accepting private letters for transmission and delivery along with Company’s Dawk for the first time on payment of a fee is recorded in the minutes of the consultations of 17^th January 1774. His plan became effective on 31^st March 1774.

The Indian “Bishop Mark” is the rarest and most valued of all the Indian Hand Struck Postage Marks. Its known use is confirmed to Calcutta. Illustrated in 17mm diameter with three letter month at bottom.

The use of Postage Stamps suitable thickened as coins is fairly well known; they were plentiful in Russian and Turkey at the end of the first world war. However the use of coins, exclusively to pay postage has never been recorded. With one notable exception that is the coins of Patna Post in India.

He decreed a minimum Postal charge of one anna and the basic rate of Two annas for every “single” letter weighing exactly or under 2 ½ sicca rupee weight travelling up to 200 miles (The sicca rupee weighted 200 grains or a Tola).

By Rule No. 9 of the “Plans of a New establishments of dawks and of a General Post office”, provided : For the facility of paying the postage on letters, small copper Tickets be immediately struck to be received at the rate of 2 As. each, but to pass only at the Post Office. So far as is known these copper tickets were only struck for Azimabad (Now Patna) and are exceedingly rare, there being only three examples in the “British Museum”, two of which are of the 1 Annas value and the other of 2 Annas.

The inscription on the obverse of the coins can be clearly read (it is Persian) and the English inscription on the reverse.

The small “Copper Tickets” introduced by Hastings was withdrawn after 11 years of practice by a Government order issued on Sept. 1785, “stating that no Copper piece will be received or tendered in exchange at the General Post Office after September 30.

My Achievements

Participated in the following Philatelic Exhibitions:

Name                                                            Place                                            Date

1)      District Philatelic Exhibition               Kurukshetra                          17 Nov., 2006

2)      District Philatelic Exhibition               Kaithal                                    08 Feb., 2007

3)      District Philatelic Exhibition               Pundry                                    23 March, 2007

Winner of Consolation Prize in “MERA DOST INDIA POST” contest organized by the Department of Posts in December, 2005.

Principal of the school watching my Exhibits.

From R to L- My Father Mr. Ashok Kansal, Mitul Kansal

Award given by the Chief Postmaster General of Panchkula region

Award given by India Post official Kavita Choudhry

A newspaper clip from “Punjab Kesri” dated Nov 18, 2006

A Newspaper clip from “Danik Jaagran”

Pride of Nations

MADHUBALA- VENUS QUEEN OF INDIAN CINEMA & EPITOME OF INDIAN BEAUTY

“She walks in beauty,
Like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that`s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes.”

Madhubala is possibly the most breath taking beautiful actress of India ever. Born as Mumtaz Begum Jehan Dehlavi, Madhubala, even today remains the most enduring and celebrated legent of Indian cinema. Her acting prowess coupled with her exquisite looks made, not just India but also Hollywood take notice. Despite Hollywood beckoning, Madhubala chose to stick to Bollywood. With the release of Mughal-E-Azam, Madhubala soon became larger than life. In fact this was the film that marked what many consider to be her greatest and definitive characterization as the doomed courtesan Anarkali. In a 1990 poll conducted by Movie magazine, Madhubala was voted as the most popular Hindi actress of all time, garnering 58% of the votes. It would be an understatement to say that Madhubala still lives in the hearts of millions.

In 2008 a commemorative postage stamp featuring Madhubala was issued. The stamp was produced by India Post in a limited edition presentation pack which featured images of the actress. It was launched by veteran actors Nimmi and Manoj Kumar in a glittering ceremony attended by colleagues, friends and surviving members of Madhubala’s family. The only other Indian film actress to be honoured in this manner is Nargis Dutt.

Madhubala is also immortalized in this perfectly sculpted gold plated ingot.

New Issues from Other Countries

Postage Stamps

Monaco

• Ayrton Seena- 0,73€
• 80th anniversary of Grace Kelly’s birth. 0,89€

Blogs & Websites on Philately & Numismatics

• www.emmkaystampcoinagedom.wordpress.com – This is an Official blog of Emm Kay Stamp Coinage Dom.
• www.stampsofindia.com – This is the website of India with complete information on Indian stamps.
• http://setenantsofindia.blogspot.com – This is a new blog on se-tenants stamps of India by Mr. Shrikant Parikh of Ahmedabad.
• http://www.vadophil.org/ – Website of Baroda Philatelic Society.
• http://letstalkstamps.blogspot.com – A new Blog created by Commodore Vijay Kapre of New Delhi.
• http://www.indianstampghar.com/ – A very popular Blog by Nr Vinod Sabharwal of New Delhi.
• www.rainbowstampclub.blogspot.com – This is the e – Stamp Club Blog by Mrs. Jeevan Jyoti of Kullu.
• http://www.myfavouritestamps.blogspot.com – A blog on my favorite stamps.
• http://mbstamps.blogspot.com/ – A Blog by Mr Mansoor B of Mangalore.

Yahoo Groups on Philately & Numismatic

• Indian Philatelists- This is an electronic discussion forum dedicated exclusively to Indian Philately that allows members to engage into meaningful discussions on all aspects of Indian Philately. Membership to the forum is open to all philatelists who have interest in Indian Philately. Members can share and discuss their ideas, knowledge, research, collections, events, exhibitions, auctions, publications exclusively related to Indian Philately.
• Saarcphilately- This group is about collecting stamps, phone cards, bank notes, coins,etc of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka , Maldives, Afghanistan. Here you can exchange,trade, sell, buy, your collecting items.
• indianphilately_disc_group- This discussion group will focus on all topics pertaining to Indian Philately.
• Worldstampsclub- Here you will find lots of philatelists willing to exchange, buy or sell stamps. Whether you are an advanced collector or a Beginner.

Promotional Section

Invitation to Reader

Happy news for all! You can expand your philatelic & numismatic horizons through this column in the “Global Exchange”. This service is offered free to all readers.

You can publish your advertisement for making exchange or seeking philatelic & numismatic friends, with whom you can exchange ideas. Your advertisement may be forwarded to us in the following format:-

1)      Name

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Current Philatelic & Numismatic Magazines – Newsletters

• Stamp of India Collector’s Companion – India’s first and most updated weekly e-newsletter edited by Madhukar and Savita Jhingan from Stamps of India, New Delhi. E-mail: mjhingan@yahoo.com Website: www.stampsofindia.com
• VADOPHIL October 2009 edited by Prashant Pandya & Timir R. Shah, Published by Baroda Philatelic Society, Vadodara E mail : info@vadophil.org Website www.vadophil.org

• ITS Stamp News

Editor: Suraj Jaitly

Publisher: Indian Thematic Society

e-mail indianthematicsociety@gmail.com

website: indianthematicsociety.com

• RAINBOW STAMP NEWS, Whole #23, Nov 2009, Monthly

Editor: Jeevan Jyoti j.jyoti9@gmail.com

Publisher: Jeevan Jyoti, Shimla

Annual Subscription: Free

Also available online at http://rainbowstampnews.blogspot.com/

Courtesy- News and Image Resource to this issue- Stamps of India, Mobile Philately, www.stampnews.com, Baroda Philatelic Society, Indian Oil calender 2009, www.coinnews.com, Microsoft Encarta 2008 & Rainbow Stamp News.

EMM KAY STAMP COINAGE DOM

This a net club coordinated by Mitul Kansal. Emm Kay Stamp Coinage Dom is to give the chance to become friends with collectors in other countries and enabling them to get together, exchange views, letters and their duplicate collection. Here you can publish your views about any philatelic or numismatic item. Also we introduce our new members by this blog. Membership is free for every collector. To become member Please send us the following details-

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