Coastal Eclipses
Date of Issue : 19 July 2017
To mark the next total solar eclipse
on 21 August 2017, when all of North America will be fortunate enough to witness
an eclipse of the Sun, Alderney Post issued six stamps featuring coastal
locations that will be treated to a partial eclipse, including Alderney. These
specially produced heat sensitive stamps reveal information and full eclipses
upon coming into contact with warm hands.
Dehradun August 2017 Vol. X No. 116
Readers
are requested to send reports of philatelic activities in their area for
publication. Short write ups by the readers about their journals, societies,
publications and philatelic requirements can be sent for inclusion in this
bulletin to the editor : j.jyoti9@gmail.com
Note- This bulletin is
only for circulation among a limited group of philatelists without any
commercial purpose. The bulletin will be sent to the readers only on request.
Those who wish to receive it regularly please reply giving the name of your
city / country with the subject SUBSCRIBE
RAINBOW
Dear Reader
I am pleased to release August 2017
Issue of Rainbow Stamp News. A new experiment on Special Covers was done during
recent Karphilex 2017, Bangalore. The issuance of Special Covers by 3 foreign
postal administrations through their authorized agent in India at an Indian philatelic
event is unique in itself. These are numbered covers and issued only 200 covers each
in number. The cancellation shows the
presence of Vietnam / Botswana / Namibia Postal Administration @ KARPHILEX 14th-16th
July 2017. The cancellation is pictorial and commemorative and not for postal
purpose. There is no postal cancellation by India Post on these covers. So it has
no philatelic value but it could be made philatelic by making it posatally
used. It is a good effort by other countries to pupularise stamps of their
country in India by releasing such attractive items at some Indian philatelic
event….But to me it seems more for business purpose as the cost of the covers
is quite high .However it is a fancy item for Indian Collectors as such covers have been released in India for the first time.
This is all for this month….More in
next issue.
Happy Collecting !.
Contents
§
From the Desk of Naresh Agrawal
§
Recent Indian Issues
§
In The News
§
Doon Philatelic Diary
§
Beginners’ Section
§
Specialized Section
§
New Issues from Other Countries
§
Philatelic Clubs and Society
§
Blogs & Websites on Philately
§
Current Philatelic Magazines –
Newsletter
SPECIAL COVERS RELEASE : BY FOREIGN ADMINISTRATION
Special
covers are being issued regularly and there is flood of such covers. Much have
already been written at several places regarding too much issuance and the exorbitant
pricing of such covers. Undoubtedly, special covers add flavor to one’s
collection as each cover has minimum three events to help the collector such as
cancellation, the stamp and the images printed on the cover.
Well,
such covers are issued during certain event such as exhibition or to
commemorate some event such as festivals, heritage buildings or events or a
common cause. The covers normally are issued by one organization. Yes, these
might be sponsored. The permission of such legally authenticated covers has to
be obtained from the related postal circle.
But
during Karphilex
2017, a state level Philatelic Exhibition of Karnataka Postal Circle held from
14th July to 16th July at Bangalore, a milestone was set
as during the exhibition as postal administrations of Botswana, Namibia and Vietnam through their postal agent in India stationed
at Bangalore, also released Special commemorative covers to mark their presence
in the event and to promote philately and of course their philatelic products. This
is quite uncommon that foreign postal administrations had released Special
covers during Philatelic events in India.
These
covers were released to commemorate the
event Karliphex 2017 highlighting protection of wildlife. The theme probably
was “Protection of wildlife for protection of nature”. Along with other special
covers, all these three postal administrations released one special cover each.
The postal administration of Vietnam released cover showing stamp, cancellation and the vignette/image printed on cover of a Cock (200 covers).
Botswana Post issued cover showing face
of a panther as vignette on the cover, Pug
marks of Panther in cancellation and
postage stamp of a Panther (200 covers) and Namibia post issued special cover on “Protect Wildlife, Protect Nature”. The
vignette on cover shows various wild animals and the stamp and cancellation shows a bird.
For
me, leaving aside the fact that postal administrations had interest in
promotion of their products like stamps in India; it was a unique effort
and should be highly appreciated that
such release displayed a great sense of co-operation, co-ordination and bond of
friendship amongst not only the philatelist or people but postal
administrations of the world too. The covers
sent a message which is common to all that Protect wildlife all over.
Limited
number of covers too will taste and
significance to any thematic collection
in particular as the covers would become
unique in one way as these covers might not have any postal/ philatelic value
but did have the glamour and command a
place in one’s thematic collection. Undoubtedly the covers have been sponsored
for business promotion purpose.
Well,
many congratulations to Karnataka
Philatelic Society for success of the exhibition. Though it is good that postal administration from outside India
recognized the Indian exhibitions, shown their interest, but if the purpose was
solely business. Hence, the importance of the covers certainly decrease. And further, price of the covers being high
will not be appreciated by the collectors in general.
Any
way,I look forward to such more participation and release in future as this
has not only created philatelic interest but otherwise also helped to
strengthen the bond of brotherhood amongst the nations and given an appeal
to people of the world in general that we all are together for a common
cause.
-Naresh
Agrawal Ph. 09425530514
Recent Indian Issue
18 June 2017 : Jhala Manna – Rs 5
22 June 2017 : Survey of India – Rs15,Rs15 + MS
23 June 2017: 50 Years of Passport Act 1967
28 June 2017 : Banaras Hindu University – Se-teant pair – Rs 5+
Rs15
29 June 2017 : Shrimad Rajchandraji - Rs 5
Recent Special Covers
21
June 2017 Int. Yoga Day : Chennai
1
July 2017 : Goods and Service Tax,
7
July 2017 : Leader K Karunakaran, Birth Centenary – Kozhikode
14
July 2017 : Karphilex 2017, Bangalore – two special covers 1.Learn Kannada
Speak Kannada 2.
Karnataka’s Sporting Legends
15
July 2017 : Raksha Bandhan – issued by al postal circles.
New Picture Postcards
On 111th birth anniversary of Amar Shaheed Chandra Shekhar Azad, a set of six picture postcards were issued by Allahabad HPO on 22 July 2017. The postcards feature pictures of Chandrashekhar Azad Park, Allahabad .The cost of six postcards is Rs.100 and is available at the HPO Allahabad.
In The News
Penny
Black first-day cover brings £45k
Lot 2137 was a Penny Black first-day cover (shown above) with a red May 6 London '6Ev' paid hand stamp. It's realized nearly $75,000 at recent sale.
26 July 2017 -A
first-day cover of Great Britain’s iconic Penny Black—the world’s first postage
stamp—realized £45,600 (nearly $75,000 Cdn.) at an auction hosted by England’s Spink and Son yesterday.
The cover, which is
dated May 6, 1840, was offered as Lot 2137 of Spink’s Great Britain Stamps and Postal History Sale featuring the
Charles Hamilton Collection. It had a pre-sale estimate of between £25,000 and £30,000
(upwards of $49,725 Cdn.).
The Penny Black franked to this cover was described by Spink as
“grey-black shade, slightly worn plate, just touched a (sic) right, good to
very large margins other sides and showing a portion of the adjoining stamp at
left, tied by a crisp red Maltese Cross cancellation of entire letter dated 6
May 1840 (first Official day of use) to Doctors Commons, red ‘T.P. /Cornhill’
on front and octagonal “6ev/pd/6my/1840/6ev” date stamp on reverse and opening
well for display.”
Source
: Canadian
Stamp News
World's oldest stamp business Stanley Gibbons up for sale
Stanley Gibbons, the 160-year-old rare stamp and collectibles business, has put itself up for sale.
The company has
identified the Middle East and Asia as new markets for potential growth, but
said expansion would require further investment.
It said that it
would therefore examine its options, which could include the sale of part or
all of the business.The firm was set up by Edward Stanley Gibbons in 1856 and
is the world's longest established rare stamp trader.
It opened its first
shop in 1891 on The Strand in London where it continues to trade from today. It
also has overseas sites in Hong Kong and Singapore.The company also sells coins
and antiques, but is best known for its rare stamps business.
In April, it
achieved a record for Indian stamps when a set of four featuring the portrait
of Gandhi was sold for £500,000.
The company said it
had undergone a major restructuring recently and had cut costs by more than
£10m.
Commenting on
exploring new global markets, Stanley Gibbons said: "Unlocking this
incremental long-term value is likely to require further investment and the
directors believe that it is likely therefore that such value is best delivered
either within a larger group or alongside a strategic investment."
Best
Europa stamp 2017 - Public Prize
Europe
After a year without public prize for the Best Europa stamp, the on-line
competition is back. You can vote till the 9th of September 2017 for your
favorite Europa stamp 2017 ! For Voting please visit the following link :
Recent Stamp Exhibitions
BRASILIA -2017
Brasilia-2017 is a
Specialized World Stamp Exhibition. The Exhibition will open on 24 October
2017 and close on 29 October 2017. Mr Ajay Kumar Mittal is the
National Commissioner. email : ajaymittal1957@gmail.com
BANDUNG 2017
BANDUNG 2017 - Specialised
WORLD STAMP EXHIBITION, 3-7 Aug 2017 Exhibition under FIP PatronageShri
Sahdeva Sahoo is National Commissioner for this exhibition. emails : sahadevasahoo@gmail.com &
sahadevas@yahoo.com Phones +91
9337103542
+91 674 2432251 (LL)
+91 674 2432251 (LL)
News from Philatelic Societies
Karnataka Philatelic Society
KARPHILEX-2017, Bangalore
-Swamynathan R
Philately
exhibition, KARPHILEX- 2017 was held at Bengaluru from 14-16 July 2017
organised by the Karnataka Philatelic Society of India, which was founded in
1975. I was very much tempted to attend this exhibition considering that it
will be interesting.Finally, I attended the exhibition and it was really
enjoyable and interesting.
I
was told that the KARPHILEX-2017 is happening after a gap of 10 years. I have
in my collection the three special covers of first KARPHILEX held in 1976 at
Bangalore ( 5,6, and 7 June 1976). There was a special postal cancelation of exhibition with a
Philately slogan each day. On 5th June; “PHILATELY PROMOTES NATIONAL
INTEGRATION”, 6th June; ”PHILATELY FOR KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING”, 7th
June; “PHILATELY A VEHICLE OF CULTURAL EXCHANGE”. The logo of Karnataka
Philately Society were printed in different colours for each day(Red, Blue,
Orange)
Special
Cover of KARPHILEX-1976
KARPHILEX
event reminds me of the Bengaluru GPO which has always been very active in
Philately activities. I remember in 1960’s many postal marks with slogans for
public awareness were issued, for example “POST BOX ENSURES PROMPT AND
CONVENIENT DELIVERY”. This slogan post mark I have seen only from Bengaluru
GPO(may have been issued from other places).
Karnataka Philatelic Society once had a youth philately division and used to issue special covers with youth as a theme. Overall, both Bengaluru GPO and Karnataka Philatelic Society have been very active in all aspects of Philately activities for decades now.
1. Exhibition
highlights :
·
The
KARPHILEX-2017, philately exhibition was well planned in advance and
implemented.
·
Wide
publicity of the exhibition was done. Publicity in print media, informing educational institutions,
electronic media(what’s app, facebook),
word of mouth etc.
·
The
exhibition organising committee was
receptive to ideas for philately promotions.
·
Various
philately activities were organised for the three day event, like, Lucky Dip,
Spot Competitions, Letter Writing activity by folding an envelope from a
specially printed square paper, Memento chocolates with its collectible
philately wrappers etc.
·
Organising
committee members were always available during the three day event for any type
of help and guideline for anybody who requires.
2. Special
Philately activities etc :
a.
Letter
Writing Activity
Special square paper was printed
colourfully and given to the visitors. The objective is to fold the colourful
square paper into an envelope. Once the envelope is folded, a few lines were
written inside the envelope along with sender and receiver address. Next a
stamp of Rs 5 was bought from the India Post counter which was gummed to the
folded envelope and dropped into a letter box kept outside the exhibition hall.
Four design varieties of the envelope were printed. All visitors
enthusiastically participated in this interesting and unique letter writing
activity. Hope that such letter writing
activity is done at all philately promotion events and other philately events.
Folded
Envelope
b.
Lucky
Dip
Visitors could buy a lucky dip
ticket. There were three prizes, 1stPrize (Penny Black Stamp, 1840),
2nd Prize (Half Anna Stamp of 1854 of India), 3rd
Prize(First Post Independence stamps of India, set of 3,1948). The lucky dip
coupon was very well printed and can be kept as preserved memory and also a
collectible.
Lucky Draw Coupon
c.
Customised
Chocolate with Philately Wrapper
Chocolates
were available with its wrapper having a stamp image and a few lines about the
stamp. The wrapper was meant to be preserved as collectibles. Its an
interesting idea and very attractive for promoting philately. Five different
chocolate wrappers were available. Went well with visitors.
Five
different varieties of Chocolate Wrapper
d.
Souvenir
articles
·
The
Exhibition Souvenir book had a special and detailed article on the Two Anna
Stamp printed on the One Anna Stamp Paper authored by Markand D. Dave &
P.S.Dixit.
·
Article
titled “Classics India” by Internationally Renowned Philatelist and Chief Patronage
of KARPHILEX-2017 Dr Sita Bhateja was interesting to read. Such articles keep
India’s Philately history alive.
e.
Three
Commemorative Covers
Three very unique and
special covers were issued, each by Vietnam Post, Botswana Post and Namibia
Post.
Commemorative Covers by
Postal Dept of Vietnam, Botswana, Namibia
3. Exhibits
·
There
were about 104 participants participating in various philately categories
including literature class. Largely, the exhibits were under the thematic class
and very few on postal history.
·
Internationally
Renowned Philatelist and Chief Patronage of KARPHILEX-2017
Dr(Mrs.)Sita Bhateja’s Exhibit
on British India Classic was a gem to go through.
·
The
Two Exhibits on Postcards& Inland letter and Aerogramme reminded of the good
old days of postal communication which was the only affordable means for
distant communication.
·
Interestingly,
there was an exhibit on new philately activity i.e. Post Crossing (www.postcrossing.com). The idea of Post crossing is
interesting and is keeping the postal communication alive. Post crossing
activity must be encouraged by the entire philately community. With time, Post
crossing will have a unique place in modern philately.
·
Exhibit
on Letter Boxes was interesting.
4. Dealers
Stall
There
were about more than 25 philately dealer stalls at the exhibition event meeting
the needs and requirements of philatelists. India Post had a stall selling
India Post philately items including My Stamps. Also, India Post was selling
the two KARPHILEX-2017special covers with exhibition special postal
cancellation.
Two Special Covers by India Post
5.
Memorable
Exhibition Photographs
Souvenir Book Release
Awards to the Participants with Dr Sita Bhateja
Conclusion
Other
activities at Karphilex 2017
1. Treasure hunt - Conducted by Mani Muthu Krishnan
2. Spot Quiz - Conducted by Nikhilesh Melkote and RA Prasad
3. Live Mind Games Conducted by Dr Mandra
4. Distribution of thematic stamp packet by KPS Stamp Bank - disturbed among children by Chitayanya Dev
5. Walk with Jury - Discussion on exhibits with Jury (Dr. Sita Bhateja, Mr. N.K. Agarwal,Mr Zameer and Mr. P. K. Bisoi who is the Director of Rafi Ahmed National Postal Academy, Ghaziabad.
6. Honour
- Lifetime Achievement Award - to Senior philatelist Dr
Shangoram
-
Jagannath Mani, Bangalore
Doon
Philatelic Diary
Raj Bhawan,
Nainital
Very few Indian states boast of two
Raj Bhawan's. Uttarakhand is one of them. The two of them are situated in Dehra
Dun and Nainital, respectively. In the colonial period, Nainital was the summer
capital of United Province and the building was built as a residence to the
Governor of North-West province. It was built in a span of two years with the
foundation being laid on 27th April 1897. It is built in European style with
Gothic architecture. Spread in an area
of 220 acres, it was designed in line with Buckingham palace, London. Architect
of the building was F.W. Stevens along with Engineer F.O. Oertel and H.S.
Wildeblood. It was completed in March 1900. Burma teak is primarily used in the
construction along with the locally available stone. It is a double storied
building with 113 rooms.
In the British era the prominent
occupant included Sir Antony Mac Donald, Sir James, Sir John Misten, Sir
Harcourt Butler, who were the then Governors of the United Provinces. After
Independence the first Governor of Uttar Pradesh Smt. Sarojini Naidu was its
first occupant. As the local folklore goes, Sultana daku used to hide in the
tunnel of the Governors house. Sultana daku is termed as Robin Hood of India in
the old era.
Other than its splendid architecture,
Raj Bhawan has splendid gardens, mighty deodar forest, swimming pool, cricket
ground and offers excellent view of Hanumangarh, Haldwani and Nanakmatta. It
also has a beautiful golf course. Golfing was introduced here by Lord Malcolm
Harry, then Governor of the United Province in 1926. This 18 hole golf course
with 18 different tee was constructed by the British Army Engineers. Spread in
an area of 50 acres it is one of the most
challenging golf courses in the world.
The drainage system of the course had been designed meticulously with an
underground tunnel of 137 meters length. It was opened to public in 1994 and regularly
hosts Governor’s Gold Cup tournament every year in the months of May &
June. For all the tourists coming to Nainital a visit to this marvelous
structure is a must. It is truly a pride for Uttarakhand.
Book Review
By Jeevan Jyoti
Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Issue of 1948
- Pradip Jain
Mahatma
Gandhi Memorial Issue of 1948 is a very comprehensive book on 4 commemorative
stamps issued by Government of India on 15 August 1948 on the first anniversary
of India’s Independence dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. The book is based on Mr
Pradip Jain’s deep research related to this issue. These were the first
commemorative stamps of Independent India which were not printed in India but
were printed by Swiss Press Helios Courvosier SA LA CHAUX- DE-FONDS of Geneva.
The word "Bapu" was printed on the
stamp in Hindi and Urdu languages as a symbol of communal harmony. Four
sets of stamps with denominations 1.5 annas,
3.5 annas, 12 annas and 10 rupees were issued. The high denomination 10 Rs stamp remained out of
reach of the common populace in India. A set of 100 of these stamps was
overprinted with the word "Service" and provided only to the Governor
General of India for his official use. The 10 Rupees "Service"
overprinted stamp is one of India's rarest and most highly valued, sought after
stamps by collectors both in form of mint and postal usage due to their
scarcity and command exceedingly high price at auctions.
The book attempts to investigate various
aspects of the issue starting from design, diplomacy, issuance and postal usages.
An attempt has been made to consolidate a series of early investigations and
new revelations in a manner that throws insight into one of the most popular
issues of Independent India. Most of the information has been derived from the inspection of archive of letters maintained
by Courvoisier. The issue was the result of an excellent coordination between
Courvoisier, Indian Legation and Swiss PTT. Some of the letters from printer’s
archives are reproduced in the book. The study of “Service overprints are ”done
for the first time which will benefit
the collectors of the issue.
The book gives great detail about the proposed
Issue, The Memorial Issue, Specimens and its noteworthy usage. Special
Section is given to “Service” Overprints. The author has given the detailed analysis
of the “Service “Overprints and its usage with various images. Rs 10 Gandhi
service overprints are one of the rarest stamps in the world today. The author gives comprehensive details of his
personal study based on the complete sheet kept in National Postal Museum,
Delhi.
Issue, Specimen & other Etiquettes Chapter
gives details of Specimen & Presentation Folders. These Folders were
prepared for various dignitaries mainly in Europe and America, and few minister’s
booklet with blocks of four of each value.
In the Service Overprints chapter, “Analysis of
the Service Overprints” is a section of great interest for Gandhi Collectors.
It has given detailed analysis of the issue with the help of many
illustrations.
The best part of the book is great historical
detail of the 1948 commemorative issue and various rare images related to it with special reference
to Rs 10 Gandhi overprints. It opens a
new area of study for Gandhi Collectors all over the globe as there are some illustrations of very scarce items of this issue which are not known to collectors. It will prove a good reference book for them regarding many unknown facts about Gandhi issue.
This is the most valuable reference book for Gandhi
collectors as well as other philatelists and essential book for all philatelic
libraries. I personally recommend this book to all collectors of Indian Philately.
The book is available with: Mr Pradip Jain Post
Box 128, Mithapur, Patna-800001. Email: philapradip@gmail.com
Ph: 0091 - 612-2215929 , Mobile :0091 - 9334132162
Beginners’ Section
Top
Extraordinary stamps of 2016
Stamp
with Fish Skin
This
is a special stamp issued by Faroe Islands Post on 29th September
2016 with actual fish skin. The stamp contains the piece of Atlantic Cod skin-
a fish that is widely widespread on Faroe Islands. This is world’s first Fish
Skin on stamp.It is a unique stamp with the most fascinating cod skin pattern.
Do
you know ?
WORLD’S
FIRST GLASS STAMP
When it comes to innovative stamp material and printing methods,
Austria Post is truly a pioneer and its 2016 issue
is world’s first stamp made of glass printed a painting in Reverse on the back
of the glass, enabling the front to be cleaned easily, which is a big advantage
in the smoke-filled farmhouse parlours of yesteryear. The painting depicts the
traditional design of the “Pietà and Cross” by Michelangelo as one of the
greatest works of Christian art dates back to
the 14th century and shows the Virgin Mary holding and weeping over the dead
body of her crucified son, Jesus.
There is a long tradition of reverse glass painting in Sandl.
This is because there were many glass works in the nearby Bohemian forests,
from which sheets of glass could be acquired easily and cheaply. Glass painting
provided peasant families with a welcome additional source of income; during
the winter the whole family worked together to produce the mostly religious
designs step by step, each member of the family having his or her own
particular task e.g. painting in the outlines or filling in the coloured areas.
The reverse glass painting used in this glass stamp comes from
the last quarter of the 19th century. The painters are unknown – as was usual,
the work was a collaborative effort. Particularly noteworthy aspects are the
bold colours and the expressive brush strokes, which strongly emphasise Mary’s
pain and Jesus’ suffering. The seven swords in Mary’s heart symbolise the seven
sorrows of the Mater Dolorosa, the Mother of Sorrows, Mary, whilst the tendrils
of flowers below the cross represent the hope which Jesus’ sacrifice brings to
all people.
The Viennese porcelain manufacturer Augarten, Germany printed
the stamp. Every glass blank is hand-crafted, with all production following
ecological principles. The design applied to the back of the glass by hand
using non-fading pigments and a special silkscreen printing process. The
colours are then heat-treated, thereby ensuring that the design is firmly
bonded to the glass and giving the glass a particularly high tensile strength.
The stamp’s “perforations” were back-printed on the glass;
therefore, the stamp has a smooth rectangular edge.
The high quality, mostly hand-crafted production, the unusual material and the traditional, hand-painted design, all makes this stamp a very special miniature work of art.
Specialized Section
US Graf Zeppelin Stamps 1930
The 1930 Graf
Zeppelin stamps were a set of three airmail postage
stamps, each depicting the image of the Graf Zeppelin airship, exclusively issued by the United
States Post Office Department in 1930 for delivery of mail carried aboard that
airship. Although the stamps were valid for postage shipped via the Zeppelin
Pan American flight from Germany to the United States, via Brazil, the set was
marketed to collectors and was largely intended to promote the route. 93.5% of
the revenue generated by the sale of these stamps went to the Zeppelin Airship
Works in Germany. The stamps were also issued as a gesture of good will toward
Germany. These three stamps were used
briefly and then withdrawn from sale. The remainder of the stock was destroyed
by the Post Office. Due to the great depression and the high cost of the stamps
most collectors and the general public could not afford to purchase or use
them. Consequently, only about 227,000 of the stamps were sold, just 7% of the
total made, making them relatively scarce and highly prized by collectors.
1930 Graf Zeppelin
stamps
Mail carried aboard the Graf Zeppelin airship bearing three U.S. Graf Zeppelin airmail stamps, first issued in Washington DC, April 19, 1930
The Graf Zeppelin departed from Friedrichshafen, Germany on the May 30,
1930, and returned there on 6th June. The 65c and $1.30 values were
used to pay postage for postcards and letters respectively which were carried
on the last leg of the journey from the United States to Seville, Spain and Friedrichshafen. The $1.30 and $2.60 stamps paid the postage
for postcards and letters respectively that were carried on the round trip
flight via Friedrichshafen or Seville. The round trip letter rate was $3.90, the exact
amount which could be paid with the $2.60 and $1.30 stamps. Mail franked with the Zeppelin stamps was
forwarded to Germany by boat where it was picked up at Friedrichshafen and put
aboard the Graf Zeppelin. The
week-long flight of the Graf
Zeppelin extended from Germany to
Brazil and on to the United States and then returned to Friedrichshafen.
The stamps were printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing which had only six weeks to design, print
and distribute the issues to customers for use on mail to Germany in time for
the departing flight. However U.S. the Post Office would
only receive a small profit of 6.5% of the stamp’s denomination for letters
that would actually be carried aboard the Graf
Zeppelin. The German Zeppelin
Airship Works would receive most of the profit for those stamps that were
actually used to pay postage and were carried by their airship. The U.S. Post
Office still agreed to issue the stamps anticipating that most of the stamps
sold would be to stamp collectors eager to add the new stamps to their stamp
collections, and consequently would be retaining all of the revenue generated.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing
created plates of two hundred postage stamps situated in four panes consisting
of fifty stamps each. The stamps
sheets were perforated with 11-gauge perforations. Because
a margin (selvage) of paper extended around all four sides of each sheet there
are no stamps with straight imperforate edges. A total of 1,000,000 of each
stamp denomination were printed, but
only 227,260 stamps in all were actually sold, or 7% of the total amount
printed. The Zeppelin stamps were
withdrawn from sale on June 30, 1930 and
the remaining stocks were destroyed by the Post Office.
The set of three stamps shared a
common border design inscribed with the words
GRAF ZEPPELIN (first
row) and EUROPE – PAN AMERICAN FLIGHT (second row) in upper case letters along
near the top of the border, and with the words UNITED STATES POSTAGE, also in
upper case, along the bottom border. The stamps were printed in different
colors for each denomination (see individual stamp images below) with
denominations that paid the various rates used along the route on the flight.
The attractive stamps were highly publicized but were considered controversial
among some collectors of the time who refused to purchase these issues,
complaining that the Post Office was charging too much while at the same time
were trying to drive up the demand for these stamps by destroying the unsold
issues. The $4.55 face value for the set of three stamps represented a lot of
money during the depression years of their release. However, over time, these
stamps increased in popularity. They
became highly sought-after by stamp and postal
history collectors and remain so even today
as the Graf Zeppelin stamps are
highly prized by collectors as masterpieces the engraver's art. This issue was designed by C.A. Huston and
A.R. Meissner.
The green 65-cent Graf
Zeppelin stamp depicts the Graf Zeppelin flying eastward over the Atlantic Ocean. The
lowest of the three denominations, this issue paid the post card rate. Out of 1,000,000 stamps printed, the total quantities sold for this issue
were 93,336.
The $1.30 stamp was first issued in Washington DC on April 19, 1930. The
stamp was printed in brown and depicts the Graf
Zeppelin flying westward,
superimposed over a map of the continents of Europe and South and North America
with the names of various cities depicted in it. This issue paid the postcard
and letter rates on the May 1930 Pan American flight that departed from
Germany, flying to Brazil and then the United States. Postage rates depended on
the distance between points along the route. Out
of 1,000,000 stamps printed, the
total quantities sold for this issue were only 72,428.
The blue $2.60 stamp depicts the Graf
Zeppelin in among clouds and
superimposed over a globe and traveling in a westerly direction. Out of
1,000,000 stamps printed, the total
quantities sold for this issue were only 61,296.
First
day cover flown, April 19, 1930
This cover made the complete
round trip and bears all three Zeppelin stamps attached to a 5c Air Post
envelope which received special cachets. The diamond shaped cachet depicts a
map showing the route used by the Graf Zeppelin on its first flight
and a special red cancellation specially made to cancel mail it carried,
bearing the name of and used in Friedrichshafen, along with an image of the
Zeppelin.
$2.60 stamp on a flown
cover
Bottom
Plate block of six 65-cent stamps
Plate
Block of six $1.30 stamps
Plate
Block of six $2.60 stamps
A 50-cent Zeppelin stamp, often referred to by collectors as
the 'Baby Zeppelin', was released October 2, 1933, for the Century of Progress, of which 324,700 were
issued. It is not to be confused with
the Zeppelin stamps that were issued in 1930.
With a far higher number available to collectors it is also considerably
less expensive than the 1930 issues.
The 'Baby Zeppelin' stamp of 1933
In Memory of Dr Satyendra Agrawal….
In
great philatelic memory of Dr Satyendra Kumar Agrawal, I am re-publishing some
of his best articles every month this year. Those who were closely associated
with Dr Agrawal may also share their memories
in this column.- Editor
Extreme Postmarking
- © Dr.Satyendra Kumar
Agrawal
Among postal
history collectors, the postmark is a clue to the story behind a cover. In
general, old postmarks might have some value, but new postmarks are viewed
mostly as a nuisance. However Pictorial postmark collecting of even today’s
appears to be growing in popularity.
There
are many ways of collecting Postmarks even ordinary one making them interesting
using some sort of imagination and efforts. Very popular is the hobby of
collecting postmark on a cover on the
day of someone’s Birthday, marriage anniversary or some other important
occasion of our life to be preserved. Recently philatelists were very
interested in collectingPalindromic and special dates of this Millennium.
Palindromic date
11/11/11, reading the same backwards and forward
Palindrome date cancellation
7/7/77 with time of posting 7 and pin code 7777
Special date 07/08/09
postmark
Special date 11-12-13
postmark
Sometimes
ordinary looking postmarks, which are overlooked by collectors, become focus of
an exhibit. An example is the set of postmarks provided by Dept. of Post / Gujarat
Circle depicting ‘Gandhi’s Charkha-Spinning Wheel with four unusual dates of
the year 2011: 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11 , 11/11/11 and 12/12/12 of the year
2012.
‘Gandhi’s Charkha(Spinning Wheel)’ postmark with unusual dates of the year 2011and 2012:
1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11 ,11/11/11 and 12/12/12
Though
ordinary, but their collection in the flight route preparing a “Round the
Flight” cover make them interesting postmark collection.
Round the World Flights
cover
For
all such types of Postmarks collecting only we have to wait but may be
collected from the comfort of our own home whereas few other types of postmark collecting also of great fun, the Extreme Postmarking which involves lot of
patience and physical labour too.
For
such activity, vacations provide excellent opportunities if a road trip in a
recreational vehicle is planned specially on the day of release of First Day
Postmark for any new release, and have a stop at each post office along the
way. A separate cover can be prepared for each stop, or a single document can
be franked and cancelled along the way. Such collectibles make wonderful
souvenirs of a family trip.
A
cover prepared by former U.S. Postal Service employee Ken Turmel of Oklahoma,
who chosen the occasion of issuance of The 29¢ Cherokee Strip postage stamp
issued for the centennial of an Oklahoma Land Run in 1993 is a very interesting
example of this category.
Cherokee Strip postage
stamp issued for the centennial of an Oklahoma Land Run, USA 1993
The
Land Run of 1893, known as the Cherokee Strip Land Run, marked the opening to
settlement of the Cherokee Outlet, in what would become the U.S. state of
Oklahoma. The run began at noon on September 16, 1893, with more than 100,000
participants hoping to claim land. The land offices for the run were set up in
Perry, Enid, Woodward, and Alva with over 6.5 million acres (26,000 km²) of
land. It was the largest land run in United States history.
Ken
Turmel collected all the centennial postmarks created for the occasion within the region of the land run, including
some from post offices within the former Indian Territory covering a distance
of 5000 miles.
Cover inspired by the
anniversary of the Oklahoma Land Run in 1893 and the stamp issued in 1993 to
commemorate the event. Its creator travelled more than 5,000 miles to collect
postmarks from post offices within the land-run region.
Another piece
of extreme postmarking occurred on the occasion of commemoration of 70th
anniversary of Route 66 in USA in 1996.
Map of famous ‘Route 66’
of USA
U.S.
Route 66, also known as the Will Rogers Highway and colloquially is the Main
Street of America or the Mother Road, established on November 11, 1926 which
became one of the most famous roads in America, originally ran from Chicago,
Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona
before ending at Santa Monica, California, covering a total of 2,448 miles
(3,940 km).
In
the 1950s, Route 66 became the main highway for vacationers heading to Los
Angeles. The road passed through the Painted Desert and near the Grand Canyon.
Meteor Crater in Arizona was another popular stop. The sharp increase in
tourism in turn gave rise to a burgeoning trade in all manner of roadside
attractions and people doing business along the route became prosperous .By
time the growing threat of being bypassed by the new Interstate Highway System
to keep the highway alive, these people also fought a long.
Elmer's bottle ranch on Route 66
The old rail road and World's tallest thermometer at Route 66
(Above photographs taken
by my son Tushar during his recent visit of US with his family enjoying driving
on Route 66)
Ken Turmel
decided to prepare a cover collecting all the 250 pictorial postmarks issued to
commemorate this event for post offices along the route. To complete this
daring project he travelled a distance of about 28,600 miles in two years
(1995-1997) and visited all the post
offices in person. It resulted in a 2-foot-by-3-foot print bearing more than
250 pictorial postmarks along with
ordinary hand cancels from the remaining post offices which were not
offered pictorial postmarks for this event.
2-foot-by-3-foot cover
print with more than 250 pictorial postmarks with stamps plus autographs from
people associated with the highway offered for the 70th anniversary of Route 66
from every post office along the route. Its creator travelled more than 28,000
miles and time taken in two years to visit all of the post offices in person.
The cover
became piece of philatelic rarity also as many of the post offices enrooted are
now closed down and few postmarks became last day postmarks.
This piece of
Philatelic rarity became of historic importance too as he also taken on this
cover autograph of postmasters and various famous people associated with the
legend of Route 66.
A part of above cover
enlarged depicting autographs along with pictorial postmarks
Few
notable autographs of VIP’s who have graced the original artwork with their
signatures include Bobby Troup, who wrote the song Get Your Kicks on Route 66;
Jim Rogers, son of the late Will Rogers; Martin Milner, actor in the 1960-1964
CBS
Route 66 television series; Lucille Hamons, legendary store/motel/filling station
owner since 1941;Ron Shutiva, Acoma Tribal Governor in New Mexico, Keith
Birdsong, artist of the Indian Dances U.S. postage stamps; Michael Wallis,
author of the award winning Route 66: The Mother Road; Hody Porterfield, a
"well versed" mountain man at the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo,
Texas; Ira Letterman, retired Missouri Highway Patrolman of 36 years on Route
66; Jerry McClanahan, Route 66 artist/historian "extraordinaire"; Jim
Ross, Route 66 historian and author of
Oklahoma
Route 66 and 18 other extremely interesting guests.
Michael
Wallis, the noted author of ‘Route 66: The Mother Road’, 2002, praised this
effort of Ken Turmel in following words:
"This
stunning artwork is not only a fitting tribute to our beloved Mother Road; it
is truly a piece of tangible history that will always be cherished by Road
Warriors yet unborn."
This
cover as ‘Post office Map of Route 66’ also lithographed in limited number of
2448 in colour and sold for $ 150 each.
New
issues from other Countries
Jersey
10
July 2017 : 200 Years of Kaleidoscope
The kaleidoscope was
invented in 1816 by Scottish scientist Sir David Brewster, and the patent was
granted in 1817. Whereas the instruments themselves have become simplified and
mass-produced in modern times, fascination remains constant some 200 years on.
Six stamps feature intricate, symmetrically designed illustrations, in homage
to the curious beauty of kaleidoscope patterns that have captivated people for
200 years. Each of the designs is based on a different theme, using Jersey’s
abundance of flora and fauna as their subject.
An inscription on each
stamp provides a clue as to what is shown. For example, the 49-penny stamp is
inscribed “shells & anemones.” The other stamps are inscribed:
“feathers & eggs,” 63p; “wildflowers,” 73p; “woodlands,” 79p;
“minibeasts” (insects and a spider), 90p; and “marine life,” £1.07. Brewster
(1781-1868), a Scottish physicist, actually invented the kaleidoscope in 1816.
The 200th anniversary refers to the year it was patented, 1817.
Spain
17 July 2017 Origami
Origami is defined as the art of creating paper figures without
cutting or using glue, only folding a square of paper.The paper figures
resulting from the folding may be of various shapes such as flowers, animals,
objects, even faces or architectural elements.
The origin of the Origami
is dated in China in the first or second century AD, arrived in Japan in the
sixth century AD, where it is integrated into Japanese culture and begins its
development and subsequent rise. In the beginning, in the latter country, it
was an art that only the nobility could enjoy because of the high price of
paper.
In the West the paper is
discovered when being brought in the caravans of the silk route and it spreads
quickly by its smaller cost and easy manipulated.
Even so, we can consider
that the two great cradles of origami (in the West) and origami (in the West)
were Spain and Japan. In both countries two classic figures of great tradition
were developed: the crane in Japan and the bow tie in Spain.
The selection of the bow
tie as the first postage stamp of origami is because it is a very interesting
figure for two fundamental reasons: it is a classic figure and absolutely
recognizable throughout the world as an element of origami and on the other
hand the bow tie relates With the pigeon messenger, which in turn is part of
the origin and activity of the mail in the world.
The seal is based on the
square base well known by all fans for its simplicity and versatility. In the
block sheet are described the steps to follow to get the bow tie by folding the
seal by the lines that have marked. In addition the seal incorporates Augmented
Reality to download a tutorial of how to mount the bow tie.
Both the unopened seal and
the folded seal in the form of a bow tie can be used as seals to place on a
letter and be sent to your destination.
USA
3 August 2017 : Protect Pollinators
On August
3, 2017, in Richmond, VA, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the Protect
Pollinators stamps (Forever priced at 49 cents), in five designs,
in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item
475200). The Protect Pollinators $9.80 pane
of 20 stamps may not be split, and the stamps may not be sold individuallyThe
U.S. Postal Service pays tribute to the beauty and importance of pollinators
with stamps depicting two of continent’s most iconic: the monarch
butterfly (Danaus plexippus) and the western honeybee (Apis mellifera),
each shown industriously pollinating a variety of plants native to North America.
The stamps feature:1. A monarch and a
coneflower 2. A western honeybee and a golden ragwort 3. A monarch and a
zinnia 4. A western honeybee and a New England aster 5. A monarch and
goldenrod.
16 August 2017 : Flowers from the garden
The U.S. Postal
Service celebrates the beauty of flowers from American gardens. The four stamps
feature still-life paintings of bountiful floral bouquets.
The paintings were inspired by floral still life
created by Dutch and Flemish artists of the 17th and 18th centuries. Each stamp
features one of four different paintings of flowers gathered from the garden
and artfully arranged in a container. One stamp features red camellias and
yellow forsythia in a yellow pitcher, while on another there are white peonies
and pink tree peonies in a clear vase. An arrangement of white hydrangeas,
white and pink roses, green hypericum berries, and purple lisianthus in a white
vase graces another stamp, while blue hydrangeas in a blue pot appear on
another.
UK
13 July 2017 : Windmills and Watermills
Some of the UK’s windmills and
watermills are over 400 years old and many are still in working order. As a
tribute to these iconic structures, Royal Mail has selected three windmills and
three watermills from around the UK, including Nutley Windmill, Cheddleton
Flint Mill and Ballycopeland Windmill.
Acknowledgement
Ananthapuri Stamp Bulletin July 2017 from Ananthapuri
Philatelic Association
Blogs
& Websites
Philatelic Clubs & Societies
Ananthapuri Philatelic Association, Thiruvanthapuram
Chandigarh Philatelic Club
Deccan Philatelic Society – Pune, Maharashtra
Ludhiana Philatelic Club
Numismatic &
Philatelic Association of Vellore Fort http://numismaticphilavellore.site40.net/index.htm
Philatelic Society of Rajasthan, Jaipur
Rajkot Philatelic Society – Rajkot, Gujarat
Gujarat Philatelic Association - Ahmedabad
The Army Philatelic Society, Pune
RAINBOW
STAMP CLUBThis is a blog of e-stamp Club www.rainbowstampclub.blogspot.com . The idea of this blog is to extend philatelic fraternity in all corners of the world. Readers may write about themselves with their collecting interests and share new ideas with other philatelists. New Post on recent issues, news on stamp activities and Contribution by members are published every day on this blog. Readers may also express their views on any philatelic matter which will be published under Club News at Rainbow Stamp Cub Blog. Philatelic Clubs and Societies may also send brief write ups. News about new issues of India and abroad and other information related with Philately are regularly posted on this blog. Readers may send reports on new issues, special covers, cancellations & philatelic activities of their area for inclusion in this Blog. - Editor
Current Philatelic Magazines – Newsletters
VADOPHIL, Editor -
Prashant Pandya and published by Baroda Philatelic Society, Vadodara. Website -http://www.vadophil.org/
ITS Stamp
News - Quarterly - Editor: Suraj Jaitly Publisher: Indian Thematic
Society website - http://itsstampnews.blogspot.com/
Ananthpuri
Stamp Bulletin - Monthly e -stamp bulletin of Anathapuri
Philatelic Association, Thiruvanthapuram
Journal
of the Army Philatelic Society : Editor – Col Jayanta Dutta
Stamp of India Collectors’
Companion - India’s
first weekly e-newsletter edited by Madhukar and Savita Jhingan from Stamps of
India, New Delhi. E- mail: mjhingan@yahoo.com Website: www.stampsofindia.com
India Post – Quarterly
Journal of the India Study Circle publishes original articles submitted by
members of ISC.
GPA News – Published by Gujarat
Philatelists’ Association, Ahemadabad.
Stamps Today – Stamp & Coin
Magazine edited by Vijay Seth
Courtesy - News and Image Resource to this
issue :
Indian
Philately Digest , Stamps of India ; WOPA , Suresh R.- Bangalore; Ambrish Kumar –
Allahabad, Sreejesh krishnan – Trivandrum, Suresh Rao and Zameer from-
Bangalore
Address for communication :
Jeevan Jyoti,
c / o Mr. Ajay Srivastav Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani,
Dehradun – 248002. India
Last date for receiving write ups – 25th of every month.
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…..Happy Collecting…………………………………………………………………………………
Rainbow Stamp
News is edited and published monthly by Jeevan Jyoti from Dehradun, (
Uttarakhand ) India for free circulation among philatelists.
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