Marshall Islands issues new stamps in its landmark Culture series

The Marshall Islands Postal Service has issued five new stamps celebrating Marshallese Culture - the eighth issue in this ongoing series. 

Even as late as the early 1800s, Western civilization had not yet reached the Marshall Islands. Subsequently, the unique culture and traditions of the Islanders remained virtually untouched by foreign influences. Over the course of many centuries, however, the proud and eminently resourceful Marshallese developed a rich and fascinating culture that became apparent in their home-building, clothing styles, religious activities, canoe-construction, navigation and fishing methods, just to name a few. 

The stamps in this eighth installment of the Marshallese Culture series depict vintage photographs capturing various scenes of Marshallese life: Church Buildings in Likiep (c. 1912); Ijuran Ready to Launch (c. 1921); Group of People, One Man Holding a Fish Net (c. 1904); Lejek with Fish Trap on Korkor in Likiep Lagoon (c. 1920); Landscape with Outrigger and Sailboat (c. 1904).

Marshall Island - History's Great Sailing Ships.

 Marshall Islands Postal Service issued 12 new stamps celebrating History's Great Sailing Ships On April 2, 2008.

A century ago, the billowing sails of clipper and packet ships were regularly sighted off the shores of nations around the globe. Magnificent ships such as these changed the world. They narrowed oceans, brought peoples and nations together and created a sharp dividing line between past and future. These mighty vessels carried immigrants and their dreams to new worlds and delivered vital materials to growing nations, encouraging trade between all four corners of the globe. The beauty and grace with which they sailed the seas held anyone fortunate enough to see them in awe. Nothing quite compared to the sight of a clipper ship, her sails flickering against blue water, effortlessly propelled by invisible breezes to some exotic port of call. Featuring artwork by legendary marine artist Charles Lundgren, the stamps show twelve of the most magnificent ships ever to sail the seas. 

The ships displayed are  :

(01) HMS Victory
(02) La Grande Hermine
(03) USS Constitution
(04) Fram
(05) Tovarisch I
(06) Ark and Dove
(07) Rainbow
(08) Great Republic
(09) HMS Resolution
(10) La Dauphine
(11) Kruzenshtern
(12)Golden Hind

DIA DEL GALEON FESTIVAL 2010 - Phiilipnas

The Philippine Postal Corporation is coming up with the Dia Del Galeon Festival 2010 stamps, which will be issued on October 8, 2010. It is classified as a “Commemorative” kind of issue with a denomination of P 7.00 and quantity of 75,000 pieces. Also to be issued are souvenir sheets with denominations of P 14.00 (6,500 pieces) and P 47.00 (6,500 pieces), respectively. The said souvenir sheets shall be sold in pair.

Recently, an interesting article was written in the GetWet-Asia.com about the Dia Del Galeon Festival 2010, which states:

“The Día del Galeón Festival celebrates the unique journey of the Manila galleons and their place in maritime history – spanning the globe and linking the Philippines with Mexico and Spain. For 250 years (from 1565 – 1815) the Manila galleons were a conduit for global trade and cultural exchange between Europe, the New World and Asia.

“In October 2009 UNESCO recognized the unique part the Manila galleons played in the globalization of trade and cultural exchange by declaring 8th October as the international “Día del Galeón” (day of the galleon). Motivated by Senator Edgardo Angara, the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), in conjunction with the embassies of Spain and Mexico, spearheaded the creation of a month-long series of events that will span the traditional galleon trade route through the Philippines.

“The Día del Galeón festival runs from 15th September to 11th October and is expected to be an annual event that will entertain and educate Filipinos and rest of the World, and encourage a greater understanding of the impact the Philippines has had on the World of global trade. An international grand celebration is also slated for 12th October in Paris.

“The 8th October was chosen by UNESCO as the Dai del Galleon to commemorate the arrival of the first Manila galleon in Acapulco, Mexico, in 1565. The first Manila galleon, the “San Pablo”, was piloted by Father Andres de Urdaneta, using nothing but a compass and his knowledge of wind & tide for navigation. To reach Acapulco, the San Pablo sailed North from Cebu, to approximately Latitude 38, then turned East towards the New World, and Mexico. Regrettably, due to the unexpectedly long journey (129 days) and inadequate provisioning by the then 15-year old Captain Felipe de Salcedo, most of the crew died before reaching their destination.

“It is uncertain exactly how may Manila Galleons were built – some authoritative sources say as few as 110 while others indicate many hundreds. The vast majority were built in the Philippines, using renowned Philippine hardwoods; at least eight are known to have been built in Acapulco, Mexico. Cavite, in Manila Bay, was the location of the largest shipyard building Manila Galleons: up to 2,000 tons and as long a 160-feet; others were built in shipyards in Marinduque, Masbate, Sorsogon and Camarines.

“The number of Manila Galleons that sank en route, in weather related mishaps or by force of arms from British and Dutch privateers, is also not clear but as many as 40 Manila Galleons are known to have sunk. Of the Manila Galleons that sank, most perished during their exit from the Philippine archipelago, with a handful being wrecked along the California coast upon arrival in the New World. Few wrecks have been found, partly because: of the deep and or treacherous waters in which they sank; and, Philippine law discourages active exploration of historic wrecks.”

Source: http://philpost.gov.ph

Pratyush Srivastava -Philateic Collector

Today morning i  saw one of my friends article in the TIMES OF INDIA -Pune Times Edition. His name is Pratyush Srivastava, his name features in the is the Limca Book of Record for the largest collection of stamps od issuing entities.Currently he has stamps of 471 issuing entities

Check out his interview in the TIMES OF INDIA which appears in today's (23 Oct 2010) newspaper.

Please click on the images to view in enlarge

Pratyush its great to see your name in today's newspaper. Keep up congrats.

 

Jamica - Thames the first Steamer carying the mails

In March 1841, the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company entered a contract with the Government for the conveyance of the mails between England and the West Indies; and they commenced business upon a larger scale than any other company had done up to that time. They began with 14 steamships. 

The first steamer carrying the mails was the THAMES, which left Falmouth on January 3, 1842, for Berbice. Built by William Pitcher, at Northfleet, on the Thames, she was a wooden-hulled, paddle-wheeler, with engines by Maudslay, Sons and Field, of London. Her gross registered tonnage (old measurement) was 1,889. After fitting out in the East India Dock she moved down river to anchor off Gravesend. Here she took aboard the R.M.S.P.'s first passengers and left for Falmouth, to pick up her first mails. In 1850 she was fitted out with feathering floats on the paddle-wheels. These improved her speed by two knots from an average 8.4 to 10.4 knots. She was in service until 1865.

Philip Ferrari de La Renotière - Herzog von Gallièra in Genua

Philip Ferrari de La Renotière, Herzog von Gallièra in Genua, (January 11, 1850 - May 20, 1917) was a legendary stamp collector, assembling probably the most complete worldwide collection that ever existed, or is likely to exist. Amongst his extremely rare stamps were the unique Tre Skilling Yellow of Sweden and the 1856 one-cent "Black on Magenta" of British Guiana.

Ferrary started collecting in his youth, then inherited a great fortune, which he dedicated to the purchase of rare stamps and coins. His collection is believed to be the greatest ever assembled, and it may never be equalled. Amongst his extremely rare stamps were the unique Tre Skilling Yellow of Sweden and the 1856 one-cent "Black on Magenta" of British Guiana. He also owned the only unused copy of the Two Cent Hawaii Missionary of 1851,for which its owner, Gaston Leroux, had been murdered by a fellow collector. Another piece owned by Ferrary was the only known cover featuring both values of the first Mauritius_"Post_Office" stamps, which has been called "the greatest item in all philately".
One-cent "Black on Magenta" of British Guiana, 1856

He purchased many important old collections, including that of Judge Frederick A. Philbrick (1835-1910) for £7,000, Sir Daniel Cooper's for £3,000, W. B. Thornhill's Australians, etc., and was a large buyer in the leading capitals of Europe for a great many years. Stanley Gibbons said his expenditure with that firm alone averaged from £3,000 to £4,000 a year.

He employed Pierre Mahé, a leading Paris stamp dealer, as a consultant or curator to examine and keep order in his collection from 1874 until Mahé died in 1913. Also, he had two secretaries, who were paid large salaries: one to look after the postage stamps and the other the post cards, envelopes, and newspaper wrappers. Ferrary had his own stamp room furnished with numerous fan cabinets.

Although he lived in Paris, Ferrary travelled frequently, meeting with dealers along the way, and often paying them in gold on the spot.He was impulsive in his buying and seemed to be indifferent to price, so dealers and counterfeiters took advantage of him. Exceptionally dangerous forgeries gained the nickname, "Ferrarities".

Aden 1937 Dhow 2r yellow -SG10

 

The stamp displayed above is the 1937 Aden Dhow 2R stamp .

Aden is a port city located in present day Yemen in the Middle East. It is home to almost 600,000 people and has been occupied since antiquity. Local legend even goes so far as to say that Aden is a transliteration of the Biblical word Eden, the birthplace of the human race.

Aden sits on the Arabian Sea and is near the mouth the Red Sea. It's location has made it a vital seaport for the region. Its ancient harbor has an interesting geological history; it lies inside a huge crater formed by an extinct volcano.

A dhow is a traditional Arab sailing vessel with one or more lateen sails. It is primarily used to carry heavy items, like fruit, along the coasts of the Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan, India and East Africa. Larger dhows have crews of approximately thirty people, while smaller dhows typically have crews of around twelve. Dhows are much larger than feluccas, another type of Arab boat usually used in fresh water in Egypt, Sudan and Iraq.

This is part of the first set of stamps which were issued by Aden in the year 1937.

Its always a pleasure for a ship collector to collect these stamps. 

Source:stampsofdistinction.com and wiki

Frederick John Melville -British philatelist

Frederick John Melville (1882–1940) was a British philatelist, prolific philatelic author and founder of The Junior Philatelic Society. He was also a founder of the Philatelic Literature Society. Melville is a member of the American Philatelic Society's Hall of Fame and was an original signatory to The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1921.

Melville was born in Edinburgh to Thomas J. Melville and Annie Melville but moved to London at the age of two when his father, who was a journalist, became the House of Commons correspondent for The Scotsman.Fred had brothers Cecil Balfour, Thomas B. and William. He also had sisters Kate and Helen (later Mrs Helen P. Terry).

Fred was educated at Westminster School where he was the instigator of a school magazine The United Westminster School Field Club Magazine.He was always known just as Fred or Freddie.

As a young boy of just 11 he took his father to an exhibition of stamps organised by the Philatelic Society, London, now The Royal Philatelic Society London.At that exhibition he met Edward Denny Bacon who handed him a copy of the Society’s journal the The London Philatelist.

In 1899 he applied for membership of the Society, but was rejected as he was under 18 years of age.[verification needed] As a result, he formed The Junior Philatelic Society (now The National Philatelic Society) that same year. The society was a huge success, capitalising on pent-up demand for a philatelic society that anyone could join and the new society soon had to seek a larger meeting place. In 1906 Melville formed a Manchester branch of the society. Melville was President of the society from the start until his death and also edited the society's journal The Stamp Lover.

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/

Alfred Lichtenstein - American philatelist

Alfred F. Lichtenstein (6 August 1876 - 24 February 1947, both in New York City) was one of the most famous American philatelists.

Alfred Lichtenstein's classic stamp  collections were one of the most complete, with a passion for stamps issued before 1870. He collected stamps issued by Canadian provinces and the Confederation of Canada, Switzerland, Cape Colony, Ceylon, Gambia, Mauritius, Argentina and Uruguay. Considering the postal history of the United States, his collection was a reference for "Western Express".

He was an active member of the Collectors Club of New York which was developed by Lichtenstein and his friend Theodore Steinway. He was also a member of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada.

An international philatelic judge during three decades, he was the commissioner of international philatelic exhibitions of 1913, 1926 and 1936 (the last two in New York). When he died, he was preparing the Centenary International Stamp Exhibition (CIPEX) of 1947.

In March 1945 in New York City, Theodore Steinway, others philatelists and Lichtenstein founded the Philatelic Foundation. It is a non-profit educational institution whose goals are philatelic expertise, research and publications. After 1947, his daughter Louise Boyd Dale continued to support the foundation.

His stamp collections and those of his daughter were sold during auctions at Harmer's between 1968 and 1971, between 1989 and 1992, and in 1997.

Source :http://en.wikipedia.org

Daniel Cooper

Cooper was a founder and the first president (1869-78) of the Philatelic Society of London, the predecessor of today's Royal Philatelic Society London. His Australian postage stamps, sold to Judge Frederick Philbrick in 1878 for £3000 (the first four-figure price for a collection), became part of Ferrary's celebrated collection.The Sir Daniel Cooper Lectures, sponsored by the Royal Philatelic Society, are in his honor.

Source: WIKI  

Gerald Davis

Gerald Davis (October 10, 1916 - June 16, 2005): architect, graphic designer, postal historian and philatelist. His 1971 Burma Postal History is a classic study, both readable and comprehensive.

Davis learned the basics of stamps and philately while helping out with his father's stamp shop in Baker Street, Marylebone, Westminster. As an adult he formed an extraordinary collection of the postal history of Burma, including the Japanese post offices in Burma and the overland routes to China and Thailand.
 
After Dunkirk Davis went to India with the British Fourteenth Army, a multinational force comprising units from Commonwealth countries during World War II. After the Battle of Imphal he served in Burma, present-day Myanmar, where he took part in the Chindwin River valley campaign and the surrender of Rangoon in May, 1945.
 
In 1990, Robson Lowe commented, "Besides acquiring much of his modern collection from villagers who preferred cigarettes to British currency, his negotiations after the formal enemy capitulation in August, with Burmese postal officials, for stamps which have since become collectible, by his own account comprised his most active service."
 
Using the first-hand knowledge of the country gained from his military assignments, and building on foundations laid by W. Renouf, Jal Cooper and Vernon Rowe, Gerald Davis' studies and presentations of Burma's postal history brought the country to its present day attraction for collectors and philatelists. Davis was a fellow and member of the Society of Postal Historians, the India Study Circle and Kingston Philatelic Society.

Source :WIKI 

Oscar Berger-Levrault - French philatelist

Oscar François George Berger-Levrault (May 9, 1826, in Strasbourg – September 24, 1903, in Nancy) was a French philatelist. The invention of the stamp catalogue is attributed to him and to the Englishman, John Edward Gray.
 
Oscar Berger-Levrault was a bookseller in his birthplace, Strasbourg. Besides his work, he found the time to engage in philately. He was one of the first stamp collectors, who dealt with the scientific and systematic establishment of stamp collections. In the course of his philatelistic work, he published a stamp and postal stationery register ("Description of the stamps known to date") on September 17, 1861, which can definitely be referred to as the world's first stamp catalogue, although it was rather a list than a catalogue because of the complete lack of illustrations. 

However, it listed all of the 973 postage stamps known to the bookseller which had been issued around the world up to then.
Because Berger-Levrault was the first to make such a list, errors had crept in. 

It was used by Alfred Potiquet as a template for the first illustrated stamp catalogue issued in December 1861.
Although Berger-Levrault's philatelistic work was only intended for his friends and only 40 to 50 copies of it were produced, one copy found its way into the British Museum in London, where it can be found today.
 
Catalogues issued:  A page of the philatelic magazine, "Stamp Collector's Magazine" (London, 1868), describing the stamp catalogue issued by Berger-Levreault in June, 1867.Berger-Levrault O. Timbres-poste. — Strasbourg : Ve. Berger-Levrault & fils, 1861. — 12 p. Les timbres-poste: catalogue méthodique et descriptif de tous les timbres-poste connus. — Paris : Ve. Berger-Levrault et fils, 1867. — xiii, 147 p.

Source :http://en.wikipedia.org

Jal Cooper - Indian philatelist

Jal Manekji Cooper, FRGS (died 1972), was an Indian philatelist, and a recognized expert and authenticator of the postage stamps and postal history of India. Cooper was also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the author of several philatelic handbooks.
Cooper was both a stamp dealer and a collector. Living in Bombay (present day Mumbai), he was associated with other philatelists like C. D. Desai, N. D. Cooper, and Robson Lowe.
Cooper's expertise in Indian philately is well known. He is occasionally but erroneously credited with having discovered the Inverted Head 4 Annas. The 1891 reprints show that this error was already known. E. A. Smythies said the error was first discovered at a meeting of the Philatelic Society of London in 1874.
The 'Jal Cooper Philatelic Society', in Varanasi, India is named after him. India Post issued a 10 rupees commemorative stamp on 15 December 1997 featuring Jal Cooper and Indian postmarks, on the occasion of INDEPEX 97.

Article on Stamp collecting in Hindu Newspaper

Recently while browsing the net found this article on Stamp Collecting ,it has lots of inputs from my collector friends of India.

Check the link:

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/05/07/stories/2009050751310100.htm

Enjoy Reading

Famous Quotes on Stamps and Stamp Collecting

Much of the fun of stamp collecting is knowing from what countries stamps come, when they were printed, and what events they commemorate.

DANIEL FOX, Arrowheads of the Central Great Plains

Collecting, especially of the classifying sort epitomized by stamp collecting, offered a means to seem to gain control of the world and of the past.

RUSSELL W. BELK, Collecting in a Consumer Society

In their stamp collecting, boys ... played within the discourse of commerce and nationalism and learned its language, learning to put the rest of the world literally under their thumbs.

LEAH DILWORTH, Acts of Possession

"The collecting of stamps brings untold millions of people of all nations into greater understandings of their world neighbours"

- Francis Cardinal Spellman of America while laying the foundation stone of Cardinal Spellman Museum at Weston on July 27, 1972.

"Consider the postage stamp, its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there"

- American humorist John Billings.  

"The philatelist will tell you that stamps are educational, that they are valuable, that they are beautiful. This is only part of the truth. My notation is that the collection is a hedge, a comfort, a shelter into which the sorely beset mind can withdraw. It is orderly, it grows towards completion, it is something that can't be taken away from us"

- Clifton Fadiman in Any Number Can Play.

 
"All science is either Physics or stamp collecting." 
- Erenst Rutherford physicist and Noble Laureate. 

"What should I do? I think the best thing is to order a stamp with my face on it." 
- Charles, Emperor of Austria 1882-1922 on learning of his accession to the throne.

Stamp Collecting dispels boredom, enlarges our vision, broadens our knowledge, makes us better citizens and in innumerable ways, enriches our lives" 
- President Roosevelt

Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there.
-Josh Billings

It would be hard to conceive of any activity more useless than stamp collecting. 
- DAVE BARRY, Dave Barry's Bad Habits

Nice covers with 08 - 09 - 10 cancellation

Received this wonderful covers from my friends with 08 - 09 - 10 cancellation.

Nice Gift of Ship Stamps from my Friend -Kasinath

Received this wonderful set of stamps from my friend Kasinath on my favorite theme "Ships" .

You can visit his blog: http://shipthemegallery.blogspot.com/