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Post by jkjblue on Jan 27, 2018 16:24:04 GMT
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,661
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jan 27, 2018 18:57:57 GMT
That was a fun read, as always, Jim, thanks! I pride myself on being a relatively observant person, but I completely missed the crocodile in the design of the George V set. I suppose my excuse is that I only have one stamp from that set, which I picked up as an afterthought, and I never looked at it very closely. Basutoland is also one of those "tweener" countries for me, as they did issue stamps in the classic period (i.e. pre-1940), but not in the period which is my main focus, pre-1930. So, I just haven't paid much attention to them. Anyway, I learned a lot from your blog, as I always do, and wanted to acknowledge that and say thanks again!
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Post by jkjblue on Feb 5, 2018 22:21:31 GMT
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Post by jkjblue on Feb 14, 2018 17:55:40 GMT
bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2018/02/british-bechuanaland.htmlBritish Bechuanaland existed between September 1, 1885 and November 16, 1895 as a Crown Colony, when it was absorbed by Cape of Good Hope Colony. Of interest, the stamps of British Bechuanaland were also used in the Bechuanaland Protectorate from 1890 until 1897. This is because the Bechuanaland Protectorate and British Bechuanaland came under one postal administration in June, 1890. Consequently, one should look for postmarks from the Bechuanaland Protectorate area on British Bechuanaland stamps of that era.
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,369
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on Feb 15, 2018 12:08:51 GMT
I had never heard of Bechuanaland until recently when looking at some KGVI stamps and now see it is Botswana.
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Post by jkjblue on Feb 23, 2018 16:31:29 GMT
bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2018/02/bechuanaland-protectorate-closer-look.htmlThe lands north of the Molopo River were proclaimed a British Protectorate on September 30, 1885, "at the request of the native Tswana chiefs". The sister lands south of the Molopo River became a crown colony, British Beuchuanaland. Both were administered out of British Beuchuanaland : Vryburg (to 1895), then Mafeking. In fact, one postal administration serviced both the Colony and the Protectorate after June, 1890. And, after 1890, stamps of British Bechuanaland were also used in the Protectorate until 1897. The two sister territories eventually had much different fates, however. British Bechuanaland was absorbed into Cape Colony (1895), and then into South Africa. Bechuanaland Protectorate became independent Botswana in 1966.
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Post by jkjblue on Mar 12, 2018 17:42:51 GMT
bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2018/03/bavaria-coat-of-arms-issues-1867-1911.htmlPaying attention to Kreuzer/Pfenning denomination differences, Imperforate/ Perf 11 1/2/ Perf 14 1/2 differences, Watermark differences ( Wmk 92, Wmk 93, Wmk 94, Wmk 95v, Wmk 95h), and paper differences (white/toned) is necessary for the WW collector to properly identify these stamps. But, in reality, it is not so difficult, at least at the level of the Scott catalogue. One just needs to identify the denomination - simple!..either Kreuzer or Pfenning values. And identify the perforation- either 11 1/2 or 14 1/2, or imperforate. And then identify the watermark, which is usually fairly obvious. And for some issues, splitting the paper into "white" or "toned" will give a major or minor number. Curious? Let's begin...
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Post by jkjblue on Mar 21, 2018 15:15:56 GMT
bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2018/03/belgian-congo-stamps-part-i-closer-look.htmlThe Belgian Congo is an interesting country, both historically and stamp design wise. The country initially existed (1886-1908) solely under the private ownership of King Leopold II of Belgium, as Belgium itself was not interested. The exploitation of the natives in the rubber industry became a major scandal and embarrassment. To correct the worst abuses, Belgium annexed the territory as a colony in 1908. Between 1894-1925, some 71 bi-colored engraved stamps were released, either with pictorial designs or additionally surcharged. Most are quite CV inexpensive, even today. And they are quite lovely.
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Post by jkjblue on Apr 9, 2018 21:56:46 GMT
bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2018/04/belgium-1849-1865-epaulettes-and.htmlOn July 1, 1849, Belgium issued two stamps, affectionately known as the "Epaulettes" because of said prominence of them on King Leopold I's military uniform on the stamp design, and ushered in Belgium stamp philately. Some classicists believe the design has never been surpassed, and even today it has a curiously modern feel. They and their close offspring, the "Medallions", issued until 1865, will get a close look with this blog post.
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Post by jkjblue on Apr 17, 2018 18:12:31 GMT
bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2018/04/belgium-part-i-1865-1912-cancelled-and.htmlBelgium seems to have more than their share of great looking cancels and socked on the nose stamps for the classical era. Rather than a straightforward survey of Belgium's stamps for 1865-1912, I thought it would be an intriguing twist to focus on the more interesting cancelled stamps in my collection, and let them tell the story.
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Post by jkjblue on Apr 26, 2018 14:57:50 GMT
bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2018/04/belgium-part-b-1865-1912-cancelled-and.htmlAs a WW collector, I have both unused and used stamps in my collection. Belgium stands out as a country where the classical era stamps often have great looking cancels and socked on the nose stamps As I mentioned in the first blog on this topic, for Belgium 1865-1912, I thought it would be interesting to focus on the cancelled stamps for this era in my collection..
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Post by jkjblue on May 5, 2018 14:33:05 GMT
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Post by jkjblue on May 16, 2018 15:13:43 GMT
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,369
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on May 16, 2018 15:26:42 GMT
That is a nice scope and it is not cheap!
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seigaku
Member
Inactive
Posts: 60
What I collect: Latin America, Japan, specialized Mexico (MEPSI member)
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Post by seigaku on May 16, 2018 17:16:14 GMT
About 15 years ago a friend found a 1990's "toy" digital microscope at a thrift shop, and bought it for a few dollars. It worked remarkably well for stamps!
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angore
Member
Posts: 5,369
What I collect: WW, focus on British Empire
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Post by angore on May 16, 2018 21:48:05 GMT
I have one too but does not do as well as the model used here.
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Post by jkjblue on May 23, 2018 18:25:40 GMT
"O U" detail Close-up Digital Microscope (about 55 X magnification) bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2018/05/closeup-study-of-stamp-surfaces-using_23.htmlPart III (this post) will explore paper varieties with the digital microscope. Specifically.... Wove Native Granite Varnish Bars on paper Chalky This will be followed up by a comparison demonstration of a scanner's capabilities versus a digital microscope's capabilities on stamp surface details. I hope the results will show that the DM is a useful adjunct to a scanner for the inquisitive stamp collector.
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Post by jkjblue on Jun 1, 2018 14:16:23 GMT
bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2018/06/belgium-1915-1922-king-albert-i-issue.htmlOn October 15, 1915, Belgium issued 15 stamps, somewhat equally divided between a typographic mono-colored "King Albert I" design for the lower denominations, and gorgeous engraved pictorials, some bi-colored, for the upper denominations. This is one of my very favorite sets, not just for Belgium, but for worldwide. The engraved specimens will be shown in the Part B blog post for all of us to enjoy. And for the "King Albert" stamps, it introduces delicious complications, for those of us that like to examine stamps closely. Scott, in the Classic 1840-1940 catalogue, has a tantalizing note: "Two types each of the 1c, 10c, and 20c; three of the 2c and 15c; four of the 5c, differing in the top left corner". And then Scott says no more....What??? Fortunately, in the internet era, and with country specialty catalogues (I have the 1998 Belgique: Catalogue Officiel de Timbres-Poste), one can decode the differences. What I would like to do with this blog post is go over carefully the five! types found for the King Albert stamps, showing examples. And then I will present "unknowns", where you and I can then figure out which type it is.
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Post by jkjblue on Jun 10, 2018 14:49:46 GMT
bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2018/06/belgium-1915-1919-issue-part-b-engraved.htmlThe "Cloth Hall of Ypres", one of the largest commercial market buildings in the middle ages, served as the main center for the Flemish cloth trade. It was completely destroyed in WW I, as Ypres was the epicenter of five major battles between 1914-1918, with hundreds of thousands of casualties. Interested? Read more about the gorgeous 1915-19 Belgium pictorials!
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Post by jkjblue on Jun 20, 2018 1:48:13 GMT
bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2018/06/bermuda-closer-look-1865-1934.htmlBesides the usual monarch visage stamps found for colonies, Bermuda uses the "Caravel" design, from the Seal of the Colony. The actual caravel type sailing ship, originally developed and used by the Portuguese, was popular for exploration voyages during the 15th and 16th centuries. Christopher Columbus used caravels. I'm not sure exactly why the stamps of Bermuda depict a "caravel", as Bermuda's history is more directly linked to "The Sea Venture", built in Aldeburg, England, as the first single timbered armed merchant ship, and launched in 1609. Her maiden voyage was supposed to be to Jamestown, Virginia. The Sea-Venture, the flag ship of Virginia Company, was subsequently ship wrecked on Bermuda in 1609. The ship, part of the third supply mission to Jamestown Colony, Virginia, was driven onto the reefs of Discovery Bay in eastern Bermuda. All 150 people landed safely ashore. Thus began the fledgling settlement of Bermuda. The Sea Venture ship wreck was thought to have been the inspiration for The Tempest, by Shakespeare
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Post by jkjblue on Jun 28, 2018 15:59:26 GMT
bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2018/06/bermuda-closer-look-1936-1951.htmlAs most WW collectors know, the British colonies often provide two pictorial issues: towards the end of the George V reign (early 1930s), and then at the beginning of the George VI reign (1938 into the 1940s). The pictorial scenes are often duplicated with the two issues, but, for Bermuda, they are not. As the engraved scenes, mixed with the bi-colored presentation, are quite attractive measured against the more usual staid definitive British colony stamps, I am going to present the 1936-1951 Bermudian examples here for everyone's enjoyment
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Post by jkjblue on Jul 22, 2018 16:13:57 GMT
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Post by jkjblue on Jul 31, 2018 14:55:15 GMT
Switzerland 1850 Scott 2 2 1/2r black & red APEX Cert: The news is not good bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2018/07/bad-certs-part-a.htmlYou come across an interesting stamp in one of your feeder albums, check the CV, OMG!, I've hit the jackpot! You send away for a Certificate of Genuineness ( a "Cert") from a reputable expert organization or person, and... Bad Cert. A Fake, forgery, counterfeit, alteration, or you misidentified the stamp in the first place. In the drawer it goes, not to be mentioned again. (People generally only like to mention winners.) But for the WW collector, there is much to be learned from Bad Certs. Let's take a look...
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brightonpete
Departed
Rest in Peace
On a hike at Goodrich-Loomis
Posts: 5,110
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Post by brightonpete on Jul 31, 2018 15:35:58 GMT
Does one get a report on why they consider a stamp a forgery? To just say so without going into details would be a sin!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2018 16:33:30 GMT
Does one get a report on why they consider a stamp a forgery? To just say so without going into details would be a sin! Details on the forgery are unfortunately not part of the process. jkj touches on the subject but I would add..
The opposite of a bad cert. can also be true. I have several instances from the certifier noted in the blog of foreign stamps that were designated as genuine but were obvious forgeries. My advice - don't initially send a stamp from Spain, Russia, Germany etc. to an American certifier especially if an overprint is involved. One has to contend with not only outright forgeries but faked imperfs, fake perfs, fake overprints, fake postmarks all of which greatly outnumber the forged stamp since they are generally applied to genuine stamps.. There are many foreign and N.A. forums/societies that will give you a professional opinion for free. If the opinion is promising, then send it to a country specific certifier. The forgery information on my website was mainly gleaned from the 30+ foreign forums I belong to and expert contacts I know.
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Post by jkjblue on Aug 9, 2018 23:40:34 GMT
Bosnia & Herzegovina Pt A - a closer look bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2018/08/bosnia-herzegovina-pt-a-closer-look.htmlIf you like perforation varieties, you will love B&H, because the earlier issues (1879-1906) have multiple minor number perforation varieties. My understanding is many of these perf varieties were manufactured for the philatelic trade. For me, then,, I find myself not really interested in pursuing B&H perf varieties.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2018 15:55:18 GMT
Some of the many mixed perf, imperfs, proofs, double prints of 1906 Bosnia-Herzegovina can be seen on this post
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Post by jkjblue on Aug 18, 2018 14:33:12 GMT
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Post by jkjblue on Aug 27, 2018 18:30:59 GMT
bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2018/08/brazil-1843-1879-closer-look.htmlBrazil is a challenge for the WW collector. The main difficulty lies in identifying the seventeen watermarks found during the classical era, primarily for the 1918-41 definitives. But help is available. For those with an obsessive bent, there is my "Who's afraid of watermarking the 1918-41 series?". Altogether, there are five blog post links to Brazil, and they are listed under the "Out of the Blue" section of this blog post.. But, up to now, I've not actually published a review of the early stamps of Brazil in a general way. Consequently, this post (Brazil 1843-1879) and the next one (Brazil 1881-1889) will cover the field. And an interesting field it is.
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Post by jkjblue on Sept 17, 2018 19:06:53 GMT
bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2018/09/brazil-commemoratives-1900-1932.htmlOne can learn a lot about a country's culture. and, how they would like others to view them, by looking at the nation's commemorative stamps. Brazil's commemoratives offers an interesting mix into its psyche as, by far, the most powerful Portuguese heritage nation, and the most successful economy, along with Mexico, for Latin America. This post (and the next) will take a deep dive into these little pieces of paper.
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