Big Blue 1840-1940 Stamp blog

bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2015/12/ClassicStampsofSouthernNigeria.html

The British protectorate of Southern Nigeria was formed on January 1, 1900 along coastal Nigeria and the Niger River by combining the Niger Coast Protectorate with territories held below Lokaja on the Niger River by the Royal Niger Company.

bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2016/01/south-russia.html

"South Russia", in southern Russia next to the Caspian and the Black Seas, was an area where the White forces under General Denikin set up a provisional government in opposition to the Bolsheviks and the Red Army during the Russian Civil War of 1918-20.

jkjblue

Thanks's Jim.  Been awaiting this one 

bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2016/01/ClassicalStampsofSpain.html

Spain was not very effectual as a nation during Queen Isabella II's reign, and blaming in part the Queen, in 1868 the army defected to the revolutionary generals (Glorious Revolution era, Provisional Government 1868-71). The Queen was forced into exile, retired from Spanish politics, and lived in Paris until her death in 1904.

But she is remembered fondly by philatelists and postal historians, because her visage is on the very first postage stamp of Spain of 1850. And she is literally the "face" of Spanish stamps until 1868, with 22 stamp visage and/or frame different designs.

This is a Pullman heavyweight car made in US , I have a complete set in O scale for the Canadian Pacific , including the mail car

Here the mail car, we don't see on the photo but the interior is modelled with the bench and the compartment to sort the mail. sorry for the dust. 





and the mail bag hook, at the station they hook the mail bag to a pole , so the train don,t need to stop to get it. 

bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2016/02/how-did-my-collection-grow-this-past.html

Part of the fun of collecting for us obsessive types is doing an accounting at the end of the year. ;-)

The time era limit of my "serious" (Ha! ;-) WW collection is 1840-1940, with the exception that British Commonwealth are collected to 1952. The ultimate collection, 100% filled, would have 83,541 (Scott major number) stamps.!!!... and cost $$$$$$ !!!! ;-)

( But the secret of WW collecting is that the majority of stamps are < $. And the journey is the true joy. )

I put the stamps into "Deep Blue", my affectionate name for the 6,500 Steiner album pages housed in some 44 binders. But I also keep track (and actively collect as realistic do-able goal) all the stamps that will fit into Big Blue, the Scott International Part I 1840-1940 album - some 34,872 spaces. My "virtual" Big Blue collection, housed within Deep Blue, is based on the checklist I have created for all the stamp spaces in BB.

How did I do?

Check out the blog post.

bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2016/02/ClassicStampsofSpanish-Sahara.html

With the Berlin Conference of 1884, and the European Powers setting up spheres of influence in Africa, Spain declared an African Coast protectorate from Cape Blanc to Cape Bojador, and informed the other powers on January 14, 1885. (The Sahrawi had nothing to say about it. ;-) The colony was called Rio de Oro.

But the "Rio" was a wadi, there was no gold, and the landscape mainly consisted of coastal fog and desolate sandy escarpments.

Then Spanish Sahara or Spanish Western Sahara, as it was formerly known, was established in 1924 from the colony of Rio de Oro and the territory of Saguiet el Hamra.

I'm sure that should be British East India Company

jkjblue

Jim, in the image just posted, is that an error? The break in the frame above "N" of Sudan.

jkjblue

I checked all my Camel stamps Jim, + (5 x 2 Milliemes) no further evidence.

The way it is broken, does not suggest an "EFO" or rubbish affecting the plate.
I'll check Gibbons, if any note, I'll post back.

bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2016/03/ClassicalStampsofsurinam-dutch-guiana-1923-part-b.html

Suriname is one of the most ethnic diverse nations in the world, with Creole (35%), East Indian (34%), Javanese (15%), Maroons (9%), Amerindian (2%), Chinese (2%) and White (1%) populations.

The languages commonly spoken in Suriname is Dutch (official), and Sranan Tongo (Surinamese Creole) as a lingua franca.

This is Part B of the Surinam post, that will take up the rest of the regular issues from 1923, and then look at the fascinating semi-postals.

Falschung- I appreciate especially your kind words, given that you yourself provide to the stamp community some of the very best information on forgeries available. 

bigblue1840-1940.blogspot.com/2016/03/ClassicalStampsofSwaziland.html

The tiny Kingdom of Swaziland, today still sovereign, and an absolute monarchy, is situated in Southern Africa. The Swazi people, under the leadership of King Mswati II (reign 1840-1868), unified and consolidated the territory, with the borders finalized in 1881.