Books on Cinderellas

A 6-label block which was attached to a stamp pane in the British Prestige booklet 'The Story of Beatrix Potter' issued on August 10th 1993.

Book Advertising in special Italian Style.

'The Battle of the Book'

(Not a complete set)

Not a book specifically, but a lovely label from a 1913 Austrian Bookmark Exhibit (if google translate isn't misleading me).

Homage from an Italian publisher to a XV century renowned preacher (known for his sermons) and writter of Saints' lives. At least is what "hagiograph" means on Catholic countries. I can read Italian.

Here are three very different examples.

Firstly, a pair of labels issued to promote the publication of the thriller Solomons Seal by Hammond Innes published by Collins in 1980. The story is about an estate agent hired to sell a property and finds these mysterious stamps in an album and sets out find the story behind them. Nice to have them on the publisher's compliments slip. Not so long ago, I saw an example on ebay and they were described as rare Solomon Islands proofs!

Secondly, the small square stamp is a 6d  copyright stamp for the books of Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850-1894. The copyright of books dates back to The Act of (Queen) Anne of April 1710. In the case of this revenue stamp, after the death of Stevenson's widow, Fanny, their son-in-law Lloyd Osborne inherited the estate and instigated these stamps through the Incorporated Society of Authors, Playwrights and Composers. Commonly found in the music industry, book related revenue stamps are few and far between. Copyright royalties were paid at the flat rate of 10% of the value of the book. The stamps were issued from 1924 to 1944 when, I assume, the copyright expired.

Finally, a Cinderella for the Duchy of Grand Fenwick, an imaginary state in Europe, from 1959 issued to promote a film version of Leonard Wibberley's novel The Mouse That Roared. It is a satire about a poor small nation trying to get funds from the USA and involves the threat of nuclear war. The film starred Peter Sellers playing multiple roles. The stamp, shown on piece, clearly went through the mail and is postmarked Des Moines, Iowa Oct 6 1959. Here is a quote from the book (The Duchess is talking to her prime minister and an aide):

'what do other nations do when they are short of money? I don't mean big nations, but little ones like ours?'



'They issue a new but limited series of stamps which are bought at high prices by stamp collectors all over the world.'



'We have already issued so many series of stamps,' said Benter, 'That ... it has got to the point where it actually costs us more to issue the stamps than we expect to receive in return.'


Scan_20201005 by Daniel, on Flickr

The Kingdom Of Intersol was featured in the 1968 illustrated fantasy novel by Eric Thacker and Anthony Earnshaw called Musrum and published by Jonathan Cape.

Here are 3 of the 4 stamps produced to publicise the novel.


Scan_20201124 (2) by Daniel, on Flickr

This Cinderella sheet, one of two similar sheets, came with a set of greetings cards from the Tintin shop in London. They had no problem getting the appropriate copyright permission since the owner had married Hergé's widow.


Scan_20210330 by Daniel, on Flickr

Three more book related Cinderellas.

The first one is for the International Book Trade Exhibition held in Leipzig, Germany in 1914 produced by Austrian House, presumably publishers. Secondly, from the American Book Company promoting schoolbooks. Finally, a modern Cinderella promoting JRR Tolkien's Letters from Father Christmas which was a collection of painted letters and stamps that he gave to his children.

Scan_20210419 by Daniel, on Flickr

No sure about the origin (Scandinavia?). I guess, it's related to "books for blind people" (Braille?). Picked today.

From French comic book Journal de Spirou, two panes of stamps depicting characters from the comic. Including Marsupilami, Lucky Luke, The Dalton Gang and Buck Danny and Sonny Tuckson.

Perry Rhodan

Back in 1961 a science fiction project was begun in Germany in the form of a weekly magazine called Perry Rhodan. Effectively a chapter a week in an epic series that continues to this day more than 3,000 issues later. It is the biggest science fiction project ever.

It begins with the first moon landing, then projected to be in 1971, with US Space Force Major Perry Rhodan and his crew who discover a marooned space ship from the planet Arkon. By appropriating technology from the space ship, Earth takes its place in the galaxy.


After disputes only about the first 18 years of work has ever been published in English. The stamps were produced in 1972 and feature main characters from the series.

Perry Rhodan on the 23 soli

Perry Rhodan by Daniel, on Flickr

Atlan on the 19 soli

Atlan by Daniel, on Flickr

Pucky on the 7 soli

Pucky by Daniel, on Flickr

and Bully on the 5 soli

Bully by Daniel, on Flickr