Beryllium Guy
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Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 11, 2022 23:25:32 GMT
Cape of Good Hope Triangles 4-Pence De La Rue Printings Color Comparison Blue and Deep Blue ShadesThanks for your latest post, Jim ( jkjblue ). You have raised some good points, and I will at least begin now by trying to address what I consider the simpler of the two questions, which is how to tell the difference between DLR 4-pence printings, SG19 Deep Blue and SG19a Blue. I should perhaps begin by saying that in my opinion, stamps qualifying as Deep Blue are more common than the lighter shade. But there are many, many shades of these stamps, and as always, some more commonly found than others. The best way for me to ID them has been to acquire enough examples to enable me to do side-by-side comparisons, where the differences become much clearer. One almost needs a reference collection of all the major color varieties to be able to identify others with any confidence. So let's look at some examples from my collection and accumulation. Row 1: Perkins Bacon Printings, Left & Middle: COGH SG6a Blue, Right: SG6 Deep Blue (this stamp appears to have some sulfuretting, too) Row 2: De La Rue Printings, Left: SG19 Deep Blue (woolly), Middle: SG19a Blue (semi-sharp), Right: SG19d Deep Blue (sharp print with sideways wmk.) I have used a scan with PB printings alongside DLR ones to give some idea of the color differences. I am not sure of the best way to describe it, but the PB blue looks to be generally brighter than any of the DLR shades. For the DLR varieties, shades can be found as light as the middle example and as dark (deep) as the left example. That said, I think that the left example is exceptionally dark, and not nearly as common as the other two. The above are my identifications, but I can add that Richard Debney has seen 5 of these and agrees with my IDs. The only one of these he has not seen is Row 1 Right. I would like to end this post here, but I will prepare a separate post about the Steel Blue (SG19c) and Slate Blue (SG19b) color varieties.
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Beryllium Guy
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Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 10, 2022 21:29:26 GMT
Jim ( jkjblue ), thanks again for your post. I realize now that I never fully responded to your comments on Example BG3, as I focused on the edge splits. For what it's worth, I agree with your opinion that this stamp is an SG19, woolly print. The stamp does not appear to be abraded on the surface, and I can see no sign of thinning when I hold it up to a light source, but I agree that the top part, roughly from Hope's neck up, is a lighter shade than the bottom part. As this roughly corresponds to the line that Alex noted on the reverse, I will conclude that the color difference must be related to that. I bought this stamp because it was part of a cheap lot, and the color in the listing photo looked a bit unusual. So in the end, I was pleased that it turned out to be an SG19 rather than another one of the much more common SG6 varieties.
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Beryllium Guy
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Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 10, 2022 15:03:12 GMT
Many thanks for your post, Alex ( vikingeck). I completely missed the white lines visible in the scan on the back of the stamp, and I think that fits very logically with the locations of the splits in the edges of the stamp. It also roughly corresponds to the difference in color on the front between the top portion, which is noticeably lighter, relative to the bottom portion of the stamp. Thanks for that, Alex!
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Beryllium Guy
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Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 10, 2022 9:37:21 GMT
Thanks for your initial comments, Jim ( jkjblue ). I can offer a further response, and I am hoping that Alex ( vikingeck ) will be willing to share an opinion, because I think his experience in handling others’ collections for sale may come into play here. I have been thinking more about these nicks or splits along the edges, and I have a theory. This stamp was hinged onto ordinary quadrille notebook paper, i.e., probably not acid free. I wonder if the splits could be a reaction between a constituent in the gum, paper, or ink with the acid in the paper? That’s my idea, anyway. Alex, have you ever seen anything like this in your experience? Thanks for any comments.
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 9, 2022 21:30:26 GMT
Germany Embossed Imperial Eagle Issues, 1872-1874It's hard to believe that I promised to post my collection of these back on 24th April, and it has taken until now for me to do it. Well, better late than never, right? I should take a moment to thank Roland ( cara ), as some of the stamps in this group were acquired in a trade with him last year. Thanks, my friend! More recently, I bought an old album page at the Charing Cross Market in February, which has now given me many more of these embossed stamps than I had before. Sadly, some of these are faulty, but the price was low enough that just a couple of higher CV stamps in sound condition could justify it, so the space fillers were effectively free. Row 1: Germany, Sc1-2, Sc4-6, Sc8-10 (Small Shield Design) Row 2: Germany, Sc15-20 (Large Shield Design) Row 3: Germany, Sc 21, Sc23, Sc27-28 (Large Shield Design)
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 9, 2022 20:49:02 GMT
Thanks for your post, Chris ( crisger ). Have you had a chance to look through any of the existing threads here on TSF about Japan? If you do, I think you will find a great deal of good information, much of it relevant to your specific areas of interest. Here are some examples: Japan Revenues: Hand-Engraved Documentary Issues These correspond to the 5th, 6th, and 7th stamps you posted: thestampforum.boards.net/thread/5861/japan-revenues-engraved-documentary-issues?page=1Classic Japan: Genuine or Fake? There is some discussion about the 45-sen Goshawk issue, which corresponds to the 4th stamp in your post: thestampforum.boards.net/thread/6178/classic-japan-genuine-fakeJapan: Stamps In this thread, where you previously participated, Joan ( cursus ) posted some revenue stamps like your 1st and 2nd examples, and Dave ( Philatarium ) responded about them 2 posts later: thestampforum.boards.net/post/115164/threadTo your above comment, Scott normally only lists non-US revenue stamps if the stamps in question were also used postally. If not, you will probably not find them in Scott. I noted that you also mentioned that you don't understand what revenue stamps are used for. Simply put, revenue stamps, sometimes also called fiscal stamps, are used to collect taxes or fees. The taxes or fees could be for all sorts of things, such as taxes on alcohol, tobacco, playing cards, medicines, etc. Also they could appear on receipts or legal or bank documents to indicate that an applicable tax or filing fee or something was paid. There were many possible uses. I hope this helps.
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 9, 2022 15:31:20 GMT
Well, a bit of life and work have intervened, and I have taken a break from posting here, so perhaps it's time to pick up again. Continuing on where we left off with some recent 4-pence blue acquisitions.... Example BG3This stamp was purchased on eBay as part of a small lot of COGH stamps (15-20 total), and it was the only triangle in the bunch. The seller did not attempt to identify any of the stamps in the lot by catalogue number. When I received this, it had heavy hinge remnants on the back, so it has now had a soak and has been press-flattened. I was hoping that it would turn out to be a full 3-margin copy, but due to the large nick on the upper right, clear into the middle of the "O" of FOUR, this stamp is clearly damaged, I think. I notice that there also seem to be other small nicks along the edges, including one at the bottom that may also have a small thin next to it. These faults don't really seem to be tears as such, but I am wondering what might have caused them.... anyone have an idea? Comments on identification or any other observations are welcome!
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 9, 2022 14:27:46 GMT
Excellent response, Stan ( stainlessb ), thanks for that.... I figured that there was probably more to the story in a catalogue better suited to the question at hand. That said, at least Scott noted two major color varieties, which is why I passed that along. Also, great point about the printings continuing until 1938.
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 9, 2022 14:12:53 GMT
Hi, octavius , and thanks for your post. Do you use a catalogue? If not, you may want to consider getting access to one. Below is a snip from the 2021 Scott Classic Specialized, showing the listings for France, Sc169 and Sc169a, which seems to cover your situation. I don't know the source of the variation in the color, but the Scott Catalogue lists two colors, which seem to fit your stamps.
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Beryllium Guy
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Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 7, 2022 18:10:53 GMT
No problem, Bob ( anglobob), I totally understand. I just thought I would take a chance and ask. Let’s see if Jerry ( Jerry B) responds….
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Beryllium Guy
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Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 7, 2022 15:52:58 GMT
Thanks for your post, paul1. Jerry B is our resident expert in Colombia, so let's see if he can comment. Bob ( anglobob), are you knowledgeable in this area?
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 7, 2022 8:13:15 GMT
Geoff ( gbcc ), just wanted to say that I am enjoying all of your recent PM Calendar posts, but this pictorial one showing a pillar box especially catches my fancy. I really like it, so thanks for posting it. Too bad they didn't use red ink, which would have seemed appropriate for a pillar box. Anyway, thanks for a nice post!
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 6, 2022 18:55:24 GMT
Sumit ( historyphila), thanks for your post! Sorry for my slow response. This isn't at all my area, but I am very much intrigued by what you have posted. I also realize that your item is from Austria and not Germany, but I will tag the following members who often seem to know about material like this: PostmasterGScarajimwentzellanglobobRyanLet's see if any of these will elicit a response!
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 6, 2022 15:46:30 GMT
My UK tour continues so no stamping but I did spot this George VI mail box in Edinburgh Castle this morning Nice one, Hugh. I can also distinctly recall seeing that G VIR pillar box up on the Edinburgh Castle grounds, too. Thanks for posting it, and shame on me for not having done it myself when I was there. If you get the chance to walk the Royal Mile, which connects Edinburgh Castle to Holyroodhouse Palace, there are some nice postboxes along the way, including a Victorian era hexagonal "Penfold" pillar box featuring the Scottish Crown. Anyway, thanks for your post, and I hope you are enjoying your tour!
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 3, 2022 22:20:51 GMT
Corbitts Ltd. - Stamp Dealers & Auctioneers Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, UKLuckily, I mentioned in the Whatcha thread about my planned visit to Newcastle, and Alex ( vikingeck) responded to remind me about Corbitts. I had forgotten about them even though Alex had introduced me to them in February at the London 2022 Show, but thanks to his prompt, I was able to pay them a short visit late on Wednesday afternoon. The timing was also lucky for me, as I learned while there that they would be closed for the next 4 days for the bank holidays to celebrate QEII's Platinum Jubilee. I came away with some nice acquisitions from Cape of Good Hope, Hong Kong, Kenya & Uganda, and East Africa & Uganda. Once I return home, I will get those scanned and post in the appropriate threads. It was a brief, but excellent visit, and I really enjoyed talking stamps with the guys! Left: Yours truly looking at the Corbitts signs from street level. Right: Inside the 2nd-floor shop with David and Richard behind the counter. There were stamps everywhere!
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 2, 2022 21:16:03 GMT
Hello, Sumit ( historyphila), and welcome to TSF! I am originally from the US, but also living in England these days (Oxford). Where are you located? Anyway, I hope that you will enjoy your collecting experience and your time on the Forum! -Chris ( Beryllium Guy)
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 2, 2022 20:43:38 GMT
2nd June 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II Celebration of Platinum Jubilee, 70 YearsToday marked the 69th anniversary of the coronation of QEII, and it was also the kick-off for her 70th Jubilee celebrations here in the UK. I am very glad to have the chance to be here at this moment in history. I realize that this post is rather late in the day here, but I would encourage any members who want to join in celebrating the reign of QEII to post something in this thread over the course of the next few days. Long live the Queen! Sampling of stamps from the British Commonwealth omnibus issue to mark the Coronation of QEII
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 2, 2022 19:15:07 GMT
Darrin ( darkormex), great interview…. thanks for letting us know about it! I really admire how you stand up for what you believe and for your choices, but you also acknowledge that every collector chooses for himself or herself. I think it’s an exemplary statement. Also, I have really enjoyed your Facebook blog, and I will look out for the YouTube videos. Great stuff!
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 2, 2022 16:12:36 GMT
Just wanted to post a big thank you to Alex ( vikingeck ) for reminding me about the Corbitt’s Stamp Shop in Newcastle. I realized after you mentioned Corbitt’s, Alex, that you had introduced me to them at the London 2022 show in February. I had forgotten about that. As things worked out, I was able to sneak in a short visit to them on Wednesday late afternoon, and I found a few stamps for my collection, too. I passed along your greetings to David and Richard, both of whom were very helpful. They thanked you for sending me to them, and they said that they would see you in York. Cheers, Alex! Without your prompt, I probably would have missed out.
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 1, 2022 21:34:48 GMT
Torbjørn ( tobben63), many thanks for your post. Please permit me to congratulate you on a splendid acquisition….. wow! Two Cape triangle pairs for less than £50 is incredible, in my opinion. Very well done! I hope you will share scans after you receive the stamps to show us the backs, too.
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 1, 2022 10:16:09 GMT
Thanks for your post, Alex ( vikingeck). I will check to see if Corbitt’s is open during my visit, and if so, I will pass along your greetings. If I can manage it, I am guessing that today will be my best chance to find them open.
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on Jun 1, 2022 8:31:09 GMT
On the Road Again (Again!)I suppose that you will all tell me if you get tired of hearing about my travels, right? As we try to make the most of our last few months in the UK, we are going to all sorts of places that have long been on our list to visit. Thanks to QEII’s 70th Jubilee celebration, Thursday and Friday this week are holidays here, and I have shifted my working days so that I could have today off, too. As I write this, we are on the train to London, where we will connect to another to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where we will spend the next few days seeing the sights. Stamp-wise, I got some good things done since my last post. I did some soaking of stamps from France and Hong Kong from recent acquisitions to get them ready to check against my collection. I also finally organized my France collection, at least the early years. I need to get those stock sheets scanned and posted. I mailed Stan’s ( stainlessb ) packet as promised, and I got him a hand cancel from Woodstock in the process. I have also picked up a couple more Cape triangles, one of which I hope will be a missing color variety from my collection. I need to do some comparison to be sure. Now the anticipation builds as we head towards the weekend and Alex’s ( vikingeck ) big derby giveaway. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my entry this year will run, as last year mine scratched. Lots going on…. Stay stampy, all!
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on May 31, 2022 21:49:24 GMT
That’s a really cool piece of hardware, JeffS, thanks for sharing it with us!
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Beryllium Guy
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Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on May 31, 2022 19:00:49 GMT
OK, Bob ( anglobob) and René ( renden), I have never used the site. Let's tag Steve ( tomiseksj), who has long been an adept practitioner with RetroReveal and see if he can comment.
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on May 31, 2022 15:19:17 GMT
Torbjørn ( tobben63 ), please accept my congratulations, too. You have a lot of fine stamps there! Sorry for my ignorance, but which ones are the "baggage stamps" that Stan ( stainlessb ) mentioned? I flipped back through the images a few times, but I can't tell which stamps he is talking about. I also tried looking in the Scott Catalogue, but I didn't find anything there, either.
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on May 31, 2022 14:54:49 GMT
Thanks for your response, Doc ( docphgeek). You got me to thinking about the old stamp vending machines that I can remember seeing as a kid in the US. So, I just did a search for images online, and I found this one, which seems similar to what I was thinking of, although I am not sure that this is the type that would have dispensed coil stamps.
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on May 31, 2022 14:39:56 GMT
Thanks for your additional comments, Vanessa ( rainbowhugz). I agree with your observation, as I also noticed how much the early museum model in your photo resembles the KGV equipment that I saw at The Postal Museum. Just to confirm it for you, here is a close-up cropped from a different photo of the same machine: I suppose that the vending machines nowadays don't actually dispense stamps anymore, but rather print-to-order postage, which is really something different. That said, I think it is still interesting to see the old-type of mechanical machines as well as the current ones, so thanks again for starting this thread.
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on May 31, 2022 9:30:06 GMT
Thanks for another great post, Vanessa ( rainbowhugz). You are quite right that there wasn't already a thread for stamp vending machines, although I think if you look back through the postboxes thread, you may find a picture or two of these machines. These days, I think that most stamp vending machines will probably be found in museums, as it has been quite some time since I have seen an operational one. Below is an example that is located at The Postal Museum in London, which dates back to the King George V era (1910-1936). This one is a combination stamp vending machine and postbox, all contained in the classic British telephone box architecture. For this particular one, the vending machine no longer works, but you can still post a letter in the box.
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on May 27, 2022 11:52:21 GMT
Thanks for your post, Carmen ( seegod1). As it happens, I have already submitted an article for the next TSF Newsletter about the Postal Museum in London. Hopefully, the next issue will come out soon, and you will get a chance to read it. I visited the Museum with Michael ( Londonbus1) during the time of the London 2022 Stamp Show, and I really enjoyed it.
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Beryllium Guy
Moderator
Posts: 5,677
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps 1840-1930
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Post by Beryllium Guy on May 27, 2022 7:06:53 GMT
This & That in OxfordGreetings, all: Well, it seems that another long weekend is upon me, and there is stamping to be done, but it will be mixed in with some other activities that take advantage of the fine weather. Hugh ( hdm1950 ), I hope that you will have an excellent tour! I am sorry that you won't be visiting anywhere near Oxford, or I would have tried to meet you. In any case, enjoy your time in Britain! - Last night, I finally sent some concrete info on a trade-in-process with Roland (cara ), which has been sitting on my desk for weeks. Sorry for being so slow, Roland. I still owe you a bit more info on that, which I hope to complete this weekend.
- Mail a small packet of old perfins to Stan (stainlessb )
- Finish going through acquisitions from my recent Stratford trip and integrate into my collection (Denmark, HK, and British East Africa)
- Do a bit of soaking to clean up those acquisitions as needed
- Start filling Hagner stock sheets with a new country.... France, maybe?
- Work on a new or unfinished article for the TSF Newsletter
So, no shortage of stamp-related things to do for this weekend. As the weather is sunny and dry this morning, it looks like we will take a bus to the nearby town of Woodstock and pay a visit to Blenheim Palace, home to the Dukes of Marlborough and birthplace of Winston Churchill. We have visited there before, as it is not too far from Oxford, but on the last occasion, some of the areas were closed off due to COVID concerns, so it would be nice to get to see what we missed. Stay stampy, all!
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