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 26, 2022 21:30:54 GMT
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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 26, 2022 19:14:48 GMT
More Refinements to TSF Site OrganizationGreetings, all: I just wanted to take a moment to give everyone another update on some changes that you may have noticed in the boards. I should start by giving credit where it is due: it was Xavier ( hrdoktorx) who took a look at the reorganization of the Europe main board and asked about some countries that ended up in Mainland Europe. I looked into that and decided that he had a point, so I went to Steve ( Admin), who agreed to make the moves. Thanks to you both, as I think that the changes are improvements to the TSF structure. All of the following countries were previously listed under Mainland Europe, but have now been relocated as shown: - Aland Islands: Insular Europe
- Angra: Insular Europe
- Azores: Insular Europe
- Crete: Insular Europe
- Faroe Islands: Insular Europe
- Greenland: North America
- Heligoland: Insular Europe
- Ionian Islands: Insular Europe
I wanted to post this list here, just in case any members were looking for these countries and discovered that they were no longer where they used to be. Thanks again to Xavier for mentioning that these countries should be reviewed, and to Steve for making the changes. 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 26, 2022 18:54:44 GMT
No stamping for the next few weeks as I am in the UK for a coach tour of Britain and Scotland. I did visit the Imperial War Museum, London on Lambeth this morning and noted these Cinderellas in one display. Hugh, thanks for posting. It's great to hear that you are in the UK, but I wish I had known that you were coming.... I would have suggested a meet-up so that I could buy you a drink to thank you for those Cape triangles you sent you me! Well, I hope that you will have a good tour, in any case. I do agree that the Imperial War Museum is very cool; I enjoyed my visit there very much. If you are coming to Oxford, you should tell me now!
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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 26, 2022 18:39:13 GMT
Alex ( vikingeck ) and Jim ( jkjblue ), thank you both for your comments. I am happy to say that I think that you both have it right. As you both point out, the color has the darker hue, indicative of DLR, and the printing is decidedly woolly. I completely agree that it should be an SG19. The funny thing is that the dealer from whom I bought the stamp, didn't see it that way at all. The dealer had the stamp listed as an SG4 Deep Blue on Slightly Blued Paper. I suppose that the dealer must have construed the scattered speckling on the back to be evidence of blueing, but that's the only thing I can come up with. Anyway, kudos to you both for your "spot on" comments on this stamp, all of which seem exactly right, in my opinion. I will post my next example tomorrow morning, and I will be interested to see what you make of 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 26, 2022 15:17:59 GMT
Thanks for your post, Alex ( vikingeck ). I am happy to be corrected on this point. Is "recess" printing different than "line engraving" then? The SG Catalogue lists these as "Recess DLR", and when I checked online, I found a source that stated that recess printing was the same as line engraving. Perhaps I misread or misunderstood that. Thanks again. I have removed the earlier 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 May 26, 2022 12:48:45 GMT
No problem, octavius. You got another post in simply by responding to mine. I feel sure that you will get there soon. The best way is to ask or respond to questions.
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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 26, 2022 12:40:31 GMT
British East Africa 1896-1901 QV Issue, Watermarked Crown & CAWhile I was at the stamp shop in Stratford-upon-Avon this past Sunday, I was inspired by Zipper's ( zipper ) post to start this new thread, so I asked the dealer what he had available. He offered me a nice deal on the partial set shown below. I like the design of these QV stamps very much.... thanks, Zip! British East Africa, SG65-68, SG70, SG72-73, and SG79. The first seven are mint hinged (MH), and the 5R is lightly used.
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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 26, 2022 12:21:36 GMT
Thanks for your post, octavius . It looks like you have some nice stamps to trade there. On TSF, the policy is that in order to post in the Buy, Sell, or Trade (BST) board, you need to be a full member first, which means at least 50 posts and 2 weeks of time. At 22 posts, you are already nearly halfway there, so after another 28, you will be able to post in the BST board and request a trade. Hope this helps, and please ask questions if you have more.
Edit: P.S. I see that you have already been a member for over 2 weeks, so all you need is to get to 50 posts.
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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 26, 2022 11:17:57 GMT
Thanks again to Jim and Alex for your comments on the first example. Here is the next one, front and back: Example BG2I thought that this example was misidentified by the dealer, which attracted me to it, somehow. Anyway, for anyone who is interested, please offer your comments and opinions about it, whatever they may be. I will try to be more patient this time and wait several hours before responding to posts, to give as many who want to offer an opinion the chance to do so. Thanks in advance to all who decide to make a 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 26, 2022 6:38:07 GMT
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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 25, 2022 21:19:50 GMT
Alex ( vikingeck ), thanks for your post. I am sorry if I responded to Jim's comments too quickly without waiting for others, like yours. I wanted to respond to him before I went to bed, which I will do in a few minutes, as I had a long day at work today. For what it's worth, I agree with your comments and approach, too, so thanks for that. Anyway, I will try to post the next example earlier in the day tomorrow, so you will have first crack at it, if you like.
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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 25, 2022 20:55:14 GMT
Very good, Jim ( jkjblue ), and thanks for your thorough analysis. Between the two of us, we have learned the checkpoints, haven't we? All right, then, drum roll, please..... Jim, I agree with you that it is an SG6 Deep Blue, sharp print on cream-colored, whitish paper. Nice job on your description. I like the way that you approached it systematically and covered all the points. I also agree that it does not have any indigo tones to it, either, so pretty clearly a PB printing from the start. So, why did I buy it, then? I bought this stamp because it was a real bargain for what it is, and I decided to take the chance that once I got a closer look at it, I might find something that I didn't notice in the seller's image. In this case, the original image wasn't too bad, so I knew that odds were that it would just turn out to be an SG6, but for US $12.00 (£9.50) for "buy it now", I figured for a 3-margin copy that appeared completely sound albeit with a bit heavy cancel, it seemed worth it. Here in the UK, this same stamp would have cost me £15-20, easily. Also, I have not yet compared this stamp to the rest of my SG6 collection and accumulation to see if it could be an interesting shade or not. I will probably do that sometime in the next week or so. Thanks for playing, Jim. You did well, as I thought you would! No curveball here, but I think that the other 3 in this grouping will potentially be more challenging and/or interesting, depending on how you look at it. After opinions have been offered, I will tell the whole story of why I bought each stamp in the first place, although you will see that the reason is not always a great one! I will post the next example for opinions tomorrow.
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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 25, 2022 18:36:25 GMT
Here is my first recently acquired triangle to identify.... Example BG1Jim ( jkjblue) or Alex ( vikingeck) or Jon ( blaamand) or anyone else who wants to try, what do you see in this example? I have my own opinions, but I will refrain from commenting until others have had a chance. Please let's have some thoughts.... it's just for fun, so take a chance!
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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 25, 2022 18:15:02 GMT
Cape Triangles to Identify Recent Online PurchasesRow 1: BG1, BG2 Row 2: BG3, BG4 Following the pattern that Jim ( jkjblue) established while showing his stamps, which I really came to like, I will begin with this composite image. I like the composite images to start, because it is easier to make comparisons, which is important for judging colors and clarity of print, in my opinion. These are four 4d blues that I have purchased over the past few weeks for a variety of reasons, and I will be happy to state, at least in the end, why I bought each one and what I paid for it (if anyone insists). I normally don't talk money very much online, but I would be willing to make an exception if others think that it would be helpful to them. Next post will be front and back images of Example BG1.
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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 25, 2022 16:46:37 GMT
Excellent, Jim ( jkjblue). Now I know you are a betting man! Example L5Yes indeed, this was the stamp I had my eye on from the composite post as being the only legitimate SG19 in the bunch. Well done in reaching that conclusion for yourself. The obliterator cancel is so heavy that it could be hiding the watermark. Stevenson does note that examples are known without watermarks due to the template getting damaged during the process. I don't think I have actually seen such an example, though. Nice color and margins on this stamp!
All right, now that we have worked our way through all of your copies, how about if I post a few examples from my recent acquisitions, and we will switch roles? I will post my examples, similar to the way that you did yours, and then you can give me your opinion. And of course, I am hoping that Alex ( vikingeck) may be willing to share some of his, too, and let us offer our opinions. I will post something for your consideration later this evening here.
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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 25, 2022 11:10:14 GMT
Hi again, Paul ( paul1 ), and thanks for your post. It's a very interesting stamp, and one that I have never seen before. Nice one! I will tag some others who know more about GB than I do, but as the overprint states "DUTY", that indicates that it should be a revenue/fiscal stamp, not postal. In addition, it does state "NOT AVAILABLE FOR POSTAGE" right on it, so that seems pretty clear. Let's make a few tags and see who responds: vikingeck daniel drblade khj Londonbus1
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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 25, 2022 11:02:38 GMT
Thanks for your further response Paul ( paul1). I am glad if there was a bit of useful in what I sent. I can answer one of your questions, though: This is an excellent question, and as it happens, I can answer it. The purple ink used on these Errington & Martin backstamps will dissolve in water, so care should be taken if you decide to soak them. I needed to remove hinge remnants from some of these, and I noticed as soon as I put the first one in water that I could see the purple starting to come off. I took the stamp out of the water immediately, and then used my "surgical" techniques on the others. By that, I mean that I used an art brush to paint just a little bit of water onto the hinge remnant, just enough to moisten it and soften the adhesive, until I could easily remove the remnant. Then I blotted the stamp dry between a couple of paper towels. I have 3-4 examples with the purple hand-stamps on the backs, all from different countries, I think. At some point, I was going to scan and post them. I just haven't gotten around to 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 24, 2022 21:17:06 GMT
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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 24, 2022 21:13:57 GMT
Hi, paul1, it's nice to see you posting again! Yes, indeed, this is a revenue stamp from British India, with a clear fiscal cancellation, too. Sorry for the large image below, but here are a couple of other examples from the same set as yours. These are 2-Rupee and 5-Rupee examples, as shown in the first row below:
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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 24, 2022 18:54:19 GMT
Thanks for your posts, Jim ( jkjblue ), and for running your ongoing peroxide treatment center.... it seems like the patients are getting better! Example L4I agree with your assessment of SG6 Deep Blue and sharp print. The removal of the sulfuretting has really shown this stamp at its best--very well done to you. You are quite right that the blue PB printings seem clearly more susceptible to sulfuretting than their DLR cousins. I will need to take another look at my own copies, as I had not thought that I had so many that I suspected of sulfuretting. Jim, I am not sure if I understood your comments correctly, but the area that I have outlined with a red box is, unfortunately, thinned. I also have a copy with edge thinning, too, so I am familiar with what it looks like. This sort of damage is a real shame, as I generally feel that it is an indicator that this was most likely done by a collector, rather than beforehand. It just goes to show that a lot of stuff can happen over the course of 160 years, and we need to treasure those stamps that are still in sound condition!
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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 24, 2022 12:54:20 GMT
Jim ( jkjblue), I absolutely agree that white patchiness is a useful clue for correctly identifying Cape triangles, and your Example 15 shows it in its more typical appearance than the extreme example that I posted. Here are two SG19 varieties from my collection, both showing some white patchiness. The example of the left is a semi-sharp, slightly woolly print and lighter shade of blue, and the one on the right is a very sharp print with indigo color.
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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 24, 2022 6:15:45 GMT
Happy 203rd Birthday, Queen Victoria! 24th May 2022I just wanted to take a moment to remember QV today on her birthday. She has been getting her share of attention on TSF recently thanks to all of the Chalon stamp threads. As Alex ( vikingeck ) would say, "Postal history is more than just stamp collecting." I think he is quite right! I recently found this interesting piece, which I think I acquired from Terri ( philatelia ) in a perfin auction lot a year or two ago. What makes this one interesting for me is not so much the perfinned stamp, but rather the postmark, which is 24th May 1900 in London, on this cover which was sent to Cape Town in the Cape Colony, present day Republic of South Africa. As Victoria passed away on 22nd January 1901, this cover was postmarked on her 81st and what turned out to be her last birthday, so a bit of poignant significance there. Hopefully, today can be a day to celebrate the memory of Victoria, and I encourage any members to post a Victoria item in this thread today in her honor.
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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 23, 2022 22:27:54 GMT
White Patchiness on Cape TrianglesThanks again for your question, Jim ( jkjblue ). I am not especially well versed in this area, but here is what I have observed. I agree with Richard that this occurrence is more common on DLR prints when compared to PB ones, but just like woolliness, it is known on both. Personally, I have also suspected that it could occur as a consequence of cancellation cleaning, but I don't have any specific proof for that. Below is an image of a stamp currently for sale in an online site. I think it could be the poster child for white patchiness: COGH, SG19c 4-Pence Steel Blue (seller ID) Observations: Interestingly, this is a very sharp print, and I completely agree that it is a DLR printing; note the indigo tone in the blue. It is also similar in color to other copies that have been identified as Steel Blue, but I am still very skeptical about both the Steel and Slate Blue SG19 color varieties, and I wonder if they may be something on the same order as the SG5 and SG7d, i.e., listed in the catalogue, but no clear way to identify correctly and questionable whether they really exist as such, despite a handful of expertized copies. That aside, look at all of the white patchiness in this stamp. It is present and in fact, pronounced, on both sides of Hope. I have examples from my own collection, but by comparison, the effect is not nearly as clear as it is in this stamp.
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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 23, 2022 19:37:53 GMT
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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 23, 2022 18:47:10 GMT
Many thanks for your post, Chris ( cjoprey ). I agree that it is an interesting postbox! Just in case other TSF members who see your post are wondering, this postbox is painted black because it is no longer in service. Despite the fact that multiple sources state that painting a UK postbox black is supposed to indicate that it is no longer in service, and although obviously not removed, in my experience, very few UK postboxes taken out of service have actually been painted black. Most just have the aperture (mail slot) blocked off and remain painted red. Anyway, nice post, Chris, and thanks!
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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 23, 2022 15:37:05 GMT
Thanks for your follow-up comments, Jim ( jkjblue ). The white patchiness is an interesting area to discuss. I should go over to the other forum and take a look at Richard's comments. Personally, I use it as a secondary indicator. I would agree that it is more prevalent on DLR printings than PB ones, but I would still look to the color as being the more important factor. I will post some images from my collection later tonight (my time) to try to show you what I mean.
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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 23, 2022 14:40:39 GMT
Thanks for your posts, Jim ( jkjblue). Example L3To answer your question, Jim, I think you did great. I agree that I would call it SG6 Deep Blue on White Paper. I like all of your other assessments, too. I agree that it is a semi-sharp print, with just a touch of woolliness that could indeed be due to over-inking, and that the blue speckling on the back is not blueing. This is a pretty attractive stamp with the clear, balanced margins all around. It's a shame about the little nibble at the top, but that is not so noticeable thanks to the placement of the cancellation. Overall, I would certainly consider L3 to be a better-than-average copy of this stamp.
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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 23, 2022 14:26:20 GMT
First off, thanks to Vanessa ( rainbowhugz ) for reviving this dormant thread and letting us see a stamp shop in Hong Kong. I went to HK a few times back in the 1980s, but I am sorry to say that I never looked for any stamp shops back then--I wish I had! I think my only stamp-related activity then was going to the Post Office to buy stamps that were current at that time. Anyway, thanks for the post, and I hope you will show us more.... Phill-lately and Stamps Stratford-upon-Avon, England, UKI mentioned in the Whatcha thread that I would be making a post in this thread after my weekend visit to Stratford, and here it is. This was my third visit to Phill's store, and as usual, I had a great experience and came away with some very nice stamps at very fair prices. Acquisitions this time were from British East Africa, Cape of Good Hope, Denmark, and Hong Kong. I will make posts of the stamps in country threads once I get them scanned. Left: A bit unusually, Phill's shop is located behind a large garden center, a few miles outside of Stratford-upon-Avon. Right: To get there, you have to walk through the main building of the garden center, exit out the back, and then there is a large courtyard enclosed by smaller buildings, which are individual shops. Phill's shop is indicated by the red arrow. Left: The entrance to Phill's shop. Poor camera angle on my part allowed an overhead beam to obscure the shop's sign. Phill has added a replica plastic red pillar box, which he displays just outside the door when the shop is open. Middle: A close-up of the pillar box. Right: Inside the shop, where I sat opposite Phill at his desk and looked through the material. Most of my visit I was there by myself, so I had Phill's full attention virtually the whole time. This was lucky, as during my previous visits, Phill had several other customers at the same time as I was there. Anyway, it was a very nice visit, and I hope to get back there at least once more before we leave the UK later this year.
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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 23, 2022 13:33:00 GMT
Discoloration Due to Reaction with Sulphur (Sulfur) & its TreatmentIn the Cape of Good Hope: Stamps thread, there has recently been a detailed discussion about discoloration of Cape triangles and what can be done about it. Jim ( jkjblue ) has done some nice research and has posted some good info there, and for purposes of future reference, I wanted to post some of that info into this thread, where members may be looking for it. Jim wrote: Jim also cited a Stamp Smarter article as follows: I hope that the above info is self-explanatory, but if any members have further questions about assessing whether discoloration is due to sulfuretting or another cause, and if treatment is possible or desirable, I hope that you will post here. Also, thanks to Jim, there are now many nice examples of before-and-after images of blue Cape triangles that have been successfully treated with hydrogen peroxide to restore their original color. This has been very helpful, because in some cases, the previous owner of the material misidentified a stamp as the discoloration was mistaken for a different shade of blue. Thanks again to Jim for doing this research and posting this valuable information for everyone!
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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 23, 2022 13:12:49 GMT
Thanks, Jim ( jkjblue) and Alex ( vikingeck), for your responses. Jim, I really appreciate your taking the time to give such a full and detailed response. As a technical guy, I like the idea of documenting these things correctly, but I also give a nod to Alex's comment about not getting too hung up on the terminology, even though sometimes I can't help myself. I suppose that the most important thing is to recognize what has happened for what it is, i.e., a process resulting in discoloration that can be reversed with proper treatment. Anyway, as I like your responses very much, Jim, I will copy and paste some of this info and put it into the thread about stamp discoloration and how to treat it, just so that it will be easier for others to find who may be looking for it, but wouldn't think to check under Cape of Good Hope. Thanks again, guys!
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