Stumped no more

 I ran across 3 types of tax stamps while looking thru a pile of stuff for a large vario to scan a postcard in. I found one and flipped it over and noticed I had placed them inside and forgotten I had them. This one from Alabama is for 50 pounds of something. Pounds of exactly what I haven't a clue. I imagine someone collects these and knows something of them. Anyone know?

 I added these images after my initial post.... kind of huge files, but if anyone wants to view them larger they can just click on them for a better view.

Update....OK, Steve Sainsbury from the FB group "The Stamp Thing" mentioned it was a revenue stamp and it got me searching and I ran across http://www.ericjackson.com where I found similar stamps. Steve has a business himself and sells all kinds of stuff here...http://www.sdcollectables.co.uk.

JimmyB

Ad Nauseum

 I need my brain checked for defective functioning. The entire Princess Di era was the worst tabloid run in my life. Yes, far worse than the J-Lo, Afleck episode which thankfully lasted a very short time. I still want to dig an ice pick into my ears when I hear someone mentioning Princess Di. I must say I like the first stamp in this set with the Coat of Arms. It is a really cool image.

 Issued in 1981, the year the tabloids began it's long storyline which still pops up on occasion(just last week another crash story) a 75 cent stamp was not released as planned with the set, though some of them were supposedly sold to the public. These are numbered 551-553 perf. 13.5 and were mistakenly numbered in the card I received them in as 548-550 which were perf. 13.5x14. Perf gauges do come in handy.

JimmyB

Happy 50

  This is one of the Queen Victoria Jubilee issues, celebrating her 50th accession. Her anniversary was celebrated with a buffet in which 50 Kings and Princes were invited. I haven't come across anything saying that they all attended however.
  Great Britain number 115 in my book with issues dating from 1887-1892.

Update.......Gordon Lee Groves  from the FB group "Stamp Collecting" made this comment along with a link....It sure is a "busy" looking stamp.  Here's a bit about her celebration: http://history1800s.about.com/...

JimmyB

I Thought He Made Cigars

  I always thought that Simon Bolivar, who's real name is Simon Jose Antonio de la Santisima Trinidad Bolivar y Palacios Ponte y Blanco(another long ass name), was a cigar maker. After all, one of the best cigars bears his image. Then again Cleopatra also has a cigar bearing her image, so I guess I should have known. Geesh, even the currency is named after him! This is a 1 Bolivar stamp.
  He was President of Gran Columbia which he participated in the founding of (the first union of independent nations in Hispanic-America, a Republic) from 1819-1830, President of Bolivia for only 4 months(Aug-Dec, 1825) and President of Peru(yes, President of two countries at once along with being President of the Republic) from 1824-1827. I guess he does deserve a cigar, even though his honor is clouded(yet this is forgotten) by the atrocities in his Decree of War to the Death.
 This is Venezuela  #255 in my book issued 1911, Litho. Perf. 11.5 by 12.

JimmyB

My Catalogue Confuses

 Now one would think that looking up a simple stamp should be easy. Why it becomes difficult for me is perhaps my gray matter is losing functionality. This appears to be #36 Germany. 1875-90   Typo. Perf 14.5 by 13.5. I follow so far up to here, Now comes my confusion, below this is ('90) for the year followed by the value used of $2.50. Next are 2 minor listings a. and b. with values listed. This stamp is neither purple nor dull violet purple(89) so it's not one of those. The postmark is '88 however, so it appears to me, a person who always seems to over analyze things, that this stamp is not listed here. It's got to be the major number stamp, but why on God's green earth did they put ('90) before the value which is listed for the stamp? Again, the stamp ran from 75-90.

 

JimmyB

Fading Away

 This 1880 Austrian newspaper stamp has to be the faintest image I've ever come across on a stamp. I thought it was all washed out until I saw the image of one in my catalogue. Even my books image is faded, so I'll guess it's not a freak. I'm not sure how they come up with blue green as a color. P10 is it's number in my book.

JimmyB