S.O.S.

Sink, sank, sunk. These ships never quite made their destination. They wound up making a nice topic for a series of South West Africa stamps however. These wrecks are the Hope, 1804 which was a U.K. brig, the Tilly, 1885, the Eduard Bohlen, 1909 which was a German passenger/cargo ship, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduard_Bohlen, and the Dunedin Star, 1942 from Great Britain, which was a refrigerated cargo liner, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Dunedin_Star.

JimmyB

Nicaraguan Official

 Official stamps from 1890-99 with genuine cancellations are scarce according to my catalogue. So you be the judge on this one, being as I have no clue what an "official" cancellation would appear like. Oh yeah, my book also says forged cancellations are plentiful, so I won't bank on this being genuine, nevertheless this is the highest valued Nicaraguan official I have(that I've come across). This is O99 valued at $25.

JimmyB

Under Down Under

I'm having a dickens of a time figuring this one out. Into the ??? box I imagine. The perfs measure 14.5 on all sides which doesn't seem to help me as none of this example are listed at that. They definetly don't measure 15 which is one possibility and It's hard as hell to tell if this would be considered either orange or what the book calls orange-red. For gosh darn sakes, even orange is kind of red, like a yellow red. As far as whether the perfs are roulette or compound? I need to go to stamp school, my brain is beginning to hurt me.

JimmyB

Crossed Keys

I can't help but think that perhaps a pope may have placed this stamp on an envelope. Chances are though that it was one of the members of the Knights of Templar who did. I'm curious what this cancellation mark looks like in full as it only appears to be a partial imprint. This stamp is from the Roman States, which was governed by the See of Rome. It didn't last long, the Vatican City is all that remains of it. I have several Vatican stamps, but this is the only Roman State stamp which I think may not be a forgery. My other ones appear too clean and crisp to be real. This is #9 in my book, valued at $22.50 if it were(as usual) in much better condition.

JimmyB

I hate watermarks

 Into the ??? box for this one. There are several varieties of this issue and all require you to have a keen eye and a bottle of watermark solution. Since I lack either of those I'll need to wait until I pick up some solution and maybe with the assistance of a powerful magnifier I can deduce what I have here. Whatever variety this turns out to be, it will be a much welcome addition. This is one of the earliest stamps as all the Queen Vics are.

JimmyB

Coincidence

 Ever hear something and suddenly the next day you see it even though you haven't seen it for quite some time? Claudia, who's a member of the group "stamp collecting" said "Portuguese stamps, where are they?" just 2 days ago. Well lo and behold last night I pulled an envelope out with a few stamps in poor condition that if they were in good shape(they are not) would be great finds for me and one of them happened to be this stamp from Portugal.
 This is King Luiz on an issue from 1870-1884. It's catalogue value, #42 in mine, is $14 when in much better condition. Still a find by my standards of low cost acquisitions.
 King Luiz was a man of science, he invested heavily in research boats that set off to the oceans in pursuit of studying new specimens of ocean life. The reign he held was forced upon him by the deaths of his two elder brothers. He had no political skills to speak of, but his scientific interests far outweighed that in my own view.  I just happen to be reading the memoirs of Thomas Henry Huxley vol. 1 at the present time. who was a philosopher during this time from Great Britain who began his career with the British Royal Navy as a researcher on such a vessel. The first part of volume one was a bit boring, but now I'm half thru and it's picking up. So in a sense, it is even more fortuitous that I ran across this stamp.

JimmyB

Queen Victoria

 This is New South Wales #40. I needed to dig out my perforation gauge in the hopes that this was a rarer variety but alas, it was not mean't to be. The color is refered to as "Lilac" though I beg to differ. Perhaps the ink has darkened over the last 150 years (1860-1863 issue dates). The lilacs in my yard are a lighter hue of purple though I have to admit that lilacs do come in a wide variety of hues. It's got quite a bit of thinning on the back side as I imagine it was just peeled from the cover.

JimmyB

Animal Humanity

 This FDC of the humane treatment of animals shows that the movement has been going on for quite some time now and the postal service itself found it to be a worthy enough cause to issue a stamp for it back in 1966. Isn't that just the cutest little puppy dog? This is FDC #1307 in my catalogue. As with most FDC's it's listed at minimal value of $1.

JimmyB

Street Performer

       The Bateleur is an African eagle which is depicted on this South African stamp which dates 1974.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bateleur  My catalogue sets this at $2 for a used example.

JimmyB

Discovery

 Only a postal worker could love such an ugly cancellation eh? This commemorates the 400th anniversary of Columbus's discovery of the America's. It'd be a much nicer example if it weren't for this postmark. Well, no doubt as to the date it was stamped! I'll take what I find though. This is Trinidad #91 in my catalogue  and #92 on this Minkus page.

JimmyB

Pretty Bird

 The St Lucia parrot is quite colorful. It's a type of Amazon parrot of which I just happen to have the Yellow Nape variety which is an exceptionally good talker and singer, perhaps I should say excellent.  This is #390 in my catalogue and on the page I have it mounted on (Minkus) it is #400.

JimmyB

Dependency's Badge

 I'm at a loss here. Nice stamp, decent catalogue value, but try to discern some info on the ship Dependency? Even with the internet it seems to be a fools errand. What the hell is the Badge all about anyways? Inquiring minds need to know. Oh the Queen is so god awful beautiful though isn't she? Not the best image of her on a stamp but oh my she's a looker.   This is #134 in my book.


Edit... Matthew Healey from the FB group Stamp Collecting pointed out to me that the Dependency refers to the Islands, not the ship which I had supposed. Thanks Matthew!!!


Edit 2...Gordon Groves from FB group Stamp Collecting shared this.......During the 1870's Britain decided to create a flag for the islands. A sketch of the "badge" was sent to England. It consisted of a ship, two piles of salt, and a salt gatherer. An interesting story can be found here:http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2012/12/white-gold-how-salt-made-and-unmade-the-turks-and-caicos-islands/

JimmyB

Guardian Dragon

This is one of the four mythical guardians of Iceland which are represented on the coat of arms of Iceland. Another nice find!! The other guardians along with this were released in other sets, the first in 1987 but this dragon design was released alone in 1989 and just happens to have the highest value amongst all the other releases. Dragon #677

JimmyB

"reprint"

 More likely than not this is a reprint of #463. The gold edging is dull when compared to the gold edging on some of my other stamps from this era, Never the less, a nice addition to my collection of Iranian stamps.

 Don"t forget to mail me a postcard for a chance to get this!!!  http://stampsandcovers.blogspot.com/2013/07/unesco-world-heritage.html?spref=fb



JimmyB

Forever is a long long time

 I needed to get international priority stamps today and picked up 2 sheets of these. The clerk who is normally a complete jackass was even excited and jabbering about these forever internationals. Maybe he's not such a jerk after all! I've got several to use in response to any international covers I receive. I'm doubtful if a huge response for them, but just in case there is, better post a comment before you mail a letter so I can set one aside for you in response.

Don't miss out on this raffle style giveaway!!!   http://stampsandcovers.blogspot.com/2013/07/unesco-world-heritage.html?spref=fb

JimmyB

Mounds.....Sometimes you don't

 The most amazing thing that people find at the tourist center is the fact that few locals go, let alone even know what the the mounds are or even know it exists!!

JimmyB

Austrian Air

 My brain has begun to hemorrhage from checking the catalogue for these three stamps. The U.N. #754 popped out at me but the rest are eluding me and I've seen both of them before and know it. Kind of like searching for Waldo.  From what I've read of this letter, little niecie is travelling in Europe and I've got a couple covers from her.  Don't miss out on my giveaway!  http://stampsandcovers.blogspot.com/2013/07/unesco-world-heritage.html?spref=fb

Edit....Thanks to Susan from the Facebook  group "Stamp Collecting" I've found the first stamp with the south compass heading to be a semi-postal #B310 in my catalogue. Looks like 8 views of Vienna series from all 8 quadrants of a compass located on the stamp!

Another edit.......Thanks to Gordon, also from FB "Stamp Collecting" says this.....The bluish black 50-groschen lithograph stamp at the bottom corner is part of the 1957-61 Architectural Monuments. It is Scott 619 issued October 23, 1959. Depicted on the stamp is the Heiligenstadt building in Vienna.

JimmyB

Today is was history

Monaco’s Stamp Issuing Office will release the following stamps for sale on 10 July 2013..................and I want everyone to know I plagiarized the hell out of this one...http://en.service-public-particuliers.gouv.mc/Announcements2/Stamps-to-go-on-sale-on-10-July-2013......but this was the stamp issued today.

JimmyB

UNESCO World Heritage

  Due to the underwhelming response for my last giveaway(no entries at all), I'm running this World Heritage card giveaway thru July AND August. I'm in search of postcards from any of the sites. A list is here. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list . I'll trade straight up a Cahokia card for another UNESCO site card from anywhere else OR you can just send me any old postcard(or new) and write Monk's Mound on the back and I will randomly (blind pick from a bag) select a winner of this one in September. My addy is 902 Sycamore St, Belleville, IL., 62220,   USA
 I need to thank Steve for picking up a few cards for me while he was taking the tour there with his family last week.

JimmyB

Apparition

 Steve's path didn't cross mine today, so I guess maybe tomorrow I'll get the UNESCO cards. Oh well, nothing like a little religion eh?   The apparition of the Virgin Mary along with a sick man and basillica stamp and a St Bernadette. Vatican City stamps, I kind of like the Spirograph style design on the selvage. This is half of a set of six. If I don't get the postcards tomorrow I'll show the other three(different values and colors).

JimmyB

Ant & Bar

 Antigua & Barbuda,  this one is a 90 cent stamp. If you ever need better detail on these images, you can simply click on the image to get a more detailed view.
 How many anniversary stamps were issued? I'm not certain. If anyone has a new enough catalogue with the totals, I would deeply appreciate any info on how many are in the omnibus, including which countries.

 It's been a week since the raffle deadline and I didn't receive any entries yet. It's looking like no winner for last month. Today my friend should hopefully have my UNESCO Cahokia Mounds post card for this months prize. I'm hoping he remembered to pick them up when he was out there(he is not a philatelist), else I'm going for a drive sometime this week.

JimmyB

Last of Solomon Islands for awhile

 And for tomorrow, something completely different. OK, well, maybe not completely. Perhaps just another country's tribute to Trafalgar's 200th. So now a $5.00 stamp sheet from the Solomon's.

JimmyB

$2.60 Battle

Trafalgar anniversary 2005(What else?)


Steaks on the grill tonight with Ree and Andy is what.

JimmyB

Barrel of Brandy

 Nelson's body was stored in a barrel of brandy for the trip home from his victorious battle as depicted on this 38 pence Gibraltar 200th anniversary stamp.

JimmyB

Stars and stripes!!

 Cheap cheap. Why can't they make a nice simple folding booklet instead of this small twenty stamp sheet?

 I sometimes wonder how well Justice,Equality,Freedom and Liberty actually can coexist?  Well anyways, Happy 4th to everyone in the states. Midsummer's holiday.

JimmyB

$10 Stamps

"Hardy" "They have done for me at last."  Nelson spoke after getting shot. Well he learned of his decisive victory before he passed.

 This is a sheet of $10 stamps from the Solomon Islands.

JimmyB

Battle Stations!

A sheet of $1.90's from the Trafalgar series issued by the Solomon Islands. The selvage displays the image from the lower middle stamp in the set.

JimmyB

Coast Guard

 This is the 4th of a set of 5 honoring the Armed Forces. Perhaps I should have posted them in the order they were released. Oh well, I have a them under FDC and cover(a bit redundant I know)  for anyone wanting to see all 5 of the set.

JimmyB

No defense for Spanish

 Junes's postcard drawing submission deadline is drawing to a close and so far the interest in it has been weak at best. I've received no entries as of today and with the deadline for entry fast approaching their is still a chance that I will retain my souvenir FDC http://stampsandcovers.blogspot.com/2013/06/nickel-and-dime-giveaway.html?spref=fb.
  On the other front, I had mentioned last week that next month's drawing is to be for a UNESCO site postcard. My choice was fortuitous. I asked a coworker yesterday where he was going on his vacation this week and he responded that he was going to the Cahokia Mounds Heritage site. His wife grew up in the area and neither of them had visited it ever before. He promised to get me three different cards, one of which will be for the drawing. Perhaps a drawing with a different topical will perk interest. Here's an old post showing one such card.  http://stampsandcovers.blogspot.com/2006/02/cahokia-mounds-unesco.html.

 Here's another 200th Anniversary Trafalgar stamp. British India Ocean Territory. It's just another depiction of the complete annihilation of the Spanish fleet. That would be one date to set your time capsule to when we get our first time machine developed.

JimmyB

Sail the seven seas

 This is the 3rd of a set of 5 in the tribute to Armed Forces series.

Go Navy!


JimmyB

Bonnaroo

 I had begun to think my daughter had joined the circus after seeing a photo of her at a carnival. I'm much relieved after receiving this card.

 It's nice to see the U.S.P.S. made a special cancellation for the event.

Thanks Rosie, I love you so much. I think it took a week and a half to get to me because you wrote 602 instead of 902, those postal workers had to do some figuring on this one eh?

JimmyB

Dancing House Prague

 Deb picked this up on her trip last year. It's an insanely long trifolded card. She didn't mail it :(, but it's still nice and no doubt a tad less worn. A scanner the size of a pool table would be nice instead of the standard size one that I have. I had to scan the picture in two parts and at a lower res so that I could turn the picture 90 degrees using my scan program. Hopefully the res is high enough so that clicking on the image will enlarge the left corner enough and be readable, If not I'm going to delete the address side of the card.

  Take a shot at winning this FDC!!!  http://stampsandcovers.blogspot.com/2013/06/nickel-and-dime-giveaway.html?spref=fb
 JimmyB

Army

 This is I believe the second in the series of 5 in honor of the Armed Forces.

I haven't received any entries to the souvenir stamp FDC yet http://stampsandcovers.blogspot.com/2013/06/nickel-and-dime-giveaway.html?spref=fb , so as of the moment, any entries at all have a good chance of winning it. There are still 6 days to enter it. I just got back from Michigan after visiting family the past few days and have been able to make but one blog entry. I didn't run into any stamp, cover or post card collectors but I had a great time never the less. July's raffle is going to be for a Cahokia Mounds U.N.E.S.C.O. site postcard. Details will follow.

JimmyB

Speedy delivery

 This is a back of book special delivery FDC. Motorcycle delivery though? Really?

JimmyB

Semper Fi!!

 This was the first of the set honoring the Armed Forces. Iwo Jima marines is also the highest valued FDC of the set. I've also got a set of four but unfortunately it lacks any selvage.

JimmyB

Nickel and dime stamp cover giveaway

 I've decided to have a raffle and give this cover to the winner of it. Simply send me a postcard to enter it and write "Nickel and dime!" on the back of the postcard. All entries must be postmarked before 2359  hours on June 30th. The winner will be selected out of a bag July 22nd by my wonderful wife. I'm allowing extra time just in case someones postcard takes up to two or three weeks to arrive from someplace. Mail doesn't get out  fast all the time in some regions I've found. Palestine is an example that comes to mind. The odds of winning will be based on both the number of entries made(probably not many) and the number of entries you make. If worse comes to worse and your entry is not selected, you may find your postcard is posted on this blog anyways along with my thanks.  Anyways.......

 On the backside is the stamp shop that mailed this out. It has the same street that I live on, different city though, if it were Belleville, it'd be 6 blocks down the street.  But if you want a chance to win this, send the post card to....          Jimmy B
                                 902 Sycamore St.
                                 Belleville IL    62220
                                                            USA

Merchant Marine

 This was the 5th and last of a series in honor of the Armed Forces.

Here is a press release issued by the U.S. Maritime Commission on this date. http://www.usmm.org/wsa/fdcpr.html



JimmyB

Souvenir Sheet

This TIPEX cancellation quadruples the value over the DC cancellation. I wonder if the doubled mark is from the first one not tying the stamps to the cover and if that would effect the value in any way negatively?

Souvenir Sheets have popped up lately eh? I see a trend here.


JimmyB

Edited.....Big stick and a general I've never heard of

 First day issue on the anniversary of opening the Panama Canal. Postmarked on the U.S.S. Charleston. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Charleston_(PG-51) . I'm curious as to how many days it took the postal crew on the ship to hand stamp all of the FDC's? The general I've never heard of?  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_Goethals.

  

JimmyB

P.S.  This morning I came across a FDC guide and found this. Single $20 #856   Not a bad value. I ran across an envelope box of covers like this. I'm gonna have to go through this Stuff.