Towers

New Entries

This time I will make a small post ; some Morocco stamps and one series from China PRC.

French Protectorate

As you can see the order of the stamps is inverted [small values below and high above...my mistake and laziness..]

the series is not complete and represent's the Hassan Tower in Rabat...the French Period of domination in Morocco brought us stamps mostly dedicated to monuments and Landscapes, using French stamp designers and their work gave a high degree of detail to the pictures...( these are not a good example, perhaps due to a below average printing...)

1943 "Tower of Hassan (Rabat)" (19) [Perf 12] [Des (Charles Hervé)][Litho] Sc(264,265,266,267,268,270,272,273,274,275,276,277,279,280)

Morocco

We are now with a series representing King Hassan II .. this series is destined to Air Mail.. in the same year of 1962 another series was issued with the same design and of a smaller format (this one for current Mail)..the stamps are very beautiful and were designed and engraved by Charles Mazelin (1882/1984) , one of the most important stamp designers of France.. As we can see French designers continued to work with the former colonies and Protectorates for years after Independence..

1962 "King Hassan II (Air Mail)" (5) [Perf 13] [Des (Charles Mazelin)] [Engr (Charles Mazelin)] [Recess] Sc(C5,C6,C8,C9)

This kind of series about National costumes was , as I said in other post , in most countries issued during the 40's ,50's and 60's... In the Morocco case , and due to obvious reasons , was only issued in 1968... ; to a better understanding of the complexity of ruling a country like Morocco, I leave here a link about the 'genesis' and Geography  of Morocco Tribes...
These stamps appear much more appealing if you have a more distant look.. At a closer view , they present many imperfections and lack of detail, perhaps due to , one more time , a less accomplished printing work.

1968 "Moroccan Costumes (1968/1974)" (10) [Perf 13 x 12.5 (15 for the 1d stamp)] [Des (De La Rue Company Limited)] [Engr (Besancenot)] [Litho] Sc(199,200,201,202,203,205)

China PRC

Beautiful stamps , great design, great detail and nice printing... for me , these is the best Dr. Sun Yat-sen series.!.

1956 " 90th Birth Anniv of Dr. Sun Yat-sen" (2) [Perf 14] [Des (Lu Tianjiao)] [Engr (Tang Linshen)] [Recess/Offset] Sc(304,305)

SeeYou

P.S) sorry , but it in the 4f stamp , Dr. sun Yat-sen appears with a strange black dot near the eye.. it isn't in the stamp ; Sorry , I did not noticed it , but I don't want to change the picture... {Updated 29/07/14 14.58)

Maestro's

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Today I have some stamps from Berlin, Germany...

If you are a regular visitor of this blog , you should have noticed that in my last post , there were less words than usual.. I tried to make a post only with the stamps and the technical data.. 

I think that my "talk (!!..)" is sometimes excessive and I'm still trying to make 'the' ideal post...

So experiences are taking place ... 

The first stamps of this post are from a beautiful series from 1965... this series used some paintings of Artists from the XIX Century , that reproduce accurately the society and people from those times ...

 The 1st painting is from C.W. Allers and represent's a carriage pulled by horses, that was the common City transport... in the 2nd we can see a shoemaker, a rare profession nowadays , painted by Adolph von Menzel ; three Ladies , probably from medium or high class , are represented in the 3rd painting by Franz Kruger..

1965 "19th Century Berliners" (8) [Perf 14] [Recess] Sc(269,271,273)

This next group of stamps show us some important figures of German Society... they are all individual complete series ; here is some technical data (from left to right) :

• 1970 "150th Birth Anniv of Theodor Fontane (writer)" (1) [Perf 14][painting by Hanns Fechner][Photo] Sc(282)
• 1971 "150th Anniv of Hermann von Helmholtz (scientist)" (1) [Perf 14][Painting by K. Morell-Kramer][Photo] Sc(314)
• 1972 "125th Birth Anniv of Max Liebermann (painter)" (1) [Perf 14] [Painting by Max Lieberman][Photo] Sc(332)
• 1972 "150th Death Anniv of Karl August von Hardenberg (statesman)" (1) [Perf 14][Painting by Tischbein][Photo] Sc(333)
• 1969 "Anniversaries (Alexander Von Humbpoltd 1789/1859)" (1) [Perf 14] [Painting by Joseph Stieler][Photo] Sc(281)

If I were a topical collector, I would have today a new topic and three good acquisitions ; the next stamps represent 3 different Orchestra conductors or 'Maestros'...

• 1969 "Anniversaries (Joseph Joachim 1831/1907 Violinist, composer and conductor)" (1) [Perf 14] [Painting by Adolph Von Meizel][Photo] Sc(280)
• 1980 "Birth Centenary of Robert Stolz (composer)" (1) [Perf 14][Photo] Sc(456)
• 1985 " Birth Centenary of Otto Klemperer (orchestral conductor)" (1) [Perf 14][Recess] Sc(502) ;

Yesterday I spent hours searching the Net for the data related to these stamps... I found almost 'nothing' .. It was a big surprise for me , used as I am to the usual order and efficiency  of the German way of 'doing things'... there is nothing, nothing at all... I have to solve this insufficiency of data ( not only in this case..) by other way , because I am seeing that the Internet isn't rich enough in this kind of information..not only the info is disorganized but it is really missing in some cases - remarkable..!! - ..

This complete series is from 1965 and it is called "New Berlin"... 

• 1965 "New Berlin" (12) [Perf 14] [Des ( Hiller )][Litho/Engr] Sc(223,...,234)

Two beautiful stamps....

[Left] 1978 "Birth Cent of Walter Kollo (composer)" (1) [Perf 14] [Recess] Sc(415)

[Right] 1983 "150th Anniv of Berlin-Coblenz Optical-Mechanical Telegraph" (1) [Perf 14] [Recess] Sc(484)

1972 "Paintings of Berlin Lakes"  (3) [Perf 14] [*][Photo] Sc(328,329,330)
* [1st] painting by A. Von Riesen
* [2nd] painting by Max Lieberman]
* [3rd] painting by Walter Lelstikow

and now  , to end , two MS from Japan :

I usualy work with 3 World catalogs ( 1 online and 2 in paper..).. in this particular case these two MS don't appear in two of them and the other only tells that they were given as prize in the New Year lottery (1974 and 1977) , giving them no codes..[perhaps I win the "Euromilhões" I played today...] ;
It is very useful to work with all these catalogs because I can cross information between them....; when it is possible I prefer to work with a National catalog and two of the others... in this case I have a Japanese Catalog and I left here the page where these two MS appear... 

SeeYou

Avogadro

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Yugoslavia Stamps

• 1935/1936 "King Peter II" (15) [Perf 13 x 12.5] Sc(116,117,118,119,120,122,123,124,125,126,128,129) [Typo]

Italy Stamps

 [Left] 1958 "Birth Centenary of Eleonora Duse (actress)" (1) [Perf 14] [Des (M. Colombati)] [Recess (M. Colombati)] [IPS Off Carte Valori, Roma] Sc(760)


[Right] 1957 "500th Birth Anniv of Filippino Lippi (painter)" (1) [Perf 14] [Des (Victorio Nicastro)] [Recess (Victorio Nicastro)] [IPS Off Carte Valori, Roma] Sc(729)

[Left] 1955 "30th Death Anniv of Grassi (biologist)" (1) [Perf 14] [Des (Victorio Nicastro)] [Photo] [IPS Off Carte Valori, Roma] Sc(701)

[Right] 1963 "Birth Centenary of Gabriele D'Annunzio (author and soldier)" (1) [Perf 14] [Des (G. Barbieri)] [Recess (Alceo Quieti)] [IPS Off Carte Valori, Roma] Sc(870)

[Left] 1966 "50th Death Annivs of World War I Heroes" (1) [Perf 14] [Des (R. Ferrini)] [Photo] [IPS Off Carte Valori, Roma] Sc(945)

This is a stamp commemorative of the Death of Cesare Battisti, Damiano Chiesa, Fabio Filzi e Nazario Sauro, Italian Heroes of World War I..

[Right] 1956 " Death Centenary of Avogadro (physicist)" (1) [Perf 14] [Des (Guglielmo Savini)] [Photo] [IPS Off Carte Valori, Roma] Sc(714)

a small video about Amadeo Avogadro

[Left] 1967 "Birth Centenary of Arturo Toscanini (orchestral conductor)" (1) [Perf 14] [Des (R. Ferrini)] [Photo] [IPS Off Carte Valori , Roma)] Sc(948)

[Right] 1959 "Int War Veterans' Assn Convention, Rome" (1) [Perf 14] [Des (Luigi Gasbarra)] [Recess (Silvestro Vana)] [IPS Off Carte Valori, Roma)] Sc(770)

[Left] 1953 "700th Death Anniv of St. Clare" (1) [Perf 14] [Photo] [ IPS Off Carte Valori, Roma)] Sc(625)

[Right] 1962 "Centenary of Court of Accounts" (1) [Perf 14] [Recess (Victorio Nicastro)] [IPS Off Carte Valori, Roma)] Sc(868)

[Left] 1958 "Birth Centenary of Puccini (opera composer)" (1) [Perf 14] [Des (C. Parravicini)] [Recess (M. Canfarini)] [IPS Off Carte Valori, Roma)] Sc(746)

[Right] 1959 "Centenary of 2nd War of Independence" (5) [Perf 14] [Des (Luigi Gasbarra)] [Recess (Victorio Nicastro)(M. Colombati)] [IPS Off Carte Valori, Roma)] Sc(778)

 [Left] 1953 "Sights and Views of Italy" (6) [Perf 14] [Des (R. Ferrini)] [Photo] [IPS Off Carte Valori, Roma)] Sc(641,644)


[Right] 1960 "XVII Olympic Games ,Rome", (9) [Perf 14] [Des (Tranquillo Marangoni)] [Recess (M. Colombati)] [IPS Off Carte Valori, Roma)] Sc(805)

The XVII Olympic Games , Rome

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Winds

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I will start with some stamps from the early days of Republican government in Portugal... It was a very disturbed period in Portugal's history , with constant changes in government and general Political and social instability...It was a long period that starts in 1908 with the Assassination of King D. Carlos I and the Crown  Prince Luis Filipe at 'Praça do Comercio'  (Commerce Plaza), Lisbon..it  ends only in the middle of the 30's with the implantation of Salazar's successive governments.. during this period the situation has worsened with the development of the 1st World War...

However , in what concerns to postage stamps , it was a rich period with some of the series that better define Portuguese Philately.. We have the 'Ceres' Series in all this period , and in the 20's we have a group of commemorative series that were really remarkable ( in my point of view...)

  

• 1911 "Overprint 'Republica' at 1898 'IV Centenary of the discovery of the Maritime Way to India'" (6) [Perf 12] [Des (Carlos Maria de Miranda Costa)] Sc(193,194,195) [Engr (José Sergio de Carvalho e Silva)] [Typo (Casa da Moeda)]

here we have some stamps of a series (6) from 1911.. This series is based in stamps from 1898 that were overprinted with the label "Republica".. the picture show us the Zamorin of Calcut receiving Vasco da Gama..

This kind of stamp ('Porteado' in Portuguese) is commonly know has 'Postage due' stamps.. letters could be sent without any stamps (or with stamps of the incorrect value.. ) or pre-paid postal values, and the receiver, in order to pick the letter,  had to pay the correct amount with the acquisition of these stamps ..

• 1925 "Marquis de Pombal Commemoration" (3) [Perf 12.5] [Des (H. Fleury)] Sc(RA11,RA12,RA13) [Engr (John Augustus Charles Harrison 1,2)(G. Fairweather 3)] [Intaglio (Waterlow and Sons Limited, London)] 

These are Postal and Telegraphic Tax stamps.. this kind of stamps obeyed to a well defined legal background.. this Tax was applied in  pre established days and the resulting amount of money was managed by the Central Government or other entities according with the legality...

This particular series was used in all internal Postal or Telegraphic correspondence... by internal, I mean from Main land  to the Islands (Açores and Madeira) and Colonies (Angola, Cape Verde Islands, Mozambique, Bissau Guinea, St. Thomas and Prince Islands,Macau, Timor, India, etc)..  

The first stamp show us the portrait of the Marquis; in the 2nd, the Marquis and his staff are studying the Plans of the Lisbon Reconstruction after the devastating Earthquake of 1755;; in the 3rd stamp is shown the Monument to the Marquis of Pombal in Lisbon.

• 1925 "Birth Centenary of Camilo Castelo Branco(Novelist)" (31) [Perf 12.5] [Des (Alberto Sousa)] Sc(357,363,370) [Engr (G. Fairweather ($30), John Augustus Charles Harrison ($75 and 2$00))] [Intaglio (Waterlow and Sons Limited, London)]

these are stamps from a (31) series.. it has to be taken step by step, buying one or more stamps , several times.. if You wish to get all the series at once, it will be expensive ( +/- € 300.00 for a used set [cv]...)

The series is a tribute to the life and work of Camilo Castelo Branco, Portuguese Writer and Novelist.. there are 6 different pictures in the series, and they represent aspects of the life of the writer and personages of his Famous novel "Amor de Perdição"... In the 3 stamps presented , we find the cabinet where Camilo used to write and work (1) , Teresa de Albuquerque (the heroine of the novel...) (2) and Mariana and her father José da Cruz (also personages of the novel..) (3)..it is curious the fact that Camilo Castelo Branco wrote this novel only in 15 days , when he was in prison due to a illicit romantic affair, at the age of 35..

The 2$00 stamp is a very beautiful Green on Green stamp...

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Greece Stamps

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We have here two Olympic stamps, one from 1901 and the other from 1906..

• 1901 "Red A.M surcharge over 1896 '1st International Olympic Games'" (5) [Perf 14 x 13.5] [Des (A. Guilleron)] Sc(159) [Engr (Eugene Mouchon)] [Recess (France National Printing House)] 

the stamp represent the Stadium and Acropolis..

• 1906 "1906 Olympic Games" (14) [Perf 14] Sc(190) [Recess (Perkins,Bacon & Co., London)]

after the success of the 1896 Games, the 1900 and 1904 were a complete failure, with the lack of results and participants ; the 4 Year count was braked , and Games were implemented in Athens in 1906 to improve International participation ...it proof to be a "winning bet" ..

     

• 1924 "Byron Centenary" (2) [Perf 12] Sc(317) [Recess (Bradbury Wilkinson & Co. Ltd)]

the stamp represent us Lord Byron at the Messolonghi (Messolonghi is a Town in Western Greece.. it has represented a major role in the Greek Independence War, suffering two siege's , one in 1822 and other in 1825 , from the Ottoman Forces...) ..Lord Byron was a fierce activist of the Greek Independence and died in Messolonghi in 1824..)

• 1943 Air Mail "Winds (2nd Series)" (6) [Perf 12.5] [Des (O. Perivolakis)] Sc(568,569,572) [Litho (Aspioti Elkas)]

The series "Greek Ancient Art" is divided in three parts.. we have here 4 stamps of the 1st part 1954, one stamp from the 2nd part 1955 and 1 stamp from the 3rd part 1958/1960

I will give only the general data for this series..

• 1954/1960 "Greek Ancient Art (Part 1,2,and 3)" (12,8,8) [Perf 12.75 x 12.5] Sc(558,559,561,565,580,634) [Des (J. Kefallinos)] [Litho (Aspioti ELKA)]

the pictures represent : Homer , Zeus of Isteaea, Alexander the Great and the 'Calf Bearer'..

some of the stamps are damaged , but are easily replaced in the future.

• 1942/1944 "Landscapes" (18) [Perf 12.5] Sc(438,441,444,445,448,449,451) [Litho (Aspioti Elka)]

the pictures represent in order Up/Down Left/Right 

1.  Bourtzi Fort, Nafplion
2. Hydra
3. Pontokrator Monastery (Mt. Athos)
4. Pontokrator Monastery (Mt. Athos)
5. Pontikonissi, Corfu
6. Konitsa
7. Pontikonissi, Corfu

with this stamp, I have finished this series and finish also this post...

• 1945 " Roosevelt Mourning Issue" (3) [Perf 12.5] Sc(469) [Litho (Aspioti Elka)]

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Freedom!!

Hello!! Back to the Russian stamps.. The year is 1961...

NEW ENTRIES

1961 "22nd Communist Party Congress (1st issue)" (5) [Perf 12.5 x 12]  [Des (V. Zavyalov)(V. Pimenov)] Sc(2524) [Litho]

The congress of the Communist Party is always an excuse for making beautiful stamps... the mentors of the Revolution appear always in these stamps .. some days ago, I read an article ( don't know where...)  saying that Dr. Sun Yat Sen was the prominent figure that appears in a larger number of stamps... I really think that it is Vladimir Lenin.. although the Sun Yat Sen Series are larger ( or much larger.. ) , the Chinese President appears only in Chinese stamps ( and in a few others ... in a very small number..), but Lenin appears many times in several countries ( for many years..) , because of the direct influence of Soviet Union or because of the Communist Power in the beginning of the 70's... We see it in African , South and Central America and many times in Asia and East Europe stamps..

Did someone count them ?? No..!! Ok! this is a "Non Issue".. let's return to our stamps..

1961 "Scenes from Russian Fairy Tales" (5) [Perf 12.5]  [Des (E. Komarov 1k,4k) (R. Zhitkov 6k)] Sc(2468,2470,2471) [Litho]

If I were a Topic collector , this would be one of my favorite's... In these 3 stamps , 3 fairy tales are represented : 1) The Geese Swans 2) Koneck Gorbunek (The Little Humpbacked Horse) 3) The muzhik and the Bear

Beautiful stamps..

Personalities  stamps are sometimes seen as boring or repetitive.. I don't think so .. I have lot's of them ( in fact, the last large lot of stamps I bought in 2013 was full of Personalities stamps..) .. Stamps from Russia and Czechoslovakia are for me the high point of these stamps.. In the 40's and 50's Russian stamps were simply fantastic, with beautiful colorful frames surrounding no less beautiful paintings.. 

Here we have two good examples of Personalities stamps..

[Left] 1961 "125th Birth Anniv of N. Y. Sklifosovsky (surgeon)" (1) [Perf 11.5 x 12] [Des (V. Zavyalov)] Sc(2454) [Photo]

[Right] 1961 "Birth Centenary of RabindranathTagore (Indian writer)" (1) [Perf 11.5 x 12] [Des (V. Zavyalov)] Sc(2467) [Photo][Recess]

This is clearly a great and beautiful stamp.. it has a great printing work..

Here are two complete series , with the emphasis in Freedom and Equality ..

Africa breaking the chains and achieving equality (represented by the "shake of hands"..) , and the University that unites different races seeking a common Culture..

[Left] 1961 "Africa Freedom Day" (2) [Perf 12.5] [Des (I. Levin)] Sc(2460,2461) [Litho]

[Right] 1961 "Surcharge on «Friendship University 1960»" (1) [Perf 12 x 12.5] [Des ( V. Pimenov)] Sc(2462) [Photo]

One of the Moscow University's  was named Friendship University in homage to Patrice Lumumba, first Prime Minister of Congo , in 1960.(it is written in the Center Red Overprint..)  ; surcharge of 4k over 40k.

A variety of this stamp exists because of one small difference in this Central Overprint..

We have now a group of 4 complete series...

1st) 1961 "150th Birth Anniv of Vissarion Grigorievich Belinsky (literary critic and journalist)" (1) [Perf 11.5 x 12] [Des (A. Zavyalov)] Sc(2493) [Photo][Recess] 

2nd) 1961 "Centenary of "Kalevipoeg" (Estonian Saga)" (1) [Perf 12 x 12.5] {Des (E. Okas)(A. Koemets)] Sc(2507) [Litho]

The figure represented is the Knight Kalevipoeg.

3rd) 1961 "Birth Centenary of N. D. Zelinsky (chemist)" (1) [Perf 12.5 x 12] [Des (A. Zavyalov)] Sc(2433) [Photo]

4th) 1961 "600th Birth Anniv of Rublev (painter)" (1) [Perf 12.5] [Des  (V. Zavyalov)] Sc(2453) [Litho]

1961 "Young Builders of Seven Year Plan" (1) [Perf 12.5] [Des (A. Zavyalov] Sc(2552,2553,2554) [Litho]

The series is designed by A. Zavyalov, as you can see.. Zavyalov is a name that appears a great number of times as designer .. A. Zavyalov is son of V. Zavyalov, that was designing stamps since the 30's , I think .. ( I didn't find any biography of this Artist, but he deserves a place of honor in Russia Philately , because he must have designed hundreds of stamps..!!)

This series is dedicated to the effort of the Russian Youth in the implementation of the 7 Year Plan..

4 more complete series..

1st) 1961 "10th Anniv of International Federation of Resistance Fighters" (1) [Perf 12.5 x 12] [Des ( L. Zavaylov)] Sc(2529) [Photo]

2nd) 1961 "7th Soviet Trade Union Sports" (1) ]Perf 12 x 12.5] [Des (N. Kruglov)] Sc(2500) [Photo]

3rd) 1961 " 50th Anniv of Russian National Choir" (1) [Perf 12 x 12.5] [Des (E. Komarov)] Sc(2459) [Litho]

4th) 1961 "Tercentenary of Irkutsk, Siberia" (1) [Perf 12 x 12.5] [Des (N. Kruglov)]  Sc(2523) [Litho]

I have these stamps already in my collection, but only ' single ' ones .. not block's of 4.. So , they are officially in the collection ... Now!!.

1961 "Definitive 1961 Series" (12) [Perf 12 x 11.5] [Des (V. Zavyalov)] Sc(2441) [Litho]

Before Finishing  , I like to present the "Jewel of the Crown" of this post...

This stamp was running from me for several years.. it is not a difficult stamp , but for me it was hard (if I want to buy it  it was simple , but I preferred to wait until it appear's in my World...)

Now , in this magnificent series there are only two stamps missing.. the 1k and 4k engraved stamps..

These pictures reminds me a lot , the Adventures of Blake & Mortimer by Edgar Pierre Jacobs.. they are very futuristic designs..

SeeYou

Correction: in the last lines of the post I said that are "missing the 1k and 4k engraved stamps"; well , it is not 4k but 3k , of course...( the same stamp presented , but engraved..) [correction made 16/07/14 at 07:00H]