Hong Kong

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Today and for the first time I have some Hong Kong stamps.. The Portrait definitive stamps of Hong Kong , all obey to a standard design that started with Queen Victoria and continued until Queen Elizabeth.. there are some differences in the stamps of King's Edward VII and George V ( more elaborated design with frame ornaments and vignette with circular form..) , but King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II returned to the initial Queen Victoria's  simpler design...

In today's post I will present some stamps of Queen Victoria and others from Queen Elizabeth II.. I leave the King George VI and specially King's Edward VII and George V for other posts because there must be a careful analyses of the Wmk, that in some cases are simply not visible (Chalky paper, again..) ..

First let us talk about the Queen Victoria Hong Kong Series that present this design...there are three main series with normal stamps, without being Surcharged or Overprinted... All this 3 series have perforation 14 , so that is not the distinctive factor here... The watermark plays the most important role in the differentiation of these series... The first series (and also the first Hong Kong series) has no Watermark.. the Second presents us a Crown above two letters (CC)  , and the third a Crown and (CA)... the watermarks , in these stamps are clearly visible and it is easy to make the classification of the stamps...

So, I can tell that all the stamps i present are from the Third series (with Wmk Crown above CA...) issued from 1882/1902.. this time frame is the one presented in the Scott Catalog, and I think it is a correct approach because dividing this series into several one's according to the issue date , would be only 'complicating what could be simpler'... well, I only have these 14 stamps to present and 4 of them are spares, but time will come when some of the high values will also be presented .. (Hope is the last one to Die..!)... the last stamp , the 12c troubles me, because it looks much older than it is.. the colors are faded, the stamp is in very bad condition, but it is without doubts from this series... there are many color variations with the presence of different shades, and i think ( by looking to these stamps..) that  well centered stamps should have a high increase in their value...

1882/1902 "Queen Victoria" (13) [Typo] Sc(36b,36b,37,37,39,40,40,41,43,43,44,44,45,46)

These are stamps from the Queen Elizabeth II 1st Definitive Series issued in 1954...this first group present us the values i have to show ... all of these stamps are spares , because I already had this series classified.. it is a relatively simple series without any kind of 'hot spot'... there are many different shades for each color...

  

These are some of the spares , but they don't have any special interest, but I have to show them...I must say that I can only rely on the Scott world catalog to classify this series, because my SG Commonwealth ends with the reign of George VI...so, it is possible that I actually missed 'some of the action' in this series... Anyway, I like to keep large number of stamps from definitive series from any country and in a near future more specialized catalogs are on the way, so I will take another close look to them...

1954/1960 "Queen Elizabeth II" (14) [Typo] Sc(185,186,187,188,189,190,191,192,194,196)

This is a stamp from the 1978 25th Anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth , where the simplicity of the original Queen Victoria Design is again used , resulting in a very beautiful stamp.

1978 "25th Anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II" (2) [Litho] Sc(347)

For the last part of this post , I choose to present my KGVI Kenya, Uganda & Tanganyika stamps...two common design series (The Silver Wedding and the Coronation series) and the 1938/1954 Various Designs series...

Sometimes , the unexpected happens...this morning , I was finishing the classification of the 38/54 series , when my scanner ended..!! it just ended!! it started to make strange noises and it  doesn't work anymore...the sh values remain unclassified and without scans, so I promise that next week (I hope a new scan has arrived...) in the beginning of the post, I will show these stamps that are missing today...

All these [Recess] Printed stamps from KGVI are really excellent stamps.. Good engraver works, good designs , excellent printings, overall Above average Works..! As I said before these two series at right and left are common Designs and are used in many of the colonies, Protectorates and Empire Territories in general... 
[Left] 1937  "Coronation Series" (3) [Recess (De La Rue)] Sc(60,...,62)
[Right] 1948 "Silver Wedding Series" (1) [Photo (De La Rue)] Sc(92)

The stamps of the series 1938/1954 present the same designs as those used in the KGV series of 1935, but with the portrait of KGVI... This is a series with some difficulties when we talk of it's classification.. there are many different perforations, there are mistakes, varieties , etc.. ( I don't present any of these 'picture' varieties because I don't have any of them in these sgroup of stamps...)  these stamps I have to show could have different perforations and dates of issue... however I will gather those stamps that are similar 

I will show the stamps one by one, because they are really beautiful and because these were the last scans of my EPSON SX230...

the 50c are also missing  but they will be included in the stamps to be presented next week..

1938/1954 "King George VI portrait with Various Designs" (20) [Recess (De La Rue)]  

This was a strange post, with little to say and with some unexpected events..

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The Rope and the Sail

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Today we will have another post about the beautiful stamps of Kenya, Uganda & Tanganyika... This time , some stamps of King George V...

In the end of the post , some Personality stamps from Czechoslovakia...

Kenya , Uganda and Tanganyika

I will present the stamps individually , because they all are beautifully designed and worked...

1935/1937 "King George V" (14) [Perf 14 (5c,50c,1s,2s) 13(15c,20c,30c) 12 x 13(10c)][Des (5c,50c ?)(10c A. Ross)(15c,1s,2s G. Gil Holmes)(20c R.C. Luck)(30c R.N. Ambasana)][Typo (10c) Recess (De La Rue & Co. Ltd , London) (all others)] Sc(47,48,49,50,51,52,54,55)

In the 5c stamp there are two main varieties... I) the most common, and the one represented in the picture above , where you can see that the rope doesn't touch the sail.. let me specify that it is the leftmost rope that we must see.. II) in the other variety  , the rope actually touch the sail .. in this case the stamp values more ;  but if it has  Perf 12 x 13 (instead of 14) and Type I) , then it ' jumps' to a CV £ 550 (Used).. it is so difficult to have one of this stamps , that I prefer to joke with all of this , but I am beginning to give a more careful look to all the spare stamps....

1935 "Silver Jubilee" (4) [Perf 14 x 13.5][Des (H. Fleury)][Recess (De La Rue Co. Ltd,London)] Sc(42,...,45)

In other post about the KUT stamps , I have already presented the 20c stamp of this series .. in this series we also have some small particularities to look for... I have any of them to present you , so I cannot document them , and to be here talking about little dots and lines without presenting the right place where they should fit , it is a 'empty' exercise... 
There are houses build for comfort, cars build for speed, and there are also stamps build for Detail..! Commonwealth had many of these stamps where "the scarce simply ' pop up ' from the common" in a blink of an eye..!! As Ferrari's of Precision , these kind of stamps cannot be traded or exchanged without a closer look to every detail available... Of Course a specialized catalog is always necessary...!! 

1949 "75th Anniversary of the UPU" (4) [Perf 14 x 13.5 (20c) 13 x 13.5 (1s) 11 x 11.5 (30c,50c)][Des (Waterlow and Sons Limited , London 20c,1s)(Bradbury Wilkinson  30c,50c)][Recess (WS 20c,1s) Typo (BW 30c,50c)] Sc(94,...,97)

Czechoslovakia

It is known to the few of you who follow this blog, that I like Personality stamps.. many of our Hobby friends don't like them , because sometimes they are not beautiful or are a boring kind of stamps, I don't know ,there are many ways to dislike Personality stamps..!.

I think that they are one of the most effective ways of immortalize someone... and in the Czech case they have immortalized many people and they done it with admirable artistry, with their great Designers and Engravers...  

Many of the definitive series that were and still are issued by the various National Post Office's , could be classified as Personality stamps... They honored the Kings or Presidents or distinct figures of society .. what should be considered a Personality stamp is something to be 'asked' and 'cleared'...


1948/1949 "President Klement Gottwald" (6) [Perf 12.5][Des (Jindra Schmidt)][Recess (Jindra Schmidt)] Sc(363,364,365,366)

still in 1948 a 30K SS was issued and in 1949 a 10k was issued..

I present the 15h stamp, but I cannot find the correct Scott code... it is still missing me..(It's there allright, but I cannot find it..!)

1949 "Poets" (6) [Perf 14][Photo] Sc(374,...,377)

There are two more stamps in the series ( that are already in my collection) , with Perf 12.5 and they are Recess stamps..
No design data of these stamps... if you know something , please contact me... I still don't have a Czech Catalog...

1945/1947 "President's" (16) [Perf 12 x 12.5 (60h,3K) 14 (1.60K)][Des (Jindra Schmidt)][Recess (Jindra Schmidt)(60h,3K)][Photo (1.60k)] Sc(294,303,297)

The personality in Focus is President Edvard Benes ... This series could be considered as a all or as 3 different series... I prefer the first hypotheses ...The series has 3 different designs from 3 different Personalities... President Masaryk , President Benes and General Milan Stefánik
It is also divided in two parts , one issued from 1945 to 1947 (12 stamps) (Recess / Perf 12 x 12.5) and other only in 1945 ( 4 stamps) (Photo / Perf 14)..

This is an older stamp, representing Czechoslovakia breaking chains to Freedom...
As you can see the upper right stamp is damaged, and all the block has a large hinge ..

1920/1925 "Various Designs" (10) [Perf 14][Des ?][Typo] Sc(87)

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Giraffes, Lions and Elephants

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Today I have a group of stamps from Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika.. these stamps are from the QEII period.. the interesting thing about this lot is that when I bought it, two or three years ago, I was just looking for Morocco stamps.. I found a collection that was marked as "Small Morocco collection and other African stamps.." ; it was a good lot of French Morocco and Independent Morocco, and all the stamps from KU&T (except 30 or 40..) , and still many stamps from the independent countries Kenya &Tanzania.. It was a very good acquisition, at a fair price.. I have to say ( and I said it before.. ) that I don't mind paying a little more if I get  large periods of a country's  'Stamp' history....

I have already presented some KGV stamps and now I start with QEII and then in future posts , some more KGV and KGVI stamps...

Complete series 1953 "Coronation"

Perf: 12.5 x 13

[Des] someone from Bradbury Wilkinson

[Engr] De La Rue

SG(165) Sc(101)

[Wmk]

This stamp was used in the 1st QEII definitive series , without the label "Royal visit 1954"

Perf: 12.5 x 13

[Des] O.C. Meronti

[Engr] De La Rue

SG(166) Sc(102)

[Wmk]

This is the Definitive series (15) 1954/1959 "Wildlife and Views of Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyka" ; I present , at the right, also another 15c stamp, because there are two varieties of this stamp.. with or without the 'dot' below the 'c' currency label..

the 5c, 10,20,30,50,1sh,2sh are issued in 1954, the 1.30sh in 1955 and 15c,40c in 1958 ; the 15c stamp at the right is from 1959..

Perf: 12.5 x 13

[Des] O.C. Meronti (5c,20,30,40,1sh)

[Des] G. Gill Holmes (10c,50c)

[Des] H. Grieme (15c,1.30sh)

[Des] De La Rue (2sh)

[Left] Sc (103,104,105,107,108,109,110,112,113,114) [Right] Sc(106)

[Engr] De La Rue

All the stamps presented, both on left and right are from the (16) 1960/1962 definitive series " Wildlife ,Views and Crops  of Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika"

I have divided the stamps in two groups, because they have different dimensions, perforations and even printing methods..

the 2.50sh and 10sh are the only one's missing...

[Left] Perf: 15 x 14 ; in the Scott catalog , the value 14.5 x 14 appears for this group, but I think that 15 x 14 is more accurate..

[Des] Michael Goaman

SG(183,...,191) Sc(120,...,128)

[Photo] De La Rue

[Wmk]

[Right] Perf: 14 (except 20sh Perf: 13)

[Des] Michael Goaman

SG(192,193,194,196,198) Sc(129,130,131,133,135)

[Engr] De La Rue

[Wmk]

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En Garde.!!...

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Today I have some stamps from France and Kenya/Uganda ..

"Marianne de Gandon " is the name of this series... Marianne is nothing more then a representation of the ' Republic ', designed by Pierre Gandon.. (as usual, You can see the name of the designer at the left and the name of the engraver at the right of the inferior frame.. in this case , the name of the engraver is Henry Cortot..) .. The first stamps from this series were issued near the end of the II Word War , in February 1945..the last of the stamps of this series were retired from circulation in 1955..

In 1945 there were two different emissions of the series... the 1st with 19 stamps and the 2nd with 9... both the emissions have stamps issued from 1945 until 1947.. the first emission was intended to serve with the common mail and the 2nd to serve with mail to foreign countries..( the 4 last stamps are larger than the others...)

In 1948 and 1951 two more emissions of "Marianne de Gandon" were made , until the appearance in 1955 of "Marianne de Muller"

The 1st group presented is from the 1st emission of 1945/47 ; this time I will only use the YT catalog , because it was the only one who present the 4 stamps of 3F...

Perf: 14 x 13.5

YT(713A,715,716,716A,716B, 718,718A,719,719B,721,721A) [Typo]

The 2nd group presents us 3 stamps from the 1948 issue and 1 stamp from 1951...

Perf: 14 x 13.5

YT(807,811,812) [Typo] YT(883) [Typo]

Complete series 1958 "Brussels International Exhibition"

Perf: 13

SG(1398) Sc(878) [Engr]

This is a stamp from my favorite series from France...Every year , stamps from the series "Sites et Monuments" are issued , and I am very proud to say that I already have 64 of these stamps.. however , they are just a small part of the many, many stamps of this regular series...

I think that somewhere in the future I will make a video with some of these stamps...

from a series (6) 1954 "Sites et Monuments"

Perf: 13 

SG(1207) Sc(721) [Engr]

from a series (6) 1953 "Olympic Games Helsinky 1952"

Perf: 13

SG(1187) Sc(702) [Engr]

[Left] Air stamp from a series (4) 1954

The plane represented is a Noratlas..

Perf: 13

SG(1195) Sc(C30) [Engr]

[Right] from the series (4) 1953 "French Theatre" ; the play in focus is Figaro by Beaumarchais.

Perf: 13

SG(1164) Sc(690) [Engr]

[Left] complete series 1973 " 75th Anniv of Eiffel Tower-Pantheon Experimental Radio Linkation."

Perf: 13

SG(2014) Sc(1380) [Engr]

[Right] complete series from 1971 "40th Anniv of 1st Meeting of Crafts Guilds Association"

Perf: 13

SG(1935) Sc(1320) [Engr]

Kenya And Uganda

some stamps of King George V, from a series of (20) 1922/1927 ; in this series the stamps are divided in two different designs and formats.. some of the  stamps from ' Kenya and Uganda' are very beautiful and in the near future I will present some more...

Perf: 14

SG(78,80,82,83,84,85) Sc(20,22,24,25,26,27) [Typo]

Kenya , Uganda And Tanganyika

from the series of (4) 1935 "Silver Jubilee" ; the stamp present us King George V , again.. the stamp itself have a very low catalog value, but there are 4 or 5 possible varieties that could increase it considerably ..( I think that this is a ' normal' one..)

Perf: 13.5 x 14

SG(124) Sc(42) [Engr] 

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