Another one for Bob? ;*) http://i9.ebayimg.com/02/i/01/08/36/30_1.JPG Blair

New "Unofficial" Perforating Machine One of my readers has sent me a photograph of a perforating machine, and an advertising circular which read: "There has been a demand for a perforating machine which is both inexpensive and serviceable. We have perfected such a machine with several different...

Columbus and Cabot It was lately noted here that Columbus' flagship, the Santa Maria, shown on the 3¢ of the US Columbian issue of 1893, was used again by the American Bank Note Co. on the 10¢ of the Cabot issue of Newfoundland, 1897, and designated as the Mathew. A reader states that the boats...

Christmas Topical Collections Collectors form "Topical" collections in so many groups and subjects these days that it has occurred to me whether there are stamp collections arranged on the Christmas theme? Probably those who collect according to Biblical subjects could readily assembly such a...

Moveable Box For many years moveable posting-boxes were placed on board various cross-channel steamers plying between England and the continent. They were first used as early as the 1840s and their use was regularized under the Anglo-French Postal Convention of 1856.

Pony Express A famous American mail service operated by pony riders over 2,000 miles of hazardous country between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento California. The service started in April, 1860, when William H. Russell, one of the proprietors, won a $200,000 wager by proving that the...

Iceland Tollur Cancellations Some ca. 1907-1918 Icelandic postage stamps are known bearing postal-type cancellations and additional "sewing machine needle" cancellations. Such stamps were used as revenue stamps, most likely on customs/import documents as precursors to Tollur-canceled stamps. They...

Salut Pierre. I hear that you moved. Could you please email me with your new address? Merci. Blair blair dot stannard @ yahoo dot ca

Could anyone please send me Rodney Cork's latest email address and snail mail address if possible? Thank You. Blair blair dot stannard @ yahoo dot ca

Hawaii Under United States My attention has been directed by C. G. Brown to the last three stamps issued in Hawaii in 1899, after the islands had been formally annexed to the United States in 1898. Mr. Brown advances the suggestion that these stamps, therefore, would properly be termed issues of...

The Exhibition The exhibition was managed by Ernest Kehr, and while staged on a limited scale, I found it an entertaining and educational show. The stamp exhibits were well diversified, and the frames were scattered about the museum, sandwiched in with the regular scientific and industrial...

Following the recent discussion of illegal stamps, in another thread, I found the following communication from the Gambian Postal Administration. Blair (TC) Dear Sir/Madam,

Excerpts from the Gambian Budget Speech of 2004. "134. Based on the satisfactory performance of the Gambia Post Office (GPO) during the year following its transformation to a semi-autonomous department, a Divestiture Task Force is currently working on a cabinet paper for the Gambia Post Office...

Here we go again. This time Rwanda is the victim. Blair --------------------------------------------------- Rwanda - Illegal postage stamp issues From the postal administration of RWANDA:

On 12 April 2005 Belarus issued a set of 4 stamps plus one souvenir sheet commemorating the end of World War Two. What is interesting is that the four stamps were denominated as A, H, H, and P . (see Notes below) The A stamp sold for 160 Belarus Rubles. (140 in...

This cover purports to be a flight cover from Zurich (Ruti) to Stuttgart. However it appears to have gone by Rail. Which is it? http://www.cjauctions.com/ebayimages/st0457.jpg Any help would be appreciated. Blait

Gum Breakers on Rotary Printings Franklin O. Davis feels that the various types of gum breakers used at the Bureau to keep stamps from rolling up after issue, are of considerable interest and I agree, except that I haven't found the time to keep up with them, beyond noting that there have been...

Caspary Hawaiian Missionary Cover The Caspary collection of Hawaii which is undoubtedly the finest ever offered containing, as it does, no less than a dozen of the extremely rare type-set "Missionaries," on and off cover (with an aggregate catalog value of $59,000 plus), will come up for sale in...

New Bileski Title Pages Three new title pages have just been published by K. Bileski, Station B, Winnipeg, Canada. Designed by the renowned artist, Arthur Szyk, the new pages comprise one for Great Britain, one for the U.S.S.R., and another for the Airmails of the World. All are in the same high...

On Friday, 13 June 2003 01:58:10 UTC-4, Bobstamp wrote: It seems that Canada Post has decided to reinvent itself as stamp shop, selling basic philatelic supplies. Beverly Fox, owner of Weeda Stamps in Vancouver, writes about this interesting development in her current "Fox Tales"...