Friday, November 28, 2014

Andorra- a closer look at the stamp issues

1940 Scott 53A 1.50fr crimson 
"Gorge of St. Julia"
Into the Deep Blue
The 2011 Scott Classic Specialized catalogue has, for Andorra 1928-1943, 40 major numbers for the Spanish administration, and 109 major numbers for the French administration. Total = 149 major descriptive numbers. Of those, 44 are CV <$1-$1+, or 29%. Andorra is somewhat expensive for the WW classical collector.

Andorra

A closer look at the stamps and issues
100 Centimos = 1 Peseta
100 Centimes = 1 Franc
Spanish Administration
1928 Scott 3 10c green "King Alfonso XIII"
Stamps of Spain, 1922-26, overprinted in Red or Black
The 12 stamp Spanish administration issue of 1928 is overprinted, as shown above. Scott has a note that the stamps tend to be poorly centered. I suspect that the Spanish postal authorities took their worst stamps, and overprinted them for Andorra. ;-) Six of the stamps have a CV <$1-$3+. Of note, is that Scott also lists a perf 14 minor number issue for 1928  (16 stamps) that is rather expensive.


Spanish Administration
1937 Scott 25 2c red brown "La Vall"
There is a Spanish administration 1929 12 stamp issue that has control numbers on the back and is Perf 14. This issue had five designs, including the one pictured above. There is also a 8 stamp minor issue with control numbers on the back found between the years 1931-38 with Perf 11 1/2. Clearly, one will need to pay attention to perforations here.

Between 1936-43, a 14 stamp issue without control numbers and Perf 11 1/2 X 11 was released. An example is shown above.

French Administration
1931 Scott 2 2c red brown "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"
Stamps and Types of France 1900-29, Overprinted
Meanwhile the French administration had their own stamp issues. The first one was released in 1931, and used 22 overprinted French stamps from 1900-29. Six of them have CV $1+-$5+.

1932 Scott 27 10c dull lilac "Bridge of St. Anthony"
A lovely long (56 stamps!) French administration issue was released between 1932-43, and had five designs.

 Pont de Sant Antoni de la Grella 
The Pont de Sant Antoni de la Grella is a Romanesque bridge south of the village of Anyos, and still exists! My desire to visit Andorra just went up 1000%.   ;-)

1940 Scott 46A 80c blue green 
"Gorge of St. Julia"
The 1932-43 issue is interesting, because some are inexpensive, while others are quite expensive. The 80c blue green pictured above is CV <$1. While another "Gorge of St. Julia" stamp, the 1933 Scott 54 1.75fr violet is @ $100+!

1940 Scott 60A 3fr red brown 
"Chapel of Meritxell'
Our Lady of Meritxell is the patron saint of Andorra. However, the chapel pictured on these stamps burned down in 1972. My!...what a peaceful scene!

Postage Due 1931 Scott J9 1c olive green
On French Stamps of 1927-31
Postage due stamps from France - here 1927-31- were overprinted as shown. The CV for this seven stamp issue ranges up to $200+!

Deep Blue
French Administration 1936-42 "Coat of Arms" Issue in Deep Blue
Deep Blue (Steiner) has 13 pages for Andorra, and has a space for all the major Scott numbers. In addition, Deep Blue has spaces for the Spanish administration 1875 "Coat of Arms" issue ( Found in the Edifil Spanish catalogue), and the Spanish administration 1931-34 perf 11 1/2 minor number stamps.

Newspaper stamp 1931 Scott P1 1/2c on 1c gray
Out of the Blue
Andorra is one of those countries where dealers seem to have not much earlier stock- especially Spanish Andorra. If you find a good source- let me know. ;-)

Note: Pic appears to be in the public domain.
Note: This additional material has been added to the original Andorra post.

Comments welcomed!

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Palestine

1918 Scott 5 2m blue green 
Occupied by "Egyptian Expeditionary Forces" of the British Army
Quick History
Between 1918-20, Palestine ( named after the Palaestina province of the Roman and Byzantine Empire) was occupied by the British Army Egyptian Expeditionary Forces as part of the campaign against the Ottoman Empire, which had sided with Germany during WW I. Stamps were issued February 10, 1918.

Then, following the San Remo conference in April, 1920, Syria and Lebanon came under French Mandate, while Palestine became a British Mandate. This arrangement was approved by the League of Nations in 1922. The British civil Mandate administration continued until 1948.

Palestine, 1922
The Capital was Jerusalem, and the official languages were English, Arabic, and Hebrew. The census of 1922 showed a  population of 757,000 (78% Muslim, 11% Jewish, 10% Christian).

By 1936, the population was 1,300,000 ( Jewish 384,000).

The British Mandate period marked the significant rise of both Jewish and Arab nationalist movements. This culminated  in the Arab Revolt of 1936-39, the Civil War of 1947-48, and the Arab-Israeli War of 1948.

By 1949, Mandated Palestine was no more. Rather, the territory was split into the State of Israel with a Jewish majority, the West Bank (annexed by the Kingdom of Jordan), and the Gaza Strip ( Arab All-Palestine Government), under Egypt military occupation.

(For a more fleshed out history of Jordan and it's stamps, review my Jordan blog post.)

1921 Scott 43 2pi olive green
Stamps of 1918 Overprinted
Into the Deep Blue
The 2011 Scott Classic 1840-1940 catalogue has, for Palestine 1918-1945, 93 major descriptive numbers. The 1918 fourteen stamp issue was under British occupation, while the issues after 1920 were under British administration. Of the total, 64 are CV < $1-$1+, or 69%.

In addition, there are 22 minor number stamps with overprint variations.

A closer look at the stamps and issues
10 Milliemes = 1 Piaster
1000 Milliemes = 1 Egyptian Pound
1000 Mils = 1 Palestine Pound (1928)
1918 Scott 13 10pi ultramarine
Issued under British Military Occupation
A rouletted two stamp issue and a perforated eleven stamp issue was produced in 1918 under British Military Occupation, as shown. The stamps were for the territories of Palestine, Transjordan, Lebanon, Syria, and in parts of Cilicia and northeastern Egypt. The stamp has English, Arabic, and Hebrew script.

"EEF" are the initials for "Egyptian Expeditionary Forces".

If you have overprints for these design stamps that are not shown on this blog post, check the Jordan post, as many overprints of these stamps were issued there. 

1920 Scott 19 5m orange
Stamps and Type of 1918 Overprinted in Black or Silver
Arabic Overprint 8mm long
An eleven stamp issue, overprinted in Jerusalem, was produced on September 1, 1920. This was at the beginning of the "British Mandate", although the affirmative vote by the League of Nations did not occur until 1922.

One has to pay careful attention to the overprint, as it has (subtle) changes in subsequent issues.

Here, the Arabic overprint script is 8mm long, and the "Palestine" English script is different than the 1921-22 (London printing) issues.

1920 Scott 15a 1m dark brown
Arabic Overprint 10 mm long
There is also a 1920-21 eight stamp issue where the Arabic overprint is 10 mm long. These are given minor numbers in Scott (although they have their own listing). Other catalogues treat these as major numbers, and you should too, ;-)

Other (minor number) variations have shorter spaces between the English and Hebrew lines. Consult Scott for details - or better, the Stanley Gibbons Commonwealth & British Empire Stamps 1840-1970 catalogue, which illustrates all the overprints.

1921 Scott 39 3m light brown
Stamps of 1918 Overprinted
In 1921, an eleven  stamp issue, overprinted in London, was released. Note the different "Palestine" script from the previous Jerusalem overprinted issue. The perforation is 15 X 14, and the watermark is Wmk 33 " Crown & GvR".

1922 Scott 51 4m rose
Similar Overprint on Type of 1921
In 1922, another 15 stamp overprinted issue was produced, mostly (but not always!) in different colors. The 1m - 5pi denominations are Perf 14, while 9pi - 20pi are perf 15 X 14. The watermark is Wmk 4 "Multiple Crown and Script C A".

Left: "Crown and GvR"
Right: "Multiple Crown and Script C A"
If in doubt, check the watermark.

1927 Scott 63 2m Prius Blue "Rachel's Tomb"
Between 1927-1942, a 22 stamp issue was released with scenes/sites from Palestine. The stamps again were in three languages.

Rachel's tomb (reputed) is within a Muslim cemetery, and is located on the edge of Bethlehem in the West Bank. Rachel, wife of Jacob, and mother of Benjamin, is revered, especially in the Jewish tradition.

Rachel's Tomb, Circa 1880
Rachel's tomb has been the site of Muslim/ Jewish cooperation and conflict, depending on the era.

1932 Scott 66 4m violet brown
Mosque of Omar (Dome of the Rock)
The Dome of the Rock is located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was completed in 691. The Foundation Stone, on which it is built, holds great significance for Muslims, Jews, and Christians. It was constructed on the Second Jewish Temple site, which was destroyed by the Roman army in year 70.

Muslims believe this is the site of the Islamic miracle of the Isra and Miraj.

Non-Muslims are generally not allowed inside ( there are exceptions). When I visited Jerusalem in 2008, the outside Dome of the Rock was magnificent indeed.

Foundation Stone in the floor of the Dome of the Rock
Jews believe the Foundation Stone was the location of the Holy of Holies in the Temple, and view it as the epicenter (junction) of Heaven and Earth. ( According to Jewish tradition, the stone is the site where Abraham was preparing to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Muslims believe it was Ishmael that was to be sacrificed.) As Jewish prayer is not allowed on the Temple Mount by Muslim authorities, the closest place to pray while facing the Foundation Stone is near the Western Wall.

The Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock
At the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount is the Western Wall or Wailing Wall.  It is composed of an ancient wall remnant  that surrounded  the old Jewish Temple's courtyard.  It is a continual site for Jewish prayer and pilgrimage. When I was there, it did indeed  feel like a profound place.

1932 Scott 70 7m dark violet
"Citadel at Jerusalem"
This ancient citadel ("Tower of David") is located near the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem. It has origins back to the 2nd century BC. It now houses a Museum of the History of Jerusalem.

1927 Scott 80 100m bright blue
"Tiberias and Sea of Galilee"
Tiberias, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, appears as magnificent as the stamp image portrays,- on my recollection.

1923 Scott J2 2m green 
Postage Due
The five stamp 1923 postage due issue is rather functional in appearance, as this somewhat overused specimen demonstrates.

1924 Scott J6 1m brown
Postage Due
A new six stamp postage due set was issued only a year later in 1924.

1928 Scott J16 8m red
Postage Due
A change in currency from "Millieme" to "Mil" required a new nine stamp postage due issue between 1928-45.

1948 Scott N7 5m orange
Occupation of Palestine by Jordan
Although not part of the stamp coverage in the Scott Classic 1840-1940 catalogue, here is an example of the occupation stamps of 1948.

1948-67
Jordanian occupied West Bank
Egyptian occupied Gaza Strip
After 1948 Arab- Israeli War
The West Bank was occupied, then was annexed (1950) by Jordan. But in June,1967, as a result of the Six-Day War, the West Bank and East Jerusalem were captured by Israel. 

The West Bank has not been annexed by Israel, but remains under Israeli military control.

Subsequently, the Arab League, in 1974, and Jordan, in 1988, designated the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) as the representative of the Palestinian people.

Deep Blue
1922 Issue in Deep Blue
The Deep Blue (Steiner) has six pages for Palestine, and includes a space for the major numbers. In addition, Deep Blue provides 22 spaces for the minor number overprint variants. Nice!

1927 Scott 67 5m brown orange 
"Citadel at Jerusalem"
Big Blue
The "69 Big Blue, on two pages, has 61 spaces for the stamps of Palestine. The pages are located between "Orange River Colony" and "Panama". Coverage is 66%.

Of interest, the 1940s editions only have one page for Palestine and 50 spaces.

The '69 ( and later) editions include all the Palestine postage due issues (20 stamps!), including three postage dues with CV $10-$20.

Checklist

1918-19
4,5,6,7,8,1 or 2 or 9,10,

1920-22*
15 or 37 or 48, 16,49,17 or 39,50,18 or 40,19 or 41,
53,54,55,56,42,57,21 or 43 or 58,
22 or 44 or 59, 23 or 45 or 60, 61,(62),

1927-32
63,64,66,67,68,70,
72,73, 74 or 75, 76,77,
78,80,81,82,(83),

Next Page

Postage Due
1923
J1,J2,J3,J4,J5,

1924
J6,J7,J8,J9,J10,J11,

1928-33
J12,J13,J14,J15,J16,
J17,J18,J19,J20,

End

Comments
A) Expensive stamps ($10 threshold):
1923 Scott J1 1m bister brown ($20)
1923 Scott J2 2m green ($10+)
1923 Scott J3 4m red ($10+)
B) (   ) around a number indicates a blank space choice.
C) *1920-22 - The 1920, 1920-21 (minor numbers), 1921, 1922 issues with various types of overprints are eligible.

1928 Scott J17 10m light gray
Postage Due
Out of the Blue
The 1918-45 British Mandate stamps of Palestine, perhaps, do not capture all of the turbulent activities of the times.

But, incredible history (both ancient and modern), if there ever was one. The juxtaposition of Christian, Jew, and Muslim cultures makes this one of the most fascinating places on earth.

Note: Maps, pics appear to be in the public domain.

Comments are appreciated!

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Allenstein- a closer look at the stamp issues

1920 Scott 2 10pf carmine
Stamps of Germany 1906-1920, overprinted
Into the Deep Blue
The 2011 Scott Classic Specialized catalogue has, for Allenstein 1920, 28 overprinted German stamps.  Of those, 23 are CV <$1-$1+, or 82%. Clearly, a representative collection can be gathered without high cost.

Allenstein (In Gray)
A closer look at the stamps and issues
100 Pfenning = 1 Mark
1920 Scott 8 50pf purple & black/buff
First Overprinting
As Allenstein had both Polish and German inhabitants, a League of Nations plebiscite was to be  held on July 11, 1920 to determine if East Prussia or Poland would retain the territory.

In April, 1920 two types of overprints were applied to German stamps as propaganda/ publicity.

Shown above is the first type of overprint with Plebiscite/ Olsztyn/ Allenstein script. (Olsztyn is the Polish name for the district.)

1920 Scott 11 1.25m green, overprinted
On July 11, 1920, 97% voted for East Prussia. Apparently, some Poles boycotted the election, and other Poles voted for Germany in fear that Poland might fall to Soviet Russia.
.
1920 Scott 12 1.50 yellow brown, overprinted
But, the overwhelming 97% vote does seem "odd", considering that in 1910, 52% of the population was German, and 44% of the population was Polish.

920 Scott 19 20pf blue violet
Second Overprinting
The second overprinting is shown here. The stamps were valid until August 30.

1920 Scott 23 75pf green & black, overprinted
All values have a reasonable CV, no doubt because there was interest among collectors at the time for these stamps. But, the 15pf violet brown was issued after the other stamps, and has a higher CV: $5+ & $20 for the two overprinted types.

1920 Scott 28 3m black violet, overprinted
Ultimately, after WW II, the territory was absorbed into Poland.

Deep Blue
1920 Allenstein Scott 1-14 issue
Deep Blue (Steiner) has two pages for Allenstein, and has a space for the major numbers. Of interest, Scott lists minor number color variations, and, if one wished to collect Allenstein at that level, additional pages would be needed.

Out of the Blue
A plebiscite and German stamps- what's not to like?  ;-)

Note: This blog post is an update for the original Allenstein post. The material presented here has been incorporated into that post.

Note: Map appears to be in the public domain.

Have a comment?

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Pakistan

1947 Scott 14 1r brown & slate 
Stamps of India 1937-43, Overprinted
Quick History
The Dominion of Pakistan came into existence as a sovereign country on August 15, 1947, when it and the Dominion of  India were partitioned from British India. Both Pakistan and India then joined the British Commonwealth.

The borders of Pakistan separated out the Muslim majority in the northwest and east from Hindu India.

The Dominion of Pakistan 1947-1956
West Pakistan & East Pakistan
In the east, the province of Bengal was divided into East Bengal ( "East Pakistan"), and West Bengal, which remained in India.

In the northwest, the western portion of Punjab became part of Pakistan, while the east part remained with India.

The other provinces that joined as a federation within Pakistan included Balochistan, Sindh, and the North-West Frontier Province. The Native (Princely) States (including stamp issuing Bahawalpur) within the Provinces also joined the federation.

The Capital of the Dominion was Karachi. ( The Capital was moved to the planned city of Islamabad in 1960.)

Pakistan
The Dominion and the monarchy was abolished in 1956, with the development of an Islamic Republic. In 1971, after a bloody civil war,  East Pakistan left the Republic to become the country of Bangladesh.

So ends this rather too quick history. ( A deeper historical review by readers is encouraged.)

1947 Scott 4 1a carmine rose
Stamps of India 1937-43, Overprinted
Into the Deep Blue
The 2011 Scott Classic 1840-1940 catalogue has, for Pakistan 1947-49, 32 major descriptive numbers for the regular and official stamp categories. All of these stamps are "Pakistan" overprinted stamps of 1937-43 India. Of those, 20 ( 62%) are CV <$1-$1+.

Pakistan's own stamp designs, which were issued beginning in 1948, are not part of the Scott Classic catalogue. Therefore, I will  not include them here.

A closer look at the stamps and issues
12 Pies = 1 Anna
16 Annas - 1 Rupee
1947 Scott 6 2a scarlet
Stamps of India 1937-43, Overprinted
Beginning October 1, 1947 (Recall Pakistan came into existence August 15, 1947), 19 stamps of India were overprinted as shown for Pakistan. As Pakistan was a Dominion, the image of George VI was appropriate. The truth is, though, this issue ( and the 1947-49 Official issue) were the last to show a monarch, even though the Dominion lasted until 1956. Queen Elizabeth, as "Queen of Pakistan", never appeared on a Pakistan stamp during this era. The times were a changin'.

1947 Scott 11 8a blue violet
Thirteen stamps in the issue have a CV of <$1-$1+.

1947 Scott 15 2r dark brown & dark violet
The six higher denomination values were in a large stamp bi-color format.

1947 Scott O3 9p green
Official Stamps of India, 1939-43, Overprinted
Between 1947-49, thirteen Official stamps were issued by overprinting India "service" stamps.

1947 Scott O6 2a scarlet
Note the "Local" overprint
What do you make of this large overprint? The 2012 Stanley Gibbons Commonwealth & British Empire Stamps 1840-1970 catalogue states: " Numerous provisional "Pakistan" overprints, both handstamped and machine-printed, in various sizes and colors, on Postage and Official stamps, also exist".

1947 Scott O11 2r dark brown & dark violet
CV for eight stamps in the Official issue range from <$1-$2.

Deep Blue
1947 Issue in Deep Blue
Deep Blue (Steiner) has two pages for the overprinted "Pakistan" stamps of 1937-43 India, and includes spaces for all the Scott major numbers.

1947 Scott 9 4a chocolate
Big Blue
Big Blue ( Part I 1840-1940) does not include Pakistan, as that country is covered in the Part II (1940-1949+) volume. Therefore, I will not include a checklist here.

I must admit, though, I am strongly tempted to actively collect the world's stamps of 1940-1949, as WW II and the aftermath create a highly interesting stamp era. ( I am already doing this with the 1940-52 George VI British Commonwealth countries.)

1947 Scott O9 8a blue violet
Out of the Blue
These transitional "Pakistan" overprinted stamps of India do little to exhibit the interesting stamps and history of this important country, which was birthed in 1947.

Note: Map images appear to be in the public domain.

Have a comment?