Senegambia & Niger - Bud's Big Blue

1903 Senegambia & Niger in Bud's Big Blue

Bud's Big Blue

Bud's Observations

(From Jim: Bud is well, but has a lot of non philatelic obligations and responsibilities at the moment. With his permission, I will upload  country pages in his complete '69 Big Blue that so far has not been shown. He might add his observations later. Enjoy!)

Jim's Observations

Senegambia & Niger was a short lived administrative French possession territory in West Africa between 1902-04, when it was consolidated with a part of (earlier era) French Sudan territory to become Upper Senegal and Niger. (See clarifying note at the end of the blogpost link below.)

Senegambia & Niger territory consisted of the upper basins of the Senegal river and the Niger river and parts east- somewhat ill-defined. The main settlement was Bammako on the Niger.

Senegambia & Niger administrative territory had one stamp issue: 1903 "Navigation and Commerce" stamps.

The 2014 Scott Classic Specialized 1840-1940 catalogue has, for Senegambia & Niger 1903, thirteen major descriptions for the "Navigation and Commerce" issue.

Big Blue '69, has eight spaces for the 1903 issue. Coverage is 62%.

Senegambia & Niger in the '69 edition is located after St. Thomas and Prince Islands, and on the same page as Schleswig and the beginning of the St. Vincent coverage.

The 40s editions have Senegambia & Niger located after Salvador.

All editions have the same coverage.

BB has spaces for Scott 1-8, and includes two spaces @ CV $10+, and one space @ CV $20+.

For more, click on the link below.

Senegambia & Niger Blog Post & BB Checklist

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Senegal - Bud's Big Blue

1892-1912 Senegal in Bud's Big Blue

Bud's Big Blue

Bud's Observations

(From Jim: Bud is well, but has a lot of non philatelic obligations and responsibilities at the moment. With his permission, I will upload  country pages in his complete '69 Big Blue that so far has not been shown. He might add his observations later. Enjoy!)

Jim's Observations

Senegal, on the coast of West Africa, has been under French influence since 1677. Initial important settlements included the island of Goree ( slave trade), Saint-Louis (Capital of Senegal 1673-1902, and French West Africa 1895-1902), and Dakar (Capital since 1902).

The country derives its name from the Senegal River that is located on the east and north border.

Stamps were introduced in 1887 using surcharged French Colony issues.

One will note that Senegal stamps, beginning in 1906, are labeled "Afrique Occidentale Francaise" or "AOF".

The 2014 Scott Classic Specialized 1840-1940  catalogue has, for Senegal 1887-1940, 250 major number descriptions. Of those, 131 are CV <$1-$1+, or 53%. However, the early surcharged French Colony stamps (1887-1892: 34 stamps) are quite expensive indeed (CV $80+-$5000+), are clearly specialist territory, and I will say no more about them here.

Big Blue '69 has spaces for 165 stamps. Coverage is 66%.

There are only three spaces needing CV $10+ stamps.

Of the two long issues, BB provides spaces for 38 / 44 of the 1914-33 issue, and 24 /30 of the 1935-40 issue. "Appears" to be  good coverage, but eight of those missing stamp spaces only require CV <$1-$1+ stamps. 

For more on the stamps themselves, as well as "bonus" coverage of the 1914-33 issue, click on the links below.

Senegal Blog Post & BB Checklist

Senegal - the three types of the 1914-33 Issue

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Schleswig - Bud's Big Blue

1920 Schleswig in Bud's Big Blue

Bud's Big Blue

Bud's Observations

(From Jim: Bud is well, but has a lot of non philatelic obligations and responsibilities at the moment. With his permission, I will upload  country pages in his complete '69 Big Blue that so far has not been shown. He might add his observations later. Enjoy!)

Jim's Observations

As a result of the Treaty of Versailles, Schleswig , comprising the southern Jutland Peninsula lands of the former Duchy of Schleswig, was offered a plebiscite after WW I.

The reason for the plebiscite was the majority Danish population in northern Schleswig, and the Danes had long advocated for that portion to be formally annexed to Denmark. After WW I, their arguments fell on the sympathetic ears of the French, and hence the plebiscite was organized and monitored by a commission with members from France, Great Britain, Norway and Sweden.

To publicize the referendum, fourteen stamps were issued January 25, 1920, denominated in Pfennig/Mark.

There was actually two plebiscite votes: one in Zone I, the other in Zone II. No doubt the "zones" were set up to make the results clear, if one wants to be cynical about the process.

The northern portion (Zone I) voted on February 10, 1920 to accept Danish rule (75%). The central part (Zone II) of the southern portion voted on March 14, 1920 for Germany (80%). 

On May 20, 1920, there was another fourteen stamp issue intended for use in Zone I, and now denominated in Ore/Krone.

Zone I (Southern Jutland) was transferred to Denmark on June 15, 1920.

The 2014 Scott Classic Specialized 1840-1940 catalogue has, for Schleswig 1920, 42 major descriptive numbers. Of those, 24 are CV <$1-$1+, or 57%. Clearly, a nice sampling can be acquired by the WW collector for not much expense.

Big Blue '69, on three lines of one page (shared with Senegambia & Niger, and the beginning of St. Vincent), has 21 spaces. Coverage is 50%.

All of the coverage is for the first two issues (The official issue, which is not covered by BB, is quite expensive). BB is missing three stamps from the second issue with CV <$1.

There are no expensive stamps: In fact, the most expensive space is for the Scott 13 5m green @ CV $1+. !

For more on the stamps themselves, and the BB checklist, click on the link below.

Schleswig Blog Post & BB Checklist

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Saxony - Bud's Big Blue

1855-1863 Saxony in Bud's Big Blue

Bud's Big Blue

Bud's Observations

(From Jim: Bud is well, but has a lot of non philatelic obligations and responsibilities at the moment. With his permission, I will upload  country pages in his complete '69 Big Blue that so far has not been shown. He might add his observations later. Enjoy!)

Jim's Observations

The Kingdom of Saxony lasted between 1806 and 1918, although the Kingdom existed as a more slender state after 1815 (Prussia took the rest), and then joined the German Empire in 1871.

A stamp was introduced in 1850, and it looks quite similar in design to the early "Numeral" stamps of Bavaria.

Stamps of Saxony were replaced by those of the North German Confederation on January 1, 1868.

Subsequently, the Confederation was reorganized in 1871 into the German Empire , under the leadership  of Prussian Wilhelm I (Emperor) and Otto von Bismarck.

However, the King of Saxony (John I at the time) still retained some prerogatives, including establishing diplomatic liaisons with other countries.

The 2014 Scott Classic Specialized 1840-1940 catalogue has, for Saxony 1850-1863, twenty major number descriptions. Of those, eight are CV $1+-$9+, or 40%. 

Big Blue '69 has Saxony on one line of one page, and includes eight spaces for the "1855-56" (3 spaces) and 1863 (5 spaces) issues. Total coverage is 40%. 

For more on Saxony, click on the link below..

Saxony Blog Post & BB Checklist

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Sardinia - Bud's Big Blue

1855-61 Sardinia in Bud's Big Blue

Bud's Big Blue

Bud's Observations

(From Jim: Bud is well, but has a lot of non philatelic obligations and responsibilities at the moment. With his permission, I will upload  country pages in his complete '69 Big Blue that so far has not been shown. He might add his observations later. Enjoy!)

Jim's Observations

Sardinia was the leading Italian State and absorbed the other states, eventually becoming the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

Sardinia- Kingdom- population growing as Sardinia was the dominant force behind the unification. The other States were annexed, and Sardinia eventually became the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. Sardinia includes Genoa, Turin, and Nice.

Tuscany- Grand Duchy- population 2,900,000- Capital Florence- annexed to Sardinia in 1860.

Two Sicilies- Kingdom- Capital Naples- annexed to Sardinia in 1860.

(Lombardy-Venetia -Kingdom (Part of Austrian Empire)- Principal cities Milan and Venice - Lombardy annexed by Sardinia in 1859, and Venetia by Italy in 1866.)

Sardinia, with Victor Emmanuel II as King, and the help of France (Napoleon II) against the Austrian Empire, obtained Lombardy in 1859.

Parma, Tuscany, Modena, and Romagna all voted to join Sardinia in 1860.

Giuseppe Garibaldi conquered the Kingdom of Two Sicilies in the name of the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1860.

The Kingdom of Italy was then proclaimed on March 17, 1861.Turin was the Capital until 1865, when the Capital was moved to Florence.

The Scott Classical Specialized catalogue has:

Sardinia (1851-1863): 16 stamp descriptions ( 6 <$20, some with no gum)

The '41/'43/'47 edition Big Blue have, scattered through the album under the name of the various States, coverage for Modena (5 spaces), Parma (2 spaces), Romagna (3 spaces), Roman States (6 spaces), Sardinia (7 spaces), Tuscany (2 spaces), and Two Sicilies (6 spaces).

The '69/'97 edition reduced the coverage to Roman States (Papal States), and Sardinia.

In the '69 BB, Sardinia (one line) shares the page with Saxony and Saudi Arabia.

The Sardinia 1855-63 series (6 stamps) had an embossed portrait of King Emmanuel II. Sardinia, being the dominant Italian State, then provided in 1862 the same stamp images (and king!), now perforated, for the newly formed Kingdom of Italy.  Remember- Imperforate- Sardinia; Perforate- Italy, (except 15c blue, a new denomination, which is imperforate). 

This embossed newspaper stamp was issued in 1861, part of a two stamp set. 

Italian States -a classical minefield

BB Checklist

Sardinia  (Seven spaces)

1855-61 (Imperforate)

10,11,12,13,14

Newspaper stamps

1861

P1,P2

Notes

Scott 12 20c indigo CV $40

Scott 13 40c red CV $40

Scott 14 80c yellow orange CV $22 unused

Scott P2 2c black CV $105 used

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Sarawak - Bud's Big Blue

1871-1908 Sarawak in Bud's Big Blue

Bud's Big Blue

Bud's Observations

(From Jim: Bud is well, but has a lot of non philatelic obligations and responsibilities at the moment. With his permission, I will upload  country pages in his complete '69 Big Blue that so far has not been shown. He might add his observations later. Enjoy!)

Jim's Observations

Sarawak was located in northwest Borneo, west of Labuan and North Borneo (now Sabah). 

As a reward for helping to put down insurrection and piracy, the Sultanate of Brunei (Raja Muda Hassim) awarded the Kingdom of Sarawak to Sir James Brooke, a British adventurer, in 1841. He became the first White Rajah of Sarawak. 

The United States (1850) and the United Kingdom (1863) both recognized the sovereignty of Sarawak.

The Kingdom of Sarawak become a British Protectorate in 1888.

The first stamp for Sarawak was issued March 1, 1869 with a portrait of Sir James Brooke, posthumously, as he died August 18, 1868.

As Sir James Brooke never married, the second White Rajah in 1868 was Charles Anthoni Johnson Brooke, his nephew and sister's son.

Sir Johnson Charles Brooke appeared on all Sarawak's stamp issues between 1871-1908.

With his passing in 1917, his son, Charles Vyner Brooke became the third (and last) White Rajah.

Vyner appeared on Sarawak's stamps between 1918-1947.

Big Blue '69, on one page, has 50 spaces. Total coverage is 23%. Subtracting the post 1940 issues in the 1840-1940 catalogue (93 stamps) brings the coverage up to 41%. Still, I found some 28 stamps CV $1+-$5 that could have been included. 

And there is a curious omission of no coverage of the 1875 issue, three stamps of which are CV $4-$5.

There are five stamps CV $10+ that are required by BB. 

For much more on Sarawak, click on the link below.

Sarawak Blog Post & BB Checklist

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