1913-1933 Tibet 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
You want to know why Tibet is a popular "country" with WW classical era collectors?
Read the 1947 Scott catalogue description....
"Tibet is a theocratic state, ruled by the Dalai Lama, and a large part of the population consists of Buddhist monks and nuns. While occasional expeditions have been able to penetrate the country- a British mission fought its way to Lhasa in 1904- it is largely terra incognita, as entry by Europeans is strictly discouraged, except in very rare and exceptional cases. Tibet's postage stamps are valid only within its own borders."
Nothing like remote turning into exotic to make collectors desire a little piece of tangible paper evidence.
Read the 1947 Scott catalogue description....
"Tibet is a theocratic state, ruled by the Dalai Lama, and a large part of the population consists of Buddhist monks and nuns. While occasional expeditions have been able to penetrate the country- a British mission fought its way to Lhasa in 1904- it is largely terra incognita, as entry by Europeans is strictly discouraged, except in very rare and exceptional cases. Tibet's postage stamps are valid only within its own borders."
Nothing like remote turning into exotic to make collectors desire a little piece of tangible paper evidence.
Tibet is located on a high tableland in central Asia, with China to the east, Turkestan on the north, and Nepal, Bhutan, and India to the south.
The capital is Lhasa and the population is ~ 1,500,000.
Since 1950, Tibet has been under the control of China, and China has tightened the yoke, not necessarily in Tibet's favor. China has allowed Tibet to be a destination for intrepid travelers and tourists, but under some scrutiny.
The capital is Lhasa and the population is ~ 1,500,000.
Since 1950, Tibet has been under the control of China, and China has tightened the yoke, not necessarily in Tibet's favor. China has allowed Tibet to be a destination for intrepid travelers and tourists, but under some scrutiny.
The 2014 Scott Classic Specialized 1840-1940 catalogue has, for Tibet 1912 -34 (-50), 18 major number descriptions. Of those, none have a CV under $10. At a CV of $15-$60, there are nine stamps (50% total). Clearly, Tibet is an expensive country for the WW collector, although a mitigating factor is there are only 18 major numbers.
A larger problem is that "excellent counterfeits exist" (Scott). One will need to purchase from a reliable source, or obtain certs, or become an expert in detecting forgeries, or take one's chances. I've done the latter, which means there could indeed be counterfeits mixed in here.
One thing of note: all of Tibet's postage stamps were only valid within its borders.
A larger problem is that "excellent counterfeits exist" (Scott). One will need to purchase from a reliable source, or obtain certs, or become an expert in detecting forgeries, or take one's chances. I've done the latter, which means there could indeed be counterfeits mixed in here.
One thing of note: all of Tibet's postage stamps were only valid within its borders.
Big Blue '69, on two lines of one page shared with Tete, has 10 spaces. Coverage is 60%.
The 1940s BB editions have the same coverage.
Of interest, all of the stamp spaces require CV stamps ranging from $14-$55.
Consequently, there are five spaces with "expensive stamps" ($10+), and five spaces with "most expensive stamps" ($40-$55).
For more on Tibet and the stamps, click on the link below.
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