Cuba 1890-1939 - Update C

1910 Cuba Scott E4 10c orange & blue "J.B. Zayas"

Issues of the Republic Inscribed  "Immediata" 

Into the Deep Blue

This post is a continuation (1890-1939) of updates for Cuba, showing off the current Deep Blue (Steiner) page in my collection, and the specific added stamp(s).

The previously posted Cuba updates (A & B) are here and here respectively.

Deep Blue (Steiner) Cuba page : 1890-97

Here is the "Child - age four" 1890-97 "Alfonso XIII" stamps issue, as shown in my Deep Blue collection. Born in 1886, Alfonso XIII was king of Spain at birth, as his father (Alfonso XII) had died the previous year.  His mother was regent until his sixteenth birthday in 1902. He remained  king until 1931.

1891 Scott 133 1c olive gray "Alfonso XIII"

The 1c olive gray (CV $4) was added.....

1894 Scott 138 2c rose "Alfonso XIII"

....as well as the 2c rose (CV $5).

1896 Scott 153 20c violet "Alfonso XIII"

The higher CV ($10) 20c violet is also new for me.

Deep Blue (Steiner) Cuba page : 1898

The 1898 issue shows Alfonso XIII at age twelve, still under the regency of his mother.

1898 Scott 164 4c orange "Alfonso XIII)

The 4c orange (CV$12) is rather uncommon, and new to me.

1898 Scott 173 80c red brown "Alfonso XIII)

The 80c red brown, now added to the collection, has a scarce CV value of $25.

Deep Blue (Steiner) Cuba page : 1899-1910

The 1899 and 1905 (re-engraved) issues of the Republic, was and is fascinating to me. I remember, as a young collector, noting the difference. What a great memory that is. !! 

1910 Scott 246 1p slate & black "Carlos Roloff"

For the 1910 issue, I added the The 1p slate & black (CV$5).

Deep Blue (Steiner) Cuba page : 1911-1914

I really admire the "Map of Cuba" issue of 1914-15

1914 Scott 261 50c orange "Map of Cuba"

The 50c orange is new to me. (CV$20)

Deep Blue (Steiner) Cuba page : 1917-1926

The Portrait stamps can be found unwatermarked (1917-18), and with Wmk 106 (Star) (1925-28).

1928 Scott 277 8c red brown "Agramonte" 

Perf 12, Wmk 106 (Star)

It seems like many Cuba collectors do not often bother with watermarking these issues, so, although not rare, it is a bit difficult to find all the stamps. Here, fresh for me, is the Wmk Star 8c red brown (CV<$1).

1925 Scott 279 20c olive green "Jose A. Saco"

Perf 12, Wmk 106 (Star)

And another addition (CV$1+).

Deep Blue (Steiner) Cuba page : 1933-1936

The 1936 Matanzas issue id Perf 12 1/2.

1936 Scott 324 1c blue green "Map of Cuba"

Matanzas Issue, Imperf

But one can find imperf specimens, valued @ 20% more CV.

Deep Blue (Steiner) Cuba page : 1939-40

The 1939 "General Calixto Garcia" issue is Perf 10.

1939 Scott 360 5c deep blue ""Calixto Garcia"

Imperf

But the issue also exists imperf. This 5c deep blue is an addition.

Deep Blue (Steiner) Cuba page : Special Delivery 1899-1935

The Deep Blue (Steiner) Cuba Special Delivery page.

1910 Cuba Scott E4 10c orange & blue "J.B. Zayas"

Issues of the Republic Inscribed  "Immediata" 

A nice addition - a 10c orange & blue (CV $10).

Deep Blue (Steiner) Cuba page : Postage Due 1899-1928

The 1899 Postage Due US issue surcharged is complete on this page.

Postage Due 1899 Scott J2 2c deep claret

Under U.S. Administration

That is because I added the 2c deep claret (CV $5+).

Deep Blue (Steiner) Cuba page : Newspaper Stamps 1888-1896

Some more "baby" Afonso XIII issues- this time newspaper stamps.

1894 Scott P24 8m rose "Alfonso XIII"

Newspaper

An addition was the 1894 8m rose (CV $4).

Out of the Blue

I hope you enjoyed a look at my Cuba collection in Deep Blue (Steiner pages), and the recent additions. :-) 

Comments appreciated!

Roman States - Bud's Big Blue

Roman States, 1849

© Sémhur / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-4.0, or Free Art License

Bud's Big Blue

Bud's Observations

The Papal State(s) -- variously called Roman States, State(s) of the Church, the Pontifical States, the Ecclesiastical States, and the Patrimony of St. Peter – consisted of a 16,000 square mile swath across the middle of the Italian peninsula at the time its first stamps were issued (1852). Over three million people live there; Rome was a part of it. The Pope was both the spiritual and temporal leader.

In medieval times, the Pope’s control extended to most of present-day Italy. In 1861, the Kingdom of Italy invaded and conquered what remained of the Papal States, except for Rome and its surrounds. Even Rome was lost by 1870, save for the Leonine City where the Vatican is located.

All Roman States stamps have line drawings of the papal triple tiara (the triregno) and the crossed keys of Saint Peter (chiavi decussate); the last, issued in 1868, were printed on glazed paper. Stamps of Italy were used thereafter until the Vatican stamps were issued in 1929.

Scott #s 12, 14, 22, 23, 24, 18

Jim’s discussion of Roman States stamps is included in the post titled Italian States- a minefield. Two other online resources are well worth studying by collectors with even minimal interest in Roman States stamps.

The late Fr. Floyd A. Jenkins, S.J., wrote a concise overview of the political history and varieties of these stamps for the Vatican Philatelic Society: “Introduction to the Philately of the Roman States” 

If you’re lucky enough to own forgeries, some of which are more costly than the originals, consult the “Classic Stamp Forgeries” website: https://stampforgeries.blogspot.com/search?q=roman+states. This post begins with a list of forgery terminology before turning to an extended discussion of Roman States with pictures and identification points.

Census: six in BB spaces, 25 on supplement pages, minor varieties and shades included.

Jim's Observations

My blog post below covers all of the Italian States, including the Roman (Papal) States. The problem for the Roman States is forgery reprints. The stamps were reprinted in 1878-79 (Usigli), 1889 (Moens), 1890 (Cohn), and 1890 (Gelli). They can differ by shades, paper, and perforations.  The reprints have a more blurred appearance. The frame lines can be broken. Check out more about the issues with my blog post below.

Italian States Blog Post & BB Checklist

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Supplements

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Comments appreciated!

Cuba 1878-1888 - Update B

1883 Cuba Scott 114 20 on 20c 1882 brown

Type "c"; Issue of 1882 Surcharged in Black 

Into the Deep Blue

As outlined in Cuba Update A, I added a Cuba collection to my already substantial Cuba Deep Blue (Steiner) pages, and so let's see how Cuba 1878-1888 looks now (Update B).

King Alfonso XII, Stamps dated "1878"

Here are the 1878 stamp issue in Deep Blue now.

1878 Cuba Scott 81 1p carmine "Alfonso XII"

Stamps dated "1878"

I added  a 1p carmine to the collection (CV $25).

Cuba 1879- 1882

Deep Blue ( Steiner page)

The present 1879-1882 Deep Blue page. Missing are the high value Scott 83 ($75), Scott 89 (CV $125), and Scott 95 (CV $50). Scott has a note that "forgeries exist" for Scott 83, and Scott only has listed "unused" for Scott 89 & 95. Clearly, if I was interested in completing this page, I would need to seek out these stamps individually, and probably not rely on finding them in a collection. 

1879 Cuba Scott 87 1p olive bister

Dated "1879"; King Alfonso XII

Added was Scott 87 ($25).

1882 Cuba Scott 100 1c green "Alfonso XII"

Original State

I also added the 1882 1c green (CV <$1). Of interest, I had the other five stamps of the 1882 issue already: some with higher CVs. 

It is also of interest that the 1882 issue and the 1883-86 issue exists in the original state for the "Alfonso XII" portrait and surrounding medallion, and then some stamps are found in a "1st retouch" and a "2nd retouch" state. 

The 1c green 1882 stamp above shows the original state.

Original State: "The medallion is surrounded by a heavy line of color of nearly even thickness, touching the horizontal line found below "Cuba"; the opening of the hair is narrow and pointed."

Scott 121

Showing part of the 1883-86 issue - specifically looking at Scott 121 1c green.

1883-86 Scott 121 1c green 

2nd retouch

This stamp shows the "2nd retouch" state.

2nd retouch: "The opening of the hair forms a semicircle; the lock above the forehead is nearly straight; the white line is much broader than the 1st retouch (below the lock)."

I will show a "1st retouch" stamp in a bit.

Cuba 1883-1888

Deep Blue (Steiner page)

Here is the Deep Blue (Steiner) 1883-88 page.

1883 Cuba Scott 110 10 on 10c 1882 olive bister

Type "b"; Issue of 1882 Surcharged in Blue 

The issue of 1882 was surcharged or overprinted in black, blue, or red for 1883 (16 stamps). The overprint pattern is found in five types (Type a,b,c,d,e).

Above is an example of type "b" Scott 110 (CV $10) which I added to the Deep Blue collection.

1883 Cuba Scott 114 20 on 20c 1882 brown

Type "c"; Issue of 1882 Surcharged in Black 

Here is a type "c" Scott 114 (CV $60) that was added. 

1883 Cuba Scott 119 10c olive bister

Type "e"; Issue of 1882 Overprinted in Blue 

Finally, a Type "e" Scott 119 (CV $12) space was filled. 

1883-86 Cuba Scott 125 5c gray blue "Alfonso XII"

1st Retouch

Looking at the 1883-86 spaces, the 5c gray blue (CV <$1)  - a "1st retouch" example - was added to the collection.

1sr Retouch: "The line around the medallion is thin, except the upper right, and does not touch the horizontal line above it as much as the original state does; the opening of the hair is slightly wider and a trifle rounded; the lock of the hair above the forehead is shaped like a broad "V", and ends in a point; there is a faint white line below it."

Out of the Blue

The more complicated an issue is (Original - 1st retouch-2nd retouch), the better I like it. ;-)

Comments appreciated!

Rio de Oro - Bud's Big Blue

Rio de Oro, 1905-24 (1)

Bud's Big Blue

Bud's Observations

What once was a Spanish colony, Rio de Oro (River of Gold), is now designated as Western Sahara on most maps, although who exactly governs the area is in dispute. Spain quit in 1974. Morocco claims authority, but the United Nations says the matter is unresolved. What is certain – there are no rivers and very little gold in the territory. Parts of it gets foggy once in a while, though. And there are wadi, stony dry river bottoms that flowed full in pre-Jurassic times.

In the mid-1400s Portuguese traders dubbed the area Rio do Ouro because the locals paid gold dust for European wares. The “river” is a misidentified saltwater inlet from the Atlantic Ocean. The Spanish kept the name, ever hopeful that riches would be found somewhere in the desert. Today, artisanal gold mining (small scale, informal, risky, and likely illegal) thrives in the area.

Alfonce XIII, a child, Scott #9 (very) dark green

Legends of forgotten gold hordes stirred the imaginations of early explorers and their royal sponsors. Endless rumors about gold rivers in unknown lands and lost cities prompted many great explorations. Gold does not corrode – an ideal scarce material to accumulate. It validates power and symbolizes immortality. It’s decorative. But, otherwise, it’s rather useless.

Warren Buffett claimed that the most valuable substance on earth is not gold, but a fleck of original gum on a rare postage stamp. He should know. He was a teenage stamp dealer.

Alfonce XIII, a youth, Scott #20 dark brown

The Oracle of Omaha, I suppose, would not recommend checking Big Blue’s Rio de Oro section for that rare fleck. The RdO stamps in our albums, usually mint, have ample gum; used examples are rarer, there being few people living in in the area. 

Alfonce XIII, a young adult, Scott #53 claret

 RdO issues began in 1905 and continued until 1922. They were followed by stamps of Spanish Sahara in 1924. All RdO stamps bear the image of King Alfonso XIII at progressive stages of his maturation, except for two revenue stamps that were overprinted for temporary postal use. Alfonso XIII was King of Spain from birth (1886) until death (1931).

Alfonce XIII, an adult, Scott #81 red

Alfonce XIII, a middle-aged adult, Scott #148 violet

Census: 24 in BB spaces, 35 on the supplement page

Warren Buffett at the APS show, Omaha, Neb., 2019 (2)

An early Big Blue user! Buffett collected stamps in a Scott’s International album during the 1940s.

(1)  Credit: Gerben van Gelder, https://stampworldhistory.com/country-profiles-2/africa/rio-de-oro/

(2)  Credit Linn’s Stamp News, Aug 11, 2019: https://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps-postal-history/warren-buffett-enjoys-aps-stampshow-in-his-hometown

Jim's Observations

The reality is there is no gold there (despite the name), and the landscape is bleak indeed, with essentially no precipitation, although fog is found along the coast.

The small port town of Villa Cisnernos (now Al-Dakhla) had to import drinking water.

Rio de Oro became part of Spanish (Western) Sahara, along with Saguia el-Hamra, in 1924.

Spain actually held on to the territory until 1975, when it was then split between  Morocco and Mauritania influence. Eventually, Morocco assumed administrative control of most of the territory.

The dispute continues. The United Nations considers the lands to be a "non self-governing territory", and has urged a referendum on independence for the Sahrawi population.

Note: My daughter works for the U.S. State Department. She is currently stationed in Amman, Jordan, and works on refugee issues. This is what she said about the Sahrawi situation: 

"Many Sahrawis were forced to flee Western Sahara in 1975-76, and remain refugees nearly 50 years later, the second most protracted displacement in the world.  Approximately 175,000 Sahrawis still live in five refugee camps near the southwestern Algerian town of Tindouf, and are almost entirely dependent on international humanitarian assistance for their survival."

Rio de Oro Blog Post & BB Checklist

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Supplements

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Comments appreciated!

Cuba 1855-1878 - Update A

Cuba 1855-60 - Deep Blue (Steiner) Page 1

Into the Deep Blue

I've had an acquired Cuba country collection tucked away for awhile, and time to begin working on it! I like to slam an acquired collection against my Deep Blue (Steiner pages) main collection, and add new stamps as well as better copies. The 1855-60 Deep Blue first page is shown above, with the new stamps already added.

First Page of New Collection

(Needed stamps already moved to Page 1 Deep Blue (Steiner))

Shown above is the acquired Cuba collection first page, with the new stamps already transferred to Deep Blue. One will note that the acquired collection is housed in Scott Specialty pages for Cuba.

1855 Spain Scott 38 1r green blue "Isabella II"

Blue paper

Well, this "1 Real" stamp was on the acquired Cuba page; but, in fact, this is 1855 Spain Scott 38 (CV $15). With the Spanish colonies, one needs to be aware of possible identity mistakes.

1856 Cuba Scott 11 2r p orange red "Isabella II"

Wmk 105 "crossed lines"; Yellowish paper

A better cancel copy of Scott 11 was found (CV $16).

Second Page of 1862-1868 Cuba Deep Blue (Steiner) Collection

The 1862-68 Deep Blue (Steiner) page as presently constructed.

1864 Cuba Scott 20 1r p blue/salmon "Isabella II"

Imperf

An unused copy of Scott 20 (CV $4+).

1866 Cuba Scott 24 10c blue "Isabella II"

An unused copy of Scott 24 (CV $4).

1868 Cuba Scott 31 5c violet "Isabella II"

Stamps dated "1868"

A new stamp for me (CV $7+). 

1869 Cuba Scott 41 40c dull violet "Isabella II"

Stamps dated "1869"

Another new stamp for the collection (CV $9+). 

Third Page of 1869-1873 Deep Blue (Steiner) Collection

The present look of Deep Blue Cuba 1869-73.

1871 Cuba Scott 50 12c red lilac "Espana"

A better copy of Scott 50 (CV $10). This color is often found faded.

1873 Cuba Scott 55 25c gray "King Amadeo"

This is the Scott major number color (gray), which was added to Deep Blue.

1873 Cuba Scott 55b 25c lilac "King Amadeo"

Note the minor number (Scott 55b) color - lilac. Comparing collections is a good way to note color shade differences.

Fourth page of 1874-1878 Deep Blue (Steiner) Collection

My Deep Blue Cuba 1874-78 page now. 

1877 Cuba Scott 75 1p brown "Alfonso XII"

I added the 1877 1p brown (CV $ 12).

1878 Cuba Scott 78 12 1/2c brown bister

Stamps dated "1878"

This is a new shade - brown bister (CV $1+).

1878 Cuba Scott 78a 12 1/2c olive brown

Stamps dated "1878"

Note the olive brown (Scott 78a) shade ($1+)

Out of the Blue

Fun!

We will continue with the next post.

Comments appreciated!