A is for Aden and Z is for Zanzabar


A is for Aden and Z is for Zanzibar... Now what is between? For the world wide classical era philatelist and stamp collector, a country specific philatelic survey is offered by the blog author, Jim Jackson, with two albums: Big Blue, aka Scott International Part 1 (checklists available), and Deep Blue, aka William Steiner's Stamp Album Web PDF pages. In addition, "Bud" offers commentary and a look at his completely filled Big Blue. Interested? So into the Blues...

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Three Enduring Mysteries of the Cape of Good Hope Triangular Issues, 1853-64: Mystery #1

A very fine reference example of an unused COGH, SG5 (Sc3b) 1-Penny Brick Red 
on Cream-Toned Paper (Figure 2)

Into the Deep Blue

By Christopher K. Dorn, aka “The Beryllium Guy”

Foreword

I first met Jim and his Big Blue blog through The Stamp Forum website when I joined that group in Nov-2016.  By 2020, I had become a dedicated student of the line-engraved Cape of Good Hope (COGH) Triangular Issues, and Jim and I bonded over an in-depth online discussion about the stamps in his and my collections.

With inspiration and help from Jim, I published my first article about Cape Triangles in Sep-2022 in the Cape & Natal Philatelic Journal [1].  Around that same time, Jim invited me to write something for the Big Blue blog about Cape Triangles.  It would be fair to say that “life got in the way” in the interim, but now in Nov-2024, I have come back, at long last, to take Jim up on his invitation.

Introduction

Much has been written about the iconic nature of the Cape Triangles, which has led to a level of popularity of these stamps among collectors that began with the hobby itself and continues to grow to the present day.  Thanks to the many variations in color shades, print clarity, paper condition, etc., the Cape Triangles constitute a rich area of philately with unplumbed depths, yet to be fully explored, even after more than 170 years since their arrival.

The intent of these blog posts is to discuss three unsolved mysteries about these stamps, which are still confounding collectors, specialists, and perhaps even expertizers to this day.  Without further ado, let’s start digging into the mysteries!

Background on References for Cape Triangles

Figure 1:  Dust jacket images for two of the main traditional hard-copy references on

Cape of Good Hope Triangular Stamps

For the Triangular Issues, I also use a specialized reference written by D. Alan Stevenson [4].  His book earned him a major award nearly 75 years ago when it was published.  Although some information in it has clearly become outdated, it is still a useful resource today.  It remains the most complete specialized reference for Cape Triangles ever written.

In addition, I am aware that some experts in the field still refer to an auction catalogue from the sale of the largest collection of Cape Triangles ever amassed.  Specifically, that was attributed to one Sir Maxwell Joseph [5], whose collection was auctioned in 1982.  The catalogue was a state-of-the-art publication in its day, but by current digital image standards, it is probably less important than it once was.  That said, the simple fact that certain Cape Triangles either were or were not represented in the Maxwell Joseph Collection still seems a useful datapoint on some level, in my opinion.

Mystery #1: The Case of the 1-Penny Brick Red on Cream-Toned Paper, 1857

At this point, you may be asking yourself, “What’s so mysterious about a stamp that is listed in both the SG and Scott Catalogues?”  When a stamp is listed in a major catalogue, we as collectors generally presume that the creators of the publication have evidence of its existence.  But what about a stamp with a major catalogue number, listed in the preeminent reference for that country (SG, in this case) for many years, about which more than one expert in the field claims never to have seen a representative copy?  Well, that’s exactly what we have with the 1857 COGH 1-Penny (1d) Brick Red on Cream-Toned Paper.


Figure 2:  A very fine reference example of an unused COGH, SG5 (Sc3b) 1-Penny Brick Red on Cream-Toned Paper, i.e., non-blued, issued in 1857.  Image source: Imperium Stamps Ltd. [6].

This stamp is currently listed as SG5 and Sc3b (although described as on White Paper in Scott).  In principle, this stamp is a transitional issue, between the first 1d Cape Triangles, which were on blued paper, and those which came later, which were not.  It is worth noting that the bluing of the paper in those first issues, SG1-4 (Sc1-2), was an unintended consequence of a chemical reaction between the paper and an ingredient in the ink during the printing process [4].

Without going into the technical aspects of why the bluing occurred, it is clear that the printers, Perkins Bacon (PB), spent considerable time and effort reformulating the ink to stop this from happening [7].  It is important to recognize that according to PB’s records, the paper used for the line-engraved Cape Triangles was from the same source and production process throughout the entire run [4].

This means that the paper never changed from SG1-4 (Sc1-2), which were blued, to SG5 (Sc3b), which are cream-toned or white. The fact that the stamps no longer exhibited any bluing was thanks to changes in the composition of the ink and/or the printing process.  The problem that arises is that Stevenson casts some doubt on the existence of a 1d Brick Red (he calls it brown-red) stamp on non-blued paper by referring to it only as “possible,” while explaining that in general, paper was still becoming blued to some extent on other British issues printed by PB all the way until 1879 [4].

It is widely known that the bluing effect can manifest itself in any degree of intensity, from very deep in color to extremely faint, so much so in the latter end of this range that it may be visually unrecognizable as being blued.  It is this situation that then begs the question, “How can one tell the difference between a stamp with extremely faint bluing and one without any at all?”


Figure 3:  Three 1d stamps from my collection, showing different intensities of the bluing effect, from most to least, from left to right.  Left: SG1 (Sc1a) on Deeply Blued Paper.  Middle: An SG3a (Sc1 or 1f) with moderate bluing; I decided it wasn’t enough to qualify as Deeply Blued.  Right: An SG3 (Sc1) with very faint bluing, which is often very difficult to see, depending on the light in which it is being viewed.  This same stamp also appears in Fig. 4 below.

My first readily available response in this case is to use side-by-side comparison.  This method is not foolproof, as in all things related to color perception, but it can certainly be indicative if one follows a logical approach.  Fortunately, I have been able to acquire some stamps to help in making such a comparison.


Figure 4:  Three stamps from my collection, which hopefully make a point.  Left: An SG3 (Sc1) with very slightly blued paper.  In this case, the scan shows the bluing effect more readily than when seen by the unaided eye, especially under artificial light.  Middle: The stamp that I am suggesting could be a genuine SG5 (Sc3b).  Right: A used copy of SG5a (Sc3), known to be on so-called “White Paper.”  The 1d Rose color shades are relatively common as Cape Triangles go and certainly much more so than Brick Red on Cream-Toned Paper.

It should be noted that the back of the stamp on the right above looks remarkably similar to the back of the middle example, lending weight to my opinion that it fits the description of an SG5 (Sc3b).  In his book, Stevenson notes that for Cape Triangles, White Paper is only white in that it is not blued, meaning that many color shades and tones are possible in paper that has not become blued.  I think that idea applies here, too, where the main point is the absence of bluing, rather than the exact color shade of the paper, whether it can be described as cream-toned or white or some other nuance.


So, Does COGH SG5 (Sc3b) Really Exist?
We can summarize our findings as follows:

Arguments For:

·       Both SG and Scott have listed this stamp in their catalogues for many years.  Yes, it could be something as simple as a mistake, but I like to think that would have been caught by now.

·       It is possible to find examples that appear to match the catalogue description.  Such examples are not common, but they do exist.

·       Side-by-side comparison from my own collection appears to confirm the stamp’s existence.

·       Internationally recognized philatelist Joseph Hackmey has some 36 examples of this stamp in his collection, most as multiples, documented in the Museum of Philately [8].

Arguments Against:

·       In his seminal work, Stevenson wrote only that the existence of the stamp is “possible” and does not offer any examples.  Strict disciples of Stevenson would see this as a negative.

·       There were no examples of this stamp in the collections of Sir Maxwell Joseph or Louise Dale & Alfred Lichtenstein, both of which were noteworthy in the field [5][9].

·       Professional philatelists and leading Cape Triangle specialists have said that they have never seen a genuine example of this stamp, stating that claimed examples have always turned out to have been on blued paper with the bluing washed out [10].

·       It is very difficult to see extremely faint bluing on these stamps, which can make it very challenging to ascertain the difference between cream-toned or other non-blued paper versus extremely faint blued paper.  This difficulty is potentially compounded for stamps that have been tampered with in attempts to remove or diminish the bluing.

Conclusion

On one hand, as I have a stamp in my collection that I think has a chance of being a genuine COGH SG5 (Sc3b), I certainly have reason to hope that the stamp exists, despite some notable claims to the contrary.  In addition to my example, there are others better than mine, such as the one in Figure 2, from a highly reputable UK dealer, and also a whopping 36 copies in the Hackmey collection alone.  In nearly five years of searching online auctions, I have seen perhaps 2-3 credible-looking examples on offer, which I think supports the idea that the stamp exists, but it is certainly not common.

On the other hand, the issue of telling the difference between a 1d Brick Red on very faintly blued paper, SG3 or 3a (Sc1 or 1f), versus cream-toned or otherwise non-blued paper, SG5 (Sc3b) is a real one.  When it comes to color determination, there are many factors that can influence the results.  It may be that the only way to know for sure will be to use a type of chemical analysis that can confirm the ingredients in the ink as having come from the era when the paper became blued versus when it did not.  This should be possible, since the key ingredient that caused the bluing effect is known, so it should be able to be detected and its presence confirmed by analytical means.

But until that day comes, the mystery remains….  Happy hunting!

References & Credits

[1]      Dorn, Christopher.  “Cape of Good Hope Triangles: The 4-Pence Blue De La Rue Issues, 1863-1864.”  Cape & Natal Philatelic Journal (CNPJ), Vol. 26, No. 3 (103), September 2022.  Website: Cape and Natal Study Circle (capenatalstamps.com)

[2]      Stevenson, D. Alan.  The Triangular Stamps of Cape of Good Hope.  H.R. Harmer Ltd., London, 1950.

[3]      Bigalke, Jay (Editor-in-Chief).  Scott 2021 Classic Specialized Catalogue, 27th Edition, Stamps and Covers of the World including U.S. 1840-1940 (British Commonwealth to 1952).  Amos Media Inc., Sidney, Ohio, U.S.A., Nov-2020.

[4]      Jefferies, Hugh (Editor).  Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue: Commonwealth & British Empire Stamps 1840-1970, 124th Edition 2022.  Stanley Gibbons Ltd., London and Ringwood, 2021.

[5]      Postage Stamps of the Cape of Good Hope: The Collection formed by Sir Maxwell Joseph including Postal History from 1652 and 1900 Siege of Mafeking.  Sotheby’s, London, 1982.

[6]      Imperium Stamps Ltd.  Website accessed on 17-Nov-2024.  Image link: https://imperiumstamps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/cm/data/21397.jpg

[7]      Granzow, Gary W.  Line Engraved Security Printing: the Methods of Perkins Bacon 1790-1935, Banknotes and Postage Stamps.  Royal Philatelic Society London, 2012.

[8]      Hackmey, Joseph D.  CAPE OF GOOD HOPE: The Triangular Stamps of the Cape of Good Hope.  Museum of Philately: https://www.museumofphilately.com/collection/102/30, accessed on 16-Nov-2024.  Pages 30-37 of 161 feature the 1-Penny Brick Red on Cream-Toned Paper.

[9]      The Louise Boyd Dale and Alfred F. Lichtenstein Collections - Sale Thirteen - Cape of Good Hope.  Harmers of New York Inc., New York, 1989.

[10]    Debney, Richard.  Cape of Good Hope, 1853-1864 (6-frame exhibit).  Stockholmia International Stamp Exhibition, Stockholm, 2019; accessed on 01-Sep-2022.  Link to exhibit content:  https://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=92215

Out of the Blue

Jim's Comment

I am very grateful to Chris Dorn for this seminal post on the Cape Triangles. We can look forward to several more mysteries. !

If the reader would like an introduction to the  Cape Triangles, see Big Blue's Cape Triangles posts here and here.

I would also strongly suggest joining The Stamp Forum and reviewing the extensive thread on the Cape Triangles. That is where Chris Dorn can be found!

Comments appreciated!

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Hong Kong & Zeppelin additions to the Deep Blue collection

1891 Hong Hong Scott 66 2c rose "Victoria"
On 1882 Scott 36 Wmk 2 (Stamp Type of 1862)
Overprinted in Black
"50th anniversary of the colony"

Into the Deep Blue

A couple of months ago, the local club auction had some interesting items: namely the 1891 Hong Kong overprint and a group of WW zeppelins.

Lets look at the zeppelins first....

May 6 1930 Bolivia Scott C24 1.50b on 15c green Zeppelin
On 1928 C8 Surcharged
"Emblem of Lloyd Aereo Boliviano"

During the early 1930s, there were many countries that commemorated the Graf Zeppelin airship visit by issuing special stamps, including overprints of previous issued stamps.

This May 6, 1930 surcharged stamp (CV $80) was one of fifteen! major Scott number stamps issued for the occasion. Naturally, they are among the more CV expensive air mail stamps issued by Bolivia.

The airship Graf Zeppelin was on its way from Europe to Brazil with a return via Lakehurst, N.J.

Aug 16, 1931 Brazil Scott C26 2500r on on 200r red Zeppelin
On 1929 Scott C18 Surcharged Blue
"Santo-Dumont's Airship"

On Aug 16, 1931, a pair of previously issued air mails (C18, C19) were surcharged by Brazil for a Zeppelin visit. C26 CV is  $16

Aug 16, 1931 Brazil Scott C27 5000r on on 300r bright blue Zeppelin
On 1929 Scott C19 Surcharged Red
"Augusto Severo's Airship "Pax"""

C27 CV is $20.

These stamps were from a highly attractive five stamp typographic air mail set issued in 1920.

Sept 24, 1930 Scott C1 10m gray lilac Zeppelin
On 1930 Scott 178"Lake Salma"  overprinted in red

The only air mail stamp issued by Finland up to 1940 was this Sept 24, 1930 overprinted Zeppelin specimen. 

CV is $140.

This stamp was to be used be used on mail carried on a return flight from Finland to Germany Sept 24, 1930.

Note: Forgeries usually exist on Scott 205 (re-engraved), rather than Scott 178. I have a pic of the differences on this Finland post.

March 27, 1931 Hungary Scott C24 1p orange Zeppelin
"Tural" Carrying Messenger

Overprinted and in new colors, a two stamp Zeppelin issue was produced by Hungary on March 27, 1931.

CV for C24 is $40.

1931 Russia C33a 2r deep ultramarine,  Perf 12 1/2
North Pole Issue 
"Graf Zeppelin and Icebreaker "Malygin" Transferring Mail"

Russia produced the so called "North Pole Issue" in 1931 showing an ice breaker and the Graf Zeppelin transferring mail on four stamps. They were issued as Imperf and two Perf types, hence twelve major Scott numbers.

This C33a stamp is CV $45.

1891 Hong Hong Scott 66 2c rose "Victoria"
On 1882 Scott 36 Wmk 2 (Stamp Type of 1862)
Overprinted in Black
50th anniversary of the colony

One of the seminal stamps for a Hong Hong collection is the 1891 2c rose "Victoria" overprinted for the "50th anniversary of the colony".

CV is a high $375.

Out of the Blue

Glad to have added these stamps to my WW collection in Deep Blue. !!

Comments appreciated!

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

USA classical additions for Fall, 2024

USA Scott 17 12c gray black "Washington"
Imperforate
Into the Deep Blue

It has been over three months since I last posted, mainly due to my scanner being unavailable because of house remodeling. But I am back now!

In the meantime, there have been several local stamp club auctions. U.S.A. stamps  are always well represented. I therefore added to my U.S.A. collection, which is part of my 1840-1940 Deep Blue (Steiner pages) WW collection.

1866 Scott 98 15c black "Lincoln"
F Grill 9X13mm

There is an "F Grill" noted on the stamp reverse (not shown). CV is $275, but I picked up this presentable example for 15% CV.  Many of the stamps of this era have small margins. 

(Note: 10%-20% CV cost was the usual for this group of stamps at the club auctions.)

1873 Scott 162 12c blackish violet "Henry Clay"
Continental Bank Note Company
White Wove paper, Secret Mark

The 1873 CBNC stamp issue can have secret marks, but not always.

This 12c stamp has a CV of $135. 

Continental Bank Note Company 
12c Secret Mark
The balls of Figure "2" are crescent shaped

Bur this one does! Note the crescent shaped tips of the balls of the "2", rather than round shaped, as seen with the other printings. 

1873 Scott 166 90c rose carmine  "Perry"
Continental Bank Note Company
White Wove paper, check for "ribbed" paper
White paper shade, rose carmine shade

Scott 166 CV is $275.

Unfortunately, the 30c and 90c was not produced with secret marks. However, the CBNC 90c was issued with a "rose carmine" shade and a white (rather than yellow) paper shade. Also, check for ribbing.

1917 Scott 479 $2 dark blue "Madison"
Types of 1902-03 Issue
Unwmk, Perf 10

This 1917 $2 "type" (the 1902-03 stamp is perf 12 and watermarked) has a CV of $40.

Official Post Office 
1873 Scott O55 30c black

CV for the homely (design wise) Post Office 30c is $25.

Official State Department
1873 Scott O55 1c dark green "Franklin"

As my daughter works for the State Department, I am rather partial to the deep green 1873 specimens. ;-)

The 1c has a higher CV ($75) than some of the other lower denominations.

USA Scott 17 12c gray black "Washington"
Imperforate

This stamp was not from the club auctions, but purchased from a U.S.A. dealer. CV is $250. Note the rather generous margins. Nice! 

Out of the Blue

My next post will feature some classical era WW stamps - zeppelins, and an iconic Hong Kong stamp!

Comments appreciated!

Sunday, September 8, 2024

St Christopher - Bud's Big Blue

Saint Kitts (St Christopher)
Map by Gerben van Gelder
Bud's Big Blue
Bud's Observations

Saint Christopher, a dot of an island among many such dots that form the Leeward Islands, lies southeast of Puerto Rico in the volcanic eastern Caribbean. Columbus was the first European to visit the island (1493). Both the British and the French settled the island in the early 17th century and the local Amerindian (Carib) population was massacred shortly thereafter. The French ceded control in 1713.  However, the capital still retains its French name – Basse-Terre, or lowland.

 Because of shifting colonial administrations, Saint Christopher’s stamps can be found under three Big Blue headings with overlapping dates – Saint Christopher 1870-90, Leeward Islands 1890-1956, Saint Kitt’s and Nevis 1903-52. This post deals only with the earliest period. Big Blue supplies five spaces for the 1870-90 stamps, all inexpensive. 

Bud’s collection

However, Scott’s catalog parses 29 major numbers (including postal fiscals) and 16 minor numbers, all with the image of Queen Victoria. Because feeder albums often come with more than five different examples, some of which might have high CVs, careful study of watermarks, perforations, and shades is advisable.

The island has been known as St. Kitts throughout its philatelic history, as shown by the 1871 cancel on Scott #3.

Scott #3 green 

 Census: five in BB spaces, four tip-ins

Jim's Observations

One of the five Presidencies of the British Leeward Islands Colony, St. Christopher issued their own stamps between 1870-1890. Then, Leeward Islands stamps were produced, and later (1903), St. Kitts-Nevis. St. Christopher was also known as St. Kitts.

For a general review of the stamp productions of the various islands, and the unhappy association of islands with each other, see my Leeward Islands blog post.


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Comments appreciated!

Saturday, August 24, 2024

Saar - Bud's Big Blue

Saar indicate by small red box (1)
Bud's Big Blue
Bud's Observations

Political control in Saarland’s hills and valleys, hotly disputed since the 17th Century, has shuffled between French and German authorities, although the city of Saarbrücken and its surrounds have remained ethnically German.

Scott #s 6 and 7, orange and red, overprints in French

The two 20th Century political shifts occurred immediately following World Wars One and Two, both meant to punish Germany for its belligerence. In the first of these, the League of Nations governed the Saar Protectorate from 1919 until 1935, largely under French administration. German stamps were immediately overprinted with Sarre (the French word for the region) and a bar striking Deutches Reich. Bavarian stamps were also pressed into use. Subsequent stamps with original designs feature mainly the area’s industrial strengths – coal production, steel mills, river transport.

Scott #83 dark blue, red orange, and black

Among these is my favorite stamp. It depicts the blazing furnaces of the Burbach steel works at nighttime (#83).

Scott #s C5-C8, red, red orange, black, brown

 In 1935, the people of Sarre were allowed to vote on which country would be their homeland, a plebiscite scheduled by the Versailles Treaty. Twenty-seven Saar stamps were overprinted “Volksabstimmund 1935” to help promote the event, all showing in the supplement, below, on home-made pages.  A large voter turn-out resulted; more than 90.73 percent chose affiliation with Germany, a lop-sided victory for Hitler. The remaining votes were for the status quo (8.86 percent) and unification with France (0.40 percent). Thereafter, German Reich stamps were again used. For the years from 1919 to 1935, however, all Saar stamps can be regarded as League of Nations issues.

In 1946, following World War Two, France again took control of Saar (Protectorat de la Sarre). New stamps were issued, 179 of which have spaces provided in Big Blue, Parts 2, 3, and 4. In 1956, France agreed to return the Saar to (West) Germany whereupon it became a small federal state in Germany, a status that continues to today in reunited Germany.

Horseshoe bend in the River Saar (2)

Census: 132 in BB spaces, three tip-ins, 72 on supplement pages.

Notes:

1. https://www.nationsonline.org/map_small/Germany/Saarland_sm.jpg

2. ibid.

Jim's Observations

On January 30, 1920, stamps of Germany (1906-19) were overprinted "Saare" for the mandated territory. Seventeen major number stamps are found in the Scott catalogue, and CV ranges from <$1-$10+ for fifteen of them.

One will note, for Saar Stamps, that "used" often have a higher CV than "unused".

Overprint Types

The overprint is found with three types.
Type I: Larger letters, no control mark (short thin line) below bar. 
Type II: Larger letters and control mark present.
Type III: Smaller letters and control mark present. 

I find it is helpful to look at the "r" in "Saare". The "r" appears taller (2mm+) in Type I compared to Type III (2mm). 

The Scott catalogue has Type I as major numbers, and Type II and Type III as minor numbers. Some of the minor numbers have a very high CV ($1,000+ !).


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Comments appreciated!