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!

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!

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 17^th 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.

St Christopher Blog Post & BB Checklist

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Comments appreciated!

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 17^th 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+ !).

Saar Post & BB Checklist

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Supplements

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Comments appreciated!