Sounds like surgery !
Here are some new covers that arrived recently. This folded letter from Hartford, CT a tiny pointing hand iv front of the "Paid" marking. I have other covers from New England towns with this marking.
I purchased this cover for my Mourning Cover collection. This is the first Censored Mourning Cover in my collection
These are a negative M in ringed circle and negative F in square from Portland, ME. These cancels were used mostly in Boston followed by Portland and about six other smaller towns.
Here are a couple of Cross Road cancels from Montpelier, VT.
This is a fancy Geometric from Pittsburg, PA.
This Fancy Cancel from Syracuse, NY is a Masonic Trowel.
This missent folded letter has four postal markings. Paid 3 and July 20 CDS from Clinton, Ms (Massachusetts), missent to Bedford, MA with a CDS July 24, Bedford, Mas (Massachusetts). Notice the three abbreviations for Massachusetts, in the address Mass and in the CDS, MA and Mas.
What I find interesting about this cover is the Manuscript marking on the left side of the cover, Honey Grove, PA. The name of this town was changed five times from the original name of Beale's Mills to Honey Grove to Beale, Honey Grove, Beal and finally to Honey Grove. I found this information on the Postmaster finder site.
https://about.usps.com/who/profile/histo ...
I wasn't sure of the spelling in the Manuscript marking and when I checked it I discovered all the name changes.
Vincent
you know, salivating on a key board is a bad thing.
If mine blows up, I'm blaming you and these covers
David, the Green giant
Arrived now from my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1841 Issue, Two Pence Pale Blue, Plate 3 (AJ), Scott #4a, Used with Black Maltese Cross.
Arrived in last December 23, 2023; Now from my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1873 Issue, MLH, Three Pence Rose, (JF), Plate 15 - Wmk. 25, Sc.61 - SG143
I got my first Danish railway parcel stamp (Jernbanefrimærker in Danish (plural)) yesterday.
It is not very spectacular, but it is a start. They prove to be pretty difficult to get... Only about 7,500 to go!
If anyone has some, DSB or one of the private railway companies, just drop me a line.
To get an idea, this a list of all the categories that the Katalog over Danmarks Jernbanefrimærker has, with the codes it uses:
DBJ : De Bornholmske Jernbane
ETJ : Ebeltoft - Trustrup Jernbane
FNFJ : Fjerritslev - Nørresundby - Frederikshavn Jernbane (+ some FFJ)
AHTJ : Aarhus - Hammel - Thorsø Jernbane
GDS : Gribskovbanen
HAB : Haderslev Amts Baner
HJJ : Horsens - Juelsminde Jernbane
HHJ : Hads-Ning Herreders Jernbane
HHGB : Helsingør - Hornbæk - Gilleleje Jernbane
HFHJ : Hillerød - Frederiksværk - Hundested Jernbane
HLA : Hjørring - Løkken - Aabybro Jernbane + some HA (Hjørring-Aalbæk Banen)
HH : Hjørring - Hørby Jernbane
HVJ : Hørve - Værslev Jernbane
Horsens Privatbaner
Horsens : Other Horsens-related Railways
HTJ : Høng - Tølløse Jernbane
JFJ : De Jydsk - Fyenske Jernbaner
KB : Kallehavebanen / Kalvehavebanen
KSB : København - Slangerup Banen
KRJ : Køge - Ringsted Jernbane
KS : Kolding Sydbaner + some Kolding-Egtved Jernbane (KEJ) & Langelandsbanen (LB)
LJ : De Lollandske Jernbaner & Lollandsbanen
MFVJ : Mariager - Faarup Viborg Jernbane
MTJ : Maribo - Torrig Jernbane
LNJ : Lyngby - Nærum - Jernbane, includes Lygby-Vedbæk Jernbane (LVJ) and Nordjyllands Forenede Privatbaner (NFP)
NKJ : Nakskov - Kragenæs Jernbane
NRJ : Nakskov - Rødby Jernbane
OKMJ : Odense- Kerteminde - Martofte Jernbane, includes some Nordfyenske Jernbane (NFJ)
ØSJS : Østsjællandske Jernbane
OHJ : Odsherreds Jernbane, includes some Nordvestfyenske Jernbane (OMB)
PNJ : Præstø - Næstved (also called Næstved-Præstø) Jernbane
RHJ : Randers - Hadsund Jernbane
RGGJ : Ryomgaard - Gjerrild - Grenaa Jernbane
SKRJ : Silkeborg - Kjellerup - Rødkjærsbro Jernbane, includes RKB (inscribed R.Kj.J.)
SB : Skagensbanen, includes some De Sjællandske Jernbaner (SJS) & Ringkøbing (R.No.J)
SNNB : Stubbekøbing - Nykøbing - Nysted Banen
SVJ : Skive - Vestsalling Jernbane, includes Svendborg-Nyborg Banen (SNB) & Thisted-Fjerritslev Jernbane (TFJ)
SFJ : Sydfyenske Jernbane
TKVJ : Troldhede - Kolding - Vejen Jernbane
VVJ : Vejle - Vandel Jernbane
VLTJ : Vemb - Lemvig - Thyborøn Jernbane
VGJ : Vejle - Give Jernbane, includes Varde-Grindsted Jernbane (VaGJ)
VNJ : Varde - Nørre Nebel Jernbane
Privatbanerne i Varde (VaGJ)
APB : Aalborg Privatbaner, includes Aalborg-Hadsund Jernbane (AHJ), Aars-Nibe-Svendstrup Jernbane(ANSJ) & Aabenraa Amts Jernbaner (AaAJ)
Every company issued its own stamps, some just 10, other 100s.
my head is spinning, Jan-Simon
I know, I had no idea of what I stepped in to. It is like the Danish Christmas Seals, only even more obscure and much larger.
Gentlemen, Are we all nuts ?
Phil, that is a rhetorical question, right?
Are You smiling ? I had to look up rhetorical in the Oxford, its not a word i would use everyday..it seems to have a few different meanings.
Hi Jansimon,
I have a small number of these Danish railway stamps but I don't know much about them.
I found some information on the individual railway companies in Wikipedia.
I think I found a list of stamp issues somewhere but I don't remember where!
Here is one discussion board link with a small number of example images:
https://thestampforum.boards.net/thread/ ...
I only have a few in my collection and these are from the following companies:
AHTJ - Aarhus-Hammel-Thorsø
APB - Aalborg Privatbaner
HBS - Horsens Privatbaner
LJ - De Lollandske Jernbaner
MFVJ - Mariager-Faarup-Viborg
SVJ - Skive-Vestalling
TKVJ - Troldhede-Kolding-Vejen
VVGJ - Vejle-Vandel-Grindsted
These names are based on notes I made some years ago and I've made a couple of corrections just now so there are probably still some errors in this short list.
Yesterday I managed to get 11 different ones and some duplicates from DSB, the Danske Statsbaner / Danish national railways, so my collection made a huge jump from 1 to 12!
Since I do not have a catalogue (yet), my main source of information is currently this site:
https://www.paperheritage.co.uk/rls/Denm ...
Thanks for sharing this link. It looks very useful indeed.
I am trying to find a catalogue for these Railway stamps. I have some DSB and maybe a couple more. As my Denmark collection is essentially complete except for a couple of pricey stamps, I want to try collecting some of these. I am also working on a collection of local stamps and advertising pairs.
This is what you need: Katalog over Danmarks Jernbanefrimærker, issued by Dansk Fragt- og Banemærkeklub
Please beware that it is pretty expensive: 595 dkk plus shipping for the most recent version.
You are right. That is quite a bit of money.
Scott 565..... would love to find an unadopted essay or something... I do have a 8 1/2 x 11 Special Bureau of Engraving print of this stamp that was given out at Stampshow '89 in Anaheim, California.
US Scott 241 Used, $1 Columbian, Isabella Pledges Her Jewels. Light unobstructive cancel. I thought it was a New York Registry cancel but I don't see "REG" in the center. I see the numbers 7 and 8. Maybe someone can tell me something about the cancel.
Ernie,
I did a little manipulating with Image Sleuth and this is what I came up with. I can make out part of the date. I can't make out the month but the day is 27, and below that the year 1901. The #2 at the bottom of the oval is the pier number.
This article will explain your cancel which is a Supplementary mail cancel.
edit You can scroll the covers, there are four in the article
https://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps-pos ...
@Vince,
That is SO cool; I had no idea. Supplementary rates would have been an important option because a ship wouldn't be departing every day. Look at the beautiful purple strikes on that Hamburg cover!
Thanks for sharing this Vince. Now I know my Isabella Columbian was in a rush to get to the pier. Who knows, maybe she was going back to Spain!
I recently picked up three "Soldier's Letter Blue Envelope" covers.
Back flap
This envelope was not sealed or show any signs of Censoring.
I found this information after a quick search on the Internet.
On the left of the envelope face is an imprinted box captioned in black lettering "Blue Envelope Mail. Army of the United States" with a warning that the envelope cannot be used for money or valuables and an assurance that it will not be censored by unit censors but by the Chief Base Censor. Below is another box in which the sender had to certify that the enclosed letter did not refer to military or other forbidden matters. At the bottom the envelope is identified as a government form (A.G.O. Form No. 911) printed November 20, 1942. Blue envelope mail was a rarely used device to bypass local military censorship. A soldier who feared embarrassment, ridicule or retaliation for writing about family problems or other situations that he wished to keep secret, or who wanted to raise a legitimate concern about a unit matter as a "whistle blower," could request a blue envelope from his unit censor or chaplain. Full confidentiality was guaranteed until the letter reached the base censor, who would be more distanced than the writer's immediate unit censor and superiors. As with all correspondence, the subject could not include strategic, tactical, or other sensitive information of possible value to the enemy, nor could it include threats or petty criticism of leadership. The blue envelope privilege was intended for serious use, and soldiers who misused it were subject to penalty.
Here is an example of one of the other covers, both are the same type. There is no wrting on the back flap. Neither one show evidence of Censoring.
Here are some fancy cancels on stamps. I recently bought.
A checker board, circular geometric, letter "A", #10 in a circle and a letter "E" in wreath
A circular geometric and a shield.
Arrived last week and now is from my Collection: Mexico, 1861 Hidalgo Issue, Pair, 2r + 1r. - 2r., with District name "APAM" and 1r., with no name of District, both cancellated with sub-District "OTUMBA" with 10 Points of rarity!
These were labeled as "American Banknote Company Vignettes". I love this type of imagery and picked them up. Americans for many years were fascinated by Native Americans, even when news of "Indian Massacres" had to have been fresh in the news. Actually, the idea of a romanticized "Noble Savage" goes all the way back to Roman times.
Both images, to me, absolutely look like they could have been on an old obsolete bank note but I can find either anywhere online. I could have sworn that I have seen the buck with his tongue hanging out. The Indian Brave has a note "Copyrighted by Reinhart Omaha".
Frank A Reinhart,
https://americanart.si.edu/artist/frank- ...
And this is the original artwork, Good Eagle, Sioux, 1900
https://www.artnet.com/artists/frank-a-r ...
You're good Vic! Obsolete bank notes had definitely come and gone by 1900. How do you think this was translated into an engraving? Safe to say these (or at least Good Eagle) are NOT ABNCO?
Ernie,
This came up for sale on ebay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/204284388066
Thank you Vic! Much appreciated!
Of my last acquisitions now in my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, £1.00 Green. Used with CDS in Lombard Street, January 13, 1899.
@Vinman: Interesting blue army covers! I have never seen one of those before. I have concentrated on British and Canadian wartime covers, but I have many American covers too, but not a single blue one. I wonder if other countries used something similar.
Bob
This stamp arrived in the mail yesterday:
While it doesn't really fit into any of my collections, it certainly brings to life some family history for me. In the 1960s, my father was the founder of the American Kitefliers Association (AKA), which is still a going concern with thousands of members worldwide. One of its early members was Domina Jalbert, the inventor of the parafoil kite which revolutionized parachuting. Dad and Domino became good friends, and Domino sent him a couple of his parasols as a gift, one small one and one large one. Once when Dad was flying the large one, a gust of wind came along and dragged him through a cactus (but he did save his kite). He gave the smaller one to me, and I inadvisedly let a friend fly it: He "oversteered" it and it ended up caught in the top of a tall spruce tree. We couldn't get it free and had to leave it. A week later I went back to the field where we had been flying it, hoping that I might somehow be able to retrieve it, but someone had apparently beaten me to it.
Anyway, the is the first stamp I've seen picturing a parafoil. Two parafoils! I wish Dad could have seen it. He would have appreciated how the stamp shows a scientific application of parafoil kites. Here's a photo of him flying his large parafoil at his "kiteport," a disused airstrip near Silver City, New Mexico, where I grew up. The section of kite line on the ground is securely tied to Dad's pick-up truck. I guess he didn't want to be dragged through a cactus again!
Now I need a stamp picturing a Rogallo kite. Francis Rogallo and 8is wife invented the triangular Rogallo Wing in 1948. For a time, NASA considered using a Rogallo Wing to bring Apollo capsules back to earth following their orbital and lunar flights. The personal connection here is that Francis Rogallo was also a member of AKA and also became one of Dad's kite friends. In his retirement, Dad made and sold what he called Ingraham Delta kites, with Francis's blessing. Today, delta kites are probably one of the most popular and easy-to-fly kites. Here's a photo of Francis Rogallo working in a wind tunnel on one of his early delta kites:
So far, I haven't seen a Rogallo/delta kite stamp that I like, and liking stamps is one my main criteria before spending money on them. This Canadian cover is inexpensive, but not all that interesting to my mind (except for the personal angle):
If anyone is aware of other stamps picturing Rogallo-type delta kites, please let me know.
Bob
P.S. There's an even a more personal connection to Francis Rogallo for my wife, Susan, and me. After I was wounded in Vietnam, I was evacuated to Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. Susan and I had been corresponding for several months while I was in training with the Marines. It seemed we had a good thing going, and Susan accompanied my parents when they flew to San Diego to visit me. During that visit I asked Susan to marry me. She agreed, but without a ring it was an unofficial engagement.
After Susan and my parents returned to Silver City, my Dad asked Francis Rogallo, who was working under contract to Ryan Aeronautical at the time, if he could get her a job at the Ryan plant in San Diego. No problem. After she graduated from university, Susan drove to San Diego and went for an interview at Ryan. She had to take a typing test. She passed. The person administering the test asked if he could ask Susan a question. The question: "How were you able to get this job? I was told to pass you even if you couldn't type!"
Because of Francis Rogallo, Susan was able to spend the entire summer in San Diego, regularly visiting me in the hospital. Her job was quite boring, and consisted of using a IBM Selectric typewriter to correct engineering documents. Ryan was working on a design for the lunar module, known officially, at first, as the LEM or Lunar Exclusion Module. Apparently some congressman objected because the word "Excursion" implied that the astronauts would just be holidaying on the moon. LEM was officially changed to LM, and Susan's primary job that summer was to use the Selectric typewriter to white out LEM and type LM instead, a job that could be done on individual documents, with a computer, in about three seconds.
Susan and I enjoyed our summer "together". We became officially engaged, with a ring, one night on my hospital ward, when I was still in traction, waiting for my femur to heal. All of the other 40 or so patients on the open ward knew my plan, and they were avidly watching when I gave her the ring. They cheered. A week or so later, I got out of traction, into a plaster cast that extended from my right foot up to my armpits and down to my left knee. Soon, Susan and I had our first official date, although she had to chauffeur me about San Diego because I couldn't even sit in the front seat of her 1966 Plymouth Valiant, much less drive it!
Arrived another £1.00 Green now in my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria. Used with CDS in Belfast, March 24, 1893.
More covers I added to my collection.
This is an "IR" from Philadelphia, PA. I don't know what it represents.
The second cover has a saw tooth CDS from N.H. (New Haven) County, Connecticut.
Blue Pointing Finger from Pittsburgh, PA.
What do you look for when purchasing covers?
I look at the cancel itself, it don't matter it's origin, I'm looking for fancy or unusual cancels. I then check the CDS (circular date stamp), looking for postmaster's name, county name, some have a saw tooth circle or cog wheel circle around the date. Sometimes there are ornaments in the CDS. If there are any auxillary markings. Condition is not always a factor if I like the markings.
This is a list of some towns I look for with fancy cancels,
Pennsylvania towns especially
Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
New York, NY
New Orleans, LA
Chicago, IL, Blue Cancels
Hartford, CT
Dayton, OH, Blue cancels
Providence, RI
Worescter, MA
Barre, MA
If you want examples let me know, I'm happy to post.
Arrived another £1.00, but this time the 1884 Brown Violet Issue, now in my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria. Used with Registered Mail "L.S. 8", Lombard Street, Dubus Type 4 - Rarity G.
Not new but from one of many boxes lying dormant and unopened for the last 30 years or so
First, a fancy cancel from Montpelier, Vermont. Close to Warren which I consider my hometown.
Next, a good example of a small mourning cover franked with a #11
Last - a great address - how would the post office handle this today ?
Arrived some days ago, now in my Collection. Mexico, Imperial Eagle of the Maximilian I Empire, District: 218-1864 - "TAMPICO" - ½ real Lilac - Worn plate. Only 500 were printed with this Consignation number, now is a rare stamp!. Used with CDS "CORREOS TAMPICO", in April 1865.
Found this in an old stockbook I was going through to prepare an early US approval book of "stuff". A couple minutes with google turned up 10 year old auction results from a Siegel auction. OK - mine is off center (both stamp and pre-cancel) and has a clipped corner but the price was right.
Pulled the trigger on this today. I've always wanted one. I think this one is the most attractive stamp out of the set.
I've been reading this evening about the issue of C13-C15 and have to admit that much of what I had believed was either a misconception or just plain wrong. They always struck me as a bit "philatelic" and maybe a bit of gimmick but it's actually worse.
These stamps were essentially a money grab perpetrated by the USPS on US collectors with most of the money going to a German company ... all during the great depression no less.
The USPS thought most would be purchased and saved but money was tight so it didn't quite work out that way. I read that the high value was FIFTY times the cost of a loaf of bread.
It's hard not to admire such an iconic stamp but there is quite a back story.
One of the commentators asked, "Would we issue a stamp today to help support Lufthansa?"
Here are some recent auction winnings.
Blue Spiral from Fayette, Ohio August 22, 1879.
These two Postal Cards come from Kenosha, Wisconson with bold letter "K" cancels. The first card is dated January 12, 1877 and second card dated December 8, 1875.
Here are a few more recent auction winnings.
Rosette from Bridgeport, CT with embossed corner card.
Rosette/Geometric from Bridgeport, CT.
1873 in circle Year Date from Nashtoah, WI.
Two strikes of Five Petal radial from Woodville, MS.
Fancy Geometric from New Orleans, LA.
Negative "U.S." in circle from Mattapoisette, MA.
Fancy Paid in Scroll from New Haven, CT.
"USM" in bars from Ritland, VT.
Circle with Dot inside Star from Jersey Shore, PA.
Large Paid 3 in Circle from Wooster, MA.
I ignored new issues for a long, long time but in recent years I've been writing more letters. I actually was excited to pick this up last week. Who doesn't LOVE the manatees?? These guys put a smile on my face.
Now in my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1867 Issue, Scott #57 - SG126, Five Shillings Rose (FC) Plate 1 - Used with CDS in "DOWN ST., PICCADILLY" March,19, 1872.
Beautiful strike on that cancel Rodolfo!
Awesome stamp! Congrats.
Thanks for your kind comments friends!
I came across this stockcard of early precancels (mostly silent) and thought they might be of interest to someone. There is a book by David Smith on silent precancels agvailable from the Precancel Stamp Society for $51 (paper version only).
Magic stuff, thanks for showing!! The book you mentioned was sent to me as a gift by a SoR member a couple months ago. Hows that for generosity???
I picked this up on HipStamp last night. I think the $12 price was good and it'll look great on the page with my Wilding series!
I think someone posted a picture of a similar item not too long ago.
I picked up some nice cancels this past week, on and off cover.
#65 with Negative initials U S, #O117 War Dept., and a pair of #147 on piece with new Orleans Circle of "V"s.
Old Elglish style letter "W" on a #UX5.
Letter "N" in circle from N.Y. & Pt. Pleasent RPO.
Chicago Blue cancel of Square of Triangle in Square on #UX3
#3 in Circle from New York, NY
I wasn't sure where to put this, but this seems to fit. I picked these up because the price was right and I thought a courier stamp between Canada and the US was interesting. I doubt if I'll look for more but these are sort of cool!! Does anyone collect these who can tell me how many there are?
EDIT: Is there a book that lists material like this? I know there are books on Cinderella stamps but these, at least to me, are local stamps for use for things like ferries, etc. They serve an actual postal purpose, sort of.
I've also seen quite a few different ones on E-Bay and might treat myself with a different set every month. They seem to fit nicely with my BC collection but these will end up in a stock book rather than the backs of pages of my Canada album as the Kaulbach Island collection did. Kaulbach Island had 17 sets and two errors. I think this set might be a bit larger and the dates seem to be 1965 to 1991, Kaulbach Island was only 1971 to 1984, half the time.
Just got this in the mail today. For anyone who collects Canada's varieties this is a block of 20 showing 4 copies of the O45ai, the "high flying G", in the rightmost column.
This is why I love collecting postally used... US C2 used with flag cancel.... my heart skipped a little as I pulled this out of the envelope... For a minute, I was Flying a Jenny amongst the stars!!!!!
"... US C2 used with flag cancel.... "
@BigP, thanks Brad! I saw it on eBay and had to have it. I'd rather have this copy than 10 MNH examples. I mean that. This stamp is literally one-of-a-kind. Sort of like me. Heh heh heh.
Just got this in the mail from Cheryl Grantham, really nice item!! Definitely owe her a lunch!!!
Every sheet has the upside down stamp in the lower right!
EDIT: I stole this picture from online. Mine doesn't have the unperfed bit at the lower left. My feeling is that these might have been hand perfed (or done individually or in a few runs) since the two she sent me are slightly different from each other and from this one.
Of my last purchases now from my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1867 Issue, Scott #57 - SG126, Five Shillings Rose (FC) Plate 1 - Used with CDS in "DOWN ST., PICCADILLY" March,19, 1872.
I have been receiving quite a few new covers and cards this past week.
First up are two Postal Cards with hand drawn pictures from the sender.
This next group is from Pittsburgh, PA.
I added few different rates to my collection.
Paid from Providence, RI.
Paid from Troy, NY.
Postmaster Free, Alton Buel, PM Walesville, NY
Picture post card of Double Beach House
Postmaster Free, A. Skinner
Member of Congress Free, F.W. Bradbury, Senator from Maine. 17 january, 1834 - 27 March 1838.
F.W. Bradbury
Paid 5 from Harrisburg, PA
Comin' in HOT! Cool cancel on this one!
Here are some new covers that arrived this week.
A fancy Geometric from Cambridegport, Massachusetts
Two from NY, NY.
First is #2 in circle and the second a Negative #8.
These next four covers are WWll related.
This is a Jacques Minkus Patriotic cachet with matching stationary.
The next three are home made cachets.
The first is a clipping from a newspaper "Detroit... Give Now!"
A Victory "V" made from stars. I am guessing the bottom row of stars signify Morse code for "V". The three blue stars, dot, dot, dot and the silver star is a dash!
Another Victory "V" made from two layers of construction paper.
New acquisition and now in my Collection: One Penny Black, Plate 1a - GI
I've been looking for one of these for years, and found one in an auction in Tasmania.
King George V Coronation Durbar, Delhi 1911
Rodolfo,
Beautiful Penny Black! Great margins and an overall fresh looking stamp.
Thank you very much for your kind comments Ernie!
Last stamps now in my Collection: Mexico, 1861 Hidalgo Issue, 1 real with no District name "APAM" and used in Sub-District "OTUMBA" with 5 Points of rarity!. Nice variety of big Pre-Printing Paper Fold.
Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1880 Issue, One Shilling - MLH, rich color. Scott #87 - SG163, Plate 13 - (TK).
These are the US classics I have picked up in the last couple months. The picture isn't very good, hopefully I can replace it with a better one later but all you have to do is look up a better picture in Scott's. The first two were picked up from my local dealer and the second two from a seller here with great early material. Thankfully both sellers accepted their $$$$$ in a couple payments!!!
Very fuzzy!! I really have to invest in a new computer so I can do my own images. Sorry!!!!
John "Harvey",
Congratulations on some momentous additions to your USA collection! That is quite a haul. WOW!
I have made several additions over the past few months to my USA Lighthouse album collection including Scott #'s 500, 505, 519, 537b, 545, 547, 595, 634A, and 634B as mint stamps. This leaves 517A (no longer listed in my catalogs), 523, and 524 as remaining items for my collection as the other missing stamps (518b, 534B, 539, 544, and 594) are beyond my expected reach. Fortunately 596 and 613 don't even have spaces in this album!
Then I will be on to the missing stamps for the Scott 400's period. I must admit it has been great fun revisiting a USA collection through the Lighthouse album as I search for stamps I last acquired as used stamps back in the mid to late 1970's, 1980's, and early 1990's. Doing it now as mint stamps only has been interesting and challenging!
Jerrel
Jerrel There are several of the ones you mention as having that I haven't managed to come up with yet. You must have a memorable collection! By the way, my album didn't have a space for #544. Most of the pricey stuff I'm happy to find used! I also don't tell most of my friends how much I spend on my stamp collection since most of them really would not understand. For example the last two of the four above cost me well over $1000. I looked at it as a bargain, others would look at it as their monthly grocery bill. Am I crazy? Most likely!! Do I care? Definitely not!! It looks like I'm not the only crazy person out there! Keep collecting and don't listen to what others may be saying about you! My major problem is that I have no one to pass my collections on to so the stamp collection will be broken up at some point. But at least I won't be here to see it!!
EDIT: I was just looking at your list and most of the ones you're missing I am as well. And, unless I get very lucky, it will remain like that. Of course you never know. I have a complete BC collection including #1 and #3 and would have never expected that to happen! My regular local dealer ended up with the collection and was willing to let me pay it out. You never really know what will happen. I never expected to end up with US #544 either so anything can happen!
Your completion of the British Columbia collection was a powerful example for me of not giving up the search for some of the more esoteric missing items in my collection(s). The closest example for me recently was purchase from a recent Robert A. Siegel auction of a Geneva canton stamp for my Smithsonian Stamp for Every Country collection. My original collection included stamp on stamp issues for the three Swiss canton issues and for Poland #1 which are required to complete the album as published and orginally displayed at the Smithsonian. I now have two of these four substituted stamps as part of my second version of the collection which is being worked on at a much more leisurely rate and which includes some used as well as mint stamps whereas the original collection became mint only.
In addition I picked up several missing stamps for France and for Sweden from the Siegel auction which provided some content for the first few pages of each album and made the first page of my postage dues for France very respectable. Now just 15 more postage due stamps for France to go.
Good job Harvey. Those are some better Scott numbers.
I also collect Poland and would very much like to find a copy of Poland #1 to finish the first page in my Minkus Album. I have read somewhere about the huge number of fakes that exist for both Poland and Russia #1. I need copies of Russia #'s 1,3 and 4 to finish that first page in my Russia Minkus album. Some of these early stamps are very difficult to find at reasonable prices.
In case anyone is interested here is a re-posting of page #1 of my BC collection. I include prices only to provide relative values of the various items. CV's exist, IMHO, to make collectors feel good! BC #'s 1 and 3 are probably the rarest stamps I'll ever own. Actually there is a fair bit of controversy about #1. It has never been found used or on cover or even gummed so there is doubt if it was ever intended for postal use. Many collectors see it as a type of proof.
I've been sort of looking for the various numbered BC postmarks. I have a few and am likely to not get many more. The #8 for Clinton and the #7 for Litton are fairly rare. You'd almost have to be very rich to finish that kind of collection. There are 36 different numbers and for several they have no idea which town they represent and probably never will unless someone finds them on cover. The 2023 version of Unitrade has the numbers listed with rarity factors out of 10. I have #1 (New Westminster 1/10 in black and 2/10 in red, a new purchase), #7 (Lytton 6/10), #8 (Clinton 7/10), #10 (William's Creek 1/10) and several #35 (Victoria 1/10). https://www.stampcommunity.org/topic.asp ...
From my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1857 Issue, VFU, Four Pence, Rose White, (No Letters) - Wmk. 23, Sc.26 - SG66. CDS ""NEWCASTLE ON TYNE", July 20, 1860.
From my lastt purchases now in my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 2p Blue (JC), Plate 1, 1840 Issue Used with light Black Maltese Cross, wmk. 18, Scott #2 - SG#5
Sharp stamp! Beautiful color, nice margins, attractive cancel. Very nice.
"ernieinjax: Sharp stamp! Beautiful color, nice margins, attractive cancel. Very nice."
This cover arrived in the mail on Friday. Thank you Phil for thinking about me.
What makes this cover interesting is it commemorates both The Great Chicago Fire & The Peshtigo Fire which happened on the same day. The Peshtigo Fire claimed more lives than The Chicago Fire. Peshtigo is located in Wisconsin.
A side note, The Philadelphia (paid) Department was founded the same year, March 15, 1871.
Here is a link to a video about The Peshtigo Fire.
https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/re ...
Vince, I guess you liked it...You have such fantastic collections..but every once in a while we see something that might humbly apply.
Now in my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1865 Issue, Four Pence, Plate 14, Dull Vermilion, (FC). MLH. Scott #43a - SG94
Very nice addition for your Great Britain album. When I first looked at my Scott Specialized album I didn't see a number 43 (it was finally found on the preceding page) so I was wondering whether this was a rare enough issue that it isn't even in the Scott album since I, also, didn't see spaces for Scott #'s 35, 36, 38, or 41 in the album. Looks as though those numbers were initially listed in the Scott catalog but later removed. My oldest catalog is from 1944 and those numbers are not listed in it either.
@jbaxter5256 - Thanks for your kind comments. I agree, I don't understand why they removed those numbers unless they were separate variants and they relocated them; for example, the Sc#34, 4p vermillion remains the same and the Sc#34b and c (Hair Lines), perhaps they were once the Sc#35 but when they were removed they were placed together with the Sc#34 as a variant; but I think it should be the Sc#35 and the photo should be placed separately because there are "clueless" collectors as me, hee hee.
Regards,
Rodolfo
Saw this cover and had to have it. I have a small but growing group of Jacksonville covers. I have walked past this statue many times going in and out of the Jacksonville Landing.
Nice card and to Watervliet...near Albany.
New item now my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1862 Issue, VFU, Three Pence, Pale Rose, (BD), Plate 2 - Wmk. 24, Sc.37 - SG76. Barred Numeral Postmark "859", SHROPSHIRE - WELLINGTON Head Post Office. Cancel. No. 3HOS Used from 20 NOV-1857 to 16 SEP-1869.
New stamp now in my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, Four Pence, Pale Red - (KC), Plate 3, 1862 Issue - Nothing like a Clear Profile of this other nice very fine used stamp - (one short perf.). Scott #34 - SG80
Now in my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1873 Issue, MLH, Three Pence Rose, (JF), Plate 15 - Wmk. 25, Sc.61 - SG143.
Just got a really nice used copy of US #27 in the mail from my regular stamp dealer at a very fair price, even though I will have to pay in two payments. It had a certificate with it as well and I'll post a scan tomorrow (hopefully) of both the stamp and it's certificate. Page 2 in my Harris Liberty album is now missing #'s 18, 31 and 39 with #34 omitted. The first two are possible, the last two are unlikely! I doubt if page 2 will ever be completed as page 1 is! Too bad!!! Page #3 is complete, sort of, because a few of the stamps were removed from Scott's after the album was released (#'s 56, 58, 60, 66 and 74). A few others were omitted due to excessive cost! It's a bit odd since my Harris Canada album shows everything, even #32 and the Port Hood provisionals.
I just added the scan for Scott #27 above. It's always great to get the certificate with the stamp.
I got three US state Duck Stamps and a great Canada booklet in the mail today from a SoR member. I don't normally look for booklets but this one contained a pane I didn't have. My main objection to Canada booklets is the large sets that were issued all containing the same pane. I also have a 1988 Canada cut off.
I'm trying to get one duck per US state to go with my collection of the first 75 Federal Ducks (to 2008). I only have 20 states so far but I'll get there eventually. My US cutoff is normally 1976 but I don't worry about that with duck stamps. There are also quite a few from Native reserves but they tend to be quite expensive so I might stop with the states.
I just received this cover in the mail. The cancel caught my attention, I thought it might be a Patent Cancel, although I never seen one like this.
After checking it out I decided it was a nail head holding the canceller to the hand stamp. Here is a scan of a nineteenth century nail head.
I have used nails similar to this with a waffle grid on the head. I beleive that was to help the hammer from slipping when striking the nail.
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Sounds like surgery !
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Here are some new covers that arrived recently. This folded letter from Hartford, CT a tiny pointing hand iv front of the "Paid" marking. I have other covers from New England towns with this marking.
I purchased this cover for my Mourning Cover collection. This is the first Censored Mourning Cover in my collection
These are a negative M in ringed circle and negative F in square from Portland, ME. These cancels were used mostly in Boston followed by Portland and about six other smaller towns.
Here are a couple of Cross Road cancels from Montpelier, VT.
This is a fancy Geometric from Pittsburg, PA.
This Fancy Cancel from Syracuse, NY is a Masonic Trowel.
This missent folded letter has four postal markings. Paid 3 and July 20 CDS from Clinton, Ms (Massachusetts), missent to Bedford, MA with a CDS July 24, Bedford, Mas (Massachusetts). Notice the three abbreviations for Massachusetts, in the address Mass and in the CDS, MA and Mas.
What I find interesting about this cover is the Manuscript marking on the left side of the cover, Honey Grove, PA. The name of this town was changed five times from the original name of Beale's Mills to Honey Grove to Beale, Honey Grove, Beal and finally to Honey Grove. I found this information on the Postmaster finder site.
https://about.usps.com/who/profile/histo ...
I wasn't sure of the spelling in the Manuscript marking and when I checked it I discovered all the name changes.
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Vincent
you know, salivating on a key board is a bad thing.
If mine blows up, I'm blaming you and these covers
David, the Green giant
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Arrived now from my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1841 Issue, Two Pence Pale Blue, Plate 3 (AJ), Scott #4a, Used with Black Maltese Cross.
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Arrived in last December 23, 2023; Now from my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1873 Issue, MLH, Three Pence Rose, (JF), Plate 15 - Wmk. 25, Sc.61 - SG143
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I got my first Danish railway parcel stamp (Jernbanefrimærker in Danish (plural)) yesterday.
It is not very spectacular, but it is a start. They prove to be pretty difficult to get... Only about 7,500 to go!
If anyone has some, DSB or one of the private railway companies, just drop me a line.
To get an idea, this a list of all the categories that the Katalog over Danmarks Jernbanefrimærker has, with the codes it uses:
DBJ : De Bornholmske Jernbane
ETJ : Ebeltoft - Trustrup Jernbane
FNFJ : Fjerritslev - Nørresundby - Frederikshavn Jernbane (+ some FFJ)
AHTJ : Aarhus - Hammel - Thorsø Jernbane
GDS : Gribskovbanen
HAB : Haderslev Amts Baner
HJJ : Horsens - Juelsminde Jernbane
HHJ : Hads-Ning Herreders Jernbane
HHGB : Helsingør - Hornbæk - Gilleleje Jernbane
HFHJ : Hillerød - Frederiksværk - Hundested Jernbane
HLA : Hjørring - Løkken - Aabybro Jernbane + some HA (Hjørring-Aalbæk Banen)
HH : Hjørring - Hørby Jernbane
HVJ : Hørve - Værslev Jernbane
Horsens Privatbaner
Horsens : Other Horsens-related Railways
HTJ : Høng - Tølløse Jernbane
JFJ : De Jydsk - Fyenske Jernbaner
KB : Kallehavebanen / Kalvehavebanen
KSB : København - Slangerup Banen
KRJ : Køge - Ringsted Jernbane
KS : Kolding Sydbaner + some Kolding-Egtved Jernbane (KEJ) & Langelandsbanen (LB)
LJ : De Lollandske Jernbaner & Lollandsbanen
MFVJ : Mariager - Faarup Viborg Jernbane
MTJ : Maribo - Torrig Jernbane
LNJ : Lyngby - Nærum - Jernbane, includes Lygby-Vedbæk Jernbane (LVJ) and Nordjyllands Forenede Privatbaner (NFP)
NKJ : Nakskov - Kragenæs Jernbane
NRJ : Nakskov - Rødby Jernbane
OKMJ : Odense- Kerteminde - Martofte Jernbane, includes some Nordfyenske Jernbane (NFJ)
ØSJS : Østsjællandske Jernbane
OHJ : Odsherreds Jernbane, includes some Nordvestfyenske Jernbane (OMB)
PNJ : Præstø - Næstved (also called Næstved-Præstø) Jernbane
RHJ : Randers - Hadsund Jernbane
RGGJ : Ryomgaard - Gjerrild - Grenaa Jernbane
SKRJ : Silkeborg - Kjellerup - Rødkjærsbro Jernbane, includes RKB (inscribed R.Kj.J.)
SB : Skagensbanen, includes some De Sjællandske Jernbaner (SJS) & Ringkøbing (R.No.J)
SNNB : Stubbekøbing - Nykøbing - Nysted Banen
SVJ : Skive - Vestsalling Jernbane, includes Svendborg-Nyborg Banen (SNB) & Thisted-Fjerritslev Jernbane (TFJ)
SFJ : Sydfyenske Jernbane
TKVJ : Troldhede - Kolding - Vejen Jernbane
VVJ : Vejle - Vandel Jernbane
VLTJ : Vemb - Lemvig - Thyborøn Jernbane
VGJ : Vejle - Give Jernbane, includes Varde-Grindsted Jernbane (VaGJ)
VNJ : Varde - Nørre Nebel Jernbane
Privatbanerne i Varde (VaGJ)
APB : Aalborg Privatbaner, includes Aalborg-Hadsund Jernbane (AHJ), Aars-Nibe-Svendstrup Jernbane(ANSJ) & Aabenraa Amts Jernbaner (AaAJ)
Every company issued its own stamps, some just 10, other 100s.
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my head is spinning, Jan-Simon
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I know, I had no idea of what I stepped in to. It is like the Danish Christmas Seals, only even more obscure and much larger.
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Gentlemen, Are we all nuts ?
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Phil, that is a rhetorical question, right?
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Are You smiling ? I had to look up rhetorical in the Oxford, its not a word i would use everyday..it seems to have a few different meanings.
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Hi Jansimon,
I have a small number of these Danish railway stamps but I don't know much about them.
I found some information on the individual railway companies in Wikipedia.
I think I found a list of stamp issues somewhere but I don't remember where!
Here is one discussion board link with a small number of example images:
https://thestampforum.boards.net/thread/ ...
I only have a few in my collection and these are from the following companies:
AHTJ - Aarhus-Hammel-Thorsø
APB - Aalborg Privatbaner
HBS - Horsens Privatbaner
LJ - De Lollandske Jernbaner
MFVJ - Mariager-Faarup-Viborg
SVJ - Skive-Vestalling
TKVJ - Troldhede-Kolding-Vejen
VVGJ - Vejle-Vandel-Grindsted
These names are based on notes I made some years ago and I've made a couple of corrections just now so there are probably still some errors in this short list.
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Yesterday I managed to get 11 different ones and some duplicates from DSB, the Danske Statsbaner / Danish national railways, so my collection made a huge jump from 1 to 12!
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Since I do not have a catalogue (yet), my main source of information is currently this site:
https://www.paperheritage.co.uk/rls/Denm ...
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Thanks for sharing this link. It looks very useful indeed.
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I am trying to find a catalogue for these Railway stamps. I have some DSB and maybe a couple more. As my Denmark collection is essentially complete except for a couple of pricey stamps, I want to try collecting some of these. I am also working on a collection of local stamps and advertising pairs.
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This is what you need: Katalog over Danmarks Jernbanefrimærker, issued by Dansk Fragt- og Banemærkeklub
Please beware that it is pretty expensive: 595 dkk plus shipping for the most recent version.
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You are right. That is quite a bit of money.
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Scott 565..... would love to find an unadopted essay or something... I do have a 8 1/2 x 11 Special Bureau of Engraving print of this stamp that was given out at Stampshow '89 in Anaheim, California.
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US Scott 241 Used, $1 Columbian, Isabella Pledges Her Jewels. Light unobstructive cancel. I thought it was a New York Registry cancel but I don't see "REG" in the center. I see the numbers 7 and 8. Maybe someone can tell me something about the cancel.
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Ernie,
I did a little manipulating with Image Sleuth and this is what I came up with. I can make out part of the date. I can't make out the month but the day is 27, and below that the year 1901. The #2 at the bottom of the oval is the pier number.
This article will explain your cancel which is a Supplementary mail cancel.
edit You can scroll the covers, there are four in the article
https://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps-pos ...
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@Vince,
That is SO cool; I had no idea. Supplementary rates would have been an important option because a ship wouldn't be departing every day. Look at the beautiful purple strikes on that Hamburg cover!
Thanks for sharing this Vince. Now I know my Isabella Columbian was in a rush to get to the pier. Who knows, maybe she was going back to Spain!
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I recently picked up three "Soldier's Letter Blue Envelope" covers.
Back flap
This envelope was not sealed or show any signs of Censoring.
I found this information after a quick search on the Internet.
On the left of the envelope face is an imprinted box captioned in black lettering "Blue Envelope Mail. Army of the United States" with a warning that the envelope cannot be used for money or valuables and an assurance that it will not be censored by unit censors but by the Chief Base Censor. Below is another box in which the sender had to certify that the enclosed letter did not refer to military or other forbidden matters. At the bottom the envelope is identified as a government form (A.G.O. Form No. 911) printed November 20, 1942. Blue envelope mail was a rarely used device to bypass local military censorship. A soldier who feared embarrassment, ridicule or retaliation for writing about family problems or other situations that he wished to keep secret, or who wanted to raise a legitimate concern about a unit matter as a "whistle blower," could request a blue envelope from his unit censor or chaplain. Full confidentiality was guaranteed until the letter reached the base censor, who would be more distanced than the writer's immediate unit censor and superiors. As with all correspondence, the subject could not include strategic, tactical, or other sensitive information of possible value to the enemy, nor could it include threats or petty criticism of leadership. The blue envelope privilege was intended for serious use, and soldiers who misused it were subject to penalty.
Here is an example of one of the other covers, both are the same type. There is no wrting on the back flap. Neither one show evidence of Censoring.
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Here are some fancy cancels on stamps. I recently bought.
A checker board, circular geometric, letter "A", #10 in a circle and a letter "E" in wreath
A circular geometric and a shield.
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Arrived last week and now is from my Collection: Mexico, 1861 Hidalgo Issue, Pair, 2r + 1r. - 2r., with District name "APAM" and 1r., with no name of District, both cancellated with sub-District "OTUMBA" with 10 Points of rarity!
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These were labeled as "American Banknote Company Vignettes". I love this type of imagery and picked them up. Americans for many years were fascinated by Native Americans, even when news of "Indian Massacres" had to have been fresh in the news. Actually, the idea of a romanticized "Noble Savage" goes all the way back to Roman times.
Both images, to me, absolutely look like they could have been on an old obsolete bank note but I can find either anywhere online. I could have sworn that I have seen the buck with his tongue hanging out. The Indian Brave has a note "Copyrighted by Reinhart Omaha".
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Frank A Reinhart,
https://americanart.si.edu/artist/frank- ...
And this is the original artwork, Good Eagle, Sioux, 1900
https://www.artnet.com/artists/frank-a-r ...
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You're good Vic! Obsolete bank notes had definitely come and gone by 1900. How do you think this was translated into an engraving? Safe to say these (or at least Good Eagle) are NOT ABNCO?
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Ernie,
This came up for sale on ebay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/204284388066
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Thank you Vic! Much appreciated!
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Of my last acquisitions now in my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, £1.00 Green. Used with CDS in Lombard Street, January 13, 1899.
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@Vinman: Interesting blue army covers! I have never seen one of those before. I have concentrated on British and Canadian wartime covers, but I have many American covers too, but not a single blue one. I wonder if other countries used something similar.
Bob
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This stamp arrived in the mail yesterday:
While it doesn't really fit into any of my collections, it certainly brings to life some family history for me. In the 1960s, my father was the founder of the American Kitefliers Association (AKA), which is still a going concern with thousands of members worldwide. One of its early members was Domina Jalbert, the inventor of the parafoil kite which revolutionized parachuting. Dad and Domino became good friends, and Domino sent him a couple of his parasols as a gift, one small one and one large one. Once when Dad was flying the large one, a gust of wind came along and dragged him through a cactus (but he did save his kite). He gave the smaller one to me, and I inadvisedly let a friend fly it: He "oversteered" it and it ended up caught in the top of a tall spruce tree. We couldn't get it free and had to leave it. A week later I went back to the field where we had been flying it, hoping that I might somehow be able to retrieve it, but someone had apparently beaten me to it.
Anyway, the is the first stamp I've seen picturing a parafoil. Two parafoils! I wish Dad could have seen it. He would have appreciated how the stamp shows a scientific application of parafoil kites. Here's a photo of him flying his large parafoil at his "kiteport," a disused airstrip near Silver City, New Mexico, where I grew up. The section of kite line on the ground is securely tied to Dad's pick-up truck. I guess he didn't want to be dragged through a cactus again!
Now I need a stamp picturing a Rogallo kite. Francis Rogallo and 8is wife invented the triangular Rogallo Wing in 1948. For a time, NASA considered using a Rogallo Wing to bring Apollo capsules back to earth following their orbital and lunar flights. The personal connection here is that Francis Rogallo was also a member of AKA and also became one of Dad's kite friends. In his retirement, Dad made and sold what he called Ingraham Delta kites, with Francis's blessing. Today, delta kites are probably one of the most popular and easy-to-fly kites. Here's a photo of Francis Rogallo working in a wind tunnel on one of his early delta kites:
So far, I haven't seen a Rogallo/delta kite stamp that I like, and liking stamps is one my main criteria before spending money on them. This Canadian cover is inexpensive, but not all that interesting to my mind (except for the personal angle):
If anyone is aware of other stamps picturing Rogallo-type delta kites, please let me know.
Bob
P.S. There's an even a more personal connection to Francis Rogallo for my wife, Susan, and me. After I was wounded in Vietnam, I was evacuated to Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. Susan and I had been corresponding for several months while I was in training with the Marines. It seemed we had a good thing going, and Susan accompanied my parents when they flew to San Diego to visit me. During that visit I asked Susan to marry me. She agreed, but without a ring it was an unofficial engagement.
After Susan and my parents returned to Silver City, my Dad asked Francis Rogallo, who was working under contract to Ryan Aeronautical at the time, if he could get her a job at the Ryan plant in San Diego. No problem. After she graduated from university, Susan drove to San Diego and went for an interview at Ryan. She had to take a typing test. She passed. The person administering the test asked if he could ask Susan a question. The question: "How were you able to get this job? I was told to pass you even if you couldn't type!"
Because of Francis Rogallo, Susan was able to spend the entire summer in San Diego, regularly visiting me in the hospital. Her job was quite boring, and consisted of using a IBM Selectric typewriter to correct engineering documents. Ryan was working on a design for the lunar module, known officially, at first, as the LEM or Lunar Exclusion Module. Apparently some congressman objected because the word "Excursion" implied that the astronauts would just be holidaying on the moon. LEM was officially changed to LM, and Susan's primary job that summer was to use the Selectric typewriter to white out LEM and type LM instead, a job that could be done on individual documents, with a computer, in about three seconds.
Susan and I enjoyed our summer "together". We became officially engaged, with a ring, one night on my hospital ward, when I was still in traction, waiting for my femur to heal. All of the other 40 or so patients on the open ward knew my plan, and they were avidly watching when I gave her the ring. They cheered. A week or so later, I got out of traction, into a plaster cast that extended from my right foot up to my armpits and down to my left knee. Soon, Susan and I had our first official date, although she had to chauffeur me about San Diego because I couldn't even sit in the front seat of her 1966 Plymouth Valiant, much less drive it!
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Arrived another £1.00 Green now in my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria. Used with CDS in Belfast, March 24, 1893.
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More covers I added to my collection.
This is an "IR" from Philadelphia, PA. I don't know what it represents.
The second cover has a saw tooth CDS from N.H. (New Haven) County, Connecticut.
Blue Pointing Finger from Pittsburgh, PA.
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What do you look for when purchasing covers?
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I look at the cancel itself, it don't matter it's origin, I'm looking for fancy or unusual cancels. I then check the CDS (circular date stamp), looking for postmaster's name, county name, some have a saw tooth circle or cog wheel circle around the date. Sometimes there are ornaments in the CDS. If there are any auxillary markings. Condition is not always a factor if I like the markings.
This is a list of some towns I look for with fancy cancels,
Pennsylvania towns especially
Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
New York, NY
New Orleans, LA
Chicago, IL, Blue Cancels
Hartford, CT
Dayton, OH, Blue cancels
Providence, RI
Worescter, MA
Barre, MA
If you want examples let me know, I'm happy to post.
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Arrived another £1.00, but this time the 1884 Brown Violet Issue, now in my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria. Used with Registered Mail "L.S. 8", Lombard Street, Dubus Type 4 - Rarity G.
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Not new but from one of many boxes lying dormant and unopened for the last 30 years or so
First, a fancy cancel from Montpelier, Vermont. Close to Warren which I consider my hometown.
Next, a good example of a small mourning cover franked with a #11
Last - a great address - how would the post office handle this today ?
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Arrived some days ago, now in my Collection. Mexico, Imperial Eagle of the Maximilian I Empire, District: 218-1864 - "TAMPICO" - ½ real Lilac - Worn plate. Only 500 were printed with this Consignation number, now is a rare stamp!. Used with CDS "CORREOS TAMPICO", in April 1865.
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Found this in an old stockbook I was going through to prepare an early US approval book of "stuff". A couple minutes with google turned up 10 year old auction results from a Siegel auction. OK - mine is off center (both stamp and pre-cancel) and has a clipped corner but the price was right.
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Pulled the trigger on this today. I've always wanted one. I think this one is the most attractive stamp out of the set.
I've been reading this evening about the issue of C13-C15 and have to admit that much of what I had believed was either a misconception or just plain wrong. They always struck me as a bit "philatelic" and maybe a bit of gimmick but it's actually worse.
These stamps were essentially a money grab perpetrated by the USPS on US collectors with most of the money going to a German company ... all during the great depression no less.
The USPS thought most would be purchased and saved but money was tight so it didn't quite work out that way. I read that the high value was FIFTY times the cost of a loaf of bread.
It's hard not to admire such an iconic stamp but there is quite a back story.
One of the commentators asked, "Would we issue a stamp today to help support Lufthansa?"
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Here are some recent auction winnings.
Blue Spiral from Fayette, Ohio August 22, 1879.
These two Postal Cards come from Kenosha, Wisconson with bold letter "K" cancels. The first card is dated January 12, 1877 and second card dated December 8, 1875.
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Here are a few more recent auction winnings.
Rosette from Bridgeport, CT with embossed corner card.
Rosette/Geometric from Bridgeport, CT.
1873 in circle Year Date from Nashtoah, WI.
Two strikes of Five Petal radial from Woodville, MS.
Fancy Geometric from New Orleans, LA.
Negative "U.S." in circle from Mattapoisette, MA.
Fancy Paid in Scroll from New Haven, CT.
"USM" in bars from Ritland, VT.
Circle with Dot inside Star from Jersey Shore, PA.
Large Paid 3 in Circle from Wooster, MA.
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I ignored new issues for a long, long time but in recent years I've been writing more letters. I actually was excited to pick this up last week. Who doesn't LOVE the manatees?? These guys put a smile on my face.
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Now in my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1867 Issue, Scott #57 - SG126, Five Shillings Rose (FC) Plate 1 - Used with CDS in "DOWN ST., PICCADILLY" March,19, 1872.
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Beautiful strike on that cancel Rodolfo!
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Thanks for your kind comments friends!
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I came across this stockcard of early precancels (mostly silent) and thought they might be of interest to someone. There is a book by David Smith on silent precancels agvailable from the Precancel Stamp Society for $51 (paper version only).
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Magic stuff, thanks for showing!! The book you mentioned was sent to me as a gift by a SoR member a couple months ago. Hows that for generosity???
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I picked this up on HipStamp last night. I think the $12 price was good and it'll look great on the page with my Wilding series!
I think someone posted a picture of a similar item not too long ago.
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I picked up some nice cancels this past week, on and off cover.
#65 with Negative initials U S, #O117 War Dept., and a pair of #147 on piece with new Orleans Circle of "V"s.
Old Elglish style letter "W" on a #UX5.
Letter "N" in circle from N.Y. & Pt. Pleasent RPO.
Chicago Blue cancel of Square of Triangle in Square on #UX3
#3 in Circle from New York, NY
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I wasn't sure where to put this, but this seems to fit. I picked these up because the price was right and I thought a courier stamp between Canada and the US was interesting. I doubt if I'll look for more but these are sort of cool!! Does anyone collect these who can tell me how many there are?
EDIT: Is there a book that lists material like this? I know there are books on Cinderella stamps but these, at least to me, are local stamps for use for things like ferries, etc. They serve an actual postal purpose, sort of.
I've also seen quite a few different ones on E-Bay and might treat myself with a different set every month. They seem to fit nicely with my BC collection but these will end up in a stock book rather than the backs of pages of my Canada album as the Kaulbach Island collection did. Kaulbach Island had 17 sets and two errors. I think this set might be a bit larger and the dates seem to be 1965 to 1991, Kaulbach Island was only 1971 to 1984, half the time.
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Just got this in the mail today. For anyone who collects Canada's varieties this is a block of 20 showing 4 copies of the O45ai, the "high flying G", in the rightmost column.
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This is why I love collecting postally used... US C2 used with flag cancel.... my heart skipped a little as I pulled this out of the envelope... For a minute, I was Flying a Jenny amongst the stars!!!!!
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"... US C2 used with flag cancel.... "
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@BigP, thanks Brad! I saw it on eBay and had to have it. I'd rather have this copy than 10 MNH examples. I mean that. This stamp is literally one-of-a-kind. Sort of like me. Heh heh heh.
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Just got this in the mail from Cheryl Grantham, really nice item!! Definitely owe her a lunch!!!
Every sheet has the upside down stamp in the lower right!
EDIT: I stole this picture from online. Mine doesn't have the unperfed bit at the lower left. My feeling is that these might have been hand perfed (or done individually or in a few runs) since the two she sent me are slightly different from each other and from this one.
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Of my last purchases now from my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1867 Issue, Scott #57 - SG126, Five Shillings Rose (FC) Plate 1 - Used with CDS in "DOWN ST., PICCADILLY" March,19, 1872.
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I have been receiving quite a few new covers and cards this past week.
First up are two Postal Cards with hand drawn pictures from the sender.
This next group is from Pittsburgh, PA.
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I added few different rates to my collection.
Paid from Providence, RI.
Paid from Troy, NY.
Postmaster Free, Alton Buel, PM Walesville, NY
Picture post card of Double Beach House
Postmaster Free, A. Skinner
Member of Congress Free, F.W. Bradbury, Senator from Maine. 17 january, 1834 - 27 March 1838.
F.W. Bradbury
Paid 5 from Harrisburg, PA
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Comin' in HOT! Cool cancel on this one!
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Here are some new covers that arrived this week.
A fancy Geometric from Cambridegport, Massachusetts
Two from NY, NY.
First is #2 in circle and the second a Negative #8.
These next four covers are WWll related.
This is a Jacques Minkus Patriotic cachet with matching stationary.
The next three are home made cachets.
The first is a clipping from a newspaper "Detroit... Give Now!"
A Victory "V" made from stars. I am guessing the bottom row of stars signify Morse code for "V". The three blue stars, dot, dot, dot and the silver star is a dash!
Another Victory "V" made from two layers of construction paper.
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New acquisition and now in my Collection: One Penny Black, Plate 1a - GI
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I've been looking for one of these for years, and found one in an auction in Tasmania.
King George V Coronation Durbar, Delhi 1911
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Rodolfo,
Beautiful Penny Black! Great margins and an overall fresh looking stamp.
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Thank you very much for your kind comments Ernie!
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Last stamps now in my Collection: Mexico, 1861 Hidalgo Issue, 1 real with no District name "APAM" and used in Sub-District "OTUMBA" with 5 Points of rarity!. Nice variety of big Pre-Printing Paper Fold.
Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1880 Issue, One Shilling - MLH, rich color. Scott #87 - SG163, Plate 13 - (TK).
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These are the US classics I have picked up in the last couple months. The picture isn't very good, hopefully I can replace it with a better one later but all you have to do is look up a better picture in Scott's. The first two were picked up from my local dealer and the second two from a seller here with great early material. Thankfully both sellers accepted their $$$$$ in a couple payments!!!
Very fuzzy!! I really have to invest in a new computer so I can do my own images. Sorry!!!!
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John "Harvey",
Congratulations on some momentous additions to your USA collection! That is quite a haul. WOW!
I have made several additions over the past few months to my USA Lighthouse album collection including Scott #'s 500, 505, 519, 537b, 545, 547, 595, 634A, and 634B as mint stamps. This leaves 517A (no longer listed in my catalogs), 523, and 524 as remaining items for my collection as the other missing stamps (518b, 534B, 539, 544, and 594) are beyond my expected reach. Fortunately 596 and 613 don't even have spaces in this album!
Then I will be on to the missing stamps for the Scott 400's period. I must admit it has been great fun revisiting a USA collection through the Lighthouse album as I search for stamps I last acquired as used stamps back in the mid to late 1970's, 1980's, and early 1990's. Doing it now as mint stamps only has been interesting and challenging!
Jerrel
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Jerrel There are several of the ones you mention as having that I haven't managed to come up with yet. You must have a memorable collection! By the way, my album didn't have a space for #544. Most of the pricey stuff I'm happy to find used! I also don't tell most of my friends how much I spend on my stamp collection since most of them really would not understand. For example the last two of the four above cost me well over $1000. I looked at it as a bargain, others would look at it as their monthly grocery bill. Am I crazy? Most likely!! Do I care? Definitely not!! It looks like I'm not the only crazy person out there! Keep collecting and don't listen to what others may be saying about you! My major problem is that I have no one to pass my collections on to so the stamp collection will be broken up at some point. But at least I won't be here to see it!!
EDIT: I was just looking at your list and most of the ones you're missing I am as well. And, unless I get very lucky, it will remain like that. Of course you never know. I have a complete BC collection including #1 and #3 and would have never expected that to happen! My regular local dealer ended up with the collection and was willing to let me pay it out. You never really know what will happen. I never expected to end up with US #544 either so anything can happen!
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Your completion of the British Columbia collection was a powerful example for me of not giving up the search for some of the more esoteric missing items in my collection(s). The closest example for me recently was purchase from a recent Robert A. Siegel auction of a Geneva canton stamp for my Smithsonian Stamp for Every Country collection. My original collection included stamp on stamp issues for the three Swiss canton issues and for Poland #1 which are required to complete the album as published and orginally displayed at the Smithsonian. I now have two of these four substituted stamps as part of my second version of the collection which is being worked on at a much more leisurely rate and which includes some used as well as mint stamps whereas the original collection became mint only.
In addition I picked up several missing stamps for France and for Sweden from the Siegel auction which provided some content for the first few pages of each album and made the first page of my postage dues for France very respectable. Now just 15 more postage due stamps for France to go.
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Good job Harvey. Those are some better Scott numbers.
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I also collect Poland and would very much like to find a copy of Poland #1 to finish the first page in my Minkus Album. I have read somewhere about the huge number of fakes that exist for both Poland and Russia #1. I need copies of Russia #'s 1,3 and 4 to finish that first page in my Russia Minkus album. Some of these early stamps are very difficult to find at reasonable prices.
In case anyone is interested here is a re-posting of page #1 of my BC collection. I include prices only to provide relative values of the various items. CV's exist, IMHO, to make collectors feel good! BC #'s 1 and 3 are probably the rarest stamps I'll ever own. Actually there is a fair bit of controversy about #1. It has never been found used or on cover or even gummed so there is doubt if it was ever intended for postal use. Many collectors see it as a type of proof.
I've been sort of looking for the various numbered BC postmarks. I have a few and am likely to not get many more. The #8 for Clinton and the #7 for Litton are fairly rare. You'd almost have to be very rich to finish that kind of collection. There are 36 different numbers and for several they have no idea which town they represent and probably never will unless someone finds them on cover. The 2023 version of Unitrade has the numbers listed with rarity factors out of 10. I have #1 (New Westminster 1/10 in black and 2/10 in red, a new purchase), #7 (Lytton 6/10), #8 (Clinton 7/10), #10 (William's Creek 1/10) and several #35 (Victoria 1/10). https://www.stampcommunity.org/topic.asp ...
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From my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1857 Issue, VFU, Four Pence, Rose White, (No Letters) - Wmk. 23, Sc.26 - SG66. CDS ""NEWCASTLE ON TYNE", July 20, 1860.
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From my lastt purchases now in my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 2p Blue (JC), Plate 1, 1840 Issue Used with light Black Maltese Cross, wmk. 18, Scott #2 - SG#5
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Sharp stamp! Beautiful color, nice margins, attractive cancel. Very nice.
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"ernieinjax: Sharp stamp! Beautiful color, nice margins, attractive cancel. Very nice."
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This cover arrived in the mail on Friday. Thank you Phil for thinking about me.
What makes this cover interesting is it commemorates both The Great Chicago Fire & The Peshtigo Fire which happened on the same day. The Peshtigo Fire claimed more lives than The Chicago Fire. Peshtigo is located in Wisconsin.
A side note, The Philadelphia (paid) Department was founded the same year, March 15, 1871.
Here is a link to a video about The Peshtigo Fire.
https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/re ...
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Vince, I guess you liked it...You have such fantastic collections..but every once in a while we see something that might humbly apply.
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Now in my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1865 Issue, Four Pence, Plate 14, Dull Vermilion, (FC). MLH. Scott #43a - SG94
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Very nice addition for your Great Britain album. When I first looked at my Scott Specialized album I didn't see a number 43 (it was finally found on the preceding page) so I was wondering whether this was a rare enough issue that it isn't even in the Scott album since I, also, didn't see spaces for Scott #'s 35, 36, 38, or 41 in the album. Looks as though those numbers were initially listed in the Scott catalog but later removed. My oldest catalog is from 1944 and those numbers are not listed in it either.
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@jbaxter5256 - Thanks for your kind comments. I agree, I don't understand why they removed those numbers unless they were separate variants and they relocated them; for example, the Sc#34, 4p vermillion remains the same and the Sc#34b and c (Hair Lines), perhaps they were once the Sc#35 but when they were removed they were placed together with the Sc#34 as a variant; but I think it should be the Sc#35 and the photo should be placed separately because there are "clueless" collectors as me, hee hee.
Regards,
Rodolfo
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Saw this cover and had to have it. I have a small but growing group of Jacksonville covers. I have walked past this statue many times going in and out of the Jacksonville Landing.
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Nice card and to Watervliet...near Albany.
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New item now my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1862 Issue, VFU, Three Pence, Pale Rose, (BD), Plate 2 - Wmk. 24, Sc.37 - SG76. Barred Numeral Postmark "859", SHROPSHIRE - WELLINGTON Head Post Office. Cancel. No. 3HOS Used from 20 NOV-1857 to 16 SEP-1869.
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New stamp now in my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, Four Pence, Pale Red - (KC), Plate 3, 1862 Issue - Nothing like a Clear Profile of this other nice very fine used stamp - (one short perf.). Scott #34 - SG80
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Now in my Collection: Great Britain, Queen Victoria, 1873 Issue, MLH, Three Pence Rose, (JF), Plate 15 - Wmk. 25, Sc.61 - SG143.
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Just got a really nice used copy of US #27 in the mail from my regular stamp dealer at a very fair price, even though I will have to pay in two payments. It had a certificate with it as well and I'll post a scan tomorrow (hopefully) of both the stamp and it's certificate. Page 2 in my Harris Liberty album is now missing #'s 18, 31 and 39 with #34 omitted. The first two are possible, the last two are unlikely! I doubt if page 2 will ever be completed as page 1 is! Too bad!!! Page #3 is complete, sort of, because a few of the stamps were removed from Scott's after the album was released (#'s 56, 58, 60, 66 and 74). A few others were omitted due to excessive cost! It's a bit odd since my Harris Canada album shows everything, even #32 and the Port Hood provisionals.
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I just added the scan for Scott #27 above. It's always great to get the certificate with the stamp.
I got three US state Duck Stamps and a great Canada booklet in the mail today from a SoR member. I don't normally look for booklets but this one contained a pane I didn't have. My main objection to Canada booklets is the large sets that were issued all containing the same pane. I also have a 1988 Canada cut off.
I'm trying to get one duck per US state to go with my collection of the first 75 Federal Ducks (to 2008). I only have 20 states so far but I'll get there eventually. My US cutoff is normally 1976 but I don't worry about that with duck stamps. There are also quite a few from Native reserves but they tend to be quite expensive so I might stop with the states.