Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
The pandemic is supposedly over, but I don’t really trust the opinion of an 80-year-old president, who is no scientist on the matter, and seems to be unaware that Covid killed more than 1.2 million Americans. However, I’m moving on with life in the hopes that he’s basically right. I’m also 80, but hope to have a few more years, so I am plunging into the deep end, continuing to buy stamps and covers and expand my philatelic horizons.
Because of my “adventures” in Vietnam during the Vietnam War, where I learned that just one bullet can mostly ruin much of a person's life, I’ve decided to expand my collection of French Indochina stamps and covers. Previously, I’d “restricted” myself to stamps, covers, and ephemera related to the Vietnam War and produced by U.S., South Vietnam, and North Vietnam and their allies/supporters. However, since France and its harsh colonialism of Vietnam led directly to the Vietnam War (with the assistance of American presidents from Truman through Nixon), French Indochina seemed to be fair philatelic game, especially since I’d already added some interesting North Vietnam covers to my collection, including one with a letter from a French soldier who tells his mother that his job in Hanoi involved climbing the outside of office and apartment buildings to kill Vietminh snipers. (That's not a good thing for a soldier to tell his mother!)
Today I received these packets of French Indochina airmail stamps:
I already had several of the stamps in mint and used condition, but these offerings, on eBay, had the advantage of being complete, fresh appearing, and mostly nicely cancelled and well centred. There are two sets, which I didn’t realize until I’d examined the catalogue more closely. The pre-war set includes “RF” (Republic of France) in the lower left corner; the wartime set, issued during the Japanese occupation, has dropped the “RF”.
I also decided to expand my Viet Minh collection, adding some of the more-elusive and expensive stamps, including covers, if available. The Viet Minh was the original, small-c communst military force, led by Ho Chi Minh, that established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1946. The Viet Minh overprinted French Indochina stamps for use in North Vietnam, starting in 1946. The Second World War and postwar famine had wrecked Vietnamese economy, so little mail was sent anywhere. This is a first-day cover celebrated the meeting of the first meeting of the Vietminh-controlled National Assembly:
—
Finally, a dream come true! Last Wednesday, on Weeda Stamps’ weekly on-line list of specials, this came up:
It’s a complete, fresh, well-centred (for the issue) set of Newfoundland “Trail of the Caribou” stamps, issued in 1919 and commemorating the exploits (and incredible losses) of the Newfoundland Regiment in the First World War. Each stamp features the name of a WWI battle in which the Newfoundland Regiment fought. Sea battles aren’t specifically named, but are acknowledged with the word Ubique, Latin for “Everywhere” since naval battles were fought in oceans and seas around the world.
In Stanley Park, just a kilometre or so from my apartment, there’s a memorial to Japanese-Canadian soldiers who fought and died in the First World War. One of the battles referenced on the Newfoundland stamps and by the memorial is the Battle of Cambrai, one of the earliest battles in history in which tanks played a significant role. This photograph was taken four or five years ago, on Remembrance Day, November 11.
Bob
15 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
Bob
Your message is an example of one the reasons I enjoy and value SOR. You wrote a message through which I learn about stamps in a time and place, deepening my appreciation of this hobby. I also learn about a fellow collector.
Thank you,
Jim
6 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
Excellent!....thanks for posting, and for your service.
Login to Like
this post
A great post Bob. Thank you for sharing and congrats on your new acquisitions.
Regards ... Tim
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
Good post Bob... I also am a Vietnam Vet and it naturally led to an interest in anything Vietnam oriented. I always keep my eyes open for good material including the Viet Minh.
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
Great post, thanks, Bob. And thanks and gratitude for your service. As I like to say “forget Spider-Man VETERANS are my heroes!”
Login to Like
this post
I also collect Indochina stamps because of my interest in the history especially the Vietnam War(s).
Login to Like
this post
Here’s another of my recent acquisitions, a stamp that I've coveted for a long time. It's the 1941 issue for the French Tricolor Legion, a volunteer Waffen SS brigade on the Russian Front, the Block de Franchise du Corps, Expeditionnaire de la Legion des Volontaires Français Contre le Bolchevisme, which loosely translates as "Souvenir sheet from the expeditionary force of French Volunteers against Bolshevism.
My interest is historical and artistic. That prominent Red Star on the polar bear's abdomen makes the stamp seem more pro-Russia and pro-Communist than anti-Russia/anti-Communist.
At the beginning of the Second World War, German Nazis feared Russian Communism far more than Western Democracy, but the French populace was divided between the two philosophies. A dual-issue France-Russia stamp was issued tin 2017 to commemorate the squadron of pro-communist, anti-German French pilots who flew Russian Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack planes from Russian airfields against German forces in Eastern Europe:
Here's an image of the Sturmovik, from Wikipedia:
The appellation Sturmovik is a generic Russian word for "ground attack," commonly rendered "Stormovik" in English. According to Wikipedia, "The Il-2 played a crucial role on the Eastern Front. When factories fell behind on deliveries, Joseph Stalin told the factory managers that the Il-2s were "as essential to the Red Army as air and bread."
Sturmoviks and their variants were among the most numerous aircraft ever produced in the world. I have a scale model kit of the the Sturmovik in my "stash" of unbuilt models.*
Bob
* That unbuilt "Stormovik" was given to me by my friend Mike Strachan, who died in late 2021 of a rare form of prostate cancer. He was told that only four cases of that particular cancer had ever been seen in British Columbia. A word — four words, actually — to all of us male Stamporama members: Get your prostate checked!
5 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
I splurged recently on this block of stamps, not just because of the stamp, but because of the signatures, those of Princes Grace and Prince Rainier of Monaco.
The provenance is unclear, but seems genuine; there is no indication who “us” is:
The signatures appear genuine. Here’s a detail image of them, followed by examples of both signatures found on-ine:
l
I couldn’t not buy this block. The Hollywood actress Grace Kelly became Princess Grace of Monaco in a two-day wedding in which she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco I was 13 years old. I’d seen Rear Window, in which she starred with Jimmy Stewart. It’s one of my favourite films. In fact, Susan and I watched it again just a few weeks ago.
When Grace Kelly became Princess Grace, I was devastated. Did she not understand that I loved her more than some foreign prince could ever love her? Of course, I wasn’t quite old enough too to marry, but if I was willing to wait to grow up, why was she not willing to wait for me? She and I could had a lot of fun together, hunting jackrabbits, catching bullsnakes, blowing up things with cherry bombs and M-80 firecrackers. I knew that I could have been a great lover, but it was not to be.
I soothed my bruised ego by buying a short set of mint wedding stamps from an approval dealer, sold it to a dealer in Ottawa, along with my entire collection, when I “quit collecting stamps” in 1969. Not long after I became a born-again collector in the early 1980s, I bought a complete set of the wedding stamps, including the airmail stamps n. And now I’ve “crowned” my Princess Grace collection with this block.
Bob
5 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
i've also coveted that French Legion SS. Very nice, Bob.
Login to Like
this post
I know that there have been "New acquisitions" threads in the past, but I couldn't find one. So I just created my own.
The pandemic is supposedly over, but I don’t really trust the opinion of an 80-year-old president, who is no scientist on the matter, and seems to be unaware that Covid killed more than 1.2 million Americans. However, I’m moving on with life in the hopes that he’s basically right. I’m also 80, but hope to have a few more years, so I am plunging into the deep end, continuing to buy stamps and covers and expand my philatelic horizons.
Because of my “adventures” in Vietnam during the Vietnam War, where I learned that just one bullet can mostly ruin much of a person's life, I’ve decided to expand my collection of French Indochina stamps and covers. Previously, I’d “restricted” myself to stamps, covers, and ephemera related to the Vietnam War and produced by U.S., South Vietnam, and North Vietnam and their allies/supporters. However, since France and its harsh colonialism of Vietnam led directly to the Vietnam War (with the assistance of American presidents from Truman through Nixon), French Indochina seemed to be fair philatelic game, especially since I’d already added some interesting North Vietnam covers to my collection, including one with a letter from a French soldier who tells his mother that his job in Hanoi involved climbing the outside of office and apartment buildings to kill Vietminh snipers. (That's not a good thing for a soldier to tell his mother!)
Today I received these packets of French Indochina airmail stamps:
I already had several of the stamps in mint and used condition, but these offerings, on eBay, had the advantage of being complete, fresh appearing, and mostly nicely cancelled and well centred. There are two sets, which I didn’t realize until I’d examined the catalogue more closely. The pre-war set includes “RF” (Republic of France) in the lower left corner; the wartime set, issued during the Japanese occupation, has dropped the “RF”.
I also decided to expand my Viet Minh collection, adding some of the more-elusive and expensive stamps, including covers, if available. The Viet Minh was the original, small-c communst military force, led by Ho Chi Minh, that established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1946. The Viet Minh overprinted French Indochina stamps for use in North Vietnam, starting in 1946. The Second World War and postwar famine had wrecked Vietnamese economy, so little mail was sent anywhere. This is a first-day cover celebrated the meeting of the first meeting of the Vietminh-controlled National Assembly:
—
Finally, a dream come true! Last Wednesday, on Weeda Stamps’ weekly on-line list of specials, this came up:
It’s a complete, fresh, well-centred (for the issue) set of Newfoundland “Trail of the Caribou” stamps, issued in 1919 and commemorating the exploits (and incredible losses) of the Newfoundland Regiment in the First World War. Each stamp features the name of a WWI battle in which the Newfoundland Regiment fought. Sea battles aren’t specifically named, but are acknowledged with the word Ubique, Latin for “Everywhere” since naval battles were fought in oceans and seas around the world.
In Stanley Park, just a kilometre or so from my apartment, there’s a memorial to Japanese-Canadian soldiers who fought and died in the First World War. One of the battles referenced on the Newfoundland stamps and by the memorial is the Battle of Cambrai, one of the earliest battles in history in which tanks played a significant role. This photograph was taken four or five years ago, on Remembrance Day, November 11.
Bob
15 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: New for me
Bob
Your message is an example of one the reasons I enjoy and value SOR. You wrote a message through which I learn about stamps in a time and place, deepening my appreciation of this hobby. I also learn about a fellow collector.
Thank you,
Jim
6 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: New for me
Excellent!....thanks for posting, and for your service.
Login to Like
this post
re: New for me
A great post Bob. Thank you for sharing and congrats on your new acquisitions.
Regards ... Tim
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: New for me
Good post Bob... I also am a Vietnam Vet and it naturally led to an interest in anything Vietnam oriented. I always keep my eyes open for good material including the Viet Minh.
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: New for me
Great post, thanks, Bob. And thanks and gratitude for your service. As I like to say “forget Spider-Man VETERANS are my heroes!”
Login to Like
this post
re: New for me
I also collect Indochina stamps because of my interest in the history especially the Vietnam War(s).
Login to Like
this post
re: New for me
Here’s another of my recent acquisitions, a stamp that I've coveted for a long time. It's the 1941 issue for the French Tricolor Legion, a volunteer Waffen SS brigade on the Russian Front, the Block de Franchise du Corps, Expeditionnaire de la Legion des Volontaires Français Contre le Bolchevisme, which loosely translates as "Souvenir sheet from the expeditionary force of French Volunteers against Bolshevism.
My interest is historical and artistic. That prominent Red Star on the polar bear's abdomen makes the stamp seem more pro-Russia and pro-Communist than anti-Russia/anti-Communist.
At the beginning of the Second World War, German Nazis feared Russian Communism far more than Western Democracy, but the French populace was divided between the two philosophies. A dual-issue France-Russia stamp was issued tin 2017 to commemorate the squadron of pro-communist, anti-German French pilots who flew Russian Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack planes from Russian airfields against German forces in Eastern Europe:
Here's an image of the Sturmovik, from Wikipedia:
The appellation Sturmovik is a generic Russian word for "ground attack," commonly rendered "Stormovik" in English. According to Wikipedia, "The Il-2 played a crucial role on the Eastern Front. When factories fell behind on deliveries, Joseph Stalin told the factory managers that the Il-2s were "as essential to the Red Army as air and bread."
Sturmoviks and their variants were among the most numerous aircraft ever produced in the world. I have a scale model kit of the the Sturmovik in my "stash" of unbuilt models.*
Bob
* That unbuilt "Stormovik" was given to me by my friend Mike Strachan, who died in late 2021 of a rare form of prostate cancer. He was told that only four cases of that particular cancer had ever been seen in British Columbia. A word — four words, actually — to all of us male Stamporama members: Get your prostate checked!
5 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: New for me
I splurged recently on this block of stamps, not just because of the stamp, but because of the signatures, those of Princes Grace and Prince Rainier of Monaco.
The provenance is unclear, but seems genuine; there is no indication who “us” is:
The signatures appear genuine. Here’s a detail image of them, followed by examples of both signatures found on-ine:
l
I couldn’t not buy this block. The Hollywood actress Grace Kelly became Princess Grace of Monaco in a two-day wedding in which she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco I was 13 years old. I’d seen Rear Window, in which she starred with Jimmy Stewart. It’s one of my favourite films. In fact, Susan and I watched it again just a few weeks ago.
When Grace Kelly became Princess Grace, I was devastated. Did she not understand that I loved her more than some foreign prince could ever love her? Of course, I wasn’t quite old enough too to marry, but if I was willing to wait to grow up, why was she not willing to wait for me? She and I could had a lot of fun together, hunting jackrabbits, catching bullsnakes, blowing up things with cherry bombs and M-80 firecrackers. I knew that I could have been a great lover, but it was not to be.
I soothed my bruised ego by buying a short set of mint wedding stamps from an approval dealer, sold it to a dealer in Ottawa, along with my entire collection, when I “quit collecting stamps” in 1969. Not long after I became a born-again collector in the early 1980s, I bought a complete set of the wedding stamps, including the airmail stamps n. And now I’ve “crowned” my Princess Grace collection with this block.
Bob
5 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: New for me
i've also coveted that French Legion SS. Very nice, Bob.
Login to Like
this post