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Argentina remembers Jose Hernandez, the Argentine Cervantes

A smaller country doesn’t often produce a literary great, especially one with such an insight into the national character. So a stamp to remember is very important. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

Visually todays stamp is not impressive. A poorly produced portrait, with a name and nothing else. A scene from Hernandez’s master work “Martin Fierro” would have been better. Perhaps with a portrait of the author in the corner. Mr. Hernandez has been on several Argentine stamps over the years but always with a similar portrait.

Todays stamp is issue A366, a six Peso stamp issued by the Republic of Argentina in 1967. The stamp comes in several colors and sizes over several years. According to the Scott Catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents used. This value is pretty consistent through the many variations of this stamp.

Jose Hernandez was born the son of a butler, growing up on a series of cattle ranches. He became a journalist and politician. At the time there was a divide in Argentine politics on the importance of the power of the countryside verses the importance of Buenos Aires. Large amounts of revenue was being generated by beef exports and Buenos Aires wanted to keep the windfall for itself. Hernandez with his experience in the countryside came down on the Federales side, that favored more revenue participation in the provinces. Hernandez and the Federales also were opposed to allowing immigration fearing Europeanization of Argentina. Both sides of the issue had turns in power and during a turn of the opposing Unitarios, Hernandez was exiled to Brazil.

It was in Brazil that Hernandez wrote his master work in two parts, “Martin Fierro”. It is an epic poem of a gaucho who struggles with the difficulty, desperation, and striving for honor endemic in the life of a gaucho, a cowboy. This type of life was still current at the time of the poems writing but was in it’s last days. The poem was immediately popular and over time became a classic with it’s vivid description of time and place. Hernandez was recognized as capturing a piece of the Argentine national psyche.

As such, the work is often compared to Italy’s “Divine Comedy” and Spain’s “Don Quixote”. Spanish literary critic Miguel de Unamuno made a case for how the work fit into the traditions of great Spanish literature, one of the few Latin American works to do so. Why not, Argentina did have Spanish colonial roots.

Some aspects of the poem do not play as well to modern sensibilities. It adheres to traditional structuring with six line rhyming stanzas. Most modern poets stick to free verse. Many of the poems situations place the Hero, a white of Spanish heritage, in combat with Natives and Blacks that behave brutally. This would just not be allowed today, whatever the reality.

Hernandez was later allowed to return to Argentina. He died in Buenos Aires only a few years after publication of his seminal work.

In the modern way, the Martin Fierro story as been the basis for the more modern. There are Martin Fierro comic books and deeply political Argentine movies. Interestingly there was a Hollywood film loosely based on the story and actually filmed in Argentina called “Way of the Gaucho” from 1952. It was one of the so called runaway productions filmed overseas because the studio, (20th Century Fox), had cash tied up in the country due to post war currency controls.

Well my drink is empty and so I will pour another to toast Jose Hernandez. Many journalists attempt to write literature but few succeed. Come again for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2018.

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Argentina 1947, Seeking World Peace with children, race car drivers and rainbows

Staying out of a world war is a good way to avoid domestic suffering and even make a little money because both sides will be buying whatever you are selling. What happens after the war when the winning side thinks you a shirker. Time to start a charm offensive. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

This stamp celebrates a Crusade for world peace organized by Peronist Argentina through the schools. There have been stamps like this from east and west and north and south for decades. Look at the iconography of this one. You can almost understand American feelings that there was something off about the Argentines.

Todays stamp is issue A209, a 20 Centavo stamp issued by Argentina in 1947. It was a two stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents used. There is an imperforate version that is worth $10.

Juan Peron was elected President of Argentina defeating a political party called the radical civic union. The radical civic union were nicknamed the oxi-morons of should have been. He faced a severe foreign policy challenge. The USA was angry at Argentina for sitting out the war. How to punish Argentina was the question as there were large American investments in Argentina and the country bought a lot of the USA’s manufactured good exports. The Americans decided on a three prong strategy against Argentina. The would form a security pact with the rest of Latin America that excluded Argentina. They excluded Argentina from the international debt market. Argentine agricultural products were also excluded from the Marshal aid plan, which was how Europe was paying  for the food they were importing.

What was Peron to do? His Foreign Minister Juan Bramulgia favored giving in to American domination. Evita Peron had earlier asked for and was refused Bramulgia’s legal help earlier when Peron had been arrested. Now with him preaching subservience, Evita got her revenge and convinced Peron to fire him. To replace the agricultural exports lost, Peron opened relations and trade with the USSR. The closed foreign financial markets proved a boon. Peron was able to sell bonds on the domestic market that kept the money in the country.

This still left Peron isolated. He decided on a charm offensive. He funded the hosting of international sports competitions in Argentina. Where he found athletic talent, they were funded so they be at their best on the international stage. This included the race car driver Juan Manuel Fangio who won 5 world championships, and boxer Jose Atlio Gatica. Both paid a price later. Gatica was arrested and forced to retire after dedicating a victory to Peron after he was overthrown. Fangio was kidnapped by Castro in Cuba in 1957.

Race driver Fangio in his Mercedes W196 race car

He then decided on a charm offensive in Europe. Evita would go on an elaborate European tour that emphasized her glamour. Time magazine in the USA dubbed it the Rainbow Tour. The USA pressured Europe not to receive her and when that was only partially successful, the USA arraigned some dirty tricks for her in Switzerland. While waving to friendly crowds from her car, suddenly the windshield was broken by thrown rocks. Later while meeting with the Swiss Foreign Minister three tomatoes came her way. They connected more with the Foreign Minister, but Evita was humiliated and flew home early. At least the time in Paris enhanced her sense of style.

A last dance with the Swiss Minister before the tomatoes flew

Peron was not completely able to break out of American isolation but neither was the USA able to starve off the Argentine economy which grew by leaps and bounds in this period. Sometimes kicking the can is all that can be achieved.

Well my drink is empty and I probably should toast the fresh faced kids for peace on the stamps. I won’t, kids like this are being used as tools because they cannot be argued with. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

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Argentina 1954, Remembering Evita the Peron way before the General’s coup that is to be remembered as the liberating revolution

Everything in Argentine history is remembered based on ones political views. So here 2 years after her death, we see Evita remembered in her glory with Peron still in power. The next year his elected government was replaced violently by a military general of British ancestry. The General’s  side remembers that as a “Liberating Revolution”. Fun place Argentina. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

Peron era stamps are a feast for stamp collectors. I have done a few here https://the-philatelist.com/2018/11/21/argentina-1954-peron-invokes-ceres-to-enobile-the-grain-exchange/   , and here https://the-philatelist.com/2017/11/03/paying-extra-to-celebrate-the-art-of-stamp-designing/   . They just presented things with so much drama. Toward the end of Peron’s first rule, inflation was bettering the country and this is reflected is a reduction of print quality of this stamp. Reality has a way of showing through.

Todays stamp is issue A236, a three Peso stamp issued by Argentina in 1954. It was a single stamp issue remembering Evita Peron on the second anniversary of her death. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 50 cents used.

Evita Peron was born illegitimately in humble rural circumstances. At the age of 15, she ran off with a tango musician to relatively wealthy Buenos Aires. She died her hair blond and sought employment as a singer dancer and actress. She had some success at this especially on radio soap operas. In 1944 at age 25, she met Juan Peron at a benefit for survivors of an earthquake. He was then Labor Minister and suggested that she organize a new labor union for those in the performing arts. This happened and was the first government recognized union with Evita the elected leader. She married Peron the next year and campaigned successfully with him for President the next year. She lead a special outreach to the poor working class that she referred to as Descamisodos, those without even shirts.

As First Lady she continued her outreach to the poor and championed female voting in her own Peronist female only political party. Peron’s foreign policy was isolationist so to reduce foreign influence in Argentina. So instead of a European Head of State tour Evita was sent alone on a “Rainbow Tour” of Europe. She caused a sensation in Spain, Portugal, and France but was only granted a perfunctory audience with the Pope and the British part of the tour was cancelled when officials refused to receive her.

As first lady, Evita made some changes to her official history. A new birth certificate showed her legitimate and three years younger. She then changed laws that disadvantaged those born illegitimate. The legal term was changed to natural children. In the new version of her history, her move to Buenos Aires included her mother and she then was chaperoned by old family friends.

After a failed run to be Peron’s vice president, Evita fell ill. She suffered from cervical cancer that resulted in fainting spells and severe vaginal bleeding. An American surgeon was imported for aggressive treatment that included a full historectomy, Argentina’s first chemotherapy, and a full frontal lobotomy to reduce her anxiety. Evita died in 1952 at her preferred age or thirty.

Evita near her death with her hair a wig and relying on President Peron to hold her up

In 1955 much was made in military and business circles of the over the top nature with which the Perons were presented. Peron answered that his way was more naturally Hispanic and only looks strange to those of English heritage. He was overthrown in a coup known as a “Liberating Revolution” and it was the General’s turn to edit out the English aspects of their heritage.

Well my drink is empty and I will happily pour another to toast Evita. After all of Broadway can for so many years, so can I. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

 

 

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Spain 1980, boldly reminding who found Buenos Aires, one of the great world cities

Colonialism is now days almost a dirty word. Not to a stamp collector like me, who loves both colonial and post colonial issues in how they show what changed and what remained the same after the status changed. With Empires a thing of the past, you wouldn’t expect them to show much on home countries’ stamps. Britain doesn’t remind that it was them that founded Singapore or Calcutta. Spain in 1980 was more bold. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

Given how modern this stamp is and Spain insisted on recognizing the 400th anniversary of Buenos Aires founding, you might expect a modern shot of the skyline. Instead Spain had the guts to go full conquistador and show the always on the lookout for gold guy waving his sword. It makes the point of what a dangerous thing it was to try to bring civilization where there is none. Good for Spain making the case that is too often forgotten today.

Todays stamp is issue A579, a 19 Peseta stamp issued by Spain on October 24th, 1980. It was a single stamp issue. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents whether used or unused.

1580 is given as the date of the founding of Buenos Aires by the Spanish conquistador Juan  de Garay. There was an earlier Spanish settlement there starting  in 1536. That one was abandoned 8 years later due to persistent indian attacks. The number of Spaniards in the new world was really quite small and so settlements were few and far between. Juan de Garay moved on from Buenos Aires in search of the mythical “city of the ceasers”. While encamped with 40 men, a priest, and a few woman, his force was surrounded and massacred by indians of the Querandi tribe. This time Buenos Aires decided to keep going.

Buenos Aires always made it on trade, often of the elicit veriety. The Spanish Empire had rules that required trade with the colonies to go only between Lima in Peru and the port of Seville in Spain. This was to allow for convoys to ward off pirates. The distances meant trade was slow and very expensive. The port of Buenos Aires reduced the distance a lot and avoided all the taxes and fees of doing things legally. Though the people in Buenos Aires were mostly European the activities gave the city a rebellious nature.

Spanish King Charles III tried to reform the situation. He freed up the previous trade restrictions and set up a new Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata. This was based out of Buenos Aires. This did not work out as intended. The British repeatedly raided Buenos Aires. With no Spanish army nearby to defend, locals had to rely on themselves to kick out the British. This mirrors how they were on their own in dealing with indian attacks earlier. Combined with the cosmopolitan international nature of a large port, Buenos Aires became a  hotbed of pro independence from Spain sentiment. With Spain distracted by Napoleon at home, Argentina got independence. The disdain toward Spain was somewhat mutual. Notice when Argentina had further troubles with Britain over the Falkland Islands in the 1980s, Spain was a no show for the former colony.

Well my drink is empty and I will pour another as I remember a pleasant trip I had there in 1999. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

 

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Argentina 1954, Peron invokes Ceres to ennoble the Grain Exchange

Social Security, national health care, paid family leave, and urban Jews rising to prominence. Sounds like Argentina shifting left, but the image on this stamp tells the real story, Peronism was not just socialism but national socialism, albeit more Italian than German. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

Whatever else you think of him. Peron really unleashed his stamp designers. Under his brand of politics, professionals are part of a grand tradition to benefit the state above all. This stamp is for the 100th anniversary of a financial institution. As a comparison, look at this American stamp I covered here. https://the-philatelist.com/2017/12/18/celebrate-the-savings-and-loans-now-the-party-is-almost-over-and-the-hangover-terrible/

The stamp attempts to show a solid, useful institution but none of the over the top majesty of today’s Argentine stamp. This type of image was only under Peron. See also a before Peron bank anniversary stamp from Argentina I did here.https://the-philatelist.com/2017/12/26/the-radicals-are-revolting-in-the-park-so-we-better-start-a-bank/  Just the founder and a stone edifice.

Now look at how the stamp engraver saw himself under Peron. See article on it here.https://the-philatelist.com/2017/11/03/paying-extra-to-celebrate-the-art-of-stamp-designing/

The stamp today is issue A242, a 1.5 Peso stamp issued by Argentina on August 26th 1954. It was a single stamp issue that marked the centennial of the Buenas Aires Grain Exchange. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents.

Juan Peron was elected President in 1946. He had served in the military and in political positions previously and been exposed to the by then defeated fascist governments of Italy and Germany that Argentina earlier had a flirtation with. His political movement was influenced by them but the Argentine masses were much poorer so his movement was more centered on elevating the poor. His policies were quite left wing but his image making was definitely from the right. He was thus able to attract support from both left and right which guaranteed reelection but made for an unstable alliance.

The massive government programs put in place created much inflation, which of course is terrible for those that are already established. Peron tried to clamp down on opposition via control of the press and arrests of his political opponents. Eventually there was a coup that sent Peron into exile in Franco’s Spain. His party was banned but  the string of grey men that replaced him were not able to bring stability or economic opportunity. Meanwhile Peron was able to issue missives from Spain telling how great thing would be after he returned. He eventually did return in 1973. When back in power he had to chose between his left and right wing supporters. He chose his right which splintered his base. He was by then a sick old man who died in 1975. He tried to will his movement to his young widow but soon the grey right wing generals were back in charge and embarrassing the country with their lack of achievement.

The stamp depicts the Roman God Ceres of Agriculture and female fertility. She comes up a lot in the imagery of right governments of the late 19th and early 20th century. In addition to this Argentine depiction. she appears on stamps of Napoleon III era France and on the money of the Confederate States of America.

Well my drink is empty and a may have another before consulting the crop report from the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange which still continues. I hope the harvest will not be drought effected yet again. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting

 

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The radicals are revolting in the park, so we better start a bank.

Welcome readers to todays offering from The Philatelist. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take the first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Today we have a quandary. What does a new leader do when radicals rebel, forcing out the President, and you the Vice President find yourself elevated. Starting a bank I bet occurred  to almost none of you, but it was the right move.

The stamp today is from 1941 Argentina. It includes on the stamp a long ago President, something rare in Latin America. But the left-right divide is always there and it is understandable that the circa 1941 right wingers in charge of Argentina would find the creativity of 50 year before right wingers inspiring. It also gives an excuse to show of one of the new grand edifices of Buenos Aires on a stamp. Combining a historical figure and new impressive architecture on a stamp makes this stamp a winner.

The stamp today is issue A174, a five centavo stamp issued by Argentina on  October 26th, 1941. It was a single stamp issue commemorating the 50th anniversary of  the Bank of the Nation. Carlos Pellegrini, the founder of the bank and the then President also appears. The stamp was a single issue. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents. As with many stamps I yammer about here, I find this stamp undervalued.

The run up to the founding of the Bank of the Nation in Argentina was an interesting time. A President named Rocca had in cahoots with wealth landowners concocted a scheme that brought in much foreign investment in Argentina. Local operations were able to issue bonds in London that were being marketed as backed by the gold supply of the Argentine government. This created an investment boom that funded railroads and public works but over time the inflows just covered debt service. There of course was not enough gold to actually back all the debt and when the government paid the debt in newly printed currency it initiated a financial panic in 1890 London. Barings Bank had sold most of the defaulted Argentine bonds and they had to be bailed out by a consortium of other London banks. Though such a thing has happened many times since, this was a first.

The default had terrible effects in Argentina. The economy contracted more than 10 percent in one year and Argentina was cut of from further foreign investment. An inept successor to Rocca and long simmering resentment lead to radicals taking to the streets in the hopes the army would also want the government gone. This “Revolution in the Park”was indeed put down by the army but the President did resign.

Carlos Pellegrini, the vice president found himself elevated. With the old debt defaulted, it was a great time to start a local bank that could fund only worthy projects. This house cleaning lead to 25 more years of right wing rule and Pellegrini the nickname “storm sailor”. Mr. Pellegrini  also showed how smart he was by not overstaying his welcome and leaving office at the end of his term. The bank he founded is still today the largest bank in Argentina with over 25 % of the local market.

The stamp also shows the edifice of the new bank headquarters building that was built in two stages between 1940 and 1957. It was twice the size of the previous headquarters of the bank. The building was the work of prominent local architect Alejandro Bustillo and done in the French neoclassical style. Mr. Bustillo also designed estacias and hotels including the biggest hotel casino in the world in Mar del Plata. His record was eventually beaten when Donald Trumps’ Taj Mahal Casino opened in Atlantic City in 1990. I am afraid both casinos were too big as they both have had much financial trouble.

Well, my drink is empty so it is time to open up the discussion in the below comment section. I doubt the people revolting in the park were satisfied with President Pellegrini. They eventually took power in 1916 though and not everyone was thrilled with them either. It is probably better to go left when there is money around, even if the opportunity comes when there isn’t. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

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Paying extra to celebrate the art of stamp designing.

Welcome readers to todays offering from The Philatelist. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take the first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. We have an interesting story to tell where we wrestle where the line is about when a country has gone too far in the quest to sell stamps to overseas stamp collectors.

The stamp is really quite large for when it was issued in 1950. This is a definite sign that the purpose is not to mail a letter. The colors are much bolder than a regular stamp issue from 1950 Argentina. When you see that the stamp is issued in connection with an international “filatelica” exposition. Then you notice that the stamp is both cancelled with a picture perfect cancellation and yet is still fully gummed on the back. And finally the audacity of it being a semi postal issue with a doubling of the face value of the stamp. With all this it is not hard to come to the conclusion that this is just not a real postage stamp.

The stamp today is issue B12, a 10 centavo + 10 centavo semi postal stamp issued on August 26th, 1950 to honor the 1950 Argentine International Philatelic Exposition. It was part of a 6 stamp issue, the others of which are also airmail stamps. This to make them easier to mail home for those that had traveled to Buenos Aires for the show. The stamp depicts the art of stamp designing. The stamp artist on the stamp is laboring over an older Argentine stamp featuring General San Martin. According to the Scott catalog, it is worth 25 cents whether it is mint or cancelled. If there was a hot market for this stamp, a real cancelation from actually being mailed should extract a large premium on to the value.

I want to like this stamp. It really is very attractive. Mrs. The Philatelist, who does my website’s photography, found it to be a very attractive and easy to photograph stamp. I also enjoy stamp shows and have no problem with the local postal authority being a sponsor and important participant. I also see every day what artistry is involved in putting together a new stamp issue. So of course I am also for celebrating that artist for whom we will usually not know.

Where this stamp lost me is in the fact that it is a semi postal stamp issue. For those who do not know what that means, a semi postal stamp has an extra fee built in over and above the usual cost of postage. Argentina had many semi postal issues at the time. Most were in support of Eva Peron’s foundation for the support of the poor. This was not that, it was just to extract extra money out of the stamp collectors at the exposition. In my mind, that crossed the line.

Well my drink is empty and so it is time to open the conversation in the below comment section. It would be nice if the stamp collecting hobby were to regrow enough to make stamp issues like todays be lucrative. The Philatelist is doing his part to make that happen. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.