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The Gold Coast 1954, listening out for the talking drum

There is an old African tradition among the Yoruba People of communicating between villages though the use of hourglass shaped drums that can be adjusted to mimic the sounds of human speech. There was nothing like this anywhere in the world. The Gold Coast got around to displaying it on their last stamp issue before independence. 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.

There is an earlier version of this stamp with King George VI and a later version with an overprint recognizing independence in 1957. Queen Elizabeth is still with us but when Charles or William replace wouldn’t it be great if the Commonwealth did a new version with the new King. Talk about continuity and talking drums are interesting in any time period.

Todays stamp is issue A15, a 2 Pence stamp issued by the Crown Colony of the Gold Coast in 1954. It was a twelve stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott Catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents used. Check out the hand cancelation by pen on mine. The George VI version has the same value but the independence overprint adds 15 cents to the value.

Drumming holds a special significance to the Yoruba people. Those of them that still adhere to their legacy religion believe that the first Yoruba drummer was named Ayangalu. It is believed that upon his mortal death, he was deified and became an Orisha. An Orisha is a spirit sent down from higher deities to communicate with mortals, in Ayangalu’s case all future drummers.

The talking drum is hourglass shaped with drums on both ends and many cords down each side. The cords can adjust the pitch between beats. In this way a very skilled drummer can lyrically mimic human speech. The drums became tools of communication as in the right circumstances the sound can carry as far as five miles.

In the poetic verbal tradition of the griots, African verbal historians and poets, the communication is not simple and short like say Morris code, but rather long and stretched out. Go home might be drummed as go where your feet want to take you. This longer phrase is then repeated several times in the hope that it will be properly interpreted by the listener. You can hear an example here, https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=talking+drums+ghana&docid=608034306542275132&mid=1C2F896B5CBDEE7CF2611C2F896B5CBDEE7CF261&view=detail&FORM=VIRE   .

The use of the talking drum as of course declined and fewer and fewer have the skill to play it. The talking drum has showed up in western music including Fleetwood Mac and The Grateful Dead including attempts by their drummers to play live at shows. One wonders if they pray for the blessings of Ayangalu before the attempt. The talking drum also appeared on the soundtrack to the recent movie “Black Panther”. The score for that movie was written by Ludwig Goransson.

Well my drink is empty and I will listen for the drumbeats to decide if I get another. Hearing nothing, away goes the bottle. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.

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Mongolia 1990, We few Mongols should not make each others noses bleed

What do you do when a country’s leadership no longer has their heart in it. Perhaps the correct path is to quietly resign and spend the rest of your life tending your garden. That is what was happened in Mongolia. 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 topical farm out stamp shows a Siberian musk deer. The genus name is used on the stamp to down play the Siberian. They do exist in Mongolia but the species is on the decline as it is heavily poached both for meat and for it’s musk glands. The world population is down to an estimated 230,000, about 40,000 in Mongolia.

Todays stamp is issue A419a, a 60 Mung stamp issued by the still barely People’s Republic of Mongolia on September 26th, 1990. It was a four stamp issue displaying different views of the Siberian musk deer. According to the Scott Catalog, the stamp is worth 35 cents cancelled to order.

I while back I did a stamp on the Sukibator, the axe hero of Mongolia, see https://the-philatelist.com/2019/01/11/mongolia-1932-remembering-sukhe-bator-the-axe-hero-of-mongolia/   . You don’t have the wildness af axe heroes unless the pro Soviet communists in charge are passionate about what they are doing.  That passion continued under the long rule of Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal who sided decisively with the Soviets at the time of the split with China in 1960. A big Stalin guy who even had a Russian wife. His time had perhaps past when he was in Moscow lobbying the Soviets to take a harder line in the cold war. Instead the Soviets decided to keep Y. T. in Moscow and pass Mongolian leadership to technocrat Jambyn Batmonkh.

General Secretary Jambyn Batmonkh

Batmonkh would tell you he accomplished much in his six years regarding power grids and coal mines and railways. He would be correct but he could also read the writing on the wall. The Soviets had pulled their troops out of Mongolia voluntarily and the anti communist protests that swept the world in 1989 hit Mongolia at the end of the year. Batmonck instructed that no force be used against the protestors. The demands of the protestors were however ignored and they began a large hunger strike.

The Politburo became concerned at Batmonkh’s inaction and wrote a decree for him to sign to crack down hard on the protestors. They called him in after hours to sign it and he flatly refused. Batmonkh stated that we few Mongols should not make each others noses bleed and he resigned on the spot and encouraged the Politburo to do the same. The technocrat had finally inspired and the Politburo indeed did resign. An election to chose a new government happened a few months later.

Batmonkh was done with politics and spent the rest of his life tending his garden. Him and the former first lady could often be spotted at the farmers market selling their produce. If asked, and only if asked, he would tell you that he thought he did a better job that those that came later. He definitely could have done worse.

Well my drink is empty and I will be happy to pour another to toast Jambyn Batmonkh. After all it is not just Mongols who desire their noses not to bleed. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.

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Occupied Poland 1940, Germany needs living space but Poland doesn’t require a Queen

The borders of Poland were not set in stone. Therefore the Polish people were mixing with many others. German conquest meant that only one of those peoples, the Germans were to be provided for. Yet a Nazi henchman and wife with delusions of Royalty actually thwarted the German plan as it would have lessened their authority. 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 shows the courthouse in Krakow that no longer stands. Showing the architecture of the occupied area leaves out anything in Warsaw. Cities like Krakow and Lublin were considered more traditionally German while Warsaw was to be completely redeveloped as a German city after population replacement. Crazy stuff.

Todays stamp is issue OS1, a 50 Groszy stamp issued by the German General Government of occupied Poland in 1940. It was a 17 stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents.

When Germany conquered the western two thirds of Poland in 1939, it was intended that the occupation government would be short lived. Polish peasants were to be made employees of their conquerors while Poles of more achievement were to be forcefully suggested to go east. Some of this happened. A farm on my mothers German side of the family was assigned Polish peasants to work the farm after the German ones were off serving the country. I asked my mother how that could work out well. She said they were peasants in Poland and then they were peasants in Germany, why should they care? Well….. it was a different world then. The highlight of the German plan for Poland was a leveling of Warsaw and a redevelopment as a much smaller model German city with a small Polish quarter in the other side of the river. It was called the Papst Plan.

Papst Plan for a smaller German Warsaw

Probably luckily for Poland the General Government was put under a Nazi henchman named Hans Frank who had been with Hitler since the Beerhall Putsch. He was not interested in reducing his power by letting the territory be reorganized into new German goas. So this part of the plan went very slowly. The territory of the General Government was instead expanded when Russian occupied areas of Poland and the Polish areas of the Ukraine were transferred to it.

Hans Frank and his wife Brigitte instead were acting as the new Royals of Poland. Brigitte was opening referring to herself as Queen of the Poles. This became an embarrassment to Germany as remember there was not to be a Poland. In 1942, Frank sought to divorce his wife but she refused as she would rather according to her be his widow.

Brigitte and Hans Frank

She got her wish after Frank was executed post war at Nuremburg with his crimes made specific against the Jews. In his last days, Frank put out a story that Hitler was being blackmailed by people who knew that Hitler had a Jewish grandfather that his grandmother had worked as a maid for. The story did not check out.

I mentioned that the General Government never got around to leveling Warsaw. This them happened during the Warsaw uprising just before the Red Army arrived in 1944 as various groups tried to establish themselves to next rule Poland. The Polish friends of the Red Army rebuilt Warsaw post war, not of course using the Pabst Plan.

Well my drink is empty and I will not be toasting the Pabst Plan. Germans might however point out that they themselves were much more efficiently cleansed from east of the Oder post war by Poles. Perhaps they should have considered beforehand that turnaround is fair play. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.

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Hungary 1977, when Czech CSA airlines flew far and wide and so did the Ilyushin Il-62

A Czech CSA Il-62 airliner flying over Africa. Exciting isn’t it. If you go back 46 years it seems more so. The Il-62 replaced ex Cubana Bristol Britannia turboprops on CSA’s long haul services. Now I have a fondness for the Britannia as my father was a mechanic on them in 1950s England and later Canada, but the Il-62 flew 20% more passengers 40% longer distances at a speed 40% faster. Changing how we travel, not just bogged down in the economics of getting there cheaper as the modern planes offer. 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 is a little bit of a strange stamp issue. Various model airliners, in their national airline livery are flying over maps where you then might have spotted them. Local airline Malev flying a Soviet Tu-154 over central Europe is only one from Hungary and the lowest denomination. Well it was the time when so many of Hungary stamp issues were prepared outside the country for the world stamp market.

Todays stamp is issue C379, a 2 Forint airmail stamp issued by Hungary on October 26th, 1977. It was an eight stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents used. This stamp also exists as an imperforate, that would raise the value to $4.35.

Work began on the Ilyushin Il-62 in 1960. It is a close contemporary of the British VC-10 airliner but is larger and more economical. The two airliners share the otherwise unique trait of four engines mounted on the tail two on each side. This improves the aerodynamics of the wings and makes the cabin quieter. It can also cause trouble if one engine is overheating both engines on that side of the airplane have to be shut down adding much instability. The engines in the back also make the plane tail heavy so when parked a jack folds out of the back to prevent the plane from tipping backwards off it’s tricycle undercarriage. The Il-62 was a great success with production of 292 over 30 years. The last plane was built in 1997 to serve VIP duties for Sudan. One does not think enough about Sudanese VIPs. Others are still in service with the Russian Air Force, Rado airlines in Belarus and Air Koryo in North Korea. At the height of it’s career, it even served Air France and KLM on their services to the eastern bloc. Interestingly given the Hungarian stamp, the Il-62 was never bought by Hungary although at one point in the 1960s they were listed as having them on order. Apparently Tupelov offered Hungary a better deal on their airliners and Hungary cancelled the Ilyushin order. Communism or is it capitalism in action.

The Il-62 in the classic CSA “Ok Jet” cold war livery. Don’t overpromise!

CSA Czech Airlines began operations in 1923 with a flight between Prague and Bratislava. Then an internal flight. After a gap during the German occupation, the airline came back after the war but with shorter flights. In 1950, the airline faced the first mass hijacking when 3 DC-3s were hijacked at the same time to the American airbase at Erdin near Munich. 2/3rds of the passengers were not in on the “freedom” flight and returned home treated as heroes. CSA got back into long haul routes with a flight to Havana using Bristol Britannias leased from Cubana in 1962. CSA ordered VC10s to replace them but then canceled them in favor of the Il-62. They became the first foreign Il-62 user in 1969. They eventually operated 21 of them and kept them in service until 1997.

CSA has faced many struggles since the end of the cold war. Most of the long haul services are gone and the airline has lost 75% of it’s employees. After an equity stake by Korean Air was not successful, in 2018 the rump of the airline was sold to low cost carrier Smartwings. Most of their A319 are leased out and their single long haul A330 is a lease from Korean Air. They have recently ordered the small A220 jet to replace their small ATR turboprops. Update, CSA airline ceased operations in 2024.

Well my drink is empty and so I will signal the stewardess to bring another. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.

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Ivory Coast 1974, Felix the irresistible force thinks he has been stolen from too much

The Ivory Coast charted a different course than many in Africa by staying close to colonial power France. The President for life marketed himself and changed his name to the irresistible force in charge of the ivory miracle. It was true that people weren’t having much luck resisting, but by the end he had stolen too much and the people had enough. Ironic for a man that had came to prominence by penning an article complaining about what he perceived as French thievery. 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.

President Felix Houphouet-Boigny marketed his rule as the ivory miracle. The simple portrait bulk postage stamp makes a pretty good case for it. Bulk postage implies a functioning country. As with bulk postage throughout the world, mint versions of this stamp are worth more than twice the used form as most really were mailed. Ivory Coast is no longer so functional regarding the post. The last bulk mail issue was from 1994 and the last stamp recognized as legitimate is from 2015.

Todays stamp is issue A111, a 25 African Franc stamp issued by the Ivory Coast in 1974. It was a five stamp issue in various denominations issued over several years. In the late 1980s there were new versions reflecting then new currency devaluations. According to the Scott Catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents used.

The President eventually known as Felix Houphouet-Boigny was born either in 1901 or 1907 depending on who you ask in Yamoussoukro during the time the Ivory Coast was a French colony. His birth name was Dia (magician) Houphouet and he was in the line to be a tribal chief in the Akoues tribe. He became chief at a young age but was represented by a regency. As per colonial policy, tribal chiefs were offered education in French local schools. During this time he trained as a medic and converted  to Catholicism, Christened name Felix. Felix worked as a medic and organized a club for indigenous medical personnel. The French authorities considered the club  a labor union and transferred him to a French hospital in a smaller town. He then penned an essay in a socialist newspaper saying that the French had stolen too much from the African man as regards to agriculture in the Ivory Coast. When the French figured out Felix wrote the article, they offered him a job as a colonial tax collector to buy him off. Soon Felix was rich.

After the war Felix won a seat in the French Parliament in Paris representing the colony. The Africans quickly aligned with the French communist party as it was the only party in favor of ending the colonies. Felix assured the French he was not a communist as he was too rich to be one. He instead began to advocate a gradual process toward independence unlike most African leaders of the time. France however was ready to leave and Felix became the first President of independent Ivory Coast. In the runup he added Boigny (the irresistible force) to his name. As he consolidated his power for a long rule he initially had some resistance. He had rival Jean-Baptiste Mockey exiled for using a form of voodoo involving black cats against him. Creepy, I can see why he had to go. He shrunk the military to avoid coups and let the French continue to run the economy that mainly involved coffee and cocoa, not ivory.

In the 1980s the world price for coffee and cocoa dropped and the country took on a great deal of debt to buy peace by continuing to pay farmers the old prices. Felix desperately begged Europe to pay him above market prices and then failed again when he halted exports to try to raise the market price. Felix was still spending lavishly moving the administrative capital to his hometown and building there a giant Catholic Basilica in the bush and an airport that could handle the Concorde SST. When Felix died in 1993, his fortune was estimated at $7 billion. His children argued how much of the fortune belongs to them versus the state. It did and still does support a peace prize in his name that is handed out annually through the UN. Perhaps odd for a leader that supported armed opposition to African governments in Angola Benin, Burkini Faso, Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria. Felix is still fairly well remembered in the Ivory Coast, benefiting in retrospect for what came later.

Well my drink is empty and I will pour another to toast the Concorde supersonic airliner. If I was the leader of a place not doing so well with so much money waiting for me in Switzerland, I sure would want a Concorde at the airport ready to zip me away. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.

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India 1972, India remembers the Tamil Helmsman

Part of the Indian independence movement was swadeshi. This was the idea that Indians could hasten the departure of the British by only doing business with Indians . V O Chidambaram brought swadeshi to steamships going between India and Columbo in Sri lanka. Involving politics in business can get rough, even deadly. 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.

Swadeshi meant Indians were going to acquire the necessities for the country to get by on it’s own. I covered a Tata owned steel mill here, https://the-philatelist.com/2019/11/21/india-1958-independant-india-will-be-great-building-on-the-success-of-people-like-j-n-tata/   , built in the same spirit. When I saw the ship on this stamp and checked the dates involved. I figured there was no way this was an all India operation. Well the steamships were leased not owned, but indeed it was all Indian. Worth remembering and the honourific the Tamil Helmsman.

Todays stamp is issue A333, a 20 Paise stamp issued by India on September 5th, 1972. It was a single stamp issue honouring the birth century of V O Chidambaram Pillai. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 55 cents used.

Early in his life V O Chidambaram Pillai( V O) was a scholar of languages and the law. He was politically radicalized after law studies at Trichy and encounters with the Swami Vivikananda. V O was not a full barrister but a pleader, who writes pleadings to be submitted to a court. He was a member of the India National Congress, a nationalist movement.

At the time there were many fellow Tamils engaged as contract laborers in Ceylon. The steamship ride back and fourth was expensive and all British operated. V O had the idea to start a steamship company that was all Indian and could train ship crews and perhaps eventually shipbuilders. He traveled India raising money and even had Gandhi raising money for him on a trip visiting Indians in South Africa. He raised $40,000. This was not enough to buy ships but got an operation up and going with the steamship SS Gallia leased from the French. The British monopoly steamships were not happy and launched a price war against V O’s Swadeshi Steam Navigation. The British price eventually got to free rides and a free umbrella. The steamship company went broke and VO went on to help organize trade unions to strike British owned textile mills. A colonial minister called in VO and asked for assurances that another independence activists’ release from prison would be peaceful. The official was shocked when no assurances were given. After all, V O was an Officer of the Court. He was arrested for sedition. VO refused bail and did not participate in his trial. He was then shocked when he was convicted and sentenced to two life terms. He suddenly was  very involved  with appeals and ended serving three years of hard labour.

Activists were angered by how V O was treated. A British Resident Magistrate, Robert William Ashe, was especially blamed as he had presided over the liquidation of the steamship company. In 1911 Ashe was assassinated by an activist while passing through a train station. That station is now named for his assassin. The assassin left a note that this was a warning to “cow eater!” George V never to come to India. It said there were two thousand like him in Madras who had vowed to kill the King if he ever sets foot there. King George V did visit that year and was crowned Emperor of India. His visit passed without incident but he was the last British Monarch formally crowned in that way.

Resident Magistrate Ashe with his family

Interestingly the coworkers of Ashe raised money for a statue to him. The statue still stands somewhat derelict and Indians are still arguing over whether it should be taken down or fixed up for modern tourists.

After jail V O was less involved in politics. He had a falling out with Gandhi. over money that VO believed Gandhi had raised in his name, but not given to him. A Tamil slang term for an unpayable debt became by Gandhi’s accounting because of this incident. Gandhi later sent the money and the British later reinstated V O’s license to practice law.

Well my drink is empty and I will pour another in memory of Robert William Ashe, for trying to serve in a far off place around those who hate you. Come again for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.

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Great Britain 1986, Remembering Hugh Dowding and the Hawker Hurricane fighter

Hugh Dowding commanded the British Fighter Command during the Battle or Britain. One might have expected a more splashy Spitfire fighter to go with that. Dowding’s strategy involved reserves, logistics, and replacements to extend the battle, a strategy he was later sacked for. The simple, sturdy Hurricane more fit his strategy. 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 is an issue on British Royal Air Force commanders and aircraft from their period. What struck me was that the post war commanders and their Vulcan bombers and Lightening fighters were ignored. A lot of money was spent on equipment never used. The proponents would say not using them shows success, but different equipment was required for modern warfare.

Todays stamp is issue A352, a 17 penny stamp issued by Great Britain on September 16th, 1986. It was a five stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 30 cents used.

Hugh Dowding began as a fighter pilot during the first world war and was given ever more responsibility in the interwar period. In 1936 he became commander of Fighter Command. He developed a very early integrated air defense system to prevent air attacks on the British Isles. He reached retirement age in early 1939 but was asked to stay in place. After France fell to Germany, he designed a Fabian strategy to constantly harass and inflict losses on the Luftwaffe. This might extend the battle and give time for the army to recover from the Dunkirk evacuation to better face invasion. The strategy worked and Germany switched tactics to punish British cities. This was the nighttime bombing Blitz.

The increased civilian deaths naturally caused much consternation. A rival strategy called big wing involving set piece air battles involving much larger British formations of fighters was proposed. Hugh Dowding was fired in November 1940 in favor of a proponent of that strategy. He warranted no stamp. Dowding was made a hereditary Lord to soften the blow but became much embittered. Surprisingly in his later years he became a vegetarian and animal rights activist.

The Hawker Hurricane fighter first flew in 1935 and was Christened Hurricane by King Edward VIII. It was designed by Sydney Camm and featured the Rolls Royce Merlin engine also used in the Spitfire and the American P51 Mustang. In the quick aeronautical progress of the 1930s the Hurricane was aging by 1940. It was tasked with going after slower bombers and shot down 55% of the attackers brought down air to air during the Battle of Britain. One huge advantage it had was it’s simplicity. It required one third less man hours to build than a Spitfire. It also was flown off aircraft carriers and as a fighter bomber. 14,487 were built by 1944 when production ended before the end of the war. In a strange twist it was built in Yugoslavia prewar. When their supply of Rolls Royce engines dried up, the Yugoslav Hurricanes were reengined with Daimler Benz engines from the Messerschmitt Me 109. This foreshadows Czech, Israeli, and Spanish post war Me 109s receiving Rolls Royce Merlin engines.

Well my drink is empty and I will have to stock up for there to be enough adult beverages to toast the veterans of the Battle of Britain. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2019.

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Albania 1925, Electricity changes everything

This looked like an interesting old bridge. I picked this stamp to write up to see if it was Roman or Ottoman in origin. It was Ottoman. Don’t look for it today as it is underwater, I wouldn’t have guessed that. 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.

The 1920s was a politically unstable time for Albania. The Ottomans were gone. Serbians, Greeks, and Italians had ambitions and blood feuds among the locals were rampant. So why not do an issue of stamps showing things that look as if they had been around forever and probably be there forever to promote stability. Fine and dandy until another group  of forgotten, failed politicians decide to recast the very name of the country to show the new sheriff in town. The resulting overprint on my copy of this stamp ruins the effect.

Todays stamp is issue A18, a 25 Quintar stamp issued by Albania in 1923. The overprint was added in 1925 after republic was declared. It was a seven stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth $1.10, forty cents more thanks to the overprint. So I guess, viva Albanian republic. The catalog warns however that counterfeits exist. Imagine some sad sack stamp dealer in Vienna trying to fake the overstamp for the extra penny or two back then. Not the hobby’s finest hour.

The bridge shown is the old Nemjeme bridge built in the 17th century over the Drin River in what was at the time of the stamp called Vezirit, later called Kukes. Whatever you call it it was a small market town founded by the Romans, on the road near the border with what is now Kosovo. The most famous moment for the bridge came in 1912 when the Serbian army crossed it only to be forced back when faced with strong resistance

I have done before stamps of the apparent building spree that happened under the Albanian communist regime from 1945-1990. I didn’t think this stamp would be one of those but you never know where a stamp story will lead. In the 1970s, a new town of Kukes was constructed 3 kilometers from where the old town stood.

The new Kukes

This was done in preparation for a new large dam being constructed on the Drin river with the help of the Chinese. Over 14,000 workers were assigned to the project. The resulting Fierza Hydroelectric plant opened in 1978 and the resulting resevior left old Kukes submerged.

the Fierza Dam. When built, it was the second tallest in Europe.
The Fierza reservoir. Somewhere under there should still be the bridge

Well my drink is empty. Come again soon for another story to be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2022.

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USA 1965, Getting inspired to have a strong mind in a sound body by a flocking of Slavic falcons performing gymnastics

This is a strange stamp. Wanting to do a stamp celebrating and perhaps suggesting more interest in physical fitness, the USA ties it to a 100 year old organization called Sokol (falcon). Sokol directly tied the self improvement to rising Czech nationalism and Slavic brotherhood. 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.

There is further weirdness in the visuals of this stamp. The Sokols route to fitness was group gymnastics, yet here we have a single discus thrower. Looking at the images of groups of Sokol gymnasts, see below. There is the pretty obvious problem of a row of men/boys with their face aligned to the neighboring rear end.

Todays stamp is issue A694, A five cent stamp issued by the USA on Febuary 15, 1965. It was the 100th anniversery of  the first group of Czech immigrants to the USA setting up a local Sokol chapter. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents mint or used.

Sokol was founded in Prague in 1862, during the time of Hapsburg rule from Austria. Sokol means falcon in the Czech language and the goal was for Slavs to use gymnastic excersize as a route to a strong mind in a sound body. The chapters were open to males of all ages. Every six years there would be a slet gymnastic festival with all the chapters invited. Slet means a flocking of birds in Czech, in this case falcons. The largest Slet ever was held in 1912. The Pan Slavic aspect of the organization bumped against some churches as it was open to Slavs whether Catholic, Orthodox, or Muslim. “A Slavic brother is dear regardless of his Faith” so says Sokol. The Slovene Catholic church went so far as advise against joining Sokol.

There were other issues. The socialists set up a rival workers gymnastics club, with affiliation to Eagles instead of Falcons. The more progressive Sokols flew away leaving the remaining organization more right wing and militaristic.

The interwar period which saw the long sought by Sokols Czech nation arrive. The support from the new state saw slets becoming official events. The last Slet was in 1938 before German occupation. The Nazis banned the Sokol organization and even jailed the leaders.

There was an attempt to bring the Sokol organization back post war but the lefties remember preferred the Eagle gymnasts and the Sokols were again banned by the communist Czech government. The Sokols were legalized in 1990 with the change of government but the Sokols left were many now older folks, who do not make the best gymnasts.

In the USA, the Sokul organization peaked in 1937 with 19,000 members. The American organization still exists and was even a slet in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 2017. It is now open to and mainly girls.

A modern American Sokol gymnast.

Well my drink is empty. If I have any hope of a strong mind in a sound body, I should probably put the bottle down. Come again soon foe another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2022.

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Tunisia 1960, the system? what system? I am the system!

Is this what independence activists were about. A President for life, living in the old Ottoman Bey’s house and insulting the French, who educated him, then jailed him, and by the look of this stamp still dressed him. 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.

Is this a French stamp? The writing is French and this guy could pass for a French President. He was educated in France at no expense to himself. He married a rich French widow. This stamp was printed in Paris. No, this fellow hates France, lead riots against it for which he was jailed, blames all the countries problems on France. You can see the disconnect between that attitude and the image this stamp of independent Tunisia puts forward. Maybe they resent what they desire to be but know deep inside that they don’t measure up. Many Tunisians vote with their feet and head for France. Love and hate, two sides of the same coin.

Todays stamp is issue A69, a 20 Milemine stamp issued by the Republic of Tunisia on June 1st, 1960. The stamp shows President Bourguiba ratifying the new constitution and was part of a four stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents whether it is mint or used.

After the war French control of the Maghreb of north west Africa was at an end.The French colonial administration allowed for some self rule by leaving in place an Ottoman empire Bey Lamine. The independence fighters, all of whom were violent were divided into modernists who were secular and socialist and another traditional and religious. Bey Lamine chose to stack his ministers with modernists including Habib Bourguiba, his prime minister. At the first meetings after independence, the Bey presided now as King of Tunisia dressed in the uniform of a Marshall of the Ottoman Empire. This was not what the modernists had in mind and with the French gone and the traditional Arabist in exile, in Geneva so maybe not so traditional, it was time to go after the King.

At Bourguiba demand, Tunisia was declared a republic and the elderly Bey/King put under house arrest in the borrowed apartment of a recently departed Jewish friend. Bourguiba of course wanted the Carthage Palace for himself. Next came the search for the Crown Jewels which were never found. Queen Lalia did not survive the four day interrogation over the location of the jewels that went as far as having her stomach pumped. The King died a few years later.

Bourguiba liked to put himself forward as modern and like many modern rulers of post colonial countries he kept all power for himself. In 1976 he declared himself President for life. He modeled himself after Turkey’s Ataturk but had lessor results. As he got old and infirm his second wife began to rule in his place. Eventually the deputy, Prime Minister Ben Ali enacted a medical coup that placed the former President out of the Palace and under house arrest. Bourguiba’s wife ran for Paris before it was her turn to have her stomach pumped and Bourguiba divorced her. Prime Minister Ben Ali fell himself during the Arab Spring. He fled in the Presidential Jet but to France’s credit was denied landing and had to divert to Saudi Arabia. His wife Leila, a former Paris hairdresser made it out with him but is wanted by Tunisia for money laundering. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Perhaps Turkish President Erdogan could appoint a new Bey in exchange for a modest annual Suzerainty.

Well my drink is empty and I am left wondering whether on Tunisian independence Day if the celebrations were bigger in Paris or Tunis. There was definitely nervousness in Carthage(Palace). Come again for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2019.