Month: January 2018

Germany earns enough trust for bird flight line train connection to Denmark

Post author By John C
Post date January 30, 2018

Much of Denmark consist of islands, including the capital Copenhagen. Islands offer a natural secure barrier. To lower those barriers requires trust and trust must be earned. 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.

West Germany helpfully provides a year of issue on most of their stamp offerings. This is a good thing on this stamp as from the style I would have guessed the stamp 20 years newer. The stylized bird contains a map of the new train line celebrated by the stamp. Vogelfluglinie means bird flight line. This means most direct route and though talking trains, a shorter distance meaning quicker and more frequent travel. The future is going to be great and this stamp really captures that spirit.

The stamp today is issue A242, a 20 pfennig stamp issued by West Germany on May 14th, 1963. It was a single stamp issue that celebrated the new more direct train line from Hamburg, Germany to Copenhagen, Denmark. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 30 cents in it’s mint or used condition.

The train line, was first proposed in the 1920s, mimicked the flight paths of birds migrating from northern artic areas to central Europe. Copenhagen before then required much longer train routes through Jutland when traveling there from the south. The train line proposed a train carrying boat ferry from Warnemunde in Germany to Rodby Denmark. Work did not get started on the line until 1941 after Germany had conquered Denmark in 1940. It is therefore understandable that all work stopped at the end of the German occupation in 1945.

There was additional issue that caused delay as a result of the end of World War II. Warnemunde was now in East Germany and using it would have drastically slowed travel times. It was an iron curtain after all. The German part of the route was rerouted through the West German port of Putgarden.

I expected to find in my research that the rail line had since fallen into disuse with auto motorways and discount airlines taking up the slack. This is not the case. Instead a tunnel is being constructed that will handle both car and train travel. This would replace the ferry part of the trip. There are fairly new bridges connecting Copenhagen with Sweden and so a quick rail link to Copenhagen becomes even more important with Copenhagen more of a gateway to Sweden and Norway. The world is getting smaller.

Allowing for this is somewhat a leap of faith for Denmark. Looking back into history, Denmark has had troubles with both Germany and Sweden. The southern tip of Sweden was once part of Denmark and the border with Germany has laid at different places. Denmark is a small wealthy country with 2 much larger countries around it. There must be some fear of being swallowed up culturally if not anymore militarily.

Well my drink is empty so I will journey to the club car for another round. Have any of our readers ridden on this rail line? Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

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Afghanistan 1984, farmed out stamps and occupation government lead to clerical errors

Post author By John C
Post date January 26, 2018

The stamp celebrates the 40th anniversary of aviation in 1984, except that the Afghan Air Force came in 1924 and the first airline came in 1955. Oh and the catalog list the airplane on the stamp as a Tupelov Tu-134 when it is a Yakrovlev Yak 42. I usually specialize in making errors but today I catch a few. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage the stewardess just brought and slip your seat back as we delve into Afghan aviation. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

The stamp is quite nice. An airplane is always good fodder for a stamp. An airplane in flight always expresses freedom and the small Yak 42 airliner/corporate jet remove any modern sense of congestion in modern travel. Being from a time when Afghanistan was under actual Soviet military occupation. This may also be the peak of mid east socialism on a stamp. Every stamp in the issue features a Soviet made plane.

The stamp today is issue A441, a 13 Afghan rupee stamp issued on June 29th, 1984. The stamp shows a Yak 42 airliner. It was part of a seven stamp issue in various denominations celebrating what the stamp feels was the fortieth anniversary of aviation in Afghanistan. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents with its non postal cancellation.

The Afghan air force was formed in 1924 with aircraft given to the King by the British and the Soviets. Even in the early days, most of the flying was done by Soviet pilots. This continued through the Soviet occupation though 1990 with many Cuban and Czech pilots. The air force broke apart at the end of the Soviet backed government and putting it back together is still an ongoing process today. The air force had jet fighters and bombers in 1960 and today as resorted to dual use turboprop Brazilian trainers.

The first airline, Ariana was founded in 1955 with Douglas DC-3s. For a while Pan Am was a minority shareholder and the fleet was a single long haul DC 10 and a few 727s. This was the fleet in 1984, but was not reflected at all on the stamp issue. This was because the Soviets were getting ready to supply mainly second hand examples of the aircraft types on the stamps. I am sure the Soviets were picking up the bill for this so it is understandable that is what they wanted to see on the stamps. The Soviet airliners did not last long in Afghan service, by the Taliban era the airline was back to just the now aging 727s on their mid east routes. One of these 727s still serves as the Afghan governmental VIP aircraft. Ariana was one of the third world airlines banned from European airports by the EU in 2006 on safety grounds. 727s would also run afoul modern Euro noise measures.

The catalog does have this aircraft mislabeled as a Tu 134. The Tu 134 is a twin jet and the aircraft on the stamp is a trijet. This model must be the also Soviet Yak 42. It was the only plane in the small size to have three engines. The Tu134 is also a bigger airplane. Both models were in use in Afghanistan for a short period in the late eighties.

Well my drink is empty so while I ring for the stewardess I will open up the discussion in the below comment section. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

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The Vatican shows off the artistry inspired by Jeremiah, the weeping Prophet

Post author By John C
Post date January 19, 2018

Today we have a story of how a church used great artists to tell its prophetic stories and in this case jeremiads. 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. Enjoy todays offering from The Philatelist.

What can you say about this stamp aesthetically. The Catholic Church had the benefit of some of the greatest artists in history to help them illustrate their Holy message. The image on the stamp today is the Prophet Jeremiah by Michelangelo and taken from the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The printing job on the stamp is also quite good. This means that in no time you will want to learn more about Jeremiah. To think of how many people through the centuries have come across Michelangelo’s work and been inspired to learn the story of Jeremiah is mind blowing. Truly God’s hand at work.

The stamp today is issue A121, a 40 lira stamp issued by Vatican City on June 16th, 1964. It shows the Prophet Jeremiah as painted by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. It was part of a 5 stamp issue in various denominations that showed the Sistine Chapel work of Michelangelo on the 400th anniversary of his death. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents. This is true whether the stamp is mint or used or which stamp of the set you have. 25 cents seems to be the minimum catalog value of a stamp. This proves that value does not equate to the beauty or history contained within. By these measures, the stamp is worth much more.

Jeremiah lived in Judea around 600 years BC. It was a time when the Kingdom was corrupt and rife with the worship of false Gods. Jeremiah prophesized that the wickedness would lead to the Kingdom being conquered and sacked by the Babylonians. Most other spiritual leaders at the time were predicting a peaceful future. Naturally Jeremiah’s message was not well received and people around the King had him thrown in a cistern and left for dead. He was saved by a passerby but then was imprisoned. His prophecy then came to pass and Babylon conquered Judea and freed Jeremiah. He then wrote out his prophesies in the Biblical books Jerimiah, Kings, and Lamentations.

Jeremiah is remembered as a Jewish prophet. He is also remembered by Christians as seeing the need for a new covenant with God. His stories also have a place in Islamic History. His lamentations also lead directly to the English and French word jeremiad, which means a cautionary or angry harangue.

The Sistine Chapel ceiling was painted by Michelangelo around 1510 as a result of a Papal commission. It is considered a milestone in High Renaissance art. A always lamenting Jeremiah has also been imagined by other great artists including Rembrandt.

Well my drink is empty and so I will open up the conversation in the below comment section. Angry jeremiads that everything is going to hell and the end is near is as common today as any other time. If they are as correct as Jeremiah turned out, at least we can hope the some great future art will be inspired. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

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Remembering “Greek” Royalty

Post author By John C
Post date January 16, 2018

Welcome readers to todays offering from The Philatelist. 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. We have told the story of new nations many times but this one will be a little different as it harkens back to the old European way of concocting a royal family.

The stamp today is from Greece and it must have been a conundrum for it’s stamp designers. It was still a time when the ancient Greeks were everywhere on the stamps. Here we have a set of stamps celebrating former royals. Yet the problem comes that they are not noticeably Greek, just European. That is how the stamp comes out. The did manage in one of the portraits to make Queen Amalia look Orthodox rather than the Lutheran she was.

The stamp today is issue A159, a 1 Drachma stamp issued by Greece on May 21, 1956. It shows former Queen Amalia. It was part of a 14 stamp issue of former kings and queens of Greece. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 50 cents mint. The stamp in this set to look out for is the mint 10 Drachma stamp that featured the then current royals and is worth $60 mint.

This stamp brings up the rather unfortunate history of the modern Greek royal line. The area of Greece found itself inside the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century. The Greek people had a different language than the Ottoman Turks who ruled them. They also practiced Orthodox Christianity in a Muslim empire. The Ottoman government was weak and corrupt and the Greeks rose up and declared independence. The Russians and The British came in on their side and were able to achieve independence. A Russian Politician of Greek decent became the first President. Wars continued and Greece was not fairing well. It was decided to form a monarchy and A German nobleman named Otto became King of Greece. His German Lutheran wife Amalia became Queen. She was initially popular due to her glamour but over time the people tired of her as she refused to convert to Orthidox and got involved in political sqabbles. The couple was also unable to produce an hier. Eventually they were forced to abdicate and returned to Germany. The Greek throne was next taken by a Dane. In later life in Germany, the couple agreed to speak only Greek between 6:00 and 8:00 oclock as a reminder of their time in Greece.

The modern Greek royal family was not in for the long term. In exile during World War II, they managed to win a civil war against communists coming from the north in the late 40s. Prosperity in Greece proved elusive except for a few and left wing types in the military overthrew the monarchy in the late 60s. The royal line still exists in the form of English Prince consort Phillip and the would be “Greek” royals who will surprise no one in not spending much time in Greece. Well maybe they at least speak Greek between 6-8 oclock?

Well my drink is empty and so it is time to open the discussion in the below comment section. One thing that Greece did in the royal period was do many stamps that reminded of the ancients. This is no longer the case. Perhaps knowledge of history has faded or just modern politicos are not up to the comparison. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

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The Rotarians, putting service above self

Post author By John C
Post date January 15, 2018

Welcome readers to todays offering from The Philatelist. 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. Today we get to talk about a great organization that helped build communities in the USA and around the world and how it tries to find ways to continue as communities diversify and fragment.

This stamp is from mid 50s USA, a time when the USA was the world’s dominant superpower. This stamp sure shows it. An ancient Greek like strong arm holding a giant torch that shines it’s light on the whole globe that centers on the USA. Wow. I can see why this might rub some the wrong way. In terms of a time capsule from 60 years ago, one has to be impressed with the sheer audacity of having such confidence in ones ideals. That this is not a religious organization can even let the stamp take on a Ayn Rand look. No doubt this type of thing is what President Trump would hope make America great again could put back together. Or for that matter Putin in Russia. Not having much luck in either case, now days it just upsets too many people.

The stamp today is issue A513, an 8 cent stamp issued by the United States on February 23rd, 1955. It was a single stamp issue honoring the 50th anniversary of Rotary international. According to the Scott catalog, this stamp is worth 25 cents whether it is mint or used. I am not sure why the denomination is 8 cents when the first class postal rate was 3 cents, I doubt it was semi postal with the excess going to Rotary, the USA doesn’t do that.

The rotary club started when a group of businessmen began meeting weekly for lunch to socialize, network, and organize service opportunities for the community. It was called rotary because the meeting place would rotate. It was only open to males over 18 and membership was by invitation only. The motto was and is service above self. There were no racial or economic requirements for membership even in the early days. The idea caught on. By 1920 the organization was international with local clubs even in Calcutta and Shanghai.

Much good work was accomplished. Actions like scholarships and fighting illiteracy were common activities for local chapters. Speakers were often brought in to the weekly meetings to educate and interest the leaders involved in the club. A wider mission of eradicating polio in the world saw over two billion babies inoculated with the vaccine developed in 1950s America.

As time past all this good work and fellowship were not enough to inoculate the organization as times changed. Woman were not allowed to join or attend the weekly meeting. Wives of members were allowed to participate in the quarterly socials and in club organized service missions. There was even a sub organization called the inner wheel for them. Even though there were many woman only service organizations that far predated the Rotary, a lawsuit was brought and the Supreme Court decided in the 80s the Rotary club must be open to female members. It was thought that the career benefits of the organization must be open to women. I don’t think it will really be a surprise that opening up to woman did not increase membership but rather made it decline. Fellowship is such an important part of the success of such an organization, forcing in people is the end of that. And less is around that binds a community together.

The rotary club continues it’s good work in slightly smaller form today. There was no USA stamp to honor the 100th anniversary of the organization in 2005. The Postal Service instead was celebrating Muppets, amber alerts, and xmas cookies around then. Lowered expectations I guess.

My drink is empty so I will open the discussion in the below comment section. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

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Getting a feudal state independent is easy, into a greater India, not so much

Post author By John C
Post date January 12, 2018

Welcome readers to todays offering from The-Philatelist. 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, independent. We have an interesting story to tell of a place that has been absorbed into India and of the last Maharaja who tried to prevent it.

This stamp is a visual treasure from a forgotten age. A place even a geography geek will have trouble placing. A currency just known as cash. A wildly elaborate uniform on a young ruler named Maharaja Sir Bala Rama Varma. His full title and name would take over three lines. With due respect to him but in light of my limited typing ability, I will refer to him as BRV. The stamp also includes a beautiful waterfall. There is an overprint adding even more cash. Imagine a friend touring India and getting a letter from them with this stamp. You just know they are having an adventure.

The stamp today is issue A20, an 8 cash overprint of a 6 cash stamp issued by the Indian Feudal State of Travancore on September 17 1943. The stamp was part of an issue celebrating the 29th birthday of BRV. The Scott catalog places an absurdly low value on this stamp of 25 cents. No doubt BRV kept the printing presses going on their stamp issues, but how can there not be enough demand for a great stamp like this.

Feudal States in then British India were still aligned with India but had self rule using ancient mechanisms. For example, BRV was still a child when he ascended the title and he had to appeal to the British Viceroy as to when the regency could end and he could assume power. The Viceroy conditioned his rule on appointing C. P. Ramaswami, a well known Indian statesman has his official adviser.

The young BRV’s rule was promising. He spent much of the budget on education, including girls who at the time were often excluded. There were infrastructure projects including train lines, an airport, and hydroelectric projects. Industrialization also occurred and Travancore became one of the wealthiest areas of India.

The most famous reform was his proclamation opening the Hindu temple to the lower caste known as the untouchables. Travancore was the first place in India to take this step and got favorable reviews on it from Gandhi himself. Gandhi even suggested the title Mahatma might be a worthy addition to BRV’s title.

The times were changing fast however and it was not on the side of a separate Travancore. After World War II communists armed and trained by veterans of the British Indian army rebelled and tried to declare Travancore a communist republic. BRV sent in his army and quickly surrounded and massacred the communists. It was an armed rebellion but many felt BRV and his advisor CP went to far in crushing it so completely. C. P. Ramaswami’s reputation in India took a severe hit.

The British were fading fast from India and BRV tried to get ahead of it by unilaterally declaring his independence. He then merged with rival feudal state Cochin under a sort of one state, two systems arraignment. Newly independent India found Travancore independence unacceptable and started talks to bring it into India. CP claimed BRV had acted contrary to his advise and BRV was forced to agree to join India. He was gradually stripped of his powers and sources of money with the final cutoff of money in 1971. Travancore was merged into the Indian state of Kerala. BRV was still a popular local figure and died in 1991. After independence CP was less involved in politics and spent more time overseas. He died in London in 1966.

Well my drink is empty and so it is time to open up the conversation in the below comment section. What is the wildest stamp you have gotten on a letter from a traveling relative. For me it was a Iranian letter from a travelling German relative during the embassy hostage crisis. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

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Lets keep doing the Leipzig trade fair

Post author By John C
Post date January 10, 2018

Welcome readers to todays offering from The Philatelist. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, arrange your wares and lets make some sales. We are having a trade fair, like we used to.

During the cold war period both Capitalist West Germany and Communist East Germany issued postage stamps. In general, the Western stamps were better than the Eastern. Today though is the exception. This East German stamp is bold, well printed and combines history with a view forward that few stamp issues anywhere pull off successfully.

The stamp today is issue SP252, a 12 Pfennig stamp issued by East Germany on September 2, 1947. The stamp features a view of the Leipzig Trade Fair circa 1497. It is part of a four stamp issue, two of which are semi postal. The issue is a celebration of the post war resumption of the trade fair. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents in its much more common mint condition.

As this issue of stamps celebrate, there have been trade fairs in the German city of Leipzig as far back as 1160 AD. The fairs over time became more often and German/Saxon leaders decreed that the fairs must be in Leipzig. Being one of the bigger cities in the east, the fairs became a gateway where traders from the east and west of Europe met. A good portion of this was Jewish merchants and a Moorish style Synagogue was build adjacent in heavily Lutheran Leipzig.

Naturally there were no trade fairs during World War II. Despite being originally captured by the American Army, Leipzig ended up in the Eastern section. The decision was taken to restart the trade fairs in 1946. In order to counter act the lure of the Marshall Plan in Western Europe. The Marshall plan handed out aid to Western European countries, both friend and former foe alike. Soviet leader Stalin started the Comecon organization to get Warsaw Pact nations to work more closely together economically. This included the former foe of East Germany. The trade shows in Leipzig became a big part of that as the Eastern nations could demonstrate their products to one another. It is a credit to their confidence in their products that Westerners were invited to participate.

Comecon outlasted Stalin and the Marshall Plan but it did not survive the fall of Communism in the early 1990s. The Leipzig trade shows however did survive and continue up to the present day.

Well my drink is empty so I will place my orders and perhaps find a hospitality suite to cement the relationships being built. It must have been a relief after so much war and radical governments to get back to the relative normalcy of the trade fairs. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

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400 years of Chile, if we knew there was no gold we might have stayed away

Post author By John C
Post date January 3, 2018

Welcome readers to todays offering from The Philatelist. 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. we have an interesting story to tell where we try to use the 400th anniversary stamp of the discovery of Chile to piece together what happened.

The stamp is visually not very impressive. It is from the thirties though and from not a particularly wealthy country. The stamps of the set show various industries of Chile. In the case of todays stamp, fishing boats represent that industry. What none of the stamps show is a gold mine, which is what the Spanish initially came for.

The stamp today is issue A66, a 10 centavo stamp issued by Chile on March 1st 1935. It was part of a 12 stamp issue in various denominations to celebrate the 400 anniversary of the discovery of Chile by the Spanish conquistador Diego de Almagro. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents used. The stamp to look out for in this set is the 10 Peso stamp featuring a saltpeter mine. It is worth $14 mint.

Talking of anniversaries like the one on this stamp is difficult these days as people only want to hear one side depending on their politics or ethnicity. Here are some basic facts that are not in dispute. The discovery of Chile does not take into account the Mapuche tribe that was already present in numbers. It also does not take into account that the explorer Magellan had sighted Chile 25 years before. It also does not take into account that the conquistador Diego de Almagro did not stay and actually find a colony.

Diego de Almagro story was very much the personal quest to find gold and thereby wealth. He first went to the earlier found Panama where he teamed up with Pizarro to move south in pursuit of Inca gold. It is worthy to remember how small these expeditions were. Only a few hundred men. I think it is reasonable to wonder if these vast Indian empires were so great, how could they have fallen to so small a force. Any way the Incas fell in stages in Peru yielding much gold to the conquistadors. The gold mainly went to Pizarro and Almagro became a jealous rival. At first they were both headed north toward Quito in present day Ecuador where it was believed the Incas had much more gold. Quito was burned before Spanish conquest and there was supposedly some gold buried. The failure lead to increased rivalry between Almagro and Pizarro and the Spanish King divided the map as to where each could seek gold to get them apart.

Almagro lead 250 men south down Inca trails toward Chile. He made it into Chile but found very little gold. He did find a war ready Indian tribe called the Mapuche. He did not stay to find a colony but instead returned to Peru to feud with Pizarro over the already found gold. This did not go well for any concerned. Eventually Pizarro, Almagro and even Almagro’s son were all hung by the various Spanish factions.

The area of present day Chile reported to the Peruvian Spanish colony. it remained for a long time the poorest area of the Spanish American empire. The Mapuche Indians were not fully subdued until the 19th century and still today are a big part of the ethnic makeup of Chile. The discredited American academic Ward Churchill claims that the Mapuche Indians were completely decimated by the interactions with the Spaniards. While the losses were great, I don’t think it gives the Indians enough credit for how long they held out. Also it perhaps short changes the Spanish who seemed to be able to do so much with so few.

Today Chile is a free prosperous country with a majority of it’s citizens of Indian ancestry. For this reason I think it is better to think of it as the Spanish came and were integrated into the local culture. And if there wasn’t much gold, at least there was copper and of course saltpeter.

Well my drink is empty and so it is time to open up the discussion in the below comment section. I have been lucky enough to visit Chile and neighboring Argentina. The two countries are very different both ethnicly and in the forward looking Chile and the backward turned Argentina. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

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The Italian nanny state wants you to drive more prudently

Post author By John C
Post date January 2, 2018

Welcome readers to The Philatelist. 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. We have an interesting story to tell where a country tries to solve a real problem earnestly, but ends up the butt of a joke.

The stamp today is somewhat undermined already by it’s designers. The goal is to get people to drive more prudently. However look at the traffic intersection. The only prudent thing to do at that intersection is to avoid it and find another route. Imagine your Fiat has just been returned after Tony fixed it again and you are looking forward and Italian tune up to get it’s liquids flowing. Instead you are faced with poorly designed roads and unrealistic government suggestions. Makes you want to vote for the other guy next time around.

Todays stamp is issue A399, a 25 lira stamp issued by Italy on August 7th, 1957. The single stamp issue was part of a campaign for more prudent driving. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents in it’s used condition.

Safety stamps are primed for humor. The best ones are a series from West Germany. Among the helpful tips on these stamps are don’t fall into an open manhole and don’t stick your hand in a circular saw. The human drawings are even cartoonish to enhance the effect. Though I like the oversized stop signal at the crossroads of life on this stamp. It just is not as good.

The Italians have more than their share of traffic deaths and indeed Rome is the most dangerous city in Europe for traffic deaths. So if I have gone too far in making light of this stamp issue, I apologize to my dear readers. I would suggest that better road designs and working for higher car safety standards might be more useful uses of government energy on the subject.

Well my drink is empty and my auto safely garaged for the night so I will open up the conversation in the below comment section. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. Drive Safely and always wear your seat belt.