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Dahomey 1941, never mind the canoe, watch out for the Dahomey Amazons

Traditional Africa seems strange. Dahomey  was conquered by the French to end the slave trade. To do that, they had to defeat the Dahomey Kingdom’s army of female Amazon warriors. 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 issue from Dahomey during it’s French period show National Geographic style views of Dahomey. In doing so, I think they make the point that it is not an important place to the French. It was perhaps a little to foreign.

The stamp today is issue A7, a 2 Centime stamp issued by French Dahomey in 1941. It was part of 22 stamp issue in various denominations. There are further issues that lack this stamps RF. These are considered fake and were issued by the German puppet Vichy government but not sold for postage in Dahomey. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents whether it is mint or used.

Dahomey was a kingdom in west Africa in modern day Benin. The King employed an all female army. To European armies that encountered them, they were known as Dahomey Amazons. Locally the female warriors were known as ahosi, which means King’s wives. The main industry was the slave trade and the army was used for slave raids. In the 1850s, the British tried to get Dahomey away from the slave trade and get them to stop raiding nearby outposts in Nigeria looking for slaves. They tried to get the King to get involved in the palm oil trade. When Dahomey refused to end their participation in the trade, Britain eventually blockaded Dahomey’s ports.

Dahomey than reached out to the French who got the British blockade lifted in exchange for trade concessions. The French than built a new port but at this point the Dahomey tax system was still in place and the Dahomey army was still raiding for slaves. In the 1890s, the French decided to bring Dahomey under control directly  and 2 wars were fought with the Dahomey army. At first the French refused to fire on the female warriors who only had bayonets and no guns. The hesitation allowed the Amazons to aggressively attack French officers. Eventually in 1892 the Amazon warriors were engaged in a Bayonet charge where 500 were killed at the loss of only 6 French. The King was captured soon afterwards and the once 6000 strong Amazons officially disbanded, although French colonial officials were attacked repeatedly by knife wielding females throughout the colonial era. The last female veteran of the Kingdom of Dahomey died in 1979 at over a hundred years old.

A 1908 reunion of Dahomey Amazon female warriors

By then Dahomey had been independent for 18 years and had renamed itself the Peoples Republic of Benin. There are two current pretenders to the old Throne of Dahomey. The modern Benin armed forces is only about 4000 and has no all female units.

Well my drink is empty and I am rendered speechless by this previously unknown to me history. Thirsty, but still speechless. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

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Bolivia 1892 relying on silver, tin, and corruption

You have to admire the pretentions of early Latin American stamps. When you look deeper, the sad reality comes into view. 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 title of this article mentions corruption. This stamp is a good exemplar of that. The original stamp was designed and printed in London under a contract with the Bolivian government. This is normal for a small country, stamps are essentially currency and so have to be printed elaborately to avoid forgery. However a corrupt Bolivian official contracted with a Paris printer for further copies of the same design. The paper of the Paris printing was thicker. The Postal authority initially rejected them but failed to return or destroy the stamps and some were eventually used. Meanwhile further copies of the stamp were fraudulently cancelled in Paris and sold to stamp dealers. My stamp displays this style of cancelation.

Todays stamp is a fraudulent printing of issue A9, a 50 Centavo stamp issued by Bolivia in 1892. The legitimate issue consists of seven stamps of various denominations displaying the then Bolivian coat of arms. The London legitimate printing of my stamp is worth $20 according to the Scott catalog. The fraud attached to my copy leave it worth far less.

Bolivia got it’s independence from Spain in 1825. For a while there was a federation with Peru that marketed itself as a successor to the Inca Empire but the ruling class was still of Spanish heritage. A disastrous series of wars with Chile ended the federation with Peru and then later lost Bolivia it’s outlet to the Pacific ocean. The main industry in Bolivia was mining of silver and copper but without a seaport there was little way to export it. Much of Bolivia is high and dry so the export revenue is necessary to pay for the importation of food. Eventually British investors were enticed to build a railroad that connected Bolivia to the port of Antofagasta in Chile. This arrangement ate up a lot of the profits but gave some security to the ruling landowner class. Their political party marketed themselves as Conservatives and were based in the capital of Sucre.

Meanwhile a rival political movement rose out of La Paz that marketed itself as Liberal. The impetus behind them were tin mining that wanted the railroad extended to them and the capital transferred to La Paz. British investors eventually saw to it that the railroad was extended and now Bolivia has two capitals. The railroad still operates with the British eventually selling out to the Chileans who now benefit from much of the profit of the export of Bolivian resources. To their credit, they have managed to keep the railroad operating without the help of a major power. It seems that Bolivia will forever pay the price for foolish wars from 150+ years ago.

Well my drink is empty and I will pour another to toast the British investor that accomplished a long lived railroad that locals could not achieve on their own. I suspect it was never as profitable as they hoped and they of course will never receive any thanks from the beneficiaries in Bolivia or Chile. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

 

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Bermuda 1912, establishing bases in a back water

There were ex slaves, but based on piracy more than plantations. There were military bases, but more based on fighting piracy than great powers. Then there was also salt raking and tourist to compete for the local attention. 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 subject of todays stamp is a demonstration of Britain’s confidence in their staying power in Bermuda. The stamp shows a 16th century Spanish caravel ship of the type that Spanish explorer Juan de Bermudez sailed when he discovered the island unoccupied. On a return visit he left some cows and pigs in case anyone was ever marooned there in a shipwreck. That is a lot about Spain and not much about Britain for a British colonial issue, but Spain had lost it’s last presence in the western hemisphere 15 years before so it was now safe history to explore.

Todays stamp is issue A11 a 2 and a half pence stamp issued by the British Crown Colony of Bermuda in 1912. This was a 15 stamp issue in various denominations and various versions between 1910 and 1934. I believe mine is the early version and if I am correct the Scott catalog places the value at 70 cents used.

As stated above, the Island was discovered by Spain who did not actually occupy it. A settlement was attempted by the Virginia company behind the Jamestown settlement. The area became a hideout for pirates and privateers and Britain sought to stamp that out by establishing a colony and a naval base. The African slaves were not brought in directly but rather privateers raided slave ships and then sold their trophies in the Bermuda slave markets. An early industry on the island was salt raiking were salt is raiked out of trapped seawater.

Over time the island came to have more of a relationship with the USA. Many Bermudan men found work at sea and so the islands became heavily female. The large British naval bases might have been able to solve that problem except for the arrival of ever more American tourists in the late 19th and early 20th century. Tour operators discovered than many Americans were bringing along their daughters in the hope of marrying them to British officers of noble background. Hotels began having a season of dances and other activities that invited officers. This left the Bermudan girls with just the enlisted men, some of whom were enticed to stay after their service.

One group that did not stay but left quite an impression were Boer prisoners of war around 1900. The colonial governorship was then held by an ex British General in the Boer war. One prisoner was a noted escape artist named Fritz Duquesne. He had already escaped 4 times before being sent to Bermuda. Here he escaped again by swimming over a mile and then stowing away to America. In America he was employed as a spy for Germany during both World Wars. He guided a U-boat that sunk the ship carrying his old Boer War rival Lord Kitchener. Later under arrest, he faked paralysis and was transferred to a hospital ward where he cut the bars from his window and escaped dressed as a nurse. He reappeared during WWII again spying for Germany. This time, he was older and the prison held on to him. In his last years he was patrolled and told his story as My Life, in and out of prison.

Bermuda remains a British Colony, they are now referred to as overseas territory. The military bases are gone but the backwater continues to do well for itself as a financial center and secondarily through tourism. With the British and American forces gone, Bermuda formed a locally staffed regiment that is part of the British Army. It is the last British unit that staffs using conscription of young males.

Well my drink is empty and I will pour another to toast Spanish explorer Bermudez. Not just for finding it but having the sense to leave pigs and cows to make the place sustainable for future residents. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

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Togo 1984 remembers the Bristol 400

What a strange place Togo is to put out a stamp remembering the Bristol automobile. On the other hand, it seems a car worthy to remember. 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 aesthetics of todays stamp are great and the Bristol story is worth remembering and retelling. They only built 700 Bristol 400 and Togo was not a British colony where the governor may have had a fondly remembered locally example. Maybe a British ambassador or merchant? No this is a topical stamp and the topic is the Bristol 400 automobile, so that is what we will talk about.

Todays stamp is issue A265, a 1 Franc stamp issued by independent Togo on November 15th 1984. It was part of an 8 stamp issue of classic cars in various denominations, the top three airmail. There are also 2 souvenir sheets. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents whether mint of cancelled to order.

Bristol was an airplane company under Baronet George White. During World War II, the company made thousands of Blenheim and Brigand light bombers and Beaufighter night fighters. White had amassed a highly skilled workforce and worried how to keep it together post war. His firm designed a giant airliner called the Brabazon but he also had the idea of a high end sporting car that would be built to a much higher standard than rivals. The Brabazon airliner failed, it was supposed to be able to fly non stop between London and New York and to accomplish that no fewer than 8 engines were teamed behind 4 propellers. In testing this caused the propellers to crack under the strain and the project was cancelled.

On  cars, White had the idea of basing his car on an existing prewar Axis design, he had admired prewar Lancias and BMWs. BMW lost one of its big factories in the eastern sector and the plant in Munich was also heavily damaged. The East Germans managed to get the eastern sector plant  operating and prewar models were marketed under the name EMW. The B on the engine block was filed down to make an E.

White and his team traveled to Munich and met with BMW engineers. The engineers were paid for their time and the British remember them being excited about their cars continuing in England. The blueprints and a prewar race car were shipped to England and Bristol made their first copy in 1947. The had made improvements to the rear suspension but deleted the BMW’s fuel injection as they felt it beyond them. The Bristol cars were hand made and sold as lifetime cars from only one dealer in London.

The car was slowly developed but as with many European cars it was found that the small engine was unable to supply enough power to the increasingly heavy car. Bristol’s one salesman, Tony Crook also had a Chrysler owned Rootes franchise and when their executives saw his Bristol they were happy to allow him to use their V8s. This big change transformed performance but made the car more of a touring car. Chrysler assigned an engineer to work directly with Bristol even though they ordered fewer engines a year than a medium sized dealer service department. In 1968, George White had a bad crash in his Bristol that left him brain damaged. Tony Crook was able to keep the business going on a shoe string. The factory would take on refurbishments of older cars and prewar BMWs between new car hand construction. The cars sold in such small volume that many wealthy buyers chose it because nobody knew what it was. So the Bristol was the ultimate in understated luxury. As a nod to the companies history, in the 80s and beyond, model numbers were dispensed with and the company used the old airplane names.

late 2009 Bristol Blenheim 4, the last model to use the old BMW frame

Unfortunately the firm was not able to function after Tony Crook’s retirement in 2006. They went into receivership in 2011 and  the assets passed to a Russian Oligarch based in London. He has plans for new models no longer based on the old BMW frame but in the meantime the factory and one dealer concentrate on reselling and refurbishment of the old cars.

Well my drink is empty and I will pour another to toast George White and Tony Crook for finding a way to keep a workforce together for so long after the war. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

 

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Dutchy of Brunswick 1865, getting the right Duke to allow coming together

A while back we did a very similar Prussian stamp. See https://the-philatelist.com/2019/02/18/prussia-1861-the-great-questions-will-not-be-resolved-by-speeches-and-majorities-but-by-iron-and-blood/ . There is a reason the two stamps are so close. The area was about to join Prussia in the new German Empire. If they can just figure out how to bypass all the uncooperative Dukes. 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.

I don’t quite get the design of this stamp. The simple style of printing is called roulette and it is on very cheap paper. That would imply  that it’s purpose was bulk postage. Yet the stamp value goes up 20 times is it has been postally canceled. That implies not many were used. I wonder if a large number were ordered from out of state printers and they barely arrived in time to be used before the post office of Brunswick merged. It was the last stamp issue of the Dutchy of Brunswick.

Todays stamp is issue A4, a 3 Groshen stamp issued by the Dutchy of Brunswick in 1865. It was a four stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth $8 unused.

The Dutchy of Brunswick came into being in an area called Wolffenbuttell that had been part of the Kingdom of Westphalia until the Congress of Vienna in 1815, The Duke who received the area died in battle leading a volunteer unit called the Black Brunswickers alongside Austria against Napolean. His young son Charles II was Duke but the area was ruled by a regency dominated by the state of Hanover. Charles II was anxious for the right to rule and claimed majority upon hiting age 18. The Regency felt he should wait till he was 21 but they compromised on age 19. During that year Hannover drafted a new constitution that limited the Duke’s powers and the moneys and tributes that were due him. On taking power, Charles tried to have the new constitution annulled but none of the other German states agreed. His rule was considered corrupt and wasteful and during the troubles of 1830 his castle was attacked and burned to the ground, Charles escaped to Paris but did not abdicate. His younger brother William arrived in Brunswick a few days later and was welcomed by the people. At first he claimed to be acting as Regent for absent Charles but a year later declared himself Duke. Charles was outraged and tried to put together an armed mercenary force to march on Brunswick, but other German and French leader would not cooperate. He ended up settling in Britain and later Switzerland. He became a fairly notorious figure for although he was married to a lesser noble whose issue could not serve. Charles was constantly sueing gossip magazines for claiming he was often observed soliciting for homosexual sex. He died in Geneva and his fortune went to build a monument to Brunswick there.

Charles II, deposed and exiled Duke of Brunswick

Meanwhile his brother William actually was ruling in Brunswick. He never married and he fathered multiple children out of wedlock. They could not succeed him. William retained his title but allowed the Dutchy to pass into the North German confederation dominated by Prussia. His closest male relative was the recently deposed King of Hannover. Hannover had sided with Austria in the 1866 war with Prussia and was conquered. If William died the Dukedom would pass to the former King. This was not acceptable to Prussia unless he renounced his claim on Hannover which he never did. When William died a new Regency was arrainged under a Prince of Prussia. The former King of Hannover finally figured out how regain his families place at least partially. He renounced his claim in favor of his youngest son  Ernst August who had married the daughter Kaiser Wilhelm II, the grandson of the Prussian King that took his Kingdom. In the good graces of Prussia again, the Regency ended and Ernst became the last Duke of Brunswick. The Weimar republic ended the position in 1919.

William, Duke of Brunswick

Well my drink is empty and one wonders what the regular person in Brunswick thought. From exile, Charles wrote that without him, Brunswick would inevitably fall to the socialists. It did that in 1919 but perhaps the people shouldn’t have been so quick to give up the ruined palace in 1830, could the socialists have been any worse? Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

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Slovenia 1919, a hint of Slovene freedom between Carniola and Yugoslavia

This stamp does not show Millenia’s grandmother. Rather it shows a 19th century style allegory of freedom. For a brief period after World War I, the peoples of Austria-Hungary had a choice, or so it seemed. 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 end of a long devastating war can bring hope. Especially with the knowledge that the Hapsburg dynasty is over and with it any allegiance to Vienna. So we have a stamp long on hope and promise. Also though the seeds of a harsher reality. The area breaking away was a amalgamation of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs. One of the stamps of this issue featured elderly Serbian King Peter I, who had avoided the disasters of WWI with a self imposed exile in the spas of Corfu. Were the Slovenes trading one aloof foreign King for another?

Todays stamp is issue A3, a 50 Filler issued by Slovenia in 1919. If was part of a 15 stamp issue in various denominations. The stamp issues remained regional for the first few issues of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. It was a time of lots of stamp variations with some of this issue printed in Vienna and others in Ljubljana. According to the Scott catalog, this stamp is worth $1.10.

Slovenia had long been part of the Hapsburg Empire both in it’s Holy Roman and it’s Austria-Hungary periods. During this period it was known as the Duchy of Carniola. The people were about 95 percent Slovenes and 5 percent German, mostly nobles and professionals. Slovenes are Slavic. It was the most economically advanced part of what became Yugoslavia. The native peoples were not completely without a voice in Austria-Hungary as they sent representatives to the Reichsrat, the Parliament. To maximize their voting block, the representatives of Yugoslav areas voted together. This voting bloc stayed together long enough to break away as one from the now former empire.

The original idea was that the various peoples would have a fair amount of autonomy with Serbian King Peter a ceremonial head of state. Peter was quite old and not likely to interfere. Slovene political leader and Catholic Priest Anton Korosec, a former Reichsrat deputy could see the mistake early on. When Peter’s son Alexander succeeded him in 1921, he determined to give himself and his fellow Serbs more power at the expense of areas like Slovenia. Korosec lobbied for more power for Slovenes and for a short while was sent into exile. King Alexander himself was assassinated by a Bulgarian working for also feeling dominated Montenegrins. See this stamp about that, https://the-philatelist.com/2018/02/08/it-is-dangerous-to-rule-the-kingdom-of-serbs-croats-and-slovenes/

Father Anton Korosec

Upon Korosec’s return, he sought closer ties with Germany for Slovenia as a hedge against the Serbs. He died in 1940 before the German invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941. After the war, many Slovene politicians went into exile as Tito’s Yugoslavia banned other parties, either regional or non communist.

Well my drink is empty and I am left wondering what would have happened in the area if the Reichsrat deputies had not made a decision amongst themselves to act as a block. Would Yugoslavia not have happened and the Serb King stayed in Serbia. Then German friendly Slovenia and Croatia would not have been invaded in 1941 and the Serbs kept their King and avoided invasion and Tito. A lot of ifs there, but it may be an excuse to have another round while we contemplate. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

 

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Libya 1977, Can Jamahiriyah be a direct enough party to avoid an Arab Spring hangover

Few people and lots of money. Does it lead to great achievement of just a big party and a big hangover. In Libya’s case the party was soon over and the hangover goes on and on. 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 is from the party phase in Libya. A horse race in front of an ancient fort. Yet now the fort isn’t owned by a Ottoman Pasha or a colonial Italian outpost. The place was in local hands and it was time to party. Oil had been discovered in 1959 and average income went from 50 dollars a year in 1950 to over $10,000 in 1980, This was richer than former colonial power Italy. A reason to party sure, but with it comes over confidence and acting on stupid dangerous whims.

Todays stamp is issue A224, a 115 Dirhams issued on December 11th, 1978 by the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriyah. It was part of a three stamp issue that celebrated the Libyan study Center, a government office that promoted their version of local history. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth $1.50.

Libya was an Italian colony through World War II. There were Italian colonists that were the center of economic activity and the vast bulk of the country was desert. After the war, an Ottoman era Emir was made King Idris. He was a figurehead who was elderly and spent about half the year abroad. In 1959 oil was discovered in great quantity but few royalties from it stayed in Libya and fewer still got to the average Libyan.

In 1969, a pan Arabist, Berber, Army lieutenant Muammar Gaddaffi lead a bloodless coup declaring an Arab Republic and himself Coronel. King Idris was sentenced to death in absentia and Italians and western military bases kicked out. This was all popular as was the partial nationalization of the oil fields. Partial being key, because the simple country had no way to operate the fields themselves. Food prices were cut, rent was cut, and educational opportunities were expanded. Money was also squandered on more arms than the country had soldiers to operate and failed attempts at unions with other Arab and African countries. This generally involved the signing of a deal, and a large wealth transfer from Libya followed by nothing. As late as 2010, the newly reorganized and recapitalized by Libya African Union declared white man Gaddaffi, King of Kings. Not their finest hour.

Gaddaffi in 1973

With plenty of money, grudges and not much education, things got a little weird. Deciding in the mid 70s for his revolution to take on more of a third way politically. the Arab Republic became a Jamahiriyah, which was alleged to be direct democracy without elections but closely following Gaddaffi’s teaching as put forth in his Green Book, red book was already done by Mao remember. There were purges and a reduction in oil revenue and increasing sanctions as countries got revenge for Libyan support for violent radicals worldwide. American bombing in 1986 mostly ended that and by the 2000s Libya was trying to keep the party going by selling foreign concessions and that old standby of demanding reparations from old colonial power Italy. Italy paid in hopes of Libyan help in curbing sub Saharan migration into Italy.

One interesting Libyan project was man made rivers leading from the desert to the main cities of Tripoli and Bengazi. The water was coming from deep aquifers left over from the last ice age that Libya believed contained enough water to let the desert turn green for 2000 years. Gaddaffi called it the ninth wonder of the world. I can find no mention of it  post revolution so I assume it stopped working. Otherwise the nineth wonder of the world would rate some mention in the last 6 years.

In 2011, Arab Spring came big time to Libya. At first, Libya was able to use it’s large air force to keep at least Tripoli under control, but the Arab League and Nato who were both long tired of Gaddaffi. Nato  initiated a no fly zone and bombing on behalf of the rebels. Gaddaffi’s Bosnian Croat wife and blond daughter were able to escape to Algeria by armored Mercedes, but Gaddaffi, one of his sons and one of his fellow officers from 1969 fought on in Sirte near his childhood home. The pro Gaddaffi force was immobilized by a Nato airstrike on the convoy. Gaddaffi was killed slowly while he pleaded for his life and before and after death was repeatedly sodomized. The naked body was then put in a meat locker to allow for goulish tourism. What a shithole, and shame on Nato for flying over it as if their new favorites had any moral superiority. Some of the rebels took to using the old Royal Libyan flag but the horrors that have come since have somewhat turned the tide. In 2016 Gaddaffi’s Bosnian Croat widow was allowed to move back to Libya and take residence in one of their old palaces. She must be either brave of foolhardy.

Well my drink is empty and I am glad that modern methods  are being found to extract oil without having to dirty yourself with involvement in places like Libya. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

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Liechtenstein 1967, celebrating the Royal Wedding and the economic miracle

Europe in the 19th century had many city states that mostly were absorbed by Germany and Italy. The ones that have survived often now thrive as they benefit from the stability of national institutions while having extra flexibility in areas such as finance. 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 souvenir sheet is the first one we have covered at The Philatelist. Liechtenstein is fairly unique in that  the Prince has more than ceremonial powers. So the small country might take extra interest in the Crown Prince starting his family. Prince Hans Adam II was marrying Czech Countess Maria Kinsky, who grew up mainly in Germany and is five years older than the Prince. The era of absentee landed nobility was newly ended and Hans Adam was the first Prince to grow up in Liechtenstein. So the people are closer to their rulers.

Todays stamp is issue A225, a souvenir sheet issued by the Principality of Liechtenstein on June 26, 1967 to celebrate the upcoming wedding of the Crown Prince. According to the Scott catalog, the sheet is worth $2.40. This value has not kept  pace with even inflation, showing how important a vibrant local stamp collecting tradition is to values, and tiny Liechtenstein,(population 20,000) can’t provide.

The name came from a castle in the area and a family rose to nobility as advisers to Holy Roman Austrian Hapsburg Emperors. The family converted to Catholic and were eventually granted the title Prince. The Napoleonic occupation ended the duty to pay an annual suzerainty  to the larger empire. There was a gradual shift in greater ties to also neighboring Switzerland. This came to a head in 1938 when the Royal line actually took up residence in Lichtenstein as Austria was absorbed by Germany and the Royal’s Jewish connections did not bode well for continuing to live in Vienna. At wars end the country took in Russians that had fought on the German side saving their lives and seeing to their resettlement in Argentina.

Large amount of family lands that rents and tributes were lost to the Liechtenstein royals when Czechoslovakia seized German held lands. The family had to resort to selling portions of their extensive art collections which had been moved out. Over time, the financial service industry brought about an economic miracle. The big player in this. LGT is personally owned by the royal house and makes it the richest royal house in Europe with a fortune over 7 billion dollars. Now Lichtenstein has more jobs than people with over 20,000 commuting daily to jobs in Lichtenstein.

The Prince and Princess are still married and are the parents of four and the grandparents of 15. Prince Hans Adam II began his rule in 1988 after having served in a regency earlier in preparation. His eldest son Prince Alois has served in a similar regency since 2004.

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

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Switzerland 1882, Helvetia looks down on a Swiss economic miracle

Switzerland is the globalist ideal. A multi language, multi religion place that is a peaceful, prosperous model for the world. It was not always this. 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.

As I write these articles, I become more and more enamored by these female embodiments of a nation that were so common on 19th century. Here we have Helvetia, the female Latin embodiment of Switzerland. Switzerland had just transferred more authority from the canton to the federal government. Without the human frailties of an actual person and slightly short of religious heresy, these images provided a united ideal to strive toward. It seems a little silly now, but then us moderns have lost a little of the ability to strive.

Todays stamp is issue A20, a 50 Centimes stamp issued by Switzerland in 1882. There are many versions of this stamp issued over 20 years. The early printing was the worst and the least valuable which I believe this stamp displays. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth $25 used.

The 19th century did not start out well for the Swiss. They were conquered by Napoleon. The many changes to the legal and business structure took years to undo. There was also discord between Catholic areas in the south and Lutheran areas in the north. Lutheran appropriation of Church land and a takeover of the educational system lead several Catholic Cantons to form a rival “Sonderbund” to the weak federal government. The Sonderbund counted on support from Catholic France and Austria but in 1848 they had there own issues. When the Federal army moved to bring the Sonderbund cantons back into line, the Sonderbund quickly folded. The Federal government was strengthened and the Jesuits banned.

The post 1848 government seemed to find just the right balance of enough autonomy for the different people in the different cantons and yet still with a national identity. It was the time of industrialization and of people moving to the cities. Even in this Switzerland was lucky. Many of the new factories were textile, that offered opportunities to women, and the paychecks did much to raise their lot. At the same time, high end watchmaking took off that offered great rewards for people who learned the intricate skills.

The working classes doing well coincided with a great deal of growth in finance. The tradition of neutrality meant that the Swiss Franc  was often left as the only readily convertible currency during a crisis/war. Large amounts of gold especially from Germany were transferred to Switzerland in exchange for Swiss Francs that could be used to fund needed imports. This is in addition to all the private wealth moved in for preservation. The fees collected for this safekeeping were quite high. All was not profiteering, the Red Cross was founded in Switzerland and the country took in wounded veterans and political dissidents from all sides during both World Wars.

While you still see her red cross shield regularly on Swiss stamps, Helvetia herself no longer appears. The newest I could find was 1922 on an overprint of an earlier issue. This Philatelist is ready to welcome her again on a stamp. Perhaps one of the Europa Cept issues were all the nations display once more their Latin female embodiments.

Well my drink is empty and the $25 value of todays stamp would cover a few more rounds. Decisions! Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

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Slovakia 2000, interesting how the EU liked dealing with the old communists

When the old system broke down and even the country split, it is understandable that everyone gets nervous. So when a bland figure from the past offers his services, maybe you give him a try. 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.

You may have to do a double take on this stamp. It really has a strong resemblance to the old Czechoslovakian stamps of the communist era. I doubt Slovakia was doing this consciously, but perhaps it fits with an official from that old regime is returned to power as a compromise leader. This time he would be dealing with the EU instead of COMECON, but I bet that COMECON experience was useful. This fellow even had a German name.

Todays stamp is issue A190, a 5.5 Koruna stamp issued by the independent republic of Slovakia on June 15th, 2000. It was a two stamp issue several years apart honoring Slovak President Rudolf  Shuster. According to the Scott Catalog, the stamp was worth 25 cents used.

Slovakia broke away from Chechia in 1992. The 20th century had seen many border changes And so Slovakia also contained Carpathian German and Hungarian minorities. These ethnic minorities added to the massive number of political parties that formed in Slovakia after independence. In Czechoslovakia remember there was only one party the Communists. Elections work best with a clear majority, and that became difficult with the plethora of parties.

This was handled by coalition governments. There was also the issue of the old Communists wanting to stay in the game. One such fellow was an ethnically Capitanian German ex Communist named Rudolf Shuster. The Carpathian Germans were evacuated by Germany with the approach of the Red Army in 1945 but some returned post war submitting to a Slovakisation process. With the help of an old crony Pavel Rusko, that came to own a TV station, he was able to put together a new left party of civic understanding. The selling off of government assets had not gone well with the stench of corruption and this tainted the Slovak bid to join the EU. Why not add Shuster to put a new, old face on the government to be a point man on EU integration. Shuster got that job done and Slovakia joined the EU in 2004.

By then Rusko had lost interest in Shuster and the party of civic understanding. He formed a new party that more directly featured himself. Rusko was later able to cash out of his media empire with it becoming part of the international operations of AT&T. Shuster ran for reelection in 2004 as an independent but came in fourth. After this he retired from politics. He was a popular figure with the EU, despite just being just a front man. What does it say about the EU about there willingness to deal with front man, and also that when picking a front man both sides look to the old failed Communists?

Well my drink is empty and I will open the conversation in the below comment section. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.