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Glen Stephens
Monthly "Stamp
News"
Market Tipster Column
October 2008
New Kangaroo find
|
The Kangaroo stamps were first issued nearly 100 years back, and MILLIONS of research words have been written on them since. Entire rainforests have likely been pulped, publishing works on the flaws and varieties! One would imagine then that the most visual and most obvious constant flaws would all have been reported and recorded many decades back. The ACSC “Kangaroos” volume is 100s of pages thick. Not the case. On stampboards.com this month a German member “josto” posted up images of not one, but TWO 4d’s he had found with a large, coloured “island flaw” off the WA coast. |
“Dirk Hartog
Island” Flaw
|
Both appeared identical. Then a collector from rural Victoria whose stampboards handle is “austcollect” posted up a nice looking strip of 3 with right hand interpanneau selvedge, the left stamp of which had the same flaw – and allowed the position to be “plated”. Not to be outdone a member from Ontario Canada, called “Greg Ioannou” added his copy. That example is illustrated nearby. Ioannou had posted this photo a few times before ….. because it bears what is believed to be the earliest known date recorded on a 4d Kangaroo – “Feb 15, 1913”. Neither he not any other member had noticed the large flaw in the past! See all the photos and chat here – www.tinyurl.com/5hhamn The ACSC records that the 4d stamps were dispatched to Sydney on February 17, and that 2 covers cancelled February 19 are known. Why the latter data is at all relevant for ACSC purposes is anyone’s guess, as they are neither FDC’s, nor first day of national sale, or even close. One of these covers was included in the Arthur Gray Kangaroo sale in a group carelessly described as “earliest known useages and First Day Covers”. The covers were in appallingly foxed condition overall, but sold for $A78,750 to a Melbourne dealer in the room. There were in fact no First Day Covers (plural) in the lot - the 1d being the only actual FDC. |
Earliest Known Date
|
The ACSC clearly notes that copies of the 4d were sent to Tasmania on February 12. The copy shown nearby from Greg Ioannou is the earliest known use I have little doubt, and hopefully the ACSC will one day focus on real-life known early dates, and not vaguely early dates! |
So on just one bulletin
board there are shown 4 different copies, on 3
continents located of this flaw. I am going to
suggest ACSC
editor Geoff Kellow considers naming it the “Dirk
Hartog Island” flaw. The 4d has only a few flaws
listed in ACSC, and half of those are pretty much
flyspecking at best, compared to this one. That island group does exist
at that same spot on the map. We know from the
Australia 1966 4c stamp, Dutch seafarer Hartog left
the earliest evidence of landfall on this continent
in 1616, via a pewter plate left on this island. The nearby drawing of the
wording on the pewter plate shows he spelt his name
as Hatichs, so work that one out! “Skipper
- Dirck Hatichs, of Amsterdam.” Foreign spelling
of surnames usually are adhered to closely in
English.
|
I had always assumed Hartog was the first European recorded as setting foot on this continent, in 1616. No so it seems. Willem Jansz in 1606 appears to hold that honour – a decade earlier. Jansz (or Janszoon) charted about 320 km of the Queensland coastline near Weipa, thinking it was part of New Guinea! This was all news to me, and why we do not commemorate 1606 more widely is a mystery. |
|
The Columbus MYTH!
|
Seeing 95% of Americans assume Christopher Columbus discovered the USA I can be forgiven I guess … they even have an annual Columbus Day holiday, despite the fact he never went even close to landing on, or sighting any part of the USA. And the USA have issued Columbus stamps since the long 1893 series, but I do not believe they have issued a Vespucci stamp. Many other countries have of course. When in the USA I often ask locals whom America was named after. About 80% have no idea whatever, which is pretty surprising seeing they are usually very good on their own (and only their own!) history. I then suggest they look up the word “Vespucci” on google and one still gets blank stares. Curious. |
Poor
forgotten
Jansz
|
Australia as far as I can see have only issued a single stamp for Jansz in 1985 - and then only with Jansz’s signature on it .. and no others stamps that I can recall. |
Ballarat Boys
|
The history of mankind shows that after several beers or diet Pepsis, much interesting information is passed on at stamp dealer dinners. In New York February 2007 for the phenomenal Arthur Gray Kangaroos Auction, a few of the dealers got to talking over dinner about things other than stamps - a most unusual occurrence. Somehow the subject of places of birth was raised. |
“The Gum
Leaf Mafia”
|
Leading Melbourne dealer Richard Juzwin mentioned he and his brother Andy were born in Ballarat, Victoria. Gary Watson owner of Prestige Philately volunteered he was too. Steward Wright owner of Status International Auctions and I.S. Wright piped in that he too was born in Ballarat. This columnist Glen Stephens was also born in Ballarat. I have no idea what was in the water back then (watermark fluid?) as we are all very similar ages, but 5 of the largest dealers in Australia were all born in this regional town. The “Gum Leaf Mafia” photo of the Aussie dealers in New York is nearby. Stewart Wright is at far left, and Richard Juzwin is at far right. Gary Watson has the black shirt to right of Glen Stephens, in the centre. |
Seven Million Dollar Man
I’ll
let
readers
work
out
which
one
by
his
hair
colour
is
the
“seven
million
dollar
man”,
Arthur
GRAY!
The
fact
that
the Peter
Lalor
led
Eureka
Stockade
rebellion was
staged
in
this
area
might
be
prophetic
in
some
way?
New
National
Flag?
|
When the new government asks me what our new national flag should be (they have not done so yet for some reason!) as a Ballarat Boy I am voting for the Eureka Flag, depicted on the 50¢ commemorative stamp of 2004 illustrated nearby. Heck my birth Certificate even has the town spelt the old fashioned way “BALLAARAT” - with 4 x "A"s. I have more hair than the other 4 dealers born there, (if one discounts Stewart’s beard!) so lets hope their Birth Certificates have the same spelling too, as that dates me somewhat! I am sure a postmark collector or historian reader can come up with a date when the name formally changed spelling to the present three "A" version of Ballarat? |
REAL Football
Being a
Ballarat
boy, and
growing up
in South
Australia,
the one and
only
football
code to
follow was
Australian
Football –
or Aussie
Rules.
So each
weekend I am
glued to all
the games
shown – not
very easy if
you need to
do it via
free-to-air
TV in
Sydney, as
some run
until 2am.
Stampboards.com
decided to
start an AFL
tipping
weekly
contest.
The same
kind of
thing as
most larger
offices have
here.
However ours
was truly
global.
We had
Brits,
Americans,
Kiwis,
Asians and
Canadians
all adding
their
selections
each week.
Not to
mention lots
of folks
from NSW and
Queensland
etc who were
simply
guessing.
The winner
was a member
called
“clino”
aka Peter
Larson from
Idaho
USA.
Peter took
the lead
from round
6, was never
headed, and
ended up
with an
impressive
124 points.
Despite
competing
with a bunch
of AFL
football
Aussies who
live and
breath this
stuff, he
out-tipped
them all,
and admitted
he had never
even seen a
game – not
even on
television!
Lots of Guesses!
|
Second place went to “Lakatoi4” – a NSW resident who also has never seen an AFL game. All the results are here – www.tinyurl.com/5oq8jc Ringmaster and chief cat-herder was a member from Lara Victoria, “fromdownunder” and Norm had the satisfaction of seeing his beloved Geelong romp in the season with only 1 defeat. There were valuable prizes, and good fun from all involved, and it really does show knowing NOTHING about a sport is no hinderance to accurate guesses!
|
Post Box Arthur
|
One finds all kinds of things trawling around on the internet. I discovered that Isle of Wight electrician Arthur Reeder is the proud owner of near 200 UK pillar post boxes! Reeder is a member of the Letter Box Study Group, an international organisation which celebrates, investigates and supplies information on these pieces of street furniture which go unnoticed by many. A number of members have travelled hundreds of miles to visit Arthur and his collection - addresses in his visitors' book include Ireland and Switzerland. Reeder refers to his 190+ strong box collection as the "Isle of Wight Postal Museum" but while he welcomes visitors, it isn't a public collection. "I haven't acquired these things for show" he says. "I've acquired them for myself. I wouldn't mind if no one ever came to see them" said Reeder.
|
A huge shed full
However he does love showing
people around, and although he is self-employed, will
happily miss out an afternoon or even a day's pay to
show his collection to visitors. Perhaps surprisingly, post boxes
are the first thing that Arthur has collected. Father-of-three, Mr Reeder,
became captivated by post boxes in 1990 while out taking
photographs of his first love - telephone boxes, in Rhyl,
North Wales.
£20 started
him
He
spotted
an
historic,
but
broken
wooden
post box
lying in
a
rubbish
skip
outside
the
town's
train
station,
and
bought
it for
just
£20.
Since
then his
collection
has
grown
and is
now
regarded
as the
UK’s
biggest
private
collection
of post
boxes.
Take
your
pick. The oldest wall box in his
collection dates back to 1856. His most modern is a
brand new pillar box built by Scottish firm Machan
Engineering in 2007. "I'm not a hoarder,"
he says. "I used to chuck stuff away rather than
hang onto it. But with letter boxes I've started to
look at things differently. I give talks about post
boxes and one of my themes is that just because
something is old that doesn't mean it isn't capable
of doing its job." "I have been called
eccentric, mad-cap, crazy - the lot, but I don't
care what other people think about my hobby" he
said. Reeder, 52, admits it took
him a while to tell wife Kim, whom he married four
years ago, about his collection. Most of the boxes are stored
in a huge warehouse size structure outside the
marital home in Newport, Isle Of Wight, and on the
lawns. "The postal service is
what bound the Empire together. These post boxes
should never, ever be allowed to go because they
were the cement that held the British Empire
together - and still holds the UK together in many
respects" he concluded.
The $500,000
Robes
As
we
are
all
undoubtedly
aware,
August
1
saw
the
Coronation
of
Tonga's
new
King,
George
Tupou
V.
And
of
course
a
set
of
stamps
was
issued.
One
of
which
was
a
miniature
sheet,
showing
King
George
in
his
rather
expensive
Coronation
robes.
I
was
interested
to
read
what
this
coronation
shawl
cost.
If
you
guessed
about
$A500,000
you’d
be
right
on
the
money.
The
Tongans
spent
5
million
Tongan
Pa'anga
on
the
Coronation,
and
about
15%
of
that
was
of
this
over-the-top
set
of
Coronation
Robes.
The
tailored
robes
came
from
Gieves
&
Hawkes,
at 1
Saville
Row,
in
London's
Mayfair.
By
tradition
such
robes
are
trimmed
with
ermine
fur,
which
comes
from
the
winter
coats
of
stoats,
and
are
used
as a
symbol
of
purity
or
virginity.
All
very
nice.
Now
I've
been
to
Tonga
on
holiday,
and
trust
me,
$500,000
would
probably
buy
you
the
largest
building
in
the
country.
Tonga
is a
very
poor
country
-
indeed
one
of
the
poorest
on
earth.
“VERY, VERY, IMPORTANT”
The Coronation festivities
lasted a week, and included three coronation
balls. And here I quote from official Tongan
sources - “one for very, very important people"
(VIPs), another for ‘very important people’ and
another for the common people.” I swear the above is true –
word perfect.
Robes YES
: website NO I tried to get a sharper
image of the stamps from the Tongan PO website -
www.pmo.gov.to - a couple of weeks after
the wedding. Sadly I got this message
- "Bandwidth Limit Exceeded - The server is
temporarily unable to service your request due
to the site owner reaching his/her bandwidth
limit. Please try again later." This lasted
for days. A shame to see a tiny
fraction of that $500,000 for the Robes was not
spent on buying the government websites a tad
more bandwidth. Tonga is a very poor country,
and to see such obscene extravagance rather
saddens me. Many readers may recall
in recent years that the Kingdom was nearly
bankrupted, when some smooth talking US
snake-oil salesman talked his way into the old
King's ear, and "invested" much of the country's
funds, most never to be seen again. American businessman
Jesse Bogdonoff was financial advisor to the
Government of Tonga, and was also literally
appointed “Court Jester” to the Tongan Royal
Court - as the old King liked him greatly.
The Court Jester In early 2000’s
Bogdonoff was accused of losing about $US24
million of the country’s money - which
represented 40% of the government's annual
revenue. Much of that money had
been accumulated by Tonga’s bizarre practice of
essentially selling passports to wealthy Hong
Kong residents – few questions asked. These folk wanted a
second valid passport in case the Chinese
takeover cracked down too heavily on capitalism,
or movement of citizens overseas etc. To quietly pay $US50,000
or so, to get a hassle free second British
Commonwealth passport was cheap “insurance” many
of them clearly believed.
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