Falkland Islands & Dependencies

Falkland Islands & Dependencies by Stanley Gibbons Catalogue 8th Edition

Stanley Gibbons, Falkland Islands & Dependencies 8th Edition 2019.

A5, pp 85, ISBN – 13:978-1-911304-47-0 £18.95

This review is courtesy of David Livingston of the National Philatelic Society (UK), First published in Stamp Lover Vol III December 2019 www.ukphilately.org.uk/nps

The early history and various claims to sovereignty of the Falkand Islands makes the Schleswig-Holstein question look like child’s play. Suffice it to say that Great Britain re-established its claim in 1833 after having withdrawn from the Islands in 1774, partly because of cost as well as the unrest in the American colonies. In the meanwhile, possession had been claimed, for South Georgia (Captain Cook 1775) South Shetlands (Captain Smith 1819) and South Orkney (Captain Powell 1821). The islands formally became a Crown Colony with its capital at Port Stanley in 1840s. The Falkland Island Company’s Royal charter dates from 1852. This is relevant because the company provided the regular mail service with sailings every 2 months. They are still there (as part of FIH group p.l.c.)

Not counting the hand-stamped “Paid” cachets (which you should count, they are very valuable if you find one) the earliest stamps are, to my mind, amongst the nicest of the Queen Victoria’s head colonial designs. They were printed by Bradbury Wilkinson using recess engraving by Herbert Bourne, in 1878 and, if you buy the first printing mint from Gibbons, you will need over £2000. That is without the comfort of knowing they will go up, because the price is unchanged from my 2017 edition of “Part 1”. Good luck if you can find the first printing 1d on cover. (it was on unwatermarked paper, if that helps). I believe only one example is known. It is easy to miss the details about bisects in the small print. In 1891, the rate was reduced from 4d to 2½d per ½oz back to GB or within the Empire but there were no ½d or 2½d stamps. A bisect of 1d was authorized. These bisects may bear a ½d surcharge handstamp but it wasn’t always applied.

De La Rue obtained the contract for Edward VII using pretty much the same designs. The George V set are a real high quality job, redesigned by Bertram Mackennal and engraved by J.A.C.Harrison for recess printing by De La Rue. One wonders who was paying for all this and why, for use in a remote and tiny colony.

The iconic £1 value that appears on the front cover of this edition was in fact only part of a commemorative set in 1933, celebrating the centenary of the colony. From 1929 until the issue of George VI definitives in 1938, the definitive series was the “pictorial” whale and penguins design printed by Perkins Bacon. This was barely pictorial and the head of George V still dominated the stamps. Perkins Bacon went bankrupt in 1935, but its contracts were continued by the new owners W.W.Sprague which may partly account for change to line perforation and some new colour shades in 1936 (although the 4d was line perforated when first issued in 1932). Some of the George VI first definitives are surprisingly expensive (although, once again they have not gone up recently).

I have to say that I find the post-war issues rather insipid even though they are printed by Waterlow and Sons using recess engraving. I like the 1968 Wildflower series by Sylvia Goaman (photogravure by Harrison and Sons) and they come with decimal overprints in 1971. Thereafter one is well into thematic territory and the design index is comprehensive (though it doesn’t cover the dependencies).

The pages of closely typed detail regarding the dependencies’ stamps will test your reading glasses but the really interesting aspect of them is when you find them nicely cancelled on covers or piece. Then their value is from x20 these catalogue listings. South Georgia led the way when the first postmaster arrived in 1909 (he stuck it out for 20 months). The catalogue says he was provided with a CDS and a stock of stamps, but I think the fact is that he had to buy the stamps to take with him. If you want to make sense of this period in the Dependencies you need to consult the Falkland Islands Philatelic Study Group Monograph “South Georgia, The Provisional “Paid at/At” Handstamp 1911-12” by Hugh Osborne. By 1912 there was a a reliable stock of Falkland Islands stamps and a South Georgia CDS. For your next source of information you could do a lot worse than obtain a specimen of the se-tenant sheetlet that the territory produced for London 2010 (SG492) which, amongst other images, includes the essay for a King George V South Georgia issue that was not proceeded with.

At least South Georgia had a resident population of whalers to write letters. The other dependencies were uninhabited except for a meteorological station on South Orkney that was owned by the Argentine government (sold to them by the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition in 1904). It is still there because under the Antarctic Treaty of 1963, all disputed claims of sovereignty are placed in abeyance. The South Shetlands had a post office at Port Foster, during the whaling season, using Falkland Island stamps and a straight line “Port Foster” cachet. Later there was a South Shetland CDS and I think all the George V definitives except for later “whale and penguins” can be found with that, if you have money. The post office and whaling station closed down in 1931.

The Dependencies really began to matter during World War II when the British learned that Argentina was sending a warship to visit the station in South Orkney. This stimulated Operation Tabarin and to follow that you need Gerry Pearce’s book “Operation Tabarin 1943-45 And Its Postal History”. All the dependencies were “occupied” and post offices established by members of a hastily assembled Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey Team which eventually evolved into the British Antarctic Survey. The mint overprinted stamps that they used, (SG Z1 et seq) are not difficult. (large stocks were kept in London so that their sales could finance the operation) but finding and interpreting copies on cover makes sense only if you have the full story of where the members of the expedition were and what they were doing at any particular time. Obviously the catalogue cannot include that

This not to deride the catalogue, it does not purport to describe or quote for postal history items. Almost everything you need to know about the Islands’ stamps is here. There are more detailed books, as I have just mentioned and consulting them is an optional extra if you are dealing with particular periods. In this respect I would also recommend using the catalogue in conjunction with the “Online Resources” section of the Falkland Islands Philatelic Study Group. www.fipsg.org.uk

To wind up, the well known “maps” issue for the Dependencies was issued after the war in 1946. QEII pictorials came out from 1952-62. In 1963 the Antarctic Treaty was signed and South Orkney, South Shetland and Graham Land, on the Antarctic mainland, were reconstituted as British Antarctic Territory. South Georgia issued a new series under its own name before issuing stamps inscribed Falkland Islands Dependencies in 1980.

In 1986, South Georgia had a new constitution. I think I am correct in saying it is a British Overseas Territory, separate from the Falklands with its own Commissioner (who is the Governor of the Falkland Islands) and a CEO, but no permanent residents. Since 1986 its stamps have been inscribed “South Georgia & South Sandwich Is.” or some minor variation on that. But what about the Falklands war? Argentina occupied the Islands from 2nd April to 15th June 1982. The postal history is briefly mentioned but to see illustrations and prices for the overprinted Argentina stamps you will need a Gibbons South America Catalogue. You have to search carefully (my edition is from 2008). If I read it right, there is an overprint of the 1700 peso value from the 1979 definitive set, SG1632c, issued on 22 April .. “LAS MALVINAS SON ARGENTINAS”. A more ambitious but rather late 2 stamp set marking the 153rd Anniversary of Political and Military Command for the Malvinas (SG 1762-1763), was issued on 12th June but presumably never reached the islands.

Brian Livingstone

Australasian Crash Mail and Mail from other Incidents, Vol Two, 1931 – 1935

This book continues from Vol. 1 which covered the period from 1917 – 1930. The book covers all crashes and incidents from 1931 – 1935 where mail was involved; but it is much more than that. The author has been thorough in setting a context; not simply explaining the distinction between an accident and an incident, but detailing both the constituent parts of an aircraft and the reasons for aerial events which lead to a crash.

There follows a chronology of aviation accident investigation in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. One can deduce from this that inquiries and investigations, even in the 1920s, were reasonably detailed and professional. We are told that today, investigations can take years, the sole purpose being to learn from the event and prevent a recurrence, the focus being on safety, not allocating blame.

The book is effectively a comprehensive demonstration of the challenges and hazards facing pilots and the growing airline industry, from a social and historical, as well as a philatelic, perspective.

The tables at the end of each of the three chapters are useful in that it is a relatively simple task to check air mail covers to establish if they were involved in an incident. In the chapter on overseas incidents, some flights suffered multiple incidents and the author has introduced a novel way of listing these in the table as being subservient to the most significant incident.

The inclusion in tables of the amount of mail carried, and the recorded or estimated numbers of surviving covers, will be invaluable for auction houses and dealers as well as collectors. Whilst some would prefer to see values, auction realisations or scarcity ratings included, the author has deliberately avoided their inclusion.

The extensive list of references points to this study being not only thorough, but wide-ranging. There are several serious, even fatal crashes of mail carrying aircraft in Australia which have remained unrecorded in philatelic literature, e.g. “Recovered Mail” by Henri Nierinck. The possibility of new crash covers emerging is an incentive for aero-philatelists, and dealers, to re-examine their air mail covers from this period.

The illustrations are excellent and many of them are in colour. This includes photos of aircraft, pilots, timetables, etc., maps & charts, and of course covers recovered from crashes.

At 430 pages, the book is the culmination of decades of research and writings. The author first wrote on the subject 57 years ago, and is the acknowledged authority on the subject. It may be that the readership will turn out to be wider than the aero-philatelists and dealers mentioned in the introduction. Some of the stories of the inter-continental flights are gripping, and one may wonder why some of these feats have remained largely unacknowledged.

Further volumes will follow as the author has recently retired and is devoting more time to research and publishing.

Ken Sanford

To purchase: Post paid price is £50 in the UK, EUR65 to Europe, USD80 to the USA and AUD120 to Australia. Payment online in GBP to Sort 05-00-40 Account 10082204, or in AUD to BSB 063000 Account 12391146 or by Paypal to brpeace@ntlworld.com, adding 4 per cent

Newfoundland’s Last Definitives: The Perkins Bacon and Sprague Printings

Newfoundland’s Last Definitives: The WaterlowPrintings by C.A. Stillions in BNAPS Exhibit Series No 104. (2019) published by British North America Philatelic Society

This review is courtesy of David Livingston of the National Philatelic Society (UK), First published in Stamp Lover Vol III December 2019 www.ukphilately.org.uk/nps

In an earlier review of the companion volume to this one*, I praised the value of this sort of reproduction of a whole display ( about 100 sheets) in full size and colour. This volume is every bit as good in recording the display but also illustrates the limitations of doing that. You miss the exhibitor’s commentary and in this instance, where the stamps show the consequences of complex events, you do need that.

The significant event here was the bombing of Perkins Bacon printing works in London. This was virtually at the end of the Blitz in May 1941. At this date they were a subsidiary of J.W. Sprague and, amongst other contracts, they were printing the Newfoundland definitive stamps. Most of these had designs had been in use from 1932 but 2c, 3c, 4c and 7c had been redesigned to depict the new Royal Family in 1938. Many plates and dies were lost in the destruction but a surprising number of Newfoundland ones were saved. Waterlow and Sons agreed to help out and in the end continued printing the issues for Sprague, until Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949. Perkins Bacon never recovered.

Initially there was an urgent “Blitz” printing of the 2c, 3c, 4c and 5c. This was in late 1941. The dies for the King’s head 2c and Queen’s head 3c had to be re-engraved by Waterlow but the other two seem to have been survivors of the bombing. There is no recorded plate reference number for any of the four stamps of this issue. However for printings in 1942, Waterlows added their reference numbers to the plates and the dates of printing and issue are known from then on. For the 1941 printing, all we have are the earliest dates known.

Because of these changes, stamps and covers from this period can be of great interest if you collect Newfoundland and are trying to piece together the story, which was not particularly well recorded at the time. In fact it only seems to be when collectors noticed that the 5c stamp (the iconic Caribou design) reappeared in late 1941 in its “Die I” form (SG 225 and then, in 1942, SG 280) that questions were asked. The Newfoundland Post Office simply stated that the printers had not changed (which was true insofar as Sprague still held the contract, which Waterlows were fulfilling). Possibly the Post Office did not want speculative buying at a time when supplies were short.

This 5c Caribou really exemplifies the changes. The original die by Perkins Bacon was used in early 1932 and this was Die I. After a change of postal rates that year more stamps were issued in August and these included the Caribou now from Die II. (Antler pointing to “T” of postage is taller than the one pointing to the “S” and hairs on Caribou tail are more distinct.) That was the dominant form from then on, although Die I can be found genuinely used as late as 1938. However only the “retired” Die I survived the bombing. Hence its resurrection for the “Blitz” issue of 1941 by Waterlows. Thereafter, it remained in use as the 5c stamp,but, as noted above, on plates with Waterlows’ reference numbers, until Newfoundland joined the Federation in 1949

The Waterlow printings are normally perf 12.5 line, while for Perkins Bacon 13.5 comb was usual. The 2c 3c and 4c of the Blitz issue are thus perf12.5 but the Caribou is 13.3 comb. As the author of this collection states, the reason is not known. Waterlow did not use 13.3 so perhaps in this emergency, someone else did the perforation?

If you know this story then seeing it really well illustrated in this book is a pleasure, but if you don’t know it, then you might find it quite difficult to work out what the exhibitor is getting at, despite the detailed write up. Of course, had you seen it exhibited then, no doubt, the commentary would have explained everything. This is not to deride the book, but to emphasise that it is a record of the display, which most will not get to see any other way.

Against that complaint is the fact that, as in the previous volume, this is a terrific display and of course there is much more in it than the changeover period. You will find excellent illustrations of examples of die proofs, plate proofs varieties and especially useful are the last 25 pages showing usages. My favourite here is a pair of the 7c featuring Queen Mary used to pay for Air Mail from Victoria BC to New York and posted in 1956. After federation, Newfoundland’s stamps remained valid for use throughout Canada and, apparently, remain so today.

Another good one is a postcard franked with the 20c green (view of Cape Race) posted to post-war occupied Germany by a passenger on the Trans-Atlantic route during the re-fuelling stop at Gander in 1948. My favourite Newfoundland stamp is the 14c with the picture of the dog and I envy a registered 15c paid cover with the dog and a 1c codfish (my least favourite) from St Johns to a Col. Burton with the British Military Mission to the Egyptian Army in May 1947. It took a month to get there by which time Col Burton had gone home to Finchley in North London (UK). I must mention two blitz printing exhibited here. There is a Kings Head 2c (12.5 line perf) on a cover containing a Christmas card posted from St Johns to New York on Christmas eve 1941.

The blitz printings are really only identifiable by their cancellation date (late 1941- Jan.’42) and line perf 12.5, especially the 4c (young Princess Elizabeth) which was printed using a plate made from a die that survived the bombing. Thus a commercial cover from Grand Falls to St Johns and franked with that stamp in November 1941 is also very special. Finally there is the one illustrated on the book cover. This is a Blitz printing of the 5c Caribou (Die I, perf 13.3) sent to soldier training in Canada. He never got it because his unit was posted to Hong Kong as the Japanese invaded.

This book illustrates a magnificent and authoritative collection. I wish I had seen it exhibited with the commentary, but it is well worth having if you collect Newfoundland.

Brian Livingstone
*Newfoundland’s Last Definitives: The Perkins Bacon and Sprague Printings. C.A. Stillions. Stamp Lover Vol 111, no 3, June 2019 A. Stillions in BNAPS Exhibit Series No 104. (2019) published by British North America Philatelic Society. 110pp A4, spiral bound, full colour. Obtainable from BNAPS Book Dept. c/o Sparks Auctions 1770 Woodward Drive, Suite 101, Ottawa, ON K2C 0P8 or e-mail \ BNAPS@sparks-auctions.com C$66.00 +p&p ISBN: 978-1- 9271199-98-3

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£5 Pound Orange

££5 Pound Orange by Dr John Horsley (IPDA Member)

The Great Britain Queen Victoria £5 Orange is an iconic stamp, as desirable as a fine Penny Black, but missing from the majority of collections.

Collectors may not realise that the vast majority of the used copies extant were probably used for Telegram or internal Post Office accounting requirements: very few saw postal use on an item in the mail, even those with Registered Threadneedle Street postmarks.

The author’s sub-title: ‘Everything you never wanted to know about the £5 Orange – and a whole lot more’ speaks for itself and this magnificent volume encompasses both the Telegraph and Postage issues.

He commences with the inception of the £5 Telegraph stamp showing the development of the design and the Essays, following through with dated Die Proofs and Colour Trials, then on to the issued stamps, Imprimaturs, and Specimens.

When the use of Telegraph stamps was discontinued, the original plate was amended by deleting the word ‘Telegraph’, and producing a second plate with just the word ‘Postage’ which was used to insert this in the blank space on the printed sheet.

Using material in his own Gold Medal-winning collection; having access to the Langmead Collection in the British Library; being able to make use of the extensive photographic archives of Harmers of London, the Royal Philatelic Society London, and others such as Mike Jackson, Jeremy Dickson and Philip Plummer, John was able to amass detail and images of over 3,500 examples.

This enabled him to undertake extensive scientific analysis of each, and by using the latest computer programmes, produce sensible statistics, comparisons, bar tables and other diagrams for type of use, where and when used, fully integrated with over 350 colour illustrations.

The detailed Table of Contents occupies three pages and the effective planned layout, coupled with John’s accessible style, makes this informative and entertaining reading. The section dealing with forgeries is a must-read.

This is a superb hardcover volume with over 300 pages, including the index and bibliography, and must surely be the book of reference for the foreseeable future.

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Air Crash Mail of Imperial Airways and Predecessor Airlines

Air Crash Mail of Imperial Airways and Predecessor Airlines – by Ken Sanford (IPDA Member)

This 225 page book lists all the known crashes, interruptions and forced landings of Imperial Airways (Britain’s international airline between 1924 to 1940) and its predecessor airlines. This is the first time a book has been published detailing the crash mail of a single airline. The book includes a photo or illustration of nearly every Imperial Airways and predecessor aircraft that crashed or had a forced landing. It also shows a cover and every known variety of cachet, label, manuscript marking or post office explanation where mail has been recorded. There are 187 aircraft photos, 96 covers and 174 cachets shown, plus reproductions of newspaper clippings about Imperial Airways crashes.

The book is based on the author’s extensive collection of Imperial Airways crash mail as well as years of research by the author in archives, newspaper libraries, early aviation magazines and consulting over fifty books, magazines and other publications.

LZ-129 HINDENBURG, ZEPPELIN CRASH MAIL, by Dieter Leder

LZ-129 HINDENBURG, ZEPPELIN CRASH MAIL, by Dieter Leder.

Order from the author Dieter Leder by e-mail: zpj@arcor.de, or by mail at: Seepromenade 6, D-88709 Meersburg, Germany

On May 6, 1937, airship LZ-129 Hindenburg crashed at Lakehurst, NJ. Of the 17,000 pieces of mail onboard, only 372 were officially recovered. The Hindenburg is the most famous aircraft crash in history and Hindenburg crash covers are the most expensive of all crash covers.  The book describes the mail handling before and during the flight and all nine mail recovery operations. A 120-page census lists all recovered articles and illustrates them, if documented. Eastbound mail intended for the return flight is also part of the Hindenburg crash mail story.

The book is very well done and will be an essential reference for anyone interested in crash covers in general or Hindenburg crash covers specifically.

George V’s Obsession – a King and his stamps

George V’s Obsession – a King and his stamps by Jack Shamash

This is the first biography of King George V for over 30 years and tells the story of his life through his obsession with stamps. As a shy and deeply conservative person stamp collecting was one of the few areas of life in which he found true fulfillment. This book sheds life on the sheltered life of the royal family and also on the impulses which motivate collectors of all types. The author is a member of the Royal Philatelic Society London and writes for the Guardian, The Times and The Independent.

The Philatelic Book of Secrets

The Philatelic Book of Secrets  by Bruce McDonald 

A book to end the guess work about stamps. Ever wonder if your stamp has been re-gummed? Wonder at the meaning of the term “reperforated”? Or do you, like all collectors of stamps, simply want to be the best educated, the most learned as you possibly can be to better understand your hobby and protect your investment? 

The information you seek, until now, has been scattered far and in between in myriad locations, and often times are guarded secrets kept close by experts and dealers. But now, the Philatelic Book of Secrets is the ultimate all-in-one guide that will aid the collector, from casual to professional. The book includes many aspects of grading as well as many of the repairs, touchups, re-gums, forgeries, and other deceptions found in stamps today. Full color images taken under digital magnification offer clarity never before available to the general public. Part one of the book contains articles from top experts in the field and aid the collector in detecting repairs and forgeries. Part two is a comprehensive guide to stamp grading, fault identification, and much more.

Philately: The Art of Stamp Collection

Philately: The Art of Stamp Collection by John Sundararaj 

A wonderful book for beginners as well as anyone interested in stamp collecting. As the title of the book reads, the art of stamp collecting is well explained in the book. A must for all stamp collectors. Source Amazon Books.

A handbook, to help all collectors understand how to collect and what to collect and how stamps should be presented in an exhibition.  A handbook on philately which will be for everyone who collects and which  includes some basic thoughts to further the knowledge of newcomers to the hobby. It includes tips on soaking, types of stamps, types of cancellations, types of post offices, a few websites, and a glossary of philatelic terms.

Journal of the American Philatelic Research Library (PLR) 

Journal of the American Philatelic Research Library (PLR)

Not a book per se but a source of material. Philately is believed to produce more books, journals and periodicals than any other. The PLR, published quarterly and available by subscription, is one of the few journals concentrating on the publication of philatelic material. In addition to reporting on recent library acquisitions, the PLR provides reviews of books, catalogues and research papers. Ongoing features include publishing updates from new releases and research, to literature awards, and news of worldwide philatelic libraries. The Clearinghouse is a regular feature where readers list literature they want to buy or sell. Source:  stamps.org/Quarterly-Journal

Every stamp tells a story

Every stamp tells a story   A National Postal Museum publication

Published in 2014 and edited by Cheryl Ganz, the curator emerita of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, the book pulls back the curtain on the USA national stamp. It provides an engaging introduction to the National Philatelic Collection, with a focus on the United States. The book is organized to appeal to non-collectors. The 18 chapters are light on text and heavy on illustrations.  The captions accompanying the 121 figures are short and, for the most part, free of philatelic terminology. A reader can well appreciate the panorama of stamps and covers on display at the Gross gallery simply by looking at the figures, without referring at all to the chapter text.

Source: Linns Stamp News

The One-Cent Magenta: Inside the Quest to Own the World’s Most Valuable Stamp

The One-Cent Magenta: Inside the Quest to Own the World’s Most Valuable Stamp by James Barron

This book tells the story of the rare stamp that was sold at auction for $9.5 million in 2014. Written by New York Times reporter James Barron, the book was called “delightful” by a review in the Washington Post. The One-Cent Magenta is Barron’s jaunty romp through what he calls “Stamp World.” It’s the sort of oddball, breezy read that’s perfect for a long flight or train trip.  “It has been a record-setter time after time not because it is a stamp but because it is the only one of its kind,” Barron writes.

Source: Philatelic Literature & Research Companion blog to the Philatelic Literature Review, quarterly journal of the American Philatelic Research Library.

Passing in Review

Passing in Review by Herman L. Halle

An account of the political chaos that engulfed post-WWII Germany, largely told with original documents from that turbulent era. It covers German Post War Postal History from 1945 to 1949.

Persiphila Iran Classic Philatelic Reference (Volume 1 – Qajar Dynasty)  PersiCat 2007  – Review by Lee Coen

Persiphila Iran Classic Philatelic Reference (Volume 1 – Qajar Dynasty)  PersiCat 2007  – Review by Lee Coen

This is one, if not the, essential book to have for anyone collecting Iran philately.  This excellent reference book of 200+ pages contains a comprehensive listing of Iran fakes. forgeries and postal values. It is an awarded reference and if you have an interest in Iran philately this is a must have catalogue and reference guide.  To learn more about this and other reference books I recommend you visit www.persi.com. You can also order the book from this site.  If you have questions I welcome them at Lee Coen, IPDA Member 251.

Airmail – 100 Years of History  – The American Philatelist Monthly Journal of the American Philatelic Society

Airmail – 100 Years of History  – The American Philatelist – the Monthly Journal of the American Philatelic Society  – review submitted by member Michael Dodd

This is a free sample copy of the May 2018 issue of the journal which is likely to be of interest to aerophilatelists. A 216 page issue (including  many full page advertisements) but covering  an interesting array of historical aviation aspects including The Origin of Scheduled US Airmail, A “Chronicle of Early Airmail” capturing an insight into the early years of airmail and aviation taken from the American Philatelic Research Library (APRL) material,  and more. One interesting article was the excerpt from the book Stamp of the Century as  issued in May 2018 about the Inverted Jenny.  Overall, lots of interesting articles, old photographs and other images worth viewing.  The issue is available from this link –  http://digitaleditions.walsworthpri…ion_id=20118

The Al Raddi Collection of Scott 1285 Albert Einstein FDCs

The Al Raddi Collection of Scott 1285 Albert Einstein FDCs

A new book from the American First Day Cover Society chronicles a collector’s love for the 8-cent Albert Einstein stamp of 1966. The Al Raddi Collection of Scott 1285 Albert Einstein FDCs shows 163 different first day covers for the Prominent Americans issue.

Each of the cachets is shown in color. Raddi, from Michigan, invites readers to send information about other cachets that exist for this issue.

The book starts with a brief biography of the scientist, and information about both the U.S. Einstein stamp and those issued by other countries.

The Al Raddi Collection is available as a .pdf download from the AFDCS for $8 ($6 for members) or a printout may be purchased for $15 ($13) postpaid. Either version may be ordered from the AFDCS website by clicking this link. The printed version may also be ordered by mail from AFDCS Sales, PO Box 44, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0044.

AFDCS PUBLISHES LAWRENCE WORK ON JENNY FIRST DAY COVERS

AFDCS PUBLISHES LAWRENCE WORK ON JENNY FIRST DAY COVERS

The Jenny airmails may be among America’s best-known stamps, but little is known about the first day covers of those stamps. In fact, well-known philatelic author and researcher Ken Lawrence says there may only be one genuine FDC.

First Day Covers of 1918 Air Post Stamps — Or Are They?  brings together in one volume four previously published articles, along with a new “afterword” essay by Lawrence and an introduction by aerophilatelic exhibitor Andrew McFarlane. The book is the latest publication from the American First Day Cover Society. Publication coincides with the centenary of both U.S. airmail service and the issuance of the first U.S. airmail stamps, depicting the “Jenny” airplane.“It’s difficult to believe that after all these years there could still be so many outstanding questions regarding these Jenny ‘first day’ covers,” writes McFarlane. “I think it’s safe to say that many of these questions can now be safely put to rest” by this book.

First Day Covers of 1918 Air Post Stamps — Or Are They? Is available as a .pdf download from the AFDCS for $12 ($10 for members) or a printout may be purchased for $20 ($17 member price) postpaid. Either version may be ordered from the AFDCS website by following this link. The printed version may also be ordered by mail from AFDCS Sales, PO Box 44, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0044.