Stellenbosch Filatelistevereniging

Stellenbosch Philatelic Society

Posbus/P.O. Box 1532

Brackenfell

7561

Tel. : 021-981-4036

Faks/fax. : 086-672-1625

E-pos/mail : robharm@mweb.co.za

Jaargang/Volume: 37 No/Nr: 5

Klubaand : 1ste Dins van mnd om 19:00

Club night: 1st Tues of month at 19:00

Venue: Le Donjon, La Societé, La Clemence, Webbersvallei Road, Stellenbosch

NUUSBRIEF JANUARIE 2016

VORIGE BYEENKOMS 12 DESEMBER 2015 Verwelkoming. Die vorige byeenkoms het (anders as normal op die eerste Dinsdag van die maand) op die tweede Saterdag van Desember 2015 plaasgevind. Dit was natuurlik ons afsluitingsfunksie vir 2015, wat deur Leon Steyn en Elliot Swart gereël en voorberei is. Die Voorsitster, Ida Potgieter, is baie bly om 25 van ons lede en hulle geselle/geselinne te verwelkom, en die middag word in ʼn ontspanne atmosfeer gehou. Ons is dankbaar dat Dennis Horn en sy gade Herma ook teenwoordig is, die eerste byeenkoms wat hy/hulle in baie maande bywoon. Heel gepas word Dennis gevra om die middag met gebed te open. Daarna word daar baie gesels en baie gelag, en almal geniet hulself. Die ete is lekker, en na afloop vertrek almal huis toe, nadat goeie wense vir die komende Christusfees en die jaar 2016 uitegruil word. Almal sien uit na die rustyd, maar ook om weer met hulle seëls besig te raak.

FACTS AND FEATS: THE POSTAL SERVICES

The first local publicity slogan in the British Isles was used in Salthill, Co. Galway in the Irish Free State, in the summer of 1935 and stated briefly SALTHILL GALWAY FOR HOLIDAYS. The first local publicity slogan in the United Kingdom was used by Hastings, Sussex on 1 Apr 1963. Depicting Happy Harold it

stated WE‘RE READY FOR YOUR INVASION AT HASTINGS – an allusion to the Normandy landings in 1066. Ironically it was the Mayor of Bath, the

late Major Adrian Hopkins (a noted philatelist) who had pressed the Post Office for years to allow local advertising but in the end Bath was narrowly beaten by Hastings. Bath‘s first slogan did not appear until 1 Jul 1963, this being the first to appear with the datestamp and slogan transposed, so that the message would be clear of the stamp.

Unfortunate slogans have been used on several occasions, their message defeated either by the stamps they cancelled, or the mail on which they were impressed. The most common instances are summonses for traffic violations despatched to holidaymakers and bearing tourist publicity slogans. A British national slogan ARE YOU FULLY INSURED? gave great offence when it was used to cancel notifications of impending hospital operations sent to would-be patients. A common American slogan of the late 1950s REPORT OBSCENE MAIL TO YOUR POSTMASTER is said to have been abruptly withdrawn, after it was used to frank invitations to the wedding of a senator‘s daughter. The first postmark provided in connection with a special event was a double-circle datestamp inscribed

EXPOSITION/POSTES which was produced by the French Post Office for use at a temporary office in the Universal Exhibition, Paris in 1855. Previously, it was believed that a single-circle datestamp had been used at the Great Exhibition, London in 1851, but as this shows the London district letter W (not allocated till 1857) it must have been faked from the genuine handstamp provided for the 1862

Exhibition. Nevertheless, as postal facilities did exist at the 1851 Exhibition, the provision of a handstamp cannot be ruled out.

The first time a postmark was used for commemorative purposes, without the facilities of a temporary post office, occurred in Jan 1959 when the British Post Office permitted devotees of the poet Robert Burns to post covers and cards at his birthplace to celebrate the bicentenary of his birth. Alloway, being a town sub-office, was not normally allowed to cancel mail, but an exception was made on this occasion. Although the ordinary office datestamp was employed, many thousands of souvenir covers were handled. Exceptionally the office was permitted to open on a Sunday, the bicentenary date being 25 January. The precedent passed off without comment and was not immediately followed up, but in 1963 the Post Office celebrated the tercentenary of the Dover packet service with a pictorial postmark, two handstamps being used at the Dover sorting office for this purpose. Facts and feats come from: Mackay, James, The Guinness book of Stamps, Guinness Publishing Ltd, Enfield, 1988 If you have other information, please let me know with the necessary reference, as there is a need to confirm the information.

NUTELLA Of ‗n mens nou van hierdie sjokolade-pasta hou of nie, daar is miljoene wat dit as ʼn lekkerny beskou. Dit word gemaak deur die Italiaanse bedryf Ferrero, wat ook vir die sjokolade balletjies bekend is. Die pasta is in 1949 ontwikkel, maar eers in 1964 onder die naam Supercrema Gianduja bemark. Ferrero het reeds in laat 1963 die handelsmerk Nutella geregistreer, asook die bekende etiket wat sedetdien onveranderd gebly het. Hulle het ook ʼn patent op die pot geregistreer. Dus is die naam byna van diew begin af as Nutella bekend. Die kombinasie van sjokolade en haselneute is egter reeds in die begin van die 19de eeu in Turyn en omgewing ontwikkel, met die doel om die gebruik van kakao te verminder. Vandag word die produk wêreldwyd verkoop en is dit baie populêr, veral by kinders. Interessant is dat die presiese

samestelling van Nutella van land tot land verskil. Die belangrikste ingerediënte is vet (afkomstig uit palmolie uit Malaysië en Papoea-Nieu-Guinea) en suiker (hoofsaaklik bietsuiker). Tesame maak hulle 72% van die pasta uit. Ander ingrediënte in Nutella is haselneute uit Turkye, kusgebiede van die Swart See en Italië), kakao wat in Stadtallendorf in Duitsland of Alba in Italië verwerk word uit kakaobone uit Wes-Afrika (Ivoorkus, Ghana en Nigerië), melkpoeier vervaardig in Frankryk en België, en sojalesitien om die mengsel homogeen te hou. In 2014 het Italië een van sy bekende produkte vereer, toe ʼn spesiale seël uitgereik is om die halfeeu fees van Nutella te vier. Nieuwsbrief 120 van die OVVP van Des 2015

SUPERLATIVES ON STAMPS

I will include some of these in the months that lie ahead, and invite the members to add to the list by providing a good picture of the stamp and a short description. The world’s highest mountain is Mount Everest in die Himalaja Mountain range on the Indian subcontinent which separates the Indo-Gangetic Plain from the Tibetan Plateau. It is located in the Mahalangur mountain range in Nepal and Tibet. Its peak is 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) above sea level. The world’s remotest inhabited island is Tristan da Cunha Archipelago. The nearest speck of land, St. Helena, is a whopping 2430 km (1509 mi) away, and it's over 2816 km (1750 mi) to the nearest continent, Africa. The entire population of some 270 inhabitants is concentrated on the only flat bit of this volcanic landmass, the hamlet of Edinburgh of the

Seven Seas on the main island. The rest of the archipelago is uninhabited. A number of sources were used to compile this information.

LETTRE VERDRE Lettre vertre beteken vry vertaal groen brief. Dit verwys na ‗n brief wat in Frankryk per normale pos versend word, maar waar daar aandag aan die ekonomiese en ekologiese gebruik gegee word. Hierdie briewe word, by voorbeeld, nie per lugpos gestuur nie. In Frankryk is die tarief vir normale brief met maksimum gewig van 20 gm €0.76, maar die tarief vir ʼn groen brief is slegs €0.68. Vir die gebruik van hierdie groene pos het Frankryk spesiale seëls uitgegee, wat ook geldig is vir ―vakansiepos‖ binne Frankryk. Nieuwsbrief 120 van die OVVP van Des 2015

Retelling Charles Dicken’s classic Christmas tale with stamps A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was published on 17 Dec 1843, and in the 172 years since then the story has become a timeless classic, retold hundreds of times in a variety of films, television specials and plays, and faithfully read and re-read every year as part of many families‘ holiday traditions. Another way to enjoy A Christmas Carol is by forming a topical collection of stamps that picture the characters from this story of redemption. Of course, Ebenezer Scrooge, the main character, is the most popular, included in the designs of many of the stamps that feature the short novel. He

needs little introduction; in fact ―scrooge‖ has become a word by itself, defined in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary as ―a miserly person.‖ Scrooge is pictured on the 30-penny stamp (left). Gibraltar issued this $2 to celebrate Charles Dickens Birth Bicentenary in 2012. Jersey was among the other postal administrations that honoured Dickens with stamps during his birth bicentennial year. The eight Christmas stamps issued on 15 Nov 2012 depict many of the major characters, most notably the ghosts. The denominations of 60p, 68p and 80p show the visitations of the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of

Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, respectively. The last-mentioned specter also is known as the Ghost of Christmas Future, which is what is inscribed at the bottom of the design. Dickens described the last of the spirits: ―The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached. When it came, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery. “It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head,

its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. But for this it would have been difficult to detach its figure from the night, and separate it from the

darkness by which it was surrounded.” In contrast to the eerie graveyard scene portrayed on this Jersey stamp is the cheery depiction of Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchit on the 1¢ stamp in Turks and Caicos Islands‘ 1982 Christmas issue featuring Walt Disney‘s Mickey’s Christmas Carol. Cratchit, the clerk who Scrooge begrudges giving Christmas day off, is sitting at his desk. The design also depicts Scrooge McDuck as Scrooge and Donald Duck as Scrooge‘s nephew Fred. In 1987, St. Vincent marked the 175th anniversary of Dickens‘ birth on its Christmas issue. No collection of A Christmas Carol on stamps would be complete without Tiny Tim, one of the six children of the Cratchit family. Despite poor health, described in the book as ― … he bore a little

crutch, and had his limbs supported by an iron frame,‖ he remains in good spirit, wishing ―God bless us everyone.‖ The 50-penny stamp in the Ascension Island‘s 2012 Christmas issue shows Tiny Tim being carried on his father‘s shoulder. Linn‘s Stamp News of 21 Dec 2015

SEX SKILLING BANCO Die oranjegeel Tre Skilling Banco is van alle oud Sweedse seëls die mees bekende, en ook die duurste. Enkele jare gelede is ʼn geel eksemplaar van hierdie seël vir die astronomiese bedrag van €2.3 miljoen verkoop Met die seël in jou Sweedse versameling het mens dan ʼn buitegewone versameling. Daar is egter slegs een van die geel Tre Skilling Banco seëls bekend. Dit was ʼn kleurfout op die heel eerste seëluitgifte van Swede, omdat die seël normaal blougroen van kleur is. Met die uitgifte is die seël oor die hoof gesien, en vandag is dit onbekend hoe die kleurafwyking ontstaan het of hoeveel van die seëls in die verkeerde kleur gedruk is. Vir al wat ons weet is daar dalk nog van hierdie seëls in ʼn versameling en wag om ontdek te word. Die seël is in 1886 deur ʼn jong versamelaar gevind en aan die versameling van die befaamde Philipp von Ferrary vir 4000 Oostenrykse guldens verkoop. Die Sex Skilling Banco word nou

nie heeltemaal in dieselfde asem genoem nie, maar bly steeds een van die begeerlikste seëls. Volgens Michel is die kleur van die seël grys of blougrys, en word die gebruikte seël hoër as die ongebruikte waardeer. Dit is bekend dat daar ook ‗n aantal ongetande seëls bestaan, waarvan vier met die stepel Carlshamn gerojeer is. Posfris seëls se katalogus waarde beloop €10 000.00. KNBF Nieuwsbrief 068 van Des 2015

WORLD STAMP SHOW NEW YORK 2016 This stamp show probably is the most important philatelic event of 2016. It will be held in New York between 28 May and 4 Jun 2016. Where the Americans normally hold their own ―world‖ events, even they regard this event is very important. Stamp shows of this magnitude typically are held only once every 10 years in the United States. International shows offer a unique opportunity for collectors to learn about the stamp hobby, to see philatelic gems that are seldom displayed together in one venue, and to view world-class exhibits. Here are some of the key numbers: - 200 — More than 200 dealers are expected to attend the show. Many of them have been preparing for months, searching for new and exciting stock to entice collectors of all levels and budgets. It‘s highly likely that you‘ll be able to complete your want list at NY2016. - 60 — Some 60 societies and specialty organizations will have displays on the show floor, conduct membership meetings, and present lectures and seminars on a broad spectrum of topics. Best of all, most of these

meetings are open to the public, so bring a friend along. - 4,500 — Competitive exhibits spanning just about any subject you can think of will be on display in 4,000 exhibit frames. There also will be around 500 frames housing noncompetitive exhibits. In addition to the exhibits, there will a court of honor displaying some of the hobby‘s greatest and most recognizable rarities, including the unique 1856 1¢ Magenta of British Guiana. - 50 — More than 50 postal administrations, including our own U.S. Postal Service, will be open for business at the show, offering their latest new issues and other specialty products. - 200,000 — The show‘s organizing committee expects more than 200,000 collectors and their families and friends will visit during the course of the eight-day show. - 294,000 — A show this size needs an enormous amount of space: 294,000 square feet, to be exact. - 0 — And the best news? Admission to the show is free. For more information http://www.linns.com/news/world-stamps-postal-history/2016/january/stamps-galore--exhibits--seminars--more-await-at-world-stamp-show-ny-2016.html

CORRESPONDENCE Reading the correspondence in Linn‘s Stamp News can be enlightening at times, but also hilarious at other times. The

subject of some correspondence was this 1947 Airmail stamp from Monaco. Looking closely at the stamp, it would appear as if the stamps is a blunder showing Pres. Roosevelt with 6 fingers on his left hand holding a stamp. One reader, however, differed from this view, stating that his ―thumb‖ is the cuff of his shirt. He also fails to understand that Pres. Roosevelt, an ardent

philatelist, would hold a stamp like that in his ―greasy‖ fingers. Looking at the picture (right) it is difficult to see what is holding the stamp, if the ―cuff argument‖ is maintained. What do you think? Linn‘s Stamp News of 4 Jan 2016

Geskryf deur Robert Harm 22 Januarie 2016

CLUB PROGRAMMES (Western Cape)

Bellville Philatelic Society, at the Bellville Public Library at 19:00 on 2nd Wednesday of the month. 10 Feb 2016 One-page Cup; Annual General Meeting; One-page – Parliament. 9 Mar 2016 Open Auction.

CASPIP, at the home of Leon Stein, 5 Peddie Road, Milnerton at 20:00 on 3rd Wednesday of month.

Fish Hoek Philatelic Society, at Minor Hall, Fish Hoek Civic Centre at 19:30 on 1st Tuesday of the month. 2 Feb 2016 1 Mar 2016

Paarl Filateliste, at home Wilfred and Corrie Niehaus, 105 New Eskdale Street, Paarl at 19:30 2nd Thursday of the month. 11 Feb 2016 Annual General Meeting; Letter O. 10 Mar 2016 Annual dinner – limited to members.

Pinelands Stamp Circle, at Activities Room, Pinelands Library at 19:00 on last Wednesday of the month. 24 Feb 2016 Development and use of 3c Washington stamp 1861-9 – De Jannie Hofmeyr; One-page J.

Royal Philatelic Society of Cape Town, at Atenaneum on 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month. 8 Feb 2016 Modern South Africa, Rest of the World, after 1961. 22 Feb 2016 104th Annual General Meeting; Jacob Cup competition.

Stellenbosch Philatelic Society, at La Clémence, Webersvallei Rd, Stellenbosch at 19:00 on 1st Tuesday of month. 2 Feb 2016 Annual General Meeting; Letter R.

Walker Bay Stamp Club, at the Hermanus Bowling Club/Kleinmond Public Library at 17:30 on 1st Monday of month. 1 Feb 2016

Thematics SA (WC Chapter), at Church Hall of the DRC Bergsig, c/o Boland Road/Protea Street, Durbanville at 11:00. 6 Feb 2016 Progessing our joint exhibit on the Big 5.

STAMP FAIRS Durbanville,at Church Hall of the DRC Bergsig, c/o Boland Way and Protea Street, Durbanville at 09:00 until 12:30. 6 Feb 2016 5 Mar 2016 Quarterley auction will be held on this day.

PHILATELIC TERMS : T-2 Bibliography: McKay, James, Philatelic Terms Illustrated, Stanley Gibbons Publications, Ringwood, 2003. Nováček, Jiři, Guide to Stamp Collecting, Chartwell Books Inc, New Jersey, 1989. Smith, Anna H. (Ed), The language of stamp collecting, Johannesburg Public Library, 1959. Wood, Kenneth A. (Ed), This is Philately, Van Dahl Publications, Albany, 1982 Graham, Harold T. (Ed), A Glossary of Philatelic Terms, Philatelic Congress of Great Britain, 1951 Wikipedia Encyclopaedia at www.wikipedia.com. Tagged stamps (fosforbedekte seëls) The term refers to stamps overprinted with phosphor bands to assist the electronic sorting of mail. The term is mainly used in Canada and the United States. Talking stamps This was the name given to an issue of seven stamps by Bhutan in 1973, in the form of miniature gramophone records which played the national anthem and provided a commentary on the history of the country. The stamps were made from plastic with a self-adhesive backing. Taxpost (belastingpos)

This was a service provided by the British Post Office, introduced in 1984 as a variant of Datapost to expedite the correspondence of Inland Revenue offices. Distinctive red and yellow labels thus inscribed were employed in this connection.

Teleletter (telebrief) This was a souvenir cover, pioneered by the Netherlands, which incorporates a telephone card as well as appropriate stamps and pictorial cancellation. Telemessage (teleboodskap) This was a service provided by British Telecommunications since 1982, and replacing the inland ordinary and greetings telegrams after the postal and telecommunications business of the Post Office was split up. Messages are transmitted electronically as before, but are now transferred to Royal Mail for delivery with mail in the ordinary way. Special message forms and envelopes with a postage paid impression are used, with special greeting versions and even royal telemessages sent by the Queen to centenarians and couples celebrating their diamond wedding. Temporary rubber datestamp (tydelike rubber datumstempel)

It is sometimes referred to as TRD, and it denotes a form of cancellation used in some West Indian and Pacific island groups. Theoretically, as the name implies, these datestamps are used in emergency, but there are many instances of them being used for many years. Like the Climax daters of the British Isles, it is more probably that they were intended for permanent use, but were confined to offices of minor importance which did not merit the expense of a steel daterstamp.

Testing labels (toetsplakkers)

These are stamp-sized gummed labels, in coils or booklets, used by postal administrations to test the efficient working of automatic vending machines. These labels have no postal validity but occasionally examples, such as the famous Poached Egg label, have been affixed to mail and gone through the post undetected.

Textiles as printing material

Stamps printed on cloth were first issued by Hungary in Sep 1958, waxed cloth being used for a miniature sheet of four stamps honouring the International Philatelic Congress in Brussels. Silk rayon was used by Bhutan for a set of 1969 depicting prayer banners. The ultimate textile stamp, however, was the 5 franc from Switzerland (2000) which was actually woven on a loom with HELVETIA and the value in raised woven lettering against a lace background in contrasting

shades of blue thread. The stamp was imperforate and self-adhesive with conventional backing paper.

Thermoplastics (termografie) This is an alternative name for thermography, but more properly applied to stamps which are actually produced in plastic substances, e.g. Bhutan‘s issue simulating the bas-relief of sculpture, the rough texture of oil paintings and the laminated prismatic-ribbed plastic surfaces which provide three-dimensional effects. Tied (aangestempel) The term refers to adhesive stamps married to the original envelope, postcard or wrapper, by the cancellation which extends beyond the confines of the stamp on to the postal matter. The result confirms the genuine use of the original item. The term is also applied to stamps on piece, and is particularly desirable in the case of bisected stamps used in the post.

To Pay labels (te betaal plakkers) These are labels denoting charges to be recovered from the addressee and thus distinguished from postage due labels because the charges related to Customs and special handling fees rather than deficient postage as such. GB labels thus inscribed include the higher denominations (1924-63) and all postage due labels since 1970. The Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey and Gibraltar have also issued To Pay labels in recent years.

Too late (te-laat stempel) This is an inscription on postmarks to explain apparent delay to mail, which had been posted too late to connect with the last despatch of that day. It is also found on some late fee stamps.

Toughra

The term refers to a paraph (shown on both stamps top centre), sign manual or flourish of the ruler, appearing on the stamps of Turkey (1863-1908), Hejaz-Nejd (1926-32), Afghanistan (1927-8) and Saudi Arabia (1932-45) as a mark of authority.

Traffic lights This is a term used by collectors to denote the check dots or colour dabs (to use the printers‘ jargon) printed in the sheet margins of stamps printed by modern offset litho or photogravure methods. They assist in checking that all the colours have been printed correctly. Blocks of stamps from the corner of the sheet including the traffic lights are collected as a matched pair with the block showing the cylinder numbers.

Travelling Post Office (reisende poskantoor)

This is a facility for posting and sorting of mail aboard special railway trains, in order to accelerate mail-handling. Mail was first carried unofficially by rail in 1830 and officially from 1837. From Jan 1838 on-board sorting was adopted in England and gradually spread to other countries having a railway system. Special postmarks are

used on TPO‘s to indicate mail posted in late fee posting boxes, or on the trains themselves. The stamp left shows the Glasgow-Carlisle TPO, and the stamp on the right the Rome-Turin train. Trimmed (afkant)

The term denotes adhesive stamps whose perforations have been clipped, owing to faulty guillotining of booklet panes or coils. It is also used to describe the conversion of fiscal stamps to postal use by cutting off a portion of their design (shown here).

Compiled by Robert Harm 21 January 2016