Off With Her Head: The Queen To Be Taken Off British Royal Mail Stamps?

Is this the modern definition of austerity? The potential selling off of the Royal Mail is not going to be hampered if the new owners want to replace Queen Elizabeth II with something else of their choosing.

Since the famous "penny black" went on sale back in 1840, all British stamps have borne the profile of the reigning monarch.

But if the Royal Mail is eventually sold to foreign owners, it's come to light that there's no law explicitly stating that the tradition must continue.

"There's nothing specifically to stop whoever runs the Royal Mail in future dropping the royal head," said Business Secretary Vince Cable (who arguably has more pressing business to deal with right now) though he also pointed out, "I think it is unlikely they would, because it is a very powerful brand."

But it has become a considerable cause for concern, seeing as the government is in talks with Buckingham Palace over the sticky matter. The postal services bill, as it is known, does give the Queen a veto over any use of her image, but, curiously, doesn't insist that her head is shown.

Predictably, the opposition Labour party has entered into the controversy, with Cable's counterpart, Shadow Business Secretary John Denham, accusing the coalition of leaving a "glaring loophole." Denham remarked, "The fact that they haven't bothered to protect the monarch's head on our stamps just shows how desperate they are to sell Royal Mail off as quickly and for as much cash as possible."

Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat minister in charge of postal services, chimed in that, in fact, the previous Labour government should be held accountable for the situation but doesn't think the nightmare scenario will play out: "Quite apart from the law, any company would be absolutely stark staring mad to remove it."

The Queen herself has, of course, kept mum on the subject, possibly preferring to concentrate instead on her grandson's Prince William impending nuptials next April. And therein lies an intriguing compromise: what better gift could there be for the happy couple than for the Queen to suggest that her head be replaced by that of Queen-in-Waiting, Kate Middleton? A literal Royal stamp of approval, if you will. (via the Guardian)

Source:: http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/12/21/off-with-her-head-the-queen-to-be-taken-off-british-stamps/#ixzz18yTp2QS3

Stanley Gibbons Clarify Their Stamp Catalogue Pricing Policy

Stanley Gibbons issued today the following interesting press release:

Firstly my comment on this press release - The clarification they are publishing surrounds the point that the Stanley Gibbons Catalogue is really price catalogue for buying stamps from them - company Stanley Gibbons, rather than a guide as to what a stamp is really worth on the open market. 

Also note that they admit that the running costs of their business is built in to the cost of the stamps they sell. Fair enough ... so use their price guides with caution as a reference tool to accurately identify your stamp and to get an "idea" of what a leading dealer such as Stanley Gibbons would sell the stamp for. 


You may want to consult with other dealer price lists to get a better picture of value and remember - dealers do mark up their stamps to make profits - they buy low and sell high.

If you have any thoughts I'd love to hear from you in the comment section below.

 

The Stanley Gibbons Guide to Stamp Pricing

 

Stanley Gibbons' Catalogue Editor and lifelong collector, Hugh Jefferies, offers a few tips.

PRLog (Press Release) – Dec 22, 2010 – It is a common fallacy that the prices in our catalogues show what a stamp is ‘worth’, should you wish to sell it.

They are, instead, the price at which Stanley Gibbons will sell a fine example of the stamp in question, but that price includes a lot of other factors, as well as the inherent ‘value’ of the stamp itself.

There are costs in running any business and these are built into the price of any stamp shown in the catalogue, although the proportion of the price that relates to the stamp and that which relates to ‘business overheads’ will vary from stamp to stamp.

What is true is that the prices shown in the catalogue represent an accurate ‘guide’ to the value of the stamps listed in it. Stanley Gibbons are now the only major philatelic publisher whose stamp catalogue is the firm’s price list. Naturally, if the prices are set too high, no one will buy our stamps, if they are too low, we will have difficulty replacing our stocks.

It is therefore vitally important to the future of the company that the prices in our catalogues are set as accurately as possible. As a result, a great deal of care is taken over those prices – which is why they are held in such authority by collectors, dealers and stamp auction houses throughout the world.

Each year, every price in our annual catalogues is checked and amended if necessary, having regard to the prices being achieved at auction as well as the demands of our customers at 399 Strand and orders coming in via the post, email and our website. Prices are held, increased or reduced according to those factors, giving a very accurate picture of the state of the market for each and every stamp.

Can stamps be purchased for less than the prices quoted in this catalogue?

Of course they can. Stanley Gibbons themselves will frequently have stamps in stock at prices lower than ‘full catalogue’. Every business offers discounts and makes ‘special offers’ from time to time and Stanley Gibbons is no different. That apart, however, it should always be remembered that the prices quoted in the catalogues are for stamps in fine condition.

Stamps with minor defects, heavy postmarks, slight fading and other flaws will frequently be offered at lower prices, both by Stanley Gibbons and by other dealers and auction houses.

It is very important that, when you are thinking of buying a stamp for your collection, you carefully consider the condition of the item in question. Does it match up to the Stanley Gibbons definition of ‘Fine’? If it doesn’t, is the price at which it is being offered too high? If you believe that the price is higher than it should be, leave it alone – or if you are really desperate, haggle for a better deal.

The knowledge as to what is ‘fine’ and therefore worthy of ‘full catalogue’ is one that you will gain with experience and will vary from stamp to stamp. Any stamp less than 100 years old should really be perfect in every way, but one can be more forgiving with older issues.

Briefly, here are a few of the things to consider.

Gum

For unused stamps issued after 1936 prices are for unmounted mint – stamps never previously hinged. Modern stamps with hinge marks should be substantially discounted. For earlier stamps, heavy mounts and multiple hinges will also detract from the value, while unused stamps with the gum removed are worth considerably less.

Margins
For imperforate stamps these should be clear on all sides – the design should not be cut into or even touching the edge of the stamp.

Perforations
Check that these are complete, that none are missing or short, especially at the stamp corners. Ideally the margin between the stamp design and the perforations should be even and well balanced – known as ‘well centred’.

Paper
Check that there are no tears or thins to the paper – on the front as well as the back – and that there are no bends or creases. Again, the greater the damage the further away from ‘full catalogue’ the stamp is worth.

Postmarks
These should be clear, clean and should not disfigure the stamp. The prices for all British stamps issued after 1880 assume used stamps to be cancelled with a clean, clear circular datestamp. Heavy parcel, wavy line or slogan cancellations reduce stamp values significantly. On the other hand, very lightly cancelled stamps should sometimes be viewed with suspicion. There needs to be enough of the postmark showing to prove that the stamp has really been used!

If the above notes seem complicated, don’t worry. You will soon become adept at viewing every stamp in the light of its condition and deciding what proportion of catalogue you are prepared to pay. If you are not certain, ask the dealer for a guarantee that he will refund your money if you’re not happy with your purchase. All good dealers will be happy to provide this.

So, buy carefully – but, above all, have fun!

For a more in-depth guide to condition and how Stanley Gibbons define, ‘fine’, visit http://www.stanleygibbons.com/corporate/corporate-news/t ...

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About Stanley Gibbons:

Founded in 1856, Stanley Gibbons is established as the most well-known, respected and trusted name in philately and collectibles. With over 3 million stamps in stock, the business has grown to become the largest name in stamp collecting serving both collectors and investors alike. Stanley Gibbons is also Europes largest dealer in autographed material, memorabilia and rare historical signatures through its division, Frasers Autographs.
www.stanleygibbons.com
www.frasersautographs.com

Please make a comment below :-) thanks!

Botswana Post exhibition depicts postal service history

This romantic letter to a loved one, is among the works on display and captures the Botswana Post stamps exhibition theme, which is: "Send it by letter".

The exhibition, which is organised by the National Museum, monuments and Art Gallery, is held at the Octagon Gallery and will be running until the end of February next year. The aim of the exhibition is to reflect on the evolution of the postal service in the country from postal trees, runner posts to the current mailing system. 

Botswana Post's head of communications, Lebogang Bok, revealed how people used to deliver mail on foot.
Bok said there are some designated trees around the country, which were used as post offices. One such tree is in Palapye while the other one is in Molepolole at the main Kgotla. Bok said they recently held the commemorations of the World Post Day at the Molepolole Kgotla because of the historical significance of that place to the Post Office.

been holding discussions with the National Museum to declare some of the trees as national heritage sites. Talking about the exhibition, Bok said you "cannot separate a postal stamp from a letter or a stamp from a post office".  She said this is why the exhibition is depicting the history of the post office.

Bok said every time, the National Museum considers some of the artefact that it has in store. She said this time they decided to stage an exhibition on stamps.  "We also wanted to showcase the postal artefacts."
Bok said by this exhibition, they also want to teach Batswana about philately, which is the art of collecting stamps.

They would also want to create awareness among the public about the usefulness of postage stamps.  According to Bok, postage stamps can be used to market the country as every stamp carries a lot of history. In her view, postage stamps can also be used to promote the tourism industry of a country.  "Some of the stamps depict our wildlife heritage."

Some of the items at the exhibition include old mail bags.  The mail bags became common during the era of the mail train.  The bags would be delivered by the train guard at their intended destnations.

Other artefacts on display are animal horns, drums and whistles.  These items illustrate how people used to communicate in villages before the postal service was introduced.  There is also a railway track, which signifies the mail train.  In relation to the train, there are fire extinguishers, which were used at railway stations as a safety measure in case of a fire broke out.

There is also the colourful bicycle, which was used by the postmaster as well as old typewriters and the telephone exchange. Old post boxes are also on the display. Post boxes were distributed all over the country.  The mail would be deposited into the boxes and postmen would be responsible for taking and collecting such mail to the sorting centre.

There are also scales that were used to weigh the scale.   Some of the stamps exhibited include the one showing the late Pope John Paul during his visit to Botswana in 1988. There is also another stamp, which was dedicated to Mpule Kwelagobe when she scooped the Miss Universe title in 1999. Some stamps depict cultural implements like the ox hide milk bag and wooden spoons. The Principal Curator at the National Museum, Winni Kgwatalala, said they have been holding exhibitions on different themes.  She said this is the first time that they have held a stamps exhibition.   Kgwatalala said when the capital city of Bechuanaland was in Lobatse, a philatelic museum was opened in that town.  It was later relocated to Gaborone. Kgwatalala said the Botswa Post provides them with an issue of any postal stamps that they produce.

She said the exhibition relates the history of the post office, revolving from the time when people used to deliver mail by running like in a relay race. One person would run from a specific point and pass on the letter to the next person until it reached the final destination. She said later on, mail was delivered by mail train. She said a stamp could be an ambassador.  "They can show history like the papal visit to the country. They also carry culture. The stamp is an ambassador. It is an informer.  When a letter is posted to the United Kingdom, people will be able to learn about Botswana from the stamp."

She said they also want to promote stamp collecting. She noted that stamps are collected for different reasons, some of which are commercial.  She cited that a stamp, which was bought for P5, could later be sold for P50, 000.  Kgwatalala said they still want to promote communicating by letter.

Source: http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=7438&dir=2010/December/Friday17

Famous Stamp Collectors - The rare stamp collections of Chess champion Anatoly Karpov

One of the greatest players ever, Karpov owns a hugely valuable collection led by Belgian stamps.

Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov was born on May 23, 1951 in the Urals region of the Soviet Union.

He excelled at chess from a young age, learning the game at four and becoming a Candidate Master by age 11.

Karpov didn't let chess interfere with school, earning a gold medal for academic excellence before studying maths and economics at university. But his teenage years were mostly spent studying at Mikhail Botvinnik's famous chess school despite World Champion Botvinnik's own assessment that, "The boy does not have a clue about chess, and there's no future at all for him in this profession."

Becoming the youngest Soviet National Master in history at 15 in 1966 Karpov finished first in his first international tournament in Třinec, and worked his way up the rankings until he was considered the best candidate to take on the World Champion, American Bobby Fischer.

Fischer, though considered one of the greatest players in history, was erratic and distrustful, especially in major matches against Soviet players. He defaulted following a dispute with governing body FIDE over the rules, handing his rival the victory.

The frustrated Karpov entered a phenomenal number of chess tournaments over the following decade in order to legitamise his status as Champion where he was a daunting force and for some time held the record for most consecutive tournament victories (nine).
He is considered one of the greatest players of all time. Indeed his only rival by many statistics is the player with whom he had a long-drawn, close-fought rivalry for the World Championship: Garry Kasparov.
Karpov has always been an avid collector, devoting the same relentless dedication to collectibles as he has to his chess. Like most of his classmates he collected pins and generated a collection featuring about 30,000 sport, Olympic and chess pins.

He also collects stamps however, and the first stamp in his collection was the USSR stamp celebrating 40 years of the Red Army in 1958. But it wasn't Soviet stamps which really grabbed Karpov's interest.

Instead Karpov's attention was drawn by colonies of the British Empire, and also stamps showing animals which could not be seen in Russia such as snakes, kangaroos or zebras. He has gone on to collect chess and Olympic Games stamps from the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece (1896).

Karpov also has a range of stamps from the USSR, France, Monaco, and the Netherlands, but his most valuable selection is from Belgium and the Belgian Congo, of which he has the largest existing collection. The earliest stamps (until around 1869) are notable for their attractive designs.


One of his Belgian stamps is one of just fourteen examples of the famous Termonde invert which shows one of the buildings upside down. It is thought to be worth around $100,000. By some estimations Karpov’s collections of stamps and other items are worth $15m. But he has not collected primarily as an investment.

Karpov has spent some of 2010 finishing off a book which will place all the collectibles in their historical context. The book was delayed when the original text was stolen, but the book is now substantially complete.
In his later years Karpov has had some involvement with politics including at one point being the President of the Soviet Peace Fund, and has an interest in international relations. Karpov has often said he sees stamps as a useful tool for connecting with other cultures, and a route into communicating with people all round the world.

Source:  http://www.paulfrasercollectibles.com/section.asp?catid=211&docid=5440&n=151210