Collecting : my collection 03b

In France, a similar project started.

In 1861 the first 'real' stamp catalogue appeared, as the "Catalogue des timbre-postes crées dans les divers états du monde".
It contained 1080 ! stamps and and 132 postal stationeries.
Alfred Potiquet, the author, had access to the stamp registration by Oscar Berger-Levrault, a bookshop owner in Strasbourg (France) who made the first stampcatalogue in the world. This book was not intended for public and Poitiquet added illustrations, and published the book.
However the book was far from complete.  Some stamps weren't know yet in 1861.
Among those 'missing' stamps, the blue and red Mauritius for example.

From then on, more countries started to publish their own 'world catalogues'.
As I can't mention them all, I want to add one special one, that appeared in 1862.
It was issued in Belgium by Jean-Baptiste Moes. Member of the city board of the city Elsene (near Brussels). As a 15 year old boy, he organised the first stamp sale.
As he was working as a dealer, he's known as the first stamp dealer in the world.
He published several manuscripts on stamp collecing and one of the first world catalogues :  "Manuel du Timbromane".
Among his customers, was Philippe de Ferrary, one of the world greatest collectors. He was impulsive in his buying and seemed to be indifferent to price, so dealers and counterfeiters took advantage of him. Exceptionally dangerous forgeries gained the nickname, "Ferrarities".

J-B Moens was also the first publisher of a book on forgeries. This book, "Manuel du Collectionneur de Timbres-Poste" was translated the same year into English by E. Doble.

Jean-Baptiste Moens

JB Moens on a Belgian stamp + label (1973)

Collecting : my collection 03a

Collecting should be fun, and the financial part should always come on the last place.
First you should enjoy obtaining your stamps/coins/notes/... without wondering if a set is complete or not. Quality of an item doen't matter at first, and damaged items can be replaced by better ones later on.

That's how collections start, that's how collectors start.

In fact if there weren't catalogues, people would be happier, as they would not know what they DONT HAVE and only what they HAVE.
But of course the purpose of a catalogue is not only to know how small your collection is, or how worthless the stamps you have in that collection.
No, a catalogue is a treasure, a 'Fundgrübe', a history book, a cook book, a manco list provider, ...
a holy book,... !

Having such a 'holy book' depends mainly on the place you were born.
And for most people it' s often the only 'holy book' they read.
Sad, because every catalogue has its own value, it's own truth and it's on (dis)advantages.
Those who have read all those books can decide what book is best according their needs.

So...
in this third part of 'my collection' I will try to tell you more about catalogues, their (dis)advantages, their use ...

But first things first ...
who started the fire ?

As we all should know, the first stamp was emitted in the United Kingdom, in 1840.
The 'black penny' was the first stamp that was put on a letter, to pay and prove it was paid, for sending letters.

And this is the country where I like to start.

John Gray was the first 'philatelist'. When the black penny was sold on May 6, 1840, he bought a couple of stamps to keep them. He collected stamps from all over the world and in 1861 he was the first to emit a kind of catalogue, named the Hand Catalogue of Postage Stamps.

John Edward Gray

In this first work, there were no pictures and the 'catalogue' wasn't ment to be used as a reference for individuals either.

first 'catalogue 1961'

There were 5 editions of this catalogue (second edition in the picture).
On auctions, a copy like this one for 1,000 USD is a bargain :-)

Odd Banknotes - 03 Philippines (supplement)

To complete the article on the 2000 peso banknote (see previous posts).
I want to show the special box that was made to hold the large note and the certificate.

cover of the box : Central bank of the Philippines

inside the cover : place for the certificate

inside the box : place for the banknote

Again a warm thank you to my pinoy friend Alex, who managed to send me the box without any damage.
Maraming salamat, po.

Odd stamps : 04d 3D stamps (static)

I wasn't sure if should post this article under 'static 3D' stamps, or make a complete new category.
In fact the stamp I'm prensenting you today, is not really 3D itself, it's a stereoscopic stamp that needs special tools, (glasses, container) to create the 3D effect.

Maybe some of us played as a kid with a 3D toy called a 'view master'.
It's a kind of binocular where a paper disc can be inserted.
Each image on the card, is printed twice and are shown simultanously when you see through the binocular.
Both images have small differences and as you 'see' only one image, the differences between both pictures create a 3D effect.

viewmaster with discs

viewmaster disc

same images

 This technique was used to create a 3D image of the Titanic stamp on a belgian sheet, issued in 2012.
At the 100th anniversary of the trip of the RMS Titanic.

The sheet can be bought separatly (2 stamps for non-standard mail to the world) @ 7,74 € face value! (prices 2012)
The stamps are 'forever' and facevalue will go up in the coming years.
The additional 3D glasses need to be bought separatly!

Full Titanic sheet

folder with glasses, stamps inside

To see the 3D effect, the stamps have to be taken out of the sheetlet and inserted to the holder.

This effect is created because the 2 stamps are slightly different from eachother...

In blue, the border of the ship is nearer to the the border of te stamp in the first stamp.
In red, the iceberg is smaler on the first stamp
In yellow, the mast goes between the I and E of "België" ; in the second stamp only behind the E
In purple, the smoke runs through the I and Q of "Belgique" ; in the second stamp, only through the Q
In green the last iceberg is smaller in the second stamp.

If you wish to see the 3D effect AND keep an intact sheet, you need to buy 2 sheets already.
And not to mention the 2 slightly different stamps on the sheet that are needed individually in preprinted stamp albums.

Total package : around 25 €

Expensive, yes, but yet, for those kinds of stamps, ... my heart will go on and on ...

Odd stamps : 06 e Stamps on cotton / silk

Thailand, once more.
I can't get enough of the beauty of Thai stamps.
This time, a special edition in the series of 'stamps on cotton'.
Altough, this is not really a stamp made out of, or printed on cotton.
It's thai silk!

The stamp came in a set of 4 and a sheetlet with one of the 4 stamps (25 baht) on.

Full sheetlet with one 25 baht stamp - sold for 60 baht

detail - silk oval with peacock in goldprint

In order to add more value to the stamp collection, postage stamp sheets have been made into two types. The first type features a peacock embroidered with brown silk thread on the golden silk material; the second type presents a peacock embossed on golden foil, on a white silk material. This is the first time that this innovation has been used in an issue of postage stamps. This stampset's issue date: 04.Aug.2010.

About 20,000 stamps had been produced, consuming nearly 5,500 meters of silk!

4 stamps thai silk, classic thai silk and royal thai silk

Odd Banknotes - 03 Philippines

In 2000, the Central bank of the Philippines printed a new set of 'millennium' notes.
These (unissued) notes are more commonly known at the BSP as "Erap" notes because the front features the inauguration of President Joseph "Erap" Estrada at Barasoain Church in Bulacan on 10 June 1998; and the scroll of the 1898 Malolos Constitution.
Printed in 2000, the notes were to circulate in 2001, but President Estrada was ousted from office that year.

As a result of that event, the planned notes were never brought into circulation.
A report from the BSP’s Banknotes and Securities Printing Department (BSPD) said that they have 770 boxes of 1000-piso, 8,312 boxes of 500-piso, 1,233 boxes of 200-piso and 2,957 boxes of 100-piso unissued banknotes.
Even more frightning is that there are also five million pieces of 2,000-piso “Erap” banknotes with a face value of P10 billion !
One option was to issue the 2,000-piso as legal tender circulation notes, the other option was to shred all 99 boxes containing 4.95 million pieces, but retain one box with 50,000 which would be demonetize for “historical, educational, numismatic and other purposes.


The BSP currently sells a larger version of this denomination as a centennial commemorative note (P189).

This note was issued only 300,000 times, together with a special collectors box and a certificate.
And of course, I had to get this note.
Thanks to my wonderful friend Alex in the Philippines, who managed to get one note for me, I can share it now to the world (well at least to those who follow my blog).

Maraming salamat, po, kaibigan Alex!

Certificate of the authenticy of the banknote

300,000 copies of a 216 x 133 mm ( = 287.28 cm²) note

Front of the centennial note : president Joseph Estrada with Filippino flag

centennial logo

Back of the centennial note

Design of the inauguration of J. Estrada

Real inauguration on June 10, 1998

Pres. J. Estrada, 13th president of the Philippines

Odd Banknotes - 02 Thailand

Thailand is a lovely country.
Not only for visiting and the delicious food, the amazing temples or the friendly population,
no, also for collecting it's one of my favourite countries.

Another, very odd banknote was issued on November 28, 2007
This note is, as my first article on 'odd notes' actually a 'double odd banknote', mabye even a 'triple odd bankote'...

First of all the size of the note is huge ! 229 mm x 147 mm (= 336.63 cm²)
Secondly, on the front of the note, 3 notes are printed, a 1 baht, a 5 baht and a 10 baht note.
So we get an uncut version of 3 banknotes on one page.
But finally, the back side of the 'note' is not the back side of the individual notes.
No, it's a new image, depicting the live of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, (Rama IX).

Front side of the 'triple' banknote - note in plastic cover

Front side of the note :

1-Baht banknote depicts the portrait of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the reigning monarch (Rama IX), the portrait of Their Majesties the King and the Queen granting an audience to various groups of people who paid tribute to His Majesty on the occasion of his coronation in 1950 at the Sutthaisawan Prasat Hall.

5-Baht banknote depicts the portrait of His Majesty in a royal procession by land, marking his 3rd Cycle Birthday Anniversary in 1963.

10-Baht banknote depicts the portrait of His Majesty granting an audience to various groups of people who paid tribute to His Majesty on the Auspicious Occasion of the 60th Anniversary Celebrations of His Majesty’s Accession to the Throne in 2006 at the Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall.


Back side of the note :

full back side of the commemorative note

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej

scenes from the King's life

This banknotes was issued in a special leaflet and issued on 15,000,000 copies.

Odd Banknotes - 01 Thailand

After some post on 'odd stamps' I realised that I also have 'odd banknotes'...
Of course there won't be banknotes on cloth, wood, or in 3D ... but still.
In the next posts on 'odd banknotes' I'll show you some of the oddest items in my collection.

How can a banknote be 'odd'.
There 's a chance the material isn't that common.
Normally paper is used, and some countries have polymere banknotes.
The first polymere banknote was 'odd' for sure, but nowadays, it has become rather 'normal'.

So another way to express oddness is in the size, the value, ...

I start with a 'double odd' note :

First of all this banknote is not rectangular but square.
It's a 159 x 159 mm note.  (= 252.81 cm²)
Secondly the banknote has an unusual face value of 60 baht.

60 baht - front side

On the front : The portait of King Rama IX in the uniform of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, wearing a ceremonial robe, the Pudtan Kanchanasinghas Ceremonial Thone.

detail of the front side of the banknote

60 baht is a rather unusual face value on a note

Back side of the note : Their Majesties the King and Queen, H.R.H Crown Princess Maha Vajiralongkorn, H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and H.R.H. Princess Chulabhorn surround by their subjects.

Back side of the 60 baht note.

This banknote was issued on December 8, 1987, at the occasion of the 60th birthday of the King.

I could not find out how many notes were issued.
The catalogue doesn't mention any amount and also that thai national bank doesn't say how many copies were printed.

In addition to the 60 baht face value, a 40 baht surcharge was charged for social works.
The note however is still sold in Thailand, but for a higher price then 100 baht.

Odd stamps : 06 d Stamps on cotton / silk

I knew about the following stamp already, but as usual the hardest thing about it, is to find it.
Especially since it's a 'stamp' from Micronesia.
That's a state not next to my door, and I guess to no ones door at all.

Micronesia is a relatively new country when it comes to stamps.
And they are doing anything to get into the attention of the collectors.

As for my theme collection on 'odd stamps' this big stamp (51 by 68 mm) is the highlight of this month for sure.

Micronesia : Year of the Dragon

The stamp is completely made out of embroidery and is 2 mm thick.
I doubt if this 'stamp' will ever appear on a letter, view the high face value of $ 8.
When you peel off the paper foil at the back, you'll notice that the stamp is auto adhesive

side view of the 'stamp' 2 mm thick

If this is not one of the weirdest stamps in my collection, for sure it's the softest stamp I have.

More to follow

Currency Today : Euro Common Design 01 d

The last set of TOR - coins only have few interesting marks, or even none at all.

Portugal and Spain

TOR Portugal 2007

Both countries have the logo of their national mint mark on the coin.
For Portugal it's :  INCM  "Imprensa Nacional – Casa de Moeda" (National Currency – Mint House) abbrev.

For Spain it's : "Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre (National Factory of Currency and Stamps)" logo
 

TOR Spain 2007

The last 3 coins don't have any mint mark at all


Austria, Ireland and Slovenia

TOR Austria 2007

TOR Ireland 2007

TOR Slovenia 2007