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Postage stamps and philately of Australia
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Australia 2004 Red Lacewing stamp - new perforation variety surfaces
Now here's a modern Australian stamp I'm sure most of us worldwide stamp collectors have seen in tens, possibly hundreds or thousands of copies. Since catalogs say this stamp has no varieties besides the so called 'Koala and Kangaroo reprints' (a marginal emblem on to the stamp sheets edge to identify originating reprinting of a current stamp. The first print has no marking, the second has one koala emblem, the third two koalas and so on. The sixth printing is marked by a kangaroo, the seventh by a kangaroo and a koala, the eight a Kangaroo and two koalas etc.), I'm pretty sure most collectors have done the same as me: by-passed the stamps without further study. For reason or another this scrubby specimen of 5 cent 'Red Lacewing' below caught my interest, and lo & behold, it turns out to be a previously unknown perforation variety for this particular stamp.
...(774 words,2 images, 0 comments)
A classic forgery of Van Diemens Land Chalon postage stamp
One of the most famous classic stamp designs are so called Chalon Head (aka just 'Chalon') issued in various British colonies from 1850s to early 1880s. The name of these stamps comes from the use portrait of young Queen Victoria, which is based upon a painting by Alfred Chalon. I admit that for me the Chalon stamps are largely unknown territory. I discovered my first Chalon Head only after twenty years of collecting, and even today my world collection has no no more more than maybe dozen different items. So I really don't have much first hand experience on these stamps. But even that little bit was enough to alert my senses that the below newcomer from Van Diemens Land (better known as Tasmania) was a guaranteed fake. ...(455 words,3 images, 4 comments)
Australian Fine Art stamp series high values - color variation and specimen overprint
I assume most stamp collectors struggle with color variations. And I'm no exception. The other night I worked with some Australian stamps, and soon stumbled with minor color/hue changeling with one the Fine Art stamp series high values. How is a non-specialized stamp collector supposed to know what the stamp is supposed to really look like when you have several slightly different looking color variations side by side?
...(321 words,2 images, 22 comments)
British Wilding stamps with Christmas Island BFPO postmark
Here's a bit of an oddball item that I've had for few years now. This cutout features 2x9d+3d British Wilding definitive stamps with BFPO (British Forces Post Office) Christmas Island postmark.
...(180 words,1 images, 10 comments)
India 1924 Mount Everest Expedition label
Few weeks back I did something unordinary, and bought this fabulous item for 55 AUD (+ postage). Normally I don't spend this much on single item, but IMO this is truly attractive piece of philatelic history and worth it's price.
...(130 words,1 images, 8 comments)
Article categories
- Generally speaking about stamps, philately and collecting
- Learn the basics of stamp collecting - advice on how to get started
- How to preserve and build a stamp collection
- Philatelic knowledge base
- Stamp forgeries, philatelic fakes and other counterfeits
- Stamp collecting software (inventory programs and databases, online stamp catalogs etc)
- Straight talk about stamp values (both catalog and real world)
- Back of book stamps and other unusual stamp-like items
- EFO-stamps: errors, freaks and oddities on postage stamps
- Q & A - Ask anything about stamps and collecting
- Article index by country and topic
- SCB's Digital Perforation Gauge