THE ATLANTIC: In the 1500s, Mail Disinfection Was Really, Really Weird

 The love child between a waffle iron and a medieval torture device, "rastels" were used to puncture letters before they were fumigated. (Wellcome Collection)

As a young boy, Denis Vandervelde realized he faced two major obstacles to achieving distinction in the study of stamps, called philately: he was penniless, and, worse, color-blind.

“A lot of the expertise in stamp collecting depends on shades and tiny variations in printings,” he told us. “So it was a daft hobby for me to have.”

Instead, Vandervelde began collecting postmarks and quickly found himself absorbed in an entirely different pursuit—a kind of postal treasure hunt, documenting the elaborate bureaucracy that has emerged to manage the movement of mail around the world.

His collection, assembled over nearly 50 years, boasts 3,000 items of disinfected mail: letters that have been punctured, perfumed, or otherwise purified to prevent the transmission of disease.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the practice reemerged: Authorities around the world marked letters as delayed in quarantine, envelopes were stamped with fumigation notices, and parcels from suspect countries were returned to sender.....

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/07/disinfected-mail-history-quarantine/619475/

National Industrial Recovery Act

On June 16, 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt signed legislation passing the National Industrial Recovery Act.

In the presidential election of 1932, Democratic nominee Franklin D. Roosevelt promised a “new deal” for the “forgotten man.” Reacting to the ineffectiveness of the Hoover administration in meeting people’s needs during the Great Depression, Americans overwhelmingly voted in favor of this promise.

One of Roosevelt’s first moves after taking office was convincing Congress to pass his National Recovery Act.

The act was a direct result of the general business decline during the Great Depression.

Roosevelt and his advisors blamed part of the cause of the Depression on unrestrained competition.

Leading businessmen and trade associations were called upon to draft the specifics of the plan, which focused on fair trade and labor practices. It was first introduced to the House on May 17.

After passing the House and Senate on June 10 and June 13, it was signed into law by President Roosevelt on June 16, 1933. https://www.facebook.com/themidnightsoaker/posts/3613624451993329

The National Industrial Recovery Act authorized Roosevelt to regulate industry in order to raise prices after severe deflation and stimulate the economy.

A second title in the National Recovery Act established the Public Works Administration, outlining the public works the bill would fund.

The act also created the National Recovery Administration (NRA) to enforce the new law.

To gain support for the NRA, Roosevelt requested the creation of a new stamp, which he emphasized must be “issued at once to be most effective.”

After Roosevelt suggested the stamp, it was produced and placed on sale in just 13 working days.

In 1935, the act was found to be unconstitutional by a unanimous Supreme Court decision.

NEW YORK TIMES: How To Collect Stamps

 “You need a theme,” says Warachal E. Faison, board president of the Ebony Society of Philatelic Events and Reflections, a group dedicated to the collection of stamps relating to the African diaspora.

It’s fine to start acquiring whatever stamps strike your fancy, but to be a serious philatelist requires a more focused approach and the research required to understand stamps in a historical context.

Faison’s themes include Black history, women and health care and science (she works as a senior medical director at Pfizer).

Among her collection’s highlights: an illustrated Swedish stamp of Toni Morrison, released after her 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature, and a sheet of 10-cent stamps featuring Booker T. Washington, the first African-American person put on a U.S. stamp, in 1940.

Faison’s older brother, Walter, who serves on the board with her, collects Martin Luther King Jr. stamps from around the world.....

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/08/magazine/how-to-collect-stamps.html 

Michigan’s 2020 duck stamp available now helps fund wetland, waterfowl conservation

The 2020 collector-edition of Michigan’s popular duck stamps and prints that help fun wetland and waterfowl habitat conservation are now available.

This year’s Michigan duck stamp features a flock of Canada geese flying into a decoy spread. The winning image was painted by Christopher Smith, of Suttons Bay, who is well-known in the waterfowl hunting and conservation community. The painting was the winner of this year’s contest to determine the state duck stamp.

The Michigan Duck Stamp Program, established in 1976, is “an icon for waterfowl hunters and wetland conservation enthusiast,” according to a news release from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “During the past 44 years, the program has gained popularity with collectors and conservation groups throughout the United States.”

Ten percent of stamp proceeds are used to match DNR funds dedicated to purchasing, restoring and enhancing wetlands. The remainder goes to toward Michigan Duck Hunters Assocation projects. MHDA is a nonprofit dedicated to waterfowl and wetland conservation. The organization coordinates the stamp program annually with the DNR. 

Purchasing the stamps is voluntary and does not replace the state waterfowl hunting license. Find the order form here. Mint stamps are $6 each. Mint stamp strips are $25. Mint stamp panes are $60. Signed and numbered prints are $145, or $45 for MDHA members.

MDHA will mail a free copy of the stamp to those who purchase a 2020 waterfowl hunting license, while supplies last. To receive the free stamp, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope with a copy of your Michigan waterfowl hunting license to: MDHA Waterfowl Stamp Program, P.O. Box 186, Kawkawlin, MI 48631.

This year’s winning artist is no stranger to the Michigan Duck Stamp Program. Smith’s art was featured on the 2018, 2016, 2014 and 2005 collector’s stamps. He took second place in the state’s 2013 contest.

In 2009 and 2014, Smith’s art took first place for the Michigan Ducks Unlimited Sponsor Artist of the Year. He tied for seventh in the 2016 Federal Duck Stamp Contest. He also painted the 2013 Print of the Year for the Ruffed Grouse Society.

Find waterfowl hunting and licensing information here.

Magellan's Landing - Philippines - USA Comonwealth

Upon the inauguration of the Commonwealth Government on November 15, 1935, all the stamps in Philippines were overprinted with the word “COMMONWEALTH”.

Multi-million debts seal rare stamp dealer's fate

Stanley Gibbons' Guernsey subsidiary goes into administration

INTERNATIONAL INVEST MENT: No stamp of approval for Stanley Gibbons’ failed Guernsey investment vehicle

An unspecified numbers of investors but described as “hundreds” face uncertainty on the news that the Guernsey-registered investment subsidiary of well-known philately company Stanley Gibbons has gone into administration, though the parent company is “ring-fenced” from the fallout.

The subsidiary was a investment scheme that lured investors to purchase “rare” postage stamps on the guarantee of a “buyback” that promised either 75% of the stamps’ presnt market value or 100% of the price that they had paid for them.

The scheme is said to have more than £70m in liabilities, though only £6.5m of that is owed to the parent company.

The subsidiary holds about £12.6m in “philatelic stock”, said the parent company in a statement issued today.

The subsidiary’s “potential liabilities”, said the company, primarily consist of around £54m contingent liabilities relating to the buy-back guarantees, and a further approximate £11 million of liabilities included on its balance sheet.

The £6.5m owed to the parent company would, it said, “rank alongside other
unsecured creditors, mainly consisting of bank debt and payments due to holders of
investment products”.

The AIM-listed investment scheme ceased accepting new clients last year amid concerns over the exposure contained in the 75% buy-back scheme.

One scheme required a minimum deposit of £10,000 for a period of between five and seven years, which would buy between five and seven stamps.

PwC, which has been appointed administrator, said that the first task was to reconcile the stock against the investment portfolios but said that there was “no reason” to expect any discrepancies.

The ‘main story’ is one of reducing liabilities

A source close to the company, speaking to International Investment on condition of anonymity, said that the “main story here” was one of reducing the parent company’s exposure to liabilities as a result of the buy-back guarantee.

It was “no secret”, they said, that the parent company had had a few “tough years’ trading” and developments should be seen in that light.

“At the end of the day,” they pointed out, “this is not a Ponzi scheme, or even an investment fund where the money has disappeared, leaving investors high and dry.

“Anyone who invested in the scheme will still be holding their stock, and actually, over the past few years, if anything the value of rare stamps has gone up, not down, so there is every chance of a good outcome.

“This was marketed as a long-term hold and nothing has happened that will change that.”

When pressed, they accepted that problems would arise for investors that wished to cash in, not least because the sudden appearance of a large number of rare stamps at auction “could, not will” have some downward influence on their value, “though that was a hypothetical scenario.”

Parent company ‘bullish’ about its future

The parent company, which has existed since 1856,  was bullish about its long-term prospects, though it accepted that this was a trying period for it.

While current trading remained “subdued”, it said, it was in default under its banking facilities. However, it said that it was “in constructive dialogue with the bank in relation to its ongoing financing”.

It announced that it had appointed Guy Croton as managing director of philately.

“Guy is well respected,” said the company, “following a 22-year career in the industry, the last 15 years at Spink, latterly as head of the philatelic division.

Source: http://www.internationalinvestment.net/products/investments/no-stamp-approval-stanley-gibbons-failed-guernsey-investment-vehicle/

ZIP Code

The Zip( Zone Improvement Plan) Code Pan was first introduced in the late 1960s, this five-digit number facilitates the sorting of mail.

The first three digits identify a major city post office, and the fourth and fifth digits identify the delivery area of a post office branch.

Philatelic time machine takes you back through 2 centuries

History, nostalgia and man's eternal quest for seizing the moment came together at Karphilex 2017, the three-day philately exhibition that began on Friday, after a gap of about 10 years.

Walking amid rows of steel frames displaying philately materials was nothing less than living an encyclopedia as the stamps and other materials displayed took one on a memorable journey.

Stamps and postal covers stretching across two centuries, covering India's colonial history together with rich culture, welcomed visitors at Sri Raja Rajeshwari Hall on Dr Rajkumar Road. There are also stalls where one can buy rare stamps, postal covers and other materials with many philately shops from across India offering their best collections. The largest collection of stamps focuses on Mahatma Gandhi.

Each stamp became a window to the world as the exhibitors offered to explain their historical circumstances and cultural heritage. Stamps commemorating the British history, freedom struggle, Ramayana, Mahabharata, modern India, cricket as well as progress in science are lined up for visitors.

“Since its inception in 1975, the Karnataka Philatelic Society has been promoting philately as a hobby. Provided India’s rich background, even foreign postal agencies are commemorating Indian Philatelic Society. We need to understand that each stamp has a story behind it,” said K Chaitanya Dev, president of Karnataka Philatelic Society (KPS).

Chief Post Master General, Karnataka, Charles Lobo inaugurated the exhibition as scores of philately enthusiasts waited for the moment on Friday. The first day celebrated ‘Kannada Heritage’ with wildlife conservation and stamp mela, respectively, in the following days....

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/622741/philatelic-time-machine-takes-you.html

Embrace the dark side: New USPS Forever stamps feature classic Disney villains

Disney fanatics, stamp collectors – or even stamp-collecting Disney fans – are all in for a treat starting Saturday.

The U.S. Postal Service will release a sheet of 20 Forever stamps dedicated to 10 classic Disney villains, according to a press release.

With classic bad guys and girls like Scar from “The Lion King” and Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty,” the collection includes two stamps of each character.

http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/article161521523.html

Dragonflies honored on new set of stamps

NATURE’S own magnificent flying machine, the dragonfly, is being honoured on the next release of Australia Post stamps.

There are five new stamps priced at $1 each featuring the arrowhead rockmaster, the Australian tiger, the beautiful petaltail, the jewel flutterer — like the one being shown by Sharla, 5 — and the scarlet percher.

Australia Post philatelic manager Michael Zsolt said the dragonfly stamps were the most important of the year, having been chosen to feature during Stamp Collecting Month.

“We’ve chosen to showcase dragonflies because they are incredibly eye-catching and important creatures to our ecosystem — but they’re not something a lot of people know about,” Mr Zsolt said....

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/melbourne/dragonflies-honoured-on-new-set-of-stamps/news-story/f3ef4a08ec7d158447a4b2867160a97b