Author: lasoksmith

The Times of Rowland Hill 1795-1820

THE PHILATELIC REGISTER is owned, published and edited by Ian Lasok-Smith

Contact Address: 6 Hough Green, Chester, CH4 8JG.  Email: [email protected]

ThePhilatelicRegister.com has replaced the montly issue of The Philatelic Register. The change in format has been dictated by the need to have a format that is more sustainable with regards the time required to keep it updated. As was The Philatelic Register, this evolving resource is FREE, users just need to register (only name and email address required) on the site to gain full access to article content.  All articles may be downloaded and printed or saved to PC. The site has been constructed on a WordPress platform and as such  has afforded much more versatility and new opportunites compared with original format.

I hope that as it evolves this new format will make it easier to fulfill the “Mission Statement” that encompasses the inspiration behind the original idea.

REGISTRATION:  The registration process on this site has default email verification, this cannot be bypassed.  Please check your spam folder if not received. If not in spam folder please advise me on  [email protected] using the email address you used at registration. I will then manually validate your account ASAP.  Please allow at least 48 hours for manual registration before contacting again.

(you may see reference to your profile at times when logging in or out. This has no effective relevance as the only details that those registering are able to enter are their name and email address. I have intentionally kept personal details to the practical minimum)

LOGIN:  This website has a default plugin to prevent malware or Distributed Denial of Service attacks. This security measure cannot be removed or deactivated. If subscribers make too many logins in a short period of time they may receive an “Access Denied” message. To try and mitigate subscribers inadvertently falling victim of this, I have set the inactivity logout at 60 minutes. Therefore if you need to leave the site for a short period of time you should likely not need to login again on your return.

If it so happens that you do receive an “Access Denied” message you will need to wait 30 minutes or so before attempting to log in again.

If you receive such a message on your first attempted login during a session it is likely to reflect the number of others logging in around the same time.

There will be an option to post comments on selected postings. It is hoped that by requiring registration it will discourage the leaving of inappropriate comments and mitigate the need for moderation of posts prior to publication. This would delay the publication and potentially devalue the facility if a posting would benefit from an early response (at times the facility to moderate comments may be activated if it is likely I will not be able to monitor for a while). As administrator I reserve the right to remove any post without need to give reason. Those deemed to be “abusing” the facility will have their registration revoked.

The most important purpose of the site is to provide a varied and expanding repository of knowledge and in doing so also try to recognise and preserve the work of many dedicated philatelists over the years. There will be regular postings but not at any specified times. The most recent postings appearing in “Latest Postings” in the sidebar.

The content of the site will be fully searchable using the search engine on the site.

Ian Lasok-Smith.  Owner, Publisher and Editor “The Philatelic Register”

Philatelic Traders Society (Gold Membership)

Collecting Village Postmarks

The collecting of postage stamps in isolation can rarely provide the full social context behind the reason for their use in any particular circumstance. It is useful and frequently rewarding for a collector of what ever area or region, who may count themselves a philatelist, to develop some of the instinct of the postal historian. To this end, the study of postmarks provides perhaps an entry level in to the wider field of postal history. In a short but eloquent article brimming with enthusiasm published in Stamp Collecting Weekly September 4th 1980, D. R. Atkinson extolls the virtues of postmark collecting and provides step by step guidance on how to seek out and organise a collection relating to village postmarks. Advice that can be applied to probably many other areas of postmark study.

The article can be downloaded from the link below.

Collecting Village Postmarks

Rainbow Creek and the Thomson Bridge

On the 14th December 1979 an issue of Local Stamps was put on sale in Rainbow Creek a then self procalimed indpendent state east of Melbourne. In an article published in Stamp Collecting Weekly 21st August 1980, L. N. Williams eloquently tells the story of how a government that had not only ignored the plight of local farmers for nearly 30 years but had sought to profit from their predicament, brought about secession of “Rainbow Creek” from the State of Victoria.

The article (note there is an errant “p” in the Thompson in article title) can be downloaded from the link below.

Rainbow Creek and the Thomson Bridge

New Zealand 1979 Provisionals.

Regardless of the fact that the New Zealand Post Office registered increased profits in its previous financial year, in 1979 a decision to raise postage rates was made by the Postmaster General. The change was to be implemented on the 1st of August.  This despite there being insufficient supplies of the relevant stamps to cater for the new rates. In a detailed article in Stamp Collecting Weekly 3rd July 1980, David Smitham documents the actions taken with respect to various items of postal stationery affected and to make good the deficiency of postage stamps of the appropriate value.

The article can be downloaded from the link below

New Zealand 1979 Provisionals

KLM North Sea Air Mail

During the early mid 20th Century with the advent of increased air travel numerous “Air Letter Services” were created. Many of these proved to be short lived.  One such was the KLM North Sea Air Mail that ran from  1934-38. In a short article in Stamp Collecting Weekly 29th May 1980, Richard Beith provides a concise account of the history of this service.

The article can be downloaded from the link below.

KLM North Sea Air Mail

The South Georgia Definitives 1963-1978

With numerous printings and several overprints, the simple but attractive designs of the South Georgia definitives designed by Michael Goaman and first issued in 1963 provide an attractive issue for study.

In an article published in the 27th March issue of Stamp Collecting Weekly in 1980, Malcolm Barton provides details of the various printings and information relating to quantities issued.

The article can be downloaded from the link below.

The South Georgia Definitives 1963-1978

Papua & New Guinea 1942-1973

Prior to 1942 Papua was a British Territory and New Guinea an Australian administered one. Both issued there own postage stamps and had their own postal systems. With the impending Japanese invasion there was a build up of Australian, New Zealand and United States military forces and consequently military control of all the postal services including civilian.

With transfer back to civilian administration after the war the two separate Territories became one “Papua and New Guinea”. In an article published in Stamp Collecting Weekly July 24th 1975, J. A. Stephens describes the miltary period 1942-1945 and the transition back to civilian administration and the immediate post war developments 1945-1952

The article can be downloaded from link below

Papua & New Guinea 1942-52

In a separate article published in the July 31st Stamp Collecting Weekly in 1975, Michael J. Garwood describes the postage stamps, cancellations and postal stationery up to the time that self government came to the country of Papua New Guinea.

This article can be downloaded from the link below

Papua & New Guinea 1952-73

“N. W. “Pacific Islands” Overprints

Australian stamps overprinted “N. W. Pacific Islands” were used in New Guinea and Nauru. In Nauru they were succeeded by overprinted Great Britain Stamps in December 1916 but continued to be used in New Guinea until 1925.

There were numerous settings of the overprint and when combined with the many varieties to be found on the stamps they can be the source of in depth study.

W. G. Colbran in an article published in Stamp Collecting Weekly July 24th 1975 describes the various settings of the overprint and makes note of many of the more prominent items of interest to be found.

The article can be downloaded from the link below

“N. W. Pacific Islands”

New Zealand: The King George VI Head Types.

Between the June 5th and July 31st issues of Stamp Collecting Weekly 1975, a comprehensive article by  A. B. Johnstone, concerning the George VI definitive issue that commenced in 1938 was serialised. In this article the author discusses printers, papers, watermarks, perforations, plate flaws, imprints, eratic issue dates and more.

The complete series of articles that can be downloaded from link below demonstrate the opportunities that the issue provides for studybe it of one or all of the values.

New Zealand: George VI Head Types

Aspects of Colonial Pricing: Edward VII

In a series of articles published in Stamp Collecting Weekly in February and March 1975, Geoffrey Toy provided a personal commentary on aspects of British Colonial Postage Stamp Collecting. He emphasised that his comments as well as being personal were written from the viewpoint of a collector and not from that of investment or speculation. That said, he also indicates that he was aiming to restore an element  “of philatelic balance” by concentrating on the pricing of less popular issues.  Perhaps also trying to redress the focus there was in the philatelic press at the time on the investment potential of QEII Great Britain stamps.

The first of his articles focused on the reign of Edward VII and can be down loaded from link below.

Aspects of Colonial Pricing: Edward VII