X-Men (UK 2023)

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Royal Mail Reveals Images of Marvel’s X-Men Special Stamps
Stamp designs are exclusively illustrated by renowned British comic book artists, Mike Mckone and Lee Garbett

  • The X-Men franchise celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2023
  • The 17-stamp set celebrates some of the most iconic characters to have featured in the comic book franchise since 1963
  • MARVEL is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies with a catalogue of iconic Super Hero characters
  • The stamps are available to pre-order at www.royalmail.com/xmen and by phone on 03457 641 641
  • All 17 stamps in a Presentation Pack go on general sale from 16 February and are priced at £16.35

Royal Mail is marking the 60th anniversary of X-Men, with a new set of 17 Special Stamps.The stamps celebrate some of the most iconic characters to have featured in the comic book franchise since 1963.

The 12 stamps in the main set are original illustrations and were created exclusively for Royal Mail by renowned British comic book artist Mike McKone. They feature: Professor X; Kitty Pryde; Angel; Colossus; Jubilee; Cyclops; Wolverine; Jean Grey; Iceman, Storm; Beast; and Rogue.

An additional set of five stamps is included in a miniature sheet. These images were exclusively illustrated for Royal Mail by Eisner-Award-nominated artist, Lee Garbett. The miniature sheet stamps feature some of the mutant enemies faced by the X-Men: Juggernaut; Mystique; Magneto; Emma Frost; and Sabretooth.David Gold, Director of External Affairs & Policy, Royal Mail, said: “Generations have grown up, enamoured by the adventures and the personalities of the X-Men and their enemies. We celebrate the X-Men Universe with these stylish new stamps featuring some of its iconic characters.”

The stamps are available now at www.royalmail.com/xmen and by phone on 03457 641 641. A Presentation Pack including all 17 stamps in the set is available on general sale from 16 February and priced at £16.35.

Where it all began:
The X-Men were founded by mutant telepath Professor Charles Xavier. His first team consisted of Cyclops (Scott Summers), Marvel Girl (Jean Grey), Angel (Warren Worthington III), Beast (Hank McCoy) and Iceman (Bobby Drake) and was based in Xavier’s home, which was transformed into the School for Gifted Youngsters and dubbed the X-Mansion. After many of the original X-Men were captured by the mutant island of Krakoa, Professor X formed a new squad to rescue them, bringing heroes such as Wolverine and Storm into a new international team. Xavier’s school soon became a refuge for mutants from all over the world, forming and inspiring teams such as the New Mutants, Excalibur and Generation X. Now the X-Men live in a new home — a reborn Krakoa — that welcomes all mutants. Cyclops and his allies still fight the good fight as the world’s premier mutant heroes the X-Men, keeping Xavier’s dream alive.

Stamp-by-stamp:
Professor X: One of the world’s most powerful telepaths, Charles Xavier lost the use of his legs while fighting a super villain named Lucifer. Charles, aka Professor X, formed the X-Men to train young mutants and show the world that they could also be heroes.

Kitty Pryde: For many years, Kate ‘Kitty’ Pryde was the X-Men’s youngest member, joining when she was a teenager. Her mutant ability allows her to phase through objects. She was taught martial arts by Wolverine’s teacher Ogun and by Wolverine himself, and she adopted an alien dragon named Lockheed.

Angel: Sprouting wings while at college, Warren Worthington III fought crime as Avenging Angel before Professor X recruited him for the X-Men. He once lost his wings and was transformed by Apocalypse into a more fearsome entity but eventually regained his angelic appearance.

Colossus: Hailing from Siberia, Piotr Rasputin has the mutant ability to transform his skin into an organic steel-like substance. His mutation also gives him exceptional strength and power. A gentle soul, Piotr has developed a close friendship with fellow mutant Nightcrawler.

Jubilee: An expert gymnast, Jubilee was the daughter of Hong Kong immigrants to the USA and raised in Beverly Hills. She joined the X-Men shortly after her parents’ death, when her mutant ability to create explosive balls of light kicked in.

Cyclops: When he was a teenager, Scott Summers’s deadly optic-blasts threatened those around him. Once Professor X invited him to join the X-Men, he learned to control his powers with the use of a ruby quartz visor. Codenamed Cyclops, he was the X-Men’s first team leader.

Wolverine: Wolverine’s mutation gives him an amazingly quick healing ability and wild, feral traits. Born James Howlett, he later took the name Logan. His virtually indestructible adamantium metal skeleton and claws — coupled with a warrior-like fury and exceptional martial arts skills — make him one of the world’s deadliest mutant heroes.

Jean Grey: Jean Grey was one of Professor Xavier’s first students, and she learned to control her exceptional telepathic and telekinetic powers under his guidance. She was once also Phoenix, a powerful and fearful cosmic entity. She now leads a team of X-Men with Cyclops.

Iceman: Bobby Drake was the youngest of the original X-Men. Able to freeze both himself and the world around him, he saw his abilities become increasingly powerful as he matured. Now he can not only create weapons made of ice but also transform his body into sentient ice.

Storm: Ororo Munroe’s parents were killed in an explosion. The orphaned child survived as a thief on the streets of Cairo until her mutant ability to control the weather made some believe that she was a goddess. Soon after joining the X-Men, she became one of the key members.

Beast: Gifted scientist Hank McCoy was one of the X-Men’s founding members. He gained a more beastlike form while trying to rid himself of his mutation. He has since come to terms with his appearance and revels in the extra strength and agility it gives him.

Rogue: As a teenager, Anna Marie discovered that she had the mutant power to absorb other people’s memories and abilities — including any superpowers they possessed. After starting out as a villain alongside Mystique, she turned to the X-Men for help, becoming one of their greatest heroes.

[end of press release]

The 37 X-Men items available from Royal Mail include:

  • X-Men Silver Plated Ingot – Professor X [shown right], £24.99. Limited to only 5,000
  • “Fan sheets” for Jean Grey [shown above] and Wolverine (but not others?), each £7.00. These are also limited to just 5,000 (each)
  • X-Men Silver Plated Medal Cover — Professor X, £19.99, and also one for Magneto. These, too, are limited to — you guessed it — 5,000.
  • First day covers of all 16 stamps, with Muir of Ord or Tallents House postmarks, each £12.40
  • Prestige sheet FDC with either postmark, each £4.70

as well as postcards, cacheted envelopes at £0.30 each, press sheets, and full- and half-sheets of the 1st Class or 2nd Class stamps.
VSC editor’s notes:

  • There is no attempt in the press release to link the X-Men or their creation with the United Kingdom; that is, no justification for these stamps other than “it’s an anniversary and we want to issue these.”
  • The highest-priced item is the press sheet at £67.80. Some previous UK pop-culture issues have had products at much, much higher prices.
  • The FDC for the Prestige Booklet stamps [below] is the only illustration on the Royal Mail site of the prestige stamps.
  • Royal Mail warns that its “international export services continue to be disrupted following a cyber incident. There is currently a limited service.”

Hotchner: To Err Is Divine Philately

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[Note: Click on any image for a larger version.]

The Basics of Mistakes In Stamps
By John M. Hotchner

The theme for this column might well be Murphy’s Law: “Whatever Can Go Wrong Will.” Then there is Murphy’s Corollary that says: “Murphy was an optimist.”

Errors, Freaks and Oddities — EFOs for short — are the production varieties that are the natural result of every printing operation, be it of stamps, currency, newspapers, lottery tickets, or stock certificates.

Presses and printing jobs have to be tested. The elements of printing and finishing into post office products have to be synchronized. Presses have to be turned on and turned off — sometimes automatically in the midst of a job when problems arise. Plates have to be inked, wiped, and cleaned. Paper has to be spliced. Ink lots have to be mixed and matched. And in all these processes and many others, things can go wrong.

When they do, then other processes kick in to make sure that imperfect or incomplete product is identified, rejected, accounted for and destroyed. But even here, things can go wrong. And the more automated the system — the more bells and whistles it has — just like your new car with all its fancy computerized features, the more likely that something will go wrong.

This has been especially true for American stamp printers when new presses and processes are being run in.

Is it any wonder that there are production varieties for us to collect!? The wonder is that there is not more of it.

If you have had the chance to stand and watch the presses in operation as I have, you will be familiar with the bins of waste that is generated in the printing process. The trick for security printers is to identify it all and dispose of it before it reaches the public. Given the billions of stamps produced in very short time spans, they actually do a remarkable job of limiting EFO material that reaches our collections. This is one of the reasons we covet EFOs. Most are anything but common.

What are EFOs? Let’s do a bit of defining, before we go any further. EFO collectors like to categorize the objects of our affection, and it can be important to do so, as definitions lead to collecting categories, and have an impact on value.

Errors and Freaks are by definition “mistakes” or “varieties,” but not all are created equal. Most “ERRORS” (as a term of art) have higher value than most “FREAKS.” ERRORS are major, exactly repeatable, and total. See Figure 1 on the right for the horizontally-imperforate Sc. 538c. This would include imperforate stamps, missing colors, inverts, full pairs with gutter between, incorrect colors, wrong watermarks or watermarks where there should not be any. You will recognize these as being the kinds of varieties that are listed in catalogues.

“FREAKS” on the other hand tend to be more minor: misperfs [incorrect perforations], disappearing or color misregistrations, paper creases and folds that vary by degree, miscuts, and dozens of other problem children that can be created in a complex, high speed printing operation. See Figure 2 on the left for a Sc. 1369 misperf with the top row of perforations set too high. These will not be listed in the catalogues. But sometimes they will be found in combination with Errors – a transition strip for instance where the press is running out of ink, or the perforator is disengaged in the midst of a run.

“ODDITIES” as a class are the strange and unusual, but usually track to normal production of flawed or odd material. Examples would be plate varieties, proofs and essays, intentionally created errors, counterfeits, and other categories. A postally-used copy of the never-issued H stamp is shown in Figure 3 on the right.

If you would like to see a much more comprehensive listing of what varieties fit under the E, F and O categories, I would refer you to the excellent website of the Errors, Freaks, and Oddities Collectors Club, www.efocc.org.

One word of caution before we go further. We must acknowledge that “One man’s eagle is another man’s turkey.” Take misperfs as an example. One collector may get truly excited to find a 10% misperf on a given stamp. Another collector looks at the same specimen and sees only a damaged or poorly perforated stamp, unworthy of his collection. So, onward …

Most collectors of EFOs don’t think of themselves as EFO collectors. Rather they add interesting material to their normal collection when they see it. Except for something with a major catalog number such as the 5c carmine error of the 1917 Washington Head series (Scott #505, shown on the left) they don’t actively seek out an EFO unless there is an album place for it.

But there is a dedicated group of EFO collectors who find the subject fascinating as exemplars of what can go wrong in the printing and finishing processes. Some of us collect everything we can lay our hands on. Others will specialize in a specific category, for example: material having to do with perforations and roulettes, material reflecting problems in color and ink, or paper problems centering on folds and creases. Some limit their collections to catalog-listed errors. Others (myself included) find the most minor of freaks interesting for what they tell us about production methods.

A core group of us formed the EFO Collectors Club in 1978, and it remains a source of information and material through its quarterly journal The EFO Collector, and auction. I’d especially like to mention Wayne Youngblood, our president, Cemil Betanov, our journal editor and vice president; David Hunt, our auction director and treasurer, and Scott Shaulis, our secretary.

The United States Stamp Society is also active in this field, and its monthly journal, The United States Specialist, often carries articles of interest to EFO collectors.

Where do you find EFOs? I like to think of the answer as being in two categories: Before and After philatelic discovery. Another way to look at this is Before or After premium value

The “CIA invert” (Sc. 1610c) is on display at the National Postal Museum.

is tacked on to the find.

In the “Before” category, I would include what you might find among the stamps you buy at a post office, either across the counter in the form of sheets, booklets, or sealed rolls, or from dispensing machines. It is always our hope that lightening will strike and a clerk will hand us a sheet of missing colors.

It has happened. But usually because the clerk has no idea there is anything wrong. Most USPS staff are not stamp collectors, but if they notice something amiss, standing orders are to turn it in. I once stood behind a gentleman who was irate in handing over a roll of coils saying to the clerk “These are no good. The holes are gone so I can’t get them apart. Give me some good ones!”

Another “Before” category is, surprisingly, in collections, dealer stocks, in trade and in mixtures. It is amazing how many hands an EFO item might go through before its intrinsic “specialness” is recognized by someone who knows what he or she is looking at.

After philatelic discovery is when you find EFOs properly identified for sale by dealers, in auctions, or by collectors.

For those with an eye for modern-era US EFO material, you might wonder why you seem to see so much of it. As noted earlier, there isn’t all that much, but it tends to be found in large multiples (a sheet, a coil roll, a series of booklets coming from a dispenser), and the only way large multiples can be sold is through the very few dealers who specialize in EFOs and have built a client base of collectors who will buy them.

Misaligned Sc. 1895

Finders are referred and referred until they reach one of those dealers who as a result are able to advertise significant quantities in their auctions and price lists. For 40 years, Jacques Schiff was the leading dealer/auctioneer in this field. And in that time he sold and resold many of the same lots as collectors entered and left the market.

The best reference for scarcity is the Scott Catalogue of Errors on US Postage Stamps, originated by the late Stephen Datz. Not only does it list and price US Errors, but it gives specific figures for numbers of known copies.

How are values set? Values develop from a combination of four factors:

  1. How near to discovery the sale takes place, and how many more are subsequently discovered. Obviously the price will drop, the more are discovered. But the seller who sells early is taking a chance because no more may be discovered, and the initial selling price may prove to have been extremely conservative.
  2. Supply and Demand. While this is in some respects obvious, a dealer buyer has to gauge how many ready potential customers there are so the initial investment can be returned, leaving additional copies to be sold over time, at a profit. In general, a dealer will offer for a sheet or roll in the neighborhood of about one-fourth to one-third of what he calculates the retail will be.
  3. How visual is the item. Missing tagging is a blue-blooded error, catalogue listed, but there are a limited number of collectors who seriously collect what they can’t easily see. Such errors can be easily outstripped in price by a colorful freak, a visually attractive freak with perforations going every which way, or one with colors disappearing.
  4. EFOs that have acquired a pedigree, even though they may not be rare. Our inverted Jenny (Sc. C3a) is a fine example. The CIA “Candleholder” Invert is another. There are near 100 copies of each. But the lore surrounding these stamps makes them a magnet for a much wider cohort than just EFO enthusiasts.

Finally, a word of caution: Where there is value, there are fakes, and even genuine stamps offered as something they are not. Your best defense is to find and use a good expertizing service that can verify claimed EFO material before you write checks. Maybe even better is self-education, which includes

  1. Read widely in the field. There are several excellent books, starting with Fundamentals of Philately by L.N and M. Williams. I can provide a list of useful books for anyone interested. But also keep up with the news of the field in the EFO Collector and The United States Specialist.
  2. Read the philatelic press, other specialist society literature, and auction catalogues, and maintain a clipping file.
  3. Learn through experience to distinguish what you can validate on sight and what needs to have a certificate of authenticity.

In summary, EFO collecting is not just fascinating, it is CHALLENGING, and gives you a window on stamp production – and the stamps themselves are fun to show off to other collectors. In fact, unlike most of your normal collections, EFOs can even fascinate friends and family!

Should you wish to comment on this editorial, or have questions or ideas you would like to have explored in a future column, please write to John Hotchner, VSC Contributor, P.O. Box 1125, Falls Church, VA 22041-0125, or email, putting “VSC” in the subject line.

Or comment right here.

Eid (Canada 2023)

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From Canada Post’s Details magazine:

Crafted nearly 700 years ago in medieval Iran, the elegant, hand-painted ceramic bowl on this year’s Eid stamp became part of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) collection in 1909. Made during Ramadan – one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar – it would likely have served many owners over the centuries as a vessel for foods eaten to break the fast each night.

The bowl has a special connection to the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which celebrates the end of Ramadan. Made of stonepaste – a hard material invented by Middle Eastern potters from a mixture of ground quartz, glass and clay – it is inscribed with a dated poem written for its owner.

“There’s a deep sense of humanity in this bowl that still rings true, especially with all the turmoil in the world today,” says Dr. Fahmida Suleman, Islamic World curator at the ROM. “The poem urges us to take a moment to forget our sorrows and be grateful for what we have – and wishes us protection and a bit of luck. Blues are auspicious in Islam, so even the colours the artist chose were meant to uplift the soul.”

Ranunculus (Canada 2023)

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Canada Post’s day-of-issue (March 1) announcement
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Annual Flower Stamp Issue Highlights Double-Flowered Ranunculus

OTTAWA – Canada Post’s latest stamp issue welcomes spring with the lavish, rose-like blossoms of the ranunculus. The stunning plant is a favourite of florists and gardeners and a popular choice for wedding bouquets, centrepieces and containers.

[Shown on the right: The booklet pane of 10 which includes small stickers.]

Ranunculus asiaticus, the variety pictured on this year’s flower issue, is also known as Persian buttercup. Native to southwestern Asia, southern Europe and northern Africa, the plant may have arrived in northern Europe during the Crusades but was not widely cultivated until the 17th century.

While the wild ranunculus is usually yellow, cultivated blooms can be orange, red, violet or pink. This two-stamp issue depicts Ranunculus asiaticusas a single flower and a bouquet, in many shades of pink.

Designed by Stéphane Huot, with images by Veronique Meignaud, the stamps are available in booklets of 10 and coils of 50, as well as collectible coil strips of 4 and 10 stamps. The Official First Day Cover is cancelled in Goderich, Ontario, considered one of the prettiest towns in Canada.

[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Une émission de timbres consacrée aux fleurs met en vedette des renoncules doubles

OTTAWA – La plus récente émission de timbres de Postes Canada annonce le printemps avec de somptueuses renoncules. Ces magnifiques fleurs semblables à des roses figurent parmi les fleurs préférées chez les fleuristes et dans les jardins, et elles sont populaires dans les bouquets de mariage, les centres de table et en vase.

Le Ranunculus asiaticus, la variété présentée sur les vignettes de cette année, est aussi appelée la renoncule des fleuristes. Originaire du sud-ouest de l’Asie, du sud de l’Europe et du nord de l’Afrique, la plante serait arrivée dans le nord de l’Europe pendant les croisades, mais n’est cultivée à grande échelle que depuis le XVIIe siècle.

Bien que la renoncule sauvage soit habituellement jaune, la fleur cultivée peut être orange, rouge, violette ou rose. Cette émission de deux timbres présente le Ranunculus asiaticus seul et en bouquet, dans une variété de teintes de rose.

Conçues par Stéphane Huot et ornées d’images de Veronique Meignaud, les vignettes sont offertes en carnets de 10, en rouleaux de 50, ainsi qu’en bandes de collection de 4 et 10 timbres provenant de rouleaux. Le pli Premier Jour officiel est oblitéré à Goderich, en Ontario, qui est considérée comme l’une des plus jolies villes canadiennes. From Canada Post’s Details magazine:

Once again, Canada Post welcomes spring with its annual flower issue. The 2023 stamps feature the lavish, rose-like blossoms of Ranunculus asiaticus, one of the many varieties of ranunculus that are a favourite of florists and gardeners and a popular choice for wedding bouquets, centrepieces and containers.

Native to southwestern Asia, southern Europe and northern Africa, Ranunculus asiaticus is also known as Persian buttercup. The name Ranunculus comes from the Latin words for “little frog,” since many species grow near streams – although the variety shown on the stamps is more partial to sunny hillsides and pastures. While the wild Ranunculus is usually yellow, cultivated blooms can be orange, red, violet or various shades of pink.

Designed by Stéphane Huot, with images by Veronique Meignaud, the stamps are available in booklets of 10 and coils of 50, as well as collectible coil strips of 4 and 10 stamps. The Official First Day Cover is cancelled in Goderich, Ontario, considered one of the prettiest towns in Canada.

Chloe Cooley (Canada 2023)

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Hours after we posted Danforth’s story, Canada Post issued a press release confirming his story.]

By Danforth Guy

An enslaved woman who became a symbol of resistance to slavery and a catalyst to the abolition movement will be featured on Canada Post’s 2023 Black History stamp, to be issued January 30. Chloe Cooley’s violent protest to being sold by her Ontario owner to one in New York in 1793 led directly to a law restricting slavery in the province known as Upper Canada, at the time.

Cooley was forced into a boat in Queenston, Ontario, screaming and flailing. She was then bound and gagged, and could not escape her captors, who took her across the Niagara River to owners in New York.

The scene was witnessed on the Ontario shore by a free Black veteran of the American Revolution, Peter Martin, and by a white employee of Cooley’s Loyalist slave owner. They reported the disturbing scene to Lt.-Governor John Simcoe.

The law that resulted was a compromise, as many in the government were slave-owners, themselves. The 1793 Act did not free a single slave, but it did prohibit the importation of slaves, and freed the children of slaves at age 25. This eventually created a safe haven that made southern Ontario the ultimate destination on the Underground Railroad.

The first day issue location has not been announced, but it’s a good guess the postmark will read “Queenston, ON.” The self-adhesive stamp will be issued in a booklet of six at the first-class domestic rate (92¢), using the ‘P’ indicia.

Chloe Cooley was named a National Historic Person in 2022, and will eventually see a federal plaque in her honour. Meantime, the Ontario Heritage Trust erected this plaque [shown on the left; click to see a much larger version] in 2007 along the Niagara Parkway, near the site of her unwilling removal.

Note: There are no known pictures of Cooley.

[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Black History Month Stamp Honours Chloe Cooley
Although unable to escape her own bondage, Cooley’s resistance helped forge a path to freedom for enslaved people in Upper Canada

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ON, Jan. 29, 2023 /CNW/ – Today, Canada Post unveiled a new Black History Month stamp honouring Chloe Cooley, who had a profound impact on the history of enslavement in Canada. Her act of resistance on the evening of March 14, 1793, ushered in legislation that would lead to the gradual abolition of enslavement in Upper Canada and provide a refuge for freedom-seekers from abroad.

Cooley was a young, Black enslaved woman who lived in Queenston, Upper Canada, in the late 18th century. Although enslavement in Upper Canada was on the rise at the time, attitudes toward it were shifting and the abolitionist movement was gaining momentum.

Rumours were growing that enslavement could soon be banned. Fear of losing their investments prompted some enslavers to sell what was legally considered their property. Among them were Sergeant Adam Vrooman, who enslaved Chloe Cooley.

On that chilly March evening, Vrooman abducted Cooley. He violently bound her and, with the assistance of two other men, dragged her to the shores of the Niagara River. But Cooley was defiant. [The booklet pane is shown below.]

She had been known to bravely challenge her enslavement in the ways that she could, such as leaving Vrooman’s property without permission and refusing to do some tasks. So, when her enslaver abducted her, she fought back hard, screaming and yelling for help as she struggled to get free. Her protests were so loud that they drew the attention of those nearby.

Ultimately, however, Cooley was overpowered and taken across the river to New York State, where she was sold.

Although history doesn’t tell us what happened to Cooley after that night, witnesses recounted what they saw to Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe, an avowed abolitionist. He was able to use their testimony to introduce new legislation. [The Official First Day Cover is shown below.]

On July 9, 1793, what became known as the Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada was passed.

Cooley herself did not benefit from the legislation, but it opened a pathway to freedom for others, as it set the stage for the gradual ending of enslavement in Upper Canada. It also created a legal refuge for those fleeing enslavement in other countries – helping to pave the way for at least 30,000 freedom-seeking Black Americans to make the dangerous journey north to Canada over the decades to come.

In 1833, enslavement was officially abolished throughout the British Empire, and the last remaining enslaved persons in Upper Canadawould finally be freed.

About the stamp
The Chloe Cooley stamp was designed by Lime Design and features the illustrative work of Rick Jacobsen. With no photographs of Chloe Cooley in existence, the illustration was painstakingly created through extensive consultation with experts in local and regional history, Black history and period fashion, as well as through the use of archival maps, paintings, illustrations and other documents. Printed by Lowe-Martin, the issue includes a booklet of six PermanentTM domestic rate stamps and an Official First Day Cover. The cancel site is Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, which includes Queenston.

The stamp and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca and postal outlets across Canada.

[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Un Timbre Du Mois De L’histoire Des Noirs En Hommage À Chloe Cooley
Bien qu’incapable d’échapper à son esclavage, Chloe Cooley a contribué par sa résistance à la mise en liberté des personnes asservies dans le Haut-Canada.

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ON, le 29 janv. 2023 /CNW/ – Aujourd’hui, Postes Canada a dévoilé un nouveau timbre du Mois de l’histoire des Noirs en l’honneur de Chloe Cooley, qui a eu une grande incidence sur l’histoire de l’esclavage au Canada. Sa résistance le soir du 14 mars 1793 a contribué à l’adoption d’une loi qui allait mener à l’abolition graduelle de l’esclavage dans le Haut-Canada et offrir un refuge aux esclaves d’autres pays.

Chloe Cooley était une jeune femme noire asservie comme domestique à Queenston, dans le Haut-Canada, à la fin du XVIIIe siècle. Bien que l’esclavage dans le Haut-Canada gagnait en popularité à l’époque, l’attitude à l’égard de la pratique changeait et le mouvement abolitionniste prenait de l’ampleur.

Alors que commençaient à planer des rumeurs d’abolition, des maîtres craignaient de perdre ce qui était légalement considéré comme leur propriété. Le sergent Adam Vrooman, le maître de Chloe Cooley, était de ce nombre.

Un soir frisquet de mars, Adam Vrooman a enlevé la jeune femme, l’a violemment ligotée et, avec l’aide de deux hommes, l’a traînée sur les rives de la rivière Niagara. Mais Chloe Cooley s’est débattue.

Elle avait la réputation de lutter courageusement contre son esclavage de toutes les manières possibles, notamment en quittant la propriété d’Adam Vrooman sans permission et en refusant d’accomplir certaines tâches. Alors, quand son maître l’a enlevée, elle s’est débattue et a crié à l’aide pour tenter de se libérer. Ses protestations bruyantes ont été entendues dans les environs.

Malgré sa résistance, Chloe Cooley a été maîtrisée et transportée de force par bateau de l’autre côté de la rivière, dans l’État de New York, où elle a été vendue.

Bien qu’on ignore ce qui est arrivé à la jeune femme après cette soirée, des témoins ont raconté l’événement au lieutenant-gouverneur John Graves Simcoe, un fervent abolitionniste. Ce dernier s’est servi de ces témoignages pour déposer un projet de loi.

Le 9 juillet 1793, la mesure législative qui est devenue la loi visant à restreindre l’esclavage dans le Haut-Canada a été adoptée.

Si Chloe Cooley n’en a pas profité, la loi a ouvert la voie à la liberté pour d’autres en menant à l’abolition graduelle de l’esclavage dans le Haut-Canada. Elle a également créé un refuge légal pour les personnes qui fuyaient l’esclavage dans d’autres pays et a aidé au moins 30 000 Américains noirs en quête de liberté à faire le périlleux voyage vers le Canada au cours des décennies qui ont suivi.

En 1833, l’esclavage a été aboli officiellement à l’échelle de l’Empire britannique, et les derniers esclaves du Haut-Canada ont finalement été libérés.

À propos du timbre
Le timbre consacré à Chloe Cooley a été conçu par Lime Design et est orné d’une illustration de Rick Jacobsen. En l’absence de photos de la jeune femme, les images ont été créées avec soin à la suite de consultations approfondies avec des experts en histoire locale et régionale, en histoire des Noirs et en mode d’époque, ainsi qu’à l’aide de cartes historiques, de peintures, d’illustrations et d’autres documents d’archives. Imprimée par Lowe-Martin, l’émission comprend un carnet de six timbres PermanentsMC au tarif du régime intérieur et un pli Premier Jour officiel oblitéré à Niagara-on-the-Lake, en Ontario, où se trouve Queenston.

La vignette et les articles de collection sont en vente sur postescanada.ca et dans les comptoirs postaux partout au pays.

U.S. Museum Seeks Award Nominations

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
National Postal Museum Announces Nomination Process for Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award
Award To Recognize U.S. and International Philatelists

The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum has announced the opening of the nominating process for the 2023 Smithsonian Philatelic Achievement Award (SPAA). The Smithsonian award will recognize philatelists from the U.S. and international philatelic communities. The nomination process is open Jan. 19 through March 1. Award winners will be honored at a museum-hosted gala event in Washington, D.C., Nov. 4.

The SPAA was established in 2002 to honor and celebrate living individuals for outstanding lifetime achievement in the field of philately. This achievement may include original research that significantly advances the understanding of philately, exceptional service to the philatelic community or sustained promotion of philately to the benefit of current and future collectors.

The SPAA medallion is a 3-inch, gold-plated bronze disc depicting a sunburst with eight straight and eight wavy rays. Derived from the family coat of arms of James Smithson, founding benefactor of the Smithsonian, the sunburst became the Institution’s official seal June 3, 1966, and is incorporated into the official flag flown by Smithsonian facilities and Smithsonian-sponsored expeditions throughout the world. As such, it is a universally recognized symbol of enlightenment and learning that links the Smithsonian’s history with its future. The medallion is suspended from a grosgrain neck ribbon in Smithsonian blue and yellow.

Eligibility criteria and information about the entry and judging processes can be found on the museum’s website. Award winners will be approved by the Smithsonian Board of Regents, consisting of the chief justice of the United States, the vice president of the United States, three members of the United States Senate, three members of the United States House of Representatives and nine citizens.

About the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum
The National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of the nation’s mail service and showcasing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of stamps and philatelic material in the world. Through the preservation and interpretation of our postal and philatelic collections, the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum educates, challenges and inspires its audiences on the breadth of American experiences. It is located at 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., Washington, D.C., across from Union Station. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). For more information about the Smithsonian, call (202) 633-1000 or visit the museum website at www.postalmuseum.si.edu.

Chicago Suburb Chosen for Big Show In 2025

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The American Philatelic Society Board of Directors has chosen Schaumburg, Illinois, as the site for Great American Stamp Show 2025. The dates are August 14-17, 2025. It is about 30 miles from the Chicago Loop but, more importantly, adjacent to O’Hare Airport.

The other city under consideration was Las Vegas.

The show hotel for the show will be the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, a Marriott property directly connected to the convention center.

There will be no GASS in 2026: The APS Board approved skipping its own show that year and instead will hold its annual meeting at Boston 2026, the U.S. international show. Those dates are May 23-30, 2026. In 2016, when the U.S. “international” was held in New York City, the APS instead held its annual show, then called “StampShow,” in Portland, Oregon — the other side of the country, hoping to attract collectors who could not make the trip to the East Coast.

Exhibiting Picture Postcards Workshop Feb. 6-20

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
ATA Offers Exhibiting Picture Postcards Workshop, Feb 6-20

The American Topical Association will offer a three-session, how-to workshop on exhibiting picture postcards in February. The weekly workshop will be held consecutive Mondays on February 6, 13 and 20 beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Time via Zoom.

The first workshop session, entitled “Why Postcards Matter,” covers a history of early 20th century postcards and why they are an important part of philately worthy of study.

Session number two, “Steps to Telling Your Story,” discusses non-philatelic story lines in the exhibiting process with details about fashioning the exhibit’s title and introduction. Tips for creating a plan for organizing the exhibit will also be presented in the second session.

Session three is called “Resources for Collecting and Documenting Your Postcards.” This session details documentation of picture postcard history and offers a look at resources for information to provide descriptions of the postcards selected for an exhibit. Tips for making observations about the postcards in the exhibit round out the final session.

Course participants will receive quick reference guides, a useful digital book on real photo postcards, and an extensive bibliography to assist in creating, researching and constructing a picture postcard exhibit.

American Topical Association PresidentWorkshop instructor is ATA President Dawn Hamman [left], a multi-award-winning postcard exhibitor who has earned gold and large gold awards for her postcard exhibits. Hamman’s winning exhibits include The Jewel City—Picture Postcards of the Panama Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, 1915; The Life and Legacy of Abraham Lincoln; A Day at Ocean Beach; and He Built a Business Empire With Ostrich Feathers.

The workshop series costs $25 for ATA members and $45 for non-members. If non-member participants choose to join ATA at the time they register for the workshop, the cost for both the workshop and annual membership is $60 for US residents and $70 for international residents, which are discounted rates. Registration is quick and easy on the ATA website. Go to americantopical.org and click on the Events tab to find the workshop listing.

Jimmy Nelson – Ode to the Netherlands (Netherlands 2023)

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[from the press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Jimmy Nelson – Ode to the Netherlands
Issue date: 25 January 2023

The series of four stamp sheets entitled “Jimmy Nelson – Ode to the Netherlands” feature portraits of women and girls in Dutch national and regional dress, photographed by Jimmy Nelson for his 2022 book Between the Sea and the Sky. The stamps were designed by graphic designer Larissa Rosvaenge of Jimmy Nelson Studio. The denomination on these stamps is ‘1’, the denomination for items weighing up to 20g destined for the Netherlands.

National and regional dress is location- and region-specific clothing that is subject to unwritten rules that are known and clear to those who wear it locally. Most Dutch regional dress can be traced back to earlier civic fashions, especially from the 17th and 19th centuries. In some places, elements of that fashion were maintained while the general fashion changed. Many variations emerged throughout the years. In many areas of the Netherlands, regional costume has disappeared; in others, the disappearance is taking longer than predicted.

  • Ode to the Netherlands I (item 830011) features the dress of Veluwe, Huizen, Schouwen-Duiveland, Volendam, Rijssen
  • Ode to the Netherlands II (item 830012) features Walcheren, Friesland, Leeuwarden, Scheveningen, Arnemuiden
  • Ode to the Netherlands III ((item 830013) features Spakenburg, Marken, Urk, Zaanstreek, Kampereiland
  • Ode to the Netherlands IV (item 830014) features Hindeloopen, Staphorst, Katwijk, Enkhuizen, Axel

In the book, British-Dutch artist Jimmy Nelson [right] portrays 20 Dutch communities in traditional and regional dress in their own environment. The 528-page book features intimate photographic portraits and iconic landscapes, captured with an analogue plate camera. The detailed nature of the images, with plenty of contrast and depth, harks back to the work of the Dutch master painters of the 17th century.

The Jimmy Nelson – Ode to the Netherlands stamps were designed by Larissa Rosvaenge [left], who is responsible for all designs as a graphic designer within the Jimmy Nelson Studio team. She also designed the book Between the Sea and the Sky from which the photos featured on the stamps were taken.

The Between the Sea and the Sky project was created during the COVID pandemic, when travelling to faraway places, where Nelson usually takes his photographs, was not possible. “As a creative company, we are always looking for human connection,” Nelson explains. “Thanks to the COVID measures, we discovered that there is actually a great wealth of cultural heritage within the Netherlands, a heritage that creates connections within the conscious community, also through storytelling and experiencing a collective past together. As a creative studio, we consider beauty to be an important factor. We are not anthropologists or regional dress experts, but we delved deep into the subject and presented it in the most beautiful and balanced way possible, both in the book, in the accompanying exhibition and now also on the stamps.”

In selecting the photos, designer Rosvaenge sought balance.

“Balanced ages, for example: the youngest person portrayed on the stamps is 3 years old, the oldest well into their 80s,” she said. “But also balance in where people came from, what colours predominated in the pictures and what viewing directions there were. Moreover, we tried to avoid repetition as much as possible.”

A colour scheme that reflects the seasons emerged almost spontaneously, Rosvaenge added.

“We ended up with stamp sheets on which white predominated in winter, light colours emerged in spring, stronger colours appeared in summer and darker shades surfaced in autumn.”

Nelson says technology played an important part in these pictures.

“I shoot in natural light with an analogue plate camera, with a wide aperture and a slow shutter speed. This requires people to sit still for a long period of time, and you can see that in the intensity of their facial expressions.”

Rosvaenge says the designs have multiple layers.

“All sorts of things are going on, and you will have to look several times to get through those layers,” the designer said. “That is why I would love it if people bought two of each stamp sheet: one to keep, the other for sending mail. Preferably for love letters, of course.”

Sale & Validity
The Jimmy Nelson – Ode to the Netherlands stamps are available while stocks last at www.postnl.nl/collect and can be ordered by telephone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number +31 (0)88 868 99 00. The validity period is indefinite.

Technical Details
Stamp size: 30 x 40mm (wxh)
Sheet size: 170 x 122 mm (wxh)
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Gum: gummed
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black
Print run: 4 x 10,000 sheets
Appearance: four sheets of five personal stamps in five different : designs
Design: Larissa Rosvaenge
Photography: Jimmy Nelson
Printing company: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem

Typically Dutch: Museums (Netherlands 2023)

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[press release; translated by Google] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Iconic Shapes Dominate the Typically Dutch – Museums Stamps

The first stamp sheetlet of 2023 in the ‘Typisch Nederlands’ series from PostNL was issued on January 2nd. The six stamps are dedicated to the many high-quality museums in our country. This year’s series “Typically Dutch” is devoted to various sights that are important and typical of the Netherlands.

The design of “Typically Dutch – Museums” is the work of senior graphic designer Adam Lane and creative director Edwin van Praet, of Total Design from Amsterdam. In the series, stamp sheets will appear later this year with the subject of windmills (February 13), flower fields (March 20), cheese markets (March 20) and Wadden Sea (August 14).

Hundreds of Museums, Millions of Visitors
The Netherlands is a real museum country. With many hundreds of museums that attract many millions of visitors. The oldest museum in our country is the Teylers Museum in Haarlem (from 1784). The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam (from 1885) attracts the most visitors every year.

Iconic Shapes
The stamps of the “Typically Dutch – Museums” stamp sheet feature picture frames and vases in various sizes. The iconic shapes are grouped in a tight pattern across the stamps. The design language is as simple and geometric as possible, but still recognizable, according to graphic designer Adam Lane. “In this way we have succeeded in designing stamps with powerful images within the pattern game. The loose stamp shows a strong design, while the story behind the theme remains legible.”

Content Aspects
It is not only the form that dominates on the stamp sheet, there is also a substantive aspect to the choice of design concept with icons and patterns. Creative director Edwin van Praet: “This applies to all stamp sheets that will be issued this year in the Typically Dutch series. Whichever museum you visit, a pattern has always been deliberately chosen for how, for example, paintings hang on the wall. When it comes to collecting art, museums naturally also follow a fixed pattern to build up their collection.”Availability
The stamp sheet “Typically Dutch – Museums” has six stamps in six equal designs, with the value indication Nederland 1, intended for mail up to and including 20 grams with a destination within the Netherlands.

The “Typically Dutch – Museums” stamps are available as long as stocks last at the post office in the Bruna stores and via the webshop [direct link]. The stamps can also be ordered by telephone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number 088 868 99 00. The price per sheet of 10 stamps is € 10.10. The stamps are valid indefinitely.

[VSC Note: The link to first day covers (“Eerstedagenveloppen”) is here.]