Author Archives: VSC

Mauritshuis Art Museum’s 200th Anniversary (Netherlands 2022)

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Issue: Mauritshuis Bicentenary Celebration
Date of issue: 21 February 2022
Appearance: sheet with six stamps in six different designs, with value 1 for post up to and including 20 grams for a destination within the Netherlands
Item number: 420262
Design: Studio Maud van Rossum, Amsterdam
Photography: Mauritshuis, The Hague
Lithography: Marc Gijzen, Voorburg

On 21 February 2021, PostNL issued a new stamp sheet with six stamps about the famous flower still-lifes at the Mauritshuis in The Hague. Mauritshuis bicentenary celebration is being issued to mark two centuries since the museum opened its doors to the public. The denomination on these stamps is ‘1’, the denomination for items weighing up to 20g destined for the Netherlands. The stamp sheet was designed by Studio Maud van Rossum from Amsterdam.

The Mauritshuis in The Hague houses a world-famous collection of 17th-Century Dutch paintings. The collection is on display in two historic buildings in The Hague: the Mauritshuis and the Galerij Prins Willem V. The Mauritshuis is a 17th-century city palace on the Plein, and the Galerij Prins Willem V is an 18th-century museum on the Buitenhof.

The history of the collection in the Mauritshuis begins in the Galerij Prins Willem V. This gallery was opened in 1774 and was the first museum open to the public in the Netherlands. This is where Stadtholder Willem V displayed his collection of paintings to the general public. His son, King William I, donated a large number of these works to the Dutch state. In 1822, 200 years ago this year, the collection moved to the Mauritshuis. The most famous paintings, such as The Bull by Paulus Potter, View of Haarlem with Bleaching Fields by Jacob van Ruisdael, Two African Men by Rembrandt, View of Delft and Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer are always on display. There are also special exhibitions on different subjects that change three times a year.

Opening on 17 February 2022 – the anniversary year –, the In Full Bloom exhibition will focus on the most beautiful floral still-lifes from the Mauritshuis collection. In the 17th Century, still-life paintings with flowers were a specialised genre in the Low Countries. It emerged in Middelburg and Antwerp and then also became popular further north. To celebrate the bicentenary, a flower installation inspired by the collection of paintings is being built in and around the Mauritshuis. The façade of the Mauritshuis will also be adorned with an ‘impossible bouquet’ of flowers, consisting of sustainable imitation flowers combining spring, summer and autumn, just like the still-lifes from the 17th Century.

‘The Mauritshuis has a fantastic website that even allows you to visit the museum online,’ said stamp designer Maud van Rossum. “They took advantage of the lockdown to digitise the entire museum. So you can take a virtual walking tour through the exhibition rooms from the comfort of your own sofa. That same evening, I was able to view each flower still-life in the collection on my own screen.’

In 2020, graphic designer Van Rossum designed the stamp issue that celebrated the 450th anniversary of the publication of the world’s first atlas. In 2021, she created the stamps for Queen Máxima’s 50th birthday. ‘This is a completely different subject,’ says Van Rossum about the Mauritshuis bicentenary celebration stamp sheet.

The stamps are available while stocks last at the post office counter in Bruna shops and at www.postnl.nl/bijzondere-postzegels [in Dutch].

Technical Details:
Stamp size: 25 x 36mm
Sheet size: 108 x 150mm
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Gum: gummed
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black
Edition: 95,000 sheets
Appearance: sheet of six stamps in six different designs
Studio: Maud van Rossum, Amsterdam
Photography: Mauritshuis, The Hague
Lithography: Marc Gijzen, Voorburg
Printing company: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem
Item number: 420262

U.S. Museum: Baseball and Women Programs

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“Baseball: America’s Home Run”

In celebration of the iconic role of baseball in the American experience, the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington, DC, will open Baseball: America’s Home Run next month on April 9.

Celebrating Women’s History Month

From the depictions of prominent and remarkable women on American postage stamps to the role of women within the US postal system, the Smithsonian National Postal Museum’s website has something for everyone. A series of featured collections showcases the many and varied women celebrated on American stamps. Web visitors can learn more about the role of women in the history of America’s postal system, from famous aviatrix Amelia Earhart, to relatively unknown colonial postmaster Mary Katherine Goddard. Start exploring

Education and Visitor Services @ NPM

It should be no surprise that the first month of Spring—a season commonly associated with femininity—is also a time to celebrate women and their varied experiences. Whether it is Women’s History Month or not, NPM’s Department of Education & Visitor Services is always working to share the stories of women from postal and philatelic history. In this issue of Postmark, we have rounded up a few resources, educational materials, and upcoming events that promote just some of the fearless and fierce women from our collection. If you have any suggestions on other inspirational women for us to feature in future resources, please email us at NPMEducation@si.edu with an overview.

More of the March newsletter is here.

Calls for U.S., Canada To Support Ukraine With Stamps

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Stamp collectors are calling on the U.S. to reissue its 2008 Sunflower stamp (Sc. 4347, shown on the right) as a 60¢ semipostal stamp and Canada to issue an emergency semipostal, both for refugee relief. Brian Grant Duff has started the Change.org petition for Canada. The U.S. petition is attributed to Allyson Becker.

About the latter, the Vancouver, B.C., storefront and internet dealer says, “Ukraine and Canada have strong historic connections … Canada Post has the ability to produce tangible symbols of people making a difference in refugees lives.” He is hoping to get at least 500 signatures, and has addressed it to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well as to Canada Post.

Becker may be unaware that the U.S. already plans to issue Sunflower Bouquet two-ounce stamp on March 24, although it is not a semipostal. The two-ounce rate is currently 78¢,

Ukraine Stamp Tells Off Russia

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Ukraine’s postal agency, Ukrposhta, is issuing a stamp to make clear how the Ukrainian people feel about the Russian invasion. According to Linn’s Stamp News and other sources, Ukrposhta invited proposed designs, then winnowed the 500 submissions down to 20 and invited voting on its Facebook page.The announced theme was, “Russian warship, go to —.”

“The stamp will have to be international so that everyone can send it to any country,” said Ukrposhta on its website.

This one, by Ukrainian artist Boris Groh, garnered more than 1,700 votes of the 8,000 cast — better than 1 in 5, according to Ukrposhta’s message on Facebook.

The issue date has not been announced.

According to Linn’s, Ukrposhta has said it may use the other designs on future postal products.

The Business Insider web publication had a short version of the story on March 8th.

Other postings on the Ukrposhta page show some of its employees during the crisis — emphasizing that 80% of its employees are women — and assuring Ukrainians who receive pensions that Ukrposhta offices will be open so that recipients can get those payments.

Free Cachetmakers Directory Available

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[press release]
Free AFDCS Current Cachetmakers Directory Updated

A new edition of the American First Day Cover Society’s AFDCS Directory of Current Cachetmakers is now available. The February 2022 version can be downloaded for free at www.afdcs.org/resources/CM_Directory_202202.pdf . Printed versions are available for $5.00 postpaid from AFDCS Sales, PO Box 44, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701 or may be ordered from the AFDCS website at www.afdcs.org/publications.html.

Compiled by John White of North Carolina, the directory seeks to list every individual or company currently producing cacheted first day covers, whether or not they are members of the AFDCS. There is no charge for listings; cachetmakers who wish to be included in a future edition should fill out the online form at www.afdcs.org/cmform.php

New editions of the directory are published when there are a number of additions or changes, so the next version may be next month or next year. The link to the latest edition — whatever it is — is on the home page. The February 2022 edition adds five cachetmakers, removes four and updates two.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization, with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status granted by the IRS. Established in 1955, the AFDCS also publishes handbooks, catalogues and its award-winning bimonthly journal, First Days. It also promotes first day cover exhibiting, both at Great American Stamp Show and at other stamp shows, and holds an annual cachetmaking contest.

For more information about the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org, e-mail afdcs@afdcs.org or write the AFDCS at Post Office Box 246, Colonial Beach, VA 22443-0246.

March-April First Days Magazine Is Available

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The March-April issue of First Days, the journal of the American First Day Cover Society, is now available for download for society members and should be in their mailboxes any day now.

A veteran FDC collector tells how his interest all-but-started with hearing the heart-wrenching words, “there were so many more boxes that we didn’t have room for, so we burned them.” The issue also contains a chronicle of the adventure of servicing unofficial-location FDCs (“UOs”) in the days before the interstate highway system — and during the winter in Vermont!

Michael Dodd discusses what to watch for if you come across FDCs of the 1967 British Discovery & Invention stamps. Another article describes first day covers honoring a Filipino stamp organization’s most famous member. You know him, but you don’t know the cachetmaker profiled by Gerald H. Strauss, at least, not as a cachetmaker.

Gary Dickinson’s “Canadian Cachets” series looks at a major cachetmaker’s recycling efforts in the 1940s. Michael Lake tells of the close connection between an ArtCraft variety and the stamp affixed to it.

Also in the March-April issue is the debut of a new series, “Technology and Techniques,” and Mary Ann Bowman’s youth column solicits ideas on using topical FDCs to interest children in our hobby.

Even the ads are informative: In one, a collector asks for scans of MacArthur and Nimitz FDCs missing from his website, while another seeks Stanley Steamer covers.

Not yet a member of the AFDCS? Go to www.afdcs.org/join.html

How Is Ukrainian Crisis Affecting Your Philately?

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In another article here, we tell how the Delcampe selling site has restricted sales and purchases by Russian and Belarussian users. PayPal earlier restricted transactions involving Russians. eBay is making allowances for sales to both Ukraine and Russia.

How about you? Has the crisis had any effect on how you collect, buy, sell or trade?

If you choose to comment, please only talk about how this affects philately, not your opinion of world affairs. This is not the place for that.

Loading poll ...

Delcampe Restricts Russian, Belarussian Users

Aside

Delcampe, a buying/selling site similar to eBay, is suspending all Russian and Belarusian accounts. “Due to the conflict in Ukraine, which we deplore, we have decided to suspend all sales and purchases from Russia and Belarus,” said in an email on Monday, March 7, from the Belgian company. The actions taken include the “suspension of the account of users based in Russia and Belarus, specifically

  • cancellation of sales and purchases made by these users
  • commission fees on cancelled sales will not be accounted for
  • ratings will been turned into neutral feedback for all transactions affected by these measures”

The email ends with “We regret this situation. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the situation in Ukraine.”

PayPal has already restricted payments to and from Russian users. On February 25, eBay announced that sellers were having trouble shipping merchandise to Ukraine and Russia, and it would not penalize sellers for delivery problems, retroactive to February 21. It also expressed support for Ukraine in a message that begins “We stand with the people of Ukraine” and talks about donations the company and its employees are making to relief organizations. However, there is no mention of stopping transactions. [The eBay links may require a login.]

Comments only pertaining to the philatelic ramifications of the Ukraine situation, please.

  • Take our poll, “How Is the Ukrainian Crisis Affection Your Philately?” that is, how you are collecting, buying, selling and/or trading.

 

U.S. Scott Catalogue Update (March 2022)

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5660 (58¢) Love – blue gray background
a. Imperforate
5661 (58¢) Love – pink background
a. Imperforate
   b. Horiz. or vert. pair, #5660-5661
c. Imperforate horiz. or vert. pair, #5660a-5661a

5662 (58¢) Chinese New Year
a. Imperforate

5663 (58¢) Edmonia Lewis
a. Imperforate

5664 (5¢) Butterfly Garden Flowers coil stamp – Cosmos
5665 (5¢) Butterfly Garden Flowers coil stamp – Scabiosas
a. Pair, #5664-5665

150th Anniversary of the FA Cup (UK 2022)

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Royal Mail Celebrates 150th Anniversary of the FA Cup with Special Stamps
Issue Date: 8 March

  • A set of six stamps celebrate some of the themes which make the Emirates FA Cup such a prestigious competition
  • A further four stamps, presented in a miniature sheet, feature a selection of the competition’s artefacts from the National Football Museum, photographed specially for the stamp issue
  • Stamps in the set show:
  • Lifting the Cup – Arsenal players Charlie George and Frank McLintock parading the trophy in 1971
  • Wembley Stadium – Crowds on the pitch at the 1923 Final – the first to be held at the original stadium in Wembley
  • A Big Day Out – West Bromwich Albion supporters cheering their team in the 1968 Final
  • Classic Finals – Keith Houchen equalising for Coventry against Tottenham Hotspur in the 1987 Final
  • FA Cup Upsets – In 2017, Lincoln City beat Burnley 1-0 to become the first non-league side in 103 years to reach the Quarter Finals
  • Royal Patronage – King George VI and Queen Elizabeth presenting the trophy to Sunderland captain Raich Carter in 1937
  • Royal Mail collaborated closely with The FA on the stamp issue
  • Just 12 teams took part in the inaugural season of the FA Challenge Cup in 1871/72 compared to the 729 clubs taking part 150 years later in 2021/22
  • The stamps and a range of collectible products are available to pre order from today (1 March) at www.royalmail.com/facup150 and by phone on +44 (0)3457 641 641
  • The stamps go on general sale from 8 March

Royal Mail has announced the launch of a set of 10 stamps to mark the 150th anniversary of the Emirates FA Cup’s very first edition.

Royal Mail collaborated closely with the FA, choosing images that celebrate the heritage and tradition of the longest-running and most famous domestic football competition in the world.

The main set of six stamps celebrate some of the themes which make the competition so prestigious, and a mixture of colour and black and white photographs relive some of the most famous moments in its 150-year history.

Stamps in the main set show:

  • Lifting the Cup – Arsenal players Charlie George and Frank McLintock parading the trophy in 1971
  • Wembley Stadium – Crowds on the pitch at the 1923 Final – the first to be held at the original stadium in Wembley
  • A Big Day Out – West Bromwich Albion supporters cheering their team in the 1968 Final
  • Classic Finals – Keith Houchen equalising for Coventry against Tottenham Hotspur in the 1987 Final
  • FA Cup Upsets – Lincoln City beat Burnley 1-0 in 2017 to become the first non-league side in 103 years to reach the Quarter Finals
  • Royal Patronage – King George VI and Queen Elizabeth presenting the trophy to Sunderland captain Raich Carter in 1937

A further four stamps, presented in a miniature sheet, feature a selection of the competition’s artefacts from the National Football Museum, photographed specially for the stamp issue.For 150 years, few other sporting events have produced as much joy and heartbreak or as many moments of raw emotion. It is a competition in which amateurs and semi-professionals can play in the finest stadia in the land, and the world’s best players run out in grounds holding only a few thousand people.

Just 12 teams took part in the inaugural 1871/72 edition, and while they might not have much else in common with the 729 modern day sides taking part in 2021/22, they shared the same dream: glory.

The Emirates FA Cup has always been a unique competition. For many fans it is about memories and moments on a football pitch that they associate with a time in their lives. Like the game itself, aspects of it have changed over the course of those years. But when fans of all ages think about the competition, they think of names, places, matches, moments. One thing is guaranteed – the Emirates FA Cup will keep creating memories for generations to come.

Natasha Ayivor, Royal Mail, said: “The Emirates FA Cup has given the world some of the greatest displays of competition football and these stamps celebrate the magic of those moments. We feel there is no more fitting tribute to its 150th anniversary than this collection of Special Stamps.”

The FA’s Director of Pro Game Relations, Andy Ambler, said: “The Emirates FA Cup continues to capture the imaginations of both football fans and the wider public in its 150th anniversary season. Its historic moments from the non-league to the very elite create lasting memories, and we’re delighted that a selection of iconic moments are being celebrated by these Special Stamps.”

The individual stamps in the set:

1st Class – Lifting the Cup
90th FA Cup Final
8 May 1971

 

1st Class – Wembley Stadium
48th FA Cup Final
28 April 1923

 

£1.70 – A Big Day Out
87th FA Cup Final
18 May 1968

 

£1.70 – Classic Finals
106th FA Cup Final
16 May 1987

 

£2.55 – FA Cup Upsets
FA Cup Fifth Round
18 February 2017

 

£2.55 – Royal Patronage
62nd FA Cup Final
1 May 1937

The individual stamps in the miniature sheet:

Supporter’s Memorabilia
A ticket stub from the 1959 Final between Nottingham Forest and Luton Town, held at the original Wembley Stadium (then known as the Empire Stadium). Forest beat Luton 2-1

An Everton rosette which dates from 1966 and features an image of the trophy and a Preston North End rosette which was taken to the 1954 and 1964 Finals

Painted rattle: A hand-painted Colchester United rattle, previously an air-raid rattle, which was taken to a Fourth Round home match against Arsenal in January 1959. The game was drawn 2-2.

Winner’s Medal and Trophy
A replica of the first FA Cup trophy, known as the ‘little tin idol’, which was used from 1896-1910 after the original Cup was stolen. A new trophy (the design still used today) was introduced in 1911.

The FA Cup winners’ medal awarded to Bradford City captain Jimmy Speirs in 1911. Speirs scored the only goal in the replay against Newcastle United, which secured a win for the ‘Bantams’.

Official Match-day Items
Manchester City’s distinctive red-and-black striped away shirt. It dates from the 1969 Final, when the club beat Leicester City 1-0

Match ball: The leather football used in the 1903 Final. Bury beat Derby County 6-0, achieving a record winning margin in a Final that was equalled only in 2019 when Manchester City beat Watford 6-0

An ornate gold-wire and silk badge, as given to The FA stewards at the 1903 Final between Bury and Derby County

Cup Final Souvenirs
A souvenir gramophone record and sleeve from the 1932 Final, when Newcastle United beat Arsenal 2-1. Each side includes a ‘meet the team’ feature, with the centre label in each team’s colours

A Leeds United FA Cup winners’ pennant, which celebrates United’s 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the centenary Final of 1972

A souvenir porcelain replica of The FA Cup trophy, which was made to commemorate Cardiff City’s 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the 1927 Final

The stamps and a range of collectible products can be pre-ordered now at www.royalmail.com/facup150 and by phone on +44 (0)3457 641 641.

The stamps go on general sale from 8 March.

VSC Note: If you click on the link, Royal Mail will also offer you a wide range of collectibles, including a £2 gold coin FDC for just £1,125.00 (US$1488, €1361).