Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
. I believe that Tonga using self adhesive stamps such as the Banana Shaped stamp increased stamp sales and now most US and Canada stamps are self adhesive
My favorite is the Nicaraguan stamp of Mt.Momotombo erupting that was shown to US senators.The result being the moving of the building of the Canal from Nicaragua to Panama.
Are there others that can be shared ?
Cheryl
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Can you show an example?
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The CIA invert and the Upsidedown Jenny come to mind.( U.S.A)
Dan C.
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@ 2010ccg - These are the stamps with Mt. Momotombo?
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How a Postage Stamp May Have Helped Create the Panama Canal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Panama Canal would have been built 500 miles to the north and would probably be called the Nicaraguan Canal today were it not for a stamp.
When a plan for building the canal was discussed by American and French financiers, there were two groups – one in favor of building it through the Isthmus of Panama, and the other favoring a route through Nicaragua. For several years, the merits of the routes were weighed by the U.S. government and the Senate. The Nicaraguan route, though longer but less of an engineering challenge, was the leading contender.
In 1900, the Nicaraguan Post Office had the unfortunate idea of issuing a set of 13 stamps, each depicting the Momotombo volcano. The volcano had been extinct for centuries, but the artist, with mistaken pride, drew it with smoke belching from its crater. One of the French businessmen lobbying for approval of the Panamanian route, – Colonel Philippe Buana-Varilla – was a stamp collector, and when he examined the new design, he had a brilliant idea.
He bought a large number of the stamps and, in the summer of 1902, sent a copy, nicely mounted on a piece of card with the inscription: "A Postage Stamp of Nicaragua showing the activity of the Volcano Momotombo; official witness of the volcanic danger in Nicaragua" to every United States senator and other influential parties concerned with the canal project.
Momotombo, the smoking volcano portrayed on the stamp, suggested that the Nicaraguan route was on seismically dangerous ground. A volcano that had erupted that May in Martinique, killing 30,000 people, was still very much on peoples’ minds. Some senators had studied the Nicaraguan stamp closely and pointed out that in the foreground of the design, it showed "the terrible realism of disaster, with people fleeing on to a pier to escape by ship"
Whether or not this stamp actually made Senators and Congressmen change their minds is debatable. Less debatable, however, is that it was a theatrical part of the successful lobbying effort of Bunau-Varilla and the American William Nelson Cromwell.
An engineer, Bunau-Varilla had both pride — he wanted to “vindicate French genius” says Charles D. Ameringer — and money invested in a Panamanian canal.
Bunau-Varilla and Cromwell hit the trifecta: getting the French to sign over their concessionary canal rights to the U.S.; convincing the U.S. to choose Panama; and then funding and facilitating the revolution that broke Panama away from Colombia. (Colombia had been less than pleased with the canal deal offered by the Americans.) To top it off, Bunau-Varilla became Panama’s first minister to the United States.
Panama declared itself independent on November 3rd, 1903, with U.S. warships stationed on both its coasts. The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty signed two weeks later gave the U.S. a 16-mile wide, 80-mile long “canal zone” through the new country “in perpetuity.”
Considering that most of Washington D.C. had been supporting the Nicaraguan canal route for a decade, Bunau-Varilla and Cromwell’s six months of work in 1902 to get Congress to go the Panama route was a “brilliant achievement in lobbying.”
Was Panama the best place to build a canal? Maybe. But the decision was never really a question of engineering or geology. It was politics: money, investments, interests, and publicity, including that famous stamp.
The canal opened in 1914. About 5,600 lives, most of them West Indian workers, were lost during its construction.
By a 1977 treaty, the unincorporated territory of the United States known as the Panama Canal Zone ceased to exist in 1979. In 1999, full control of the canal was handed over to Panama. An expansion for larger ships was completed in 2016. And while we’re looking at the numbers: bypassing the route around Cape Horn means a ship using the canal saves 7,872 miles of travel.
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How about this one ???
THE STAMP THAT ALMOST STARTED A WAR
A stamp was issued by Nicaragua Aug 1937 contained an image of land claimed
by Honduras. it was land in dispute. I believe there is more to the story. The stamp
was recalled or was it ? Stamps stayed in public hands until the stamp supply dried up.
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Speaking of wars in Latin America - this comes to mind. Granted the stamps themselves probably didn't spark the war.
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Many countries have an epic hero with which they identify. Greece has Hercules, Britain has Beowulf and Spain has El Cid. In Panama only one man really fits that bill, Vasco Nuñez de Balboa. Born in 1475 in Spain he travelled to the Panama at the ripe old age of 25 years old. When he arrived on the island of Hispaniola. Nine years later to escape his creditors in the city of Santo Domingo in what is now the Dominican Republic, he stowed away in a barrel with his dog to Panama which was charged with the campaign of conquering Panama (then referred to by Spain as Tierra Firme or "firm ground"). He was discovered by the captain along the way but because of his charm and his knowledge of the area, having previously explored it, moved the captain to keep him on board instead of dropping him off at the next uninhabited island.
After the ship arrived in Cartagena in what is now Colombia, the Spanish faced fierce natives with poisoned weapons. The area was abandoned, and Balboa suggested they make a new settlement in the area of eastern Panama called Darien. The new town suggested by Balboa was founded as Santa Maria. Later on, news came to the town that the governor of the area had been rescued and that he planned to come to the town and reclaim it, it was said of this governor that he was of the worst quality, corrupt and inept. When he came to the town a large mob prohibited him from disembarking. Despite attempts at negotiation, he was eventually sent off in his ship. The result was that Balboa took up the governorship of the area.
For the next few years Balboa went about doing the typical things a conquistador is meant to do. He either befriended or defeated a number of the local tribes. He was especially focused on finding and collecting gold, in which he was quite successful, taking it from the natives who had formed gold into ornaments. He eventually made allies with a couple of the larger native communities who would help him to obtain food, but it was also through them that he learned there was a sea to the south.
This map shows the route Balboa took to get to the southern sea (Pacific Ocean). Careta refers to one of the native chieftains who had befriended Balboa. It was from the mountains above the southern coast that he first spotted the Pacific. When Balboa had gone in search of the south sea, he had done a portage of a brigantine sailing ship and ten native canoes. He set sail and discovered the Pearl Islands including Isla Rica or Rich Isle.
When he returned to Santa Maria he sent news straight away to the king including 1/5th of the massive riches he had discovered in his journey as required by law. In the mean time the king of Spain assigned Pedro Arias de Avila to be the new governor of the area. What made matters worse was that later on, the King learned of Balboa's achievement and then told Arias to treat him with great respect and to make use of his expertise with regard to the south sea. Arias had a reputation for jealousy and cruelty, but Balboa was most polite with him so for a couple of years they got along well despite the fact that Arias felt a definitely rivalry with Balboa. Later on Arias had Balboa arrested for treason against himself and the King.
A ship was sent to intercept in and it was Francisco Pizzaro (the famous explorer) who arrested him. While Balboa pleaded his innocence, once he got to Santa Maria he was put on trial, found guilty and put to death despite being innocent of the charges.
A definitive stamp of Panama featuring Balboa
A Panamanian stamp commemorating the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the Pacific ocean.
Detail of the above image showing Balboa's dog at his feet. The dog's name was Leoncico.
A monument in Panama city in tribute to Balboa. The Pacific ocean is a few dozen yards away.
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Smauggie, a tour de force. Wonderful.
Namaste,
Dan C.
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It is an interesting topic regarding "heroes" for certain countries. For Venezuela it would be Simon Bolivar.
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A fictional tale based on a real 'stamp' event. Well, at least it's a 'Stamp Story' !! A little dig at UK's Royal Mail ? Possibly, but it did mean the end of my collecting the Stamps of Great Britain. Sad thing is, nothing has changed.
COLD SWEAT.
" How did she know that", he said out loud to himself.
He paused a second, shrugged his shoulders and went on his merry way. It was the 4th of October, the day of a new stamp issue and he did not want to be late at the post Office.
London was surprisingly summer like. A light breeze, nice sunshine with just the odd cloud to break heat of the day.
The middle aged man had made his way to the big Post Office in Central London. He had been there many times before that year and even knew some of the Postal clerks by name. Indeed, he had often commented to others that he could have found his way there with his eyes closed. Doubtless they did not believe him, this being one of the busier parts of the capital !
It was early and for a new issue day, eerily quiet. Where were all those collectors he had seen and chatted to so many times in the recent past. Could they have forgotten about today; Could they have missed something. He thought it strange but nonetheless continued on to the Philatelic Counter. No queue !
He peered through the protective glass and there was a man with his head down, as if in half-sleep. He was a balding man in his forties, at a guess, and did not notice the Middle aged man.
"Huh Hum, excuse me but I would like the new Smilers stamps please".
The postal worker looked up, opened his eyes fully, and said apologetically, " Er, sorry I was just ...er, well it's been quiet today and er.............."
" That's OK. I would like the new Smilers Stamps please"
The Postal worker opened the small drawer in front of him and handed him 1 booklet. " One pound eighty pence please sir"
" Also the Smilers sheet please because the stamps are not the same and I collect all the varieties"
" Sorry Sir, but the sheets are only available in Customized form"
He handed the man a form to fill in.
" If you would like to fill this in and pay fourteen pounds ninety nine pence then I can order it for you. I will of course need a photograph "
The middle aged man stopped admiring his booklet and looked at the man. " WHAAAAAAAAAT ! You want me to pay 14.99 pounds for stamps with a face value of 6 pounds. Do you think I'm stupid or WHAAAAAT !" His voiced reached a higher level. "I have been coming here all year, week in week out, spending my good money and now you want to cheat me into paying more than double for stamps...NO,NO,NO,NO,......."
" NO,NO,NO,NO,". The middle aged man woke up in a Cold Sweat, shaking. He was relieved to see it was morning and noticed the sun shining through the window.
" Are you alright dear". His wife came in the room with laundry and noticed her pale looking husband. " Yes, bit of a nightmare that's all"
He dressed quickly and went downstairs for breakfast. His wife noticed that he was quiet as they ate their Eggs and Bacon. He was usually quite chatty.
" I am going out for a while", he said to his wife after the meal was over. He went to get his coat.
" I don't think you will need that today", she said. "It's quite hot for October. And don't forget the new Smilers stamps are out today".
The door closed behind as he stepped into the warm sunshine. Then he stopped, a sudden chill came over him and he was goose-pimply from head to toe.
"How did she know that"
The End.
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I enjoyed your Panama info, Smauggie. I know two things about Darien - first it was where in about 1700 an investment scheme was launched to develop the area. It was promoted in Scotland and loads of Scotland's wealthy hurried to invest their savings, but it soon turned out that the investment was unwise. The area was very unsuitable for development - swampy and mosquito infested. The Scottish investors lost a vast amount of money.
The other thing is that my ex mother-in-law lived in Darien Connecticut - a rather different town on Long Island. We visited in 1979.
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They still hold a Highland Games every year in Panama City.
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My stamp story didn't change the world or stamp history, but I'll remember it forever.
I had a very interesting WWII card, written in German, to an Officer in the German Army. I went to a lot of trouble, at the time, to get it translated. Turns out it was from a newspaper asking if the Officer wanted to renew his subscription.
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On June 10th 1970 Canada issued an 8 cent stamp to honour a man who had been hanged. Louis Riel was born into the settlement known as the Red River country.He first came in to prominence when the Canadian government was negotiating the transfer of the western territory from Great Britain to Canada. Under General Lois Riel joined the Metis to form the government. They seized the Hudson bay Company.property and Fort Garry. With respect for the Metis`s rights the territory became Manitoba in 1870.Riel was elected to parliament but in 1875 he was banished from Canada for 5 years. In 1885 he returned to Canada and aided a group of Metis who wanted to form a settlement on the banks of the south Saskatchewan river. When unsuccessful in resolving the rights of the Metis he formed a provisional government at Batoche. They met with adetachtment of Mounted Police where battle continued for 2 months .The Metis were defeated. Riel was tried for treason and sentenced to hang A second Canada stamp was issued in 2017 and a 3rd stamp was issued in 2019 to recognize the Red River Resistance.. Manitoba celebrated Louis Riel Day.on Feb 20th 2023
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12:33:01pm
''....The other thing is that my ex mother-in-law lived in Darien Connecticut - a rather different town on Long Island. We visited in 1979., ....
Sorry, Long Island is in the state of New York, not Connecticut. I do not recall any ''Darien '' on Long Island.
N.Y. and CT. are separated by the Long Island Sound.
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On my way home from the Vietnam War I stopped at an old used book store, and found an old book from the 1890s.
Inside the book there was 5 blocks of 4 of the Scott Illus. number A88. They looked like there were just bought from the post office. I soaked off the gum to protect them.
1898
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You're right, Charlie - my mistake. Darien is in Connecticut, on the Long Island Sound. It was where the original Stepford Wives film was made. It's a rather up market commuter town.
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"You're right, Charlie - my mistake. Darien is in Connecticut, on the Long Island Sound. It was where the original Stepford Wives film was made. It's a rather up market commuter town."
I used to work for a company headquartered in Basingstoke, UK. At a local bar the drink special of the night was "Long Island Beach Ice Tea". I had to explain to them that it was just "Long Island Ice Tea" and that was no Long Island Beach!
If you want to read some interesting stamp stories, I just started on Herman Herst's "Nassau Street". There are cheap copies on eBay. I'm only a few chapters in and it's interesting how a small circle of dealers controlled prices!
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When I was stationed in England, I used to buy stamps at the on base post office. I noticed one day sometimes the coils stamps had a small number at the bottom, I saved these stamps and the number was "6", and the Scott # is 1891. Years later I found out these are consider rare.
You just never know!
1898
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04:07:21pm
The fact that I collect stamps today is because of a hardware store in Kentville, N.S. My wife and I had just met at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S. For some reason we ended up hitch hiking to nearby Kentville. We ended up in Rockwell's Hardware, again for some obscure reason I can't remember! What I do remember is that one of the people working there was a stamp collector and sold supplies. We ended up looking at those packets of pretty stamps that were for sale. My wife had a thing for horses (we actually bought one several years later, Skippy from the Halifax Junior Bengal Lancers) and one package of Poland stamps had a few pretty "horsey stamps" in it!! That's where it all started!! GOK why we went in the store but many years later I still have that original series of horse stamps - CTO and worth almost nothing, but priceless to me!
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I go back to 1966. I was 8 years old and reading "Johnny Appleseed". We received a package from my grandparents that had a bunch of the 1966 stamp commemorating Johnny Appleseed. My father pointed it out to me and it was love at first sight! I was immediately a stamp collector. My father was US military at NATO and would bring home stamps from International mail. The first time I saw a South African stamp with a zebra on it, I was excited! Wow! That stamp came all the way from Africa!
And so it went from there.
My teenage Scott Minuteman album... that's my first stamp, stained and all. Never abandon your first friend! 
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06:55:03pm
Just wondering if the members can share any stamp stories that changed the world or changed stamp history
. I believe that Tonga using self adhesive stamps such as the Banana Shaped stamp increased stamp sales and now most US and Canada stamps are self adhesive
My favorite is the Nicaraguan stamp of Mt.Momotombo erupting that was shown to US senators.The result being the moving of the building of the Canal from Nicaragua to Panama.
Are there others that can be shared ?
Cheryl
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re: Stamp Stories
The CIA invert and the Upsidedown Jenny come to mind.( U.S.A)
Dan C.
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01:32:54pm
re: Stamp Stories
@ 2010ccg - These are the stamps with Mt. Momotombo?
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04:22:16pm
re: Stamp Stories
How a Postage Stamp May Have Helped Create the Panama Canal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Panama Canal would have been built 500 miles to the north and would probably be called the Nicaraguan Canal today were it not for a stamp.
When a plan for building the canal was discussed by American and French financiers, there were two groups – one in favor of building it through the Isthmus of Panama, and the other favoring a route through Nicaragua. For several years, the merits of the routes were weighed by the U.S. government and the Senate. The Nicaraguan route, though longer but less of an engineering challenge, was the leading contender.
In 1900, the Nicaraguan Post Office had the unfortunate idea of issuing a set of 13 stamps, each depicting the Momotombo volcano. The volcano had been extinct for centuries, but the artist, with mistaken pride, drew it with smoke belching from its crater. One of the French businessmen lobbying for approval of the Panamanian route, – Colonel Philippe Buana-Varilla – was a stamp collector, and when he examined the new design, he had a brilliant idea.
He bought a large number of the stamps and, in the summer of 1902, sent a copy, nicely mounted on a piece of card with the inscription: "A Postage Stamp of Nicaragua showing the activity of the Volcano Momotombo; official witness of the volcanic danger in Nicaragua" to every United States senator and other influential parties concerned with the canal project.
Momotombo, the smoking volcano portrayed on the stamp, suggested that the Nicaraguan route was on seismically dangerous ground. A volcano that had erupted that May in Martinique, killing 30,000 people, was still very much on peoples’ minds. Some senators had studied the Nicaraguan stamp closely and pointed out that in the foreground of the design, it showed "the terrible realism of disaster, with people fleeing on to a pier to escape by ship"
Whether or not this stamp actually made Senators and Congressmen change their minds is debatable. Less debatable, however, is that it was a theatrical part of the successful lobbying effort of Bunau-Varilla and the American William Nelson Cromwell.
An engineer, Bunau-Varilla had both pride — he wanted to “vindicate French genius” says Charles D. Ameringer — and money invested in a Panamanian canal.
Bunau-Varilla and Cromwell hit the trifecta: getting the French to sign over their concessionary canal rights to the U.S.; convincing the U.S. to choose Panama; and then funding and facilitating the revolution that broke Panama away from Colombia. (Colombia had been less than pleased with the canal deal offered by the Americans.) To top it off, Bunau-Varilla became Panama’s first minister to the United States.
Panama declared itself independent on November 3rd, 1903, with U.S. warships stationed on both its coasts. The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty signed two weeks later gave the U.S. a 16-mile wide, 80-mile long “canal zone” through the new country “in perpetuity.”
Considering that most of Washington D.C. had been supporting the Nicaraguan canal route for a decade, Bunau-Varilla and Cromwell’s six months of work in 1902 to get Congress to go the Panama route was a “brilliant achievement in lobbying.”
Was Panama the best place to build a canal? Maybe. But the decision was never really a question of engineering or geology. It was politics: money, investments, interests, and publicity, including that famous stamp.
The canal opened in 1914. About 5,600 lives, most of them West Indian workers, were lost during its construction.
By a 1977 treaty, the unincorporated territory of the United States known as the Panama Canal Zone ceased to exist in 1979. In 1999, full control of the canal was handed over to Panama. An expansion for larger ships was completed in 2016. And while we’re looking at the numbers: bypassing the route around Cape Horn means a ship using the canal saves 7,872 miles of travel.
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10:26:01am
re: Stamp Stories
How about this one ???
THE STAMP THAT ALMOST STARTED A WAR
A stamp was issued by Nicaragua Aug 1937 contained an image of land claimed
by Honduras. it was land in dispute. I believe there is more to the story. The stamp
was recalled or was it ? Stamps stayed in public hands until the stamp supply dried up.
Login to Like
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re: Stamp Stories
Speaking of wars in Latin America - this comes to mind. Granted the stamps themselves probably didn't spark the war.
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re: Stamp Stories
Many countries have an epic hero with which they identify. Greece has Hercules, Britain has Beowulf and Spain has El Cid. In Panama only one man really fits that bill, Vasco Nuñez de Balboa. Born in 1475 in Spain he travelled to the Panama at the ripe old age of 25 years old. When he arrived on the island of Hispaniola. Nine years later to escape his creditors in the city of Santo Domingo in what is now the Dominican Republic, he stowed away in a barrel with his dog to Panama which was charged with the campaign of conquering Panama (then referred to by Spain as Tierra Firme or "firm ground"). He was discovered by the captain along the way but because of his charm and his knowledge of the area, having previously explored it, moved the captain to keep him on board instead of dropping him off at the next uninhabited island.
After the ship arrived in Cartagena in what is now Colombia, the Spanish faced fierce natives with poisoned weapons. The area was abandoned, and Balboa suggested they make a new settlement in the area of eastern Panama called Darien. The new town suggested by Balboa was founded as Santa Maria. Later on, news came to the town that the governor of the area had been rescued and that he planned to come to the town and reclaim it, it was said of this governor that he was of the worst quality, corrupt and inept. When he came to the town a large mob prohibited him from disembarking. Despite attempts at negotiation, he was eventually sent off in his ship. The result was that Balboa took up the governorship of the area.
For the next few years Balboa went about doing the typical things a conquistador is meant to do. He either befriended or defeated a number of the local tribes. He was especially focused on finding and collecting gold, in which he was quite successful, taking it from the natives who had formed gold into ornaments. He eventually made allies with a couple of the larger native communities who would help him to obtain food, but it was also through them that he learned there was a sea to the south.
This map shows the route Balboa took to get to the southern sea (Pacific Ocean). Careta refers to one of the native chieftains who had befriended Balboa. It was from the mountains above the southern coast that he first spotted the Pacific. When Balboa had gone in search of the south sea, he had done a portage of a brigantine sailing ship and ten native canoes. He set sail and discovered the Pearl Islands including Isla Rica or Rich Isle.
When he returned to Santa Maria he sent news straight away to the king including 1/5th of the massive riches he had discovered in his journey as required by law. In the mean time the king of Spain assigned Pedro Arias de Avila to be the new governor of the area. What made matters worse was that later on, the King learned of Balboa's achievement and then told Arias to treat him with great respect and to make use of his expertise with regard to the south sea. Arias had a reputation for jealousy and cruelty, but Balboa was most polite with him so for a couple of years they got along well despite the fact that Arias felt a definitely rivalry with Balboa. Later on Arias had Balboa arrested for treason against himself and the King.
A ship was sent to intercept in and it was Francisco Pizzaro (the famous explorer) who arrested him. While Balboa pleaded his innocence, once he got to Santa Maria he was put on trial, found guilty and put to death despite being innocent of the charges.
A definitive stamp of Panama featuring Balboa
A Panamanian stamp commemorating the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the Pacific ocean.
Detail of the above image showing Balboa's dog at his feet. The dog's name was Leoncico.
A monument in Panama city in tribute to Balboa. The Pacific ocean is a few dozen yards away.
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re: Stamp Stories
Smauggie, a tour de force. Wonderful.
Namaste,
Dan C.
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re: Stamp Stories
It is an interesting topic regarding "heroes" for certain countries. For Venezuela it would be Simon Bolivar.
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re: Stamp Stories
A fictional tale based on a real 'stamp' event. Well, at least it's a 'Stamp Story' !! A little dig at UK's Royal Mail ? Possibly, but it did mean the end of my collecting the Stamps of Great Britain. Sad thing is, nothing has changed.
COLD SWEAT.
" How did she know that", he said out loud to himself.
He paused a second, shrugged his shoulders and went on his merry way. It was the 4th of October, the day of a new stamp issue and he did not want to be late at the post Office.
London was surprisingly summer like. A light breeze, nice sunshine with just the odd cloud to break heat of the day.
The middle aged man had made his way to the big Post Office in Central London. He had been there many times before that year and even knew some of the Postal clerks by name. Indeed, he had often commented to others that he could have found his way there with his eyes closed. Doubtless they did not believe him, this being one of the busier parts of the capital !
It was early and for a new issue day, eerily quiet. Where were all those collectors he had seen and chatted to so many times in the recent past. Could they have forgotten about today; Could they have missed something. He thought it strange but nonetheless continued on to the Philatelic Counter. No queue !
He peered through the protective glass and there was a man with his head down, as if in half-sleep. He was a balding man in his forties, at a guess, and did not notice the Middle aged man.
"Huh Hum, excuse me but I would like the new Smilers stamps please".
The postal worker looked up, opened his eyes fully, and said apologetically, " Er, sorry I was just ...er, well it's been quiet today and er.............."
" That's OK. I would like the new Smilers Stamps please"
The Postal worker opened the small drawer in front of him and handed him 1 booklet. " One pound eighty pence please sir"
" Also the Smilers sheet please because the stamps are not the same and I collect all the varieties"
" Sorry Sir, but the sheets are only available in Customized form"
He handed the man a form to fill in.
" If you would like to fill this in and pay fourteen pounds ninety nine pence then I can order it for you. I will of course need a photograph "
The middle aged man stopped admiring his booklet and looked at the man. " WHAAAAAAAAAT ! You want me to pay 14.99 pounds for stamps with a face value of 6 pounds. Do you think I'm stupid or WHAAAAAT !" His voiced reached a higher level. "I have been coming here all year, week in week out, spending my good money and now you want to cheat me into paying more than double for stamps...NO,NO,NO,NO,......."
" NO,NO,NO,NO,". The middle aged man woke up in a Cold Sweat, shaking. He was relieved to see it was morning and noticed the sun shining through the window.
" Are you alright dear". His wife came in the room with laundry and noticed her pale looking husband. " Yes, bit of a nightmare that's all"
He dressed quickly and went downstairs for breakfast. His wife noticed that he was quiet as they ate their Eggs and Bacon. He was usually quite chatty.
" I am going out for a while", he said to his wife after the meal was over. He went to get his coat.
" I don't think you will need that today", she said. "It's quite hot for October. And don't forget the new Smilers stamps are out today".
The door closed behind as he stepped into the warm sunshine. Then he stopped, a sudden chill came over him and he was goose-pimply from head to toe.
"How did she know that"
The End.
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re: Stamp Stories
I enjoyed your Panama info, Smauggie. I know two things about Darien - first it was where in about 1700 an investment scheme was launched to develop the area. It was promoted in Scotland and loads of Scotland's wealthy hurried to invest their savings, but it soon turned out that the investment was unwise. The area was very unsuitable for development - swampy and mosquito infested. The Scottish investors lost a vast amount of money.
The other thing is that my ex mother-in-law lived in Darien Connecticut - a rather different town on Long Island. We visited in 1979.
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re: Stamp Stories
They still hold a Highland Games every year in Panama City.
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Auctions - Approvals
re: Stamp Stories
My stamp story didn't change the world or stamp history, but I'll remember it forever.
I had a very interesting WWII card, written in German, to an Officer in the German Army. I went to a lot of trouble, at the time, to get it translated. Turns out it was from a newspaper asking if the Officer wanted to renew his subscription.
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09:55:25am
re: Stamp Stories
On June 10th 1970 Canada issued an 8 cent stamp to honour a man who had been hanged. Louis Riel was born into the settlement known as the Red River country.He first came in to prominence when the Canadian government was negotiating the transfer of the western territory from Great Britain to Canada. Under General Lois Riel joined the Metis to form the government. They seized the Hudson bay Company.property and Fort Garry. With respect for the Metis`s rights the territory became Manitoba in 1870.Riel was elected to parliament but in 1875 he was banished from Canada for 5 years. In 1885 he returned to Canada and aided a group of Metis who wanted to form a settlement on the banks of the south Saskatchewan river. When unsuccessful in resolving the rights of the Metis he formed a provisional government at Batoche. They met with adetachtment of Mounted Police where battle continued for 2 months .The Metis were defeated. Riel was tried for treason and sentenced to hang A second Canada stamp was issued in 2017 and a 3rd stamp was issued in 2019 to recognize the Red River Resistance.. Manitoba celebrated Louis Riel Day.on Feb 20th 2023
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
27 Jun 2023
12:33:01pm
re: Stamp Stories
''....The other thing is that my ex mother-in-law lived in Darien Connecticut - a rather different town on Long Island. We visited in 1979., ....
Sorry, Long Island is in the state of New York, not Connecticut. I do not recall any ''Darien '' on Long Island.
N.Y. and CT. are separated by the Long Island Sound.
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08:13:47pm
re: Stamp Stories
On my way home from the Vietnam War I stopped at an old used book store, and found an old book from the 1890s.
Inside the book there was 5 blocks of 4 of the Scott Illus. number A88. They looked like there were just bought from the post office. I soaked off the gum to protect them.
1898
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re: Stamp Stories
You're right, Charlie - my mistake. Darien is in Connecticut, on the Long Island Sound. It was where the original Stepford Wives film was made. It's a rather up market commuter town.
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re: Stamp Stories
"You're right, Charlie - my mistake. Darien is in Connecticut, on the Long Island Sound. It was where the original Stepford Wives film was made. It's a rather up market commuter town."
I used to work for a company headquartered in Basingstoke, UK. At a local bar the drink special of the night was "Long Island Beach Ice Tea". I had to explain to them that it was just "Long Island Ice Tea" and that was no Long Island Beach!
If you want to read some interesting stamp stories, I just started on Herman Herst's "Nassau Street". There are cheap copies on eBay. I'm only a few chapters in and it's interesting how a small circle of dealers controlled prices!
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01:43:30pm
re: Stamp Stories
When I was stationed in England, I used to buy stamps at the on base post office. I noticed one day sometimes the coils stamps had a small number at the bottom, I saved these stamps and the number was "6", and the Scott # is 1891. Years later I found out these are consider rare.
You just never know!
1898
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This is my diabetic cat OBI! I think, therefore I am - I think! Descartes, sort of!
01 Jul 2023
04:07:21pm
re: Stamp Stories
The fact that I collect stamps today is because of a hardware store in Kentville, N.S. My wife and I had just met at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S. For some reason we ended up hitch hiking to nearby Kentville. We ended up in Rockwell's Hardware, again for some obscure reason I can't remember! What I do remember is that one of the people working there was a stamp collector and sold supplies. We ended up looking at those packets of pretty stamps that were for sale. My wife had a thing for horses (we actually bought one several years later, Skippy from the Halifax Junior Bengal Lancers) and one package of Poland stamps had a few pretty "horsey stamps" in it!! That's where it all started!! GOK why we went in the store but many years later I still have that original series of horse stamps - CTO and worth almost nothing, but priceless to me!
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re: Stamp Stories
I go back to 1966. I was 8 years old and reading "Johnny Appleseed". We received a package from my grandparents that had a bunch of the 1966 stamp commemorating Johnny Appleseed. My father pointed it out to me and it was love at first sight! I was immediately a stamp collector. My father was US military at NATO and would bring home stamps from International mail. The first time I saw a South African stamp with a zebra on it, I was excited! Wow! That stamp came all the way from Africa!
And so it went from there.
My teenage Scott Minuteman album... that's my first stamp, stained and all. Never abandon your first friend!
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