Montpellier through postcards

Main illustrations of local geographic and historic books, postcards are in use again in a magazine-like book: Il était une fois... Montpellier en images, published for this end of year 2007 by newspaper Midi libre.

Another books, with hard covers, can be read at the Central library Émile Zola of Montpellier (look for them in the middle of the first floor, in Human sciences).

Here, among the 68 pages of the town's history (and of its river, the Lez, and its train to Palavas) from the late 19th to the late 20th centuries, Christian Vella, from the postcard club of Montpellier-Juvignac, explains how to begin a collection.

You can bought it on line here for some times.

eurobilltracker.eu

A mail from the EuroBillTracker team arrived during my Christmas break. Their website permit to register and follow the euro bills that went through your hands.

After a problem with the domain name property, http://www.eurobilltracker.eu/ is becoming the new site adress.

It reminds me of the rififi in some philatelic academies these last months, that are finally a little bit explained in the philatelic press (Timbres magazine de janvier 2008 page 15), without being a coopted member of these associations.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas. Read me next week.

Charles too

I continue with Royal semi-postal stamps of New Zealand. In 1952, here is the young (age 4) Prince Charles.

Semi-postal princess

On 4th of December, I presented you a semi-postal stamp of New Zealand picturing the future Queen Elizabeth II, issued 1943. here is its companion with a portrait of Princess Margaret.

30% promised already reached!

Saint Nicolas wrote to his French philatelists friends :

Firstly, I wished that [the French La Poste] followed with resolution the growth of the number of intaglio stamps, to reach in 2009, 30% of issues printed in this technology.

A simple arithmetic based on the 2007 issues of France as presented in Timbres magazine (without the pre-cancelled and the service stamps) gives an interesting result believing the Virtual Stamp Club : 50 issues in 2007 / 16 printed in intaglio.

Difficult conversion : 32% of France's stamp issues are printed in intaglio (taille-douce in French).

Ah! how restful are promises kept... even before they are made :)

Elizabeth II on machine stamp, next on postage meter?

Between 1984 and 1985, automates sold stamps which value was printed on demand of the user, in some post offices. The stamp was one like this one:



Queen Elizabeth II's profile is the one used on British commemorative stamps, designed by Arnold Machin from his definitive serie effigy.

There is no machine stamps in this country. This may explain why philatelists are fearing the postage meter, called Horizon labels : available since 2002, they are blank piece of paper with just enough printed intels to post a mail (value, brand, date, number of the printing counter).

Stamp Magazine of January 2008 announced that a new design will be inaugurated in the first weeks of 2008, including a graphic element for security purpose. May the British have better than pale yellow on pale blue design...

How much longer?

How do you sell stamps when collectors buying them can't use them? Make a record of it.

A little more than 15 centimeters and a half is this French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF) issued on 21 June 2007. It depicts the sun path upon the Antarctic horizon on the Southern Winter solstice.


It is equivalent to 7 or 8 Marianne definitives (here is the commemorative booklet for the Marianne de Cheffer) or two se-tenant pair of the France-Greenland French issue.

What can you do with it? Nothing in Metropolitan France, unless the discovery of a pedagogic picture about our world in the solar system for 0,90 € (less than a well-sized poster).

If you hang around one of the five TAAF districts (where you can not put a foot unless authorized by French authorities...), you can post a letter to the world (you can have a better price if you write to France, its overseas and the former colonies).

For another beautiful stamps from highly philatelicly valuable territories, visit the Falkland Islands Philatelic Bureau. I only wish all Metropolitan stamps were so inspired and inspiring on mail.

End of sheets

I like the edge of stamp sheets, even if I don't collect them : I need the stamps on my mail (upper 0,85 € Space Exploration is for world mail) and the money for other hobbies.

Semi-postal Majesty

During the Second World War, the two daughters of King George VI appeared on semi-postal stamps of New Zealand.

In 1942, Elizabeth and Margaret illustrated triangular stamps.

Majesty (2)

Elizabeth once again, then a Princess, with her sister Margaret, on one of the many issues commemorating the 1947 Royal Family visit in Austral Africa.


The series of South Africa was issued in many forms :
* three stamps : King George VI in uniform, with his wife, the two princesses, and all with a legend in English ;
* these three stamps with legend in Afrikaan like here ;
* the two series overprinted "SWA" for use in the South West African mandate, formerley a German colony, and future Namibia.