A Mouldy Situation!

Have you ever opened up one of your albums that has been sitting on the shelf for a year or so to discover that one - or perhaps a few - of you precious stamps has developed a fungal disease or has started to rust? I always assumed that I was immune to this. I live in a cold climate with very little humidity, and I store my stamps in a cool, dark place. Safe, right? Wrong! None of this means diddly if the fungus or rust already existed on the stamp microscopically before you added it to your album.

Unfortunately, I have now experienced this first hand. Several years ago I purchased a MNH set of AAT 1957-59 definitives. All of the stamps seemed perfectly clean. Then about a year ago, I pulled out the folder in which they were stored. I was horrified to discover that my 2/3 stamp was playing host to a rather nasty fungus!

Hideous, right? So what happens now? Toss the stamp out as fast as possible and buy a new one to replace it (not always easy to buy a single from a definitive set)? Well, you certainly could, and such an act would be understandable. That growth is rather disturbing. But there is a solution. A solution that was revealed to me by a stamp buddy. It involves a very simple procedure. However, the procedure does have a drawback. If your stamp is mint, the gum will be removed, as the process requires soaking the offending stamp. Of course, there are many who may not wish to do this, and that''s fine. That's the beauty of this hobby. All decisions are our own, and we can do with our own collections as we see fit. But if you are one of those who doesn't care because you never intend to get rid of the stamp, and a lack of gum is not an issue, then the following process may be for you.

The key to the process that will kill the spores, and often remove the staining, is over-the-counter Peroxide. The strength you are looking for is 6%-9% solution Peroxide. Once you have acquired this, the process is simple.

Grab your peroxide and an opaque dish and something you can place on top of it. Place enough Peroxide - directly from the bottle - in the dish to allow the stamp to soak in it easily. Then drop the stamp into the Peroxide. Once you have done this place the cover over the bowl. It is absolutely vital that you cover the bowl straight away! The key to the success of this procedure is darkness. Depending on the size and/or intensity of the stain the process can take between 15 to 30 minutes. You must leave the cover over the bowl for the whole process. It is, however, a good idea to give the stamp a quick check every 5 or so minutes to see how it is going. Give it a swish in the Peroxide, then place the cover straight back on. Once you are satisfied with the results, remove the stamp from the Peroxide and give it a rinse in water to deactivate the Peroxide. Do not soak the stamp for any longer than 30 minutes.

I used the process I just described on the fungus-infected AAT stamp I showed you above. Here is a before and after...

It looks like a totally different stamp, doesn't it? I will say, though, that this procedure may not always give this level of result. What it will definitely do is kill the mould outright and most likely lighten the discolouration, at least somewhat. After seeing the results I got from the above stamp, I'm thoroughly convinced.

Until next time...

Stay Engraver Crazy! 

France 1954 - Château Gaillard

Imagine you are travelling along the River Seine in a north-westerly direction from Paris. You enter the Eure département of historical Normandy. Then something catches your eye. A large circular castle standing on a huge mound. It looms some 90 metres over the commune of Les Andelys on the River Seine. You are seeing the stalwart medieval castle known as Château Gaillard.

Construction on the castle began in 1196. It was built for the King of England, Richard the Lionheart. At this time King Richard was also the Duke of Normandy. It was a massive castle with a considerably advanced design, employing the principles of 'concentric fortification'. Its complexity notwithstanding the castle was completed in the record time of just two years. It was built at the same time as the town of Petit Andely, which it overlooked. Today, the castle is in ruins, but it is still an awe-inspiring sight.

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On 8 June 1954 France issued a set of seven stamps featuring French Monuments. The 8f value features Château Gaillard and Les Andelys on the River Seine. According to Phil-Ouest, Albert Decaris only designed this stamp. But I cannot find another name on the stamp, which usually, from what I've seen, means that it was both designed and engraved by the one person. So I'll assume Decaris engraved this stamp also. If anyone knows differently, I'd love to hear from you.

In this design, the River Seine sweeps through the centre of the stamp, drawing the eye towards the middle distance where the ruin of the medieval castle, Château Gaillard, stands proudly. Below the castle to the left is the commune of Les Andelys.

Until next time...

Stay Decaris Crazy!

In the Mail...France 1974 & 2009

I have to confess that when it comes to covers I receive in the mail, I'm a bit of a hoarder. I tend to keep everything, whether I'm interested in the stamps or not. Consequently, I end up with large stacks of covers that, from time to time, need to be sorted into keepers and discards. Last night I decided to go through one of my stacks and I was pleasantly surprised to find a few covers from France with engraved stamps affixed. So I thought I'd share some of the stamps I've found in a few blogs. 

The stamps below have been cut away from the rather large and ugly cover so I can store them more easily.

The stamp on the left is from a set of four Red Cross stamps celebrating the four seasons issued in France on 30 November 1974. It was engraved by Cecilie Guillame, a female engraver who engraved 37 stamps for France. The stamp on the right is from the 2009 Marianne definitive series issued in France on 28 February. It was designed and engraved by Yves Beaujard.

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Let's take a closer look at the Red Cross stamp without the postmark. The subject of this delightful stamp is Ete, which is French for Summer. It features children playing on a beach, while in the distance a sail boat rides the waves. I love the colour choices in this stamp.

Until next time...

Stay Engraver Crazy!

Australia 1966 - First Decimal Definitives

On 14 February 1966 Australia's currency changed from the Australian Pound, which was introduced in 1910, to Decimal Currency. Accordingly a new set of definitives were required for the new decimal values. Below is the actual TV commercial informing Australians of the changes to come.

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It was decided to use the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Anthony Buckley for the 1c to 4c denominations. This was not the first time the Buckley portrait was used for an Australian definitive. It was previously used on the 1963 5d definitive and the 5d Royal Visit stamp.

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For the new 1966 decimal definitives, the design of the 5d stamp was significantly reworked. The circular frame was removed and the portrait of the queen somewhat enlarged.

In order to save money, it was decided that a single master die would be engraved leaving a blank space in the top left corner for different values to be inserted later. The undenominated master die was engraved by Bruce Stewart. As mentioned above, this design was printed in four different values on 14 February 1966. 1c Red-brown, 2c Yellow-green, 3c Grey-green, 4c Red. The four cent denomination was the standard letter rate at the time. Below is a lovely a booklet pane of the 4c denomination.

Three further denominations of this design were printed, reflecting increases in the standard letter rate. The 5c Blue on 29 September 1967.

The 6c Orange on 28 September 1970.

The 7c Purple on 1 October 1971.

An 8c denomination had been prepared to be issued in 1973, but by this time intaglio printing was being replaced by the cheaper photogravure printing method. Sadly, this lovely set of engraved definitives was replaced by the Marine Life series, which was photogravure printed, on 11 July 1973.

Until next time...

Stay Engraver Crazy!

Greece 1933 - Airmail

A few years back my father gifted me with the stamp collection of my Great-Grandfather. Only recently have I found the time to start browsing through it for potential engraved beauties. One stamp caught my eye today and I thought I'd share it.

The stamp is from a set of seven Airmail stamps issued in Greece in 1933. I love the simplicity of the design and the clean lines. At this point I have no idea who engraved this stamp. It says Bradbury Wilkinson & Co. at the bottom of the stamp. Perhaps an in-house engraver? Does anyone out there have any more information on this great stamp? 

Until next time...

Stay Engraver Crazy!

Tristan da Cunha 1954 - Definitives

Tristan Da Cunha, located in the south Atlantic Ocean, is the most remote archipelago in the world. It consists of four volcanic islands, three of which are uninhabited. The main island, the only inhabited island, is known as Tristan da Cunha, or Tristan for short. The other three islands are: Nightingale Island (which has two of its own smaller islands, Middle Island and Stottenhoff Island); Inaccessible Island: and Gough Island. Incidentally, these three islands are nature reserves.

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On 2 January 1954 Tristan da Cunha released its first set of Queen Elizabeth II definitives. The set was printed at De La Rue, and possibly engraved in-house. If anyone out there knows the name of the engraver or engravers who contributed to this set, I'd love to hear from you. All colours used in this blog are taken from Stanley Gibbons Elizabethan Sepcialised Catalogue, 1976 ed.

½d red and deep brown. Crawfish. The crawfish or crayfish, is known on Tristan as the Tristan Rock Lobster. They are found in abundance on the island.

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1d sepia and bluish-green. Flax Cart. Flax has been used on the island for thatched-roof houses.

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1½d black and reddish-purple. Rockhopper Penguin. Northern Rockhopper Penguins are one of the smallest penguin species. They are known by Tristan Islanders as Pinnamin. These lovely little creatures are incredibly agile. On Nightingale Island the penguins have to negotiate steep rock surfaces by hopping over the terrain, hence the name.

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2d grey-violet and brown-orange. Big Beach Factory. The original Big Beach Fishing Factory was destroyed by lava in 1961. The second factory was gutted by fire in 2008. 

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2½d black and carmine-red. Mollymauk. The yellow-nosed albatross is known by Tristan islanders as the 'Mollymauk'.

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3d ultramarine and olive-green. Island Boat.

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4d turquoise-blue and deep blue. Tristan from the South West.

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5d emerald and black. Potato Patches. Potatoes are a dietary staple of Tristan islanders. Unsuitable for many crops, the volcanic earth is perfect for potato crops.

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6d deep green and violet. Inaccessible Island from Tristan.

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9d reddish violet and venetian red. Nightingale Island. To the right you can also see one of Nightingale's two smaller islands, possibly Middle Island. 

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1/- deep yellow-green and sepia. St. Mary's Church. The church was opened in  1923.

 

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2/6 deep brown and light blue. Elephant Seal on Gough Island. The island is also home to the subantarctic fur seal. Unfortunately, a small amount of sealing has occurred on the islands.

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5/- black and red-orange. Flightless Rail on Inaccessible Island. This species is found only on this island. It is the smallest flightless bird in the world. Thankfully, the island has remained free of predators allowing the Rail to flourish.

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10/- brown-orange and purple. Spinning Wheel. Tristan is home to a thriving wool industry with over 1,000 head of sheep on the island. Every year the island hosts a Shearing Day.

Until next time...

Stay Engraver Crazy!

France 1982 - Jules Verne

“The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides. The sea is only the embodiment of a supernatural and wonderful existence. It is nothing but love and emotion; it is the Living Infinite. ”
― Jules Verne, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

On 8 February 1828 one of the greatest science-fiction writers ever to put ink to parchment was born. His name was Jules Gabriel Verne. He was born on a small artificial island called Île Feydeau within the town of Nantes on the Loire River. His father, Pierre Verne, was a lawyer and he expected his son to follow in his footsteps. But it became very clear early in Verne's life that he had little interest in such a vocation. While studying to be a lawyer in Paris, Verne frequently indulged in his passion for writing and theatre by composing several plays. Even though he spent a great deal of time writing plays, poems, and stories, Jules Verne graduated from his law studies in 1851.

It was in the same year, 1851, that Jules Verne met a fellow writer from his home town of Nantes, Pierre-Michel-François Chevalier. Chevalier was the editor-in-chief of the magazine Musée des familles (The Family Museum). He was a great admirer of Verne's research skills and attention to detail. Inspired by Chevalier's interest in his work, Verne wrote and submitted a short historical adventure story The First Ships of the Mexican Navy. It was published in July 1851. A second short story A Voyage in a balloon was published in the next month's August issue. This second story was later described by Verne as...

"...the first indication of the line of novel that I was destined to follow."

As far as writing goes, destiny was very kind to Jules Verne. He wrote over 70 novels and numerous stories, poems and plays. And he is the second-most translated author on the planet behind Agatha Christie. 

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On 22 November 1982 France issued a beautiful set of two semi-postal Red Cross stamps celebrating the amazing stories of Jules Verne. Both stamps were designed and engraved by Pierre Becquet.

The first stamp has a 1,60f face value with a 0,30f surcharge. It features the novel Five Weeks in a Balloon.

Five Weeks in a Balloon was first published in 1863. The novel follows Dr. Samuel Ferguson, a scholar and explorer, who, accompanied by his manservant Joe, and his friend, professional hunter, Richard "Dick" Kennedy, sets out in a balloon filled with hydrogen on a journey across the African continent, which at that point was still in parts unexplored.

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The second stamp has a 1,80f face value with a 0,40f surcharge.  It features the novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was originally serialised from March 1869 through June 1870 in the magazine Magasin d’Éducation et de Récréation. The story features Captain Nemo, which is Latin for 'Nobody', and his steam-powered submarine Nautilus. 

Until next time...

Engraver Crazy!

France 1953 - French Theatre

Over the course of five months in 1953, France issued a stunning set of stamps celebrating French Literature and Theatre. The set is also a celebration of three highly talented French engravers. In this set we not only see the beauty of each engraver's subject, but the different interpretations of the art of engraving.

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The fantastic creative adventure began on the 27 May with the giant, Gargantua. The stamp was designed and engraved by Henry Cheffer. 

Written in the 16th century by the talented author, François Rabelais, The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel, was a set of five novels, chronicling the adventures of two giants, Gargantua and his son Pantagruel. Those of you who are readers of my Decaris Crazy blog may recall that I did a post studying France's 1950 François Rabelais stamp, designed and engraved by Albert Decaris. If you  have not already read it or would like to take another look, click HERE 

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On 8 June the second stamp in the series was issued. The focus of this stamp is the play Hermani by Victor Hugo. The stamp was designed and engraved by Robert Cami.

Hermani is a drama set in a fictitious version of the Spanish court of 1519. Romance and intrigue abound in this classic love triangle story.  Three men, all in love with the same woman, vie for her attentions. One can easily imagine the chaos that ensued. On the 25 February 1830, the play opened in Paris. The play is probably now best remembered for the fights and demonstrations that erupted on the night of its première. On  a positive note, the play inspired Verdi to create his opera, Ernani.

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Issued on 21 September was a stunning stamp focusing on Moliere's The Misanthrope. The stamp was engraved by René Cottet. It was designed by Robert Cami. This collaboration resulted in a visually sumptuous stamp. Just look at the detail in the costume!

The Misanthrope or Cantankerous Lover was written in the 17th Century by Molière. The play was a comedy of manners written  in verse. It premièred on 4 June 1666 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris. It was performed by the King's Players. The play ridicules the hypocritical nature of French aristocratic society, but on a deeper level, it also suggests that all humans in one way or another possess similar character flaws. Interestingly, the play was somewhat of a box office flop at the time, but it now considered Molière's best known work.

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Also issued 21 September was a charming stamp focusing on The Marriage of Figaro by Pierre Beaumarchais. This stamp is the second stamp in this set engraved by Henry Cheffer. It was designed by Andrew Spitz.

The Marriage of Figaro was written in 1778 by Pierre Beaumarchais. Structured as a comedy in five acts, the play is the second in the Figaro trilogy. It was preceded by The Barber of Seville and followed by The Guilty Mother. The play featured another one of those classic love triangles. In this story we have a girl, a rich baron, and a barber (Figaro). The play premièred at the Théâtre Français on 27 April 1784. From its opening night it was a huge success. It continued to run for 68 consecutive performances, and it became the biggest box office hit of the 18th Century. Apparently the theatre was so crowded on opening night three people were crushed to death.

Until next time...

Stay Engraver Crazy!

France 1944 - The Grand Condé

The famous French general, Louis de Bourbon, the Prince of Condé, was born on 8 September 1621. His father, Henri de Bourbon, first cousin once removed to King Henry IV, demanded his son have a proper education. Louis spent six years at the Jesuits' school at Bourges, where he studied history, law, and mathematics. After completing his studies at Bourges, he went on to study at the Royal Academy in Paris.

At the young age of 17 Louis began to display talent for leadership. While his father was absent from home, Louis managed to govern Burgundy successfully. It was about this time that young Louis' personal life became somewhat complicated. His father had betrothed him to the 13 year old, Claire-Clémence de Maillé-Brézé, niece of the powerful Cardinal Richelieu, chief minister of the king. The problem was Louis was in love with someone else, a woman named Marthe Poussard (mademoiselle du Vigean), daughter of the king's gentleman of the bedchamber. Despite this, Louis' father forced him to marry the thirteen year old girl.

Even though his young wife bore him three children, he accused her of multiple infidelities and had her locked away at Châteauroux. These charges were in all likelihood false, and merely a way of ridding himself of a woman he didn't love.

By the time of the Thirty Years War in 1643, Louis was already a combat veteran. But at the Battle of Rocroi on the 19 May, he excelled himself against Spanish generals with far greater experience. After a resounding victory, he returned to Paris a hero. But the woes of that annoying  marriage continued. It seemed the only respite from this situation was returning to the battlefront. In 1644, he went to Germany and he was again victorious in the Battle of Frieburg.

Louis' continued military success earned him respect as a general and he was renowned as le Grand Condé, which basically meant he was considered the most successful of the Condé family. For more on Louis, click HERE

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On 31 July 1944 France issued a set of six semi-postal stamps commemorating 17th Century French celebrities. Each stamp has a surcharge that contributed to national aid. One of these stamps features Louis as The Grand Condé. The stamp was designed and engraved by Albert Decaris. 

There are a few features in this design that I really like. Decaris has rendered the armour on Louis' right (our left) arm beautifully. I also like the delicate feel Decaris has given to the neck scarf. One final feature I like is the quiver-like country nameplate. A nice suggestion of the subject's military prowess.

Until next time...

Stay Decaris Crazy!

Monaco 1944 - Saint Devota

Sometime around 283 AD, a girl was born at Mariana in Corsica.The girl's name was Devota. Devota grew up as an ordinary girl, working as a servant in the household of senator Eutychius. Her only desire in life was to devote herself totally to the service of God. As part of her service to God, Devota decided to remain a virgin. Then in 303 AD her life was thrown into chaos when Emperor Diocletian launched the most severe Christian Persecution the Roman Empire had ever seen.  

Devota's death warrant arrived by ship in the form of a man named Barbarus. Barbarus led a fleet of ships to Corsica, and upon landing set about purging the land of Christians. Of course, it didn't take long for Barbarus to discover that a prominent senator had one of those hated Christians in his service. Barbarus demanded that Devota be handed over to him. But to his credit, Eutychius refused. Outraged by Eutychius' defiance, Barabarus arranged to have him poisoned. 

Devota was promptly taken into custody. She was imprisoned and tortured. Horrendous things were done to her. Her mouth was crushed and then she was dragged over rocky, brambles before eventually being stoned to death. The cruelty of these acts and Devota's bravery made her a martyr to her people. The local governor was horrified by this so he sought to have her body burned before it could be further venerated. 

In what must have been a daring and clandestine mission, the Christians managed to secret Devota's body away, saving it from the flames. Hidden in a boat bound for Africa, her body was escorted by three men: the boat's pilot Gratianus (Graziano); a priest, Benedict (Benenato); and his deacon, Apollinaris. These brave men hoped that Devota would receive a proper Christian burial in Africa. Unfortunately, Devota's woes did not end with her death. A terrible storm overtook the boat, threatening to consign it to the cold depths of the ocean. Then a dove suddenly appeared and guided the boat to safety to present-day Les Gaumates, a principality of Monaco. After this Devota became known as Saint Devota. So says the legend, anyway!

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On 7 December 1944, Monaco issued a set of nine semi-postal stamps commemorating Saint Devota. This blog will focus on the high value stamp, featuring the legend of the ocean journey of Devota's body. The stamp was designed and engraved by Pierre Gandon.

The stamp is a true masterpiece, packed with details of the legend. First, we see the boat battling against the high seas of a terrible storm. Inside the boat, the three men who escorted her body are working to keep the boat under control. Interestingly, there are also two women on the boat. Perhaps they were the ones who stole the body? And above the boat, we flies the miracle dove, guiding the body of Saint Devota and her brave rescuers to safety.

Until next time...

Stay Engraver Crazy!

Monaco 1974 - International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo

On this day, 6 May, in 1901, the supremely talented Albert Decaris was born in Sotteville-lès-Rouen, France. This year marks the 115th anniversary of his birthday. 

Over the last couple of days I've spent some time perusing my collection of stamps he engraved, searching for something appropriate to use to celebrate his birthday. When I turned to my stamps he engraved for Monaco, I came across a set that reminded me of one of my most memorable birthdays when I was a kid. I think it was my tenth or eleventh birthday and I recall being told we were going to visit my grandmother. I always enjoyed seeing my grandmother so I was quite excited by the idea, but little did I know we were going somewhere far more exciting! So I jumped into our car and we started driving. It wasn't long before I knew weren't going to my grandmother's. About a half an hour later my eyes nearly popped out of my head as we pulled up right near a Circus Big Top. That birthday was the best. What better way then to celebrate Decaris' birthday but with some circus stamps.

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The Premier Festival International du Cirque or International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo is an annual festival, created in 1974 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco. Every January the best circus performers from all over the globe flock to Monte-Carlo to take part in the festival. 

On 12 November 1974, Monaco issued a sumptuous set of seven stamps to celebrate the first year of the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo. Albert Decaris engraved the stamps and in my humble opinion they are some of the finest stamps he ever produced. The fun and frisky nature of the stamps suit his quirky style to a tee. 

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Roll up! Roll up! The circus has come to town!

Can you hear the crack of the whip? The roar of the wild beasts? We know what that means. Enter the brave tamer, decked out in his leopard-skin loin-cloth, working hard to maintain control of a group of tigers. Is that a tiger sneaking up behind him ready to pounce? Or is it a bested tiger and an example of what the tamer hopes to achieve with the other three tigers staring him down?

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The thunk of horse hooves reverberates beneath the Big Top as the prancing horses gallop out and dazzle the crowd with their organised prowess. Such colour. Such beauty.

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Who doesn't love an acrobatic elephant? Watch these giant lumbering beasts perform staggering feats of balance and control. Take a photo. What a great snapshot! 

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Prepare to be spellbound by the equestrian event. Marvel at the feats of human agility, all while riding upon a horse. 

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And here come the clowns! Laugh yourself silly with their zany, side-splitting antics.

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And what do we have here? Is that a man standing on a bike with a woman doing a handstand on his head? What masterful balance! Quiet now. We wouldn't want to disturb their concentration.

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Quick. Look up! Watch the grace and poise of the High-Wire acrobats. Just look at them fly. Tumbling, flying, catching, swinging...

Well, I hope you enjoyed the show!

Until next time...

Stay Decaris Crazy!

France 1947 - 12th Congress of the UPU

The Universal Postal Congress meets once every four years to tackle postage strategies for the coming four years and set future rules for international postage exchanges. The congress gathers at a different location for each meeting. The location for the 12th Congress in 1947 was Paris, France.

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On 7 May 1947 France issued an Air Mail stamp to celebrate the UPU Congress in Paris. Pierre Gandon was chosen to engrave the stamp. From the moment I laid eyes on this stamp the adjectives began bouncing around my brain. Exquisite. Gorgeous. Stunning. These are but a few examples of what I think whenever I study this masterpiece. So without further ado...

The level of detail in this stamp is superb (yet another adjective for you). There are two subjects in this stamp, and both have been handled with delicate expertise. The first subject is the seagull across the top of the stamp, which represents the Air Mail aspect of the stamp. Studying the seagull, we see it is riding a thermal over the great city with its head cocked to one side, enjoying the vistas. 

The second and obviously the main subject of the stamp is the Île de la Cité, which is one of two remaining natural islands in the river Seine. It is literally the heart of the city, since all road distances in France are calculated from a point on the island. But more importantly the island was the birthplace of Paris, dating as far back as 250 BC. Back then it was called Lutetia. 

The point of view in this stamp is from the east looking west. Gandon has drawn several details on the island for us to sink our teeth into. The first thing I noticed was the Notre Dame Cathedral, which can be seen at the middle right of the stamp. 

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Turning our attention to the foreground, we can see a bridge spanning the Seine and crossing the western point of the Île de la Cité. This bridge is called Pont Neuf or New Bridge. But don't be fooled by the name. The bridge is hardly new from our perspective. On the contrary it is actually the oldest standing bridge across the Seine. Construction began in 1578 and it was completed in 1607.

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Another feature that draws the eye is the copse of trees in front of the Pont Neuf. This is the Square du Vert-Galant, a small park named in honour of Henry IV, who had the nickname 'The Green Gallant'. 

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This stamp reminds me of a similar Air Mail stamp engraved by Albert Decaris, which looks at the Île de la Cité from the opposite direction. Notre-Dame Cathedral is also a central feature of this stamp. And in the middle right we can just make out Pont Neuf.

The Albert Decaris stamp used to be my favourite 'View of Paris' (for more on this stamp click HERE), but now I have to go with the Gandon stamp. What's your favourite?

Until next time...

Stay Engraver Crazy!

Cameroun 1939 - Carved Figures

In 1939 Cameroun issued a beautiful set of Postage Due stamps, featuring examples of carved African statues. The set comprises 10 stamps featuring the same design. A further Postage Due with the same design, but slightly tweaked was issued in 1944 (but more on that later). This design was engraved by Albert Decaris. Each value of this set was issued in a different colour, which in my opinion, subtly changes the impact of the design. As such I will share all the different values here. All colours I have used are according to the Scott Catalogue.

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5c burnt red violet.

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10c prussian blue.

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15c carmine rose.

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20c black brown.

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30c ultramarine.

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50c dark green.

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60c brown violet.

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1f dark violet.

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2f orange red.

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3f dark blue.

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As I mentioned above, there was a further Postage Due stamp of the same design issued in 1944. But this stamp is slightly different. Can you pick it?

If you haven't spotted it yet, turn your attention to the bottom of the stamp. The R & F are missing. Incidentally, this later stamp was not issued in Cameroun, according to the Scott Catalogue.

So which colour do you prefer?

Until next time...

Stay Decaris Crazy!