British Stamps used Abroad - Malta29 Dec 2019 - The origins of the British Post Office and Postal Agencies date back to the 18th century. However it was not until after the Napolenic wars in 1815, and with the expansion of the trade across the globe, that these Postal Offices were established and postal services were provided in the newly acquired dependent territories. Eventually these services were transferred from the control of the British Office to the evolving local administration. Those in foreign countries, nearly always based on existing British Consular appointments, were mostly connected to the network of British Packet lines which had been re-established in 1814. They tended to survive until the country in which they were situated established its own efficient postal services or joined U.P.U. The term "Post Office Agent" was employed by the British G.P.O and "Packet Agent" by the shipping lines to describe similar functions. Published on 29 Dec 2019 | ... Read More GET WITH IT! GET UP-TO-DATE!21 Jan 2018 - How many times have I said/heard this over the years? Average – once every five years, or less? I have survived a good number of these five-year periods and still you have to remain on the treadmill. The technology-minded will argue that the ideal time-scale is six months and reducing. How does this translate to stamp collecting today? Depends on what level you are at and what level you want to attain. I want to talk about expanding your collection at auctions; that’s where the material is at a middle to high level. Whatever, you are going to have to spend money, with overheads (commission, VAT) on top of your winning bid. My up-to-date insight is that you are wasting your time making postal bids. Unless you want to make an out-of-this-world offer, your postal bid will be gazumped by bidders on the phone or live on the internet. Get with it! Published on 21 Jan 2018 | ... Read More Disposing of Your Collection16 Dec 2017 - Disposing of your collection could involve important decisions of a financial nature.
What are the circumstances which might bring about a wish to end your collecting? Have you completed your collection and have reached a dead end? Do you need to get your hands on ready cash? Have you decided to try your hand at something different within or without philately in general? Are you acting on behalf of a deceased or incapacitated friend? Are you prepared to sacrifice part of your collection so as to invest in a more expensive expansion? What are the alternatives? Published on 16 Dec 2017 | ... Read More Postal History of Armenian Stamps - Introduction24 Apr 2016 - This is the first of few blogs that I will be posting in the next coming months dedicated to Armenian stamps and its postal history. Armenia is surrounded by Georgia in North, Azerbaijan in East, Iran in the South and Turkey in West. Although Imperial Russian postmarks were used in Armenia from 1858, as illustrated by the various Monogram, overprints and surcharges on the earlier Arms design stamps, the Armenian postage stamps have more in common with the Trident Issues of the Ukraine. Published on 24 Apr 2016 | ... Read More Natal Stamps1 Jan 2016 - Personally I am very much interested in South African stamps (specifically the commonwealth ones) due to its complex philatelical development over the past decades and the various colonies and republics which formed the federation. South Africa became a nation, as opposed to just being a geographical term, with the creation of the Union of South Africa on 31st May 1970. The philatelic history of South Africa continued with the establishment of Republic of South Africa in 1994. The various colonies and republics that form the very rich South African philatelic history are as follows: Published on 1 Jan 2016 | ... Read More
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