Hidden Tales in Stamps Part - 1 Rajkumar N 12 th July 2020
Nicaragua’s Loss, Panama’s Gain • Nic Nicar arag agua, 19 1900 00 • Stam Stamp depi depicts ts Mount t Mom omoto tombo in in Nic Nicaragua, , wit with vol volcanic c acti activity ity • Panama Canal – Wate ter Passage betw tween Atl tlanti tic & Pacific; Land Bridge betw tween North th and and So South th Am Americ erica • In In 18 1881 81, French decided to to build a can anal al that at pas asses thru Pan anam ama an and sta tarte ted work but hit majo ajor road ad-blocks an and cost escal alat ations. Chan angi ging han ands in in 189 894, th the French kept th the op oper erati tions goi going • In In 19 1901, Theodore Roosevelt became Americ rican an President an and one of of his to top priority ty was as to to ease ease trad trade from from Wes este tern Coa oast of of US USA to to Eur Europe • French saw an an opti tion to to sell th their eir proje ject to to USA, but America wan ante ted to to build a can anal al of of their their ow own in in Nic Nicaragua • Am Amer erica ica wit with majo ajority ty sen senat ate ti tiltin lting tow towards Nica Nicaragu gua goi going to to vo vote te on on Nica Nicaragu gua • Philippe Jean an Bunau-Var arilla, a, French Engi gineer of of th the Proje ject, t, sent sent a note te to to al all American an Sen Senat ators pas pastin ting thi this stam stamp wit with a not note that that volc volcan anoes es were were sti still ll acti active in in Nic Nicar aragu gua • Am Amer erica ican Sen Senat ate Vot Voted 42 42-34 34 in in fav favor of of Pana anama & bo bough ght the the cana canal $50 50m
Oosh … Top Secret !!! • Chin hina, , 195 1953 • The he Blu lue milit ilitary sta stamps wer ere iss issued for for Chin hinese sold soldiers and nd arm rmy per personnel • The Chin inese government soon rea ealiz ized th that th these sta tamps were dr draw awin ing to too much att ttenti tion. It It was becomin ing easy to to recogniz ize a pie iece of of army mail il th that could ha have confi fidentia tial in info format atio ion insi inside • The were immedia iate tely wit ithdr draw awn and nd reca called, so so th that con confi fidenti tial inf info cou could be be hidd hidden
Secret Mission • USA SA, 1962 1962 • Sta tamp to to commemorate te th the fir irst mann nned spac ace fl flig ight of of an an Americ ican an as astr trona naut, t, John John Gle Glenn nn • Su Surpris ise sta tamp release - fo for th the fi first an and only ti time in in th the country try's 's posta tal hist history • Engra ravers an and Desig igners gave an an im impressio ion th they were on on leave and and worked nig night hts or or week eekends ds • The sta tamp was revealed and and im immedia iate tely pu put on on sale in in 305 305 post offi fices im immedia iate tely afte after Gle Glenn nn's tri triumpha hant retu return rn to to Ear arth th • No No cou count ntry na name in in the the stam stamp – crea create ted ru rumors of of stam stamp may aybe be wit ithd hdraw awn • Out of of th the 305 305 Post Off ffic ices in in US US at at th that ti time, 20 20 of of th them do do not have a fi first da day ca canc ncell ellat atio ions du due to to com communic icat ation err error or or ti time zon zone diffe differenc nces • Pr Proje ject ct Mercu ercury ry stam stamp is is a sp speci ecializ ized US US col collect ction
Even Forgery needs Knowledge • Pri Private sta stamp by by FLT , 194 1948 • The first sta tamp of of the new service was issued with a face value of of 2 Pfennig in in bla black ck colo color and nd fea featuring the the Fra rank nkfurt coa coat of of arm rms • Later, a second stamp with same face value, this time in in blue color, was issued. This second stamp, due to to its color or and the stamp cliche closely resembled the 20 20 Pfen Pfennig sta stamps of of the the na natio tional “ Reichs hspost ”, cir circulating at at the the tim time • Due to to the likelihood of of confusion between the stamps, the use of of the blue Fra rank nkfurt sta stamp was for forbi bidden by by Reichpost • To To avoid id confu fusio ion, th the blue Fr Fran ankfu furt sta tamp was re re-is issu sued wit ith a pr pron onounce ced red red “ 2 ” ove overprin int. • Forgerie ies of of this is sta tamp becam ame popula lar & fo forgers wit ithout adequate te kn knowledge overp rprin inte ted bla lack ck sta tamps of of th the fir irst is issue, wit ith a colored “ 2 ”, which hich neve never exis existe ted • This his beca became an an eas easy forg forgery iden identi tifi ficat atio ion proc process ss
We are the Queen • GB, , 199 1999 • Roy oyal l Mail il iss issued sta stamps com commemorating Fred reddy Mer ercury, the the dec eceased lead singer of the rock band “Queen” • The Queen & Royal fa famil ily, are th the only liv iving people allowed to to be be fe feat atured on on stam stamps ps of of Gr Grea eat Br Brita itain in • In In th the ba back ckground of of th the sta tamp a small sil ilhouett tte of of th the drummer Rog oger Tay aylor, who ho is is still still aliv alive, is is vis visib ible • It It crea eate ted an an iss ssue in in phil ilate telic ic cir ircles in in London. Aft fter a long deba bate te, Royal Mail il decid ided not to to wit ithdra raw th the sta tamp as as only a sm smal all silh silhouett tte is is visi visible in in the the stam stamp • But th then, th there is is no no violati tion of of th the lett tter of of th the rule – Roger een ☺ ) Tay aylor, r, after after all, all, was as a pa part rt of of Queen
You need a CIA to spot the error • USA, 1979 1979 • Colon olonial rus rushlight ho hold lder sta stamp, Defi efinitive iss issue • In In 19 1986 86, one CIA IA empl ploye yee noti ticed a sheet sheet th that at was printe ted inverte ted in in th the mai ail room. The he sheet sheet had had 95 95 stam stamps in in whic which one one was was da damag aged • He He told told 8 of of his his fri friends abo about thi this and and they they deci decided to to make ake a qu quick ick buc buck • The hey went to to th the post office, e, bought a regular full shee eet and replaced it it for th the inverte ted shee sheet • The hey to took one stam amp eac ach for th them as as souvenir an and sold th the 85 85 remai ainin ning to to a sta tamp dea dealer in in New New jer ersey for for $25 25,000 000 • But when th the deal aler went public with th th the inverte ted pan ane, Unite ted state tes post office was miffe iffed and and lau launched ed a full full-fledge ged inv investi tiga gati tion, that that led led the them to to CIA IA • CIA IA th then launched an an inte ternal al investi tiga gati tion an and ruled th that at th the stam amps were th the property of of CIA IA an and ordered th the 9 employe yees to to return th the sta tamps – 4 returned, 4 refused an and were were fir fired fro from the their job obs and and 1 cla claim imed to to have have los lost it it – and and kep kept his his job ob
America and Russia are Mirror Images • Nor orth h Kor orea, , 197 1970 • North Korea issued a mini-sheet with 10 10 diff fferent stamps com commemorating the the 5th th Kor orean Workers’ Pa Party Con ongress. • The sta tamp on on th the lower rig ight sh shows an an Americ ican an soldier getti ting beat beaten by by the the rev revoluti tionar arie ies • But th the sta tamp ha had spelled "US" spelled bac ackwards ds as as "SU." There was a fe fear th that th the “SU” would mean Soviet Union (whic ich was at at th the ti time ban ankr krollin ing Korea's 's developmen ent an and defe fense) and and that that the the Sov Sovie iets ts wou ould take take offen offense at at this this • As As soon as as th the err rror was as sp spotte ted th the North th Korean government rec ecalled th the sheets ts of of sta tamps ps, deta tach ched th the offe fendin ing lower rig ight stam stamp, p, and and then then re re-releas ased the the rest rest of of the the sh sheet eet
The man who can count more? • Mon onaco, , 194 1946 • In In mem emory of of Fra rank nklin D. Roo oosevelt lt • The President’s hand has six fingers in his left hand
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