This hilariously brazen poke-in-the-eye was issued during the dying days of the Soviet Union and features infamous double-agent Kim Philby. Credits to the esteemed International Stamp Club of New York for the discovery.
#stamps #philately #spieslovemail #kim #philby
All put back together.
This 1995 brochure from Myanmar (formerly Burma) describes the relationship:
"The Tatmadaw [Royal Armed Forces] befriended the Japanese not because it liked fascism but because it desired to drive the imperialists out."
So not exactly welcoming...
It's probably overstating things to say "many" welcomed the Japanese. Support mainly came from a small group of nationalists at the top levels of government and the military.
Here's another Japanese occupation stamp, this time from Burma, issued in 1943. I was surprised to learn that unlike Manchukuo's puppet state, many Burmese welcomed Japan as liberators from Britain—hopes soon dashed by the realities of war.
#stampcollecting #philately #stamps #japan #burma
Anyone else notice that Scott now lists Carpatho-Ukraine as its own country, rather than as a semi-autonomous region of Czechoslovakia?
#philately #stampcollecting #ukraine #czechoslovakia
Pretty sure these are the first postage stamps to feature a drone swarm.
#philately #stampcollecting #ukraine #spiderweb
I wish I had taken some photos. Mostly all I have left now are 10c blocks and lower values which don't fit on an envelope. Do you notice that vintage stamped envelopes take longer to deliver? My mileage varies greatly. I wonder if they are hand-sorted by the Post Office?
I used up all my 13¢ stamps after realizing that a block of six came to 78¢—exactly the current postage—and fit neatly on a #10 envelope. I couldn’t resist; the mail pieces looked so nice.
Here’s a drawing that my art partner in crime and I did in 2020 to protest DeJoy sabotaging the USPS. We made these into postcards and sent them all over the US. I wonder how many senators/reps received them. Quite a few I’m sure. Still relevant, unfortunately. I think I have a stack left somewhere.
Those Contrasello issues are quite a rabbit hole! I didn’t realize the 1867 stamps were later overprinted for telegraph use. Imagine sending a telegram in the 1870s? I’ll have to comb through my El Salvador stamps to see if I’ve missed any.
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:El...
Interesting side note, El Salvador was only the second state to formally recognize Manchukuo. There is a certain irony in one puppet state extending legitimacy to another—a small but telling moment in the theater of international politics.
El Salvador has been making headlines recently, but before it was famous for giga-prisons, it was known as the "Land of Volcanoes." Here is El Salvador’s first postage stamp, printed in 1867 by the American Bank Note Company, featuring the Izalco volcano.
#philately #stampcollecting #elsalvador
My condolences buddy, thinking of you.
Thanks for sharing the results. My go-to soaking solution is water, hydrogen peroxide (except stamps w/ fugitive inks such as GB SC #122), and a tiny drop of Dawn dish soap (helps break down the adhesive--or so I have been told).
This is a great post.
Just broke a piano string mid-tuning. Excellent live demo of Hooke’s Law meeting Newton’s Second Law.
I use a wine press, teeheehee.
I am happy to know that others have encountered this form of quantum entanglement. It's like the stamps multiply in water.
I think these were issued without gum so that's correct. How about those margins though? Do they seem a little wide?
In this case the heavily oxidized hinge is a good sign I think. As you suggested, it's been around for some time.
@stamplab.bsky.social mentioned Manchukuo recently, which is an interesting chapter in history and philately. So, here's a stamp issued in 1935 during the brutal Japanese occupation of Chinese Manchuria, featuring the puppet emperor Puyi.
#stampcollecting #stamps #philately #china #japan #manchukuo
I posted this photo before, but deleted it because I felt like it was too personal. I really should stop deleting posts. So, let's try again: here is a piano that my partner Christine gave me. It's basically the most incredible gift I've ever received from the most incredible person I've ever known.
I only got to see Tony Conrad once—back in 2006 at Eyedrum in Atlanta. He screened a few films (most memorable was "The Flicker"), then played violin behind a screen, illuminated so you could only see his shadow. It was really special.
I managed to get this working again. Another 4-track brought back from the brink. I've almost fixed as many as I've broken now--not quite though.
Yaaay Taku!
Exactly, the stamps aren't generally worth any money, but the stories and the characters (like Farley and Feigenbaum) are a lot of fun.
Neat! I know some collectors look down on them, but I find cinderella stamps really fascinating. Have you heard of Feigenbaum?
Here’s something unique — an Express Post stamp from the Republic of China, issued between 1912 and 1916 (I think). Does anyone know more about these? It’s the only one I’ve ever come across.
#philately #stampcollecting #stamps #china
