Finally, the exhibits were grouped in 1 1 classes, with a further break! down into 43 divisions. Class IV, Division 1 is an interesting class in comparison to today's exhibitions - general collection of postal adhesives, with or without envelopes, postcards etc, consisting of not less than 10 countries, with number of stamps exceeding 10,000. There were six entries in this Division, one being 11 volumes. Arthur H. Jefferis, who won the gold medal, exhibited nine volumes, including (to name but four items) Canada first issue laid paper, 3d strip of three and single, 6d pair and a single!
Uniform Penny Postage was introduced between USA and Great Britain on October 1, 1908. To commemorate the occasion, Sydney R Turner designed for the junior Philatelic Society (now the National Philatelic Society) an envelope that was printed in black. We illustrate a proof of the cover, signed by Turner. You can see that the design is very typical of Turner, and includes the words 'Penny Postage links the English speaking people of the World'. Reputedly, the envelope was also printed in a purple colour for the return trip from USA to Great Britain, but we have never seen one. Indeed, we do not have an example of the envelope used on the correct date in our collections, but we do have an envelope sent by Mr. Jacoby to S.L. Allen & Co (stamp dealers in the USA) - this perhaps is scarcer (see the illustration to the left).
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ABOVE: Cover from Canada for double rate Ocean Penny Postage.
Sent on December 7, 1898, it features the world's first Christmas stamp
and a Mulready design |
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- In our article The Brittany Rebellion (STAMP MAGAZINE February 2002), we asked for a translation of 'Breiz da Virviken' and 'Unvaniez', the latter we guessed to be a place name. We received letters from Jack Owen, Colwyn Bay and Alan Brignull, Colchester, who kindly told us that the former text means 'Brittany for ever' (the same as the Welsh 'Cymru am Byth' and the Irish 'Erin go Bragh') and the latter means 'Union'. Alan Brignull goes on to state that the 'arrow' symbols on either side of the harp are heraldic representations of ermine, which forms part of the Breton flag. The marks represent the dark tail ends in garments made of ermine fur. He says that the little three-lined symbols in the upper corners of the stamps are a sign from druidic mysticism called the Awen, representing three rays of light and symbolising divine inspiration. The druid symbolism is carried further with the mistletoe on the right, and oak on the left, with the Christian cross above the harp to restore some balance. Thank you both!
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