Volume 1, Number 10

Irish Philatelic Newsletter

Volume 1, Number 10                                                                                                                        October, 1999

A periodic publication for the members of the Éire Philatelic Association, the Irish Airmail Society, the Irish Philatelic Circle and the Forschungs-und Arbeitsgemeinschaft Irland e.V. The newsletter will be e-mailed to all interested members.

Published and edited by Michael Connolly
 

IMPs @ DMC
Maurice Barrett

A new IMP slogan came into use on 1 August 1999 on both machines 1 and 2.  It is worded: National Heritage / Week / 5 – 12 September. The earliest time seen for this new slogan is 11:00am.

(As an aside, that time of 11:00am is the earliest time yet seen on the IMPs since the time started to be added at the beginning of July 1999).

The “…..Return Address…..” slogan was last seen used on 30 July 1999 and no slogans for Saturday, 31 July 1999 have been seen by me. I assume the new slogan was first used on 1 August 1999, rather than 31 July 1999 –
can anyone confirm this?

This “National Heritage…..” slogan continued in use on both machines up to and including 1 September 1999. On and from 2 September 1999, the slogan reverted to “….Return Address…..” on both machines.

Regards,

MAURICE BARRETT 

C.S. Lewis?
Maurice Barrett

 I have been asked by a collector in NY, USA if there are any stamps (from any country) on C.S. Lewis. Can anyone supply information on this to me?

Regards,

MAURICE BARRETT

Costmarks
Stan Challis

I wonder if we have any experts on accountancy marks amongst our readers. I certainly do not fall into that category!

Three picture files are attached. The first ‘Parma’ should show a pre-stamp item from Dublin to Parma, Italy. There are four postmarks and three accountancy marks. The postmarks comprise a paid mark of Dublin (22 April 1829), the same for London (25 April), a mark I do not know, but very possibly French for 29 April (any help on this one appreciated!) and an arrival mark in Parma for 10 Maggio (May).

There are three accountancy marks – the first shows 3/- being the charge from Dublin to ‘Italy’ – comprising 1/3d to London, and 1/11d London to Italy, reduced by 2d because the item originated outside London. In fact the 3/- only paid for postage as far as Borni, a town near Pavia in Italy, this being the border town between the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Duchy of Parma (and Piacenza – to give the full title – at least so my researches tell me).  Therefore a charge would have been made on delivery at Parma – I suspect this was 60 centimisi as this would explain the 60 written at lower left. But what did the ‘8’ at the right represent – my best guess might be a credit of 8 decimes to the French Post office for transit, but that is a mere guess. Please tell me more if you can!!!

The next two picture files Bavfront and Bavback (you have to call them something!) go together. 
They comprise the back and front of a cover sent in 1858 from Riverstown Co Sligo to Kissengen (now Bad Kissengen) in Bavaria.

The various postmarks comprise, straight line of Riverstown (now Riverstown, Boyle Co Roscommon to give it its full address), Collooney, the then post town of Riverstown for 28 June 1858 – the stamp is cancelled with diamond 
151 of Collooney, Dublin 29 June, London 30 June, the French entry mark ‘Angl’ for Angleterre, ‘Amb Calais’ – meaning it was going beyond Calais, also 30 June, and a Kissingen arrival mark for 3 July. The red PD mark means
‘Paid to Destination’ and was probably applied at London. 6d postage is correct for ‘via France’ to Bavaria at this time.

But what is the red 4 on the front of the envelope? Who was due to get 4 what – was this a credit due to the French, or the British share of the postage, or even the Prussian or perhaps the Bavarians?  Was it pence, decimes, silbergroschen, kreuzer or what????   Please tell me someone! I just wish I understood the subject, but I do like these covers!

Best wishes to all

Stan Challis
Guernsey

Look Inside Your Letters
Stan Challis

The motto of this snippet is ‘Look inside your letters’!

The attached wrapper looks, prima facie, ordinary. I can’t even remember how or where I got it. The Cork mileage mark CORK/124 is quite a good strike but not scarce. Slightly better is the MID IN marking (bottom right). Associated with the Cork mail coach, this mark is fully described in ‘Feldman and Kane’.

Postage was assessed at 11d to Dublin and then increased to 2/2d to cover the extra to London.

The ‘Dup’ at top left indicates that this is a duplicate letter; open it up and you find (see corkcont.jpg file) that it started life in Trinidad and was indeed a duplicate letter requesting that stores be sent ‘before Christmas’. Dated 21 July, arrival in London was 18th September 1821.

Clearly, with no ship letter marking, the letter was privately carried from Trinidad to Cork thereby reducing, illegally I believe, the cost of postage.  Cork to London at 2/2d was the equivalent of perhaps £10 or say $15 today – you can hardly blame the sender for trying to save the ship letter charge of I believe (and I am no expert in this area) 8d.

Best wishes

Stan Challis
Guernsey

Spain to Belfast
Stan Challis

Attached are two wrappers from the Marine Institute and Observatory, a department of the Naval Hydrological Service at San Fernanado just outside of Cadiz, Spain, both addressed to Belfast during World War II. The contents would appear to have been a journal, survey report, or data of some nature.  It is surprising that such information was allowed to travel from a neutral state into Northern Ireland during the War.

The first item appears to be dated July 1942 and was censored at Seville (the regional capital). It would have come via the UK and would have been expected to have been censored there, but was then mis-sorted to Éire. The ‘Released by Censor’ mark was applied at Dublin. This is the only item I have seen of WWII mail from overseas destined for Northern Ireland that came via Dublin (or was mis-sorted to Dublin).

The lower item appears to be dated April 1945 at the very end of the war in Europe. Exempted from censorship at Seville, the British have applied a tombstone ‘Passed’ mark from the TP series. I have as yet been unable to establish what TP stood for – this seems to be quite a scarce series and any information that another reader may be able to give is much appreciated.

Best wishes

Stan Challis
Guernsey

Sale Ad

Postal Stationary
William J. O’Donnell, Jr.

Have collection of almost 500 stationery items that I an willing to sell.
If interested, email wjod@att.net or call 214-349-2502. 
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