Volume 1, Number 9
Irish Philatelic Newsletter
Volume 1, Number 9 September, 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
New Irish Tourist Booklets
Brian Warren
At short notice, An Post issued on June 30th, 1999 two new booklets to cater for the tourist market. The two booklets retail at £1.60 and £1.80 and feature full colour covers with an aerial shot of the River Liffey
(£1.60) and the ornamental lake at Powerscourt Gardens, Co. Wicklow (£1.80). The overall size of both booklets matches the £3 booklet.
The £1.60 booklet contains 5 x 32p Robin stamp (normal sheet size) being the European airmail letter/postcard rate – in a horizontal strip with a large blank margin at left, top and bottom of the pane and 5 priority/airmail labels at right – the stamps are thus fully perforated – the airmails labels are rouletted. The resultant miniature sheet type format is very attractive. Although there is no reference to the printers I’m assuming that it is ISSP as the perf. matches their usual perf. size. The colour of the Robin is much deeper than previous sheet stamps of this
design. The paper is CCP1 and all stamps have the usual phosphor frame. This is effectively a new single stamp as the previous phosphor stamp of this design/format was by Walsall.
The second booklet is in the same format and contains 4 x 45p stamps (Song Thrush design as usual) being the overseas airmail letter/postcard rate plus 4 airmail labels. Again CCP1 paper and phosphor frame. This is not a
new individual stamp as a sheet version of this stamp by ISSP was issued without prior notice on 18 May of this year.
No special first day facilities were provided – steel CDS only available.
Brian Warren
When Is An Overprint Not An Overprint?
Michael Connolly
Scott’s Stamp Catalog defines overprint: “These are stamps on which a new value or wording has been printed to convert them to a denomination or purpose not originally intended.”
Thus, Ireland’s first stamp, the 1/2 d Dollard was a five line overprint on the King George V typographed 1/2 d green. All of the other Irish “overprints” likewise had wording printed over previously issued stamps.
At least that is true of the overprints from 1922 to 1935. But what of the commemorative set printed in 1941, the Easter Rising Anniversary provisional issue. The 3 d had a violet 4 line overprint on the 3 d blue typographed definitive issued in 1940.
The 2 d had an emerald green 4 line overprint on the 2 d definitive (Scott 118). Except that the 2 d definitive was a green stamp and the 1941 Rising stamp is orange-yellow. But neither the 1940 definitive (Scott 109, watermark E) nor the original 1922 definitive (Scott 68, watermark SE) was that color. They were both green.
In fact, none of the definitive stamps up till then was orange-yellow.
So, is the 2 d Rising provisional an overprint or an entirely new stamp printed in two stages? It looks like an overprint, but not of any existing issued stamp of Ireland.
How would you classify it?
Mike Connolly
Irish Telephone Search Engine
Kendall C. Sanford
Online telephone directories have been available in the United States for several years. Other countries have been adding online directories, too, and now Ireland has an online telephone directory. Irish residential listings are now available at:
http://www.goldenpages.ie
Best regards,
Ken Sanford
Integrated Mails Processor
Michael Connolly
Maurice Barrett has been keeping us informed these past few months about the latest developments with the IMP machines in Dublin. For those of you who haven’t seen the cancellations, here are two examples:
Basic Cancellation Slogan Cancel for the European Elections
ÉPA News
ÉPA AGM Schedule
Joe Foley
This just in from ÉPA president Dave Brennan:
The schedule for the ÉPA AGM in Fort Washington, PA is as follows:
Friday, Oct. 1st, 3 P.M. an ÉPA seminar
Friday, Oct. 1st, 8 P.M. Directors meeting (this is subject to change).
Saturday, Oct. 2nd, 3 P.M. ÉPA general meeting
Saturday, Oct. 2nd, 4 P.M. ÉPA seminar
Sunday, Oct. 3rd, 11 A.M. jury critique.
ÉPA AGM Mini Auction
Joe Foley
I have a few unsold donation lots from recent ÉPA auctions. Most of these have been run two or more times. I’m going to bring these to the AGM and can offer them at a “no reserve” mini auction following the business meeting. With Barney Clancy being there, the bookkeeping will be easy – he just gets it all for the ÉPA account..
ÉPA Name Tags
Dave Brennan
Since the response has been so successful from the ad in The Revealer we are extending the time to order your name tag. Join the rest of us and let the philatelic community know who we are and that you are part of a great
organization. Just send me your name as you want it to be engraved on the name tag and a check for $7.00. Please send the check by snail mail, the order by e-mail is fine. For more information please refer to your last issue of The Revealer, page 18. Overseas orders will be hand delivered at STAMPA and payment at that time either in punts or pints.
Want Ads
Perfins
William S. Shields
Why Keep Them if You Don’t Collect Them? Are you interested in swapping Irish, Welsh, Great Britain, Turkey or Egypt perfins?
Any perfins on Ireland’s overprints? Do you have any Great Britain perfins used in Ireland with a nice Irish town or city cancel? Any perfins on cover from Ireland?
I have in return, very nice Ireland used, the majority of which have cds. I also have county/town cancels of the 32 counties. Name your county of interest. Have high value used for perfins on cover, also for the Overprints. Will do my best to please.
Whether you only have 1 or 101, I am definitely interested. Dupes are OK also.
William S. Shields
4214 Longshore Ave., #212, Philadelphia, PA 19135-2140, USA
Irish Townland Database
Michael Connolly
Recently heard from John Broderick about his online “IreAtlas Project Townland Data Base” at http://www.seanruad.com
As John said, “The database has almost all 65,000 Towns/townlands entered – just a few typos to fix up.”
Go to his internet site and, as is stated there, a “search engine will perform a search of the IreAtlas Townland data base, and return all lines that meet the screening requirements. By entering a Townland and a County, it will return all lines that contain the requested Townland and the requested County. Be aware, this is a VERY LARGE data base. If you only enter a County, the search engine will return EVERY Townland in that County.”
This could be a very useful tool for the collector with a town name he isn’t familiar with or with a cancellation showing only a partial name.
Correction
Michael Connolly
In the last issue of this newsletter I wrote that Pat Walker would be exhibiting at Stampshow 99 in Cleveland. Patricia has since written, “My exhibit will NOT be in Cleveland because I am going to be in China. Unfortunately some press releases got out before I let the folks at APS know of my decision. Thanks, Pat Walker.”
Reversed Watermark
Joe Foley
In a message dated 08/26/1999 8:49:52 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Perfin8975 writes:
“I feel that I have come across a reversed watermark on Ireland Scott #2 (1d red). I have checked numerous catalogues and found that this is found inverted, but no mention of reversed. In the Stanley Gibbons catalogue under GB, it is noted that it is found in all types. Sideways, inverted, reversed etc. But when I went to the
Irish section, once again nothing. I was wondering if you have ever come across this before? I am sure that it is nothing that rare or unusual.”
I think he may have something here. I haven’t an example myself and I couldn’t find a listing for this Irish variety. I did not make a check of Revealer back issues.
As he pointed out, the variety is known for the basic British stamp. I just checked my Gibbons Specialized.
Can anyone out there add anything to this?
Recent Show Awards
Michael Connolly
Patricia Stilwell Walker, “Ireland: Postal History: 1661 Through the 1890s”,
Grand award and Gold at Napex 99
Brock R. Covington, “A Victorian Sampler of the Revenues of Great Britain and Ireland”,
Silver-Bronze at Napex 99
Editorial statement:
In today’s cyber-age, its only fitting that we interact in cyberspace. I can’t see any reason why the members of our societies should not join in. More and more of our members are now accessing e-mail and the internet.
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