Volume 2, Number 5

Irish Philatelic Newsletter

Volume 2, Number 5                                                                                                                             May, 2000

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
 
IMP Notes 

Portlaoise Mails Centre
MAURICE BARRETT
maurice.barrett@ie.pwcglobal.com

On 7 March 2000, I spoke with one of the supervisors at the Portlaoise Mails Centre (“PMC”).  This note records  the information reported/confirmed by him along with some information received from a clerk at the PMC Registered Enclosure last week.

The PMC has two IMP machines – 3994 (number 1) and 3995 (number 2). The IMPs were first properly used at the PMC on the night of Friday, 25th February 2000.  Both machines have been at the PMC since sometime around Christmas 1999.  Only the ‘Send  a card…’ slogan has been used to date since going fully operational.

The March/April period is a busy one for An Post with Revenue letters of tax free allowances and end of tax year mailings. To reduce the burden on the DMC, some mail posted in Dublin is transported to the DMC for processing.  I was told that this mail comes for some areas of Dublin’s southside.  However, the supervisor was not sure of the exact areas. Brian Warren and Maurice Barrett have determined that mail posted in Stillorgan, Ranelagh and Goatstown has been received at Dublin addresses with the PMC slogan. I understand that this PMC processing is to cover this busy March/April period only.  He noted that the processed mail goes back into the network from the  PMC. (It is unclear whether this means its goes back to the DMC to be read or not?  I think not as non-Dublin mail never goes back to Dublin).

The supervisor confirmed that the two IMP machines were at Portlaoise for a month or two. Last week I was told it was since before Christmas. He also confirmed that, before the PMC town was included on the slogan, it was used at Portlaoise with a DMC town name as part of their testing of the machines and processing routines. He said this happened in January 2000.

The PMC does not operate, yet, at weekends.

Both gentlemen confirmed that the only other PMC postmark used is the boxed rubber postmark with changeable date. This was first used on 25 February 2000 and is similar in style and layout to the cachets at the DMC.

The Registered Enclosure man told me that he still uses the steel PORT LAOISE CLÁRAITHE handstamp that was previously used at the Portlaoise sorting office.

The supervisor said that the old machine canceller is used for some locally collected early and late mail, hence Brian Warren’s example used on a Sunday collection from Portlaoise.

I was told that Athlone is being considered for a further IMP but this is not something that will happen in the very near future.

IMP 16 (D)
MAURICE BARRETT
maurice.barrett@ie.pwcglobal.com

A new IMP slogan worded happy / st patrick’s / day with the sprig of shamrocks and in a similar typeface as IMP 15 was seen dated 13 March 2000 used at the DMC at 6:30pm on machine 1. This IMP is numbered IMP 16 (D).

I will let you know if and when the PMC slogan changes and will send the illustration to those interested over the next couple of days.

IMP 16 – Portlaoise
MAURICE BARRETT
maurice.barrett@ie.pwcglobal.com

The IMP slogan worded happy / st patrick’s / day with the sprig of shamrocks and in a similar typeface as IMP 15 was also used at Portlaoise.

IMP 16 (D)
MAURICE BARRETT
maurice.barrett@ie.pwcglobal.com

IMP 16 (D)  happy / st patrick’s day was used at Dublin, on machine 2 at any rate, and I assume also on machine 1 although I have not seen that,  on 16 March 2000. By 8:30pm, this IMP 16 (D) slogan had been replaced by IMP 7 (D) ALWAYS INCLUDE A / RETURN ADDRESS…..

IMPs at Portlaoise
MAURICE BARRETT
maurice.barrett@ie.pwcglobal.com

I have not yet seen what IMP is now used at Portlaoise.

Courtesy of John Lennon, I can report that while the PMC started operational processing on the night of Friday, 25 February 2000 (i.e. the item number and the indent on the reverse matched), it was not until Monday, 28 February 2000 that the town name was changed to Portlaoise PMC. In the meantime, while operationally processed at Portlaoise, the town name used was Baile Atha Cliath DMC.

It is understood that prior to 25 February 2000, mail was processed at Porlaoise on a test basis (i.e. the postmark was applied at Portlaoise) but that the indent was applied at the DMC in Dublin. Therefore, the time on the postmark is some hours earlier than the time on the indent on the reverse. This needs to be confirmed. 

Regards,

MAURICE BARRETT

New Catalogue from the FAI
Klaus Stange
StangeFAI@aol.com

I am pleased to announce a new catalogue published by the FAI:

Brian Warren / Otto Jung                          Irish Heritage and Treasures
Specialised Catalogue in full colour, 32 pages A5, bilingual German / English, 
price DM 15,00 (EURO 7,50) plus postage

Again this booklet will be free-of-charge to members of the FAI and will be posted together with the next DIE HARFE, due in late March 2000. It will be booklet No. 21 in the FAI Schriftenreihe. ÉPA members should be able to order this booklet from their special offer manager, Peter Bugg.

A further announcement: Booklet No. 22 on “Early Irish Stamp Cancelling Machines” is in the pipeline and will hopefully be presented at our AGM in early May. Price not yet known.

Greetings
Klaus Stange, hon. treasurer FAI

Auction Action 

Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd.                 Worldwide Auction (Day 2 of 2) June 1, 2000
THE “VICTOR” COLLECTION OF IRELAND 1773-1998
332 lots include the extensive “Victor” collection which has been formed over a period of over thirty years. 
Overprinted issues.  Fine examples of the later issues including many multiples containing positional varieties. 
Irish booklets and panes.  Irish coil leaders and ends.  Selection of railway stamps as well.  

Lots 1018-1350 can be viewed online at http://www.auction-net.co.uk/auction.htm?page=0
Online bidding can be done at http://www.auction-net.co.uk/contact.htm

Éire Philatelic Association
PRICES REALIZED – AUCTION  #119
(Lots not listed were not sold)
4       $7.50
58       1.75
117       2.00
176       2.00
9        6.50
60       0.75
118       0.50
177       4.00
10       5.50
61      65.00
120       0.75
178       3.00
11       4.25
62       4.00
121       1.50
179       3.50
12       2.00
63       7.50
122        0.50
180       4.00
13       2.00
64      15.00
123       1.25
181      15.00
14       2.00
66        2.25
127       1.75
191       5.00
20       1.25
67       9.50
128       2.00
192       5.00
21       2.25
69      11.00
129 .     1.75
193       7.00
23       2.25
70       6.50
130       1.00
196       3.25
27        2.25
81      22.50
131       1.25
197       1.50
28       1.75
83        0.50
132       1.00
198       1.25
29       2.75
86      15.00
134       0.75
202      47.50
33       2.00
87      47.50
135       1.00
203      75.00
36        1.75
88      32.50
136       1.25
204      20.00
37       1.75
89        2.00
137       1.25
205      55.00
40       2.00
90       3.00
139       1.25
206       2.25
41       2.25
91       2.75
140       3.00
207        2.00
44        2.00
93       1.25
149      32.50
45       4.25
97        0.50
153       1.50
46      17.00
98       4.50
154      1.00
48        2.75
99       5.50
155      3.00
49       2.00
100        1.50
168      2.25
50       6.50
103        5.50
169      3.50
52      13.00
106    14.00
170      1.50
53        3.00
109     4.25
171      3.75
54       2.25
112     4.25
172      3.00
55       0.50
11       2.00
173      3.00
56       0.75
114     0.50
174      4.00
57       1.00 
115     2.00
175      3.50
Note: some very low bids were not considered.

Éire Philatelic Association
PRICES REALIZED – AUCTION  #120
(Lots not listed were not sold)
2        $50.00
34        1.25
92       0.50
3         50.00
35       2.00
93       0.50
7         25.00
36       2.75
94       1.25
8          27.50
39        5.50
95       1.25
10        42.50
51      14.00
96       0.50
14        30.00
53        3.75
97       0.50
16        32.50
53        3.75
98       1.25
17        16.00
59        8.50
99       0.50
18        16.00
Lots 61-85 sold as a single unit, lot 86
100     0.50
19          2.25
86     225.00
101     0.50
20          6.50
87        2.50
102     0.75
25        11.00
88        2.50
103     2.25
28        65.00
89        2.25
104     2.00
30         2.00
90       1.25
109     6.50
32        1.75
91       1.25
33        1.25
Note: some very low bids were not considered.
Fenian issues for book
Mike Davis
amoctezuma@earthlink.net

I am a historian at SUNY Stony Brook beginning work on a book about revolutionary numismatics and philately, 1848-1968.  I am searching for specialist advice about the history of Fenian semi-postal and promissory bond issues of the late 1860s.  I would deeply appreciate any references and/or possible experts who might talk to me.  All  assistance will be gratefully and formally acknowledged.

Many thanks,

Mike Davis
Professor of History, SUNY, Stony Brook, N.Y. 11794-4348

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