Volume 29 No.1. December 2010

and more.

Inside this issue:

Hong Kong Machins - Pari 2

Opening up the New ZealandPostal Service

Growing interest in LeewardIslands' Postal Stationery

Opening up the New Zealand Postal Service

The Philatelic Society of Canberra Inc.(Founded 1932)

GPO BOX 1840

CANBERRA ACT 2601

President Ian McMahon

Secretary Tony Luckhurst

Capital Philately Editorial Board

Darryl Fuller

Bruce Parker

Editor

Pastcards

Machinations

darryl.fuller@dbcde.gov.au

Tony Luckhurst

Lisa Slade Librarian

Further information on the Philatelic Society of Canberra may be found on our webpage:

http://www.canberrastamps.org

Capital Philately is published quarterly and supplied free to members of the Society. Enquiries regardingmembership are welcome and should be addressed to Tony Luckhurst,

Telephone: (02) 6241 1963

Enquiries regarding subscription rates for Capital Philately, advertising rates, purchase of back issues etc. shouldbe addressed to Darryl Fuller. He can be contacted by telephone on 0417 672 543 or bye-mail addressed to

darryl.fuller@dbcde.gov.au or darryl.fuller@home.netspeed.com.au

Advertising rates are: full page $45, half page $25, quarter page $15There is a 20% reduction on all rates for 4 consecutive issues.

Articles, letters and other contributions to Capital Philately should be sent to the Editor;Either by mail to the Society address or c/- Darryl Fuller at the above e-mail.

COPYRIGHT: The Philatelic Society of Canberra Inc holds the copyright of the content of Capital Philately.Material may only be reproduced with the written consent of the Editor.

ISSN 0729-8765

mailto:darryl.fuller@dbcde.gov.auhttp://www.canberrastamps.orgmailto:darryl.fuller@dbcde.gov.aumailto:darryl.fuller@home.netspeed.com.au

Capital Philately

CAPITAL PHILATELYDecember 2010 - VOL. 29, NO.1

Capital Philately

Editorial Darryl Fuller 1

Some Notes on the 1992-97 Hong Kong Machin Definitives Part 2 Daniel Tangri 2

Three Small Envelopes from Romania Judy Kennett 8

The Medicinal Plants Stamp Issues of Yugoslavia Don Costello 9

Opening up the New Zealand Postal Service David Miner 11

The Growing Interest in Leeward Island Postal Stationery Darryl Fuller 15

PASTCARDS

Some Australian Trees Peter Cheah 19

December 2010 - Editorial

Welcome to the December issue of Capital Philately the first issue of our 29th volume. The issue forDecember 2011 will be the start of our 30th volume, a great milestone for our Society, and I hope to makeit a great issue - so please start writing. I was very pleased to have five different authors for this issueand I would like to thank Judy Kennett and Don Costello for their shorter articles. They were unsolicitedand are always welcome to an editor. They also illustrate that it is not hard to produce small fillerarticles and they are always appreciated.

A few of our members have been concerned about the lack of articles on Machins, although I wouldargue that this issue and the last had a major article on Machins, albeit Hong Kong Machins. In the lasttwo years I have been almost totally reliant on one member for Machin articles and he has done his bestto keep us up to date. What I really need is two or three collectors to write Machin articles. They are stillof interest and much is happening in this collecting field - so please send in an article or two and youwill have a willing audience.

On the exhibiting front, this year is a little quieter than 2010 although there are full world exhibitions inIndia in February and Japan in late July. We have a full national exhibition in Sydney, at the RandwickRacecourse from 31 March to 3 April and I encourage you all to go. There will be a great range ofexhibits and a good range of national and international dealers. I am certainly looking forward to it.There is a national one-frame competition in Geelong in August. New Zealand's national exhibition is inChristchurch in November and these are always fun events. To round out the year there is also a FlAPexhibition in Wuxi City in China in November, which I hope to attend.

The Philatelic Society is also starting work on our next exhibition in March 2012 which will have a Polartheme as we celebrate 100 years since Mawson's expedition to Antarctica. I have already arranged tohave ~~me covers se~t to the Antar~tic for the opening of a new post office that relates to a 2011expedition to Mawson sHut. !here W.1llonly be 100 available and unlike other postmarked covers whichusually onlyII trdavelas far as Kmgston m Tasmania, these covers will have a special cachet indicating theywere cance e at the base.

Darryl Fuller

Volume 29, No.11

Capital Philately

SOME NOTES ON THE 1992-97 HONG KONG MACHIN DEFINITIVESPart 2

(Cant. fromCapitalPhilately Vol. 28Nos 4)

Booklet stamps

Daniel Tangri

Altogether, 11stamp bookletswere releasedcontaining Fig 7: Inside of7-Eleven Booklet (85%)Machin

and eased congestion at post office counters.' I Infact, the $1 booklet (refer Figure 6) went on saleon 14 December 1993 and the $1.90 and $2.40booklets on 28 December 1993 . Yang adds thatthe booklets were only on sale at 7-Eleven storesand were not available at Post Offices.2 This wascertainly the intention, but is not strictly correct. Ican remember, a week or so before postal rateschanged in June 1995, waiting in line at theRevenue Tower Post Office in Wanchai andseeing counter staff tearing panes from $1booklets to sell to customers. As these bookletswere about to be replaced with a new batch of 7-r---------------------., Eleven booklets reflecting the revised postal

rates, my assumption was that the post officewas clearing surplus stock.

The booklets were designed by Arde Lam andthe first three were printed by Leigh-Mardon,well known to collectors of Australian stamps.They were printed in lithography and had foldedcard covers with scenes of skyscrapers on thefront. Inside, a pane of 10 stamps in two rows offive with selvedge all around would be pastedby the selvedge at the left to the inside cover,and folded after the third column, leaving thefirst column of stamps visible. The selvedgewas broader at the left and an abstract symbol

definitives. All of the stamps in these bookletsdiffer from standard sheet stamps. The bookletsfall into two convenient groups: 7-Eleven booklets(so named because they were intended to be onsale only at 7-Eleven stores) and prestige booklets.There were nine 7-Eleven booklets in total, listedby Stanley Gibbons as SG SB30-32, SB36-38 andSB40-42, and by Yang as Y SB27-29, SB33-35and SB37-39. The two prestige booklets were bothissued in conjunction with major stampexhibitions in 1994 and 1997, and are listed byGibbons as SG SB33 and SB46, and by Yang asY SB30 and SB43.

Fig 6: 7-Eleven Booklet Cover

7-Eleven bookletsThe 1993-94 HKPO annual report recorded thatstamp booklets of the three commonly-useddenominations, $1, $1.90 and $2.40, were put onsale from 10 December 1993 at 52 'strategicallylocated' 7-Eleven stores. 'The arrangement hasgreatly increased the convenience to the public

2

1 Hong Kong Post Office Annual Report 1993-94 (1994) p.13. '10'December is probably a typographical error, as recent informationprovided by Ms Mary Chung ofthe HKPO confirmed the14 December date (and the later release date for the other twobooklets).2 N. C. Yang, Yang's Postage Stamp and Postal HistoryCatalogue of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (2009) p.l72(henceforth Yang).

Volume 29, No.1

was printed there, but I have never seen anycylinder numbers on these booklets. The insidecover contained details on postal rates (referFigure 7). The first three booklet panes wereprinted on a thicker, white paper which theDeegam Handbook identifies as fluorescent coatedpaper (FCP). This paper is violet under ultravioletlight, but does not fluoresce after the light isswitched off. Incidentally, Yang refers to bookletstamps from the 7-Eleven booklets and the 1994prestige booklet as being printed on glazed paper;'and Hong Kong dealers will sometimes offer these

. .................Fig. 8a: 4:4:2 Fold of7-Eleven Booklet (85%)

Capital Philatelycoarser, more stripped-looking quality to theshading on the head.

Leigh-Mardon struggled to standardise the coloursof the first 7-Eleven booklets, and significantvariations in the shading of the head cylinder canbe observed. The security overprint can also befound with a range of variations from bright tovery dull fluorescence, and one of my examples ofthe $1 booklet has the overprint slightly out ofalignment with the printed words 'Hong Kong'.

The DeegamHandbook liststhree majorvarieties of thefirst threebooklets - the $1with and withoutthe securityoverprint 'HongKong' IIIfluorescent inkand the $1.90

and $2.40 on low OBA paper. In fact, theHandbook only tells half the story. In December1994 I purchased examples of the first three 7-11booklets which had a number of differences fromthe booklets I had bought in December 1993, andfrom examples I had also purchased earlier in1994. These are clearly from a different printing,although I am not sure exactly when they werefirst released. The major difference is that none ofthe three values had a security overprint. TheDecember 1994 examples had much lightershading on the head on the $1 and $2.40 values,and all three values are on low OBA paper whichappears white under ultraviolet light.Furthermore, the $1 and $2.40 booklets Ipurchased at this time had the panes folded twice

stamps as such.

Stamps from the first three 7-Eleven booklets canbe readily distinguished from sheet stamps by thepresence of this paper, and by the white gum onthese booklet stamps compared to the blue-tintedgum then in use on sheets. In addition, there wereclear differences in shades. Leigh-Mardon'slithography-printed $1 stamps generally had amuch deeper orange in the head and centralbackground of the stamp than their Enschedeequivalents, which contributed to a richer red-brown shade for the Chinese characters spellingHong Kong. Its $1.90 stamps tended to have apaler green shade for the Chinese characters andthe foreground colour, and its $2.40 value also hasa dull, pale blueshade, alongwith deeper greyon the head.Incidentally,Leigh-Mardonalso used themodified Type Bhead used byEnschede, butproduced a

....~"•...•..•.:.....-···

• . ................................. ..................... " .

Fig. 8b: 6:4 Fold of7-Eleven Booklet (85%)

3 Yang p.28.

Volume 29, No.1 3

rather than the standard single fold, with the firstfold after the second column of stamps andleaving no stamps visible on opening the booklet(refer Figures 8a & 8b). Strangely, however, the$1.90 booklet retained the standard single fold.

The next three 7-Eleven booklets were released on1 June 1995. They now contained panes of 10$l.20, $2.10 and $2.60 stamps, again withselvedge all around. This time they were printed inlithography by Enschede on OFNP with blue-tinted gum, and the covers were in new coloursand with different scenes of skyscrapers, but wereotherwise similar to the first three booklets. Thefinal three 7-E1even booklets were released on 2September 1996 and contained panes often $l.30,$2.50 and $3.l0 stamps with phosphor bands.They were also printed by Enschede in lithographyon OFNP, but as was the case with the sheet andcoil stamps issued by Enschede at the time, thestamps had white gum. Once again, the foldershad new colours and scenes of skyscrapers, butwere otherwise similar to previous booklets.

As Enschede printed the June 1995 7-Elevenbooklets on the same paper as sheet stamps, thereis much greater consistency between these bookletstamps and sheet stamps. However, as Enschedeused lithography for the booklets but gravure forthe sheets, there are some minor differences.Under magnification, for example, there is athicker and clearer delineation on sheet stampsbetween the edge of the profile and thebackground. In practice, it would be difficult toclassify single stamps on this basis, so the bestoption for collectors of mint stamps is to look forbooklet panes or examples with the marginattached (the booklet margins are much narrowerthan the margins on sheet stamps).

Strangely, there was less consistency in colourbetween Enschede's booklet stamps issued inSeptember 1996 and the sheet stamps issued at thesame time. The heads on the $1.30 and $3.10values have much less colour than the sheetstamps, and the central background on the $2.50value is a much brighter yellow than on the sheetstamp.

In relation to the Enschede 7-Eleven booklets,there is one minor variety that is mentioned byGibbons in a footnote. Gibbons states that the firstbooklets had matt inside card covers, and that 'a

4

Capital Philatelyprinting later in 1995 showed both sides of thecover card glossy'." I purchased examples of thesein April 1996, and not only were the inside coversglossy, but the white print on the inside for thepostal rates was much clearer. There are also clearshade differences in the colours of the front andinside covers of booklets bought in April and May1996, but I suspect these are trivial.

We have no information on the layout of theprinters' sheets, including how many panes werein a sheet. It is clear that the booklets wereguillotined from a printers' sheet. I have a copy ofthe final booklet, SG SB42, which retains guidemarks at the right edge. This pane is about 5mmlonger than all my other 7-Eleven booklet panes,indicating that the guide marks would be used tomake the horizontal cuts to separate the bookletpanes, and that the right edge would then normallybe trimmed to remove the guide marks.

According to Ms Mary Chung of the HKPO,currently all definitive stamp booklets areproduced and assembled by the printer. It is likelythat the Machin 7-11 booklets were alsoassembled by Leigh-Mardon and Enschede, butthe HKPO no longer has records of requisitionsand printing orders for booklets. 5

Prestige booklets

The first prestige booklet was issued on 12January 1994 and was a special production for theHong Kong stamp exhibition held that year. Thebooklet was printed in lithography by Leigh-Mardon, stapled at the left, and titled 'A History ofHong Kong Definitive Stamps 1862-1992'. Itcontained three separate panes with six Machins,including a number of se-tenant pairs. These paneswere also given numbers in the classic stampsdefinitive miniature sheet series (see below), andexamples that have been removed from bookletsare often sold as miniature sheets.

Each pane contained reproductions of earlier HongKong definitives, pictures of watermarks and ablock of six stamps. The first pane (SG760a)contains five $2 stamps and one 10c in the top

4 Stanley Gibbons Commonwealth Stamp Catalogue (2003)p.664.5 Ms Mary Chung, Senior Manager (Public Relations),Hongkong Post, personal communication, 9 September2010.

Volume 29, No.1

right corner, yielding two different se-tenantsettings for the $2 and 10c. The second pane (SG761a) contains five $1.80 and one $1.70 stamp inthe same layout, and the final pane (SG 762a)contains five $1 and one $5 stamp in the samelayout. The Deegam Handbook notes that thesepanes were printed on OFNP with Crown CAwatermark, the only Hong Kong Machins (and, Ibelieve, the only Machins in total) to be printed onwatermarked paper. The watermark is quite fainton the stamps, in part because the paper is rather

Capital Philatelywere at the base of the group). The third pane, SG757db, had four $2.50 and two $2.1 0 stamps;again, the $2.10 stamps were at the base of thegroup. The panes yield three se-tenant pairs. Theywere printed on OFNP with phosphor bars andhave white PVAl gum.

Miniature sheets

A total of 18 miniature sheets were issued between1992 and 1997 with Machin definitives. Six of

these doubled as panes in prestigebooklets, although the panes from the1997 prestige booklet deserve separatecatalogue status because the sheet is setinto a wide pane, meaning that theminiature sheets and booklet paneswere printed separately. By contrast,the three miniature sheets from the1994 prestige booklet are, in fact,simply panes removed from thatbooklet (refer Figure 10).

Fig. 9: 1997 Prestige Booklet Cover

Eight of the miniature sheets wereissued as part of a series on classicstamps. They were numbered from 2 to9 (the first in the series was issued in1991 and contained one of the 'post

box' commemoratives from that year). All six ofthe sheets from the prestige booklets were in thisclassic stamps series. A further three miniaturesheets were issued in 1996 to advertise the HongKong 97 stamp exhibition, and two more wereissued in association with the Hong Kong 94stamp exhibition. Of the remaining sheets, threewere printed for stamp exhibitions in Malaysia,Thailand and Singapore, and one issued in 1994commemorated the conference of Commonwealth

stout. All the stamps have white PVAl gum.

The second prestige booklet was issued on14 February 1997 and was a special production forthe Hong Kong 97 Stamp Exhibition (refer Figure9). The booklet was printed in lithography byEnschede, stitched at the left, and titled 'HongKong Past and Present'. Like SG SB33, itcontained three panes illustrating classic HongKong stamps (in this case, commemoratives), butthis time each pane contained an inset ,-------------------------,miniature sheet with the Machin stamps.The miniature sheets were also releasedseparately, and the booklet panes differin being much wider and taller, withthick margins to the left and underneatheach miniature sheet.

The first pane (SG 757cb) containedfour $1.30 stamps and two $5 stamps,with the two $5 stamps at the top of agroup of six. The second pane, SG757cc, followed the same format withfour $3.lO and two $1.60 stamps(although this time the $1.60 stamps

Fig. 10: 1994 Miniature Sheet for Hong Kong '94 StampExhibition (75%)

Volume 29, No.1 5

This list of topics shows that the miniature sheetswere basically printed for philatelists or to gaincommercial advantage from issues of popularinterest. In essence, they functioned ascommemoratives, but with a definitive stamp.Philatelic sales were quite significant at this period ,....---------,(and speculators were known to buy hugequantities of new issues and miniature sheets,which will probably ensure that these Machinsremain affordable for a very long time). Aminiature sheet issued for a New Zealand stampexhibition in 1991, with one of the earlier QueenElizabeth II definitives, had proven popular andremains expensive to this day, so it is likely that Fig. 11a: Thecollectors lapped up new miniature sheets in case normal stampthey also turned out to be valuable and the HKPO \- ......1- -,fed this demand.

Most of the sheets were printed by Enschede bylithography on OFNP, except for SG MS 821,which is on FCP which is violet under ultravioletlight. The final three sheets contained stamps withphosphor bands. Four miniature sheets wereprinted by Leigh-Mardon by lithography on FCP.Three of these are simply the panes from the 1994prestige booklet referred to above. The final sheet,SG MS771, was another one prepared for theHong Kong 94 stamp exhibition, and is rather afine piece of work showing registrations from each Fig. 11b: Missing yellow on miniature sheetof the four cylinders used to print the $5 value '-----------------------1next to the real $5 stamp. Titled 'A Stamp is rare error, and an example sold in an auction inBorn', the sheet is fascinating in that it shows New York in 2009 for US$1,300. However,exactly what the cylinder printed. Thanks to the several more examples have since been discoveredsheet, we know that the third cylinder actually and dealers in Hong Kong now sell the sheet forprinted colour over most of the stamp, but this US$300.would then be overprinted by the head cylinderand the major colour cylinder. The sheet alsoshows a cylinder registration for the fluorescentyellow 'Hong Kong" security overprint -although, as the registration is in fluorescent ink, itis impossible to see with the naked eye!

Postal Administrations in Hong Kong. The onlyminiature sheets not linked in some way to astamp exhibition or classic stamps were a sheetissued in 1995 to commemorate the anniversary ofthe end of the Second World War and anotherissued in October 1996 to commemorate theachievements of Hong Kong's athletes at theAtlanta Olympics (in a clear case of marketing, theminiature sheet included a photo of San San, HongKong's first ever gold medallist, who became aninstant hit in the colony).

6

Capital Philately

Eleven of the miruature sheets contained a $10Machin stamp, in the same size as the standardsheet stamp, and also with the large perforationholes at each comer. However, these miniaturesheet stamps could be printed in a variety ofcolours, including vivid blues, greens, oranges andreds. The colours on the three $10 stamps in theminiature sheets issued in 1996 to advertise HongKong 97 are especially striking. Some Hong Kongdealers remove the $10 stamps from the miniaturesheets and offer them as a set of singles - whichperhaps shows that speculators who boughthundreds of these in the 1990s bought not wisely,but too well, and are constantly looking for newways to offload their stock.

One of the miruature sheetsissued in 1993 to promote theHong Kong 94 stampexhibition, SG MS746,depicting the Hong Kongskyline at night, has recentlybeen identified with theyellow colour missing (referFigures lla & b)). Initiallythis was considered to be a

Sl~ •..•..~~."

•HONG KONG

Presentation packs

Ihave six presentation packs that were sold by theHKPO during my time in the colony, but I amaware that there were a couple more. The firstpresentation pack was offered in two versions, one

Volume 29, No.1

containing the high values and one without, and atthe time I saw no need to buy both packs. Aversion of this 'low value' pack was also sold atthe Hong Kong 94 stamp exhibition.

The 1992 'high value' pack is about B5 size andwas issued in a clear plastic envelope with a flapat side. The pack has white card covers. The frontcover shows a $20 Machin next to the Chinesecharacters for Hong Kong and the text' 1992 HongKong Definitive Stamps'. The rear cover has aprice ($126) and the address of the Hong KongPost Office Philatelic Bureau (which was actuallythe GPO). It was issued on 16 June 1992 andcontains the 16 denominations from 10c to $50released on that date. The inside cover of packshows pictures of earlier definitive stamps, detailson the printing of the stamps and comments thatthis is the sixth QEII definitive series and 'featuresthe well-known Machin Head of Her Majesty theQueen'.

A second pack was issued in November 1993. Thefront cover was the same as before, but with theadded text 'Denominations released as from 1stNovember 1993' (which is slightly confusing asthe cover still says '1992 Hong Kong DefinitiveStamps'). The text on the inside cover wasunchanged. The pack was the same size as before,and also in clear plastic envelope. The price of thispack was $128.50. It contained 16 stamps, 10c-$50, with new values replacing older ones (forexample, the pinkish $2.30 was replaced by theblue $2.40 value).

A third pack was released in 1995. The front andinside covers were as before, but the front covernow bore the legend 'Denominations released asfrom 1st June 1995' under the '1992 Hong KongDefinitive Stamps' heading. The pack was thesame size as before, and also in a clear plasticenvelope. The price was $130 and the packcontained 16 stamps, IOc-$50, with new valuesreplacing older ones (for example, the blue $2.40was replaced by the chocolate $2.60 value).

Two new packs were released in 1996. The firstwas a small pack, about the size of a standardChristmas card, in a clear plastic sleeve with noflap. Incidentally, this pack was the same size asthe 'low value' pack from 1992. The front coverwas redesigned and showed the $1.20 and $2.60Machins. The pack was titled '1992 Definitive

Volume 29, No.1

Capital PhilatelyStamps (Low Value), in English and Chinese andbore the legend 'Denominations released as from24 April 1996' in English and Chinese. The pricewas $37 (a contact strip was pasted onto the rearcover showing the price; all other packs had theprice printed on the rear cover). It contained 12stamps, 10c-$5, and additional information inside.Alongside the standard details on printing anddesign, the text now read 'Since 1992, some of thedenominations have been changed to cope withpostage revision' and 'This is also the first set ofdefinitive stamps coated with phosphorescent inkin order to cope with mail processing by Culler-Facer-Canceller machine (sic) which will beinstalled in mid-1996. Denominations at andbelow $2 are coated with two bars for local mail;while denominations at $2.10, $2.60 and $5 arecoated with one bar for overseas mail' .

The second 1996 pack was in a larger size (thesame as the 1992-95 three packs) in a clear plasticenvelope with a flap at side. The front covershowed the new denominations - $1.40, $1.60,$2.50 and $3.10, and under the standard '1992Hong Kong Definitive Stamps' heading read'Denominations released as from 2 September1996'. The price was $135 and the pack contained16 stamps, 10c-$50. The text on the inside frontcover was largely the same as previous packs, butnoted that the $2.10 value or below have 2phosphor bars and the $2.50-$5 values have onephosphor bar.

A final pack was released in 1997, and describeditself as a 'twin pack'. It is a sumptuousproduction, A4-sized with hard covers, withmultiple colours on the cover (predominantly pinkand blue). The front cover is split into two scenes -a narrow band at the left reads '1992 DefinitiveStamps' with the legend 'Denominations releasedas from 16 June 1992' and has a picture of the$2.1 0 Machin next to the Chinese characters forHong Kong. A larger scene occupies the rest ofthe cover showing a photo of the Hong Kongskyline at night with the heading 1997 and thelegend 'Denominations released as from 26January 1997' and a picture of the $2 Skylinedefinitive.

There are four pages inside, on double-foldedcream paper. The first two pages contain a briefdiscussion of the stamps (in Chinese on the firstpage and English on the second), with brief notes

7

about the two definitive sets. In relation to theMachins, the text noted that these are the 16denominations as available from 2 September1996. It also noted that the new definitives couldbe used up to and after the handover. The next twopages then contain black mounts with the stamps.The rear cover has a barcode and the HKPO logo,and the price ($270). The pack was probablyissued to coincide with the Hong Kong 97 stampexhibition, when the skyline definitives werereleased, and in a sense marks a symbolic postal'handover' for the colony.

THREE SMALL ENVELOPES FROMROMANIAJudy Kennett

Capital Philatelymachine cancel for Lugoj on the same day. Thisenvelope is at Fig 1.

Later I found two small postal stationeryenvelopes tucked inside Michel 'Ganzsachen-Katalog Europa Ost 2004/05', waiting to beidentified. These are official Romanian postalstationery issues, and both have the price (1 leu)on the back. They carry postage of 55 bani, thecurrent domestic rate. As both were sent to foreigncountries, they have been uprated with currentadhesives; indeed, one was sent by airmail, andhas stamps both front and back.

The first (Fig 2) was posted at Brasov on 21.12.57to Germany, with a 'Par Avion' cachet. Probablyit carried either Christmas or New Year greetings.It measures 109mm x 69 mm, and is listed atMichel U 43 (1957).

Earlier this year, an online group interested inRomanian postal history (RPHB Group) r===:-==========================--'had a message from a member,announcing that he had an old, tinyenvelope. He gave the dimensions,39mm x 36mm, attached a scan, andasked if any group member had seen orowned a smaller example. At the end ofAugust he was in contact again, to saythat the envelope was being auctioned inthe UK on 1 September 2010, with anestimate of 100 English pounds.

c. ~. , •..• - c.... l '-

While messages were first travellingback and forth among the RPHB Group, Figure 1: Envelope measuring 100x60mmsomeone asked: 'Why were these smallenvelopes produced, and what was sent in them?'One member said that they were r--_--_-,.::::-----------------------.chiefly used to send messages withgreetings for important festivals,such as Easter and Christmas, butalso for sending invitations, andsometimes visiting cards.

This set me to looking throughsome odd covers in a box, becauseI recalled seeing a small Romanianenvelope among them. Sureenough, I found a plain envelopemeasuring 100mm x 60mm, postedat Timisoara on 19 APR 41, andcensored. The plain white card witha hand written Easter greeting wasstill inside. On the back is a poor

8

---' , ..

... , .., ;._.. •• '. • • I I a

..

Fig 2: Postal stationery envelope measuring l09x69mm

Volume 29, No.1

d"~hct~l - dffrillD )?, ",// -

Fig 3: Postal stationery envelope measuring 102x60mm

Capital Philatelyusing herbal or other plant remedies as a'natural' alternative to prescriptionmedicines.

An intriguing point about the stampswas the lack of consistency in how theissuing country name was shown onthem. Within a series, the Cyrillicalphabet might be used on some and theRoman alphabet form, 'Yugoslavija', onothers. This randomness continues ontoday's Yugoslav issues.

The second (Fig 3) was posted at Bucuresti on15.12.58 to Czechoslovakia, no doubt Christmasor New Year greetings to a family member. Theenvelope measures 102 mm x 60mm, and iscatalogued by Michel at U 36 (1956). There is anote in the catalogue to say that this envelope wasissued with ten different 'pictures' on the left,including one of the 'Christmas man'. We call himFather Christmas, but here he is in his snowyEuropean environment!

These small format envelopes, sometimes withpictures, were still being issued at the end of eachyear in Romania ten or more years later, but are nolonger in the catalogue in the early 1970s. Wasthis an old custom dying out?

THE MEDICINAL PLANTS STAMPISSUES OF YUGOSLAVIA

Don Costello

The Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia hada communist government from 1945 to 1991 but. 'unlike East Germany, it initially avoided the self-defeating policy of excessive stamp issues. Nor,from about 1953, did most of its stamp issuesfocus heavily on political themes.

Background: One of Yugoslavia's mostattractive and extended stamp series featuredmedicinal plants. These issues ran from 1959 to1973 and followed the same format as the earlierFloral Designs issues in 1955 (see SG numbers792-799) and the Flowers issue in 1957 (SG 844-852). It's notable that the medicinal plants themelong preceded the relatively recent upsurge ofinterest (in the so-called 'developed' world) in

Volume 29, No.1

The botanical name (but not thecommon name) of the depicted plant was shownon each stamp. This made it difficult for the non-botanist to work out which plant appears on thestamp. Fortunately, these days, computer searchengines can readily inform us on any point ofdoubt. A plant's medicinal use is not always wellknown. For example, deadly nightshade(SG 1161) and oleander (SG 1242) are poisonousbut the drug atropine is derived from deadlynightshade and oleander has alleged but unprovenmedicinal uses.

The stamp issues: The first medicinal plants issuewas the 1959 set of 9, with values ranging from 10dinar to 100 dinar (SG 928 936). The plantsdepicted were Dutch lavender, alder blackthorn,scopolia, monkshood, bilberry, common juniper,cowslip, pomegranate, and thorn-apple.

Later series were issued in:

1961 (SG 1000 to 1008): a set of 9 depictingyellow foxglove, marjoram, hyssop, hawthorn,hollyhock, soapwort, clary, blackthorn and potmarigold.

1963 (SG 1074 to 1079): a set of 6 depicting lilyof the valley, iris, bistort, henbane, perforate StJohn's wort and caraway.

1965 (SG 1158 to 1163): a set of 6 depictingyarrow, rosemary, elecampane, deadly nightshade,peppermint and rusty foxglove.

1967 (SG 1240 to 1245): a set of 6 depictingarnica, common flax, oleander, gentian, laurel andAfrican rue.

9

In 1969 and 1971, Flower sets interrupted the 2yearly pattern of medicinal plants issues. Thefinal medicinal plants series was issued in 1973.The 6 values (SG 1555 to 1560) ranged from 80paras to 6 dinar and depicted birthwort, globethistle, olive, 'corydalis cava', mistletoe andcomfrey. Doubtless the series ceased because nomore medicinal plants could be identified readily.Later comparable Yugoslavia issues adopted widerthemes such as flowers, cultivated plants, andbirds.

Medicinal plants stamps are inexpensive and werea favourite of stamp packet makers. Examples canstill be found readily in cancelled-to-order formatand with their original gum. They are colourful,but not flamboyant, and are of conventional sizeand shape. They probably were intended forpostal use and to earn hard currency forYugoslavia, but their theme was of wide appealand apt for a largely rural economy. Thiscomment cannot apply to many thematic issuesfrom some 'sand dune' countries and fromnumerous 'developing' countries which formerlywere colonies of European powers. These issueshave been colourfully described as 'wallpaper'.

Conclusion: A wide array of plants havingmedicinal value was shown on these issues. Theyshowed reasonably well known and lesser knownplants. Australian aborigines who live atraditional lifestyle could certainly identify uniqueplants of medicinal value found in their own lands.Perhaps it's time for a comparable Australianstamp issue series.

Capital Philately

At a time when remnant areas of native forestsaround the world are being rapidly clear-felled forthe short term gain of timber production; whencenturies old indigenous knowledge aboutmedicinal plants is being irretrievably lost; andwhen scientists are racing against the clock todevelop new medicines from plant species foundon remote hillsides or in the very forests targetedby loggers, we should remember the messagebrought to us from 1959 to 1973 by Yugoslavia'Smedicinal plants stamp issues: many of nature'smedicines have been with us for millennia and arefound in or have been developed from medicinalplants. They still have a vital role to play.

Figure 1 shows stamps from the 1959 and 1963sets.

SYDNEY STAMP EXPO 2011

Thursday 31 March to Sunday 3 April 2011

The Shannon RoomRoyal Randwick Racecourse

Alison Road, Randwick

This is Australia's only national exhibitionin 2011 and has full range of exhibitionclasses as well as many national and

international dealers.www.sydneystampexp02011.org.au

JyrOCAABf1JA

10

Fig. 1 A used lOd Dutch lavender from 1959, a used 30d bistort and a (mint) 100d caraway, both from 1963

Volume 29, No.1

http://www.sydneystampexp02011.org.au

Capital Philately

OPENING UP THE NEW ZEALAND POSTAL SERVICE

David MinerWith a widely disbursed population, New Zealandfolk found their postal service had becomeunsatisfactory by the early 1980's, withunacceptable delays. Some country residents southof Auckland did more than complain afterreceiving no satisfactory improvement - theyestablished a mutual organisation in their districtto privately distribute mail.

was charged at 30c (NZ Post charged 40c).

NZ Post took action via the courts claiming theyhad the exclusive rights to handle mail, and theircase was successful, causing their rival to close.Nationwide publicity via the press caused muchanger towards New Zealand Post and agitationthrough their Parliamentary representatives. Thisfailed to cease and ultimately, after ten years, thelegislation was amended to permit privateoperators to register with the Ministry ofEconomic Development for the right to performpostal services.

Letters and parcels could be submitted for deliverywithin the region, with stamps sold under thebanner of "Stampways Document Exchange" fromSeptember 1988 (refer Figure 1). Letters frommember-to-member deposited within thedocument exchange attracted a 15c charge, whilstmail dropped in DX PO boxes throughout the area

Competitive mail distribution was first introducedin Sweden, with New Zealand being the second

....-----------------------------...., country to adopt this -today there are many,many countries permittingprivate operators, andRoyal Mail (Great Britain)is even about to be sold bythe United Kingdomgovernment.

Fig. 1 1988 Stampways Document Exchange Booklet

Volume 29, No.1

One condition attached tothe legislation was thateach private operator wasdenied the right to use thewords ''New Zealand",and would have to use asymbolic identifier ontheir canceller or theirstamps, as submitted ontheir licence application.

It has been tough for thebusinesses which enteredthe postal business. Mosthave come and gone,either through failure, byamalgamation or sale.Those who operated in a"niche" district stood thebest chance as they did nothave to cover extensiveareas with its associatedhigher petrol and wages

11

outlay. Pete's Post elected to expand viafranchises, each district recorded on the stamp(such as "Hamilton", "Hastings", "NewPlymouth" "Taraniki") with ''National'' for themain operator. This has provided five identicaldesign stamps every new issue (refer Figure 2).

Capital Philatelyapparent, but for a short time there was noalternative.

The solution appears to be that most privateoperators now contract the actual delivery of mailback to NZ Post for a fee bringing the system in a

Fig. 2 Pete's Post - same design on each stamp but with different district names

Designs cover many topics, and entrepreneurshave enticed businesses to advertise their nameand/or product on stamps (for a nice fee). Thistrend continues, with philatelic societies joining inwith their own issues (refer Figure 3).

full circle. One notable exception has been DXmail (New Zealand, not the same as the companyin Australia) (refer Figure 4). They run hugetrucks around the country and have been the mostsuccessful competitor, even buying out Postie'sChoice, Pete's Post and Black Sheep.

Fig 3 Even Philatelic Societies are issuing their own stamps

The impracticality of seeing a row of differentposting boxes in a line in every town soon became

12

New entrants join the throng, and old ones close. Itappears to be a dynamic field for operators. Not allissued stamps, however, those who did not rarely

Volume 29, No.1

lasted long. The additional income fromadvertisers, and philatelic sales assisted viability.First Day covers and even miniature sheets have

Capital PhilatelyThe last one mentioned is a different type ofoperator (refer Figure 5). They are not registeredwith the Government - being exempt because they

.•..~ _:::l r...., .

• _ -4

r - •• - •• -- - ••

• • t ••...",.. I •

.00

Fig. 4 DX Mail one of the more successful private operators

been snapped-up quickly, and the'crafty ones' now have specialdepartments to cater for sales. OneBay an assortment of genuineused stamps will often fetch morethat the original mint cost. Stampswith known low issue numberscan realise enormous prices frompeople desperate to own acomplete set.

Names of the better known issuersinclude:

DXMailFASTWA Y POSTKIWI MAILPETE'S POSTPOSTIE'S CHOICEBLACK SHEEP (also known asSTAMPS AT WORK)NZM (New Zealand Mail)NATIONAL MAILTODAY'S MAILCARDCALLCROXLEY MAILUNIVERSAL MAIL

Volume 29, No.1

Fig. 5 Universal only operates with international mail

13

Capital Philatelyonly handle overseas mail (stamps on postcards Fletcher Building, TV, The Quakers, Radio NZ,for the tourist market). Being established for that Shell, Maui Gas and stamp clubs and stamp fairsspecific task they have created a distribution joining the throng. Collectors around the world arenetwork through tourist shops. Especially clamouring for these products. The first CAL everdesigned unique stamps are available with target issued (to celebrate the Wellington Arts Festival)specific pictures on each, together with matching was a 40c stamp which has soared beyondpostcards. Booklets of 5 higher value stamps allow NZ$3,000 for a scarce copy - mint or used. A 45cthe tourist to show the family and friends back BMW vehicle stamp has a $500 price tag, thehome, what the country is like. There are hundreds three (3) 5c ANZ Bank stamps go for $100.of different booklets and it would send a collectorbankrupt to own them all. Will this phenomenon burst like a bubble

fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiil (remember PHONECARDS ?).It is doubtful because there issignificant internationalinterest, and there are manypeople looking for a newstamp collecting field.Incredibly all these stampswere intended for local use,however, they are beingaccepted on international mail(is the UPU asleep ?).

The latter usage hasundoubtedly excited theinterest of overseas collectorswhich broadens the market.There was even one case wherea wealthy South American wasto marry, and paid for printingof CALs with the engagedcouple's image, to send allwedding invitations out fromNew Zealand.

Fig. 6 Customised Design Labels (CALs)

Observing the popularity of Alternate PostStamps, NZ Post formulated a "Me Too" strategy.They created a strategy where customers couldsubmit their own design stamp, which if accepted,would permit the customer to order a quantity ofthat design to be printed. Based on the cost of a50c stamp the price for your own design "stamp"was 82e for 1,000 down to 58e if you ordered10,000.

Fig. 7 CALs

These were christened "CALs" - customised(advertising) labels. Recently this title has beenamended to "PPL" - personalised postage label.

These have been an absolute winner throughexpertly promoting the idea to businesses. Anearly supporter was the ANZ Bank, with RealEstate, Bookshops, Cash Managers, Lawyers,

14 Volume 29, No.1

Capital Philately

THE GROWING INTEREST IN LEEWARD ISLANDS' POSTALSTATIONERYDarryl Fuller

[Ed: This article was written about 18 months ago Islands looked a good choice as there weren't a lotbut not published so I have resurrected it.} of stamps, they were no longer issuing stamps andThis is an article in two parts. The first is general even back then there were only a few stamps thatcommentary on the growing interest in Leeward seemed out of reach at the time. So began a 35Island's postal stationery. The second part year adventure. A few years after I startedillustrates the attraction of Leeward Island collecting the Leeward Islands I bought my firststationery by looking at examples of items that I stationery lot in an auction. I knew virtuallyhave managed to find over the last year or so. nothing about stationery at the time but these few

mint items really interested me. I then startedchasing Leeward Islands' stationery, which wasn'tthat easy back then - especially in Australia.However, it was an ideal time to start collectingpostal stationery. It was relatively cheap and I hadlittle if any competition. The few other collectorsat that time, such as Paul Larsen, I knew nothingabout. In about 1985 I decided that there was toomuch competition for the stamps so I focussed onstationery only. The rest is history and needless tosay it was the best stamp decision I ever made. Ihave also been lucky in that key material wasreleased onto the market when Paul Larsen(twice), Michael Oliver and to a smaler extent EricYendall, all decided to sell part of their collectionsof Leeward Island material.

It was the sale of Paul Larsen's QV-KEVIILeeward Islands collection [a US collector whohad a great collection of Leeward's stamps andstationery] in December 2008 that caused me tothink about how the interest in Leeward Islandspostal stationery has changed over the last 35years. For the record, the auction of Paul'smaterial by Victoria Stamp Company went verywell with most lots selling, and a few surprisingresults especially the original key plate die proofs.There were 31 lots of stationery including a fewproofs and all bar one of these lots sold. The fewstationery proofs sold below estimate as did somemixed lots but a number of stationery items soldwell above their estimates. The only other surprisewas the relatively low prices of the postalstationery with manuscript ship cancels comparedto covers with stamps that had the samemanuscript cancels. To my mind the stationeryitems, although selling above estimate, were stillrelatively cheap.

One of the issues with used postal stationery is thedichotomy between the item's value and itsinterest as postal stationery versus its value aspostal history. There is always some competitionbetween the two that often sees stationerycollectors and postal historians vying for the sameitem. In addition, stationery is often a good sourcefor examples of usage of a stamp so a third forcecomes into play. There is additional interest inLeeward Islands' material because an item can beof interest to a collector of the Leeward Islands ora collector of the individual colony.

I first started collecting the stamps of the LeewardIslands when I was about 16 years old. I wascollecting Australia at the time but the 1970sboom meant I couldn't afford much, so I lookedaround for something else to collect. The Leeward

Volume 29, No.1

Over the last 35 years I have seen the interest inLeeward Islands postal stationery increase greatly.Interest in the KGVI stationery grew strongly ascollectors expanded their interest in KGVI stamps.Again I was lucky when it came to the KGVIstationery. I bought an accumulation of stampsand mainly First Day Covers in about 1978 in anauction in Australia. Where this lot came from Idon't know but it was heavily duplicated andappeared to have been collected in the LeewardIslands. It included hundreds of copies of lowvalue stamps in very variable condition. I searchedthrough these and found a number of quite scarcepostmarks and some useful KGVI errors, worthmuch more than the cost of the collection. Inaddition there were 8 covers with a KGVI £1stamp on them used locally. I sold these off formany times the cost of the lot. However, for methe key was a few stationery cutouts includingKGVI envelopes. This was where I noticed thatthe envelopes came with a range of interiors, blueor black and different patterns. I then started tochase these items and the result of my research hasbeen published in the British Caribbean Philatelic

15

Study Group journal'', This was definitely the righttime to specialise in this material.

More recently the other reigns of Leeward Islandstationery are now holding their own. Collectorsare starting to realise how scarce some of thismaterial really is. In addition, the stationeryremains attractive to postal historians as manyregistered envelopes represent multiple weightsteps, there is a good range of destinationsavailable (I have over 40 destinations in my ownexhibit) and they often have higher denominationstamps on them - overall an attractive mix.

One final point I would like to make relates to thelotting of postal stationery items and I will use thesale of Paul Larsen's collection as an example.Thirty years ago the few proof items would havebeen individual lots, as would the manuscript shipcancels. The remainder of stationery items wouldhave been handled one of three ways - slipped intostamp-related groupings, sold as one lot or at bestsold as groupings by type. Imagine if this had beendone to Paul's material this time round. I believethat there would have been limited bidding and themixed lots would probably have gone to dealers.Instead the material was well lotted and manyindividual items sold for prices much higher thanif they had been grouped. There were still one r=====================================~or two groups of material that I noticed soldbelow estimate, and one or two of the itemsfrom these should have been an individual lot- a postal stationery wrapper to New SouthWales for example. But overall the materialwas well lotted and sold well. The soonersome major auction houses realise that there isvalue in splitting up stationery lots the betteroff both collectors and vendors will be.

Recent Finds

I am now in the position where, if I purchase anew item for my exhibit it usually meansremoving an item from the exhibit, hence I don'tbuy a lot. However, as the following examplesillustrate, there are still gems to be found and thereis often much to recommend an item besides itbeing stationery.

Some of these items were found on eBay but overthe years I have found only limited Leeward

6 D.l. Fuller, "Leeward Islands Postal Stationery: KGVIAirmail Envelopes", British Caribbean Philatelic Journal,34,71-74,199416

Capital PhilatelyIsland stationery material for my exhibit on eBay.There have been a few gems, including items Ihave missed such as a KGV registered envelopecommercially used in Barbuda [subsequentlypurchased in another auction], but overall therange is not there when compared to stamps.

Queen Victoria Id Postcard used in the BritishVirgin Islands

The card illustrated in Figure la is an excellentexample of the postal history value of a stationeryitem. The QV ld postcard is probably the mostcommonly seen item of Leeward Islandsstationery. There were 30,450 issued in 19printings. The survival rate has been relativelyhigh and in general they are not expensive to buy.However, I have a number used to unusualdestinations or with interesting maritime use. Thisparticular card was an unsold lot in a Europeanauction. I decided to purchase it because I didn'thave a commercial usage of the card from theBritish Virgin Islands. This card was an attractivecommercial usage, the writer seeking lumber tobuild a house. The card was missent to Baltimorerather than Texas but I am not sure whether it wasever returned to the sender. Overall the card is

UNION POSTAL[ UN'YUItLLE

U;}:W.\IIU Il'L"''- UI> 11I.E:-; l'lIl'S I.}; \,1:/10,.)

POST' ~ARD

Fig. la QV ld Postcard used in the Virgin Islands

quite attractive and a suitable additionexhibit.

to my

However, it wasn't until I actually received thecard that I realised it was also a very interestingpiece of postal history. As West Indies collectorswill be aware, any commercial mail from theBritish Virgin Islands prior to about 1910 is quitescarce. My own research on populations indicatedthat there were only 12 Europeans in the islands inthe 1890 census. This card was written on BeefIsland which is off the Eastern end of Tortola (see

Volume 29, No.1

Figure 1b). Today it has a bridge connecting it toTortola and is the site of a major airport. However,

{iJ..,J L..tA~ ~J J. 6f?/---0 :10-\ .z«a. .

::l '.L • I It'vUl"L",,- ~ •. 'C"L--,/~ W.Lrl" ~uU.....

~ ~/A.r-lc{ r ~I< ~d ~-t. ?J u-

~ A.~".( ~ ('~ ~ 'k.c.(fa-

I ADOMC~

b-.fo~ Rs;u J; ~1~~' .

S".s.~~·

cU •. r~o.ci----Fig. 2 A rare airmail usage of a rare KGV Y:!dpostcard toTrinidad

17

Again this is an example of a postal stationerycard that fits into at least three collecting areas -Leeward Islands, Antigua and commercialairmails.

Capital PhilatelyIn this case the postal stationery value faroutweighs the postal history value for thisenvelope.

1934 King George V lYzd "Airmail" Envelope The

King George VI Yzd Newspaper Wrapper

fourth item, illustrated in Figure 4, is anr;:===================--=---:--===~_;:===:::::=;-l example of the KGVI Y2d newspaper

wrapper used in 1943. It is a completewrapper but was torn completely acrosson opening. This wrapper had thehighest printing of any item of KGVIstationery with 14,400 printed, but usedis one of the rarest items of LeewardIslands stationery. Very few of thesewrappers were kept on receipt and this isa new find. It is only the third usedexample of this wrapper recorded by me.Interestingly all three are used in StKitts. The postal history value in thisitem is as an example of the Y2dnewspaper rate which is not easy to find.

PoST~~ -t1M \(~~~~ \4..~

"~l~, .•.2....t.Ile..) 14t\k t..G( .

Fig. 3 A very rare KGV 1~d 'airmail' envelope used

The envelope illustrated in Figure 3 is anothervery rare item. I have labelled it an airmailenvelope as I believe that this was its intended usebut it is in fact a security-lined pelure paperenvelope. For a long time this envelope was onlyknown from a single used example. A search ofthe De La Rue records showed that there was asingle printing of 5,350 in 1934. A similar ldenvelope was also issued at the same time. The ldwas unknown until I discovered a cutout back inthe 1970s. Over the years a few more have shownup including one mint example of each, two usedcopies of the 1d envelope and three used copies ofthe 1Y2denvelope. The envelope illustrated is nowthe fourth known used copy. The question alwaysarises as to what happened to the rest of theseenvelopes. They are far rarer than examples of theKGVI envelopes which had lower printings.

As a stationery item this is a great rarity but as apostal history item it is fairly common. Ipurchased this item on eBay and it is withoutdoubt the best bargain I have ever had on the site.The seller obviously didn't know the rarity of theenvelope and listed the cover only on eBay in theUK, not on eBay.com. He correctly listed it at astarting price of £9.99 which would not beunreasonable for what is a fairly commonPaquebot cover. The final price of around £18 wasobviously a bargain for the stationery item but agood price for a paquebot cover of this nature.

18

--:or-

Fig. 4 The third recorded used KGVI Yzdwrapper

This item was a very fortuitous purchase on eBayalso. It was in a mixed lot of Leeward Islandscovers, the majority of which had little interest orvalue. The image of the seven covers was notlarge and normally I wouldn't look that closely atsuch a group. It was only luck that I noticed whatlooked like a newspaper wrapper in the lot. At firstI thought it was the KGV Y2dwrapper, which isalso rare used, but I took the image and expandedit and saw this wrapper. I was quite excited andput a significant bid on it. Luckily for me, and forLeeward Islands stationery collectors, I didmanage to purchase the lot for about $10. So nowthere are three recorded used examples of thiswrapper.

Volume 29, No.1

Capital Philately

PASTCARDSJournal of

CANBERRA PICTURE POSTCARD COLL~CTOR$a branch of the Philatelic Society of Canberra Inc.

No. 80

All Rights Reserved

December 2010

ISSN 1326-9941

SOME AUSTRALIAN TREES

Peter Cheah

Trees are important for our survival. A greatnumber of items and materials for human use arederived from them. Trees also provide otherorganisms with food, shelter, and shade. Theyprevent soil erosion, regulate soil temperature andare an important component of the naturallandscape. Wood from trees is also widely used asa primary energy source in many developingcountries. Without trees or vegetation, thelandscape would be a desert.

Trees can be either evergreen or deciduous. Theycome in all shapes and sizes and their foliage canbe quite varied as between the species. They areable to grow from seeds or cuttings and canregenerate from stems of old trees. Trees also havean important role in many of the world'smythologies and religions.

Of the top ten species of the world's largest treesso far measured, 3 are Australian, viz. theTasmanian Blue Gum, the Australian MountainAsh and the Australian Oak. The oldest knownAustralian tree specimen is the Tasmanian Huonpine said to be up to 2500 years old. As an aside, itis interesting to note that a plant called King'sHolly, also found in Tasmania, is reputed to bemore than 46,000 years old.

Volume 29, No.1

In a recently published book by Bob Beale, IfTrees could Speak, he states-- "More than anyother product of nature, trees gave us the rawmaterial to build, shape and express what we areas a nation. They remain central to our daily lives,our character and hopes; they are literally at theroot of our national identity".

Not surprisingly therefore, individual trees andforests are listed in national, State andconservation heritage registers. Trees have alsobeen the subject of paintings, poems, songs,phrases and other social topics, like postcards."Tree politics" is also a modem social causecelebre.

Much more could be said (and shown) about trees:their commercialisation in so many differentfields, their end products, and their botanical andornamental use in public and private gardens theworld over. Various postcard themes could flowfrom this!

Sources: The Internet (various articles), dataprinted on postcards, andBob Beale, "If Trees Could Speak - Stories ofAustralia's Greatest Trees", Allen & Unwin, 2007.

19

Capital Philately

The Diamond Tree is a giant Karri located 10kmsouth of Manjimup, WA on the South WesternHighway. A wooden viewing platform, built in 1939,is located 52 metres up, and is the oldest woodenplatform fire lookout still in use today.

The Tree of Knowledge in Barcaldine is no more, havingbeen vandalized and poisoned just a few years ago. Thesignificance of this ghost gum is that it is considered to bethe site at which a political movement began thatculminated in the formation of the Australian Labor Party.

The Gloucester Tree is a giant Karri in theGloucester National park, WA. At 72 metres, it isthe world's tallest fire-lookout tree, and visitorscan climb up to a platform in its upper branchesfor a spectacular view of the surrounding Karriforest. The Shire ofManjimup owns it.

OUTBACK QUEENSLAND

20 Volume 29, No.1

Volume 29, No.1

Capital Philately

Unusual use of timber- logs used as 'pews' atan outdoor 'cathedral'in Lismore.

The day after theopening of the FederalParliament in Canberrain may 1927, the Dukeof York planted a bunyapine on the corner ofState Circle and King'sAvenue. This tree is stilldoing well and theaccompanying postcardof Bunya Mountains, Qshows two examples ofthis species.

The Robber's Tree sonames after JosephWells robbed aCunnamulla Bank 1111880. He hid in a treeafterwards but wasquickly found andcaptured by iratetownspeople. Wells wasthe last man inQueensland to receivethe death penalty for hiscrime.

21

Capital Philately

The Dig Tree atCoopers Creek isregarded as Australia'smost historic tree andattracts many tourists. Itwas under this tree thatthe explorers Burke andWills tragically died.

The Old Gum Tree inAdelaide is the spotwhere Captain JohnHindmarsh proclaimedthe colony of SouthAustralia in 1836.

22

Greenough LeaningTrees are scatteredthroughout the Shire ofGreenough, WA. Thisnatural phenomenon iscaused by the airbornesalt content blown inwith the winds off theIndian Ocean. The treetrunks lie horizontally tothe ground and havebecome somewhat of anicon for the area.

Volume 29, No.1

Capital Philately

The beauty of Canberra'sautumn leaves can beseen around April insome of the inner city'stree-lined suburbs.

That AborigInal legend has it thatthe BOAB TREE was once a tall.proud but arrogant aristocrat of theplant world? It flaunted its proudand graceful shape among thespindlV trees of the arid terrain."How remaricable and howsuperior I am" it seemed to say.This made all other trees feel mis-erable. The gods. not happy withthis. bewitched the saeds of thisvain tree: and 101its seedlings grewupside down. From that time the80ab underwent a curious reversal.The bar1< developed folds andinstead of growing tall it becamegrotesque and lqUat. But the 80abwas not deprived of all goodfeatures. As the wet seasonapproaches. masses of flowers andfoliage errive providing man andanimal with shelter. The roots mayprovide water for the parchedtraveller and the rich saed podswere on the menu of theAborigines.

The Boab Tree.

•MArTON'S "'ACNIFllEr-l JACMlANDAS IN FlSHI:.M ",ARK ,..,5 W

Volume 29, No.1

Trees 111in Grafton

JacarandaFisher ParkNSW .

23

Capital Philately

MOUNT "IN ASH. TALLEST KNOWN HAIU)WOOD TIt££ IN WOItLD.(lOt n.• IN.) CUMBEJtLAND. MAAYSVIUL

The Mountain Ash - tallest known hardwoodtree in the world

The Huon Pine an important timber from Tasmania.

An Australian bush track surrounded by gum trees.

24 Volume 29, No.1

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CAPITAL PHILATELY

December 2010 - VOL. 29, NO.1

Capital Philately

Editorial Darryl Fuller 1

Some Notes on the 1992-97 Hong Kong Machin Definitives Part 2

Daniel Tangri 2

Three Small Envelopes from Romania Judy Kennett 8

The Medicinal Plants Stamp Issues of Yugoslavia Don Costello 9

Opening up the New Zealand Postal Service David Miner 11

The Growing Interest in Leeward Island Postal StationeryDarryl Fuller 15

Some Australian Trees Peter Cheah 19