Royal Reels: Gambling

Philatelists

NORMAN COLIN HOPSON, AUSTRALIAN POSTAL HISTORIAN 1929-1998

Norman Hopson and Alexander Robert ‘Bob’ Tobin will always be linked together because of their four seminal volumes published on the N.S.W. and A.C.T. Post, Receiving, Telegraph & Telephone Offices, over the years from 1991 to 1998 and posthumously in 1999. Regretfully I never met them, but their publications largely hijacked me away from stamp collecting to an interest in Australian postmarks, particularly those of N.S.W. This cover was a slight

Read More »

MAXIMILIAN TANNENBERG, STAMP DESIGNER of AUSTRALIAN STATES

Two postal items have appeared at two auction sites in the past year addressed to Max Tannenberg. The first is a cover described as follows: “use of the India 4a 6p envelope from Rangoon to Melbourne addressed to Maximillian (sic) Tannenberg”. It has a RANGOON/ AUG 19 cds with an 8 barred R duplex obliterator and it was sent to Tannenberg, at his home address 19 Canning Street, Carlton, Melbourne, Australia. There

Read More »

MAJOR EDWARD BENJAMIN EVANS, DISTINGUISHED U.K. PHILATELIST R.P.S.

The lilac ONE PENNY ‘View of Sydney’ printed stamp of New South Wales on the cover was uprated with a strip of 3 of the ½d slate QV stamp and it could have been used as early as 1892, but is undated, for all stamps were canceled with the barred numeral ‘37′ of Warialda, N.S.W. It is addressed to Major Evans, Messrs Stanley Gibbons & Co., 391 Strand, London W.C.,

Read More »

KING GEORGE V CORONATION CELEBRATIONS, GLENORCHY TASMANIA 1911

This Australian 1911 KGV Coronation issue postal card portrait in an oval laurel frame was privately overprinted on the reverse with a message and it was sent to J. Forsyth, Strath Avon, Claremont, the 9rinted 1d stamp being cancelled in an indistinct Claremont 1911 postmark (Figure 1). The reverse message was printed as follows: Coronation Celebrations Dear Sir, At a Public Meeting, held at Glenorchy, a Committee of ladies and gentlemen

Read More »

J. F. SEYBOLD, PHILATELIST: AUGUSTUS GORE, COAL EXCHANGE, LONDON

This cover was sent per Emeu, steamer, with an imperforate 4-margin, deep steel grey ‘Diadem’ SIX PENCE New South Wales stamp, cancelled with a barred obliterator & a diamond of dots. It had a red LONDON/ EV/ AP 12/ 58/ PAID reception postmark, and was addressed to Augustus Gore Esq, 4 (–) Coal Exchange, London (Figures 1 & 2). The reverse had a black unframed SYDNEY/ D/ MY 10/ 1858/ NEW

Read More »

HENRY LUKE WHITE, PASTORALIST, PHILANTHROPIST & PHILATELIST

I was attempting to obtain some meaningful biographical information on Fred Hagen who had an international clientele for his Sydney Stamp Shop, and I stumbled on this lot described as a ‘Hagen front only’. It was sent to a prominent collector H.L.White Esq., Belltrees, Scone, N.S.W. and it had a single and a block of four red Die 1 ‘Roo on Map of Australia’ stamps postmarked with 5 copies of

Read More »

GOULBURN N.S.W. COVER to HENRY CLOTZ, NEW YORK in 1895

A cover from an Australian Colony to an American philatelist is the subject of this paper. It is addressed to Mr. Henry Clotz, P.O.B. NO 999, New York, U.S. America and has a pair of the 1d lilac ‘View of Sydney’ issued in 1888 as well as the ½d grey Q.V. stamp, postmarked with 2 fine duplex cancels of Goulburn (Type D4 of Hopson & Tobin, 1995): GOULBURN/ MY 11/ 330

Read More »

GIANTS of PHILATELY: ALFRED F. LICHTENSTEIN (1876-1947) [USA]

This World War II censored cover was posted ‘On His Majesty’s Service’ from Canberra A.C.T. on 17 FEB 1942 with a machine cancel postmark ‘REGISTER/VALUABLE/MAIL’on the 3½d overprint on the 3d blue KGVI stamp. It was sent to Mr. Alfred Lichtenstein at a London S.W. 9, England address. In spite of it being sent from a Commonwealth of Australia Department of the Interior, Acton, Canberra A.C.T., it was subjected to

Read More »

EVERETT C. ERLE, AMERICAN PHILATELIST, A.P.S. HALL of FAME

This registered cover was sent from 634 MILE T.A.R./ -3 AP 37/ W.A. with three postmarks canceling 5 stamps with a total postage of 6d, made up of pairs of the 1d green and ½d orange KGV heads as well as the 3d blue Centenary of South Australia stamp. The cover has a R6 ‘no name’ registration label and it is addressed to Mr. Everett Erle, 3546-22nd St., San Francisco,

Read More »

ERNEST OESCH, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: PAPERS TO & FROM AUSTRALIA

Multiple covers from Australia have been seen on Ebay addressed to Mr. E.H. Oesch, Mindanao (also spelt Mindinao) Estate(s) Co., Padada, Santa Cruz, Davao, Mindanao, Philippine Islands, the first being a registered letter with a Caulfield South, Victoria with a blue registration label. The total postage of 6½d was made up by the 1½d dull scarlet and black swan plus the FIVE PENCE overprint on the violet 4½d KGV head,

Read More »