by catpaw | 16 Feb, 2015 | Airmail & Aviation, Catpaw's Picks, Espresso fueled mumblings, Stamps
A couple more nifty Hungarian airmail stamps for today’s offering – 1927-1930 airmails (Scott’s C12-17). I’m missing C14, so I’ll have to go hunting for it this week. I picked these today because of the interesting Hungarian mythology behind them. That’s one of the powerful draws for stamp collecting – the history, country mythology, politics, and culture you can cull from the images. These stamps show Turul, the great bird messenger from Attila (or the gods, depending on which myth you read) and involves birth myth of the Hungarian people. Turul figures prominently in Hungarian mythology, and you can see his image on various buildings and statues around the country. The most well-known to many tourists is the one is on the bridge spanning the river dividing Buda and Pest. But if you collect Hungarian stamps, you’ll see Turul on a lot.
Here’s one version of the Turul origins legend:
The first legend of the Turul tells the story of Princess Emese, consort of a Scythian king, who once had a dream in which a Turul appeared to her. In this dream, a crystal-clear stream started to flow from her, and as it moved Westward, it grew into a mighty river. This dream represented her symbolic impregnation by the Turul and meant that she would give birth to a line of great rulers. Emese later gave birth to Álmos, who was the father of Árpád, the great leader of the Magyars and founder of Hungary.
Another view of Turul
In the second legend, the leader of the Hungarian tribes had a dream in which eagles attacked their horses and a Turul came and saved them. This symbolized that they had to migrate, and when they did so, the Turul helped them to show the way and eventually led them to the land that became Hungary.
Because of these legends, the Turul became a symbol of Magyar identity that has been represented throughout history and is still used today including on the coat of arms of the Hungarian Army and the Office of National Security.
From <http://thehungariangirl.com/2012/04/13/turul-hungarys-mythical-bird/>
Hungarian airmails depicting Turul the Messenger.
These stamps have a lot of symbolism packed into a small space – Turul, the divine messenger, a blazing sun in the distance with a Hungarian Double Cross shining in the light. (I’ve also seen the cross referred to as St. Stephen’s cross in a few articles).
The series is interesting and not expensive. You can scoop a set for under $10 on a good day. The problem I’m having is getting just C14. No one wants to break up their set, so I’ll end up purchasing a full set, unless my trusty stamp store has a single, I can buy. I need to get it soon; my OCD rears up every time I look at the incomplete display and whispers in my ear “you can buy them all online …. Psst… go… buy a set”.
If you enjoyed this article, try one. It was fun to research and write. Don’t forget to support Bitter Grounds via Buy me a Coffee (to the left), PayPal (in the footer) or by merch. You can now subscribe to my newsletter and get new posts directly to your inbox. You can now like and share articles using the pop-up box on the right.
by catpaw | 1 Feb, 2015 | Airmail & Aviation, Catpaw's Picks, country Stamps, Espresso fueled mumblings, Stamps
I recently acquired a small collection of Hungarian Zeppelin Airmail stamps from a friend who fled Hungary during the ’56 Uprising. When he was preparing to leave Hungary, he combed through his stamp collection, picking the ones that were most valuable. He hoped, when they were safe over the border, he could use them for quick cash to pay for necessities. Nothing large could be taken, no luggage, no oversized bags or anything that would tip off authorities they were fleeing. Everything had to be small, portable and easily hidden. Stamps filled that order. He told me about going through his collection, picking what he hoped would be the most valuable and easily sold.
When he was safe in Austria, he went around to various shops trying to sell the stamps and was heartbroken to find out they were no longer worth as much. So many Hungarians had done the same thing, Austria was awash in them and the prices crashed. He didn’t have the heart to throw them away or sell them for next to nothing and hung on to them. He was attached to them – one of his few possessions that had made it over the border, everything else had been abandoned. The stamps crossed the frontier, tucked into an inside pocket, remained with him through his refugee claim and uncertain times waiting for resettlement and finally all the way to Toronto, Ontario Canada.
58 years later, he still had the stamps, tucked on a shelf, buried, not forgotten but rarely thought about. I was about the only stamp collector he knew, and he gave them to me last month. I was and am thrilled to have them. I’m keeping the collection together, with a note about how they found their way to me, in hopes, the next owner, understands how valuable they really are. Sometime, the value can’t be found in a catalogue.
Hungarian Zeppelin Airmail Issues C24 and C25
These two Hungarian Zeppelin overprints were part of the group of stamps. Scotts cat C24 and C25 were issued to celebrate the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin’s visit to Hungary 29 March 1931. Well centred, used pair go, per set, for about $70 to $80 (Cdn). Mint copies are worth slightly less (unhinged mints of course bring a premium). This is one of those cases were used stamps, with good cancels are more attractive than mint ones. You can find a Zeppelin covers for as little as $60, with appropriate cachets and to well over $400. Always look at the cancels – I spotted one recently that had a 1927 cancel, so the C24 and C25 stamps and Zeppelin cachet were added years after the cover was sent. I only spotted it because I love cancels and am always peering at them carefully.
The 1p is orange with a black overprint, the 2p is dull violet with a bright green overprint. 58,598 pairs were printed, and a small number of imperforate sets were issued. I believe about 10,000 imperf pairs were printed, so they are worth more. I’ve never seen a pair offered for sale, so I’m not sure what the market price would be. Scotts pegs the price around $300 for the pair but there is always a weird disconnect between catalogued price and market price. The stamps were made available a few days before the Zeppelin’s arrival and were a hit.
The Route
The flight left its base in Friedrichshafen South Germany on 28 March @ 11pm and was spotted over Székesfehérvár the next morning at 7:15am. It reached Budapest 45 minutes later, landing 8 am, amid great excitement, at the Csepel Airport. The Mayor of Budapest and other dignitaries were on hand to welcome the crew, along with 20 – 30 thousand people according to contemporary journalist Miklos Magyar. Hard to say what the real number was, but judging by the photos, thousands made the trip to see the LZ-127. It always generated huge interest, wherever it went.
On Monday March 30, the airship flew passengers northeast to Miskolc, then direct south to Kisújszállás and off North West to Vác and finally back to Budapest. The day trip carried several notable Hungarians including author and journalist Frigyes Karinthy, Miklós Horthy’s son István, Defense Minister Gyula Gömbös, a few journalists and Count László Almássy who’s name will be familiar to anyone who read or watched The English Patient. After the visit, the LZ 127 flew on to Děčín Czechoslovakia for a whirlwind tour.
If you collect airmail or anything flight related, you can always find a few fine copies of these Zeppelin airmail stamps on eBay or at auction. If you hit the right auction, you can often scoop one for under listed price. But, like all auctions, it depends on who is there. If a collector of Zeppelin material shows up, expect to spend too much.
If you enjoyed this article, try one. It was fun to research and write. Don’t forget to support Bitter Grounds via Buy me a Coffee (to the left), PayPal (in the footer) or by merch. You can now subscribe to my newsletter and get new posts directly to your inbox. You can now like and share articles using the pop-up box on the right.
See more great Hungarian airmails:
Hungarian airmail – the great Turul
by catpaw | 24 Jan, 2015 | Airmail & Aviation, Catpaw's Picks, Espresso fueled mumblings, Stamps
I don’t own any of the very first French airmails. They are out of my price range. The first 2 airmail stamps were issued June 25, 1927 and are lovely little overprints. They weren’t issued to the general public but were sold at the International Aviation Exhibition held in Marseilles in ’27. Attendees could buy one set each. They currently sell for about $150 to $200 Cdn each, depending on the auction. I’ve seen excellent used copies go for more at a couple of auctions in the last year. They had excellent cancels that made them attractive.
The next two airmail stamps issued June 28, 1928. Catalogue # C3 and C4 weren’t designed for airmail and weren’t even used in France. These two stamps were regular 1920s Louis Pasteur/Marcelin Berthelot stamps, with a surcharge overprinted on them. They were used by the French consul-general in New York City. Letters were carried aboard the SS Ille de France and sailed across the Atlantic. When the ship was about 200 miles off the coast of France, they were “catapulted” to France. The ship had been fitted out with a seaplane catapult that was launched when the ship was still about 200 miles from the coast, allowing the mail to reach Paris long before the ship docked. Catapult mail is a popular area for collectors, and was used by many countries, but you have to be braced to spend some serious cash for the best copies.
Early Airmail Covers
A cover from that flight go for huge sums – thousands of dollars. A single stamp sells for $1,500 for the C3 and over $6,000 for C4. Covers exist but are scarce and go for a far more. I’ve seen a mint C3 come up on eBay for $1,000 US, but I’d avoid buying them without a certificate verifying its authenticity. Stamp forgeries are so common, it’s hard to avoid being dinged occasionally.
1930-31 French airmails
Now, the stamps readily available for those of us on a far stingier budget start with the 1930-31 issues. For just a few dollars you can have decent copies for your collection. Even better, you can find covers for reasonable prices.
French airmail c5
French airmail C6
C5, used can be found for a dollar or two. A mint copy goes for about $20. If you aren’t fussy about centering, you can find them for much less. C6 (the blue one) sells for slightly less. C6 was also issued with E.I.P.A.30 perforated onto the stamp (C6b). These are hard to find and sell for about $700 for a mint unhinged copy. Hinged will be half the amount and a decent used for around $200 – $300. This is a stamp that is forged a lot. I suspect the majority out there are fakes. If you ever get tempted to lay out cash for one, get it authenticated.
The set originally sold at the International Air Post show in Paris, Nov 6-20, 1930 as part of the entrance fee. Show goers paid face value of the stamp + 5f. After the show, the tamps were released to the public. The scene on the stamp is the Church of Notre Dame in Marseille.
The best part about this modest little pair is the wide variety of cancels you can find. For cancel hounds, they can be exciting to explore.
by catpaw | 27 Aug, 2014 | Catpaw's Picks, Espresso fueled mumblings, Stamps
I picked up a small set of the 1859 5c beaver stamps (Scott’s #15) years ago. Top qualify ones were out of my budget range at the time, so I looked around for some flawed ones – just so I could have these famous stamps in my collection. Although I couldn’t afford the layout hundreds of dollars for a good stamp, I could afford the “defects”. They are space fillers, but I love them anyway. I looked around for ones with good cancel marks – increases the value in my not so humble opinion.
The set displayed here have very visible number obliteration marks. You can research the cancel marks (obliterations) and if you are lucky, figure out where it was sent from. Cancels, in this period were, well, varied is an understatement. I have some with ring cancels, dates, numbers, fancy cancels, and big blobs of ink. Not all have been catalogued and sometimes it’s a guessing game as to the post office that marked them.
1851 Sir Sandford Fleming Beaver Stamp
An earlier 3 penny beaver was issued in 1851, it doesn’t have the perfs and is much harder to come by and much more expensive. The 5-cent issue uses the same design, but it was part of the first set of stamps issued using the new decimal currency. Sir Sandford Fleming in Toronto designed the beaver stamp. For none Canadians, the beaver was picked because of its historical importance in the development of Canada. You can read more on it here.
A mint, with original gum will set you back around $650. But you have to be wary of any old stamp with “original” gum. Many are re-gummed by unethical sellers to increase the value of the stamp. Always get an expert opinion before buying an original gum stamp. However, if you simply want to have them in your collection, or are a cancel fan, you can pick them up for as low as $2 a piece. A great bargain, lots of fun.
My Modest Selection of 1859 5c beaver
The #7 cancels, I suspect came from St. John’s NB. It’s close to a cancel shown in the **Canadian Fancy Cancellations of the Nineteenth Century catalogue. I can’t find a match for the 6-ring cancel (second from last in stamp shown). Post masters often made their own unofficial obliteration marks and not all of them have been catalogued. The ringed cancels were very popular so hard to trace. The stamp with the number 4 may have been from Owen Sound. If you look closely, you can make out a number in front of the 4. It might be another 4. If so, Owen Sound is the likely origin. But that’s a bit of guess work on my part.
Notes:
**Canadian Fancy Cancellations of the Nineteenth Century, 1961 by K.M. Day & E.A. Smythies or 2nd ed 1981 can still be purchased, second hand through Canadian stamp collector stores for a reasonable price or at AbeBooks.
You can learn more about Fancy Cancels at the BNAPS website – http://www.bnaps.org/hhl/n-fcm.htm
Their website is a rich resource of British North American philately, including a listing of known Fancy Cancels.
If you enjoyed this article, try one. It was fun to research and write. Don’t forget to support Bitter Grounds via Buy me a Coffee
