What Was In Your Mailbox Today??

Goodies from Lithuania, direct from Vilnius:

If you collect Great Britain all I have to say is 'Plate Four' and take a small bow.

I received this cover postmarked at the British Post Office in Constantinople (now of course Istanbul). According to Scott, this PO was open from Sept 1, 1857 to Sept 30, 1914 and again from Feb 4, 1919 to Sept 27, 1923, so this cover dated March 26 1920 is well within the second period. Ordinarily British stamps used in the Turkish Empire were surcharged in the old Turkish currency consisting of Piastres and Paras (1 Piastre = 40 Paras), and this 2 1/2 pence KGV stamp would normally have been surcharged at 1 Piastre (Scott Turkish Empire #41), but somehow this went through the mail with an unsurcharged stamp. Interestingly, the normal, unsurcharged stamp, Scott GB #163 has a higher CV , $4.50 in used condition, than the one with the surcharge, 25 cents used. At some point it appears that the Piastre was devalued relative to British currency, because in the 1913-1914 set of overprints, corresponding to the first period of the British PO, a one shilling KGV stamp, Scott Turkish Empire #45 was surcharged 5 Piastres, but in the later series, issued 1921, and corresponding to the second period of the PO, the same one shilling KGV stamp, Scott Turkish Empire #61 was surcharged 18 3/4 Piastres

Hopefully this counts... my email inbox included a message showing that my mount order is on its way! It's been 5 months in the making!

The shipping cost me more than the catalog.

That's pretty cool, Roberto. Disney stamps that have seen actual postal usage!

Got this really cool cover in the mail today! And inside was an outstanding Hungary air post set in perfect condition. Will make/upload an image tomorrow.

On loan from the APRL.

Copy of Part II (Greece) of "Translations from Kohl's Handbook", by Dr. Herbert Munk.

Believe Herbert Munk (1875-1953) was the primary author of the Kohl's Handbook series, a key resource for expertizing classic stamps of the period.

Translated and reprinted by The Collectors Club, circa 1943.

Hope to use it to bolster my efforts to accurately identify the Hermes "small head" and "large head" series.

This is the first set I mentioned- complete MNH air post set from Hungary, delivered in the nifty cover pictured above.

This just arrived as well - complete MNH perf 14 high values from the German Hitler definitives issued during WWII. Since someone posted the link to that awesome YouTube video about these stamps, I thought I'd complete the perf 14s missing from my sets.

This came through the post yesterday, a couple of years old but brand new and suits me as I cut off at 1990. Not bad for £5.

I posted that cover above with the Air Mail label in the U.S. section ,under BACK OF THE BOOK ,to find out more about the label ?

Floortrader, I am the customer to whom you shipped that cover. The Hungary set you sold me is outstanding!

Shermae ---- Glad you like that set . I was interested in finding out more on that Airmail label ,I have a few of them ,got them in a Rasdale lot 30 years ago . They are almost 100 years old ,thinking they are when they finally established coast to coast airmail which would be around 1928 and received money from Congress to set up all the way stops along the way ,like airports and beacons .

These actually came yesterday but only got round to opening the package up today. FDC for my Scottish Highland Games thematic collection. A couple for my Penny Black thematic collection and one which is for a friend's British Forces Postal Service collection.

The seller also threw in a freebie which is the Cyprus envelope with JFK. Random, but interestingly there is something in the envelope which is sealed shut. Going to see if I can gently steam open to have a peek at what's inside.