First Issues And Number 1s

As an example, Yvert lists an overprinted Madagascan air-mail stamp as the first South Antarctic issue, whereas Gibbons lists - or at least used to list - it under Madagascar.

Neat! And Scott, which is the only catalogue that I have easy access to, lists the overprint as #1. That adds all sorts of possibilities to a collection of #1 issues.

The last example of Aruba shows Scott does not have the same number one as other catalogs. There are numerous examples.

The Stanley Gibbons SOTW 2020 edition gives the French Southern & Antarctic Territories no.1(1955) as the Madagascar overprinted stamp shown above.

The Yvert et Tellier catalog, the one that should be considered "the proper listing", lists the Madagascar overprinted stamp as TAAF number 1.

angore:

This goes to prove my adage that no one will ever fully agree on ASFEC or First Issue/Number 1s matters - what should or should not be included.

The simple solution being, "Do whatever floats your boat," using an editable format...

John

Moldova Sc/SG/Mi #1 issued 23rd June 1991. Originally Moldavia, a republic within the Soviet Union, in 1990 Moldova declared sovereignty within the USSR and became independent in 1991. Printed at Chisinãu.




Image copyright: Public Domain per Wikipedia

I consider the differences between catalogs as good for the hobby.

"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance. It is the illusion of knowledge"- Stephen Hawkings

Central Lithuania,1920

Michel #1


Yvert # 1

Nothing I posted has anything to do with differences between catalogs, or making a judgment (good or bad) about that. My adage is an observation about the peculiar nature of philatelic carbon based units.

In the final analysis, we (not you and me, but the community at large) agree about virtually nothing when it comes to ASFEC criteria or selection or presentation of Number 1s or First Issues. And, about a whole host of other issues.

Knowledge is good. This thread is good. Discussion is good.

John

Slovenia Sc #100/SG #134 issued 26th June 1991. Slovenia became part of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia) in 1918. When Yugoslavia broke up, Slovenia held a referendum and declared independence on 25th June 1991.





Copyright: NuclearVacuum

It seems with some catalogs re-ordering sets in order by denomination that a collection of "catalog #1's" is a reflection of editorial decisions to convey information in an orderly fashion, rather than a collection of true "first issues" based on actual earliest historical issue dates.

U.S. airmails C1 and C3 come quickly to mind. Does one collect an editorial decision or the first stamp released?

Also 236, which was issued after all the other values of the Columbian set.

If I were designing a stamp album containing worldwide first issues,
there is no better catalog than that of the First Issues Collectors Club, IMHO.

http://www.firstissues.org/catalog/catalog01.php

The biggest quandary would be to decide what to include, and how to present it!

(Note: I am a member of FICC)

John

Kyrgyzstan Sc/SG #1 issued 4th February 1992. Formerly Kirghizia, a republic of the Soviet Union Kyrgyzstan declared its independence in 1991. Kyrgyz is derived from the Turkic word for "We are forty", believed to refer to the forty clans of Manas.




Image: Public Domain per Wikipedia