update

I have not had the time to work on my collection or this blog for some time. All my stamp time is currently spent rewriting the FICC web site.

Scott Classic - GB

Previous - Scott classic Posts - Next

The albums will be gradually filled with whatever comes along in Bexley PS stamp boxes, co-ordinated with transfers from my previous one volume album. In addition, I will work on specific countries, beginning with GB (obviously) and Egypt (one of my early subjects on returning to stamps (I guess Saar will be looked at soon by that logic).

GB issues were modest for the first 100 years. The catalogue numbers for the various reigns are:

• Victoria (r.1840-1901) Sg1-SG214, 82 stamp designs
• Edward 7 (r.1901-1910) SG215-SG320, 15 designs
• George 5 (r.1910-1936) SG321-SG456, 25 designs
• Edward 8 (r.1936) SG457-SG460, 1 design
• George 6 (r.1936-1952) SG461-514, 27 designs

The album has only four pages of GB stamps, plus one each for Officials and Post Dues. There are

• 46 stamps for Victoria
• 19 for Ed7
• 38 for Geo5
• 4 for Ed8, and
• 24 for Geo6

The most interesting aspect (for me, anyway) is to gather all the Victorias with my initials ('NB') in the corner letters. I bought an NB Penny Black years ago for £70 and in early 2012 started to collect the others. The process is documented here: I have all but three, the 6d SG84-85, the 9d SG86 and the 9d SG195 and those three are not included in the album. The condition of some of these stamps is not of the best, but they are (for the album requirements, at least) complete. I have always intended to design a separate display for these NBs as part of a show of all the GB pre-decimal definitives grouped by value and so will need multiple copies of the Scott stamps.

Scott Classic slip case

Previous - Scott classic Posts - Next

In the first post on my new Classic albums I mentioned the cost of the official slip cases and my inclination towards DIY. That job was completed in January, using a couple of suitably-sized fruit boxes from Lidl and several other boxes for reinforcement.

4th Jan: The start, two boxes

4th Jan: Cutting the boxes to size

12th: Jan Stick them together and cover with lining paper

20th Jan: And with blue wallpaper

Displays 13, 14, China and Occupation II

D11 (1881-85) & D12 (1886-89) have recently been completed, so the next releases should bring the project up to the year 1900. China needs its own Display and the second Display of Occupation Issues and Offices Abroad (OccI here) is also required before progressing into the 1900s.

Stampex, Spring 2014

Stampex next week and I hope to get there on Friday, so time for a plan. The wantslist has been updated with Displays 11 and 12, but the first priority is to fill any gaps of #1s and these are clear from the redesigned Summary Pages. There are spaces for:

• Neapolitan Provinces 6.1eight 1861 issues, all to the same design, most on the expensive side, but the #1 1/2t green (SG2, Sc19 of Naples) is $18 mint (Scott 2008).
• Jammu and Kashmir 7.2 The individual J and K issues are all too costly, but the first available joint J&K is the affordable 1861 1/2a red (SG Sc75) at $12/$15. 16th Feb for £1, an imperfect but attractive J&K SG145.
• Serbia 7.5 I'm seeking the 2006 commemorative SG Sc356. Bought on ebay 15th Feb for $1.95.
• Iran 8.6 the first is $175, no sign of a commemorative, no obvious substitute.
• Puerto Rico 9.5 I have none of their stamps. #1 1873 is inexpensive used and the 1877 SG14 Sc13 5c yellow-brown is also sought.
• Jind, Feudatory 9.7 the 1874 #1 1/2a blue is reasonably priced
• Poonch 9.7 get the 1884 SG3/Sc3 or SG7/Sc8, both 1/2a red at a few pounds 
• Labuan 10.6 look for the 1894 SG51 Sc42 2c rose around £1
• Sirmoor 10.3 1879 SG1 Sc1 1p green around £5 18th Feb SG1 and SG2 on ebay for £11.
• British Offices in Siam 11.8 all unaffordable
• Selangor 11.2 the 1886 SG35 Sc11 2c rose $10/$3  Bought on ebay 15th Feb for $2.99.
• St. Pierre and Michelon 11.6 commemorative 1999 SG? Sc682 $7, or anything with an SPM overprint. The first real stamp is the SG Sc60 tablet for $1 and the first original the 1909 SG Sc 1c fisherman for pence.
• Gwalior 11.3 the 1/2a green overprint. 1885 SG? Sc1 overprinted in black is $35/$20; 1885 SG9 Sc9 overprinted in red is pence.
• Nabha 11.3 The #1 1885 1/2a green o/p is pence m/u.
• British Bechuanaland 11.6 the 1887 SG9 Sc10 1/2p vermillion o/p is the FSP.
• Guancaste 11.3 #1 1c green o/p $3/$4.
• Rumanian Offices in Turkey Occ1.6 the #1 1896 10pa on 5b blue o/p is $30 m/u black surcharge and about half that with a violet surcharge. Any of the first 6 would do.
• Bamra 12.2 The first set is expensive, but the entirely dissimilar second set, 1890 SG Sc7 is approachable. 2010 SoS found on ebay, keep looking.
• French Offices in Madagascar 12.6 either 1891 SG Sc8 ($150/$30) or 1895 SG Sc14 ($15/$7) Sc8 bought on ebay 15th Feb for $16.

December acquisitions

I don't intend to make this a monthly exercise, but happen to have most of the  stamps bought in December on pages waiting to be added to displays.

Bexley Box Jan 14

The first Bexley box arrived after getting the new albums (I only take the Foreign, not the GB or Commonwealth circuits). The take was better than is often the case - 67 stamps for £33.65, including most of the first page for the Netherlands.
It is a prolonged process, pasting in from the boxes and also moving over from the old album.