August 2024

Sample the GSM Archive: Introducing Newfoundland

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Ahead of the launch of the Stanley Gibbons 8th Edition Canada & Provinces catalogue release later this month, we delve into the history and background of stamp issues showcased in this comprehensive publication. 

 

The following excerpt article was first published in the July 1965 issue of Gibbons Stamp Monthly. A full range of articles can be accessed using a subscription to the Gibbons Stamp Monthly Archive. 

 

Introducing Newfoundland

BY Sidney J. Harris

One of the world's leading collectors of Newfoundland stamps gives G.S.M. readers some advice on his favourite country

Most people  know  that  Newfoundland was Britain's oldest colony and consequently  her oldest dominion.   This is certainly known to practically every philatelist. It is also well known that Newfoundland joined the Confederation of Canada on April 1st, 1949, and since that  date  has  used  the  postage   stamps of  Canada.   What perhaps  is  not   so well  known  amongst  collectors  in general is the vast interest  to  be obtained in collecting the  stamps  of  this  particular country.

Many   people    may    be    fearful  of starting  a  Newfoundland collection when they look at the beginning of the Gibbons Catalogue and see the prices required for the very  rare  scarlet­ vermilion  and   orange-vermilion   issues of 1857 and 1860 . Fortunately  for collectors in general, however, the rose­ lake issues of 1861 to 1862 provide us with the same designs, and as  most  of these stamps were remaindered by the Newfoundland Post Office many  years ago they are still obtainable at very reasonable prices and make a very interesting study . The small attractive  sheets of twenty stamps are  still  available, although of  course  the  prices  are not quite what  they  were some ten  years or more ago, but they  are  still  within reach of the average collector.

GSM_newfoundland.jpgGoing on to look through the catalogue there are plenty of reasonably priced commemoratives of all descriptions, the first real commemorative being  printed by the American Bank Note Company in 1897 and issued as the famous  " Cabot "   issue   which   goes from the 1 cent green with the head of Queen Victoria, to the 60 cents black depicting a portrait of Henry VII. Continuing in  the catalogue we have the portrait issue of 1897 to 1918, followed by  numerous  commemorative issues  including the   1911 Coronation issue with pictures of all  the  Royal Family. The issue  of  1932  is  particularly mentioned as it contains the first portrait of our present Queen Elizabeth II when she was Princess, now a very well-known stamp:  the  6  cents light blue, S.G. 214. The next set is the very attractive Humphrey  Gilbert  issue  of 1933,  followed by  the  long Coronation set of 1937, both printed by Messrs. Perkins Bacon & Co. and  both  containing many intriguing varieties.

In the country as a whole there are very few  difficult  overprints  and  the lack of a multitude of these makes this country even more interesting to collectors who are afraid of the difficulties of over­ printed stamps.

There are many  perforation  varieties in practically all the issues and many imperforates and imperf. between varieties which are today of outstanding interest. The emission of so many commemorative sets caused a great deal of adverse comment in philatelic circles at the time when the stamps were produced, but it can be said that today it has greatly added to the interest in collecting these fine issues which can still be obtained at very reasonable prices.

To  those   philatelists   looking   for research there is much to be done, particularly   amongst   the  cheaper  stamps. I refer to the one example, the 2 cent green with the head or King George V ( S.G 223)  which  was  printed  in  two  dies  and  is   annotated  in  the catalogue  as such . The used stamp is still only   catalogued at 3d.  and  in  mint  state  at  9d. The investigation of this particular stamp can be very rewarding, and there  are  many  more  of   similar stature in  various commemoratives and other  issues of this country.

The   earlier stamps and first cent issues contain a variety of unusual postmarks. There is one   particular  postmark of  the capital, St.Johns, which  is an oval strike containing the figures 235. As this cancel was in used from approximately 1865 to  1895  a  great many used  stamps exist  with  this  particular form of cancel.  There are not very many  so-called  " fancy  cancels " but it is interesting to try and find these various cancellations  with  their  attractive-sounding names on covers.

Then we come, of course, to the  famous Trans-Atlantic airmails, all with  their first flights which commenced round  about  1919.   A great many of these will be outside the scope of the average collector, but  do  not  let  this deter  you, as Newfoundland became a base for first flights of all kinds and these are still available and form a most interesting study.

Then  there are  most attractive sets of permanent issues, the  first  being  printed by  the  American  Bank Note Co. of New  York  in  1866. The   later issues were practically  all  printed  by  Perkins  Bacon & Co., although De La Rue printed the 1911  Coronation  issue and  the  issue   of the  small stamps in 1923, S.G.149, etc., and    the    permanent    issue of 1928,S.G. 164, etc. There  is an interesting study to be made here on t he later issue when Perkins Bacon  took  over  from  De  La Rue and  produced  the  same stamp  from different dies in 1929 - 31, S .G . 180, etc.

There are, of course, no  stamps   issued by Newfoundland in 1949 when the Dominion  joined  Canada,   but the catalogue contain 294  S.G . numbers without taking into account varieties, " a "  numbers, etc.,  so  there are  plenty of stamps   to  interest  everybody.   There  is still much research to be done on the cheaper  stamps  as   well   as   the   more expensive ones outside the reach of most people's pockets, and although  New­foundland  is a   popular  country  with  a lot of collectors, if its general interest could be tackled by more collectors we would have more and more information which would add to the joys of philately.

 

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