The Stamp Echo

The most complete stamp collection ever assembled was done so by Philip Ferrary de La Renotière. He was born in 1850 in the Hôtel Matignon in Paris, France. He was born into the aristocracy, his father and mother being a Duke and Duchess respectively. However, he eventually gave up his titles after his father died, asking to be simply called «Ferrary».

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In 1907, the lighthouse at Pachena Point in British Columbia was constructed, and first lit in 1909. It was built after a ship, the Valencia, shipwrecked on its shores. The wreck was one of the worst in maritime history, and earned the waters that it went down in the name «Graveyard of the Pacific».

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First of all, let’s discuss aerophilately. This is an area of philately which focuses on the study of airmail stamps, in other words, stamps which were used in the transport of mail by air. There are many different facets of airmail. For example: balloon mail, zeppelin mail, rocket mail, fixed-wing aircraft mail. This article will concentrate on zeppelin mail. Continue Reading »

Nobody wants to find out that they have spent hard earned money on a fake stamp. In an effort to prevent counterfeiters from easily producing certain stamps, on December 19th, 2003, Canada Post issued a high-value definitive, the $5 Moose (Canada #1701), with certain security features.
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While we do not want to condone the practice of forging stamps, it is however interesting to learn the story of Jean de Sperati, the greatest stamp forger of all times! De Sperati (1884-1957) was born in Pisa, Italy, but grew up in France. His family was in the printing business, and he became a printer and engraver, eventually becoming a master forger of stamps. Continue Reading »

Just as the design and fabrication of postage stamps is an art, one might say that the forging and faking of them is as well. Familiarising ourselves with the different methods employed can help to not be fooled by them. Here are a few ways counterfeiters go about altering stamps. Continue Reading »

Real or fake? At top is the unique genuine British Guiana Penny Magenta, and on the bottom is a very similar stamp described by experts as a forgery.

As with any object of value, stamps attract the attention of some dishonest individuals. Just like in the world of currency and of fine art, one has to be on the lookout for forgeries and fakes. In fact, only twenty years after the issuing of the first stamp in 1840 did the first forgery appear. It is probably every collector’s greatest nightmare to discover that a well-loved and valuable stamp is actually a fake. Continue Reading »

Mr. F. Maynard Sundman, innovator of the stamp approval business died October 31st 2007, in Littleton, New Hampshire at the age of 92. Mr. Sundman, a well-respected and admired figure in the philatelic world has even been called «a giant in the hobby» by Mike Laurence, former editor-publisher of Linn’s Stamp News. Mr. Maynard patriarch of the Littleton-Mystic companies was in the business for over 70 years, and we all owe a lot to his passion for stamp collecting. Continue Reading »

Revenue stamps, unlike postage stamps, are used to collect taxes or fees on various items and to show that these taxes have been paid. Revenue stamps have been used for years by federal, provincial and municipal governments as well as various other organizations. They have been used in virtually every country of the world and are still being used in some.  Continue Reading »

Obviously, one of the most appealing aspects of postage stamps is their design. Thousands of different designs have been created since the issuing of the first stamp in 1840 by Great Britain, which depicted a bust of Queen Victoria. What is involved in choosing a design? Well, different things come into consideration. Continue Reading »