Hello, tonight something more on GB GV.. this time the Photogravure issues of  1934 - 36.

In 1934 Harrisons and Sons was awarded the contract for printing the low vaue and commemorative stamps. They used the photogravure printing process which gave them high speed ( by those days) production and at a lower cost, again by the then standards. 

Photogravure basically means a photograhic image is produced from an engraving plate, or to put it another way, where the image is etched using a  photographic process onto a cyclinder.......   as one tries to explain this another factor comes into play so I suggest you read  http://www.1840on.co.uk/HELP%20ABOUT%20STAMP%20PRINTING%20GRAVURE.HTM  for more detail.

Anyway. these stamps were issued .. an interesting issue to me vecause of the varieties and particularly in teh sizes of the image, large,mediun and small ..  hopefully you can see the difference in the three stamps below

Look carefully at the white margin around each of the stamps..   the margin is ( left to right)  wide.... not so wide and... small...   so the stamps are left to right. small... medium and large format in terms of the image printed.   So how clear is that    ...  clear now you know.  Have a look at any copies you have of this issue..  and you may find you have something  more than just a basic stamp as some of the formats are difficult to find a worth a lot of money. 

And I did not mention there are shade varieties and watermark varieties did I...  well there are, and they can get quite expensive. Check yours out.. you never know what you might have ...

Best wishes.. Michael

Hello, and thanks for the emails from last nights piece..    do please keep writing if you want to be on my new round robin...     and yes I will have to do a draw for last nights stamp as I received so far more than one reply to my questions..   still time as well... if you have not sent in the answers...

Tonight another GB George V issue.. I am not even giving this away as the stamp is less than a space filler..   my postage is more than the stamp is worth... derrgghhh !!!

This set was a wonderful design in my view, with some nice colourings and for the specialist collector many varities to collect. Seems like just 4 stamps, but not so.  This issue was printed by Harrisons and Sons in sheets of 120 (20 rows of 6) and three different multipositives were used for the 1/2d, 1d and 1 1/2d.  these are recorded  as Type I, Type II and Type III.

Type I was for stamps issued in sheets. Type II was for stamps issued with watermark inverted and Type III was for booklet printings. You really have to study a SG catalogue to see the differences and I don't think it will be easy for me to scan the varieties I have so you can see them..  However, having said that if I get an awsome repsonse requesting me to do so I will try .. ok

The above is a simple and straightforward Type I ( ie from a sheet) with nothing special about it.. except... I have no idea where the postmark is from..   I thought I knew lots of UK places.. but this one I cannot identify..    maybe a mental block..  but do you know...  the postal franking location????

someone out there knows..   email me at cddstamps@gmail.com   I look forward to hearing from you

enjoy your stamps...  Michael

Hello everyone, I have enjoyed the pieces people have sent me on the "big things"..  I think I could write for a week just on those..   but I did digress from stamps didn't I.... so back to stamps... 

When I first started this blog I did a "red robin".. a selection of GB stamps..all red, which went around the world and people took what they needed.. I found the remains of that red robin tonight..   I was sorting through a stack of material.. something to relax my mind and stop thinking about work.  I found this one and thought I'd offer it to you...  it is a space filler in my view.. you will no doubt see these for sale at various auction sites..  as used, or good used.. not so.. 

Look carefully and you will see some missing perfs along the bottom, and a scratch on the left of the stamp ..... also there is some thinning on the back..actually quite minor... but still a quite nice copy all the same, but I would only pass it on as a space filler.     This is SG 416 catalogued at about £110, so all the more reason to have in your collection. 

This is from the 1913 - 1934 recess printed issue,designed by Betram Mckennal. This copy was printed by Bradbury Wilkinson who actually took over the printing contract from what printer and in what year?

I will give this copy away to whoever can tell me the printer and the year........ 

If I get more than 1 entry by 18:00 Thursday night my time I will draw a winner..other wise it is first reply by Thursday wins ( I am away again Friday so probably won't have much time to access emails and stamps)

I know I don't have much time for stamps these days but believe it or not I do have quite a box full of covers and miscellanous material  that I thought I might put into a round robin - would anyone be seriously interested if I was to start something..  rule being you take three items of your choice and replace with any modern 2004 onwards ...only GB fine used commemoratives...   that are for me and only me..   you have to agree to this,  so if you cannot put one or two or three ( or more if you want to match my generosity   )modern GB commemoratives in, please do not ask to be included.  Also depending on where you get to be in the circulation you may have a few dollars in postage costs to send on the material I send, so please be aware and prepared to pay onward postage. Of course by being in the round robin you will also get some nice stamps, we hope, from the sender..

Anyway..    if you enter for this GB GV high value competition please include your mailing address with your entry..  it does make my life easier if you win.. and it you want to join an electic mystery round robin just drop me an email - cddstamps@gmail.com

Best wishes.... enjoy your stamps.....  Michael

Hello everyone..   I promise this won't become a habit but I just have to show you this..   first because of the absolute brain dead nature of the spelling.. and second because it really is something so totally mundane and equally as boring as anything the Australians can think of.. if not more boring because it is so totally less original...      yes the worlds largest cutsup bottle... now for all of you that can spell and I guess that is the rest of the world population excluding Americans the word is actually Ketchup...  see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketchup for details....     but we were talking about Big Things..  so ( and with many many thanks to one of my most wonderful US readers)  I have to share this with you   http://www.catsupbottle.com/ ..   remember I was showing the Big Things stamps from Australia the other night.,... what have I started here..

The World's Largest Catsup Bottle stands proudly next to Route 159, just south of downtown Collinsville, Illinois. This unique 170 ft. tall water tower was built in 1949 by the W.E. Caldwell Company for the G.S. Suppiger catsup bottling plant - bottlers of Brooks old original rich & tangy catsup. 

In 1995, due to the efforts of the Catsup Bottle Preservation Group, this landmark roadside attraction was saved from demolition and beautifully restored to its original appearance.

Recognized the world over as an excellent example of 20th century roadside Americana, the World's Largest Catsup Bottle regularly garners national attention and attracts visitors and tourists every day.

In August of 2002 it was named to the National Register of Historic Places.

Yes, you read it right.. the National Register of Historic Places...   now is that desperate for recognition or what!!!!!!!!!!  I am going to bed..  well what else is there to do with such facts in front of you...  there are so many places in the US  with historic significance..    how can a ketchup bottle rank among them.    strange but true.. as they say!!!!!

back to stamps tomorrow.. I promise   .. Michael

Now there was me thinking it was a big deal that the 40^th anniversary of the release of the Beatles SPLHCB album was a big deal, and now I realise I was just so wrong. The real big deal was the 40^th anniversary of the Big Banana in CoffsHarbour.  …. Like,… people,…. lets gets things in perspective.. or should I say irrespective  J .   How important is the 40^th anniversary of the Big Banana….. seems it means something to Australia Post,  much like the Beatles means something to Royal Mail.   But does the world know about the 40^th anniversary of the Big Banana…  I think not..    does the world know about the Beatles… well surely Yes is the answer… and am I biased…  surely not  J .

But in Australia things big seem to matter… not sure to who.. but at least Australia Post as it gives them an excuse to issue some new stickers…  oooops..I meant to say stamps….

Like these….   

Now be honest with me here… are these going to turn you on to stamp collecting.. be honest please.. maybe I am too old and cannot think out of the box… a very big box I might add, so maybe that is why…  J     but unless your thematic collecting is “Big Things” then you may be disappointed with these… then of course if you collect stamps with “Big Things”  then you will be over the moon with this issue …write to me I’ll send you a set if you can substantiate that your thematic collecting interest is “Big Things” .. I like to make people happy after all J

You think I am joking..   this from Wikipedia on Australia and Big Things…

“The big things have become something of a cult phenomenon, and are sometimes used as an excuse for a road trip, (Like real desperate people here in Oz) where many or all Big Things are visited and used as a backdrop to a group photograph. ( How desperate are we you ask)