A new catalogue on fiscal stamps for Portugal and its ex-colonies has just been released. It has a full colour front cover, the pages being in couche mate of 130gm with black and white text. The price is Eur40 plus shipping costs and it is available from the Paulo Dias philatelic dealers in Lisbon. They are the sole distributors for Europe and you can find more details by contacting them via their website.
Paulo Dias
The National Court judge, Santiago Pedraz, has ordered the lifting of the tapes which have been preventing entry into the Afinsa company, one of the two stamp trading businesses intervened last week.
It means the Judicial Administrator can now start work and searches of the offices and those of company affiliates are expected to continue all week.
The offices of Fórum Filatélico are expected to be opened in a similar way later in the week.
Meanwhile, the National Court judges who are investigating the alleged stamp company frauds, Santiago Pedraz and Fernando Grande-Marlaska, have today called for an office to support the people who have invested in the companies. The idea is also to set up an Internet page where those affected will be able to obtain upto date information.
From typicallyspanish.com
The top directors of both Afinsa and Forum Filatélico were arrested by the Spanish Police and are still in jail, awaiting results of ongoing Judicial investigations related to this case. Shares of the Spanish philatelic group – the third largest collectibles house worldwide, after Sotheby’s and Christies – crashed creating waves in the philatelic markets worldwide; Stanley Gibbons shares fell slightly too. Even though the later is also heavily involved in philatelic investments for the general public, this is in no way connected with their Spanish counterparts actions.
A new philatelic book was recently published in Portugal by the distinguished Portuguese Military Postal Historians, twin brothers Drs. Eduardo and Luis Barreiros. The book, “GUERRA COLONIAL 1961 – 1974: HISTÓRIA DO SERVIÇO POSTAL MILITAR” (Colonial War 1961 – 1974: History of the Military Postal Service) has superb in-depth and well researched information on the Colonial War History of its ex-colonies and is profusely illustrated with high quality images of real photographs and scans of postal history items, some of them very rare that belong to the author’s collection. The book has about 400 pages that deals with the postal history of the Portuguese colonial war in high detail, its postal services, cancels, civilian movements and the mail transport. It also lists all the types used in colonial military mail, this being the first attempt by anyone to produce one such catalogue of military related aerogrammes. Both authors are active members of the Portuguese Philatelic Society, UK, and they can both be contacted via email regarding any queries or availability of this book.
The Annual General Meeting took place 4–6 March in Alcester, Warwickshire.
Britain based, Portuguese Philatelic Society (PPS) was recently awarded the prestigious Invaluable Services Order award from the Portuguese Philatelic Federation (FPF). This award was presented to the PPS at a dinner function hosted by the FPF in Lisbon on the 4th December, 2004.
Federação Portuguesa de Filatelia (FPF) celebrated 50 years of its existence last year and they ended their year long festivities with a great gala dinner for members and invitees at the old FIL expo site at Alcantra, Lisbon area. The PPS attended the function with a contingent of about 10 people from the UK and USA.
During the function, the PPS was awarded the MEDAL OF INESTIMABLE MERIT and our honourable president Mr Hal Reynolds received it on behalf of the PPS.
During the function also, distinguished PPS member, Mr John Dahl was awarded an award for his contribution to Portuguese Philately.