24 Dec

Library news

pps-libraryThe PPS librarian can help the PPS members also with information concerning general books, such as the “Higgins & Gage” catalogue. Please feel free to ask him if you have a question about (general) books and articles concerning the Portuguese philately. See the PPS bulletin or send him an email:  Frits van Beekum

 

19 Jul

Library catalogue

Thanks to the effort of our Librarian, Frits van Beekum, the contents of the PPS library are now available online as a spreadsheet, to make it easy to search and sort books, catalogues, and periodicals by author or title. You can use the ‘Download as’ option in the ‘File’ menu to copy the spreadsheet to your computer in a variety of formats. If you are a PPS member, you may contact the Librarian to obtain a document held in the library.

16 May

The Overseas Ceres Stamps

Ceres ColóniasNúcleo Filatélico do Ateneu Comercial do Porto (NFACP) has published a book on the Ceres stamps of the Portuguese overseas territories. It can be ordered from the NFACP for 15€. Postage is 1€ to Portugal, 4€ to Europe and 6.50€ to the rest of the world.

The book’s author, J. Miranda da Mota, writes:

This work is an long-standing personal project that began to take shape after the publication of the book “Ceres de Portugal”(1) written in collaboration with my erudite friend of fond memory Eng. Armando Vieira.

Time has passed and now the opportunity has come to bring my project to fruition. The genesis of the Ceres stamps from the Portuguese colonies was set out in my article published in 2010(2) and now this analytical study, based on the observation of thousands of stamps, characterises the different Ceres issues from all the overseas territories of Portugal, starting with the issues of Regular Postage up to the Postage Due and Postal Tax issues, covering the period 1913 to 1949.

This book is organised in several parts. In the first, there is a summary of the different issues from each territory, highlighting the moment when the first stamps with retouched die appeared. These stamps are described along with the start of the new type for Cabo Verde, Guiné, S. Tomé e Príncipe e Angola (1932-1946), printed on “Cruz de Cristo” watermarked paper.

In the second part, a detailed description of the various types of paper is given, together with the corresponding classification, in order to facilitate correct identification. This comprises a list of tables by territory and by issue incorporating the types of paper for each stamp. This classification goes far beyond the basic types referred to in the “Selos Postais das Colónias Portuguesas” Catalogue(3), not having previously been studied in these terms. The tables also include the catalogue number, perforation, face value, quantities printed, colour, number of stamps per sheet, and also for each star position its localisation in the sheet and the corresponding quantity printed by paper and perforation.

Almost all of these frames are complemented by notes on varieties of cliché, printing errors, quantities printed; defects in stars, stamps which were surcharged or were overprinted, forgeries, and clandestine stamps. In the first table of each issue of stamps on watermarked paper of the four colonies mentioned above, there are only general references to the dislocation of the printing of the value which, as is known, appeared in the second printing and to small varieties of cliché that were not included in the general list of varieties as they are relatively insignificant.

The penultimate part of the book is devoted to varieties of cliché and printing errors and contains the most important varieties prior to the Ceres new type.

The book ends with a list of the characteristics of the different compositions of the printing plates (chases of clichés) with, for each, the location of the varieties on the sheet and the number that corresponds to them in the list of varieties.

Given the results of this study, particularly in respect of papers, varieties of cliché and some stars positions, the catalogue “Selos Postais das Colónias Portuguesas”, now published by Mundifil, may be updated accordingly in an upcoming issue.

    MOTA, J. M. e VIEIRA, A. M. O. (1992). Portugal Ceres – Variedades de Cliché. Afinsa, Lisboa.

2   MOTA, J. M. (2010). O Primeiro Selo da República em Portugal e Colónias. Catálogo da Exposição Mundial  “Portugal 2010”. CTT, Lisboa.

    Catálogo de Selos Postais. Colónias Portuguesas, 7.ª edição (2015).

24 Apr

Stamps and Holography

Dr Hans Bjelkhagen mentioned to us his book “Holography and Philately“, which includes a Portuguese stamp:

“To celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the first Portuguese stamp, Portugal issued a souvenir sheet on September 23, 2003 (No. 175) and also to commemorate Francisco de Borja Freire (1790-1869), the designer and engraver of the first Portuguese stamp issued in 1853. Four different souvenir sheets were issued of which one is a stamp with a hologram. The long stamp with the hologram on the souvenir sheet depicts Queen D. Maria II with the Portuguese Mint building in the background. Both Francisco de Borja Freire’s signature and the master tool (a 25 reis coin with the Queen’s profile) for embossing the first stamp are also featured on the sheet. The hologram stripe across the stamp within the souvenir sheet has six CTT Portuguese Post Authority Emblems, with the one on the left side being the first one used and the one on the right side the current symbol. […] The hologram was produced by INETI in Portugal in cooperation with IMPRENSA NACIONAL CASA DA MOEDA (INCM) – the Portuguese National Press and Mint which printed all four souvenir sheets.”

10 Aug

Forgeries of Portugal and Colonies Book

bookThis great book on the forgeries of Portugal and its ex-colonies was authored by renowned British philatelist Capt Dave Davies and was published by our very own Portuguese Philatelic Society. This book has 137 pp and is well illustrated with superb coloured scans, sketches and well researched text. A masterpiece on the rich Portuguese philately we all love!

24 May

New Paulo Barata Fiscals Catalogue

CatalogoFiscalA 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

01 Jan

Book on Portuguese colonial war

Guerra Colonial bookA 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.