More than Beautiful Colors

 

I originally posted this on one of Facebook stamp groups to which I belong. My only words were what lovely colors.  I had not researched the stamp and really had no intentions to.  Another gentleman responded asking what is lovely about those stamps, that they are a Nazi stamp.   I responded, "the colors", and moved on.

Yesterday, weeks later, I awaken from an afternoon snooze (#retirement life) and the First Lady and Director of Research had picked this stamp ou

t to study.  

This is a 1936 issue to publicize the sixth congress of municipalities in what was then, Nazi Germany.  Try as we may, we could get no detail of  the sixth congress other than  it took place 6/7-6/13 in 1936 in  both Berlin and Munich.  I wonder what they served for lunch.  Can you imagine the titles of the "breakout sessions?"  

The stamp depicts a woman caring for  kids.   Hitler was very clear about the role of women in Nazi Germany.  Women were to be home and caring for the  home and children while  the men worked.  We are less than 100 years beyond those times and yet, the world is smaller than ever and political divide seems wider than ever.  There is a lot going on in this world of ours but let us never forget that it could be worse.....1936 Nazi Germany worse.  

 

What is a perfin and Who/What is Pathe` Exchange

Perfins are stamps that have been perforated with designs, initials, or numerals by private business and governmental agencies to discourage theft and misuse. 

 Through trial and mostly error, I have learned a little.  This particular perfin was created by the Pathe`Exchange.  More  on that later.

For me the more interesting story is how I come to have this stamp.   A lovely gentleman from California posted that he had a lot of these to sell and I jumped in.  Short money.   Of significant note, we exchanged money in a card and stamps in the mail on nothing more than word!  How often does that happen in this world of the internet?  Our short exchange of emails brightened my life. I learned he was celebrating 60 years of marriage, was retired from the USAF, endured many a medical challenge, and a Professor Emeritus at California State University, foreign languages, and been collecting stamps for  many, many years.

So another fine gent on a facebook perfin page identified this as from the Pathe` Exchange (Yes, I know the punctuation on the e is backward but it is the best I got)  He identified this by the number of perforations 9 on the P and 10 on the E and via some great bank of knowledge that far exceeds my own. (not difficult but hey, dementia)  Pathe' Exchange was an independent film production and distribution company, wildly successful and with quite the history on Wikipedia.  The parent company was a French company, Pathe', and around early 1900 was the most successful film studio in the world.

Edit....This morning I awake to another post from a gent who claims this is from Pacific Electric Company....so there we have it.   Dueling perfin experts.  I have no clue, but that is nothing new.

 

1961 US issued stamp to commemorate the Chinese resistance against the Japanese empire. The stamp honors Dr. Sun Yat-sen who is viewed as the father of the Republic of China. His basic principles of nationalism, democracy and people's livelihoods were inspired by the last portion of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

Took a second look to be sure this was a US stamp. Compliments to the Mrs. for her diligent research.

There is something to be said about this Gallic Cock

 

One thing I can say is I do  not think it is a pretty stamp. Muted colors--not distinctive to my eye.  I had to look hard to determine exactly what it was that I was looking at....admittedly I am half blind.   However it has some  interesting history.

Originally a religious symbol as a sign of hope and faith.  Later in life it became politicized in support of the emerging French nation.  Ultimately a symbol of French resistance.  Sprung from peasant origins, proud, opinionated, courageous and prolific.   This stamp was issued in 1965 by Republique Francaise.

Who is this dude? Desiderius Erasmus

This is Desiderius Erasmus who was a prominent linguist, philosopher and “reformer.” He was a prominent scholar during a period referred to as the Northern Renaissance. He was Dutch but also fluent in many European languages. He had a major influence on the Protestant Reformers although he remained a Roman Catholic. His translations of the New Testament in Greek and Latin provided the basis of a Bible that could be translated into the common language. Luther’s German translation had a profound influence in uniting the German  (Full credit on this information to Dewey Jones, fellow philatalist from the Spellman site.)

This is a 1969 commemorative issue by the government of the Netherlands.

He is assigned to the good guys team.  Later we will have a contest of sorts between the good dudes and the bad dudes as to who makes the more attractive stamps.

Was the UN ahead of the curve with a pride colored mosaic bird in 1970?

I genuinely was attracted to this stamp in thoughts that somehow at some point past, this stamp may have had "Pride" origins.  It was a small shot but worth the look.   I am quite certain not.  That said, I am looking in all the wrong places for information as to the etiology of this stamp.  I can find a nice picture on Pinterest but they don't tell you anything.  Previously I looked at this but lost my very insubstantial notes.  My memory says it was a 1970 issue.  If you trust my memory, you do not know me well.  

However, I did learn the following:  United Nations stamps in United States denominations are valid for postage only if mailed at United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Stamps in euro  denominations are valid for postage only if mailed at the Vienna International Centre, Austria. Another source tells me that with Swiss Francs, you can buy United Nations Stamps at an office in Geneva.    

That said, why does the UN even issue stamps?  To illustrate the aims and achievements of the United Nations so says the marketing/propaganda machine.   Seems rather frivolous to me.

But what about the United Nations?   Does it still have value here in 2021?  From my novice outside eyes, i do not see them solving any world crisis.  Perhaps there best work is behind the scenes and  invisible.

This stamp is roughly 154 years old---or not

The real question here is this real or a forgery/fake.   This stamp has a history and not all of it clean.  

Issued in 1867, this stamp was a regular 10 centisimo value  by the Franco Bollo Postale, which I  believe to be a Vatican address.   The stamp depicts the Coat of Arms.  Research noted the color to be naranga, which I have further  learned to be a Spanish word, adjective and noun, but as an adjective, its best described as orange.  This stamp is without perforations, hence imperforate.  By my fast (and old-fashioned) math, I calculate the stamp to be 154 years old.....more than twice as old as I (but actually not that that much so).  I should look so clean, nifty and bright at that age.

Is it real?  I don't know and I am not sure its value is that overwhelming if it is.  This another of a small group of stamps I will set aside as a small collection to have an auction contact assess.   In actuality, I will do that and there that stamp will live till forever more......until someone else puts their hand and eyes on it.

Long may we ---and this lovely stamp , (maybe, probably a forgery) live.