Polar Postal History Society of Great Britain

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the website for the study of Polar Postal History, from both the Arctic and Antarctic regions, open to collectors from all around the world.

This is the website of the Polar Postal History Society of Great Britain, PPHSGB for short

 
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PPHSGB Auction 67 will be a combined postal, email and live auction in September 2013. The deadline for submitting lots to Bil Tilbury has been extended to the end of June. The Auction Catalogue will appear on our Society Auctions web-page early in August. The live part of the auction will take place on Saturday 21st September during the Cambridge Residential Weekend (see also our ‘Society Auctions’ page).

Please scroll down this page to see all items added. The page is arranged with the most recent dated item at the top. Items from 2012 can be found on the Archived News Page.

CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME MESSAGE - TREVOR CORNFORD, FRGS

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A WARM WELCOME to our website, from myself and all the Committee.It is very pleasing to take another step forward in promoting our Society and hobby. Not only widening its appeal, making it easier to join or find information, but most importantly perhaps, have a forum for all members, established or new, to have a 2 way communication with us and each other.I hope you will browse the site, especially the EVENTS page, and see the attractions we can add to your special area of interest – and if you do not find it, tell us. Better still, contact the POLAR POST EDITOR John Youle who is pleased to receive articles to enhance knowledge, pose questions, or simply provide an interesting philatelic story.While I personally specialise in the Scott/Shackleton Expeditions, of the Heroic Age, the rest of the Committee equally show the diverse collecting interests of members generally, from modern Indian Antarctic bases to Whaling mail and studies of cancellations and Expedition Postcards to Thematic or Social History, both North and South.Over the years this diversity has expanded the appeal to collectors from all around the World. Newer subjects such as old Photos, QSL cards, Literature, original letters and maps, now all catch members’ attention.This diversity means we are in touch with most collectors’ sphere of interest and can point enquiries in the right direction.We thus act as a broader fulcrum for collectors who may also have specialist society memberships such as Scandinavian or Thematic where we embrace such interests.If you are interested in either or both of the Polar Regions, North and South, please try us out – the Application form can be downloaded from this site.Please specify your range of interests on the Application, but whatever they are, you will receive a sample past copy of Polar Post on joining, and shared enthusiasm.Welcome again!

Latest News

20th to 22nd September 2013 - The PPHSGB Diamond Jubilee Residential Weekend at the Royal Cambridge Hotel (Cambridge UK) – revised April 2013: The Society is dedicating the 2013 Residential Weekend to its Diamond Jubilee. The finalized Programme was published in the February 2013 issue of Polar Post which also included a booking form.

6th July 2013 – 10am to 5pm: Midpex 2013: The venue is again the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, The Fosse, Fosse Way (B4455), Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV31 1XN – a rural site, located centrally, just south of Leamington, close to the M40, alongside the Fosse Way, between Leamington and Banbury. There is easy access from all points on the compass, with no urban traffic to delay your arrival/departure. The PPHSGB will have a table (A03) at this event next to that of the Falkland Islands Philatelic Study Group. A complete list of specialist Societies and dealers taking part can be found on the website: http://www.midpex.co.uk/

    

11th June 2013: New Issues – South Georgia & SSI and the Falkland Islands – Sir Rex Hunt, CMG (29th June 1926 to 11th November 2012): The late Sir Rex Hunt was Governor of the Falkland Islands and Dependencies (South Georgia and SSI) at the time of the Argentine invasion at the beginning of April 1982 and he returned to Stanley after the liberation and remained Governor until 1985. Seven of the eight stamp designs have no close connection to Polar Philately and thus only the South Georgia & SSI issue is illustrated below. The 65p value shows Rex Hunt standing in front of the Wasp helicopter 435 from HMS Endurance that crash landed with no injuries at St Andrew’s Bay, South Georgia, on 14th December 1981. The Governor and his wife Mavis were visiting Cindy Buxton and Annie Price who were making a documentary film for Anglia Television. The photo used on this stamp was taken by Annie Price who also took the photos used on the FDC covers for both the FI and SG&SSI issues. The stamp illustrations for the FI and the background texts for both issues are available at: http://www.pobjoystamps.com/

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8th June 2013: Swinpex, St Joseph’s Catholic College, Ocotal Way, Swindon 10am to 4.30pm. The PPHSGB will hold a Joint Meeting with the Falkland Islands Philatelic Study Group at 1pm. 

5th June 2013, 2.30pm (Item updated 13th May): Grosvenor British Empire and Foreign Countries Auction, Third Session, Lots 1190 to 1567: The third session is dedicated solely to items from the Falkland Islands and Dependencies, and Antarctica. The sale includes items featuring newly discovered early letters, the Clive Perkins collection of Falkland Islands Postcards, and lots including rare items from the Swedish South Polar Expedition 1901-1904, the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition 1902‑1904 and the two French ‘Charcot’ Antarctic Expeditions 1903-1905 and 1908-1910. There are also items from other Antarctic Expeditions from 1901 to 1995 including both Scott Expeditions (1901-1904 and 1910-1913) and Shackleton’s three Expeditions (1907-09, 1914-16 and 1921-22). The auction catalogue is now available at: http://www.grosvenorauctions.com/wordpress/

4th June 2013: New Issue – South Georgia & SSI – Star Trails

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Further details of the issue will be available in due course at: http://falklandstamps.com/  
 
 

17th May 2013 – New Issue – TAAF – ‘Art du timbre gravé’ (The art of engraved stamps): The issue comprises a souvenir sheet comprising one Euro5 stamp with a surround depicting the 12 types of penguin found in TAAF with each penguin image engraved by a different designer.

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16th May 2013: The Falkland Islands – new Issue – Baroness Thatcher: The 30p stamp depicts Prime Minister Thatcher and her husband Denis arriving at 10 Downing Street after becoming Britain’s first woman Prime Minister, 4th May 1979. The 75p stamp shows her inspecting a minefield in the Falkland Islands which she visited in 1983. The £1 stamp shows an image taken during her second visit to the Falkland Islands in 1992, on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of Liberation. The £1.20p stamp shows Lady Thatcher holding a Falkland Islands commemorative coin commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Liberation which she struck in 2007 at a special ceremony at the Pobjoy Mint.

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Further details of the issue are available at: http://falklandstamps.com/

8th May 2013 (Item updated 13th May): Prestige Philately (www.prestigephilately.com) in Melbourne, Australia, sold by auction the Paul Wales Large Gold Medal Antarctic Exhibit "1901-04 British National Antarctic Expedition" (Robert Falcon Scott’s ‘Discovery Expedition’) as part of their Auction N°182. The Large Gold Open Class Exhibit at Autumn Stampex, London, 2012 contained many rare and unique items and most of the philatelic items sold. Being an ‘Open Class’ Exhibit there were items which do not fit happily into any other class such as ephemera, paintings, literature, unused picture postcards, and letters without the envelope in which they were enclosed. Just over 30 of the 121 lots failed to sell during the auction and are available from Prestige Philately at 80% of the estimate given in the catalogue. A few of these items are philatelic, i.e. envelopes or postcards sent through the post. Please go to the site and check out the realisations. The most expensive item, Lot 2450, went for a hammer price of A$10,500 (£7,085.09), not including the buyer’s extra costs of at least 15% of hammer price, against an estimate of A$10,000. This item is shown below (illustration and text © Prestige Philately): 

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‘Lot 2450 - cover with embossed 'DISCOVERY ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION 1901/[penguin]' crest in blue on the flap and engraved 'NATIONAL ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION' label in steel-blue with manuscript endorsement "DISCOVERY" in the lower tablet, local usage with Pictorials 4d & the label both tied by 'CHRISTCHURCH/17AP03/NZ' cds, registration cachet in magenta, with the enclosed matching embossed notepaper & a brief message signed "EH Shackleton". A delightful cover, stated to be the only recorded usage of an Expedition label on a registered cover. Shackleton had contracted a nasty dose of scurvy in Antarctica. Scott insisted Shackleton return to New Zealand to recuperate, which the latter did most reluctantly. "Morning" departed 2/3/1902, arriving at Lyttleton 25/3/1902. The endorsement on the label is so neat; at first glance it appears to be printed. It's doubtful EHS added the inscription: his handwriting would readily qualify him for the medical or legal professions.’

29th April 2013 – TAAF Definitive stamp issue – Logos: TAAF is issuing five different definitive stamps of value 1c, 2c, 3c, 4c and 63c.

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10th April 2013 – New Zealand – New Issue - ANZAC 2013 - NZ$2.40 Value: The set of six stamps commemorating New Zealanders Serving Abroad includes one value depicting the New Zealand ANZAC Class Frigate Te Kaha patrolling Antarctic Waters 1999. This stamp is available as a sheet stamp (sheets of 25) and as part of a special ‘miniature sheet’ booklet. The five other stamps have nothing to do with Antarctica. For further information or to order the stamps, please go to:

http://stamps.nzpost.co.nz/new-zealand/2013/anzac-ers-serving-abroad

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5th April 2013 – TAAF New Issues – Carnet de Voyage ‘Voyage en Antarctique’ and NVI/‘TVP’ stamp ‘Frégate Floréal’: These two new issues appeared on the occasion of ‘Le Salon Philatélique de Printemps’ in Mâcon France. The Carnet (large format stamp booklet) contains 16 NVI stamps in four se‑tenant blocks of four and costs 25 Euros. All the NVI stamps in the booklet are for the 20gm International Letter Rate. The ‘Frégate Floréal’ stamp is for the ‘TVP’ rate from TAAF to France. Some details of these issues are published in the TAAF March-April ‘infophil’ available online at: http://www.taaf.fr/L-InfoPhil-des-TAAF,437

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28th March 2013 – Falkland Islands New Issue – Predators and Prey Part 2: The set of 4 stamps includes two featuring Rockhopper Penguins.

Further details of the issue are available at: http://falklandstamps.com/

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18th March 2013 – BAT New Issue – The Naming of Queen Elizabeth Land: This unexpected new issue commemorates the naming on 18th December 2012 of a section of the BAT as ‘Queen Elizabeth Land’ to mark the Diamond Jubilee Year of Queen Elizabeth II. It is understood that the souvenir sheet was issued at Signy during the visit of RRS Ernest Shackleton to close the station at the end of the 2012/13 Antarctic Summer Season.

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13th/14th March 2013 – Stanley Gibbons “Stamps and Postal History of the World” Public Auction N°5870: The first session on Wednesday 13th March from 10.00 includes Antarctic Lots 22-42 and Falkland Islands and Dependencies Lots 405-501. The catalogue for the complete sale (24MB) can be downloaded in PDF Format at:

http://legacy.stanleygibbons.com/auctions/auction-catalogues.aspx

12th March 2013 - Australian Antarctic Territory - New Issue - Mountains: The Australian PC Stamp Bulletin for March/April 2013 announces this issue on pages 10 and 11. There is also souvenir sheet comprising all four sheets stamps is a se-tenant block of four as well as FDCs, maximum cards and a Presentation pack.

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The Australian PC Stamp Bulletin can be downloaded free of charge at:http://shop.auspost.com.au/collectables

7th March 2013 at 2.30pm - Grosvenor Auction Sale N° 79 - The John E Du Pont collection of the Falkland Islands and Dependencies: This superlative classic collection, formed by one of the most famous, award-winning collectors of the twentieth century, includes many rare proofs and stamps from the reigns of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII and King George V, as well as an impressive range of scarce early covers from and to the islands.
  
For Polar collectors there are a small number of lots relating to South Georgia (Lots 2142 to 2156), the South Orkneys (Lot 2157 - a 1904 Orcadas del Sud cover) and Deception Island (Lots 2158 to 2166). One of the prize lots (N°2149) is a mint block of thirty, rows 3 to 7, of the 1928 2½d on 2d purple-brown provisional surcharge with margins; [R. 6/4] shows SURCHARGE DOUBLE. The estimate is a mere £40,000 to £50,000!

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Lot x2157:- 1904, Scottish National Antarctic Expedition, ‘Museo de la Plata’ picture postcard of the Scotia overwintering in Scotia Bay, South Orkneys, in 1903 (Wharton ED-1) addressed by Robert Rudmose-Brown to his brother Thomas (later an important mentor to Samuel Beckett) in Aberdeen with message on picture side “Stamped & postmarked at the South Orkneys. Not an Argentine colony without protest! RNRB”, bearing Falklands 1891-1902 1d. (a few trivially stained perfs.) cancelled by fine strike of large violet Argentine datestamp (Andrews A 1) “ORCADAS DEL SUR/20 FEB 1904/DISTRITO 24 (GALLEGOS)”, carried by the Scotiato Capetown where unaccepted for onward transmission without the addition of Cape 1d. at lower left cancelled “MY 11/04”. Very few covers or cards, around 20 according to Harvey-Pirie who accompanied the expedition, were cancelled and sent. Very few indeed bear a Falklands adhesive. Illustrated (with part address obscured) in the Postal History of the Falkland Islands Dependencies by R. Bagshawe (1947). Ex Stern. Estimate £2,000-£2,500 
  
For further details and to view the catalogue please go to: http://www.grosvenorauctions.com/wordpress/

Saturday 23rd February 2013: The Annual General Meeting of the Polar Postal History Society of Great Britain will take place on the Saturday of Spring Stampex at the Business Design Centre, Islington, London in Room E from 14:30 to 16:30. For further details please see page 3 of the February 2013 issue of Polar Post or Page 87 of the December 2012 issue. The current treasurer Gordon Buchan has resigned with effect from this AGM and thus the Society urgently needs to find a replacement. Members interested in taking on this post should contact Robert Hurst or Trevor Cornford as soon as possible.
 

20th February 2013: The 6th Edition of Stefan Heijtz's ‘THE SPECIALISED STAMP CATALOGUE OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS AND DEPENDENCIES INCLUDING POSTAL HISTORY AND CANCELLATIONS 1800 - 2013 with BRITISH ANTARCTIC TERRITORY and also PAPER MONEY, COINS and TELEPHONE CARDS' In full colour will be released at Spring Stampex, Business Design Centre, Islington, London. Stefan Heijtz will be present on the Stanley Gibbons Stand 101 on the ‘Village Green' from 3pm on Wednesday 20th February. Further information is available at:
http://www.novastamps.com/stefan/Sidor/specFI.html

Members of the PPHSGB can obtain the catalogue at a special rate. Please see Polar Post, February 2013, Page 28 (top of rear page).

  
15th February 2013:
New Issue - The Falkland Islands - Referendum: A set of four stamps and a souvenir sheet mark the Referendum to be held on Sunday 10th and Monday 11th March 2013. There is only one question: ‘Do you wish The Falkland Islands to retain their current political status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom - Yes or No'. Further background information and illustrations of the stamps in colour are available at:
http://www.pobjoystamps.com/contents/en-uk/d36_Referendun_2013.html

5th February 2013 – BAS Halley VI Research Station now Fully Operational: A press release from the British Antarctic Survey announces that Halley VI is now fully operational and that the previous  Station Halley V has been fully dismantled and is currently being removed from Antarctica.

http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/press/press_releases/press_release.php?id=2057

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31st January 2013: Polar Post, February 2013: The 1st issue of Polar Post in 2013 was despatched a month earlier than usual. The issue was full by the end of November 2012 thanks to a carryover of articles and background information on the new stamp issues shown in the special December issue. The 2nd issue of 2013 should appear as usual towards the end of May 2013.

2nd January 2013 - Mawson's Huts Foundation: Severe fast ice and sea ice conditions continue to persist off Cape Denison, Commonwealth Bay, caused by the grounded iceberg B09B. Plans to send a conservation team to Mawson's Huts this season were cancelled in September 2012 and it is not looking promising for the 2013/2014 Antarctic summer season. Nevertheless Peter Cranwell, on behalf of the Foundation, released Part III of philatelic items relating the Centenary of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911-1914 in mid December 2012. Six covers were cancelled at South Georgia. They bear ‘Frank Wild' stamps cancelled on several different dates relating to the AAE ranging from 2nd December 2011 (leaving Hobart) to 15th February 2012 (arrival at the Shackleton Ice Shelf, Western Base). Only 55 of each of the six South Georgia covers were produced.

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There are also three covers cancelled at Casey on 15th February 2012, the closest post office to the position of the Western Base. In addition there are two further overprinted mini-sheets relating to the arrival of the Expedition at the Western Base. Frank Wild was in charge of the team at the Western Base and his ashes are now buried at Grytviken, South Georgia next to the grave of Sir Ernest Shackleton. If you are interested in buying any of the items please go to:
http://www.petespolarplace.com/mawsons-huts-centenary-III.htm 
for further details. A few items are still available from earlier philatelic offers. 
 
1st January 2013 - TAAF (FSAT) News:  The annual stamp issue of TAAF contained six individual stamps, one se-tenant pair and three souvenir sheets. One of the Antarctic related issues is illustrated below.

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 All the stamps can be viewed in colour at: http://www.taaf.fr/Collection-2013-en-vente 
 
TAAF has experienced serious shipping problems this season. The Marion Dufresne suffered damage to the hull on approaching Alfred Faure Base, Crozet Archipelago, on 14th November 2012 and was not able to continue to Kerguelen and St Paul Amsterdam. The ship sailed to Durban, South Africa, accompanied by an ocean going tug and entered dry dock for repairs in mid-December. The ship is expected to return to Réunion around 3rd/4th February to resume operations. L’Astrolabe experienced extreme sea ice conditions during relief visits to Dumont D’Urville in both December 2012 and January 2013 and ended up several weeks behind schedule. 

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