Sharing a passion for stamps and postal history through blogs, guides and services for experienced and novice philatelists alike.
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Matthews and Son (M&S) Philately was created by father and son philatelists, William and Nigel Matthews, who have developed a lifetime passion for stamps and postal history.
Between them they have more than 90 years philatelic experience with specialisation in issues from Great Britain, British Commonwealth, Caribbean, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Spain and United States.
William and Nigel share their passion through the publication of a blog and the provision of philatelic services to both experienced and novice philatelists alike. If you like our content, don’t forget to subscribe below.
When Egypt became a Republic in 1952, understandably its government wanted to regain control of the Suez Canal and secure the associated financial benefits. In 1956, Egyptian President Nasser revoked concessions granted to the predominantly French and British controlled Suez Canal Company – an act that led to conflict and the subsequent nationalisation of the…
The featured postage stamp is one of a set of four issued in 1951 to commemorate the restoration of the Legislative Council of the British Virgin Islands – an event that had taken place as a result of the re-introduction of democracy in 1950. The British Virgin Islands are a British Overseas Territory (self-governing with…
Who was the inventor of the adhesive postage stamp? For many, the name that first jumps to mind is Rowland Hill who is widely credited with being the originator of the reformed postal service that led to the first adhesive stamp being introduced to Great Britain in 1840 – the Penny Black. Some might even mention the…
In an earlier blog, we introduced the French issues of the Egyptian Ports of Alexandria and Port Said. The blog explored the postal issues of the British and French Post Offices and in particular, considered the French key plate designs of ‘Blanc’, Mouchon’ and ‘Merson’. The French continued to use French currency on these stamps…
The featured stamp was issued by the Netherlands Antilles in 1987 and clearly features portraits of three gentlemen, perhaps most recognisable being that of Simón Bolívar whose image appears on the stamps of many South American countries. The stamp is one of four in an issue commemorating the 175th anniversary of Simón Bolívar’s exile and…
Protecting trade across the Mediterranean has been a common interest of imperial states for thousands of years. The Mediterranean has supported direct trade routes between Europe, Middle East and Africa as well as opening routes to Asia and the Far East. This continuing well into the 20th century and can be evidenced through the establishment…