Germany: Holy Land

The featured stamp commemorates the 50th anniversary of the cession of Heligoland to Germany. The significance of this anniversary is indicated by the date of issue 1940 and the inscription ‘Deutsches Reich’ – an issue of the German national state during World War II. The stamp is an historical example of postage stamp propaganda and

Jamaica: Self Government

The featured image is of a stamp issued between 1945 and 1946 to commemorate the New Constitution and Self-Government of Jamaica. The issue is typical of many following World War II that introduced sweeping decolonisation. As for many British colonies in the Caribbean, this represented a step in the transition from a Crown Colony to

Germany: Berlin Automobile and Motorcycle Exhibition

The striking image that appears on the featured 1939 stamp is of two sports cars of the era battling it out on the track. It is one of three stamps that were issued in February 1939 for the Berlin Automobile and Motorcycle Exhibition, also known as the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA). The event became a target

Lithuania: Rise and Fall of Empires

Historically, the fortune of Empires has rested on the outcome of war. The Ottoman Empire crumpled after World War I, as did many of the western European empires following World War II. In other examples, wars have united states as demonstrated by the unification of Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal under the state of

Netherlands Antilles: An Iconic Issue

The Netherlands Antilles (Dutch Antilles) is a former constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands comprising several islands located in the Caribbean. Formally, the country came into being on 15 December 1954 as the autonomous successor of the Dutch colony of Curaçao. However, postage stamp issues were inscribed ‘Netherlands Antilles’ from 1948 with the first

Thematics: UK Postmark (Cancellation) Slogans

From the earliest adoption of adhesive postage stamps, postmarks have been used as an indication that the postage costs have been paid. Once postmarked, the postage stamp was ‘cancelled’ and could not therefore be reused. The use of postmarks to convey messages and slogans was initially reserved for the use of national institutions such as

New Guinea: Imperial Struggles

New Guinea is the most eastern of the islands formerly known as the Dutch East Indies. The island is mountainous, covered with jungle, infested by mosquitos and in the 19th century, the native tribes remained feudal and cannibalistic. The sea around the island was littered with coral reef and shoals making sea navigation difficult around

Cyrenaica: 1950-51 Issue for Services Rendered

The race for overseas colonies and territories by European nations in the 19th and 20th centuries had been predominantly led by the British and French. The political far right aspirations of the Germans and Italians did not manifest itself until the early to mid 20th century. In the case of Italy, Mussolini championed the invasion

Egypt: 1931 Graf Zeppelin Overprint

At the end of the 1920s, airships and nitrogen filled balloons came to prominence as a form of air travel and the conveyance of light freight such as mail. This development was primarily championed by a German engineer called Zeppelin. He set up his base in Bavaria, Germany, in close proximity to Switzerland and Austria