Here you can identify your weird stamps and at the same time help other people out



#1
Does anybody have any idea of which country is this?
Is it a fake stamp? Or a never issued one?
What does B stand for: Belarus, Buriatia, Bashkiria?

Posted by Stefano and Casper on 21/10/97

ANSWERS:

It is a stamp from White Russia, though it was not put into use. It was probably a propaganda label. This information came from Scott catalog.
Gregory J. Vaughn

This is an issue for Belarus, but the Michel catalogue calls it a private fake stamp. It is mentioned there in the chapter about "Russland - Post der Buergerkriegsgebiete 1918/23" (Russia - Post in the territories during the civil war 1918/23).
Hans-Joachim Böckenhauer

#1. "White Russia". In 1940 they were listed in Stanley Gibbons' catalogue as follows:
WHITE RUSSIA
Type 1. Designed by R. Sarinsch and printed at the Latvian State Printing Office, Riga.
1920. Type 1. (a) Imperf. 1) 5k. green; 2) 10k. scarlet; 3) 15k. violet; 4) 50k. blue; 5) 1r. brown.
(b) Perf. 11 1/2. 6) 5k. green; 7) 10k. scarlet; 8) 15k. violet; 9) 50k. blue; 10) 1r. brown.
The 15k. varies in many details from the design of Type 1. It is doubtful if these stamps were ever used for postal purposes.
(Stanley Gibbons priced mint stamps 1 or 2 pence each).

By 1974, Stanley Gibbons' position had changed, thus:
WHITE RUSSIA
Stamps in the above type, 5, 10, 15, 50k and 1r., both imperf. and perf. were prepared for use by a force raised by Gen. Bulak-Balakhovitch in 1920. We have never seen genuinely used copies and have no evidence of their issue.
Dave Joll

The following information is from the International Encyclopedia of Stamps, vol.6, pp.1964-65, (c.1972).

An independent Byelorussian state was pronounced in March 1918 by an administration in Minsk known as Rada, but it existed only for nine months until the establishment of the Byelorussian Soviet Republic. The military administration of Rada, known as BNR (Byelorussian National Republic) [This is the inscription at the foot of your stamp] lasted for several decades. The short-lived Rada government in Minsk issued three stamps in 1918 [These are the three illustrated as Weird Stamps Nos.296, 294 and 295 respectively]. The special section (Asobny-Atrad) [This is the inscription at the top of No.1] issued five stamps in Riga in 1920 for use by troops under the command of General Bulakh-Balakhovic in the region of Dzvinsk. Although these stamps were regarded for a long time as private speculations, there is evidence that they were postally used through the assistance of other administrations, including Latvia, which recognized the republic. During the 1971 British postal strike the Association of Byelorussians in Great Britain organized a private postal service and issued its own stamps. It also used some of the 1920 BNR stamps, surcharged ZBVB POST and the value, 10p.
David Heppell (05 Jul 99)

This item has a much more debated life. Let me quote :
"A. Rosselevitch, in the 8th issue of the Journal of the Russian-American Philatelic Club, Nov. 1963, described this issue as follows: "A series of stamps of large size (26x33.5 mm.), with the inscription "Absobni Atrad B.N.R." which means: "Special Troop of People's Republic of Belorussia"; 5k.green, 10k.red, 15k.violet, 50k.blue and 1R.brown, both perf and imperf. Some of the stamps in this series are found cancelled with a stamp with inscriptions in White Russian language, or with completely fantastic cancellations. There was a tale spread about these stamps that they were issued by Bulakh-Balakhovitch in 1919 or 1920 when he appeared in Belorussia after the fall of the NorthWestern Army of Gen. Yudenich. All these rumours have caused great doubts among collectors but we think is still correct to classify these stamps as private fantasies".

A somewhat different story is told in the Rossica Journal by W.Lesh in an article entitled "Balachovka, the Asobni Atrad Issue of the B.N.R.". The activities of Stanislav Nikadzimav Bulak-Balachovic are outlined as he rose through the ranks to Colonel under General Rodzianko, set against a backcloth of the military activities of the White and Red Armies, with the frequently changing front in Belarus, and the corresponding North Western Army and OKSA stamp issues".
Ruggero Mazzini (11 Jul 99)

The stamp posted was an unissued imperf sample of issues proposed by general Bulakh-Balakhovitch in 1920 during his brief anti-bolshevik campaign of little value unless used.
Graham Pike (17 Sep 99)



#2
Same as above.
It might be of some help knowing that the three guys' names are Duarte, Sanchez and Mella.

Posted by Stefano on 22/10/97

ANSWERS:

Duarte, Sanchez & Mella were three famous men in Dominican Republic history. This is not a postage stamp as it has no country name inscribed.
Martin J. Frankevicz
Scott Publishing

I have two different denominations of this stamp. It is definitely a revenue stamp. Not in Forbin of course because it is from the 30's.
Brian McGrath

Names are right. Revenues from Dominican Republic issued in green in 1911 and red in 1914. Seven values: 5c, 10c, 20c, 25c, 50c & 1 peso.
Ed Pieklo



#3
This one doesn't seem to be in any of the Chinese or Taiwanese sections.
What do the two central characters mean?

Posted by Casper on 23/10/97

ANSWERS:

This stamp is probably a fiscal stamp because the three figures in the middle are images of old Chinese money.
Anton Haddeman

Blue Chinese postal savings definitive stamp. The two central characters mean (read from right to left) the figure "10" and "dollar". So it just means 10 dollar like the value tablet show. This stamp shows coins of the Chou Dynasty, printed in typography by Central Trust in Chungking and issued in 1944. Perf. 13. The series is 6 values: 50 c. grey, $1 green, $2 brown, $5 red, $10 blue (stamp shown) and $20 orange.
Ingolf Kapelrud

I agree with Ingolf Kapelrud. #3 was probably a Chinese postal saving stamp of the Chinese Republic before the Civil War of 1949. The top line says something to the effect of "Nation Building Fund Stamp".
Yeo Bin Chong



#4
I have got two stamps from this serie. Are they from Egypt? Which catalogues list them? They are not on Yvert et Tellier catalogue. Where can I find them? Are they postage stamps?

Posted by Casper on 24/10/97

ANSWERS:

This is definitely Egypt.
Ingolf Kapelrud

The stamp shown is an egyptian parcel post tax stamp used in the 50´s. They came in two denominations. A 1 Mill green and 5 Mill purple.
Martin Rautjärvi

The stamp in question (#4) is an Egyptian General Revenue, in use from 1939-49. According to the "Catalog of Egyptian Revenue Stamps" by Peter R. Feltus (first edition, 1982), this 1m green stamp is the low value in a set of 10, printed in photogravure by the Survey Department of Egypt, watermarked "crown and arabic F", perf 13 X 13-1/4. It's numbered "General Revenue #26".
Neal Bruckman



#5

#5A
These are probably not postage stamps. Does anyone know what they are?

Posted by Casper and Stefano on 24/10/97

ANSWERS:

This is a complete set (as far as I have information about it) of the Manchukuo Postal Savings issue from the period 1932-1945.
Ingolf Kapelrud

#5, #5A have same face value of 10 cents.
Ray Chen's philatelic page

#5 was issued on the1st of march 1943, and was used until january 1945 when it was replaced by #5a
Andrew Freeston

These postal savings stamps are listed in the Japanese Sakura Catalog as numbers S1 (issued 1.3.1941) and S2 (issued sometme 1945). Value JPY 300 and 120.
Harumi Nihei



#6
This could be a Jordan stamp or maybe Iraqi. Any clues?

Posted by Casper on 24/10/97

ANSWERS:

This is a postage stamp from Iraq, commemorating the second anniversary of the revolution. It was issued on July 14th, 1960 and is listed in the Michel catalogue as #298.
Hans-Joachim Böckenhauer

We must have been blind. It's also listed in Yvert et Tellier as #298.
Stefano



#7
Would this be Saudi Arabia, or maybe Turkey? Is it a postage stamp, anyway?

Posted by Casper on 27/10/97

ANSWERS:

The stamp pictured is most likely from Turkey; the tughra and crescent combination is the clue. The inscription "Timbre" usually indicates that it is a fiscal or revenue issue, i.e., a tax stamp.
Smokey Stover

This is indeed a Turkish (Ottoman) revenue stamp from 1899. McDonald catalogue Proportional Fees number 171.
Haluk Bakir



#8
This stamp simply must be from Siam or Thailand, but it isn't in the catalogues. What is it?

Posted by Casper on 27/10/97

ANSWERS:

#8 - A 1952 revenue stamp from Thailand, R51 in "Revenue Stamps of Thailand" edited by Peter Collins.
Rick Scott



#9
It is clear that is has to do with Syrie-Grand Liban. But again, it's not there. Is it perhaps an unofficial stamp?

Posted by Casper on 27/10/97

ANSWERS:

#9 is a seal of the of the Syrian Red Crescent Society (i.e.Red Cross)
Roger & Bonnie Riga



#10

#10A
These must be from early Japan, since the values are in Rin and Sen. Are they postage stamps? Have they ever been used to send mail?

Posted by Casper and Stefano on 27/10/97

ANSWERS:

These are most likely revenue stamps. They are from Japan.
Smokey Stover

#10, and #10A are Japanese Revenue Stamp, #10 is for document stamp and #10A is the income stamp.
Ray Chen's philatelic page

#10 is stock revenue stamp (revenue stamp required on issued stock certificate) and #10A is government revenue stamp of Japan and thus cancelled by personal (or company) stamp of black and red in order to show it was used.
Woongkil Jang


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