Hello,  well first off the China stamps from last week were actually Cinderellas. that is, fake or made up stamps. Such a disappointment :-)  But I had fun showing them and thanks to all who wrote to me. I have more, so if anyone is interested maybe I will do a competition with some as a prize if that material is something you collect. Many people do.

Tonight I hope you like this MS from Uzbekistan.   This was sent to me by a reader and someone I sent free stamps to for their children. . How nice and very much appreciated.

 Hope your philatelic interests are keeping you happy.

Enjoy your stamps.... Michael
www.cddstamps.com

Hello, what have I been up to............. well showing patience last week as had my internet down for 4 days. but back again... and listed more stamps to the bidstart Store look here http://cddstamps.com/bidstart-sales/ or if you want you can find me at the Stanley Gibbons Marketplace here https://www.stanleygibbons.com/st…/michaelatcddstamps/search ..... some nice Cyprus listed and some GB GV Downey Heads..

Fill a few gaps in your collection at very competitive prices.

Be back to writing tomorrow I hope.
Michael www.cddstamps.com

Hello, Sunday evening here and something very different. I went to the Interasia Auction in Hong Kong today. Spent a few hours watching the China stamp scene. Some amazing prices I must say. Lots  with min to max bid expectation of 4000 - 5000 HK$ fetching 80000 to 900000 HK$.

I left before the 1968 Directive of Chairman Mao lots were auctioned but on the way home went for a walk around one of the market streets and saw an old collection of China stamps in a presentation booklet. Asked how much and the old lady showed me 500 HK $ on her calculator. I said no, wasn't thinking that much and offered 100. She said yes. Inside was this strip. Albeit CTO but in stunning condition. I have no idea if it is worth anything but it is just nice to have anyway.  Nice souvenir. Click to enlarge to better see these lovely stamps.

A mint unhinged stripped could go for over 25000 HK $.  I must have a look at the prices realised when they come through.

Enjoy your stamps.... Michael   www.cddstamps.com

Hello, TGIF.  Hope you are looking forward to a few days rest and relaxation with your stamps as I am. If all goes according to plan I may well be at the Interasia Auction in Hong Kong this weekend. Some nice material and even if I don't bid it is always interesting to be there amongst the action so to speak. Certainly helps one get a feel of the market over here.

But back to Rhodesia and my previous post. Quite a few of you wrote to me, in fact more than usual. Thanks.

Everyone mentioned the perforation difference so well done on spotting that. In fact the stamps are perforated in what is called rouletting or roulette perforations. These are small cuts in the paper instead of holes. This type has been used by a number of countries but is rarely if ever seen these days as far as I know.  And yes as one reader correctly pointed out one had perf 5 and the other perf 9.

Of all the replies to me Dieter was the first and correct so if you send me your mailing address Dieter  I will mail a little Rhodesia surprise to you as a thank you for reading my post.  Thanks to everyone else for writing.

Finally, another lovely example of why you should know when there are varieties to look for in stamps. Can you see the difference in the above pair?  Click image to enlarge. It might make it easier to spot the difference.

I will tell you over the weekend.

Have a great weekend, enjoy your stamps….    Michael     www.cddstamps.com

Hello, just something to test your awareness tonight. As I always say  one should not always assume two stamps are always the same and here is a good example I think.

I am sorting Rhodesia and loading more to my online shop. including these over the coming few days.  A few nice varieties but this for a change for tonight.  A Postage Due stamp, well two, from the 1965 issue,  but are they the same stamp?

I'll find a little prize  for the 1st correct answer  - email me at cddstamps@gmail.com and include your postal adddress.

Enjoy your stamps.... Michael

Hello,   I didn't expect to be writing tonight because it is my golf night but since we have a Signal 8 typhoon going on I cannot play golf.  Pity, the wind may have helped my drive!

Anyway all good things come in threes I am told, so one more from the NZ mineral issue to round out the week.

 Hope you like this block. It is of SG 1292 and with a cat value of 20p ( GBP) a stamp.  Very low in my view.

Now do you remember your atomic number tables?  anyone know the chemical atomic element number without looking?  OK I will admit I forgot as well!   but it is 16 :-)

Of course if we go back a few years, like many years, we always find an interesting history and this element is no different. It was known in ancient Greece and Egypt for its use as a fumigant ( when fumes were burned) and for mixture in medicinal balms and antiparasitics. But perhaps the most relevant information about sulphur is that in 1777 Antoine Lavosier convinced the scientific community that sulfur was a basic element rather than a compound.

So how did New Zealand decide it should be shown on a stamp as a mineral you might well ask :-) Well it is a mineral as well.. all very complicated so lets just enjoy the stamp!

Enjoy your stamps..  Michael

Hello again, since a few people wrote to me saying how they enjoyed the block I showed last night I thought I would show another.   This from the same issue, SG 1280. Again with very low cat value.   Issued 30 plus years ago and still in stunning condition. While I appreciate a very low face value it must have been issued in enormous quantities for it to not have had some appreciation.

Anyway this stone is Amethyst and one you probably know is very common in jewelry.  But did you know its name comes from ancient Greek and is a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness. The ancient Greeks  apparently wore amethyst and decorated their drinking cups with it in the belief it would prevent intoxication.

Wow, think I might go jewelry shopping this weekend and see if it works!

Enjoy your stamps ...Michael   www,cddstamps.com

Hello, hope you like this block. I always enjoyed geology and so to find these and the others in the 1982 Minerals issue was a delight.

SG 1278  with perf 14½  (not the 12½  perf sadly - which is catalogued at £1 a stamp as compared to 10p for this one)  Always worth checking the perforations, as I often tell you.

Still, it is a nice MUH block I think you will agree;  and if you didn't know, Agate is a banded form of finely-grained, microcrystalline Quartz.  Its name comes from the Achetes River in Sicily where Agates were first found.  

Enjoy your stamps

Michael   www.cddstamps.com

 PS   Just added more New Zealand to the bidStart shop and also you can find me at michaelatcddstamps on Stanley Gibbons Marketplace here  easy way to fill a few gaps in your collection, pay by credit card and with SG guarantees