Hello, I hope this finds everyone well and having a great weekend. This is one of my latest listings in my online store  - click here - 

It is SG 254c from the 1970-74 Birds issue.  This was issued in October of 1974 a few years later than the most of the issue in 1971. It is in stunning condition with the lightest of a very small hinge mark. The SG cat is £18 and I have it listed for 60% of cat for what is a quite difficult stamp I think.

Although many might think of a thrush being, for example, from England as I recall this bird, it is endemic to the Dominca, Guadeloupe, St Lucia and Montserrat islands in the Caribbean.

Hope you enjoyed seeing it. Have a great weekend

Michael
cddstamps.com

Hello, I hope you enjoy this variety 

Another nice find while preparing more material to load to the online store. Hope someone can afford this one  :-)  smile emotic Cannot find a copy for sale on any auction or web sites so something special if you want to fill a big gap in your collection. Of course lots more at dollars and cents prices.

This Cyprus variety (watermark Multi Crown CA) is SG 76a, showing "broken bottom left triangle" 

Stamp is Mint with clean gum and only a light hinge mark; 2014 catalogue value is £140, not that I am asking that for it of course. By comparison the normal stamp is £3. If nothing else I hope you enjoy seeing it and now know what to look for in your 1912 and 1923 Cyprus George V issues as this flaw is in both issues. ( PS click zoomed image to see full comparison)

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

Hello, I will get back to other blogs later but today I thought I would show these two stamps. Preparing to load more stock to my Bidstart Store over the weekend I found these. Always worth checking closely as I have said many times because otherwise you could easily miss a variety.

The top stamp is normal SG SG 111 from Uganda Kenya & Tanganyika while the one below is variety SG 111a. 30p (GBP) for the normal stamp and £7 for the variety, "rope joined to sail".

When Bidstart is up again, a slight problem at the moment it seems as I cannot load new stock, these along with many more will be added to my Store.

Enjoy your stamps.  Michael
www.cddstamps.com

Hello, Friday evening here in Hong Kong and time for stamps.

Continuing my new theme of writing about other philatelic sites and blogs I would like to introduce you to this excellent site from Romania.  - blog timbrofil

Two nicely presented recent writings, One on Edward Knapp who was a prominent philatelist who specialised in postal history of the USA and the Confederate States of America.  He accumulated a collection of rare items including hotel covers which formed a collection with which he won many awards including international awards in 1926 and 1936.

The most recent writing I saw was about the Royal Mail Shakespeare issue. To be honest not my favourite designs (see above image) but nice to see the 400th anniversary of his death commemorated. I think Royal Mail could have issued less stamps though. Of course it must have been a challenge to select the quotes. They missed a few of my favourites though: Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none, from All's Well that Ends Well;   and from Othello; I am one who loved not wisely but too well, and finally although this is questionably attributable to Shakespeare;  I would challenge you to a battle of wits but I see you are unarmed.

Keep up the good work Catalin

Have a great philatelic weekend everyone.

Michael   cddstamps.com

Yes I am back, after too much flying but very enjoyable trips  to the UK,then back here to Hong Kong for a change of clothes so to speak and then flights to the Philippines and a place called Laoag where I shall be moving to in a few months.

cddstamps from the Philippines. Yes, and all the better for my customers as I will be selling with a reduced postage charge.

But in the meantime I will be spending some time writing about other philatelic sites.

My first one is from a colleague from Canada. (see image above)  Albeit he is from Saskatchewan and I lived in Ontario. Close enough eh!

This site has some interesting menu choices, not only stamps but the guys life. All very interesting if you have the time. As for stamps  he shows some lovely examples - for example here  including the 1928  Air Mail "Swollen Breast" variety  -  and here  with a lovely example of an GB offset printed 2d blue.small crown perf 16.  Finally this page which I think offers interesting reading and some lovely stamps.

If you have a web site you would like me to write about just email me the url - to cddstamps@gmail.com

Lets helps promote each other as I think it is educational and enjoyable for us to share each others different interests.

Best wishes... Michael     cddstamps.com