cddstamps on stamps

my thoughts on stamps, stamp collecting, philately in general and maybe a few other topics !

Sunday, October 30, 2016


Hello, It is Halloween tonight so I hope everyone has a wonderful time if they are partying.  I have no plans yet, but just in case I go out I am writing this earlier in the day.

First though, thanks to everyone who entered the competition for the Taiwan new issue I picked up at the recent PhilaTaipei Show. The winner – by random selection as I promised - was Prashanth from India. Well done and thanks to everyone else who sent me the correct answer. The answer was of course very easy wasn’t it – Chunghwa Post.

Todays stamp  is another Halloween issue.  I hope you like this one. SG 2778 issued by Austria in 2005 as a commemorative single.


Enjoy your stamps.. Best wishes… Michael

Wednesday, October 26, 2016



Hello, something else I picked up in Taipei. This from the stand showing the machines that print the Royal Mail Post and Go Labels. I had expected to get some official Royal Mail Post and Go labels but when I got talking to the chap who runs the stand he explained the Royal Mail were not issuing Post and Go Labels for the Taipei show so he was issuing these instead. These are best described as "Cinderellas".  Perhaps first Post and Go Cinderellas?   Does anyone know of others?

These I was able to get on the second day of the exhibition from machine CSP1.  I also have a few pairs from the opening day from both of the machines that were there for the public to use.



Michael  cddstamps.com


Tuesday, October 25, 2016


Hello, well I am back in the Philippines after a wonderful trip to Taipei and the PhilaTaipei World Stamp Championship Exhibition.  Taipei was as lovely as ever and the exhibition was excellent. A good attendance on the days I was there and some really first class exhibition displays in the 2,450 frames on display. I must be honest and say I did not look at them all !
I managed to pick up some new issues and this miniature sheet is one of them. Issued for the exhibition. I hope you enjoy seeing it.

I got two copies thinking that one would be a nice prize in a competition. So, do you know the answer to this?

In celebration of the 120th Anniversary of which Postal Authority was the exhibition held?

Send your answer to cddstamps@gmail.com with your mailing address, (no address no chance to win, sorry but I do not keep mailing addresses)   
I will select, at random, a winner on Saturday 29th October, 4 days from now. Chance for all readers to enter I hope.

Enjoy your stamps.. Best wishes.. Michael  cddstamps.com


Tuesday, October 18, 2016



Hello, Sorting some George V Straits Settlements stamps recently reminded me of what is called the Key Type differences. From Stanley Gibbons guide I repeat this for your interest. Perhaps a difference worth knowing about so you can check when you are studying your various British Commonwealth George V stamps.

As you will see from the image below there are three basic ways to differentiate Die I and Die II. To me the easiest way is to check the angle of the line  - the second thick line – below the name of the country. Unless a postal cancel is in the way of course, you should be able to see the difference very easily with a good magnifying glass. The following is copied courtesy of SG.


A – in Die I the second thick line below the name of the country is cut slanting  - in Die II the line is cut vertically on each side of the crown -  See example above I used two different stamps because it was easier to scan. The left stamps show Die I and the right stamp shows Die II

B – in Die I the labels of solid colour bearing the words “Postage” and “& Revenue” are square at the inner top corners, whereas in Die II the labels curve inwards at the top.
C – in  Die I there is a projecting “bud” on the outer spiral of the ornament in each of the lower letters, whereas in Die II there is no “bud”.

In the Straits Settlement issues, by example, two stamp may appear to be the same but they are Die I and Die II and the catalogue value can be very different.  For example  SG 231 ( Die I) issued in 1923  is catalogued at £13 Used, while the Die II  issue from 1926 is calalogued at 30p. Worth checking the Die I think.

Enjoy your stamps, and please don’t forget,  to fill a few gaps in your collection visit the cddstamps online store  https://www.hipstamp.com/store/cddstamps
just once  please, and have a look to see if we have what you are missing.

Michael   cddstamps.com


Wednesday, October 12, 2016


Hello, I was cleaning out an older stock book today and came across this block. Mostly intact, parcel cancel as is expected for a block like this, but also a few perforations are separated and there is some toning around the edges. Nothing special really, except perhaps for anyone who likes to keep blocks. Kept in a nice clean clear glassine type envelope it might make a nice addition to someones collection. That said I will send it for free to someone in the envelope - say first  email to me at cddstamps@gmail.com - oh, and you must include your mailing address or I cannot mail to you!

Enjoy your stamps and please don't forget -  if you have a few gaps in your collection - please have a look at the cddstamps stock - just try us once and I think you will be a repeat customer like so many we have.

Best wishes   Michael  cddstamps.com

Tuesday, October 11, 2016


Hello, I am back in the Philippines after a wonderful long weekend in Hong Kong.  I did manage to get to the Mong Kok stamp arcade but did not buy any stamps this time. Nothing new to show you from that visit.

So,  since I was showing space related stamps in my last post I thought I would continue with the them and show the above because today marks another space anniversary. One I think worthy of mention, and, while I do know if she was recognised on a stamp there is this cover to commemorate the space walk.

She performed the first extra vehicular activity (more popularly known as an EVA) by an American woman during the  Space Shuttle Challenger mission STS-41-GON on October 11th 1984. She and mission specialist David Leestma  carried out a  3½ hour space walk in which they operated a system designed to show that a satellite could be refueled in orbit. 

3½ hours, that is what it took me to pack orders received through cddstamps online store while I was away.   Thanks to my customers and if you have a few gaps in your collection perhaps you will enjoy looking through cddstamps stock.   Still over 23,500 items and more to be loaded now!


Best wishes  … Michael  cddstamps.com 

Tuesday, October 04, 2016





Tonight a change of countries and theme. I thought you might like to see this strip of 5 because it was today, October 4th, back in 1957 that the space race took off, so to speak, with the launch of Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth.
 
The Sputnik stamp is shown on the cover I produced for the first commercial A380 flight from Sydney to Singapore, and on which I was a passenger carrying my covers. I hope you enjoy seeing the cover, the stamps and remembering how long ago 1957 was!!!!, let alone how it is hard to believe it was 9 years ago that the A380 started commercial flying. Enjoy your stamps and the memories I hope they give you.. Best wishes ...   Michael
 
PS only 36 hours left for the free pair of tweezers offer  with all orders from the cddstamps online shop. visit cddstamps.com or go directly to the online shop here 

Saturday, October 01, 2016


Hello,  Here is a lovely stamp, in my view. Nothing really special but if you have a copy, have a careful look at it. This is SG 157 from the 1938 definitive issue. It is perf 12½ and the catalogue value Mint and Used is 30p. Why look again? Well if it were perf 12½ by 13½ it is priced at £10,000 Mint. Even a used copy is priced at £190.

We cannot help you fill this gap in your collection – try eBay where you will see used copies for around £120 to £130 – but we can help you with many other perf differences from Grenada, and many other countries. 

cddstamps has now loaded more GV through GVI from Bermuda, Grenada and Malta as well as a comprehensive collection of GB Security Machins from 2012 through 2015, including both large and small vermillion issues. Plenty of choices to help you fill a few gaps in your collection.

And as a special we are giving a free pair of cddstamps tweezers for every order between now and October 5th.   

You can never have too many pairs of tweezers and anyway these are the same as the ones we use every day and, they are free with your order. (will be mailed separately I should add).  Want three pairs, place three orders, four pairs place 4 orders etc - yes, we will mail you a pair for every order. No limit or catches.  Get a pair for a friend or your stamp club perhaps. We bet you won’t ever want to use another pair once you have used ours.

Have a look here at the countries we stock.  Hopefully we can help you fill a few gaps in your collection at a very competitive price. Or click here to go direct to the Online Store


Enjoy your stamps..  Best wishes…. Michael 

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