Hello   let’s look at a stamp from Ascension today. This one is from the 1938 George VI pictorial issue. This issue shows the pictorial images of the George V issue which were reprinted for George VI with his image, and some colour changes.

This stamp shows The Pier.  Nothing like what it might look like today I would imagine.

It is one of the main buildings of the Capital town of Georgetown. The town is named after King George III  (of England), who reigned at the time the island was claimed for Britain and garrisoned by the Admiralty in 1815.

Ascension Island is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean and part of the British overseas  territory of Saint Helena and Tristan de Cunha. It issues its own postage stamps these days  largely for revenue from thematic collectors.

Today the island is the location of a RAF station, a European Space Agency rocket tracking station, an Anglo-American signals intelligence facility along with the a U.S. Space Force ground tracking station in support of the Eastern Range and rocket launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force in Florida  and the BBC world service Atlantic Relay Station. – according to my reading at least.   I am happy to be corrected of course.  I don’t believe it is somewhere you go to for a holiday !

But look at the stamp closely.  What is the postal cancel?  Yes it is part of the word Ascension. I was hoping for more from research on postal cancels of Ascension Island but have found nothing to share.   I welcome  thoughts at cddstamps@gmail.com

More British Commonwealth stamps  to enjoy viewing from http://www.stampcollector.online/3a.html

Hello,  yes I have been on sabbatical so to speak.  Had nothing to motivate me to write but I do now and I hope you enjoy reading and seeing the stamps I will be showing and talking about over the coming weeks and months.

These stamps are from a brilliant  website that  has been developed by a friend of mine.   You will enjoy it I am sure.    Not just for a quick look but as a site to go back to many times I think, for various information.     Images of stamps from British Commonwealth countries, from which I will be showing some as I say over the coming weeks and months, but also catalogue details and watermark images.

Over time more images will be added. It is a life project really, with so much to reward the visitor I think.

The first stamp I have chosen to show is from Aden, from the 1953 QE II definitive issue and showing the classic Dhow. This traditional sailing vessel with one or more masts with settee or sometimes lateen sails was used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Historians speculate that the dhow was either invented by Arabs or Indians and they were originally fishing or trading vessels used mostly to carry items such as fruit, fresh water or other goods, along the coasts of the Arab countries, as well as Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and East Africa.

I am back enjoying writing about stamps. I hope you enjoy this series. I welcome comments of course at cddstamps@gmail.com

 

Michael   cddstamps.com