Supporting Philatelists Since 1952
A variation of the old message-in-a-bottle that shipwrecked sailors toss to the outside world is a system devised by two American Merchant Marine Captains for sending passenger and crew mail ashore. “Via Pickle Bottle” is the rubber stamp used by Captain O.H. Martinson, master of the S.S. Mexico, and “Via Sea Jug Post” is the […]
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(Part 3 of 4) The 1951 provisional Korean stamps were issued with overprinted inflationary denominations of 100, 200, and 300 won on the basic stamps whose values range from 4 to 100 won. These overprinted stamps afford not only an exciting challenge to the casual collector, but also an excellent opportunity for specialization by the […]
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One way of acquiring new items for a stamp collection is by buying them on online auction websites. There are many great items available online, but also many fakes. But what is real and what isn’t? Also, even if real, not everything is as important or interesting as it might be described by the seller […]
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In the D.C. Chapter Notes for February, 1979 a question was raised about copies of the first Korean stamps used on invoices. I had an opportunity to examine one of these (actually a bill of lading). I concluded that it was a modern concoction for extracting money from collectors. If it can be reproduced, a […]
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Despite the fact that no inscriptions are found on the observatory Do any carvings designed as footings for the mounting of instruments, an no Astronomical instruments of Silla except a quadrant of an old stone sundial have been found, yet surely the tower was used for scientific purposes rather than religious as Father Richard Rutt […]
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(Originally published in KP Vol. XLV No. 4 November 1999) I have just finished a casual comparison (I say casual because I did not use a perforation gauge or measuring ruler) of the North Korean train issue of 1976, Michel numbers 1555-1561 and Block 32. The DPRK, Catalogue numbers are 1529-1534 (set), 1535 (s/s), and […]
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(Reader’s question) In a recent Ebay sale a set of pages was sold which are contain quite a lot of work done by someone in the past. These pages, 18 in total, show remarkably detailed research in sometimes very tiny differences within the same stamp series.
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On auction websites a lot of 1950s-1980s covers and postal cards show up with recognizable names on them. These items are not just Korean postal history, they show more than just that: they show Korean history. One example is the card shown in this article.
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(Translated by Warren Hahn from “Korean Stamps” July 1965) The original design of the airmail issue of 1952 (Scott #C6-8) consisted of a plane flying over the National Capitol Building in Seoul. However, when the Korean War necessitated the evacuation of Seoul, and the transfer of the seat of government to Pusan, the design was […]
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In 1959 considering the importance of stamp design, the Ministry of Communications decided to employ full time designers and was able to obtain two well known designers. They were Messers. Choon Whan Kang and Tai Sung Kim. Mr. Kim resigned from the post after four months and Mr. Boo Young La took his place.
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While going through some books Robert Finder found this leaflet inside the “Philatelic handbook for Korea, 1884-1905” by Helen Zirkle. The text on the leaflet is familiar: versions of this text were used often in Korean Philately magazine and it was also used on the KSS websites in the past.
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(Part 2 of 4) The 1951 provisional Korean stamps were issued with overprinted inflationary denominations of 100, 200, and 300 won on the basic stamps whose values range from 4 to 100 won. These overprinted stamps afford not only an exciting challenge to the casual collector, but also an excellent opportunity for specialization by the […]
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Universal Postal Union regulations have for many years allowed that mail posted ON THE HIGH SEAS, and bearing stamps of the same country whose flag the vessel flies, might be put ashore at the first port of call, where it is postmarked with the paquebot marking of that port and sent on its way to […]
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Part II of our listing of the stamp issue leaflets released by KoreaPost in 2018 on the occasion of new stamp releases. These leaflets were printed to show both the stamps and the details of the stamps such as the date of issue, the numbers printed and the designers.
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The 1951 provisional Korean stamps were issued with overprinted inflationary denominations of 100, 200, and 300 won on the basic stamps whose values range from 4 to 100 won. These overprinted stamps afford not only an exciting challenge to the casual collector, but also an excellent opportunity for specialization by the most exacting connoisseur. Recent […]
Continue Reading With every stamp release, whether individual stamps or a series of stamps, KoreaPost releases an information leaflet, showing both the stamps and the details of the stamps such as the date of issue, the numbers printed and the designers. However, these leaflets are usually put online later than the first moment the stamps are listed […]
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As a member of the US Army Liaison Team accredited to the Soviet Army in North Korea, I made a number of trips between Seoul and Pyengyang by train. Usually I would buy North Korean stamps at the main Post Office in Pyengyang, manned by a few unenthusiastic Korean clerks. Sometimes I would put some […]
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A philatelist has been described as a collector afflicted with an insatiable curiosity about postal material in general and postal history of one particular area or era. For some 20 years, the post office forms illustrated have been part of a Korea collection. They are nothing special: most collectors need not concern themselves with such […]
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The items shown here are “cut outs” according to Spink Auction. In their Spink China auction of May 2017 these five items were listed by Spink as “1884 First issue, set of five, colour die proof in white thick paper, toned spots.” They were sold for HK$20.000 (approx. 2300 EUR or 2550 USD).
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The new Christmas seals for Christmas 2019 have been released by the Korea National Tuberculosis Association. The stamps feature Jeju island and the famous local diving women, the “haenyeo”. The sheet is for sale online through the KNTA website and costs 3.000 won (approx. 2,50 dollars / 2,30 EUR).
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