A is for Aden and Z is for Zanzabar


A is for Aden and Z is for Zanzibar... Now what is between? For the world wide classical era philatelist and stamp collector, a country specific philatelic survey is offered by the blog author, Jim Jackson, with two albums: Big Blue, aka Scott International Part 1 (checklists available), and Deep Blue, aka William Steiner's Stamp Album Web PDF pages. In addition, "Bud" offers commentary and a look at his completely filled Big Blue. Interested? So into the Blues...

Saturday, March 11, 2017

British Solomon Islands - Bud's Big Blue

"War Canoe"
Bud's Big Blue
Bud's Observations
Headhunters -- angry warriors aboard ornamented war canoes -- ethnic upheavals! Yikes!

Oh well. That was a hundred years ago. Today the only war canoes are in museums or on postage stamps. And headhunters have long been suppressed by the British and friendly Melanesians. Skull Island, where victims used to be entombed, has become a tourist attraction. After all, these are the people who rescued a shipwrecked Jack Kennedy. So maybe it’s now the West Pacific’s Shangri-La.

Before I order plane tickets, I’d better check the UK website on Solomon Island safety and security. Hummmm. It reports “robberies involving violence, handbag snatching, pick-pocketing, distraction thefts and harassment…. Civil unrest and drunken behaviour can occur. Foreigners and expatriates may be attractive targets for violence. Salt water crocodiles…. Big sharks….”  Yikes!

It also says “Most visits to Solomon Islands are trouble-free.” (Italics mine).

Collecting Solomon Islands stamps is mostly trouble-free, too. A common mistake found in feeder albums, though, is among the 1913-1931 series where BB sometimes wants “postage -- postage” inscribed and other times asks for “postage -- revenue.”

Census: 34 in BB spaces, four tipped in.

Jim's Observations
There is a bit of a puzzler in Big Blue's stamp space layout that might confuse. The 1913 King George V issue is inscribed "postage-postage" and is wmk 3. No problem there. Then Big Blue presents the 1914-31 King George V issue inscribed "postage-revenue", wmk 4. But take a look at Scott 23  1/1/2p scarlet: yes it is wmk 4, BUT it is inscribed "postage-postage". There is no alert in Big Blue that the "postage-revenue" design for the spaces DOES include the 1 1/2p scarlet "postage-postage" stamp. Now you know.

Solomon Islands Blog Post and Checklist

Page 1 (Click and enlarge for examination)

1a

1b

Page 2

2a

2b

2c

Have a comment?

2 comments:

  1. Jim, I had a revelation while reading your article - many relics of the past are found today on postage stamps, so we can talk about them as miniature museums. ;) Bud's observations on your articles are always an inexhaustible source of information for me. Keep the good work! Catalin

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  2. Thanks Catalin. It's good to know you're reading and enjoying. The point you make about miniature museums is a good one. With scans and spread sheets getting easier to make, the whole range of virtual specializations (virtual miniature museums) becomes more and more appealing. For instance, I've started a virtual cancellation calendar. The stamps are still in the album in their ordinary places, but I have scans rearranged by date on the computer. Eventually I might set them up so the proper cancel pops up on my home page every day. Dunno yet.

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