30/12/2018

I have got a bit behind with my PHQ Stamp Cards because I had to wait for the last three sets to be sent together (you didn’t want to see that bill!), but they are here now so let’s take a run at it starting with Octobers Harry Potter set:

“HARRY POTTER”

ROYAL MAIL PHQ STAMP CARD SET

PHQ Set 449

(postcards that reproduce the Royal Mail’s stamp releases)

Stamps issued – 16^TH October 2018

(As always, I have my copies used with the appropriate stamp applied to the front of the card and cancelled first day of issue with a special hand stamp)

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

This is a smashing set, which unfortunately again upset the stamp traditionalists, but as I have said before, Royal Mail need to make money, and subjects like this bring in revenue. Personally, I loved this set, but then I am a big Harry Potter fan (and I mean BIG).

(TOP)

HARRY POTTER

HERMIONE GRANGER

1^ST Class stamp

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

Ref: PHQ 449 (1) 10. 18

(BOTTOM

HARRY POTTER

HOGWARTS EXPRESS

1^ST Class stamp

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

Ref: PHQ 449 (2) 10. 18

Smashing postcard (and stamp) for any train or railway theme collector. A really nice image I thought.

(TOP)

HARRY POTTER

HARRY POTTER (himself)

1^ST Class stamp

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

Ref: PHQ 449 (3) 10. 18

(BOTTOM)

HARRY POTTER

FLYING FORD ANGLIA

1^ST Class stamp

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

Ref: PHQ 449 (4) 10. 18

(TOP)

HARRY POTTER

RON WEASLEY

1^ST Class stamp

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

Ref: PHQ 449 (5) 10. 18

(BOTTOM)

HARRY POTTER

HAGRID’S MOTORCYCLER

1^ST Class stamp

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

Ref: PHQ 449 (6) 10. 18

So far, it’s been one-character image stamp followed by one of the forms of transport from the series of books and films, but that changes after the next card/stamp in the set.

(TOP)

HARRY POTTER

GINNY WEASLEY

1^ST Class stamp

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

Ref: PHQ 449 (7) 10. 18

(BOTTOM)

HARRY POTTER

TRIWIZARD CUP

1^ST Class stamp

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

Ref: PHQ 449 (8) 10. 18

Here you have something different, the cup which was the prize in the book and film titled ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ (book and film No 4)

(TOP)

HARRY POTTER

NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM

1^ST Class stamp

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

Ref: PHQ 449 (9) 10. 18

(BOTTOM)

HARRY POTTER

KNIGHT BUS

1^ST Class stamp

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

Ref: PHQ 449 (10) 10. 18

Back to transport again

(FAR LEFT or TOP LEFT)

HORACE SLUGHORN

HERMIONE GRANGER

1^ST Class stamp

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

Ref: PHQ 449 (12) 10. 18

(NEAR LEFT or TOP RIGHT)

HARRY POTTER

STAMP FROM THE MINIATURE STAMP SHEET

POMONA SPROUT

1^ST Class stamp

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

Ref: PHQ 449 (11) 10. 18

There was also a miniature five stamp sheet which was issued in this set. The five stamps from the sheet each had their own PHQ Stamp Card whilst the sheet itself had its own card (see further down)

(FAR LEFT or TOP LEFT)

HARRY POTTER

STAMP FROM THE MINIATURE STAMP SHEET

SYBILL TRELAWNEY

1^ST Class stamp

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

Ref: PHQ 449 (13) 10. 18

(NEAR LEFT or TOP RIGHT)

HARRY POTTER

STAMP FROM THE MINIATURE STAMP SHEET

REMUS LUPIN

1^ST Class stamp

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

Ref: PHQ 449 (14) 10. 18

HARRY POTTER

STAMP FROM THE MINIATURE STAMP SHEET

SEVERUS SNAPE

1^ST Class stamp

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

Ref: PHQ 449 (15) 10. 18

HARRY POTTER

THE MINIATURE STAMP SHEET

Full Stamp Sheet

1^ST Class stamps

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

Ref: PHQ 449 (16) 10. 18

The stamp sheet was too long to appear on a single PHQ card, so two were required with the stamp sheet cut into two and placed across the two cards. Both cards appear here.

30/12/2018

GET ON THE RIGHT TRACK…

JOIN OUR CLUB!

PETERBOROUGH & DISTRICT POSTCARD CLUB

Official Postcard Club Postcard  

“50 Years ago… On 3^rd July 1938 ‘Mallard’ broke steam traction records by hitting 126 m.p.h near Peterborough”

During the 1980’s there were lots of Postcard Club and Postcard Fair promotional postcards released. Some were better than others and some crossed thematic interests as well, and this one would certainly have appealed to any train collector.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

30/12/2018

KALAALLIT NUNAAT

GRONLAND

‘Greenland’

Published by

KALAALLIT ALLAKKERIVIAT GRONLANDS POSTVAESEN

(Official Postcard from the Greenland Postal Authority)

Ref: NR 3/86

This is a lovely map card of Greenland issued by their postal authority. They issued a number of interesting postcards during the 1980’s (looking at the reference number I am assuming this one here was released in 1986), most of which obviously had a postal history reference, but this map card was a nice change.

29/12/2018

RATIGAN DRAWING

THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE

(Basil, The Great Mouse Detective)

1986

By

GLEN KEANE

Published for:

THE WALT DISNEY FAMILY MUSEUM

Not one of Disney’s classic animated movies, but because of my fascination with all things Sherlock Holmes themed I have always liked this one. Having said this I have noticed that there are not many postcards related to this one. So, it was nice to come across this one in the shop attached to the Walt Disney Family Museum located in San Francisco. I picked it up on my visit.

29/12/2018

TWA

TRANS WORLD AIRLINE

SHANNON

A Lockheed Constellation

Official TWA Promotional Postcard

Printed in Italy

I picked this card up in a second-hand bookshop in Flagstaff, Arizona U.S.A. It came from a box of older postcards which was hidden away a bit in the back room of the shop. It has a bit of damage on the front, the white mark centre left, but I think the card is so good that I can accept this, as I very much doubt I will easily come across another copy. I also like the Lockheed Constellation and tend to pick up cards which depict it. There is something about the look of this aeroplane which I love. I think it was a sleek and beautiful big plane.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

I like the red printing as I think this adds to the appeal of this postcard. The title at the bottom says SHANNON, so I wonder if this supposed to be a reference to Shannon Airport as I know that TWA (Transcontinental  & Western Air)  did fly Constellations into Shannon, in-fact one crashed on its way here on 28^th December 1946, about 1.5 kilometres west-northwest of the airport.    

29/12/2018

WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Published by

B. S. REYNOLDS Co.,

WASHINGTON, D. C.

Ref: 888 (or possibly 388)

I picked this postcard up for 50 cents in an antique shop in Flagstaff, Arizona. This was about a week after I had stood with lots of other people on the pathway which is the viewing point from where you can now see the White House. You are now, perhaps understandably, so far back that it is hard to take a selfie (not that I am any good at these anyway), but I made-an-attempt anyway.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

PHOTOGRAPH

THE WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON D.C.

6^TH October 2018

PHOTOGRAPH

THE WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON D.C.

6^TH October 2018

My ‘Selfie’ – apparently it ‘has’ to be done!

29/12/2018

GRAND CANYON

PERSONAL SOUVENIRS – 18^TH OCTOBER 2018

I had the absolute pleasure of visiting the Grand Canyon for the very first time this year during my train holiday across the US. It really does live up to all expectations and is a wonderful natural landmark. To remember my visit, I wanted to grab some souvenirs so attended the Grand Canyon Post Office (which I knew about and had planned to visit ahead of our trip). So, I bought some postcards from the large store and then bought some stamps over the counter at the post office and prepared these postcards here. I bought a sheet of the Scooby-Doo stamps (these also connect with my TV stamp collecting interest) and a sheet of the round shaped ‘Forever’ value sport balls stamps, copies of which I wanted as I am collecting these unusual round US stamps. I then asked the lady behind the counter for the special round red coloured ‘GRAND CANYON, AZ 86023 USPS’ cancellation. You have-to ask for this and not just hand your mail items over as if you just hand it over it goes into the post box and goes off to be cancelled like all local mail at the main postal centre using the normal machine postmark. So, do ask for this red cancel. It is also worth asking, if the mail is addressed to you for your own collection, if you can take it back once cancelled as it saves the cards from the ravages of travel trough the postal system. I asked and was handed the cards back. This is probably contrary to postal regulations but ask anyway and if you get a nice lady like I did you should get them. This enabled me to take the cards elsewhere.

Some way away from the Post Office along the actual Grand Canyon edge is the Historic Kolb Studio. This is a great little shop which has some fantastic postcards so should be visited, but it also has a special large green coloured cachet (designed to be used on a Grand Canyon passport, if you travel much further around the area you can find other passport cachets at other locations, but they were too far away for me on my visit). So, I used this cachet on some of my postcards, as can be seen here. The cachet reads ‘HISTORIC KOLB STUDIO – GRAND CANYON’ with a central image of an old camera.   

GRAND CANYON, NATIONAL PARK

DESERT VIEW WATCHTOWER

Published by

LANTERN PRESS

(LANTERN PRESS ORIGINAL POSTER)

Ref: Image # 42326

A great poster design postcard which I found on sale in the Historic Kolb Studio

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

Used with three of the Scooby-Doo US stamps (for postage to the UK you require three basic price US stamps). These have been cancelled with the red ‘GRAND CANYON 86023 USPS’ circular cancellations dated 18^th October 2018. This card also has the green ‘HISTORIC KOLB STUDIO – GRAND CANYON’ passport cachet. I think the use of these stamps and the cachet makes for a fantastic souvenir. I love the way these turned out.

REVERSE SIDE OF ANOTHER COPY OF THE ABOVE POSTCARD

This one just has the ‘HISTORIC KOLB STUDIO – GRAND CANYON’ cachet. As I bought the card here in the studio, I got a second one and just applied this cachet.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

UNMATCHED VISTAS

DESERT VIEW

WATCHTOWER

Published by

LANTERN PRESS

(LANTERN PRESS ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHY)

Ref: Image # 78927

A photographic card showing the Watchtower.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

This one has three of the sport balls stamps: SOCCER, GOLF and VOLLEYBALL. These have also been cancelled with the red cancel and the card also has the green cachet.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

Published by

IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

Ref: 19539-4LN

These Impact postcards have a nice deckle-edge which makes them quite attractive.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

Used with Scooby-Doo stamps and with the green cachet applied

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

Published by

IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

Ref: 19539-46

I really liked the photograph on this one

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

Another three sport balls stamps: BASKETBALL, TENNIS and KICKBALL

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

MATHER POINT

Published by

IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

Ref: 65263-46

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

NAVAJO POINT

Published by

IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

Ref: 19651-4LN

This one again has the deckle-edge, but I also liked the boarder with the slanted image

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

Some more sport balls: BASEBALL, BASKETBALL (there were several of each ball type on the sheet I bought) and FOOTBALL (as in American Football)

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

COLORADO RIVER

Published by

IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

Ref: 14967

Another deckle-edge

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

GOLF, SOCCER (or just Football’ as we would call it here in the UK) and VOLLEYBALL  

GRAND CANYON

NATIONAL PARK

A COLLECTION OF 12 POSTCARDS

FOLDER COVER

This is the front cover of a folder set of 12 postcards published by IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

REVERSE SIDE OF THE FOLDER

Which depicts the 12 postcards contained inside.

FOLDER PACK POSTCARD

MULES CARRYING SIGHTSEERS

Published by

IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

Ref: 1033

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

I used two of the cards in this pack to receive the stamps and GARND CANYON cancel. Not all-of the cards though as I only had so many stamps so could only do two, but I did get the green cachet applied to some of the others. On this card I used the Scooby-Doo stamps.

FOLDER PACK POSTCARD

GRAND CANYON

Published by

IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

Ref: 19354

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

This one has three of the sport balls stamps: KICKBALL, FOOTBALL and BASEBALL

FOLDER PACK POSTCARD

HAVASU FALLS

Published by

IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

Ref: 3838

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

With green HISTORIC KOLB STUDIO – GRAND CANYON CACHET

FOLDER PACK POSTCARD

TOROWEEP OVERLOOK

Published by

IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

Ref: 3844

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

With green HISTORIC KOLB STUDIO – GRAND CANYON CACHET

FOLDER PACK POSTCARD

LIGHTNING DISPLAY

Published by

IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

Ref: 3842

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

With green HISTORIC KOLB STUDIO – GRAND CANYON CACHET

FOLDER PACK POSTCARD

WATCH TOWER LOOKOUT

Published by

IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

Ref: 3845

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

With green HISTORIC KOLB STUDIO – GRAND CANYON CACHET

FOLDER PACK POSTCARD

THE COLORADO RIVER

Published by

IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

Ref: 19314

No cachet or stamps were applied to this card

FOLDER PACK POSTCARD

VIEW FROM POINT IMPERIAL

Published by

IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

Ref: 19340

No cachet or stamps were applied to this card

FOLDER PACK POSTCARD

GRAND CANYON

Published by

IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

Ref: 19539

No cachet or stamps were applied to this card

FOLDER PACK POSTCARD

THE SOUTH RIM

Published by

IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

Ref: 19649

No cachet or stamps were applied to this card

FOLDER PACK POSTCARD

THE NAVAJO POINT

Published by

IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

Ref: 19651

No cachet or stamps were applied to this card

FOLDER PACK POSTCARD

WINTER SNOW IN THE CANYON

Published by

IMPACT PHOTO-GRAPHICS

Ref: 19684

No cachet or stamps were applied to this card

28/12/2018

THE BISHOP LIGHTHOUSE,

SCILLY

Published by

F. E. GIBSON,

ST MARY’S, SCILLY

(NATURAL COLOUR SERIES – PHOTO GREETINGS – U.S.A)

Ref: 931

Lighthouses always appear on postcard. If there is a lighthouse anywhere near populated areas or tourist areas, then someone has issued a postcard of it. Having said this I know that they are far less popular on postcard than they are on stamps. I know several Lighthouse stamp collectors, but I am not currently aware of anyone who collects lighthouses specifically. They do have an appeal to me though and I do love seeing them.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

The 4d Queens head Machin postage stamp has been cancelled with a wavy line machine cancel for ST. MARY’S – ISLES OF SCILLY dated 26^th July 1969.

28/12/2018

NURNBERG,

FRAUENTOR

‘Nuremberg’

Published by

KUNSTVERLAG HERMANN MARTIN, NURNBERG.

This is a nice old postcard depicting part of the ancient wall which circles the old town part of the city of Nuremberg. This is one of the old postcards I found on sale in the previously mentioned German History Museum in Nuremberg. It is always nice to have postcards of locations visited and, in my opinion, even better to get older ones. Also, for your information, the heraldic shield top left is embossed.  

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

28/12/2018

DOUX SOUVENIR

‘Sweet Souvenir’

NOVELTY EMBOSSED POSTCARD

Unknown Publisher / Printer

(Issued in France)

This postcard was posted in the early part of the last century, but the year date on the cancel on the French stamp is unclear. It is ‘0’ something, so it was on the first ten years of twentieth century. I have always been fond of embossed postcards and this early period of the century was a time when many embossed cards were issued. Also popular were doves and two appear on this design. In the years which led up to what was becoming a more and more inevitable war the dove would appear on more and more postcards.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

28/12/2018

UNTITLED

DUTCH COSTUME

Unknown Publisher / Printer

The national costume of any country makes for a popular postcard publishing theme and therefore they are a common find, and often relatively cheap (at least cheaper than most themes). Some countries costumes are more popular, and more frequently appear, than others and I think it would be fair to say that the Dutch costume is certainly one of these. This card here was posted in 1907.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

This postcard has a nicely placed stamp which has been cancelled with a ROTTERDAM roller cancel machine applied cancellation dated 12^th July 1907. This is a very nice example of the cancellation applied nice and straight and very clear. I think it was this cancellation that caused me to buy the card.