Stamp Collector

27 www.allaboutstamps.co.uk MAY 2020 PRICE UPDATES, BUYING ADVICE AND MORE Above, from left: another recent Grosvenor Philatelic Auctions lot, described as 1938-54 perf. 11¾ x 13 £1 black and red, lightly toned gum, otherwise fine mint. It sold for £60 • An eBay offering from Luscinia Stamps, described as GVI £1, perf 14, fine used, and priced at £7.50 including postage £60 £165 mandated territory of Tanganyika had a greater physical area than Kenya, it handled less than half of the region’s postal traffic, especially in the 1930s when airmail services between London and South Africa brought business to Kenyan airports. Postal services throughout East Africa benefited when Uganda Railways opened their line between Mombasa and Lake Victoria at the dawn of the 20th century. As a result stamps common to Kenya and Uganda came into use in 1902. Initially the British government was scrupulous in acknowledging the special status of Tanganyika as a mandate rather than a colony, but the distinction became increasingly blurred with the passage of time. This accounts for the appearance of the name Kenya Uganda Tanganyika without punctuation or the use of and on the GV stamps issued by the combined postal service, The East African Posts and Telecommunications Administration, on 1 May 1935. The GVI set which followed in 1938 includes the £1 stamp we are looking for in this feature. Depiction of a lion on stamps of the colony sparked some political and cultural controversy over the years. Before the British arrived prolific numbers of those magnificent beasts roamed across Kenya. They preyed on antelope and occasionally on native cattle; even a few humans, who often fought back with spears and shields. Within some ethnics groups (the Maasai for example) the killing of a lion became bound up with coming- of-age rituals, and with ceremonies which bestowed great respect and cultural significance on the lion. Britain had depicted what looked rather like British heraldic lions rampant on the postage stamps of the British East Africa Protectorate in 1896. Although stamps in the 1935 and 1938 Kenya Uganda Tanganyika sets showed the lion in a more realistic (statant) pose, some critics interpreted the imagery of the design as the British monarch with his royal emblem dominating colonial Kenya Uganda Tanganyika. Stamp collectors worldwide nonetheless praised the typographed 10 cent and £1 stamps in the sets and admired the black silhouetted lion and the striking black/yellow and black/red colours of those values. How much should readers expect to pay for an example of the £1 value from the 1938 set? Newcomers to the hobby (we seem to attract increasing numbers with each issue of Stamp Collector ) may stumble upon a bargain by opting for a set or part set of the 1938-1954 definitives that includes the £1. A starter’s collection might also benefit from an example of the 1935 KGV 10 cent stamp; it depicts the same black silhouetted lion against a yellow background, and can often be bought fine used, or even mint, as part of a short set for around £15. More advanced collectors will be aware that the KGV 1935 £1 can be acquired at prices as low as half that of a KGVI 1938 £1. Be aware also that in 1941 a German air raid on London damaged the machine used to perforate the 1938 stamps at p11¾ x 13. As a result another machine, perf.14, was put to use from December 1941. Later, from January 1954, perforations were altered again, to p12½. £180 Right: this lot, described as: 1938 George VI £1 Black and red, p.11¾ x 13; lightly mounted mint, with tiny perf fault at left, minor but mentioned for accuracy and priced accordingly, was a recent eBay lot offered by Ross Shiells Ltd of Mill Hill, UK at £165, with free standard shipping Right: Steve Irwin Stamps recently offered this stamp, described as a £1 Lion, black and red, perf 14. Selling price was £21 A stamp recently stocked by Mark Bloxham Stamps Ltd; described as 1938 £1 black and red, perf 11¾ x 13, fine mounted mint, and priced at £180 £21 £7.50 LOCAL NEWSAGENT JUST SHUT UP SHOP? Switch to a subscription or a digital edition of Stamp Collector today! We’ve introduced some special deals to keep you reading and keep you collecting. See page 83 for more details or visit www.allaboutstamps.co.uk