HONG KONG: QUEEN VICTORIA POSTAL ADHESIVES

HONG KONG: QUEEN VICTORIA POSTAL ADHESIVES

By Air Commodore Richard Gurevitch

The Hong Kong Philatelic Society has published Air Commodore Gurevitch's new book on the Queen Victoria Postal Adhesives of Hong Kong. This book, which has taken Air Commodore over eight years of research contains much new information as well as placing previous information in its correct context.

The book, in two volumes, runs to some 530 pages in A4 format, 160 pages of which are in colour. The book has been structured so that the principle information is contained in the first volume and subsidiary information is in the second volume. This structure is designed to enable reference to be made to subsidiary information contained in annexes whilst leaving the principle chapter open. Volume 1 runs to thirty-six chapters together with a comprehensive table of contents and an index. Volume 2 contains twenty -two annexes and two appendices.

Volume 1 deals with the following:

Previous significant writings dating back to 1893 are reviewed. The writings include those of Morton, Bishop, Sayers, Munk, Easton, Webb and Pearson.

Known official documents are examined including the two Post office Leaflets produced in 1880 and 1892

Stamp production is comprehensively covered and numerous illustrations are provided of essays, die proofs in their various states, ink recipe reference pages. New information is provided on the perforators used on stamps of the period, and administrative arrangements pertaining to stamp production. Specimen stamps are treated in great detail and much new information is provided.

Dates of issue of all stamps of the period are reviewed and related to usage patterns. Again new information has emerged.

Calculations of Post Office sale quantities for all stamp issues are provided. These calculations all bear an ascribed order of accuracy. Again this is new information.

Each stamp issue is treated in detail with a data sheet provided for each stamp, and illustration in colour is provided of practically every stamp issued in the period. New information is to be found in these chapters. A gauge of scarcity is given for the adhesives on cover.

Comprehensive discussion is provided of the various 1879 Plate 2 productions, the so-called 2 Cents Perforation 12 labels, and the 1891 Jubilee Issue. The findings of Gurevitch's research on the Jubilee Issue are provided and these include new plating information of a Seventh Printing of the First Setting.

Fiscal labels used postally in an unauthorized manner are discussed in some detail.

Volume 2 incorporates the following:

Reproductions are provided of significant earlier writings including those of Gardner (1893), Poole (1908), Morton (1927), and Sayers (1930). The latter includes Sayers?articles contained in the Hong Kong Daily Press.

A listing is provided of about 3,300 covers with postal adhesives of the period. The listing provides data on the adhesives on the covers, their date and place of postage, destination, as well as a reference to the source of the information. Updates are available as appendix in Hong Kong Philatelic Society's annual Journal from 2002 (Journal 6) onwards.

Plating data is provided on various overprinted stamps. An extensive bibliography is provided in an appendix.

Although the book is primary aimed at those collectors of Traditional Philately, postal historians will find the information on covers invaluable. Moreover, the information on De La Rue stamp production methods will be of considerable value to collectors of other countries whose stamps were also produced by De La Rue.

SOLD OUT

updated 20 July 2011