FOR STAMP COLLECTORS

Evening Star, Issue 23378, 22 September 1939, Page 3

FOR STAMP COLLECTORS

[Bv Philatelist.] DUNEDIN PHILATELIC CLUB. At the monthly meeting of the Dun-1 edin Philatelic Club in the Y.M.C.A. j rooms 22 members were present. After j the transaction of formal business Dr M. N. Watt gave a talk on Professor Ferdinand Schirnbock, the world’s greatest stamp engraver, who engraved the stamps of no fewer than 18 countries. The bulk of the stamps issued bv Austria and Hungary were the products of his skill, and those who are familiar with the stamps of these two countries know what beautiful works of art they are. Though Professor Schirubock did not engrave many of the stamps of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is interesting to know that it was the issue of 1906-07 that first brought him fame. Another fine example of his art is the 3-franc issue of Luxemburg in 1923. Dr Watt exhibited several of the stamps referred to in his talk, and also a very fine enlarged photograph of Professor Schirnbock. The displays of the evening were furnished by four members. Mr G. M'Leod showed 13 in which were five of British colonial wdr stamps and three of the stamps of British Guiana. . . ’ ~ Mr 0. Cooper showed an interesting lot of postal stationery, mostly overprinted. , Mr H. Rissman displayed recent issues of Yugoslavia, Rumania, Poland, and Ecuador, while Mr J. D. Inglis showed two sheets of recent French issues. Stamp sales among members filled in the rest of the ejyening. GIRL GUIDE HUNGARY’S TRIBUTE TO INTERN ATION AL RALLY. Hungary has produced the^first issue of stamps dedicated to the Girl . e , s ‘ The occasion is the International Guide Rally (“Pax Ting”), winch opened a few weeks ago at Godollo, near Budapest. Designed by Legrady Sandor, and effectively reproduced in photogravure by the Hungarian State 1 renting Office, the subjects of the four denominations comprising the special series are as follows: A laureated hand upraised in the Scout salute (2 filler, red-brown); a lily, the official emblem of the Magyar Girl Guides, displayed against a background of the national escutcheon (6 filler, green); the heads of two Girl Guides, one wearing the national headdress of Hungary and the other the characteristic broad-brimmed Scout bat (10 filler, brown) ; and an

allegory of the dove of peace flying over the Hungarian arms (20 filler, lilac-red). Incorporated in the design in each instance is the inscription ‘ I. Pax Ting,” the trefoil emblem of the Guides, and the date. Similarly in Bulgaria there has been issued a set of five stamps depicting various branches of athletics; the occasion has been the ninth congress of the national gymnastic organisation, “ Yonnak,” held in Sofia. A performer on the horizontal bar (1 leva, green) is followed by an athlete exercising with dumb-bells (2 . levas, rose). Myron’s classical figure of the Discobolus,’ upon the 41 brown, _ is contrasted with a woman rhythmic dancer as the subject of the 7 levas, in blue. Finally, a weight-lifter figures in the design of the fifth stamp, face value 14 levas, and printed in lilac. PORTUGUESE COLONIES.. The official tour of the Portuguese colonies undertaken by President Carmona has not been permitted to pass unrecorded in stamps. Both Cape Verde and Mozambique have printed commemorative issues, the former of three and the latter of four denominations, ranging from 1E75 to 80 escudos. In either case the predominant feature takes the form of an outline map of Africa showing the itinerary of the voyage, upon a solid ground of colour with inscriptions in colourless character reading “ Imperio Colonial Portu-gues-Viagem Presidencial 1939,” followed by the name of the particular colony at the foot of the design. Since July 17 all former Czech postage stamps now circulating under the protectorate of the Reich have carried a bilingual overprint reading “ Bohmen u. Mahren-Cechy a Morava ” in two lines disposed at the top and bottom of the stamp respectively. Picturesque views of Morocco are afforded in the latest series of pictorial postage stamps emanating from the French protectorate, which also appeared on July 17. POSTAGE STAMP ASSAILED; RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSY IN SOUTH AFRICA. Religious controversy centres round a Id postage stamp just issued by the South African Government as one in the series commemorating the 250th anniversary of the landing of the first Huguenot settlers. Exception lias been taken by the Catholic community to the subject of the design, which, according to the first official description, was intended to symbolise ‘ the Sun of Truth rising over the Darkness of the Middle Ages.” Representations have been made to the Union Minister of Posts and Telegraphs by the Apostolic Delegate for Southern Africa with a view to the withdrawal of the offending stamp, but. Senator C. F. Clarkson insists that any suggestion that'tbe design casts a slur upon a particular section of the people is absolutely contrary to his intent'ou. which is to indicate “ that the Huguenots left France because they claimed it was i\ot possible for them

to enjoy freedom of conscience and to practice tlieir religion in their own country, and is meant to convev that freedom of conscience they could enjoy at the Cape.”