Sample the GSM Archive: Introducing Newfoundland

Ahead of the launch of the Stanley Gibbons 8^th Edition Canada & Provinces catalogue release later this month, we delve into the history and background of stamp issues showcased in this comprehensive publication.

The following excerpt article was first published in the July 1965 issue of Gibbons Stamp Monthly. A full range of articles can be accessed using a subscription to the Gibbons Stamp Monthly Archive.

Introducing Newfoundland

BY Sidney J. Harris

One of the world's leading collectors of Newfoundland stamps gives G.S.M. readers some advice on his favourite country

Most people know that Newfoundland was Britain's oldest colony and consequently her oldest dominion. This is certainly known to practically every philatelist. It is also well known that Newfoundland joined the Confederation of Canada on April 1st, 1949, and since that date has used the postage stamps of Canada. What perhaps is not so well known amongst collectors in general is the vast interest to be obtained in collecting the stamps of this particular country.

Many people may be fearful of starting a Newfoundland collection when they look at the beginning of the Gibbons Catalogue and see the prices required for the very rare scarlet vermilion and orange-vermilion issues of 1857 and 1860 . Fortunately for collectors in general, however, the rose lake issues of 1861 to 1862 provide us with the same designs, and as most of these stamps were remaindered by the Newfoundland Post Office many years ago they are still obtainable at very reasonable prices and make a very interesting study . The small attractive sheets of twenty stamps are still available, although of course the prices are not quite what they were some ten years or more ago, but they are still within reach of the average collector.

Going on to look through the catalogue there are plenty of reasonably priced commemoratives of all descriptions, the first real commemorative being printed by the American Bank Note Company in 1897 and issued as the famous " Cabot " issue which goes from the 1 cent green with the head of Queen Victoria, to the 60 cents black depicting a portrait of Henry VII. Continuing in the catalogue we have the portrait issue of 1897 to 1918, followed by numerous commemorative issues including the 1911 Coronation issue with pictures of all the Royal Family. The issue of 1932 is particularly mentioned as it contains the first portrait of our present Queen Elizabeth II when she was Princess, now a very well-known stamp: the 6 cents light blue, S.G. 214. The next set is the very attractive Humphrey Gilbert issue of 1933, followed by the long Coronation set of 1937, both printed by Messrs. Perkins Bacon & Co. and both containing many intriguing varieties.

In the country as a whole there are very few difficult overprints and the lack of a multitude of these makes this country even more interesting to collectors who are afraid of the difficulties of over printed stamps.

There are many perforation varieties in practically all the issues and many imperforates and imperf. between varieties which are today of outstanding interest. The emission of so many commemorative sets caused a great deal of adverse comment in philatelic circles at the time when the stamps were produced, but it can be said that today it has greatly added to the interest in collecting these fine issues which can still be obtained at very reasonable prices.

To those philatelists looking for research there is much to be done, particularly amongst the cheaper stamps. I refer to the one example, the 2 cent green with the head or King George V ( S.G 223) which was printed in two dies and is annotated in the catalogue as such . The used stamp is still only catalogued at 3d. and in mint state at 9d. The investigation of this particular stamp can be very rewarding, and there are many more of similar stature in various commemoratives and other issues of this country.

The earlier stamps and first cent issues contain a variety of unusual postmarks. There is one particular postmark of the capital, St.Johns, which is an oval strike containing the figures 235. As this cancel was in used from approximately 1865 to 1895 a great many used stamps exist with this particular form of cancel. There are not very many so-called " fancy cancels " but it is interesting to try and find these various cancellations with their attractive-sounding names on covers.

Then we come, of course, to the famous Trans-Atlantic airmails, all with their first flights which commenced round about 1919. A great many of these will be outside the scope of the average collector, but do not let this deter you, as Newfoundland became a base for first flights of all kinds and these are still available and form a most interesting study.

Then there are most attractive sets of permanent issues, the first being printed by the American Bank Note Co. of New York in 1866. The later issues were practically all printed by Perkins Bacon & Co., although De La Rue printed the 1911 Coronation issue and the issue of the small stamps in 1923, S.G.149, etc., and the permanent issue of 1928,S.G. 164, etc. There is an interesting study to be made here on t he later issue when Perkins Bacon took over from De La Rue and produced the same stamp from different dies in 1929 - 31, S .G . 180, etc.

There are, of course, no stamps issued by Newfoundland in 1949 when the Dominion joined Canada, but the catalogue contain 294 S.G . numbers without taking into account varieties, " a " numbers, etc., so there are plenty of stamps to interest everybody. There is still much research to be done on the cheaper stamps as well as the more expensive ones outside the reach of most people's pockets, and although Newfoundland is a popular country with a lot of collectors, if its general interest could be tackled by more collectors we would have more and more information which would add to the joys of philately.