Miscellaneous — LPS Forum

LPS in the e-mail newsletter of the British Library

MartinGiles — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 15:10:24 +0000

Early last year (2024), the British Library asked a tame freelance writer to call me to interview me over the ‘phone; their purpose was to prepare a brief profile for inclusion in their Knowledge Matters blog. The idea was that I am an example of a user of the Library who utilises a broad range of their materials, although in the profile they left out all the science bits, the music, and a lot besides. Not unreasonably. The British Library is the literary arm of the British Museum.

Nothing much happened next: the Library had suffered a disastrous ransomware cyberattack and has had far more important things to rebuild. But last week, the Library’s e-mail newsletter The Library in 2025 came out, featuring me as its second item (after a plug for their current exhibitions) with a link to the blog.

In a photoshoot, they caught me holding stamp design artwork by Roger Vigurs (in the Library’s collection) for Liberia’s 1984 31¢ pygmy hippo, Scott #1012. (If you are brave enough to zoom in, you may also see that my shirt is subtly covered in hippos, too.)

The writer’s distillation of a long phone call into a few short points is a bit of a mixture of scatter-gun and garblehood. But you may see that the Liberian Philatelic Society (and Liberian philately) is given a prominent mention, as it was also in the e-newsletter to all of the Library’s members and subscribers. It is free publicity, anyway.

Here is a link:
https://blogs.bl.uk/living-knowledge/2025/01/pursuing-hippos-through-the-stamp-collections.html?utm_campaign=1912868_January_OneBL_20250131&utm_medium=email&utm_source=The British Library&dm_i=5JXV,14ZZ8,6XZPT,5AC1A,1

LPS prehistory: a curiosity

MartinGiles — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 10:17:36 +0000

I have just been ambling around the journal archive’s earlier years (don’t ask), and something surprised me.

In an early LPS Letter (for September 1967, #15), O. E. Lynch writes: “In my specializing in Liberia since 1933, I have yet to meet face to face another collector of same”. That is not what surprised me.

This did. He also writes: “Before 1st of new year I hope to get a complete numerical list of members from beginning of club which will be 30 years old next year, many distinguished names on that list.”

Did the LPS really start from 1938?

#C3A-C3F on the silver screen

MartinGiles — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 10:56:46 +0000

Just an amusement ...

Last night, I saw Howard Hawks' 1939 film "Only Angels Have Wings" (starring inter alia Cary Grant, Jean Arthur and Rita Hayworth), about pilots flying a mail service over the mountains from a coastal town in Colombia. They face dangers if they have to fly their single-engined Fokkers over a pass in bad weather, but they hope, when they take delivery of a Ford Tri-Motor aircraft, that they will be able to fly above the mountain range entirely. We get to see (inside and out) the 'plane that was featured on #C3A-C3F.

Terminology guidance, please: gutter pairs

MartinGiles — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 20:38:31 +0000

Can anybody help me, please, with the right word to specify a gutter pair?

If the pair is horizontal, which means that the gutter itself will run in the vertical direction (a gutter pair like this: ■□■) … should I call that a “horizontal gutter pair” or a “vertical gutter pair”?

Conversely, where the pair is vertical, but the gutter will therefore run horizontally) …
■
□
■
… ?

Or is there some other language used for this?

Thanks.

"Finder" is AWESOME

MartinGiles — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 16:59:35 +0000

Just in case nobody else was going to say it right away ...

Manfred's site has been super-useful, and this is a really handy new tool to get into it.

Many thanks.

Liberian Philatelic Society Journals-94 Diff Issues-July 1978 to April 2016-For Sale

Albert — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 14:52:14 +0000

Liberian Philatelic Society Journals-94 Diff Issues-July 1978 to April 2016-Not a complete run-A few issues are missing-But there is still 94 copies-Hard to find these days-If you brought these from LPS they would cost you many dollars-USA sales and shipping only-No shipping outside the USA-Thanks for looking...The shipping with the box is 11 lbs...Will ship USPS Media Mail...Asking $25.00 shipped...Just send me a check to

Albert Little
1196 TL Townsend Dr
Apt 130
Rockwall, Tx 75087

email is.....red99cam@sbcglobal.net

Monrovia Merchant Ship

seredag — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 12:47:33 +0000

Not philatelic, but definitely Libera related. Our cruise ship was recently docked in Toulon on the French Riviera. Docked next to us was the Monrovian merchant ship "Expedition". This was interesting in itself, but I soon noticed that, in addition to its own colors, it was flying a Ukrainian flag. Sorry if I offend anyone politically, but wouldn't it be great if ALL ships hoisted the Ukrainian colors?

Help, please - "Liberia, the West African Republic"

MartinGiles — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 09:29:56 +0000

Does anybody have a copy of (or access to) the little book "Liberia, the West African Republic"? It is by Richard A. Henries (the long-time Speaker of the Liberian House of Representatives, as seen on Scott #614-5) and his wife A. Doris Bank Henries, and was published at various stages by Frederick Bruns, Herman Jaffe, and Macmillan?

I would like a chance to take a (virtual) peak at the illustrations.

KeithMcD — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 15:09:40 +0000

Excellent article on liberia hippo stamps👍

Palo Albums

Mlester — Sun, 23 May 2021 19:18:46 +0000

My collection is not in the best condition from being hauled all over the US and other sins of stamp collecting. Thinking of upgrading what I have.
Has anyone delt with the Palo Albums and the option of having mounts being attached and the opportunity to expand pages and sections.

Thanks,
Mike

My Liberian home 1968-1970

Mlester — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 16:24:50 +0000

While in the Peace Corps I was stationed in Cavalla, Liberia. Was the only PCV there and this was my home for the first year. Except for the Green Mamba that paid me a visit in my bedroom, this was a great home. Just to the right was the graveyard of many of the first missionaries that came to Cavalla.
Mike

15 year hiatus

Mlester — Fri, 07 Dec 2018 22:54:47 +0000

After 15 years, pulled down all my stamp collecting stuff and now trying to make some sense of what I have. Been buying stamps and putting them in a box....Oh My. Seems
that I have forgotten at lot in 15 years.
Have set aside some stamps and may need some help if I can't figure out what they are.
Posting this as a warning, as you may be called on to save me. LOL.
Wish me luck!

Why Liberia?

mikwizzy — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 16:19:20 +0000

Several long-time members have asked for more posts and discussion on the forum

here goes.

So why do each of us have an interest in Liberia stamps? Something I've always wondered

I mean, it's not the most obvious or well-known country for collectors (many people would find it difficult to even locate on a world atlas) and I'm not sure it's well-known in philatelic circles. And yet each of us has decided to focus on this country

In my case it's partly personal. I worked in Liberia for a few years in the early 1970s so got to know the country and some of its people and history.

When I came back to the UK I got interested again in collecting and decided to focus on the early Liberia stamps (from 1860 up to the year I left Liberia in 1973). 30 years later here I still am!

What about everyone else?

LPS is alive again!

mikwizzy — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 11:16:42 +0000

Just received my copy of the Jan-Mar 2018 LPS Journal (Liberian Philatelic Society)

Many thanks to Manfred and Travis for helping this start up again and let's hope for a long life!

Check it out at www.liberiastamps.org

Forum Upgrade

Travis — Sun, 14 Jan 2018 13:57:58 +0000

Manfred is working on upgrading the forum software and as part of a test, I am posting this message. Please let him know if you notice anything that isn't working.

Travis

Scott Specialized catalogue

mikwizzy — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 11:37:11 +0000

like many others I tend to use teh Scott catalogue for my Liberia items

I understand that there's also a Scott Specialized Catalogue available

Does anyone know how much more detail it provides on the Liberia issues?

Offline on August 30

Manfred — Sun, 14 Aug 2016 08:11:22 +0000

I just realized that there is no category in this forum for announcements and other stuff, so I quickly created this one.

Beginning at 8 p.m. CET of August 30, my web hoster will be moving the servers to a new facility. I mean that literally, the servers will be transported on the road from one place to another. It is planned to get everything done within 24 hours, but of course this website will be offline for a couple of hours during that time. So, don't be alarmed when that happens, all is well...

Bela Szekula price list

Albert — Wed, 04 May 2016 14:28:03 +0000

I'm looking for any info on Bela Szekula or Bela Sekula or Eugen Sekula. I'm trying to find a price list on Liberian stamps that they had for sale. Can anyone help ? Thanks…Albert

posting a scan

mikwizzy — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 16:27:09 +0000

anyone know if I can paste a scan of a stamp into a Discussion for people to see?

Changes in the 2015 Scott catalog

Manfred — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 16:55:14 +0000

Although I try staying up-to-date with new editions of the two major catalogs Scott and Michel, I do not regularly check their price listings for changes. This time, however, the rise of #62a from $1250 to $1500 sparked my interest in what else might have happened. In short, regarding the prices: not much. A few stamp evaluations underwent minor adjustments, but all in all, prices remained stable. The table below contains all price changes between the 2014 and 2015 edition of Scott's catalog I was able to spot. Except for #73 only prices for mint stamps changed.

Scott#    2014    2015 price/$ stamp
   2      22.5      25 1860 12c blue
30      12        15 1885 16c yellow
30a     15        30 ditto, imperf. pair
31      29        35 1885 32c deep blue
31a     30        50 ditto, imperf. pair
57       2.5       3 1897 2c bister hippo
58       2         6 1900 2c orange red hippo
59       2.5       3 1905 2c rose hippo
60       2.5       3 1897 5c lake elephant
60a      2.5       3 1897 5c lilac rose elephant
61       5         6 1900 5c gray blue elephant
62       3.5       4.25 1905 5c ultra elephant
62a   1250      1500 ditto, inverted center
63       3.25      4 1897 50c red brown
64a     11        20 1897 3c INLAND ten pearls
73     500/300   550/350 1901 “ORDINARY” on 16c lilac “OS”
101b     11        13.5 1906 1c imperf. pair
102b      4.5       5.5 1906 2c imperf. pair
106a     17        20 1906 20c imperf. pair
107b     45        50 1906 25c imperf. pair
109a     17        20 1906 50c imperf. pair
110a     17        20 1906 75c imperf. pair
113a     22.5      27 1906 $5 imperf. pair
J2a     32.5      40 1892 6c on 6c postage due imperf. pair
O155a      7.25     15 1926 2c on 1c fancy red ovpt. “Gents”
O155c      9.5      15 1926 2c on 1c fancy black ovpt. “Gents”

More remarkable than the few and for the most part modest price changes are some improvements concerning the general presentation of Liberian stamps. Scott was finally able to replace the images of #215, #221, O116 and O141. As opposed to previous editions the photos now show mint stamps! The picture of #223 was also exchanged for one showing #223a on brownish paper, probably to match the price listing. They need to have a word with the Photoshop department, though – the new images are too dark. Scott also added several pictures of stamps not shown until now: the “1921” overprinted #208 and F28, the 1936 surcharges #248, #250 and #259, the first air mails C2 and C3, the WWI provisionals O91 and O96, the WWII provisional C49, and the 1893 “FIVE CENTS” overprint O13d with straight flags. Unfortunately, this last one received an erroneous legend claiming that the stamp shown is the variety “With Short Flag”. Nevertheless, it looks like the Liberian stamp listing actually underwent some kind of revision. Does this reflect an increased awareness of Liberian stamps?

Anything new ?

Albert — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 15:48:13 +0000

If anyone has a new stamp find or a question on any Liberian stamp please post it. Thanks Albert

Book recommendation

Manfred — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 06:09:20 +0000

I just finished reading Johann Büttikofer's "Travel Sketches from Liberia"
- originally published in 1890 and until recently only available in
German - and I am so impressed that I can't help but spread the word. If
you are interested in 19th century Liberia and want to get a better
understanding of the country, I highly recommend getting a copy of this
book. I know it's expensive, but it is worth it and truly deserves the
label "must-read". It consists of two parts, an itinerary (that at times
reads more like a novel than an expedition report), and an in-depth
treatment of the country, the people, politics, history and natural
history. Google Books has sample chapters.

More input from Liberian collectors

Albert — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 13:42:56 +0000

We have 52 people who have joined this Great forum but only myself and Manfred have joined in with discussions. Come guys and gals let all send in something to move this forum along. This could be the right spot for all LIberian stamp collectors. Thanks…Albert

New book on Liberia

Albert — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 20:08:05 +0000

Just got a new book on Liberia. Loaded with good info on the early days of Liberia. Got my off ebay. "ANOTHER AMERICA" The Story of Liberia and the Former Salves Who Ruled It...by James Ciment. I paid $10.99 with free shipping. This book is a great look into the life of early Liberia.