Post by tony on Apr 3, 2014 2:05:13 GMT -5
Greetings Fellow SB Boarders
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Here is a Spanish stamp for my recommended Stamp of the Day, not because it is pretty (it is not) and not because it carries a hefty CV (it is the minimum), but because it had me scratching my noggin for awhile for two reasons. First, I had a hard time finding it in a Scott Catalogue. And second of all, what the heck is going on?
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SPAIN -- SCOTT RA33
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As many of you may recall, Spain has issued hundreds of different charity stamps, some by various local organizations, provinces, and cities -- especially during their civil wars. Surprisingly, the earlier Spanish issues of semi-postal (charity) stamps have a single denomination. A lot of those semi-postal stamps were established for funds to help those suffering from tuberculosis. The depiction of the Lorraine Cross (as shown on this stamp) make those semi-postals easy to recognize. Thus, that is were I was pretty sure where I would find it listed. Well, this single denomination stamp displaying the Lorraine Cross is not found in the "Semi-Postal" section in the Scott Catalogue. Thus, I was scratching my noggin. I was beginning to think that maybe it was going to be one of those off-the-wall local propaganda or charity labels not found in the Scott Catalogue. Also, the scene shown on the stamp absolutely (other than the Lorraine Cross) does not give any idea at all about what is suppose to be the reason for it's issue.
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Since you can plainly see that I labeled the stamp with a Scott prefix letters of "RA" I did find the listing of this stamp in the Postal Tax area of the Scott Catalogue. And, the purpose of the tax was to fund the fight of tuberculosis. So, this part of my head scratching was solved.
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Spain issued three photogravure stamps (Scott RA32, RA33 and RAC12) on 1 October 1951. The stamps are perforated 12-1/2 and printed on unwatermarked paper. The designs for the semi-postal stamps (RA32 & 33) are both the same as shown above. The five-centimos denomination stamp is rose brown in color. The ten-centimos is listed as dull green. The third stamp is a brown 25-centavos stamp and is classified by the Scott Catalogue as a Postal Tax Air Post. All three stamps have the carmine Lorraine Cross, which by the way, is engraved. The design on the postal tax air post differs from the first two; it shows a woman holding a small nakid child partially wrapped in a towel and with what looks like ocean behind them. Scott calls this scene "Mother and Child."
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Now, for the other, and more perplexing, noodle work. What is happening on this stamp?
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Here is what I see depicted on this stamp. I see two little critters crouched on their knees, of which one and maybe both are as naked as jay birds. The bare-butted child in the front has his hands buried in what appears to be mud. The other kid seems to be crawling out of agitated water (a rushing river?) and taking a bite out of the first little guy's ribs. A third bigger figure, wearing a hat and a robe, is looming over the two little ones, even though it looks like this person is missing legs below the knees. This person's left hand is clinched by his/her hip and the right is lifted alongside his/her head and gives the appearance of about smacking the first little kid.
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This is what Scott sez about the design: "Children at Seashore"
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WHAT??!! Okay, okay. I can almost see that now, especially with the enlarged scanned image. (Well, for the most part I see it -- but if Scott said it is "Angry Handicapped Overseer Making Sure Nakid Kiddies Slave Away Making Adobe Bricks" I would believe it more so.) But this begs to ask, how does this stamp (excluding the Lorraine Cross) promote the funding to fight tuberculosis?
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Yup, some stamps make you want to say "wow."
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Respectfully,
Gordon Lee
Very interesting piece.
My SG Catalogue is more or less the same Anti-Tuberculosis Fund Children on Beach for 5c and 10c and Nurse and child for the 25c Air
This may not be the right place to ask this question, but here goes, this and lots of other stamps are regular postal stamps with a premium for a charity so why are the called semi-postal.
And listed seperatly from other stamps, Stiener Pages for some countrys eg Germany and the Netherlands are like two collections and will even divide a set of stamps.
I do not know of any other catalogue which lists stamps this way.
Hope this does not upset anyone I would just like some help to understand this.
Mods if this should be somewhere else feel free to move it.
they are listed as you say Children on beach