Paul Skinner

Head Curator, Philatelic Collections, British Library - Interested in all things philatelic - Printing, Phonopost, & Pigeon mail (to name just a few)...

[British Library @britishlibrary]

@kk_naval_94 @UkNatArchives @NDLJP_en @NDLJP We’re working hard at the moment to plan a return to our buildings and make sure it’s safe for everyone – we’ll be updating our website with more details as soon as we can. We can’t wait to welcome you back

[Paul Skinner @sentrystamps]

@defenderium Perhaps it could also have been a cancellation that Spiro originally made to put on forgeries of Austrian Newspaper stamps. He sometimes used the cancellations that he produced at random on forgeries of other countries.

[Paul Skinner @sentrystamps]

@PostedInThePast Corfe Castle, here is a view painted by local artist Marilyn Allis from the tea room - great toasted teacakes! I am on Dorset/Hants border. #NationalTrust

[Paul Skinner @sentrystamps]

@NPhilatelics Thanks, great to have the information. Do you think one set of holes on the senders computer printed the address, and another set of holes printed the message when it arrived?

[Paul Skinner @sentrystamps]

Help, can anybody tell me anything about this 1955 #Czechoslovakia item - is it a punch card used for some early form of #computer? The message translates to "Merry Christmas and wish luck in the new year", but did the punch holes play any part in the transmission of the message?

[Paul Skinner @sentrystamps]

@GaryLoew Thanks for the information Gary!

[Postimuseo @Postimuseo]

Happy #PenPalDay @PostalMuseum. We share this amazing envelope from the Continuation War in Finland (1941). In this time soldiers had time to include such a fine art. Penpals were important during war. Can you spot the address?

[Paul Skinner @sentrystamps]

@ParentsDome A disgraceful use of a primate, that will have had its teeth removed so that it does not attack anyone, and drugged to make it controllable. Shame on you!

[Paul Skinner @sentrystamps]

Stamps Missing #4
Chile 1885 5c stationery envelope sent registered and returned as acknowledgement of receipt. Top example with two stamps removed in transit (cancelled "SAN BERNARDO" over space where they used to be). Also similar cover with stamps intact.

[Paul Skinner @sentrystamps]

@PFilatelia This is from the Colombian State of Bolivar, 1863-66 1 peso - the three values of the set are generally accepted as the smallest stamps issued. My question is, is a bisect of the 10c the smallest piece of paper to frank mail? (1872 Soledad to Cartegena).

[Paul Skinner @sentrystamps]

Stamps missing - 3
Tuscany 1859 envelope that was redirected and had so many manuscript rate markings that the stamps were removed to make room for some more. Shown front and back, and mock-up of what it may have looked like when first posted.

[Paul Skinner @sentrystamps]

Alfie, my home-working helper, he is not very good at making the tea though.

[Paul Skinner @sentrystamps]

Stamps missing - 2
Here are a few more examples, clockwise: Australia circa 1960's, USA 1906 Schenectady to London via NY, USA 1989 (looks like the stamp had been stuck on with a dodgy piece of adhesive tape), and Israel 1954 to England. I feel another collection coming on...

[Paul Skinner @sentrystamps]

@stampden The stamp used to be at top left.

[Paul Skinner @sentrystamps]

Is it perverse to like covers from which the stamps have fallen off in the post, (not including crash & wreck covers)? Here is a 1914 postcard from Japan with explanatory handstamp applied in Malta.

[Paul Skinner @sentrystamps]

@BarbadosStamps Absolutely agree, I donate all my interesting home mail envelopes to BL Philatelic Collections in the hope that one day somebody will want to research them. Postal history in the making.

[Paul Skinner @sentrystamps]

@stampioo Well done @stampioo 😀!
Two 2½s. transfers where accidentally included on the 2s. printing stone [96 & 97], the figures where corrected but the inscriptions were not. Here is the stamp in all its glory, (with sheet control mark on selvedge).

[Paul Skinner @sentrystamps]

Paul's Stamp Quiz:
Where is the stamp from?
How was it printed?
The stamp has a printing variety - what is the variety?

No prizes, just kudos!

[Paul Skinner @sentrystamps]

@philatelythings @APS_stamps @AmerTopical Dino philately - love it!

[Tony Ward @NewtonHallStamp]

Launched my new Air Mai and Surface Cover website today. Still needs some work, but it is a start: https://t.co/ZVzw82tb8d