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Seaford Stamp & Postcard Club
by Fran Tegg
CoLLECTiNG DEAD CouNTRiES
Seaford And District Stamp and Postcard Club remains active, readers! In March we held our AGM and Annual Competitions night, and in April we had a presentation by Hugh Bennet on Kiribati and Tuvalu, or for us old ’uns known as the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. Mention of the former name reminds me that a lot of countries have either ceased to exist, or changed their names due to political events. This means that stamps issued by the old authority become classed as from a ‘Dead’ country.
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Such events often resulted from postColonial freedom, but sometimes countries themselves proved too fragile to remain a united entity. Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia in Eastern Europe proved this, after Communism as a concept fell in Eastern Europe. Elsewhere in Africa, frequent border and administration changes caused countries to form and disappear, particularly in the French colonies. The end of UK, Belgian, Spanish and Portuguese influence saw other regions created only temporarily, sometimes in harrowing circumstances. Who remembers Katanga, and later on Biafra?
North and South America proved more stable, but Canada and Australia were initially run and issued stamps as separate Provincial or State colonies. Australian issues did not appear until 1913, whilst Newfoundland continued to issue its own stamps until 1949! The Middle and Far East also produced a number of countries who now issue no stamps.
Our May meeting is a display by Jim Etherington of WW11 postcards. We meet on the second Wednesday of the month at the Con Club in Crouch Lane, Seaford, at 7.15pm onwards. Visitors welcome. Bob Brown, Chairman
Please call 01323 736442
Or visit www.sanderspm.com
Local independent managing agents
Sanders is a family run company with over 15 years’ experience and specialises in providing the highest standard of residential property management for landlords, residents associations and property developers. We currently work with a number of residential blocks and estates throughout Eastbourne and surrounding areas and understand the needs and requirements of the local residents.
