Titanic MS from Canada

Date of Issue: April 05, 2012

Many thanks to my friend, Emilia Moon-De Kemp from Canada for sending me this fabulous looking miniature sheet featuring the RMS Titanic issued to commemorate the 100 years of the sinking of the ship. The envelope was posted on same day of stamp issue.

The Souvenir Sheet features the international rate stamp, which shows a full color side illustration of the Titanic, sailing on a calm ocean. Titanic was almost 280 meters (883 feet) in length and, at the time, it was the largest passenger steamship in the world.

Marked on the map behind the ship are Southampton (England), Cape Race (Newfoundland) and Halifax (Nova Scotia)—all prominent locations in Titanic’s story.

Southampton is where the Titanic started her much-anticipated maiden voyage on April 10, 1912. There were more than 2,220 people on board.

It was from Cape Race that a team working at the Canadian Marconi company’s wireless station heard Titanic’s early distress call. It came through late in the evening on April 14, 1912.

Halifax (Nova Scotia, Canada) became the centre of the recovery efforts after the tragic sinking on April 15, 1912. The people of Halifax, faced with a grim duty, stepped up and dealt with the aftermath in a respectful and dignified way.

Near the base of the stamp appears the House Flag of the White Star Line (Titanic’s owners). This red flag—with its white five-pointed star and v-shaped tail—was flown from the top of Titanic’s main mast.

Text Source: Canada Post

Postcard from U.S.A. - USS Doyle (FFG-39)

Many thanks to postcrosser from U.S.A., Dan (airships) for this card, showing USS Doyle - (FFG-39) - the 30th ship to be constructed in the Oliver Hazard Perry-class of guided missile frigates of the United States Navy. The Doyle was named after Vice Admiral James Henry Doyle (1897-1982) Vice Admiral Doyle was most known for his contributions during the Korean War as Commander Amphibious Group One.

The USS Doyle was decommissioned at Naval Station Mayport on July 29th, 2011 after completing 27 years of service.

Text Source: Wikipedia

Bluenose Schooner

Date of Issue: 1928-29
Scott #: 158, SG #: 284

I am very happy to own this perfectly centered MNH 50c stamp of Bluenose schooner, as it was my longtime dream to have it in my collection and this became true when I made a bid at the Sandafayre auction house, February 14, 2012.

This stamp is widely cited among philatelists to be the most popular stamp design from Canada, depicting the fishing schooner 'Bluenose' is certainly a very attractive stamp deserving of praise, not only for it's design but also for it's superb engraving.

A celebrated racing ship and hard-working fishing vessel, Bluenose became a provincial icon for Nova Scotia as well as important Canadian symbol in the 1930s. The name "bluenose" originated as a nickname for Nova Scotians from as early as the late 18th century.

The subject of the stamp was built in 1921 as Nova Scotia's challenger for the "International Trophy", a working boats' version of the prestigious 'America's Cup', she won on her first attempt in 1921. The boat then maintained an unbeaten run for the next 17 years including the last event, held in 1938.

In 1942 she was sold to a freight carrier and taken to work in the West Indies where in 1946 she foundered on a reef near Haiti and broke up. This iconic boat was honoured by being placed in the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1955 and in 1983 a full scale replica, 'Bluenose II', was built and is now used as Nova Scotia's sailing ambassador.

Schooner: A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts.

Such vessels were first used by the Dutch in the 16th or 17th century (but may not have been called that at the time). The development of the schooner is connected with that of the Bermuda sloop. In Bermuda, countless vessels of otherwise identical description were built with between one and three masts, carrying Gaff or Bermuda rig. Although Bermudians generally describe all as sloops, purists elsewhere limit that term to single-masted vessels, those with more than one mast being historically described as Ballyhoo schooners. Schooners were further developed in North America from the early 18th century, and were more widely used in the United States than in any other country.

Two-masted schooners were and are most common. They were popular in trades that required speed and windward ability, such as slaving, privateering, and blockade running. They were also traditional fishing boats, used for offshore fishing. They were favoured as pilot vessels, both in the United States and in Northern Europe. In the Chesapeake Bay area several distinctive schooner types evolved, including the Baltimore clipper and the pungy.

Click here to read more about the Bluenose.

Source: Sandafayre auctions newsletter and Wikipedia

Gibraltar 2012 Centenary of RMS Titanic

Date of Issue: January 30, 2012

The 2012 marks 100 years of the Titanic disaster and many countries around the world issued stamps, miniature sheets, stamp sheets, FDC, and other memorabilia.

Gibraltar issued a set of five stamps as shown above. The reverse side of the presentation pack comes with the technical information of the stamps as well as a brief note about RMS Titanic.

Canal Zone 1965 Prepaid Postcard

Issue Date: August 12, 1965

Prepaid postcard of 4c showing a ship being towed by a tug locomotive at the Panama Canal Lock.

The Panama Canal Locks, which lift ships up 25.9 m (85 ft) to the main elevation of the Panama Canal, were one of the greatest engineering works ever to be undertaken at the time. The total length of the lock structures, including the approach walls, is over 3 Kilometers (nearly two miles).

The locks, which have a total of six steps, limit the maximum size of ships which can transit the canal, known as Panamax. Each of these steps has two lock chambers, doubling the amount of traffic that can be handled; together they raise ships from sea level to a height of 25.9 m (85 ft)

Text Source: Wikipedia

Canal Zone 1964 Prepaid Postcard

Issue Date: December 1964

Prepaid postcard of 4c showing a cargo ship passing through the Panama Canal.

First Day of Issue postmark at Cristobal - is a port in the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal. It is located on the western edge of Manzanillo Island and is part of the Panamanian city and province of Colón. Cristóbal Colón is the Spanish translation for Christopher Columbus, an explorer from Italy for whom these places were named.

Text Source: Wikipedia