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Ridiculous to sublime
BOOK REVIEW: Stanley Gibbons GB Specialist Catalogue. Volume 1 Part 1.
I have been reading a book about stamps which is hilariously funny.
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It is not supposed to be, but you cannot help but laugh at some of the ideas in it.
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The writing ‘style’ of The Philatelist’s Companion is a cross between 1950s school textbook and what I describe as 'Philatelic Pretentious' with patronising guff pouring out from every sentence.
It would be unfair to mention the author, so wild horses will not drag the name Bill Gunston from my lips.
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Read his book and it is easy to conclude that Gunston is obsessed with money, and so to him stamps are mainly investments.
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However, if Gunston took his own advice, he would scarcely be able to afford a used stamp hinge. Just one example, writing in 1975 he advises his reader not to invest in property or land – they are bound to crash.
His philatelic knowledge is no better, pointing out that expert collectors do not need perforation gauges, or any ‘scientific devices’ as they should be able to tell the perf and everything else about a stamp just by looking at it. As Gunston says: ”. . . we can recognise a friend from among the city crowds without going up and measuring his face.”
Hard to think he was sober when coming up with that.
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Also, according to Gunston, when looking at old stamps do not bother looking for anything new, it has all been seen already. As he puts it: "It is not worth your time spending many hours going through an
unfamiliar catalogue expecting to find something new because everything is already known."
Fortunately, all those who made contributions to the latest edition of the Stanley Gibbons’ GB Queen Victoria Specialist Catalogue ignored that Gunston gem.
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Indeed, there have been so many new finds that the GB Queen Vic is now split into two parts. This first one covers just Line Engraved and Embossed issues. Part 2 is expected in a couple of years.
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The 1d Black and its red successor are the most studied stamps of all time, so it is not surprising that most of the book is taken up with them; the reds responsible for over a third of it. The research is impressive, some of it done by our own Graham Stockdale, but it is scholarship with a human face.
Gradually going is Gibbons' school-masterly tone of writing, being replaced with something more readable. The Historical Introduction used to start with:
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“The origins of the Royal Mail can be traced back the medieval period
when messengers from the, often peripatetic, Royal Court carried the
sovereign’s commands to his representatives throughout the realm.”
Now it says:
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“Although it was only in 1635 that King Charles I officially opened
his royal posts to the public, there were earlier systems in
existence to carry the mails.”
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You can almost taste the chalk dust when reading the first piece, possibly written by someone who had mislaid his monocle. The second is a story being told by a friendly expert with a clear vision for clarity, in this case Douglas Muir.
The legibility is not only with the text but extends to new pictures, tables, and charts. The illustrations – now in colour – of plate repairs and the corner letters involved mean that plating is much more straightforward.
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If you lean slightly towards Gunston’s view that stamps are only for profit, there are plenty of ‘ordinary’ cheap 1d red imperfs out there, waiting to be discovered for the gems
they really are. Get this catalogue and you may well find some. Despite the enhancements in this new edition, there are still new things to find. There are sections which have been transformed and completely re-written but are still not complete.
There are already hints as to where future editions are going to be heading. The latest work has detailed analysis of 1d Red plates from 45 to 91, this will, presumably, be extended further. Similarly, the work on embossed envelopes.
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Even if you do not collect GB Queen Victoria this is a handy volume to have to hand. Think of all the 1d red imperfs you see in the club's books. How about taking a minute to see if they come from one of the rare plates? What was a stamp costing 10p can suddenly be worth hundreds of pounds if you know what you are looking for - and if you do really get into it there is a chance your name will be on the list of contributors in the next edition.
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Chris Forwood
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Great Britain Specialist Stamp Catalogue, Volume 1 Part 1 is published by Stanley Gibbons. Price £54.95. You can order your copy by clicking here:
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Specialised Stamp Catalogue Queen Victoria 1st Edition Part 1: Stanley Gibbons