One of the fun sides to buying the occasional mixed bag of stamps is that you'll inevitably find the odd rarity that pays back your minimal investment. For example, I was delighted to come across this George VI £1 brown (SG 478b). First issued on 1 October 1948 this stamp is actually harder to find in good used condition than mint! It was the final stamp in the "Royal Arms" set of six which comprised the 2s 6d brown, 5s red and 10s dark blue issued in 1939, and the 2s 6d yellow-green and 10s ultramarine, which were both issued in 1942.
Here's an interesting curiosity...A very nice strip of three London Post c.1839 13p GB commemorative stamps on an envelope above another strip of three Policeman on the Beat 10p GB stamps. What makes this unusual, however, is that I received this envelope in the post the other day – in fact if you look carefully you'll see a post mark dated 10 September 2007 - whilst the commemorative stamps were issued in 1979! As it happens, this is no accident – the envelope contained other stamps purchased on eBay. One of the fun things about buying stamps from dealers on eBay is that on some occasions you get more than you bargained for!
The London Post stamp (SG Cat. 1097) was part of the four stamp set produced for the Centenary of the Death of Sir Rowland Hill (22 August – 24 October, 1979), whereas the Policeman on the Beat (SG Cat.1100) was issued on 26 September, 1979 along with three other stamps celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Metropolitan Police.
The London Post Stamp also appeared in the 1980 Miniature Sheet issued at the London 1980 Stamp Exhibition.
This 1974 set of Cuban Postage Stamps featured five notable examples of extinct bird species - namely the Dodo (1c), Macaw (3c), Passenger Pigeon (8c), Moa (10c) and Great Auk (13c).
The Dodo - This meter-high flightless bird was found on Mauritius. It is one of the world's most infamous examples of how man's impact on the natural habitat of a species can rapidly drive it to the point of extinction. The last specimen was killed in 1681, only 80 years after the arrival of Dutch settlers on the island.
Cuban Red Macaw - This small species of parrot was native to Cuba and the Isla de la Juventud. Unconfirmed records note the continued existence of the birds until 1885.
Passenger Pigeon - The passenger pigeon was once probably the most common bird in the world, with single flocks numbering up to several billion birds. However, it was hunted close to extinction for food and sport in the late 19th century and the last living example died at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914.
Moa - This giant flightless and wingless bird was native to New Zealand. Although some cryptozoologists claim the moa still exists it is thought to have become extinct in around 1500.
Great Auk - This flightless bird used its wings to swim underwater. The only species in the genus Pinguinus to have survived into modern times, the great auk was hunted extensively for both food and eggs, as well as down, with the last example of the great auk seen in the British Isles in July, 1840.
This 5 yen Japanese Mandarin duck (or in Japanese oshidori) postage stamp was in use from 1952 - 1968. By no means rare - it sells by the bag-full on eBay - I've always found this little postage stamp extremely attractive.
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Rebellion led by the Tay Son Brothers in 1771.
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