Air Hole flaw This is a term applied to an uncoloured area, which is usually circular, which appears accidentally on a coloured area of the stamp. It is caused by a bubble of air entering the plate during the stereotyping process. When the plate cools, the bubble bursts and this causes a slight depression in the raised surface of the plate. This depression results in an uninked area when the plate is used for the printing of the stamps. Air letter sheets See Aerogrammes Airgraphs These were special letter forms used by Great Britain during World War 2 for forces mail from overseas locations.To save space letters were written on special forms and microfilmed. The microfilm was then flown to or from Britain, processed and photocopies made of the original transcription. These photocopies were then placed inside window envelopes and delivered in the normal way. Airgraphs stopped at the end of the war.There was an historic parallel in this idea with events that had happened in Paris 70 years earlier.During the siege of Paris in the Franco-Prussian war, (1870 - 1871), messages were sent from the city by balloon. To save space on the balloon, letter were reduced photographicially, and the primitive microfilm was sent instead of the originals. At BBorbeaux, the headquarters of the then French goverment, the films were mounted onto glass slides and projected onto screens. From here clerks copied these messages and they were then posted in the normal manner.Airgraphs from Paris being projected onto a sceen and copied out ready for delivery.The situation with airgraphs was designed to save space and weight on the aircraft which were carrying the mail. Towards the end of the war air letter sheets were used for the same weight saving reasons. These sheets were preinted on special thin light weight paper and were charged at a reduced rate. As well as those introduced by Britain, the United States also used air letter sheets for mail being sent to prisioners of war who were held in occupied countries. This mail was carried at the reduced rate of 6 cents. Airport dedication cachets These are marks designed to publicise the opening of new airports in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s. These were applied to envelopes but did not cover the postage fees.Early American airmail pilots flew single seater biplanes with open cockpits and no radio and the airfields were usually just pastures which were often ankle deep in mud.American mail was first carried by plane o the 15 May 1918 when the start of the regular airmail service was witnessed by President Woodrow Wilson.Real developments began to happen when the Kelly act of 1925 alowed private contractors to develop internal airmail services. Spreading outwards from Washington and New York, the contractors quickly established airports in Chicago, Cleveland, Omaha, Iowa City and San Francisco.In 1926 Lester D Gardner, the editor of Aviation Magazine, started a commercial air network using obsolete DH-4 planes. At this time there was no air traffic control and no saftey regulations.By July 1927 there were 16 operators, including Edward Hubbard's service between Seattle and Victoria on Vancouver Island, makeing the (at the time) dangourous sea crossing to catch the outgoing steamers and bring back mail from the Orient.At this stage 1,000 airports were in operation with 1,200 more under construction. 6,400 were making regular flights covering a total of 25 million miles a year. Aitutaki This is a Pacific atoll that is five miles long and forms part of the Cook islands group. It is situated 3,000 east of Australia.Cook Island stamps were first issued there in 1892. After using New Zealand stamps which were overprinted the atoll adopted Cook Islands stamp issues. Ajl (Ajanlas) This is an overprint used for registered mail in Hungary. It was applied to adjust the value of the stamps during the severe inflation period of 1945 - 1946. Ajanlas is the Magyer for Registered.When Hungary's currency collapsed at the end of World War 2, a number of stamps were overprinted in higher values. However the value of the Pengo declined so rapidly that these stamps became worthless before they had even been issued.Three stamps were overprinted for registered mail. The first two had the overprint AJL. 1 or AJL. 2 and were released on the 14 January and the 1 February 1946.A third stamp was released on the 1 May 1946 and had the word AJANLAS overprinted on the obsolete 24 filler stamp. Ajman This is a small desert skeikdom and the smallest of the Truscial states in the Persian gulf.Stamps were seen as a quick way to increase revenue and the first issue was produced in June 1964.According to the goverment, the first series which comprised of nine stamps, were issued to replace 'the overprinted British stamps that had previously been used in this area'. However there were no stamps with an Ajman overprint and the state did not even have a Post Office until 1964. Even when the first Post Office was opened the address of the Shiekdom was given as care of the British Postal agencies in Bahrain.The first series which ranged in value from 1 to 30 naye paise, (as Indian currency was then in use), showed the fauna of the country with an inset picture of Shiek Rashid bin Homaid Al-Naimi. Six additional values in a similar design but with the stamps in a larger format were issued on the 7 September 1964. These had values from 40 naye paise to 2 rupees. The 3, 5 and 10 rupee values were added to the set on the 4 November that year. Akahi Keneta This is an inscription found on Hawaiian stamps meaning one cent. Akassa This is a Nigerian town which had from 1888 to 1889 a postal agency of the Royal Niger Company. It used British stamps and these can be identified by the cancellation.The earliest cancellations were double lined oval datestamps and the first type had the wording ROYAL NIGER COMPANY CHARTERED & LIMITED between the ovals at the top and AKASSA between the ovals at the base. The date was in a single line across the centre. On the very early types, tiny maltese cros type ornaments flanked the agencies name. In 1895 a similar handstamp was introduced without the crosses.The second type of cancellation, which was also oval, bore the inscription THE NIGER TERRITORIES at the top and AKASSA at the base. The two words POST and OFFICE were added in the centre, one above and the other below the date. Akhtyrka This is a town in the Kharkov district of Russia. It is situated on the railway line between Khakov and Kiev.In 1872 a 5 kopeck stamp was issued for rural postage in green. Later the colour was changed to blue, then in 1883 it reverted back to green again. Alaouites (Latakia) This is French for the Alawi Moslems, (Alawites), who live in the extreame west of Syria. This area came under French control in the 1920s. The ALAOUITES overprint appeared on stamps for five years between 1925 and 1930. It appeared simulataneously on both French and Syrian stamps, which added to confusion at the time when collectors thought that it was a place name.Examples of the ALAOUITES overprint applied to Syrian stamps.The overprint is applied in both French and Arabic for use in this territory.In 1930 the territory was renamed Latakia after the principle town and in 1931 the Alaouites overprint was replaced with Lattaquie. (This was the new name in French). Alaska This is the largest state of the United States of America covering over half a million square miles.Although no distintive stamps have been issued for this area, there are a number of souviner covers markingscientific research in the artic area. Some of these also bear russian stamps with Alaskan postmarks which illustrate the origins of te state.Alaska was sold to the United States by Russia on the 28 December 1866 for $7,200,000. Alatyir This is a town i the Simbirsk district of Russia. It is at the junction of the Alayir and Sura rivers.Two stamps were issued here in 1867 for rural postage. They were in 1 and 2 kopeck denominations and were both printed in black.Only three examples of the 1 kopeck value are known.
To save space letters were written on special forms and microfilmed. The microfilm was then flown to or from Britain, processed and photocopies made of the original transcription. These photocopies were then placed inside window envelopes and delivered in the normal way. Airgraphs stopped at the end of the war.
There was an historic parallel in this idea with events that had happened in Paris 70 years earlier.
During the siege of Paris in the Franco-Prussian war, (1870 - 1871), messages were sent from the city by balloon. To save space on the balloon, letter were reduced photographicially, and the primitive microfilm was sent instead of the originals. At BBorbeaux, the headquarters of the then French goverment, the films were mounted onto glass slides and projected onto screens. From here clerks copied these messages and they were then posted in the normal manner.
Airgraphs from Paris being projected onto a sceen and copied out ready for delivery.
The situation with airgraphs was designed to save space and weight on the aircraft which were carrying the mail. Towards the end of the war air letter sheets were used for the same weight saving reasons. These sheets were preinted on special thin light weight paper and were charged at a reduced rate. As well as those introduced by Britain, the United States also used air letter sheets for mail being sent to prisioners of war who were held in occupied countries. This mail was carried at the reduced rate of 6 cents.
Early American airmail pilots flew single seater biplanes with open cockpits and no radio and the airfields were usually just pastures which were often ankle deep in mud.
American mail was first carried by plane o the 15 May 1918 when the start of the regular airmail service was witnessed by President Woodrow Wilson.
Real developments began to happen when the Kelly act of 1925 alowed private contractors to develop internal airmail services. Spreading outwards from Washington and New York, the contractors quickly established airports in Chicago, Cleveland, Omaha, Iowa City and San Francisco.
In 1926 Lester D Gardner, the editor of Aviation Magazine, started a commercial air network using obsolete DH-4 planes. At this time there was no air traffic control and no saftey regulations.By July 1927 there were 16 operators, including Edward Hubbard's service between Seattle and Victoria on Vancouver Island, makeing the (at the time) dangourous sea crossing to catch the outgoing steamers and bring back mail from the Orient.
At this stage 1,000 airports were in operation with 1,200 more under construction. 6,400 were making regular flights covering a total of 25 million miles a year.
Cook Island stamps were first issued there in 1892. After using New Zealand stamps which were overprinted the atoll adopted Cook Islands stamp issues.
When Hungary's currency collapsed at the end of World War 2, a number of stamps were overprinted in higher values. However the value of the Pengo declined so rapidly that these stamps became worthless before they had even been issued.
Three stamps were overprinted for registered mail. The first two had the overprint AJL. 1 or AJL. 2 and were released on the 14 January and the 1 February 1946.
A third stamp was released on the 1 May 1946 and had the word AJANLAS overprinted on the obsolete 24 filler stamp.
Stamps were seen as a quick way to increase revenue and the first issue was produced in June 1964.
According to the goverment, the first series which comprised of nine stamps, were issued to replace 'the overprinted British stamps that had previously been used in this area'. However there were no stamps with an Ajman overprint and the state did not even have a Post Office until 1964. Even when the first Post Office was opened the address of the Shiekdom was given as care of the British Postal agencies in Bahrain.
The first series which ranged in value from 1 to 30 naye paise, (as Indian currency was then in use), showed the fauna of the country with an inset picture of Shiek Rashid bin Homaid Al-Naimi. Six additional values in a similar design but with the stamps in a larger format were issued on the 7 September 1964. These had values from 40 naye paise to 2 rupees. The 3, 5 and 10 rupee values were added to the set on the 4 November that year.
The earliest cancellations were double lined oval datestamps and the first type had the wording ROYAL NIGER COMPANY CHARTERED & LIMITED between the ovals at the top and AKASSA between the ovals at the base. The date was in a single line across the centre. On the very early types, tiny maltese cros type ornaments flanked the agencies name. In 1895 a similar handstamp was introduced without the crosses.The second type of cancellation, which was also oval, bore the inscription THE NIGER TERRITORIES at the top and AKASSA at the base. The two words POST and OFFICE were added in the centre, one above and the other below the date.
In 1872 a 5 kopeck stamp was issued for rural postage in green. Later the colour was changed to blue, then in 1883 it reverted back to green again.
Examples of the ALAOUITES overprint applied to Syrian stamps.The overprint is applied in both French and Arabic for use in this territory.
In 1930 the territory was renamed Latakia after the principle town and in 1931 the Alaouites overprint was replaced with Lattaquie. (This was the new name in French).
Although no distintive stamps have been issued for this area, there are a number of souviner covers markingscientific research in the artic area. Some of these also bear russian stamps with Alaskan postmarks which illustrate the origins of te state.
Alaska was sold to the United States by Russia on the 28 December 1866 for $7,200,000.
Two stamps were issued here in 1867 for rural postage. They were in 1 and 2 kopeck denominations and were both printed in black.
Only three examples of the 1 kopeck value are known.
You can E-Mail Allan with any information that you feel should be included in this resource
