Problems for

Stamps

Problems for the collectors

By John Hunter

JULY marked the 20th anniversary of the first manned landing on the moon by Apollo 11. The actual date was July 20, 1969. Kiribati, Solo mon Islands and Vanuatu marked the 20th anniversary celebrations with the issue of a set of stamps.

In July, Stamp News issued a special supplement on the Pacific Islands called “Stamp News Reviews the Islands”. The

supplement gives background on each of

the main islands and lists the names and addresses of each of the islands philatelic

bureaus. The supplement draws atten tion to two of the major problems still facing the collector of Pacific countries.

The first is the problem of some agen cies issuing large number of stamps and the second is the reluctance many agen cies show in issuing information on fu ture stamp issues.

In the Federated States of Micronesia, the Postal Service inaugurated a post office branch at Fefan on April 27.

Fefan, the third largest island in the state of Truk, hosts the first postal branch in Truk, which, along with the other three states of Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap make up the Federated States of Micronesia. A special pictorial post mark cancellation was made to mark the opening of service. The top portion of

the postmark pictures crop farming

scenes while the bottom shows healthy breadfruits to commemorate the popu larity of Fefan as the best in farming.

The cancel, for the first day, carries below the circular postmark the words; “Postal Branch Opening Day”. Inside the postmark, in addition to the pictorial de signs are the words: “Fefan Branch, FM 96942”.

Further details can be obtained from: Philatelic Bureau, FSM Postal Service, Federated States of Micronesia, Pohnpei, FM 96941

Seized

Acting on this information, which was supplied by John Lagerwaard, the former managing director of Philatelic Distribu tion Corporation, the Tuvalu Government terminated its contract with PDC on March 3, 1989 and instituted proceedings in the High Court of England to obtain delivery of all Tuvalu stamps currently in the possession of PDC, LNI, Feigenbaum or Format, and produced by them, and for a permanent injunction restraining any further production.

On May 4, during the course of a hear ing before Sir Peter Pain in the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court, the de fendants consented to Final judgement for delivery of all Tuvalu stamps produced by them and an injunction restraining all further production.

Tuvalu has said that it accepts no re sponsibility for the stamps produced with out its authority by PDC and has advised collectors to treat with caution any pur ported errors of varieties in Tuvalu stamps.

All definitive and commemorative issues released from September 28, 1988 (the tenth anniversary of Independence issue) have been, and will be printed by alterna tive security printers and should be ordered direct from the Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau at the General Post Office, Funa futi. □