Philately for them is a favourite topic. They display child-like enthusiasm when they discuss it. Members of The Philatelist Coimbatore are gearing up for the 150th meeting of the association (on September 10). “We feel young,” announces Group Captain K. Kalyan Kumar. “The hobby brings out the child in each of us and the learning never stops,” he says. Other members, A.V. Sathya Narayanan, R. Rangaraj, and Jai Parameswaran, agree.
One of the main objectives of the club, active since 2003, is to get school children interested in philately. “Students observe a two-minute silence for Kargil heroes. But, how many of them know where Kargil is? This hobby opens up their minds. When they start asking questions about stamps, they learn history, geography, and more,” explains Kalyan. They can start with a theme; it could be on literature, postal history, countries, wildlife, aero philately, or any subject they are passionate about.
The upkeep of stamps is as important as collecting them. “You have to protect the stamps from humidity, harsh weather and termites. While exhibiting stamps, one has to follow symmetry and the guidelines set by the International Philatelic Federation. We have specialists and critiques in our team to guide the members,” explains Kalyan.
The club also conducts regular workshops for children. Parameswaran says at the moment the youngest members are in their 30s. “We want more school going children to join and learn. It’s a challenge as they are hooked to the mobile phones, video games and the social media,” he says.
“Parents should realise that this hobby enriches a child’s creativity,” says R. Rangaraj. In his school days he remembers getting excited about ‘Year Packs’ of stamps from an uncle in the U.S. That got him interested in stamps. Now, he owns an India collection that has all post-independent stamps issued from 1947 till now. Sathya Narayanan attributes his interest to the active philately club at his school. He has accumulated quite a collection including an exclusive one on Summer Olympics. “I started with a pack of assorted 100 stamps from Pathy Stores in Mylapore,” recalls Kalyan, whose collection focusses on Summer Olympics, winged wonders, and owls. “Along with the evolution of owls I am also studying how it came to be associated with the good and bad omens,” he says.
Parameswaran has a collection of the rise and fall of Third Reich (1933 to 1945). “It’s a tumultuous period in history, and there is so much to learn. For example, they used stamps as a propaganda tool. The stamps had images of iconic buildings, charities, Zeppelins, summer Olympics of 1936… to make a statement. I also have stamps on pioneer flights used in early Indian air mail. India was one of the first countries to carry an official air mail. The driving factor is the passion to have a complete collection on our favourite subject. And, it’s a great stress-buster,” he says.
A stamp collector merely accumulates stamps as an investment option, but a philatelist is one who does much more.“We want to upgrade the stamp collector to a philatelist,” says Kalyan. He shares a nugget about the one cent ‘Perot’ stamps from Bermuda, the first printed stamp of Bermuda by William Bennet Perot, the postmaster of Hamilton. He stamped a sheet of bluish paper with a black inscription that read ‘One penny’ and his name ‘W.B. Perot’. It was a round temporary postage stamp released on March 1, 1848. Only a few are available now which makes it highly valuable.
The 24-cent Inverted Jenny, first issued in the United States in 1918 is also a significant stamp. “It was printed at Spider Press that has a record of nil errors. But, in this stamp, the image of the Curtiss JN-4 airplane in the centre appears upside-down. The error makes this stamp one of the most prized in all philately. While 300 of the defective stamps were destroyed, 100 slipped into circulation. It was bought by an office assistant who refused to part with it. The value of this stamp today stands at eight crore rupees or more. The postal department in the U.S. plans to print 100 replicas of this stamp to honour the 100th year of the error,” says Kalyan.
The commemorative stamp on Water Birds of India issued in 1994 also became a collector’s piece because of an error. It had an endemic bird, two endangered migrants, and an extinct bird. The problem was that the ink used by the printer was water soluble and defective. “Because of the poor quality, the stamps were withdrawn. Today, on account of their rarity, it’s a prized possession. Another stamp with the image of Begum Akthar was withdrawn for the same reason making it a rare one.”
Kalyan also mentions the exclusivity of Gandhi stamps printed in 1948. “It was a set of four — one and-a-half anna, three-and-a half anna, 12 annas and Rs. 10. At that time, Rs. 10 was the parcel value for packets that were sent abroad. The stamps were printed in Switzerland and in limited numbers. A single stamp now is valued at Rs. 20 lakh!”
At the 150th meeting
The invitation card for the 150th meeting of The Philatelist Coimbatore carries the replica images of Penny Black the world’s first postage stamp, and Scinde Dawk, the first printed stamp of undivided India in 1854. There is also an image of first post-independent stamp with the Indian flag flying high
There will be a display of award-winning philatelic exhibits.
K. Ramesh Kumar’s series on Waterfalls that won gold at Tanapex (Tamil Nadu Philatley Exhibition)
Dr. S.B. Viswaroop’s current definitive series of stamps that won silver at Tanapex
Sudha Sathyanarayanan’s collection on child empowerment that won gold at Kovaipex
The public can view the exhibits and attend presentations
Know more
The Philatelist Coimbatore has 80 registered members from Coimbatore, Ooty, Udumalpet, Pollachi, Chennai, Kerala and Bangalore
Meets every second Sunday at the Head Post Office
A member displays his or her collection each month
The association organises talks and seminars on stamps as well as auctions where one can buy and sell stamps
The annual membership is ₹. 500 and contact 98940-12501