Committee membership ..........................................P. 1Editor’s note ..........................................P. 1Exhibition calendar ..........................................P. 1email and website information ...............................P. 1Hong Kong Stampex 2019………………………… ...P. 2-3FIAP executive meeting ..........................................P. 4School visit ..........................................P. 4 Kingsclere Private Hotel ..........................................P. 5Queries on QV4c perf. 12.5 Brindisi route 1d .............P. 6Sai Kung Type A c.d.s. genuine or fake .....................P. 6Without fear or favour ............. ............................ P. 7An express mail ..........................................P. 8Collect Hong Kong stamps ........................................P. 8

Member of FIP & FIAP

March 2019Honorary Editor: P. C. Shaw

Chairman: Malcolm Hammersley

Vice-Chairman: Andrew Cheung 張文德Daniel Szeto 司徒福添

Honorary Secretary: Stephen Chan 陳贊殷

Honorary Treasurer: John Tang 鄧文聰

Honorary Editor: P.C. Shaw 邵鵬柱

HKPS Monthly Newsletter

Editor’s Note

GPO Box 446, Hong Kong, HKPS email: hkpsociety@yahoo.com, HKPS editor email: hkpseditor@gmail.com

NEWSLETTERThe Hong Kong

Philatelic Society

Auction Secretary: Tony Cheung 張柷枰

Youth O� icer: Albert Lai 黎鴻健

Librarian: Robert Schneider

Committee Member: William Kwan 關卓然K.L. Poon 潘鑑良

Founded 1921

www.hkpsociety.com

Hong Kong Stampex 2019, the annual big event of the Society, was held on 1-3 March. We welcome our Australian friends, who come to exhibit and help as jury. This year, there are several non-Hong Kong exhibitors, making the exhibition more than a local event. We have also got the largest number of commercial booths and we hope both buyers and vendors are happy with what they have got. The youth exhibits have received good awards, showing the fruitful eff ort of our Committee members in coaching the students. At the same time, we are pleased to host the FIAP Executive Committee meeting. Readers will find more detail in this issue. The annual journal, which has the most number of pages so far, has been published on schedule. Readers are welcome to inform the editor for improvements. The Society belongs to all members and we welcome your articles for the coming publications and eager to meet you in the activities.

Exhibition calendarExhibition

China 2019 (FIP World Stamp Exhibition)

Singpex 2019 (FIAP Patronage with FIP Recognition)

New Zealand 2020 (FIAP Patronage)

London 2020 (FIP Patronage with FEPA Recognition)

Date

11-17 June

31 Jul – 4 Aug

19-22 Mar

2-9 May

Place

Wuhan, China

Singapore

Auckland, NZ

London, UK

Commissioner

K.L. Poon

Rob Schneider

To be confirmed

Andrew Cheung

Monthly Members MeetingTime and Venue: 6:30pm, Woo Kwan Lee & Lo conference room at 25/F, Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Hong Kong.

21 March: Mr. B.M. Wong on “Hong Kong QE II Instructional Marks”.

The Hong Kong Stampex 2019 was held on 1-3 March 2019, Friday to Sunday, at the the Exhibition Hall on the 6th floor of Sheung Wan Civic Centre. Opening hours was 10 am and closed at 6:30 pm except the last day which was closed at 4 pm.

The show included four frames exhibits from Hongkong Post and 32 competitive exhibits with total 122 frames of which mostly are first-time exhibits. Apart from the promotion of philately, one of the main purpose of this national show was to provide a platform for collectors to have their good exhibits qualify to show internationally in the future. Apart from Hong Kong exhibitors, there were exhibitors from Macau, Australia, Thailand and Singapore as well.

The Jury team included our members Mr. M.J. Hammersley, Mr. Daniel Szeto and Mr. Li Hong and Mr. Alan Grey from Australia. The expert for doubtful items was Mr. K.L. Poon.

The Opening Ceremony was held at 11 am on 1 March. The Guests of Honour included Mr. Y.C. Lam, General Manager of Stamps and Philatelic Division of Hongkong Post, Mr. Alan Grey, Jury and Commissioner of Australia and Mr. M.J. Hammersley, our Chairman. The Ceremony was also witnessed by Dr. Prakob Chirakiti, FIAP President and other FIAP members.

There were 14 dealers and auction houses stands at the show, providing a wide range of materials for collectors to purchase. Interestingly, an auction service provider also joined our show; and its stand showed how collectors could bid for materials from various auction houses through their website.

The quality of the exhibits was high and the Jury panel awarded 7 Gold and 12 LV medals. The D’Almada Cup was awarded to Dr. Andrew Cheung’s exhibit “Postal History of the French Post Off ices in China”. The eager learning exhibitors were very delighted to meet and discussed with the very helpful Jury team members during the critique session on the last day of the show on how to improve their exhibits.

Palmares was held on 2 March evening at Beijing House Restaurant. Everyone had an enjoyable time and the event finished with the climax of Mr. Tay Peng Hian RDP, past FIP and FIAP President, leading the participants to sing the “Auld Lang Syne”.

2 | HKPS Monthly Newsletter – March 2019

No. Exhibitor Title of Exhibit Point Medal

Court of Honour Exhibits1 Hongkong Post Gold and Silver Stamp Sheetlet on Lunar New Year Animals Dog / Pig (2007 & 2019)2 Hongkong Post Year of the Pig (2007 & 2019)3 Hongkong Post Silver Hot Foil LNY Animal Stamps – Monkey / Rooster / Dog / Pig (2007 & 2019)4 Hongkong Post Government Flying Service – Operations (2019)

Hong Kong Stampex 2019 - Commissioner ReportJohn Tang

www.hkspsociety.com – March 2019 | 3

No. Exhibitor Title of Exhibit Point Medal

Traditional Class5 Nicholas John HALEWOOD The Designs for the First Queen Elizabeth II definitive 78 V issue of Birtish Guiana – Their Different Guises6 KWAN Kai Kai (MACAU) D. Luis I Issues of Macau 85 G7 CHIO Hong Chi (MACAU) The Macau Postage Stamp Errors from Four Printing Methods 71 LS8 Glen STAFFORD (AUS) Nicaraguan Postage and Official Stamps – 81 LV The Seebeck Era (1890 – 1899)

Postal History Class9 Allan Fogh WESTPHALL (SIN) Netherlands Indies Prephilately, 1816-1864 91 G10 CHEUNG Andrew Postal history of the French Post Offices in China 91 G11 CHOI Cheong Too British Military Mail in China 83 LV12 Charnchai KARNASUTA (THAI) Death Railway POW & Civilian Labor Mail, 90 G and Thailand Internee Mail13 Charnchai KARNASUTA (THAI) Early Development of Postal System Mail Routes In 81 LV Siam 1880-190914 Robert SCHNEIDER Malta Postal History in the Early Adhesive Age 86 G15 P C SHAW British Hong Kong Military Post 85 G16 MAK Kwok Pui The Chinese Domestic Airmail Service during the Second 83 LV Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)17 MAK Kwok Pui The Takeover and Resumption of Postal Service in 77 V Shanghai after WWII (Aug 15, 1945 – Dec 31, 1945)18 WONG Chi Fai, Ivan Cancellations on 1880 & 1882 Issues of Hong Kong 82 LV Queen Victoria 2 Cents 19 HUO Huixiao (MACAU) Postal History of Macao 1860-1950 84 LV20 Malcolm GROOM (AUS) Western Tasmania – A social postal history of 82 LV Prospectors & Post Offices21 Takeshi OMURA The First Republic of China (1912 – 1928) – 80 LV Postal System in Transition

Aerophilately Class22 HUANG Yumin China Early International Airmail (1924 – 1941) 85 G

Modern Philately Class23 CHIO Hong Chi (MACAU) ROC Automat Stamps 80 LV

Thematic Class24 WONG Chi Fai, Ivan Lions Clubs International Convention Covers 55 B

Open Class25 Charles BROMSER (AUS) Movers & Shakers of the Millennium 82 LV

Picture Postcard Class26 HSIEN Yoong How (SIN) HSBC building the bank since 1865 80 LV

Youth Class27 MAK Yee Ching The R24 Definitive Stamps of PRC in 1988 76 V28 LEONG Ka Ki Mystery? 72 LS29 LI Wai Hung Extraordinary life: How to live a meaningful life? 75 V30 WONG Sze Ki Unnamed Hero 76 V

One-frame Class31 Jeffrey SCHNEIDER The “Postage Paid” handstamps during the First Year 88 of the Chinese Imperial Post Office at Peking and Tientsin32 HUO Hui Xiao (MACAU) Postal history of Zhong Shan (02/1947 – 09/1949) 77

Literature Class33 HUO Hui Xiao (MACAU) Macau Philately (1 & 2) 82 LV

*5 points added to the total score to reach the medal at national level

Hong Kong Stampex 2019 - Commissioner ReportJohn Tang

4 | HKPS Monthly Newsletter – March 2019

On 16 February, members Stephen Chan and Daniel Szeto were invited by Hong Kong Post to meet with the students at POCA Wong Siu Ching Secondary School who were preparing their exhibits for the coming Hong Kong Stampex.  Daniel and Stephen from HKPS were very impressed by the dedication of the students and the originality of their work.  With the active involvement of these young collectors, they are confident that stamp collecting is not just a hobby for the elderly!

Concurrent with Hong Kong Stampex exhibition, a FIAP EXCO meeting took place at the prestigious Spink, China auction room in Sheungwan. Before the start, the host off ered snacks and beverages to welcome visiting guests. Four of our members, Mr. William Kwan (FIAP Hon. Member), Mr. Malcolm Hammersley (Exco member), Dr. Andrew Cheung (FIAP Senior Consultant) and Mr. Stephen Chan (Observer) came to the meeting. Spink’s Chairman and CEO Olivier Stocker gave a welcome speech before the start of the main agenda and he was particularly pleased to see all three FIAP Presidents past and present namely, Mr. Tay Peng Hian RDP (Past President), Mr. Surajit Gongvatana (Past President) and Dr. Prakob Chirakiti (Presdient) were at the meeting. Aft er delegates from various member countries delivered their exhibition progress report, Malcolm announced that tentatively, we will hold a FIAP/specialized FIP exhibition in 2022 when Hong Kong celebrates 25 years of returning to China. Other issues brought up including the revised regulation for the FIAP Championship Class being three FIAP Large Gold medals within a

Stephen Chan

School Visit for the Budding Philatelists

Malcolm Hammersley (second from left ) representing Hong Kong at the meeting

Chairman & CEO of Spink, China Olivier Stocker gave a welcome speech to FIAP delegates

Presentation of souvenir to FIAP President Prakob Chirakiti by HKPS Chairman Malcolm Hammersley

The school participates regularly in the annual Inter-school Stamp Exhibits Competition organized by Hongkong Post.  With full support of the school and the guidance of the teacher in charge, Mr Kwong Kai Tak, POCA Wong Siu Ching Secondary School has always ranked among the best.  The Society looks forward to seeing their improved exhibits in international stamp exhibitions in the near future.

FIAP Executive Committee meeting in Hong Kong 1 March 2019

period of ten years (in the past, it was three FIAP or FIP Large Gold medals). The next FIAP EXCO meeting will be held during Singpex in August this year. Aft er the meeting ended, Mr. Kwan invited all the FIAP delegates to Chinese Club for dinner. We would like to thank Spink, China for sponsoring the venue and Mr. Kwan for sponsoring the welcome dinner served with fine wine.

www.hkspsociety.com – March 2019 | 5

The mansion Kingsclere at 20 Kennedy Road was built in 1901 and owned by E R Belios.

Belios was a Jew born in Calcutta in 1837 and settled in Hong Kong in 1862. He was a famous businessman in Hong Kong. He was the unoff icial member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and Chairman of the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation. He gained his reputation as a philanthropist by contributing annual scholarship to the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese and Alice Memorial Hospital. In 1889, He donated a large amount to set up a female government school, the Belios Public School, now is still located at Tin Hau Temple Road in Causeway Bay.

Security Marking - Kingsclere Private Hotel (1906 - 1923)Wong, Bang Man

Envelope from Manila to the Kingsclere Private Hotel at Kennedy Road

Envelope from USA to the Kingsclere and redirected to Canton

Picture postcard of Kingsclere House used in March 2013, the sender said he was living in

the house “my hotel”

Picture postcard of Kingscler used in March 2013

King EDWVII 2c with w/m script CA cancelled security mark KINGSCLERE

Envelope back printed with “Kingsclere Private Hotel” posted to USA

Belios moved to London with his wife in 1900 and died on 11 November 1905. The Kingsclere became a private hotel in 1906. Belios did not live in it but his nephew Raphael Auron did. The site was acquired by a consortium in 1923. It was partitioned into sections and developed into terraced houses known as Kennedy Terrace.

Figure 1

HKPS NL July 2018

Interasia 6/2016 Lot 4388

Figure 4 Figure 5 (Enlarged Figure 1 for comparing with Figure 4)

Figure 2

Figure 3

*Figure 4: The dash between Hong Kong appears to be missing and it is thought that this is due to underinking.

Re: HKPS NL February 2019

The author of the article “May the Force be with you” showed three pieces bearing Hong Kong KGV Jubilee stamps of the value 3c, 5c and 20c from the ‘John Mitchie’ cover. Unfortunately, the quality of the scan as reproduced in the newsletter is rather poor and therefore diff icult to compare with reference source.

Fortune smiles on us that these three pieces (Figures 1 -3) were re-off ered on eBay in February 2019 by a U.K. seller; the scans are much better thus a comparative study with a known genuine strike can be made (Figure 4).

Mr. Rob Schneider raised the following queries on Charles Chan’s articles on QV 4c perf. 12½ with “Insuff iciently Paid, Brindisi Route 1d” published in HKPS NL July 2018 and January 2019.

“ I am not sure whether his three perf 12.5 4c examples are not dubious. Charles’ article I think implies that they’re genuine? Extrapolating in part from the rate information the surcharge of 1d would reflect the diff erence between the 6c Marseille newspaper/circular rate & the 8c Brindisi rate to the UK. The logical stamp to bear the 1d mark would thus be the 6c, with Interasia’s example from Mick Goldsmith’s collection showing this (IA 6/2016 lot 4388), as well as the two dots under the d in the mark itself, consistent with the recorded New South Wales cover. The three 4c examples diff er from the mark in the NSW cover & frankly are on the wrong value. I find it troubling that these aberrant marks appear on three purported examples of the very scarce perf 12-1/2 4c, questioning whether some clever forger has twinned the very rare mark with the scarce stamp.

I also missed the point in Charles’ article about the Southampton route that would have required the 4c stamp, as the reason for the Brindisi mark was the closure of the Marseille port/route (6c circular rate) with the faster mails taking the more expensive Brindisi route (8c) with the 1d (2c) diff erential, as reflected in the handstamp”.

Any suggestion is welcome.

There are several eye-catching features of the Sai Kung cancel on the 5c Jubilee compared with Figure 4:-1. “S” of Sai Kung is smaller especially the top loop is much shorter, as a consequence the spacing between “S” and “A”

becomes slightly wider. 2. The “N” of Kung is wide at top and narrow at bottom whereas “N” in Figure 4 is symmetrical.3. The “G” is slightly smaller and narrower, the top bar of the “G” is not prominent and downward loop appears straight and

not pointing down.Conclusion: The buyer of these three pieces should seek expert advice.

6 | HKPS Monthly Newsletter – March 2019

QV 4c perf. 12½ with “Insuffi ciently Paid, Brindisi Route 1d” – Genuine or Fake?

Sai Kung Type A c.d.s. - Genuine or Fake? Certified Small Potato

Figure 2

www.hkspsociety.com – March 2019 | 7

With a few articles on the HKPS NL regarding suspected forgeries of pre-war Sai Kung covers, I have been queried or reminded by philatelic friends about my open criticism on those suspected items. Allow me to elaborate my thoughts and address a few issues here.

1. Obstructing someone to reap a fortune (in Cantonese 阻人發達)? It is my belief that faking or trading of fake material as if genuine is immoral. My conscience told me that fake items have to be identified, recorded and highlighted so that its damages can be minimized. As a collector of HK postal history for many years, I know the importance of maintaining a proper and clean historical record of genuine items. “Forgery in general damages not only those involved in the fraud, but can also infect the historical record, through the contamination of archives and oeuvres with fake material” - The Art of Forgery, Noah Charney

2. Conflict of Interest? I have not sold or intended to sell any philatelic items for many years, whether through auction house, dealer, eBey, philatelic society, friends or whatever channel. Reversely, I was not aware of and had no interest in bidding any of those suspected fake items when they were on sale. I did not know who was the seller or the successful buyer or whether those items were unsold or sold for what price. Nobody paid me remuneration for writing reviews or articles. I was just revealing my findings and opinions.

3. Correctness of judgment. I have never had possession of any of those physical items on hand. My scrutiny was based on the digital image only. Nevertheless, some obvious features were observed that betrayed or contradicted to the history, record, practice or norm of that period, making the item highly suspicious. Despite that I could never be 100% confident and that it may have contradicting opinions from other experts, I believe “fake cannot be genuine” and I was true to my findings. The relevant facts and considerations were presented so that readers could make their own judgment.

4. Accountability. I decided not to use a pen name or stay anonymous for those articles. I have nothing to hide and I am accountable to my words. Sincere comments, amicable discussions or fact-based exchange of viewpoints and information are always welcome. For some personal reasons, I was dormant and absent from philatelic activities for more than ten years with no buying or selling through whatever channels, no appearance in any stamp auctions (auction houses have stopped sending me catalogues for many years) and no visit to any stamp exhibition and no attendance to any society meetings. Hence, as if a new member, I am unfamiliar to most of you; whatever name I use, it makes no diff erence.

Readers might notice that I usually include other non-philatelic topics (historical stories, music, songs, movies, etc) in my articles - with the intention of adding more joy to the straightforward articles on scrutiny of postal covers. I always enjoy crossing-over between various interests or hobbies, and wine tasting is now a default activity when gathering with my philatelic friends. Among books/information on many diff erent subjects, I read a lot of wine reviews. Let me cite some words from a famous wine critic: “…the role of the critic is to render judgments that are reliable. They should be based on extensive experience and on a trained sensibility for whatever is being reviewed. In practical terms, this means the critic should be blessed with the following attributes: Independence; Courage; Experience; Individual Accountability…” – Robert M. Parker Jr.

With the aid of advanced digital imaging and printing technologies, fakes and forgeries nowadays can look so genuine and fascinating. “New discovery” may surface from time to time. Not many can attract me, but in case a suspicious item appeared and aroused my interest, I shall, as always, express opinions and criticism truthful to my findings, without fear or favour. As a compliment, HKPS NL is having a great column Fakes and Forgeries, and I hope Certified Small Potato will continue the good eff ort and give readers insights into some dubious items.

29 April 1944 Tai Po - Fake or genuine?

Simon C.K. Choi

Criticizing Forgery: Without Fear or Favour

Not everyone adopts the same definition of “authenticity”. Someone may relax it a bit to accommodate a wider grey area and target a bigger customer base. For example, a back dated cancel may be described as “genuine but philatelic”; a cover with a genuine stamp underneath a fake cancel maybe skillfully remarked as “genuine”. Fakers may also create ambiguous “evidences”, unrecorded marks or compose fascinating stories/memoirs/explanations that can apparently support their claim on authenticity. “Da Luz Covers” is a good case on fake or genuine; interested reader may refer to an article in the HKPS Journal No. 10. My definition is always stringent. Aft er 13 years of further observations and records since publishing of that article in 2006, I still cannot see any new find or evidence that can sway my stand point on Da Luz covers.

8 | HKPS Monthly Newsletter – March 2019

West Kowloon Cultural District – Xiqu CentreIssue Date: 19.3.2019

Centenary of Pok Oi HospitalIssue Date: 2.4.2019Stamp Design: Colin TILLYER

Pok Oi Hospital has made tireless eff orts to serve Hong Kong. It has also continued to diversify and expand hospital services through the years. Today, the extensive Pok Oi network encompasses all local districts across Hong Kong to meet the needs of people from all walks of life. To mark

Information courtesy of Hong Kong Post Stamps

An Express Mail?

Collect Hong Kong Stamps

Stamp Design: Michael Miller YU

The West Kowloon Cultural District on Hong Kong’s harbor front ranks among the world’s biggest cultural projects. The Xiqu Centre sits prominently in the eastern corner of the West Kowloon Cultural District. Its unique outlook blends traditional and contemporary elements to give Chinese opera a whole new image. It is also an ideal venue for a host of events, with a view to preserving and developing Chinese opera. This stamp sheetlet presents the distinctive exterior and interior of the Xiqu Centre.

the centenary of Pok Oi Hospital, Hongkong Post is issuing a set of four commemorative stamps. The rich colours and dynamic strokes introduce us to the hospital’s four key service areas: Western and Chinese medicine, education, elderly care, and, family and youth services.

A recent cover in ebay has the word “Expres” on it. The letter was sent from Hong Kong on 20 November 1972 and reached Kelsterbach West Germany on 22 November 1972. Indeed, the speed of delivery was very fast and probably the mail was put on the first available flight, which would be a night flight on 20 November. The airmail postage to West Germany, a Zone 2 country, was HK$1.3 for a 0.5 oz letter. The Express mail rate was HK$3. Therefore, there was an excess of HK$0.25. However, there was a problem. The Express service to countries other than UK was only available from 1 March 1974 (Woodrow, L.K.R. HKPS J, Issue 11). Was there an unoff icial service before that, so the off icial Post Off ice Express Delivery label was not used? Was it like member Mr. Wong’s opinion that it was intended sending as registered mail (HK$3.9 + $1 registration fee, $0.1 in excess)? Anyway, the buyer obtained the cover at around HK$20, which was a good bargain.

P.C. Shaw