Treatment:
similarities and differences
between the exhibiting classes
Illustrated by own exhibits using partly the same items in 3 classes:
Danish Postal Rates 1875-1906 (PH)
The Bi-coloured Stamps of Denmark 1875-1906 (TR)
The Classic Postal Stationery of Denmark 1865-1905 (PS)
by
Henrik Mouritsen
Outline
1. Introduction
2. Telling a story in my traditional exhibit
3. Telling a story in my postal history exhibit
4. Telling a story in my postal stationery exhibit
5. Texting the same items in the different classes
6. Choice of material for the different classes
7. Conclusions: similarities and differences between
the exhibiting classes
The perfect treatment
can only be achieved
if you own a large proportion
of the best material
(but you can easily have the best material without good treatment)
Choosing what to exhibit
1. Find the most interesting area where you over a
period of 10-20 years can afford to buy all the
best items.
2. Try to avoid areas, where one or two collectors
already hold most of the significant material
(unless you can buy their material, of course).
3. Find an area where key original research has
not yet been done.
4. Try to buy the key items first.
Universal key items
1. Items that are key to telling your story (PH, ST, TR).
2. Earliest known use of your issues (TR, ST, PH).
3. Pre-production material, especially related to the first
version of any given issue (TR, ST).
4. Largest recorded multiples (TR, ST, PH).
5. Largest recorded franking (TR, PH).
6. The items with the highest catalogue values and all
“known rarities” (TR, ST, PH).
Good treatment can be achieved
with almost any level of material
as long as you have the items needed
to tell the story you want to tell
My traditional exhibit
Defining the exact concept for
my traditional exhibit
1. Danish bi-colours exist in skilling and øre currency.
2. Skilling and øre issues cannot be shown completely in
just 8 frames. The øre issues are the philatelicly more
difficult to work with. Therefore, my main interest in
the øre issues.
3. Monetary system change on 01/Jan/1875 => A new set
of øre values => Natural starting point.
4. Last bi-coloured øre stamps were issued in 1905 =>
Natural end point.
The Bi-coloured Stamps of Denmark
issued 1875-1905
Treatment of my traditional exhibit
1. Introduction: tell the story about the design and
production of the bi-coloured øre stamps
2. Since the design of the stamps were developed for the
skilling issues, preproduction material valued in
skilling must be included to tell the story of the stamps’
design.
Treatment of my traditional exhibit
1. Two possible treatment concepts for main part of the
exhibit:
(1) by frame plates in chronological order, or
(2) value by value in printing order
2. Most simple treatment is the wiser choice for
international exhibiting
3. Thus, I chose value by value in chronological order of
printings. Since “isolated frames” are the key items of
bi-coloured collecting, these are emphasized.
MUST KNOW
information:
Value and print
shown, watermark
and perforation
Frame plate structure
of this print (and
isolated frames)
Should know
information:
Essential descriptions
of stamps and covers
and rarity statements
CHAPTER
INTRODUCTION
My postal history exhibit
Defining the exact time frame of
my postal history exhibit
1. Interest in postal rates and why they change
2. Monetary system change on 01/Jan/1875 =>
Natural starting date.
3. Change to decimal monetary system only
became evident in the domestic rates from
01/Oct/1902, so this change of rates should be
included. => decision to end treatment in 1906.
4. In 1907, several major UPU rates change.
Danish Postal Rates 1875-1906
Presentation of
Karsten Jensen’s
survey
Can be found and downloaded at:
http://www.member.uni-oldenburg.de/henrik.mouritsen/frimintr.html
Scientific approach to exhibiting
•
Based on the survey information, I made
tables of all known major rates 1875-1906.
•
Started own survey of domestic mail.
•
Made Top20+ lists for domestic and
international mail items based on the
survey information.
•
Copied >20,000 pages in postal museum.
Goals for
my postal history exhibit
•
All significant rate changes must be shown if
items to illustrate them are recorded (97%)
•
Common rates must also be shown. Otherwise,
the story told would not be complete
•
NO duplication!!!
Structure of
my postal history exhibit
•
Start with domestic rates (3 frames)
•
Treat each type of mail as separate chapters:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Letters
Postcards
Printed matter
Value declared letters
Cash On Delivery (COD) and money orders
Parcels
Structure of
my postal history exhibit
•
Do the same with international rates (5 frames):
•
•
•
•
•
•
Letters
Postcards
Printed matter
Value declared letters
Cash On Delivery (COD) and money orders
Parcels
Presentation and treatment are
inseparably connected
The design of my individual pages reflects three
major purposes of my presentation:
1. To help the viewer and judge understand my
treatment.
2. To make sure that any judge spot-checking my
exhibit, will look at the right pages, and will
find the information he/she is looking for.
3. To make the exhibit look neat.
MUST KNOW
information:
Chapter # and title
Page Heading
Rates shown on
present page
Should know
information:
Essential descriptions
of covers and rarity
statements
Nice to know
information:
Continuous story line.
(can be read like a
book through the
exhibit)
Stamp identification
Interesting side aspects
of postal regulations
shown by the items
Examples of
the principle:
Showing
exceptional
versions of
common rates
Attention grapper
Example of a
chapter introduction integrating
structure, survey,
and rarity information on one page
My postal stationery exhibit:
Reasons for developing a concept for
a postal stationery exhibit
1. I found the stationery items in my PH exhibit
particularly attractive.
2. To achieve a better understanding of all the
FIP exhibiting classes.
3. Potential long-term interest in cross
accreditation to also become a FIP judge
in traditional and postal stationery.
Defining the concept for
my postal stationery exhibit
Special consideration: other exhibits!
1. Huge problem: The key classical envelope items were
locked in the exhibit of Willy Lauth.
2. Concept must be fundamentally different from Lars
Engelbrecht’s approach, which includes a subset of the
1871-1905 issues and which is structured as a highly
specialized variety study.
Defining the concept for
my postal stationery exhibit
3. If I wanted to show ALL the classical postal stationery
issues, there would only be 2-5 pages available per
issue. Thus, the concept had to be concise, innovative,
and to the point.
The final concept:
The first two parts of my treatment are straight forward.
However, the concept of the usage part is specific to
this exhibit.
It is based on the philosophy that the standard treatment
showing each variety of each stationery in used condition
seem repetitive, since the types and major varieties has
just been shown mint. Why repeat exactly the same story
again?
Instead, I have chosen to focus my treatment of the used
stationery truly on the usage aspect, namely: What was the
stationery issued to prepay? What other typical functions
did the stationery serve? And finally, what are some of the
most exceptional and unusual usages known of each given
type of stationery? Thus, my treatment of the used
stationery is structured according to usage of the stationery,
not according to stationery variety.
An example of this treatment concept
can be found in my seminar paper
(2 skilling postcards)
MUST KNOW
information:
Issue shown on
this page
What aspect is shown
on this particular page
Should know
information:
The story part shown
on the given page
(can be read like a
book through the
exhibit)
Information about the
stationery itself
Information about the
shown usage
Special features
Rarity
statement
References
Expertising
Which items can be used in which
exhibits?
and how are they described
in the three different classes
Postal history text (in exhibit focussing on rates):
Pre-UPU postcard sent to Hamburg 05/May/1875. Reduced rates for postcards did
not exist pre-UPU. Therefore, all Danish pre-UPU postcards had to be rated as
letters: 12 øre to Hamburg 01/Jan/1875-30/Jun/1875. Mixed skilling-øre franking:
8 øre print 2 on 2 skilling stationery postcard.
ONLY RECORDED PRE-UPU POSTCARD SENT IN THE ØRE PERIOD
Postal history text (in exhibit focussing on cancellations):
Item should not be used!
Reasons: the very common ”Kombined cancellation 181” is not struck very
clearly. It can be found in much better condition!
Postal stationery text:
2 sk stationery card print group I variety IV (small dent in inner frame to the
left) used in the øre period as a 4 øre postcard and additionally franked with
8 øre print 2 and sent as pre-UPU postcard to Hamburg 05/May/1875. Rate:
Letters to Hamburg (no reduced rate for postcards existed) 12 øre 01/Jan/187530/Jun/1875.
ONLY RECORDED POSTCARD SENT TO A FOREIGN DESTINATION
PRE-UPU IN THE ØRE PERIOD
Traditional text:
8 øre print 2 position B68 as part of a mixed skilling-øre franking on a 2 skilling
stationery postcard (print group I, variety IV) sent as a pre-UPU postcard to
Hamburg 05/Maj/1875. Rate: Letters to Hamburg (no reduced rate for postcards
existed) 12 øre 01/Jan/1875-30/Jun/1875.
ONLY RECORDED PRE-UPU POSTCARD SENT IN THE ØRE PERIOD
What should a good rate description include?
Insured letter to Sweden sent 14/Feb/1896. Rate: 84 øre.
What should a good rate description include?
Insured letter to Sweden sent 14/Feb/1896. Rate: letter to Sweden 15-125 gram
20 øre + registration fee 16 øre + insurance premium 48 øre for 1250,01-1500 kr
= 84 øre.
What should a good rate description include?
Insured letter to Sweden sent 14/Feb/1896. Rate: letter to Sweden 15-125 gram
20 øre + registration fee 16 øre + insurance premium 48 øre for 1250,01-1500 kr
= 84 øre 01/Jul/1892-30/Sep/1902.
What should a good rate description include?
Rate: Letter to Sweden 15-125 grams 01/Apr/1885-31/May/1918:
Registration fee 01/Jan/1875-30/Sep/1902:
Insurance premium 8 øre per 250 kr 01/Jul/1892-30/Jun/1921 :
20 øre
16 øre
48 øre
Total (01/Jul/1892-30/Sep/1902)
84 øre
Choosing what covers to use for
which exhibits
only recorded mixed franking
between an øre stamp and a
skilling stationery cut-out.
Value ca. 10000 kr
only recorded commercially
used 8 øre envelope with
Vm. 4. Value 2000-5000 kr
only recorded used 4 øre
envelope with open 4.
Value ca. 25000 kr
Simple 8 øre
domestic letters
01/Jan/187530/Sep/1902
36 øre registered
UPU letters
01/Jul/187530/Sep/1902
Similarities
between the exhibiting classes
•
A logical structure is essential
•
Developing a specific concept for each
particular exhibit will improve your chances
for the highest awards
•
Presentation must support the treatment
•
Your concept and structure should be
reflected in the top two corners of your
exhibiting pages
Similarities
between the exhibiting classes
•
The very best treated exhibits “tell a story”.
•
There are certain key items which “must” be
present in a top level exhibit.
•
It is important to use your treatment to
communicate rarity.
•
Surveys of known items are essential to do
this in a trustworthy way.
Differences
between the exhibiting classes
•
Even though the same postal items can very well be
used in more than one exhibit/exhibiting class, the
descriptions must be different!
•
The descriptions in TR must focus on the Stamps.
•
The descriptions in PH must focus on Rates,
Routes, Regulations or Markings.
•
The descriptions in ST must focus on the Postal
Stationery.
Differences
between the exhibiting classes
•
Treatment in TR is usually straight forward,
typically chronological by issue and value.
•
Treatment in PH (and TH) requires more individual
thinking, and the judges tend to expect you to “tell
a story” about your chosen subject.
•
Treatment in ST is usually very close to TR, but
since stationery are complete postal items, there is a
bit more room to be creative.
Thank you for your attention!
Takst
Beskrivelse
Ejer
257 øre
Pre-UPU værdipakke til Frankrig med franske gebyrmærker

7640 øre
Værdipakke til Japan, frankering inkluderer to isolerede rammer

100 øre
Avis-omadresseringsformular

36 øre
Rek. Forretningspapirer til Mexico

106 øre
Værdibrev til Argentina

21 øre
Pre-UPU brevkort forsøgt sendt til Canada

98 øre
Pre-UPU brev til British Guyana

54 øre
Rek. Brev med modtagelsesbevis til Argentina (oversøtakst)

29 øre
Pre-UPU brev til Rusland med mærke-mærke sk-øre frankatur
FA
32 sk
4x8 sk tryk 4 anvendt som 66 øre pre-UPU frankatur til Frankrig

20 øre
Reklamationsformular (eftersendt modtagelsesbevis) til Sydafrika

252 øre
Pakke til Congo

35 øre
Pre-UPU brev til Portugal

99 øre
Pre-UPU takst til DWI kun gældende i 3 måneder

12 øre
Pre-UPU brevkort til Hamburg sk-øre blanding

20 øre
Oversøbrevkort sendt før 01/Apr/1879

12 øre
Pre-UPU korsbånd til Australien

15 øre +
10 sen
Svarbrevkort forudfrankeret med oversøtakst 15 øre returneret fra Japan
rekommanderet opfrankeret med 10 sen, philatelic but beautiful
ex. Ray
Kelly
35 øre
Expresbrevkort sendt til England visende 25 øre expresgebyr

34 øre
Rek. Brevkort med modtagelsesbevis til Tyrkiet

44 øre
Rek. Pre-UPU brev til Sweitz

26 øre
Rek. 1. vægtklasse tryksag til Brasilien (oversøtakst)

56 øre
Rek. 4. vægtklasse tryksag til Argentina (oversøtakst)

31 øre
Rek. Brevkort til Mexico (oversøtakst)

8 øre
Modtagelsesbevis til Brasilien

28 øre
Underfrankeret pre-UPU brev til Finland

29 øre
Pre-UPU brev til Polen/Rusland LUXUS

30 øre +
8 cents
30 øres brev returneret med Straits Settlements frimærker

36 øre
Rek. Censurbrev til St. Helena

5 øre
Underfrankeret pre-UPU korsbånd til Tasmanien

Tilsyneladende super-forsendelser, men som er for grimme til mit eksponat
80 øre
Vareprøve til Østrig frankeret med 5 + 25 + 50 øre tofarvede
116 øre
Rekommanderet oversøtryksag til Rusland via Japan
102 øre
17. vægtklasse tryksag til England før 01/04/1879
776 øre
Pre-UPU værdipakke til Frankrig med franske gebyrmærker
500 øre
Del af værdiadressebrev til Siam, defekt og 1366 øre mangler!
156 øre
Pre-UPU 3. Vægtklasse brev til Siam (”noget medtaget”)
1976
General principles of texting covers
in traditional exhibits
1. Describe the stamps first including varieties.
2. Describe why the given stamps are on the cover (i.e.
which RATE did they pay)
3. If important mention other aspects such as rare
markings, routings etc.
General principles of texting covers
in stationery exhibits
1. Describe the stationery first including varieties.
2. Describe the traditional aspects of the stamps used for
any uprating.
3. Describe what the given stationery (and stamps if
uprated) paid for (i.e. which RATE did they pay)
4. If important mention other aspects such as rare
markings, routings etc.
General principles of texting covers
in postal history exhibits
1. Describe the postal history aspect directly related to
your subject and structure first.
2. Describe other postal history aspects.
3. Describe the stamps unless trivial.
4. If important mention other aspects such as unusual
side stories, major varieties etc.