Page 134 - 148 Years of the Royal Philatelic Society London

In 1999: Nelson Mandela steps down as President of South Africa; War erupts in Kosovo;

first hand transplant; Stanley Kubrick and Joe DiMaggio die; Y2K bug threatens Armageddon.

At the RPSL: Expert Committee acquires VSC2000 spectral comparator. Carl Walske gives the

society the printing press that belonged to t he infamous forger Jean de Sperati.

RPSL President was Barrie Jay. Patron H.M . Queen Elizabeth II. Membership 1500.

LIBERIA CIVIL WAR: LOOTING OF MONROVIA

POST OFFICE & POSTAGE PAID HANDSTAMP

From the collection of Marc Parren.

Member since 2011. Lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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There exists considerable confusion about the postal system in Liberia after the civil war broke out

on Christmas Eve in 1989 to oust the dictatorship of President Samuel Doe, which brought about the

almost complete destruction of Africa's oldest republic. In early 1999 the post office in Monrovia

decided not to accept letters franked with stamps issued before 6th April 1996 when the post office

was looted. Stamps issued afterwards were accepted but were often quickly sold out. The normal

procedure at the time was that letters handed over at the counter were cancelled by a red postage

paid cancellation next to a 24mm single circle datestamp without year slugs.