Page 85 - 148 Years of the Royal Philatelic Society London

In 1950: China invades Tibet ; Korean War begins; Charles Schulz int roduces Peanuts comic

strip; first successful kidney t ransplant; Xerox machines & self-service elevators introduced.

At the RPSL: The London International Stamp Exhibition held, with profits used to establish

the Philatelic Fund; King Carol of Roumania and 450 people(!) attend a reception at 41.

RPSL Presidents were Sir John Wilson, Bart. & H. W . Edmunds. Patron H.M. King George VI.

Membership 889.

5 CENT CONFEDERATE STATES' DIE PROOF

MYSTERY SOLVED

From the collection of Leonard H. Hartmann FRPSL.

Member since 1997. Lives in Unit ed St ates of America.

I
bi+i1o I
I .

In July 1950 De La Rue printed a few impressions from the Sc die that J. F. Juobert de la Ferte had

engraved for the typographed stamps of the Confederate States of America, that De La Rue had

printed in 1862. These proofs on square cards were thought to be those from the 1860s that had

been cut down. The impressions in blue and black are identical, however the card is slightly thinner.

This proof previously had a white substance on the back but when removed an inscription was found,

'Proof pulled from original die July 1950' and signed by G. Leslie Newman for Thomas De La Rue &

Co. The master die was donated to the British Library and remains there today.