Philately - The Fiction Connection
The Mystery Box book is the proud winner of a Silver Medal awarded by the Chicago Philatelic Society CHICAGOPEX Literature Exhibit
Read the Book Review by Barbara Kinne of the APS American Philatelist
One of the most famous key types in stamp collecting, this 1912 issue from German New Guinea features a well-known historical ship. Which ship is it?
a)
Hindenburg
b) Bismarck
c) Hohenzollern
d) Graf Spee
You are excused from the anchor detail if you answered (c), Hohenzollern.
Named after the ruling family that provided two imperial rulers to the German state, the Hohenzollern was the ocean- going yacht of Kaiser Wilhelm II.
It appears on German colonial issues of Africa, the Pacific, and the Far East and is known as the "Yacht" or "Ship" key type. Similar to a common design, the key type is a basic design created for stamps issued by a particular country for its dependencies, possessions, or colonies. The "Yacht" key type was in use from 1900-1919.
The Hindenburg, you might remember, was not a naval ship at all but the name of the famous zeppelin that exploded at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in 1937. The stamp is Scott 17.
