June 11, 2015

Finest Hour 101, Winter 1998-99

Page 44

Pages 271-276: STATE FUNERAL AND EULOGIES

Catalogue numbers are Scott {#) or Stanley Gibbons (sg). A slash mark (/) indicates a set with a common design from which any value is usable. Carus and Minkus catalogue numbers are sometimes used, and are identified by name.

We are nearing the end of our philatelic biography, which began its serialization back in Finest Hour 43 in 1984. Although there are a few pages of appendices that may be of interest, one or two more installments will see us at the end. “Churchill in Stamps” will be retained as a philatelic column.

271. The funeral cortege is depicted on a common design for three Maldive Islands stamps: #201/3/5 (sg 204/6/8). The Lyingin-State, previously illustrated by other stamps, is here represented by Antigua #351 (sg 410), which also carries the Churchill Coat of Arms. Aden-Kathiri Seiyun overprinted eight stamps for “World Peace” in 1967, including four for Churchill; two values, overprinted in red WORLD PEACE I WINSTON CHURCHILL, Minkus 102/108 (sg 100/106), are used here.

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272. A set of Ajman “famous people” stamps which includes Churchill also happen to include King Baudouin of the Belgians and Charles de Gaulle of France, who attended the Churchill funeral; they are shown here in a page on the Congregation at St. Paul’s Cathedral. King Baudouin is depicted leading a group of Royals (Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and King Constantine of Greece) on a Churchill set issued by Ras al Khaima, Minkus 17A/20A, Carus 29/32.

273. Thirty-three Commonwealth countries produced 132 stamps to a common design by Jennifer Toombs to mark Churchill’s passing. (Other Commonwealth members produced individual designs.) The Omnibus set illustrates the pages of tributes to Sir Winston in 1965. We’re not going to bore you with the lot; the four pages shown here contain the most important quotes. This first page, with Antigua #157/60 (sg 170/3) and Ascension #96/99 (sg 91/94) carries The Queen’s message to the Commonwealth.

274. Bahamas #224-27 (sg 267-70) and Barbados #281-84 (sg 236-39) illustrate Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s remarks— certainly among the finest Churchill eulogies I’ve ever read.

275. President Johnson’s tribute is juxtaposed with that of Premier Kosygin (who said as little as he could get away with) on this page illustrated by Basutoland #105-08 (sg 102-05) and Bechuanaland #206-09 (sg 194-97).

276. Bermuda #201-04 (sg 189-92) and B.A.T. #16-19 (sg 1619) accompany Charles de Gaulle and Ludwig Erhard.

(To be continued)