Fundy Stamp Collectors Club P. O. Box 302 Moncton N.B. E1C 8L4 Since 1997

Feature Article From an article by Littleton Stamp Co. Littleton, NH Date unknown

These stamps tell an extraordinary tale - about a man who set himself up as king of an island off the coast of England only a few years ago.
The story begins in 1925, when a wealthy Englishman, Martin Harman, purchased the tiny 3-mile long island of Lundy off the coast of Devon. Presently Mr. Harman had an idea. "Since I am owner of this island," he mused, "why shouldn't I also be king?" The idea seemed to make sense to Mr. Harman, and like an intelligent ruler, he proceeded to coin money and issue postage stamps for use by the islands inhabitants. The stamps and coins bore a picture of the puffin, a paunchy bird with a supercilious expression which inhabits the island in great numbers.

At first all went well with the Lilliputian kingdom. But in 1931 the British government got wind of what was going on. By Jove! Chap coining money, don't you know. Bear looking into, and all that, eh what! The result was that "King Harman" was summoned to court and charged with unlawfully coining money. A justice of the King's Bench fixed a stern eye on the monarch of Lundy.

"Who did you say is sovereign of Lundy?" Asked the judge. "I am!" stated Mr. Harman emphatically. "And as sovereign of Lundy I coined puffins and half-puffins as I have a right to do". But the court took a dim view of His Majesty King Harman’s regal pretensions. King Harman suddenly found that he was an ex-king, was fined 5 pounds, and was ordered to relinquish his royal prerogatives.

Today, Lundy is part of the British Empire, and former King Harman is an ordinary subject of King George. But the stamps remain, a fascinating item for collectors, unique in postal history. For they are the only British stamps ever issued - not by the British government, not by a British Dominion, commonwealth, colony or possession - but by a now private citizen. His exalted Ex-Royal Highness, King Harman I, Ex-Monarch of Puffinland!

	Error? Freak? Forgery? Mr. David Morris, of the Fundy Stamp Collectors Club recently provided this copy of a 14p Machin stamp. NOTE the small circle below the nose, and the small diamond near the ear. If any reader has seen this before, or has a possible explanation, please provide to the Club address. He has not been able to find it in any error catalogue.

Greetings to all, and welcome again to winter. To date, the winter climate has been particularly tough on everybody. A rash of storms, two weeks of extreme cold and cruel wind chill, and a never-ending stream of influenza have all culminated in a less than enjoyable wintertime. Hopefully better times are ahead.

The fall was again an exceptional time for philatelists and stamp collectors in Moncton, and I hope the same was true elsewhere throughout the Atlantic Provinces.

Our club meetings were well attended, and our annual show and sale - BRUNPEX 2004 - continues to grow in both popularity and prosperity. By this I mean that attendance and dealer interest continue to increase, and the show is breaking even. We have had a number of interesting presentations at our club meetings, including Mr. Celwyn Ball in October, who delivered an absolutely fascinating discussion on Sir Winston Churchill. Mr. Ball was part of Sir Winston’s security detail during World War II, and maintains quite an extensive collection of Winston Churchill stamps.

The November meeting was pretty much taken up with discussions and reports on the Brunpex show, and it was decided to move back down to the Fundy room in the basement next year, and that it should be booked right now. The date was established as October 15, 2005.

In December, the nominating committee tabled its report on the executive for next year, and Rod Allison gave a much appreciated slide presentation on Canadian miniature panes. The new executive consists of:

Dave Tait, president
Art Gillard, vice-president
Mike Leighton, secretary-treasurer
Rod Allison, director
Bob Evans, director
Francine Lemaire, director
Don Mills, director
Eric Tobin, director

The January meeting included a presentation from Roy Taylor on Canadian Christmas issues, and in February 3 Ron Messenger gave a fascinating talk on the Canadian Steamship Company and its five "Lady boats": - the Lady Rodney, Lady Somers, Lady Nelson, Lady Drake, and Lady Hawkins - named after the wives of five famous British admirals. A picture taken from the Internet follows, and further info can be found by searching for "Lady Boats".

Upcoming presentations include British Smilers sheets by Don Mills in March, Canadian small Queens by Dr. Burden in April, Paul Bourque in May (topic unknown), and the Pitcairn Islands by Dr. Ralph Richardson in June.
I had hoped to turn out another edition of this Newsletter in December, but alas time did not permit, and the January schedule is also a little late. I will have to try to do better.
Look for future issues of The Fundy Stamp News in May and September 2005.***
Don Mills, editor
e-mail: donmillscanada@yahoo.com

Next time: "Importance of Catalogue Value"***

After soaking, stamps should be dried face down on absorbent paper, such as paper towels. Old newsprint can be used safely in most cases. As the stamps dry, they may curl.

A large book makes a good weight. Stamps should be pressed in this manner for at least a few hours, or even days, if necessary. Then the stamps can be stored away. Tell your friends and relatives that you are a stamp collector. Ask them to save stamps from their mail. Your grandparents also may have some old envelopes in the attic.