World Stamps

Royal Mail retires only ship that goes to St. Helena: Linn’s Buzz

Jun 8, 2016, 9 AM
A Royal Mail ship is retiring this week after 26 years' worth of trips to the remote island of St. Helena.

By Colin Sallee

1. RMS St. Helena bids farewell

The 105-meter-long RMS St. Helena, which Royal Mail built just under 30 years ago, has made its last voyage.

Rob Powell of OnTheThames.net is reporting that the passenger and cargo ship that was the only means of accessing the remote island of St. Helena, in the South Atlantic, has been making a few farewell stops this week before its retirement.

St. Helena is a remote island about 1,200 miles off the western coast of Africa. The island’s first airport is on the way, which is behind the decision to retire RMS St. Helena.      

Get the full story here.

2. APS has a new president

The American Philatelic Society has named its new leader, Michael Baadke reports.

“Mick Zais of Columbia, S.C., has been elected president of the American Philatelic Society. Zais won 2,016 votes (51.7 percent) and Nilsestuen received 1,882 votes (48.2 percent).”

New board members and officers were also elected.

3. Local post stamps

Local stamps are a fascinating part of the stamp marketplace.

Henry Gitner and Rick Miller highlight some things to consider when collecting local stamps.

“Most local post stamps are far more valuable used, especially on cover, than they are in unused condition. This is because after the companies were forced out of business, they often sold remaining stamp stocks to dealers as remainders.”

Read about a local post stamp the pair is particularly fond of.

4. Connect with Linn’s Stamp News

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5. Hot topics

Check out three more interesting articles recently posted on Linns.com:

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          Letter from sailor killed at Pearl Harbor sells for $1,750
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