Re-tracing the Flying Scotsman’s most famous journey
On 24th February 1923, the Flying Scotsman left the works for the very first time. Now, exactly ninety years later, to mark this very special anniversary, I decided to re-trace the famous locomotive’s most historic journey, from London to Edinburgh, taking with me 750 specially designed Flying Scotsman covers.
Starting off at London’s Kings Cross with the 750 Flying Scotsman covers packed away safely in my case!
As Philatelic Manager at The Westminster Collection, part of my job is to come up with unique and innovative ways to add value to our commemorative stamp products. Last year, for example, I arranged for a small number of covers to be carried on board one of the ships taking part in the River Thames Pageant for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. It proved an instant hit with collectors.
My ticket dated 24th February, the exact 90th anniversary of Flying Scotsman’s first ever London to Edinburgh journey
So there I was on the 2.45pm train to Edinburgh. Got my ticket, my overnight bag and those all-important covers. Before boarding, I arranged for the Royal Mail English Definitive Stamps on the cover to be postmarked ‘London’ 24th February, and then we were off!
I’ve no idea what the weather was like in 1923 but today, unusually, it got warmer the further north. After just 4 hours 39 minutes, we arrived at our destination, Edinburgh’s Waverley Station. No delays, no leaves on the line and no replacement bus service, it had definitely been a lot quicker than that first 1923 journey!
To complete the Flying Scotsman cover, the following morning before starting my return journey to London, I made my way to Royal Mail’s Edinburgh Postmarking Office to have the second cancellation applied to a set of Scottish Royal Mail Definitive Stamps – this Edinburgh postmark was dated 25th February.
Applying the Edinburgh postmark dated 25th February
Due to the cover’s uniqueness and the fact that this one-day-only journey on 24th February 2013 will never be repeated, no more covers will ever be available once all 750 have been sold.
Order your Flying Scotsman Carried Silver Coin Cover here. The accompanying Certificate of Authenticity confirms it is one of just 750 that travelled from London to Edinburgh on the exact anniversary date.
For a full range of Flying Scotsman Commemoratives – click here.
“Penny not at top of agenda” – President Obama joins the debate
The man responsible for the world’s biggest economy blamed too many more pressing issues when questioned on why the US is still spending millions minting its penny when other countries have got rid of it.
Should the US Penny stay or go?
But during the recent online Q & A, President Barack Obama did give his strongest hint yet that it might be time for America’s lowest value coin – which costs 2.4 cents to produce and circulate – to go once and for all.
Drop the penny and save a mint?
In 2009, the US Government lost nearly £20m minting its one-cent coins. That figure had trebled to almost £60m just two years later. At a time of global recession, many argue that ditching the penny would be an obvious cost-cutting measure. Like many others around the world, the UK included, the US penny can’t even buy itself.
Not a top priority
But is it quite as simple as that? Obama may be President of the world’s most powerful nation but even he needs legislation from Congress who, not surprisingly, has other more important things to do. And should the penny go, the five cent Nickel coin would be used more and that costs nearly five times more than the penny to put into circulation at 11.2 cents.
The end of the Canadian penny
As regular readers of this blog will know, should the bill ever go ahead, the US would be the latest in a long line of countries to eliminate its smallest denomination coin. Its North American neighbour stopped its production of the penny in January after more than 150 years.
But Americans it seems are just as sentimental as we Brits are about holding onto a part of our numismatic heritage – despite the fact we can do very little with our pennies but save them for a very rainy day …
Price paid for rare Australia Holey Dollar beats world record
A new record was set earlier this month when one of Australia’s oldest surviving coins, the famous Holey Dollar, was sold at a Melbourne auction house to a private collector for a staggering AUS$495,000, beating the previous record of AUS$485,000 set in 2011.
Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)
The coin above is very similar to the one sold at auction recently
The fascinating 200 year-old history behind the Holey Dollar – so-called because of the distinctive hole in its centre – has captured the imagination of collectors not just in Australia but worldwide.
Brilliant but simple
In 1813, to combat a local currency shortage, the Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie came up with a cunning plan. Enlisting the services of a convicted forger William Henshall, Macquarie ordered the middle of 40,000 coins to be punched out and inscribed with a crown – this became known as the ‘Dump’.
He then stamped the outer ring – the ‘Holey Dollar’ – with the words ‘New South Wales’ and the year of issue. The point being that the two pieces had a higher collective value and so were worth more if they stayed as one whole coin in Australia than individually overseas. Problem solved.
One of the finest examples
The coin sold at auction in Melbourne had been minted in 1813 from a Spanish Silver Dollar that had been struck at the Lima Mint in 1805. Out of a very limited number known to have survived, the one sold recently is thought to be among the finest examples.
Very few known to have survived
The Holey Dollar and Dump was withdrawn from circulation in 1829 and most were shipped to London to be melted down or sold off as bullion silver.
Of those that survived, there are now only some 300 left, of which 200 are in private hands. They are among Australia’s rarest legal tender coins and on the rare occasion they come up for auction, they attract considerable interest. The question now is how long before this new record is broken?