The first day cover of the Graf Zeppelin Peacetime Flights to Britain stamp (click on the image to view a larger image)
Zeppelin airships, especially the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin, were very popular topics of stamps in the 1930's. Zeppelins were so popular that countries issued Zeppelin stamps decades after the airships had stopped flying. Some countries, most notably Tannu Tuva, North Korea, Mongolia, Madagascar, Chad, and the Central African Republic, issued Zeppelin stamps even though the famous airships never visited them.
Aerophilately is one of my interests, so Transcamster Bog is issuing a stamp to commemorate the Graf Zeppelin's visits to Britain. These visits included flying over Scotland in 1930 and 1931 (the Orkney Islands, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh).
According to the now defunct website www.airshipsonline.com, the Graf Zeppelin visited Britain ten times between October 3, 1928 and July 2, 1932. These flights were not the first time that Zeppelins had visited Britain. Zeppelins bombed Britain, mostly in London, from 1915 to 1917 in World War I. However, the Graf Zeppelin came in peace between 1928 and 1932.
The stamp shows the Graf Zeppelin flying towards Tower Bridge on its last flight out of London on July 3, 1932. The photo is not historical, though. Instead, I created it by combining my own photo of Tower Bridge with an old photo of the Graf Zeppelin.
The stamp is imperforate and ungummed (requires glue).
Transcamster Bog stamps are available on eBay, with sales in U.S. dollars on U.S. eBay and sales in U.K. pounds on U.K. eBay:
If you want to buy in U.S. dollars and add different items to the cart, click here and look for sales in U.S. dollars:
If you want to buy in U.K. pounds and add different items to the cart, click here and look for sales in U.K. pounds:
Or send me an email at dmakTO@rogers.com for information on how to purchase stamps and covers.
Flights of the Graf Zeppelin to Britain (from www.airshipsonline.com):
1. October 3, 1928
Overflown Lowestoft as part of 5th trial flight
3. April 26, 1930
Flight to Cardington and return
Overflight of the Orkney Islands, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh
4. June 30, 1931
Overflight of Great Yarmouth, Cromer, up to Edinburgh, then the Orkney Islands
5. August 18, 1931
Flight to London
6. July 18-19, 1931
Round Britain Flight
7. August 19, 1931
Return Flight - London - Friedrichshafen
8. July 2, 1932
Second Flight to London
9. July 2, 1932
Second Round Britain Flight
10. July 3, 1932
Return Flight - London - Friedrichshafen
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