Seismic Philately

Seismic Philately

adapted from the 2008 CUREE Calendar introduction by David J. Leeds

Stamps shown on front cover (left to right): • Label created by Chicago businessmen to help raise relief for the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake • Stamp commemorating the 1944 San Juan, Argentina Earthquake • Stamp commemorating the 1954 Orleansville, Algeria Earthquake • Stamp commemorating the 1953 Zante, Greece Earthquake • Stamp from 75th Anniversary stamp set commemorating the 1931 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand Earthquake • Stamp depicting a lake formed by a landslide triggered by the 1923 Kanto, Japan Earthquake

Consortium of Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering

1301 South 46th Street, Richmond, CA 94804-4600 tel: 510-665-3529 fax: 510-665-3622

CUREE

http://www.curee.org

Seismic Philately

by David J. Leeds

Introduction

of the Secretary of the Treasury, and as a last resort, bisected stamps could be used for half their face value. (see March)
Philately is simply the collection and the study of postage stamps. Some stamp collectors (philatelists) collect only from their native country, others collect from the stamp-issuing countries around the world. Other philately collections are defined by topic, such as waterfalls, bridges, men with beards, nudes, maps, flowers, presidents, Americans on foreign stamps, etc. Many of the world’s stamps that are related to the topic of earthquakes have been compiled in this publication.
FDC, first day cover, or Covers, are sometimes created to commerate the first day a new stamp is issued. As part of the presentation, an envelope with the new postage stamp is cancelled on the first day of issue. Additional information and/or artwork, called a cachet, may be included.

Free Franking is where no stamps are required to indicate postage paid. This is done by order of the post office department, or other agency, usually following a disaster, when access to post offices is limited. An example of this is shown for the San Francisco 1906 Earthquake (April). Due to the damage to post offices, and their limited access by the public, free mail was accepted for about three weeks after the earthquake. Congress and other Federal agencies use this term, but their free franked envelopes are actually prepaid.
Earthquakes impact philately in two major ways. First is the transient effect of shaking, which disturbs or damages the physical postal system and interferes with its operation. During this initial period, while repairs and reconstruction are underway, we may find free stampless mail, covers and cards flown on emergency flights, and other makeshift arrangements that mark the event. The other more lasting impact is on the production of commemorative stamps, fund- raising semi-postal stamps, and postal tax stamps. Examples of all of the above are shown on pages of this calendar.

Postal Tax Stamps are small denomination stamps that indicate a tax above the regular postal rate was paid; usually required on all mail issued on a particular day or for a few days only. In some Arab countries, the tax is restricted to the issuing country and other Arab countries. Examples are shown, mostly from Lebanon.
Philatelists have their own vocabulary that may need explanation. Cachet refers to the printed or hand-stamped information on a cover. It may be official, confirming mail service, or a decoration supplying information (see February airmail envelope from Antarctica ).

Labels are non-denominated adhesives (stamps) issued by nongovernmental agencies. They look like stamps but have no real franking value. Examples would be the several labels issued by the Japanese Women’s Club of LosAngeles for the 1923 Tokyo Earthquake (September), the Chicago Business Association stamp issued for the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake (April), or the 1907 triangle label issued by the Massachusetts Red Cross for the Messina, Italy Earthquake (December).
Control Overprints: Many LatinAmerican countries issue commemorative stamps with published periods of validity. These may run for days, weeks, or even a year. At the end of the period of validity the stamps will no longer be accepted for use. Authorities may extend the period by overprinting the stamps with the word “HABILITADA” which means re-habilitated, or acceptable for use. In 1931 in Managua, Nicaragua after the earthquake, the post office vaults were broken open and huge quantities of stamps were stolen. To avert a shortage of stock, everything on hand not stolen (including demonetized stamps) were overprinted, either with “1931” or the signature Perforations are the tiny holes that make individual separation easy. There About the author are other means of separation such as roulette, a process by which paper is slit between stamps to make their separation easier, and die cut, where Following his graduation from the machines are used to cut out each stamp, such as in self-adhesive stamps University of T e xas in 1939, the first that have a backing. Imperforate indicates the absence of these little experience in engineering and seismology helpers. The most important example is the issue of Japan’s 1923 Dragonfly of David Leeds was in gravity and seismic (September). The roof of the factory building collapsed on the gumming exploration on the U. S. Gulf Coast. He and perforating machinery in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. For the entered the U.S. Air Corp in 1942, and is first time since Japan’s first stamp issue in 1871, the stamp was printed currently a retired Lt. Colonel devoting most without perforations or gum.

of his time to his hobby, philately (stamp collecting.)

David J. Leeds

Postage Due Stamps are special stamps affixed by the Post Office to letters

to collect sums upon delivery for deficient (not prepaid) or insufficient M r . L eeds coined the title “Engineering

postage. In certain cases there is a fine fixed at twice the deficiency. Portugal Seismologist,” a profession he has practiced since joining the USC&GC

issued double face value postage due stamps to be used for the improper (United States Coast and Geodetic Survey) Seismological Field Survey, use of the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake Commemorative (November). The Strong Motion Program in 1948 as a geophysicist. Following were

postage stamps were mandatory on certain days on the continent and in the assignments as a Research Engineer at UCLA, a geophysicist with Dames many colonies.

& Moore, independent practice, and finally, virtual retirement.
Stamps implies postage stamps, usually perforated and gummed, but The admiration in which he is held by both the earthquake and philately

almost always with a designated value.

fields is indicated by the fact that he is an Honorary Member of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), and a National Judge
Semi-Postals are stamps that are valid for postage at the standard designate of the American Philatelic Society. He has a desk full of gold awards for rate at the time of issue, plus a small additional charge. The difference exhibits of his Canal Zone stamps. He edited the journal The Canal Zone between the sales price of the stamp and the underlying postage, consists of Philatelist for about seven years, as well as EERI ’ s N ewsletter for about

a contribution to support some sort of charity, such as child welfare, postal the same period. employee pensions, Olympic stadiums, and other worthwhile causes. SemiPostals are much more common abroad. Quite a few are shown here raising funds for disaster relief.

All of the stamps shown here are from the collection of David J. Leeds and are reproduced with his permission.

A.
C.
D.
B.

A s urcharg e w a s a dde d t o p re-printe d s tamp s t o raise relief funds by adding an overprint; sometimes the overprint was inverted.

January Stamps

A. January 10, 1977 – First Day cover commemorating the Sixth World Conference on Earthquake Engineering; stamp depicts the Earth’s crust with fault and seismograph. B. Letter airmailed after the January 15, 1934 Bihar-Nepal, India Earthquake and delivered by an earthquake relief plane. C. One of the earliest semi-postal stamps issued (some were printed with an inverted overprint), benefiting the January 19, 1907 Kingston, Jamaica earthquake relief fund. D. First day covers, cache, and stamp commemorating the January 15, 1944 San Juan, Argentina Earthquake.

2008

CUREE

CONSORTIUM of UNIVERSITIES for RESEARCH in EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

JANUARY: Janus, Roman god of doors, beginnings, sunset and sunrise, had one face looking forward and one backward

January

SUNDAY

2008

SATURDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

1

2

9

3

4

5

New Year's Day

6

7

8

10

11

12

1857 Fort Tejon, CA Earthquake 1693 Sicily, Italy Earthquake

Islamic New Year (1429)

13

14

21

15

16

17

18

25
19 26

1995 Hanshin (Kobe), Japan EQ.

1994 Northridge, CA Earthquake

1915 Avezzano, Italy Earthquake

1944 San Juan, Argentina EQ

20

22

23

24

2001 Bhuj, India Earthquake 1700 Cascadia Subduction Zone,
WA Earthquake

Martin Luther King, Jr's Birthday (observed)

1999 Quindio, Columbia

Earthquake

1857 Andrija Mohorovicic born

1980 Livermore, CA Earthquake

1531 Lisbon, Portugal Earthquake

27

28

29

30

31

Sunday: Sunnenday

Monday: Monan daeg

(Anglo Saxon, monan, moon; daeg, day): the moon's day

Tuesday: Tiwes daeg

Thursday: Thursdaeg (Old Friday: Frigedaeg (Anglo

Saturday: Saeterdaeg

Wednesday: Woensdag

(Middle English transla-

tion of Greek Hemera

heliou): the sun's day

(Anglo Saxon Tiw, war

(Danish, Woen, Woden, chief English; Thorr, Icelandic, Saxon; Frige, Frigga, chief (Anglo Saxon; Saeter,

god, related to Greek god Norse god, Frigga's husband; thundergod; daeg, Anglo Norsegoddess,Woden's wife; Saturn, Roman god of time;

Zeus; daeg, day): Tiw's day dag, day): Woden's day

Saxon, day): Thor's day

daeg, day); Frigga's day

daeg, day); Saturn's day

CONSORTIUM OF UNIVERSITIES for RESEARCH in EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

CUREE

A.
B.

The Leap Year Earthquake

The red "X" indicates the destruction of the city.

E.

The cancellation stamp “U.S. Navy Operation Deepfreeze” refers to the codename for a series of US missions to Antarctica.

C.

In seismic refraction exploration, refracted seismic energy is detected by seismic receivers to produce a visual image of the subsurface structure of the earth.

The S.S. City of New Orleans was sailing upstream when the Mississippi River temporarily changed course.

D.

February Stamps

A. Feb. 18, 1968 first day cover honoring the establishment of a seismic station in Antarctica. The cachet “Byrd Land” is a humorous reference to the explorer Admiral Richard E. Byrd. B. Stamps commemorating the “leap year earthquake” Feb. 29, 1960 – Agadir, Morocco Earthquake. C. Feb. 7, 1812 the New Madrid Earthquake caused a portion of the Mississippi River to reverse its direction of flow. D. Miniature sheet showing reconstruction efforts commemorating the Feb. 4, 1976 Guatemala earthquake. E. Stamp issued in Russia showing Seismic Refraction Exploration.

2008

CUREE

FEBRUARY: On February 15 the Romans celebrated the festival of forgiveness for sins; (februare, Latin, to purify)

February

SUNDAY

2008

SATURDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

18
2

9

3

4

5

6

7

1 812 New Madrid, MO Earthquake (#3 of 3 largest 1811-1812)
1931 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand Earthquake
1663 St. Lawrence, Canada Earthquake
1971 San Fernando, CA

Earthquake

1976 Guatemala Earthquake

Chinese New Year

10 17 24

11

12

19 26
13 20

14

15

22 29
16

Valentine's Day

18

21

23

Presidents' Day

25

27

28

2001 Seattle, WA Earthquake

1990 Upland, CA Earthquake

1960 Agadir, Morocco Earthquake

Sunday: Sunnenday

Monday: Monan daeg

(Anglo Saxon, monan, moon; daeg, day): the moon's day

Tuesday: Tiwes daeg

Thursday: Thursdaeg (Old Friday: Frigedaeg (Anglo

Saturday: Saeterdaeg

Wednesday: Woensdag

(Middle English transla-

tion of Greek Hemera

heliou): the sun's day

(Anglo Saxon Tiw, war

(Danish, Woen, Woden, chief English; Thorr, Icelandic, Saxon; Frige, Frigga, chief (Anglo Saxon; Saeter,

god, related to Greek god Norse god, Frigga's husband; thundergod; daeg, Anglo Norsegoddess,Woden's wife; Saturn, Roman god of time;

Zeus; daeg, day): Tiw's day dag, day): Woden's day

Saxon, day): Thor's day

daeg, day); Frigga's day

daeg, day); Saturn's day

CONSORTIUM OF UNIVERSITIES for RESEARCH in EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

CUREE

A.

B.

(Left) The 1931 overprint distinguishes valid stamps from those that were looted from the damage d p os t o ffic e a fte r t h e e arthquake, (Center ) I mag e d epict s t h e p os t o ffic e b uildin g b efor e a nd after it was damaged by the earthquake, (Right) American performer, Will Rogers, raised money to aid relief efforts.

C.

Stamp commemorates the efforts of ham or amateur radio operators to keep communication lines open after natural disasters have taken out the usual means of communication such as phones, television, and even radio.

D.
E.

F.

This is a half stamp, used to increase supply of stamps after disasters.

The historic frigate Constitution was in Long Beach at the time of the earthquake, and later had to be dry docked to repair damage to a mast.

March Stamps

A. Stamp series printed to raise relief funds for the March 31, 1931 Managua, Nicaragua earthquake. B. Postmarkcommemorates25thanniversaryoftheestablishmentofaseismologicalstationinAnchorageAlaska and a stamp recognizing role of ham radio. C. First day cover – March 10, 1933 Long Beach Earthquake. D. Relief stamp issued for the March 1956 Lebanon earthquake. E. Stamp honoring UNDRO (United Nations Disaster Relief Organization) shows an artistic rendering of a seismogram. F. Bisected stamps sold to increase the supply of smaller denominations after the 1931 Managua, Nicaragua earthquake.

2008

CUREE

MARCH: Mars, the Roman god of war

March

SUNDAY

2008

SATURDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY