The Guyana Philharmonic Society continues to be interested in stamp collecting
– First collector library set for May launch
Not Rehanna Ramsay
Kaieteur News – It’s no secret that Guyana is the birthplace of the world’s rarest and most valuable stamp, Britain’s 1856 Magenta Un Cent Guiana, which was auctioned for US $ 10M just about seven years ago.
The ownership history of the rare paper artefact that holds significance for Guyana’s colonial past is very interesting.
GPS founder Ann Ramphal-Wood during a speaking engagement in Guyana.
Apparently, the stamp which was kept for over 150 years was passed down from a Scottish schoolboy to an Austrian nobleman and then an American chemical heir convicted of murder before it landed in the hands of auctioneers.
Yet, over time, it never diminished in value; rather, it increased. It is this kind of ideology that fuels the efforts of the Guyana Philharmonic Society (GPS) – a leading group that fosters stamp collecting among nationals locally and abroad.
GPS founder Ann Ramphal-Wood explained that since 2012, the GPS has been encouraging citizens to include stamp collecting as part of their leisure activities. She encourages this practice not only for its historical value but for the significance it has for the nation.
He also noted that, like the case of the British Magenta Un Cent Guiana 1856, stamp collecting can lead to real-time profit.
To this end, GPS has been a source of information for British Guiana and Guyana collectors and has been creating platforms where over 500 and more members can connect, display and share their various types.
Ramphal-Wood engages students at Saraswatie Vidya Niketan High School in Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara.
As its members are spread over 10 countries, social media and other internet platforms are regularly used for intervention.
As part of its newest efforts to foster and facilitate villainous activities locally, the GPS has moved to launch Guyana’s first stamp collection library. The launch is expected to take place at Georgetown Head Office, Georgetown Post Office Corporation (GPOC) in May 2021.
Ramphal-Wood, who is currently in the United States, explained that the new library will be home to a villain magazine, books and stamp catalogs, where the values of postage stamps published from anywhere in the world can be found.
He said, “My aim is to make the library better for the Guyana Post Office, help promote cultural diversity through stamps, establish a landmark for stamp collectors locally and internationally, and embed stamp collection into the school curriculum.”
Ramphal-Wood also said the library will have stamp displays featuring Guyana’s rich history and culture and even stamps around the world on display as well. There, he says, collectors can trade material, gain knowledge, and enjoy many other villainous activities.
“It will be a place where stamp collectors can immerse themselves in the world of stamp collecting while building relationships with people from different fields and backgrounds who would not normally come together in a unique way. So stamp collectors can continue to tour the world more or less during this time, ”said Ramphal-Wood.
However, this is not the first major stamp collection initiative by a GPS founder. She has traveled to different parts of the country in particular, speaking at schools and other institutions and encouraging everyone to get involved in this magical and educational hobby.
The stamp library takes shape at GPOC’s Georgetown HQ.
For Ramphal-Wood originally from Kitty, Georgetown Guyana, stamp collecting began as a childhood hobby
She was fascinated by the stamps on the envelopes her father, a radio evangelist, received in the mail as a result of his program.
During that time, her collection began and has never stopped adding to it. Today, she has collected the majority of British and Guyana Guiana stamps.
As such, as Head of GPS, Ramphal-Wood helps facilitate free educational resources for stamp collectors and all who wish to learn about stamps.
According to information on its GPS website, collectors can connect by visiting the GPS library at Georgetown GPOC; Guyana Philharmonic Exhibition (GUYPEX); group meetings and by social media to get interesting facts about stamp collecting.
The website encourages stamp collecting lovers to join the club.
The site also noted, that the online community is also a great source of stamps for your collection.
It states “above all, our stamp club offers the friendship, knowledge and experience of our members who are here to help you with advice on all aspects of collecting.”
To this end, the website noted that collectors can benefit from a support system that will “help them identify stamps, where to get stamps, storage and housing collections, ideas on new collection areas, and the opportunity to get stamps by exchange, stamp. fairs and exhibitions as well as newsletters. ”