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Bicycles on stamps

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Cuba special delivery 1899

The depiction of bicycles on stamps began in 1899 with a Cuban special delivery stamp, although unofficial (local or cinderella) issues had been previously released in Germany (1887/8), in the United States (1894),[1] and in Australia (1896).[2] The number of bicycle-related postal items (stamps, postal stationery, etc.) exceeds 30,000 as of 2024.[3] As a thematic topic, bicycles are notable for the wide variety of subjects that they are used to illustrate.[4]

Definition

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India cycle rickshaw 2017
Albania Think Green 2016
Germany Olympic velodrome 1972

The definition of what constitutes a bicycle stamp is open to interpretation.[5][6][7] A bicycle stamp[Note 1] has one or more of the following characteristics:

  • It depicts a human-powered cycling machine. This includes a whole (or part of) bicycles, tricycles, unicycles, toy cycles, tandems, rickshaws, exercise/standing bicycles, etc. It excludes powered or unpowered wheelchairs and motor-driven or motor-assisted cycling machines, e.g. motorcycles, mopeds.[Note 2]
  • It depicts a bicycle or cyclist in a social context. For example, a cyclist in a street scene, cycling as an energy-efficient, green, mode of transport, or cycling promoting road safety.
  • It depicts a building used specifically for cycling sport, i.e. a velodrome.
  • It depicts a person notable for being a cyclist, e.g. a winner of the Tour de France, or cycling events at the Olympic Games.
  • It depicts the process of manufacturing a bicycle, or a notable bicycle manufacturer (individual or firm).
  • It depicts the word "bicycle" in the local language, even if the image of a bicycle is not included. The word triathlon without an image of a bicycle is excluded.

The following types of material are excluded (although they may also be collected by bicycle stamp enthusiasts):

  • Postal stationery, e.g. a postcard depicting a bicycle with a non-bicycle stamp affixed.
  • Cinderella, local, private or personal issues, i.e. unofficial stamps.
  • Non-postal stamps, e.g. revenue stamps such as the French 1940s "Impôt sur les vélocipèdes".[8]
  • Stamps issued by non-existing/unrecognized countries and/or in excess of actual postal requirements.

Early issues

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The first bicycle stamp of the 20th century was a 1900 stamp issued for local postal delivery during the siege of Mafeking, depicting Cadet Sgt. Major Goodyear on a bicycle.[9] The United States issued a special delivery bicycle messenger stamp in 1902. Bulgaria issued a cycling stamp as part of a set commemorating the Balkan games of 1931. In 1935 the USSR issued a bicycle stamp to commemorate the World Spartacist Games. Denmark issued a stamp showing King Christian X on horseback as part of his silver jubilee celebrations in 1937; in the background of the street scene are three cyclists.

These early issues illustrate the wide variety of subjects depicted on bicycle stamps.

  • Siege of Mafeking local stamp 1900
    Siege of Mafeking local stamp 1900
  • United States special delivery bicycle messenger stamp 1902
    United States special delivery bicycle messenger stamp 1902
  • Bulgaria Balkan games racing cyclists stamp 1931
    Bulgaria Balkan games racing cyclists stamp 1931
  • USSR World Spartacist Games 1935
    USSR World Spartacist Games 1935
  • Denmark street scene 1937
    Denmark street scene 1937

Depiction of cycle sports

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Bulgaria Balkan Games 1947

Cycle sports include:

Depiction of non-sport uses

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India road safety 1991
Finland commercial delivery 1979

Subjects depicted on non-sport bicycle stamps include:

Bibliography

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  • Sudbury, Ronald F. (1976). The bicycle and the postage stamp. Batley: Harry Hayes. p. 62. ISBN 9780905222141.
  • Sudbury, Ronald F. (1981). Stamp collecting for the cyclist. Batley: Harry Hayes. p. 60. ISBN 9780905222424.
  • Mangin, Jean-Pierre; Geslin, René (1988). Le cycle et la poste (in French). Bar le Duc: J.-P. Mangin. p. 319. OCLC 465817564.
  • Gindling, Dan (1997). Bicycle stamps: bikes and cycling on the world's postage stamps. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International. p. 144. ISBN 9780933201781.

Notes

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  1. ^ A perfin meeting one or more of the characteristics is a valid bicycle stamp.
  2. ^ Some collectors believe that the existence of human-powered parts, such as pedals and a bicycle chain, in the pictured bicycle should make the image acceptable as a bicycle stamp, even if the machine is power-assisted.

References

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  1. ^ Lowell, B. Cooper (1982). The Fresno and San Francisco bicycle mail of 1894. Louisville, KY: Hartmann. p. 134. ISBN 9780917528057.
  2. ^ "History of the Bicycle Stamp" (PDF). New York Times - 1896. 1899-05-09. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  3. ^ Rehm, Arnoldt. "Welcome". Bicycle Philately. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  4. ^ "What to collect?". Bicycle Stamps Club. 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  5. ^ Malone, Steve (1996). Illustrated bikes on stamps. Reprinted from Bicycling Magazine, April, 1995. p. 148.
  6. ^ Rehm, Arnoldt. "What is a "bicycle stamp"?". Bicycle Philately. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  7. ^ Wiedman, Carl S. (1990). "Bicycles on postage stamps". The Canadian Philatelist. 41 (1): 30–36. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  8. ^ Salmon, Guy (1990). "An update on some French timbres fiscaux" (PDF). Bicycle Stamps Club Magazine (BS 8): 18. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  9. ^ Schapefhouman, Bert (1991). "Mafeking: The Mafeking Blues" (PDF). Bicycle Stamps Club Magazine (BS 11A): 11–15. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
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