January 23 Marks the Birth of Film Legend Humphrey Bogart - Today in History Through Collectibles

Many of the items that collectors on Colnect collect are in fact associated with certain historical events that have taken place over time. This applies especially to Stamps, Phone Cards, Coins and Banknotes. To commemorate these special historical events, countries release special issues of these items that depict images and information relevant to these events.

Through our “Today in History Through Collectibles” Blog we will highlight special events in history by featuring Collectible items from our Colnect Catalogs that are associated with historical events that took place on specific days in history.

Casablanca is widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever made, and on January 23, 1899 Humphrey Bogart - the lead man in the historic movie - was born.



Colnect proudly features a gorgeous stamp in its gargantuan collection that the Republic of Equatorial Guinea released in tribute to Bogart and in Homage to the great film Casablanca.

Though there is some controversy surrounding Bogart's actual date of birth, it most likely fell on the twenty third of January. Many believed it to be December 25, 1899 until it was alleged that this was a Hollywood ploy by Warner Brothers studio to romanticize the star. His birth certificate is not on record.

The stamp itself was good for a value of 100 FCFA, or Central African CFA Franc, and its amazing detail cannot be overlooked. The impactful scene of Bogart's former love requesting a song from the piano man is true to the black and white film and is outlined in blue.

Bogart is center stage in the stamp, as he was in films such as the Maltese Falcon and The African Queen, which are also held in high regard by movie enthusiasts of all ages. Colnect's catalogs contain numerous treasures to behold, and this is a prime example.

Postcard Recalls the First British Parliament Meeting of January 20 - Today in History Through Collectibles

Many of the items that collectors on Colnect collect are in fact associated with certain historical events that have taken place over time. This applies especially to Stamps, Phone Cards, Coins and Banknotes. To commemorate these special historical events, countries release special issues of these items that depict images and information relevant to these events.

Through our “Today in History Through Collectibles” Blog we will highlight special events in history by featuring Collectible items from our Colnect Catalogs that are associated with historical events that took place on specific days in history.

On January 20, 1265, the very first Parliament met in England's tremendous Palace of Westminster, as the people of the nation began to vie with the monarch for representation. The eighth Earl of Leicester, Simon de Montfort, called a meeting labeled "Parliament" to negotiate peace terms with the king, Henry III, who had lost a war to Montfort.



Colnect and its many collectors harbor many treasures of history in its vaults of iconic collectibles, and the gorgeous British post card of Parliament Square is no exception.

This iconic date, January twentieth, is seen as the first mention of the word "Parliament" and also the first semblance of what would become the modern government House of Parliament, as there were representatives from each county and burgesses from the cities and towns.

The postcard captures the amazing architecture of the buildings making up the Palace of Westminster - that are now also known as the Houses of Parliament or the Parliament building - that were to become home to Parliament from this date in 1265 up to the present day.

Note the unique and regal buttresses and the great tower featuring the Big Ben clock that was added on in the nineteenth century. The rich color and detail of the photograph that is used really emanates warmth and the glory of the locale in London.

There are myriad postcards featured on Colnect's vast catalog, and this is a prime example of a rare beauty that can culminate history, tourism, politics, and artwork in one special item.

January 16 Stamp Commerates "Superman" Comic Strip Debut - Today in History Through Collectibles

Many of the items that collectors on Colnect collect are in fact associated with certain historical events that have taken place over time. This applies especially to Stamps, Phone Cards, Coins and Banknotes. To commemorate these special historical events, countries release special issues of these items that depict images and information relevant to these events.

Through our “Today in History Through Collectibles” Blog we will highlight special events in history by featuring Collectible items from our Colnect Catalogs that are associated with historical events that took place on specific days in history.

On January 16, 1939, with the "Action Comics" comic book hero Superman's popularity steadily gaining, artist Joe Shuster and writer Jerry Siegel began the amazingly successful daily newspaper comic strip Superman to introduce broad audiences to the famous character.



Colnect features this iconic collectible in the Superman comic strip stamp. Though it is seventy three years after the Man of Steel began gracing newspapers nationwide, Superman is still one of the premier super heroes in popular culture worldwide. This strip was featured in over three hundred newspapers in the United States, and at its height boasted a readership of over twenty million.

In the early 1930's Siegel and Shuster changed their character to be more legendary and, in short, to make him a super hero. His costume was then crafted to be eye catching, as the Red "S" and the yellow and blue suit made Superman larger than life. They helped to invent the super hero genre of story-telling.

The actual stamp is one of Colnect's vast collectible catalog, and is a gorgeous reproduction of Clark Kent tearing open his disguise to become Superman in the strip. His face is dead-set on righting a wrong and helping those in need. January 16 was the start of a magical transformation of Superman becoming an icon known by nearly every household in the US. Be sure to look for other treasured rarities on Colnect.

January 13 Marks Simon Bolivar as El Libertador - Today in History Through Collectibles

Many of the items that collectors on Colnect collect are in fact associated with certain historical events that have taken place over time. This applies especially to Stamps, Phone Cards, Coins and Banknotes. To commemorate these special historical events, countries release special issues of these items that depict images and information relevant to these events.

Through our “Today in History Through Collectibles” Blog we will highlight special events in history by featuring Collectible items from our Colnect Catalogs that are associated with historical events that took place on specific days in history.

Latin America's chief liberator, Simon Bolivar, successfully administered political and military leadership in order to free the nations that would become Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Panama from the rule of the Spanish Empire by January of 1825, and the beautiful depiction of El Libertador's legend is immortalized on the Angel Zeballos Simon Bolivar postcard.



Colnect's vast array of collectibles features this gorgeous Venezuelan postcard that reproduces the artist Angel Zeballos's famous portrait of Simon Bolivar. He is often shown with the sword, as he fought alongside soldiers in Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Venezuela against the Spaniards on his way to uniting the region, albeit for a short time, in the Pan-American Republic of Colombia.

The actual man was not just a military strategist, but also a fierce politician who used his intellect and belief to instill democratic ideologies and free the heart of Latin America from the colonial power of Spain, which is why he is also depicted in the postcard's portrait as writing at a desk.



Bolivar's letters are widely considered to be insights into his thoughts of republican values, including the "Carta de Jamaica" letter, and his adept use of the Spanish language marked him as a military hero that was also a learned man of education.

Though the united region of the Republic of Colombia disintegrated after Bolivar's resignation of the presidency on January 29, 1830, the legacy of El Libertador who instilled Latin American pride and freedom in the people of the Americas is a highly regarded one to this day. This postcard is one of numerous highlights that grace the Colnect Catalogs.

January 8 Celebration of "with The Beatles" Stamp - Today in History Through Collectibles

Many of the items that collectors on Colnect collect are in fact associated with certain historical events that have taken place over time. This applies especially to Stamps, Phone Cards, Coins and Banknotes. To commemorate these special historical events, countries release special issues of these items that depict images and information relevant to these events.

Through our “Today in History Through Collectibles” Blog we will highlight special events in history by featuring Collectible items from our Colnect Catalogs that are associated with historical events that took place on specific days in history.

On the 8th of January in 1966 the Beatles single "We Can Work it Out" went Number One on the pop charts, and forty one years later Great Britain issued a British penny stamp titled "with The Beatles" to commemorate one of the greatest musical outfits of the twentieth century in print.



Colnect's rare catalog of collectibles features the January 7, 1997 issued British Beatles stamp in all of its historic glory. The band's single remained atop the charts for another three weeks beyond January 8, but the legend that came to surround the brilliant quartet, beginning with their early work, would capture their genius and project them as timeless.

The stamp itself is highly decorative and unusual in its uneven perforation that gives the effect of there being a stack of infamous Beatles records. The top album is an early one in black and white, but there is a gorgeous smattering of color above and behind the record, and these others are perfect representations of the LPs that changed the world.

The Beatles continue to influence and shape the musical universe in the twenty first century, and their history of sensuous melodies and innovative ventures is surely a welcome addition to any collection. This stamp captures a moment in time, and there are myriad moments of similar fortitude that grace Colnect's collectibles.

Belgium's January 5th Transportation Telecard - Today in History Through Collectibles

Many of the items that collectors on Colnect collect are in fact associated with certain historical events that have taken place over time. This applies especially to Stamps, Phone Cards, Coins and Banknotes. To commemorate these special historical events, countries release special issues of these items that depict images and information relevant to these events.

Through our “Today in History Through Collectibles” Blog we will highlight special events in history by featuring Collectible items from our Colnect Catalogs that are associated with historical events that took place on specific days in history.

Seventeen years after this gorgeous Bastogne Transportation Ticket was issued in Belgium, the date of the rare collectible reflects back, as an exciting piece of history where nearly one hundred years ago the Austria-Hungary army attacked the Balkan state of Montenegro on January 5, 1916.



In 1995, this Belgium parking permit sold for twenty five Euro, but at Colnect the Euro-based item is immortalized as a European symbol of unification that was lacking in the winter of 1916. Less than two years prior to the attack on the Montenegro region, the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by Serbian nationalists setting off the powder-keg that would become World War I.



The royal red, blue, and gold mark the Bastogne ticket as a artistic right of passage and parking in the Belgium state.

The German states, like the Belgium region, allied themselves with Austrian forces and formed much of the Central Powers during the Great War that would cause strife across all of Europe, ripping the continent apart.

This rare piece, featuring a crowned crest and shield was good for up to fifty hours of parking in Belgium on January 5, 1995, and it is also one of Colnect's many collectibles that can be viewed through the massive catalog.

China's 1985 White Elephant New Year Stamp - Today in History Through Collectibles

Many of the items that collectors on Colnect collect are in fact associated with certain historical events that have taken place over time. This applies especially to Stamps, Phone Cards, Coins and Banknotes. To commemorate these special historical events, countries release special issues of these items that depict images and information relevant to these events.

Through our “Today in History Through Collectibles” Blog we will highlight special events in history by featuring Collectible items from our Colnect Catalogs that are associated with historical events that took place on specific days in history.

China's celebration of the New Year often invokes an animal - the year of the Rabbit begins on February 14, 2012 - that is attributed to the annual period, but on January 1, 1985 the mythic Kings on White Elephant stamp was issued on the world's New Year.



The stamp's beautiful display of an ardent world myth encompasses Indra, or Pinyan in China, and is just one of the innumerable historic pieces that are featured on Colnect in the rare collectibles database.

Indran is the God of Weather and War, and is widely considered the King of Gods, or at least of demi-gods, in China, Asia and Europe. The gorgeous stamp is rich in color and detail and features worshipers and kings riding the back of the great Indo-European entity. Indra, who is a symbol of power, is depicted as an enormous white elephant complete with tusks and regal dressings that adorn a head and a boat-like object seating the people on its back.

The White Elephant stamp emerged in China on New Years day twenty-seven years ago, and is surely an excellent rarity to collect if you enjoy bringing a little history into the New Year. The Colnect Catalogs have a vast array of historic treasures waiting to be found.

Classic Bottle Caps with Coca-Cola’s “Christmas Coke" Bottles Re-Patented on December 25, 1923 - Today in History Through Collectibles

Many of the items that collectors on Colnect collect are in fact associated with certain historical events that have taken place over time. This applies especially to Stamps, Phone Cards, Coins and Banknotes. To commemorate these special historical events, countries release special issues of these items that depict images and information relevant to these events.

Through our “Today in History Through Collectibles” Blog we will highlight special events in history by featuring Collectible items from our Colnect Catalogs that are associated with historical events that took place on specific days in history.

This December, on Christmas, marks the 88th anniversary of the Coca-Cola re-patent, through which Coke stamped December 25 on the Classic glass vessels that were later dubbed the “Christmas Coke" bottles by many avid collectors of Coca-Cola memorabilia and their Classic Coke bottle caps.



At Colnect there is a beautiful array of the Coca-Cola Classic bottle caps amongst our vast catalog of rare collectibles.

The story of Coke’s infamous dated bottles bolstered the company’s sales and forever linked them closely with the holiday, as many Coca-Cola Christmas advertisements began, and they have continued on for decades in the US and around the world.

The Classic red and silver cap design, in particular, became Coke’s biggest thematic element, as the flowing script amongst the classic, sleek, and yet always modern red, white,and silver cast the soda company into a collector’s Americana category. And this remarkable look has appeared in the majority of Coke’s marketing, as well as in their holiday advertising because the red and white coke elements work wonderfully with any Christmas aesthetic.

The ribbed hobble skirt design for the glass Coke bottles was agreed upon, as was the metal bottle caps (rubber stoppers had been used in prior years), and the company re-patented this, receiving a December 25, 1923 date for it. The Classic Coca-Cola “Christmas Coke" bottles were then stamped with this date for years to come.

The Classic Coke bottle caps are extremely collectible and showcase a design that has become a legend over its near one hundred years in existence. These bottle caps are an inspiring and featured member of the Colnect bottle cap catalog that is well worth visiting.

FAST New Servers! :)

We're pleased to announce that we've now deployed new server for Colnect. These machines are MUCH FASTER than what we've been using before. Hopefully, you will all feel the speed improvement. The other important thing is that Colnect will now be able to properly handle the surge in traffic. As more and more collectors join Colnect, it's becoming more and more a bountiful resource for all collectors around the world. You're naturally most welcome to invite all your collector friends to join us.

Rarity Score - Unique New Feature on Colnect

Colnect is currently implementing a system for rating the rarity of actual items featured by attributed collectors on the site. Rarity Scores would harness the ability to determine just how rare an item actually is amidst the expert Colnect collectors.



This score stands to weigh the Colnect inventory of collectors who have said items against how many are also seeking them. In this way, the more common items would appear as such, with appropriate values given them.

Should the Score take into account the fact that a particular item's condition is listed as Mint or as Used? A feature like this could differentiate the rarest of the rare. Should the credibility of the Collectors that are on Colnect be a factor? New Colnect users should almost certainly have to be marked as such, as current users get great feedback for their work, trading, and collections over time.

Colnect already features an intuitive Collector Ratings system, so that collectors are proven by their activity and collection sharing to be honest and upstanding.

One of the goals of the Rarity Score at Colnect is to provide collectors with a go-to reference guide that can help place value on collectibles. Colnect's adept use of Collector Ratings, the way that Collectibles are featured, and the way in which desired items are placed in a Wish List and collectors' items that are available are placed in a Swap category already makes for an extremely useful guide, while continuing to connect the world's brilliant collectors and their collections in the ultimate networking experience.

The Rarity Score can greatly bolster Colnect.

Anyone that has any input or suggestions as to how Colnect can make the transition from the already well organized catalog system to one that is also including Rarity Scores would be appreciated. There is an ongoing forum on the Rarity here.

Today In History Through Collectibles - 16 December

Many of the items that collectors on Colnect collect are in fact associated with certain historical events that have taken place over time. This applies especially to Stamps, Phone Cards, Coins and Banknotes. To commemorate these special historical events, countries release special issues of these items that depict images and information relevant to these events.

Through our “Today in History Through Collectibles” Blog we will highlight special events in history by featuring Collectible items from our Colnect Catalogs that are associated with historical events that took place on specific days in history.

16 DECEMBER 1773 : THE "BOSTON TEA PARTY" TOOK PLACE

On this day in 1773, a group of colonists from Massachusetts who were disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded and raided three British tea ships at the Boston Harbour and proceeded to dump 342 chests of tea into the harbour.  This was popularly known as "The Boston Tea Party".

This midnight raid was in protest of the British Parliament's Tea Act of 1773, which was favouring the East India Company by lowering its tea tax and granting it monopoly of the American tea trade.

As soon as the three ships known as the Dartmouth, the Elanor, and the Beaver, arrived at Boston Harbour carrying the tea, the colonists were outraged and demanded that it be returned to England.  This request was refused by the Massachusetts Governor, Thomas Hutchinson and as revenge Samuel Adams, the Patriot leader organised the "tea party".

About 60 members of the Sons of Liberty resistance group  dumped $18,000 worth of tea into the Boston Harbour on the night of 16 December 1773.

The Boston Tea Party was an important event in the growth of the American Revolution. Parliament responded to the destruction of British property by implementing Coercive Acts which also resulted in the closure of Boston's commerce until such time that the British East India Company were reimbursed their losses.  This resulted in more protest actions by the colonists and the crises escalated resulting in the start of the American Revolutionary War in 1775.

Collectibles on Colnect that Commemmorate This Day in History:

➢ STAMPS:

 In 1973 a set of se-tenant stamps was issued in the United States to commemorate the "Boston Tea Party":

HAPPY COLLECTING!!! :)

14 December, AMUNDSEN REACHES SOUTH POLE - Today in History Through Collectibles

Many of the items that collectors on Colnect collect are in fact associated with certain historical events that have taken place over time. This applies especially to Stamps, Phone Cards, Coins and Banknotes. To commemorate these special historical events, countries release special issues of these items that depict images and information relevant to these events.
Through our “Today in History Through Collectibles” Blog we will highlight special events in history by featuring Collectible items from our Colnect Catalogs that are associated with historical events that took place on specific days in history.

14 DECEMBER 1911 : AMUNDSEN REACHES SOUTH POLE
Norwegian Roald Amundsen became the first explorer to reach the South Pole by beating his British rival, Robert Falcon Scott.

Roald Amundsen born in Borge, near Oslo - Norway, in 1872. He was one of the heroes in polar exploration.
Amundsen planned to be the first man to reach the North Pole, and was about to embark on his mission in 1909 when he was informed that the American Robert Peary had already achieved the feat. He instead sailed for Antarctica in June 1910, where Robert F. Scott, the English explorer was also headed with the same aim of reaching the South Pole. Amundsen sailed his ship into Antarctica's Bay of Whales early in 1911 where he set up his base camp closer to the pole than Scott. Both explorers set off in October – Amundsen used sleigh dogs while Scott used Siberian motor sledges, Siberian ponies, and dogs. Amundsen's expedition won the race to the South Pole on 14 December 1911 and he returned safely to base camp in late January.

Scott's expedition was marred by misfortunate. His team reached the pole on 18 January 1912 only to find that Amundsen had preceded them by over a month.

Amundsen established a successful shipping business after his historic Antarctic journey. He later made attempts to become the first explorer to fly over the North Pole. In 1925 he flew within 150 miles of the goal, but in1926 he succeeded and he passed over the North Pole in a dirigible just three days after American explorer Richard E. Byrd had apparently done so in an aircraft. A diary that Byrd had kept on the flight was however found in 1996 that suggested that the he had to turn back 150 miles short of his goal due to an oil leak. This thus confirms that Amundsen's dirigible expedition was in fact the first flight over the North Pole.

Amundsen disappeared on June 18, 1928 while trying to rescue a fellow explorer whose new airship Italia had crashed at sea near Spitsbergen, Norway while returning from the North Pole. It is believed that the plane Amundsen was in crashed in fog in the Barents Sea, and that he was killed in the crash, or died shortly afterwards. His body was never found.


Collectibles on Colnect that Commemorate This Day in History:

➢ COINS:
Russia issued a silver coin in 1995 in their Expedition & Exploration series to honor this great man.

➢ PHONECARDS:
This is another of the Norway Phonecards that honour Roald Amundsen:

➢ STAMPS:
Several countries have honoured this noble man by featuring Amundsen on stamps:

HAPPY COLLECTING . . . :)