QSL Bureau Stamps Exhibition

Curated and introduced by Sue Vernall.

Overview

“My interest in and collecting of QSL stamps dates from 2006 but it is only in the last five years the interest was rekindled and collecting accelerated. The first version of a collection was shown to the Otago Radio Club at a December 2021 meeting.

Next shown as a philatelic exhibit in the Cinderella class at a NZ exhibition in 2022, awarded a gold medal. There is no written reference material on the subject, only a few websites (indicated on p1) show scanned images of QSL bureau stamps.

QSL exhibit in Cinderella class i.e. stamps not issued for postage payment by postal authority. Divided into the 3 IARU regions. Shows variations in QSL stamp design, paper colour and stamp colour for a particular country over time e.g. 8 different examples for Venezuela.

Usually, QSL stamps have no monetary value printed on them. In earlier times three amateur radio societies issued QSL stamps with a printed value – Belgium 10c from 1926, Germany 20 Pfg in 1947 and Switzerland 3c in 1934.

Information gleaned from many websites – I am not aware of any hard copy reference material regarding QSL stamps.

Note: Most QSL stamps on reverse of cards and not every QSL card from a country using QSL stamps bears one.

Husband Bob ZL2CA and I have searched a very large number of QSL cards to compile the collection of stamps. Searching continues for elusive stamps.”

Philatelic terms

Term	Description
Perforated	A series of holes cut in the paper to facilitate separation of stamps
Imperforate	no perforations
Misperforation	the perforations are actually in the stamp
Rouletted	slit shaped perforations
Gummed	moistened to affix
Self-adhesive	peel off an adhesive backing paper

Some countries have more than one amateur radio organisation but only one can belong to IARU and represent their particular country.

Sue Vernall

Sue Vernall is the Acting President of Wellington Philatelic Society, a member since the mid1980s. who has exhibited philatelic and postcard exhibits both nationally and internationally.

She has also written and published a centennial history of the Wellington Society in 2022. Medals from USA, Sharjah, NZ and Thailand awarded in 2023 philatelic literature exhibitions.

In her own words, Sue sums up her interest as follows:

“My philatelic exhibits cover the subjects of Kenya, Uganda & Tanganyika (KUT) Postal History 1933-1961, KUT Airmails 1945-1970, David Livingstone, Amateur Radio and Cheese. Postcard exhibits are of Salisbury (UK) and Salisbury Plain WW1.

I am a national philatelic judge and have during the last 20 years held numerous voluntary responsibilities in NZ philatelic administration including membership of the organising committee of four NZ national exhibitions and one international exhibition held in NZ in 2023.”