Böhmerland, a Czech motorcycle brand, has been built in the years 1923 til 1939 in Nordböhmen, Bohemia. Designer Albin Liebisch of Motoren & Motorradbau Schönlinde (later Schluckenau-Kunratitz), wanted to make a means of transport for a complete family. The result was a motorcycle available in versions for one, two, three or even four people. The last one, with a total length of 3 meter and 20 centimeter and named 'Langtourer', has also been built in a police version. This version, equipped with a sidecar, offered space for 6 persons. The engine was a 600cc single cilinder with overhead valves, built in house. On the stamp the model 33 has been depicted, the 3 person version with 3 gears.
The long version
Brochure with the 1 and 3 seat version, and the proprietary 600cc engine
After the invasion by Germany in 1939 the factory stopped the construction as a consequence of the Schell-plan: all car and motorcycle factories within the German borders were obliged to make the same model to make that parts could be exchanged. In total only a few hundreds of Böhmerlands, which were called 'Cěchie' in Czech, have been built. They were only available in red/yellow (civil version), black/yellow (police) or green/yellow (army), and it was the first motorcycle with full aluminum wheels. Of all Böhmerlands built only about 75 are still known around the world. 50 in Czech, of which 38 still riding.
The stamp has been printed Se-tenant in tile motif in sheets of 50, each stamp 25 times adjoined.
French Polynesia is a group of 118 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The largest islands are Bora Bora, Moorea en Tahiti. On Tahiti, in the past called Otaheite, at the Quay du Commerce is a pub called Quinn's. In 1933 an American, Robert Quinn from San Fransisco, started there an ice-cream parlour, which would develop into the most famous nightclub in the Pacific.
As such not interesting for us, if it would not have been 'stylish' to travel to this place on a moped of scooter, and that is just what we see on the stamp of Polynesia from 2013. Not less than 3 of these vehicles are visible on this stamp, and in the FDC postmark we find another scooter. The issue is titled 'Scenes from daily life in the past' and this scene must be before 1973, as in that year Quinn's had to close because of unhygienic conditions.
Australia has reached a broad audience with the Road Trip series. The postal servcie wants to exploit this and has therefore issued a wide variety of novelties. Like a stamp booklet with the 2nd series shaped like a purse: the wallet.
The wallet does not contain motorcycle stamps, but there are in the collectors folder with the special sheets. This folder is made in a limited edition of 200 and contains not less than 12 sheets, that will not be available separately from the postal service. Two of these sheets contain the motorcycle stamp: the first is the sheet with foil print that is also part of the special collectors folder mentioned earlier in Newsletter 105.
Until now nothing new, but the folder also contains for each of the stamps a sheet with 4 times the same stamp, and adjoining an image of the region depicted on the stamp. In case of the motorcycle stamp this is the vineyard near Margret River.
If you want to acquire this folder, you have to pay 'only' Aus$ 99.95 (€ 67.20) and... be quick.
Hans de Kloet
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