Rare Rumanians

Normally the interval between 2 newsletters leaves ample time for research to background and further information about the announced novelties. Sometimes however an issue requires a faster treatment for collectors reasons. Such an issue is the Rumanian series of November 27th 2016: "Engines, a Royal passion".
The series, issued on the occasion of the 96th anniversary of King Michaël 1 (in Rumanian: Mihai 1), shows the passion of this king for everything that is driven by an engine. Although Rumania is not a kingdom since 1947, the family of Ferdinand the First is still seen as royal and Mihai is still called king.
On the age of 6, in 1927, Mihai already became king and he also received his first mechanical vehicle: an electric "Red Bug" originating from England.

Just more than a year later his uncle gave him a Morris car with which he infested the palace gardens. On his 15th the king had already driven the amount of kilometers of a round around the world.

On the stamp of 4 Lei the king is observed near an Aero 30 Roadster which he, at that time living in exile, got in 1937 from the Czechoslovak President.
The stamp of 8 Lei shows the king together with his wife, Princess Anne, with a Lancia car, and the 15 Lei stamp shows the king in his period as test pilot at Lockheed Aircraft.
For us the stamp of 4.50 Lei is interesting. On the large stamp (perhaps even the largest in our motorcycle collection up to now) we see the king on a BMW boxer motorcycle. I am not a BMW expert, but looking at the remarkably large valve covers and the cables hidden in the handlebars this looks to me like an R5 from 1939.

The reason that I already discuss this stamp now is that there are several items related to this issue that have been made in small amounts.
The series is printed in large counter sheets of 20 stamps with the same value (8780 series), and next to that also in collectors sheets with each 5 the same stamps and 1 label, in the small amount of 940 sets.

The collectors sheetlet with the motorcycle stamp

Even less have been made of the large block, that is delivered in the special folder together with 2 special FDC's of this series with golden imprint, to be exact only 245 numbered blocks. The folder costs a pretty penny: at the Rumanian Post the item costs already more than 60 euros. For this amount you will receive the FDC's with a unique imprint of the postmark in "genuine" gold-leaf.

The special folder with FDC's with golden imprint (upper left on the envelop)

Of the ordinary FDC's (2 in a set, and numbered from 245 until 455) and the maximum cards (4 per set) even less have been made, namely 210 pieces of each. Very few thus. But everything original.

The ordinary FDC's with black imprint

Thus, if you want to add one of these Rumanian items to your collection, you have to start looking quickly.

There are also maximum cards

Hans de Kloet

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