The Rotary Wheel on Stamps

by Emmanuel Serrière

Until 1954, 4 different countries issued a total of 12 stamps to commemorate Rotary International: Austria in1931, Cuba (1940), Brazil (1948) and Belgium (1954).

In 1955 for the 50^th anniversary, 27 countries issued about 80 stamps to commemorate Rotary. All with the Rotary Wheel, many depicted the portrait of Rotary founder Paul Harris. “I counted 271 different ones until 1979 and I now have them all” says philatelist Emmanuel Serriere.

“Because in 1980 alone over 200 stamps were issued (I have them all), I stopped collecting at that date” Serriere ads. “The complete set of 488 stamps had been a good goal to achieve”. That number includes some oddities and some first day covers he obtained. Serriere is now adding to his collection finding special covers, first day of issue on envelopes and programs or other Rotary on Stamp related items

By limiting himself at that date, he won’t have to chase after the 1981 “never issued” Belize 75-cent worth about $1,200 if you can find one. Because of an inaccuracy of the map of Belize depicted on the stamp, the stamp was pulled from sales two hours after issue. About only 200 were sold. Do you know where to find one?

For more information, you can check out:

Jerry FitzSimmons, Chairman, Rotary on Stamps (RoS) 105 Calle Ricardo, Victoria TX 77904 glfitz@cox-internet.com or

Richard Dickson, Secretary, Rotary on Stamps (RoS) at PO Box 534, Irvington VA 22480, roshq@kaballero.com

You can also look at www.rotaryonstamps.org

A great pictorial book is by Juergens, Ernst-Theodor. “Rotary International on Stamps”. Augsburg, Germany, 1986, presenting his Rotary International Stamp collection in a handbook. 240 pp. with col. ills./photos, English.

If you are interested to learn more about this Rotary Fellowship, you can contact Emmanuel at emmanuel@gwenemmanuel.us

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1. The “gems” of a Rotary collection: the first postal tribute to Rotary International in 1931 to celebrate the Rotary International convention in Vienna that year.  Please note that these stamps were previously issued two years earlier and were run with a Rotary Wheel overprint. With the overprint, these stamps were sold at double face value. The excess was added to the beneficent funds of Rotary International. This set is valued at $425.00. I also have a “used” set where the cancellation is a Rotary Wheel.

2. The second country to celebrate Rotary was Cuba 9 years later with a stamp depicting the Cuban flag, a tobacco plant and the Rotary Wheel issued in honor of the 31^st Annual International Convention held in Havana.

3. The country of Redonda does not exist but 5 stamps were issued. Redonda (Antigua) is a half square mile island in the eastern Caribbean between Montserrat and Nevis. It is owned by Antigua which began issuing stamps for Redonda in 1979. Redondan stamps are valid in Antigua and Barbuda. Redonda is uninhabited and is only used for guano collecting. These stamps were formerly listed by Scott Stamp catalogue in the section called "For the Record", which used a different numbering system. When contacted, the king of Redonda himself told Emmanuel “I have never seen these five stamps before now. So, in ignorance and from what I was told by this government, I don't know how they came into existence!! King Robert the Bald” <bobw@candw.ag>.

4. Chicago is the Rotary International Centennial celebration location, just as was the celebration 25 years ago as shown on this specially issued card dated February 1980. You still can find the 1955 Rotary stamp (good for 8 cents on your envelope) for about $8.00 to $10.00 for a sheet of 50 of them on ebay.

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