Aside From Coins, Do You Have Any Other Hobbies?

I've enjoyed seeing everyone's collections and just now realized that I haven't shared my other love here.







If you want to read about my books (and some numismatics too) I did write this on these boards.

 

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Classical Fashion Plates (Gravures).

 

This item has a metal exterior measures 13"h x 7"w.
Wonder if crowdsourcing can figure out what it is.

 

Darth Vader's Sleeping Mask?

 

No. Texas, like a dozen or more other states, has its own organized militia. (State Guard Association of the United States here.) Authorized by Congress in the same act that took away the National Guards, the State Defense Forces answer to their governors. We cannot be federalized. We cannot be sent overseas. (In fact, we cannot even go to another state unless there pre-exists a memorandum of understanding.) We answer to the same Adjutant General as the Air and Army Guards.

Intended for home defense during times of war, we have held a variety of roles over the past century (since 1940 here in Texas). In Massachusetts, they are just a horse platoon honor guard for the governor. In South Carolina, Texas, California, Alaska, Ohio, New York and some other states, we have primary roles for emergency response. (Generally, we are not issued weapons, certainly not in the 21st century.)

You should check it out. I joined because I was writing contracts for emergency management for the Texas Department of Public Safety and I brought some FEMA slides and workbooks into agreement with each other for a class in SPONTANEOUS VOLUNTEERS IN A DISASTER. People who want to show up to help mean well, but are often problematic. Not wanting to be "the disaster within the disaster" I looked for training. I have CERT training, also, but the State Guard was absolutely the best training. Different states are different.

 

I love the engraving. Imagine doing that by hand so fast that it could be used in a daily newspaper. It is stunning.

 

I'm one of those 'hoarders' I guess, I save a lot of things. Including all of my old pay stubs from when I joined the Navy. I had weird pre-conceived notions of how things would happen, including how induction would work. No, we had to pay for all our uniforms, toiletries, etc. My net pay that first month was $234.14. My net pay my last month was an astounding $728.72!

I didn't do it for the pay or the glory. In fact when I joined we were all asked "why join". I answered 'patriotism'. The guy looked at me like I was insane, but I think its more common now after 9/11. I have photos somewhere, I think I may have already posted them...

 

They had an artist and a team of engravers who broke up the artist’s drawings into 2x2 inch squares and engraved portions. If you look at these engravings, you will see lines where these blocks were joined.

 

I'm not going to be able to afford any coins this month...not since I decided to add Cuban stamps to the stamp collection... but it's been worth it so far. You can say I've gone a little stamp mad with how many I've acquired in such a short time.

So far I have a handful of colonial era stamps (all mint, never used), with the earliest two (the top ones) dating back as far as 1862. And check out the stamps from "Ultramar". Those come from the 1870's, when Spain briefly tried to combine the postage stamps for Cuba and Puerto Rico, before giving up on the idea and going back to making stamps for each individual island.



And the 1899 collection is going well too (also mint, never used stamps). I've got the overprints for all except the 2 1/2 cent stamp and the 10 Cent Special Delivery stamp. I'm happy I got both versions of the 2 cent overprint stamp... and I've got my first out of several "Postage Due" stamps (the 10 Cent version). I've got to work on completing the rest of that set.

As for the regular 1899 stamps, I've also collected them as minty never used examples. Still missing the 2 cent, 5 Cent, 10 Cent Special Delivery, and the error 10 Cent Special Delivery with a spelling mistake.



This collection is really a labor of love, considering how hard it is to find Cuban stamps in the US. Something about it being illegal to buy anything Cuban in the US. Yep, that never-ending embargo.

So if anyone asks, I didn't actually buy anything. They were gifts, and I was so elated that money accidentally happened to fall from my pockets without me knowing. Then the persons I got these stamps from decided to keep the cash and didn't tell me about me accidentally losing the money. Those thieves....
. Yeah, that's the official story if anyone asks

 

That's quite interesting. It's not the Texas Natl Guard then, but still answers to the same AG. However you say that Texas took away the Texas Natl Guard? How do they answer to the Army/Air AG.

When did they take away the TNG?

 

The best thing is for you to do your own reading about the history of the State Defense Forces and the National Guards with special attention to the Dick Act. The National Guards were created as strike breakers. In the Progressive Era, they were put under federal control but left in their states. It is a dual role depending on how they are mobilized. But check it out. It is less complicated than the 1804 Dollars.

 

I have a biography of Alexander Hamilton written by Henry Cabot Lodge Sr. I have an economic history by William Graham Sumner and a volume of US history by James Ford Rhodes. You know the Panic of 1857? Some old books do not mention it...

 

I am also a philatelist. Stamps speak.
https://www.kenmorestamp.com/why-i-like-stamp-collecting-by-ayn-rand

 

Fantastic article...thanks for sharing. I'm actually returning to the hobby myself, after more than 2 decades. I still love coins and will continue with collecting ancient coins, but stamp collecting has become a strong side hobby again. Almost as cherished as my coin collection....almost (though coins are still #1)

 

Just found few stamps in my old folders. I picked up these. Hope you like.

 

You sir live along the GOM by the looks of the catch keep the mack give me the specks I would venture to say FL Panhandle with the orange one only time I caught one was Pensacola bay deep.

 

Kinda like collecting helmets with bullet holes isn't it

 

The last piece of furniture I finish a couple months back had some mixed reviews should not let that affect me but it does.I am a perfectionist on my wood work and I can point out the flaws in this piece while you may never see it but it bothers me maybe I will sell it one day.My next project is paint the house and a garage covering for momma then on to my computer station sapale and Philippine Mahogany

 

Beautiful wood there.