64 JANUARY 2016 http://www.stampandcoin.co.ukH is for Hats
F
rom the Phrygian cap worn
by freed Greek slaves, to the
elaborate conical hennins favoured
by Medieval ladies of fashion,
hats come in all shapes and sizes.
Most countries even have their own ‘national’
headgear, like the Spanish sombrero, the Turkish
fez, and the Scottish tam o’ shanter.
However, hats as a thematic is so vast that
even if we focus on issues where hats and
headdresses are the intended topic (rather than
hats that appear in other images), building a
comprehensive collection is pretty challenging.
So, while there’s no real distinction between a
hat and a headdress, collectors may like to draw
their own lines in the sand.
Perhaps you prefer to focus on one specific
type of hat: bonnets, bowlers, caps, crowns,
veils, sports hats, safety hats, knitted, woven
or feathered headgear? Perhaps you want to
incorporate hats into an existing collection? For
example, military headgear, such as featured
on the 1972 Jersey Militia stamps and booklet,
makes a nice addition to a military theme.
Or perhaps you’re a completionist who likes a
challenge? One thing’s for certain. Hats is a big
enough theme to keep even the most energetic
collector very busy.
Great Britain, of course, issued its own
Fabulous Hats series in 2001 featuring four wild
and wacky creations. For collectors who prefer
something a little more exotic, though, there’s
plenty of choice. Rwanda’s spectacular 1969African Headdress series, Papua New Guinea’s
bold and colourful Traditional Headdress issues
(1977, 2010) and the wonderfully folksy 1983
Polish Traditional Hats four-stamp set are
all notable examples. In 2008, Malaysia also
produced a fascinating set of ten stamps focusing
on the official headgear of HRH the Sultan.
Who would have thought that one man would
need so many hats?
As always, some of the most appealing stamps
are the ones that are just a little bit different.
Take, for instance, the oddly grizzly 1972
Federal Republic of Germany Work Safety series.
Labelled ‘Jederzeit Sicherheit’ (roughly ‘Each
Time Safely’), this bold set features a range of
horrible accidents about to happen including a
brick dropping onto a hard hat. There’s the 1998
USA Uncle Sam Top Hat ‘H’ stamp, a visually
appealing issue from the USPS. And let’s not
forget that icon of hat appreciators everywhere:
the Cat in the Hat. Dr Seuss’s most famous
literary creation appeared on a US 33 cent stamp
in 1999. You have to raise your hat to that.When Ötzi the Iceman was dug out of the Alpine permafrost in 1991,
he was wearing a bearskin cap, Egyptian tombs from around the
same date clearly show men wearing conical straw hats. Whether they
were worn to keep warm, for religious reasons, to reflect social status,
cultural heritage, or just for fun, hats and headdresses have been
worn since the dawn of human history, as Paula Hammond explainsThematics A to Z
H is for Hats
Why Collect?
- A large theme with plenty of
collecting ‘legs’. - Hats can be easily added to
an already existing collection. - Enough material available
to focus on specific types
of hats. - An appealing collection
that can be built
relatively cheaply. - New issues appearing
all the time.
Notable Releases
- 1972 - Jersey Militia
booklet and stamps - 1977 & 2010 - Papua New
Guinea, Traditional Headdresses - 1983 - Poland, Traditional Hats
- 1998 - USA Uncle Sam Top
Hat ‘H’ 33-cent stamp - 2001 - GB,Fabulous Hats
Expand the theme
National Costumes make an
natural extension to this theme,
especially as costume issues often
feature headgear and vice versa.Collecting Links
London’s V&A Museum holds
the national collection of Textiles
and Fashion and is an invaluable
reference source for anyone
curious about hats, headdresses,
and national costumes. They even
have sketches of an A Bigiarelli
design for a female costume
representing Italy, incorporating
Italian postage stamps.p64 a-z thematic.indd 64 23/11/2015 14:39