In the process of preparing this data for database comparison use the following observations were made regarding the original APRL files: aprlnumb.txt and aprlalfa.txt Initial observations show a pattern of deliniating a 'top down' structure from major to regional geographical reference names (e.g. general listings such as 'Africa' , 'Centeral Americal', 'West Indies' etc.) and finally 'stamp issuing entities', as well as, references drawing relationships. This is an area I have been working through for the past couple of years as my interests in geo-politics (or historical geography) and stamps come together. One further note: this is a more formalized page of earlier 'notes' that are available via my 'Reference Materials' web page at: http://ajward.tripod.com/i/ref/referenc.htm ------------------------------NOTES--------------------------------------- Notes on aprlnumb.txt and arplalfa.txt ; the Numerical & Alphabetical Listings which "contains and augments" listings from: the "Manual of Philatelic Headings used by the American Philatelic Research Library" (1979) modified first by the APS Computers in Philately Committee (1994) then by me (2000). Associated files: apsdbtst.txt - is a modified version of aprlnumb.txt file reflecting some reformating of data (i.e. splitting up phrases like Offices in China into 2 part) and includes most changes recommended below. apsdbtxt.txt is a slightly modified version of aprlnumb.txt in that it has been divided into fields including only the split-up of the phrases "Occupation of" and "Offices in" from there country name. They are in a delimited Windows ANSI text format with all data items in double-quotes seperated by a comma (,) and is suitable for importing into a Windows based database supporting ANSI. This meams Access, ForPro and the like. There are also text versions of parts of apsdbtxt.txt produced using Notepad which are in a standard DOS text format that can be easily coverted for use by almost any system. These files are as follows: Large Regions (0-rgcode.txt): no specific country names; able to key to regional info files or menus.; implies new area of regional menus. (Labeled 'Level 1') (0-rpcode.txt Labeled 'Level 2'): has 2 divisions: 2.1. Geographical SubRegions; intra-continental : points to more descrete areas that lead to/or are specific names that are 'Stamp Issuing Entities' found in level 3 . 2.2. Political Regions spanning beyond continental size; e.g. British Enpire et al.: pointing to 'Stamp Issuing Entities' found in level 3.1 Level 3 (in 2 divisions): 3.1=aprlnumb.txt, aprlalfa.txt (the APRL files): philatelic quide: all entities (+-) 3.2=0-apcode.txt - an initial menu and data system reference; spedific to live countries that is more supplemental and intended for future use. Level 4 would be/are the actual menus and data files on this site. side note: aprlnumb.txt (with changes) is also in an Access database named 'APSDBTST2' on my system and is availble to the Society - see referenc.htm. A listing of numbers added or modified and abbreviations used here is to be found in 0-abcode.txt. ------------down to business--------------------------------------------- 'x' or 'xx' etc. denotes entries or changes made to the orginial. 22250 - Indo-China - Annam what of Annam & Tongkin (1888-1892); future member of Indo-China and her (1936) special souniner sheet? 1936 s/b under Indo-China, as: 22255 - Indo-China - Annam & Tongkin - (1936) - x 1888-92 period is seperate/alone as a French Protectorate as: 41500; Annam & Tongkin (1888-1892). - x (re: the French Indo-Chinese Union) Seperately, Cochin-China (prior to) is listed as is Laos and Cambodia since 1949. i.e. ok. --- Duplicate listings: 40520 Lithuania (1991- ) 25630 Lithuania (1991- ) ; deleted - x (stay with 40520) 24990 Latvia (1991-) -x; deleted 40500 Latvia (1991-) (stay with 40500) 10310 Afars and Issas (1967-1977) -x; deleted 18850 Afars and the Issas, French Territory of the -x; dates added (stay with 18850; transfer dates) 23560 Japan - Occupation of Dutch Indies 23680 Japan - Occupation of Netherlands Indies; (same?; no action taken.) --- 25060 Lebanon (1924-1942) what of Lebanon since 1942?; no listing. used: 41180 - x ------ The former Belgian Congo is listed simply as: 15970 Congo (1960-1971) (s/b Congo Dem. Rep.) ------------------- 38720 Zaire (1971-) Is Now: 'Congo, Democratic Rep. of the '; per 1999 CIA World Factbook When this happened I don't yet know but Scott (1998) lists issues of Zaire to 1997. New number needed for Dem Rep.?; I'd check another cat. side note: internet code has changed from .zr to .cd; affects your cross ref ----------- Further: Republic of the Congo (France's former Middle Congo & member of Fr. Eq. Afr.) is listed as "40180 - Peoples Republic of the Congo" in aprlalfa.txt* and is again, as of 1991, the current name of this other 'Congo'. AND THE NUMBER IS A DUPLICATE - SEE BELOW* In brief: 1908 Middle Congo -1933 stamps first issued 1936 French Equitorial Africa 1960 Rep. of 1968 People's Rep. (military coup) 40220** 1991 Rep. of (Marxism renounced) *note: aprlalfa.txt lists Rep...Congo as 40180, and aprlnumb.txt lists: 40180 as "Bosnia-Herzegovina (1993- )" I hold to aprlnumb.txt: Bosnia is 40180 and Congo People's Rep. (for the period 1959-1968) as 40220** **note: alphanumb.txt lists: 40220 Congo People's Republic (1959- ) the date appears to be in error. s/b 1968-1991 as in 1959 it was known as Rep. of the Congo. I suggest leaving the date (expanding it to 1959-1968) and changing the name to 'Congo, Rep. of the'*** If this history is followed other numbers needed for the current "Republic of the Congo" (1991-) & Congo PR: ***suggest this numbering: 40220 Congo, Rep. of the (1959-1968), - x 40225 Congo People's Rep. (1968-1991) and - x 40230 Congo, Republic of the (1991-). - x (both 40225 and 40230 would be new numbers and 40220 needs data changed) It is realized it is common to drop the term 'Republic' as a first word as it is so frequently used but in this case it is suggested to subordinate it as "Congo, Republic of the". Still further, there seems to be some small controversy as to whether the name is/was 'Republic of Congo' vs 'Republic of The Congo'. I tend toward the later but this is easily (except at this moment) researchable. ;) And, in any event, the suggestions above should serve to distinguish areas and years pending further research into an exact name. ------------------------------ **=New Additions proposed: 41100 Djibouti 1977- x 41120 Kosovo 2000- x 41140 East Timor 2000 - x 41480 Alderney - x dependency of Guernsey ? Aland ; dependency of Finland 38680 Yugoslavia - Serbia (1866-1943) Spurious? ; Serbia 1866-1920 became the Kingdom of Serbs-Croats-Slovenes in 1918 although this kingdom became known as Yugoslavia in 1929 (stamps in 1931). (note 1918-1920 saw most individual entities with seperate/concurrent issues) Further, the following (also with the heading 'Yugoslavia') would flow: 38650 s/b Serbs-Croats-Slovenes, Kingdom of - Montenegro - 1874-1913 (note : Montenegro was free from the Turkish Empire until 1914) so: relabel as : 38650 - Montenegro, Kingdom of - 1874-1913 38560 s/b Serbs-Croats-Slovenes, Kingdom of - Bosnia and Herzegovina - 1918-1919 38570 s/b Serbs-Croats-Slovenes, Kingdom of - Croatia - 1918-1919 38680 s/b Serbia, Kingdom of - 1866-1920 ;concurrent 1918-20 35850 - Turkey - Anatolia - 1920-1922 dates added s/b 35850 Turkish Empire - Anatolia - 1920-1922 (Turkish Rep. est. 1923) and so too: 35790 Turkey - Turkey in Asia - 1919-1923 s/b 35850 - Turkish Empire - in Asia - Anatolia - 1919-1923; same as Anatolia and delete 35790 or change it to Empire and keep as a general area heading. (period is right; issues were 1920-1922 and marked 'Ottoman Post' in Turkish) (Anatolia was that region of the remaining Empire that lied only in Asia and in which the sultan sprang up briefly after the Empire crumbled completely in the Bulkan Wars 1912-1913 etc.) (Scott calls it 'Turkey in Asia' in the heading and 'Anatolia' specifically; again, no real 'Turkey' until 1923.) Here one might cry 'semantics' but when one tries to ID a stamp reading 'Ottoman Post' and finds only Rep. of Turkey 'semantics' are essential. Further: 35780 Turkey (1863- ) s/b 35780 Turkish (Ottoman) Empire - (1863-1923) 35950 Turkey - Occupation of Thessaly (1898); date added s/b 35950 Turkish (Ottoman) Empire - Occupation of Thessaly (1898); date added 36060 Turkish Salonika (1911); date added; overprints s/b 36060 Turkish (Ottoman) Empire - Salonika (1911); date added; overprints or: 36060 - Turkish (Ottoman) Empire - Salonika - (1911-1911) and use #36058, 59 & 61 for: further the same series was also overprinted for 'Monastir', 'Pristina' and 'Uskub'. (Scott '98; Vol 6, pp 474) (entered) which leaves the following to yet be confirmed: 35860 Turkey - Ankara ? Capital city only? 35930 Turkey - Istanbul ? 35940 Turkey - Kardistan ? I find no listings in Scott 1998 indexes for the three above; general ?? note: no listings for Andrianople (1917 overdues used as postage), Constantinople and Mt Athos (1869-1882) which had local use overprints. (Scott 1998 Vol 6 pp 478) entered as: (no #) Turkish (Ottoman) Empire - Constantinople - 1869-1882; local use overprints (no #) Turkish (Ottoman) Empire - Mount Athos - 1869-1882; local use overprints (no #) Turkish (Ottoman) Empire - Adrianople - 1917-1917; P.Dues ovrprntd 4 postage (other listings under 'Turkey' appear ok) specifically: 35840 Turkey - Alexandretta (1938) 35920 Turkey - Hatay (1939) --- ?* 17550 Fanning Island ; what dat?; no Scott listing in index United Kingdom v. Great Britain v. Crown Dependencies (Jersey, Guernsey) v. vs. Dommions; British Commonwealth.. not to mention Colonialism et al worldwide; a complex but philatelically vital area; in view. Listed: 21720 India Faridkot 1887-1900 : as a Convention State; arbitrary choice is both a Convention State and a Feudatory State from 1879-1886. so... 41500 India - Faridkot Convention State: (1879=1886) Listed: 22130 India - Feudatory States; general; was 'Indian...modified it. but not listing for Convention States. so... 41540 India - Convention States Listed 23560 Japan - Dutch Indies -Occupation of 23680 Japan - Netherlands Indies - Occupation of duplication ; deleter 23560 (the Dutch don't event like the tern 'Dutch')