Raymond J. Collins

{{Short description|New Zealand philatelist (1897–1965)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} '''Raymond James George Collins''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|MBE|size=85%}} (8 August 1897 – 5 June 1965) was a New Zealand philatelist who was added to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1936<ref>''[http://www.abps.org.uk/Awards/Roll_of_Distinguished_Philatelists/RDP_Background_20111231_LR.pdf Background notes on The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists September 2011]'', Roll of Distinguished Philatelists Trust, London, 2011. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130819000841/http://abps.org.uk/Awards/Roll_of_Distinguished_Philatelists/RDP_Background_20111231_LR.pdf Archived here.]</ref> and was the youngest man to receive that honour.<ref name=birch>Birch, Brian. (2013) ''[http://fipliterature.org/biographies.PDF Biographies of Philatelists and Dealers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406023950/http://fipliterature.org/biographies.PDF |date=6 April 2016 }}''. 13th edition. Standish, Wigan: Brian Birch, p. 633.</ref> Collins was unable to attend the signing ceremony in person.<ref name=LP>"The 23rd Philatelic Congress of Great Britain, Paignton. June 9th-12th, 1936." ''The London Philatelist'', Vol. 45, pp. 174-176.</ref>

Collins was the son of James Francis Collins. He married Mabel Lillian Vizer in Christchurch on 14 December 1922.<ref>{{cite news | url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP19220215.2.3.3 | title=Marriages | date=15 February 1922 | work=The Press | accessdate=22 August 2014 | page=1}}</ref>

Also in 1922, Collins organized the first New Zealand philatelic exhibition and congress, at which the New Zealand Philatelic Council was formed. That same year he was appointed the New Zealand representative of the Royal Philatelic Society.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZH19360616.2.95 | title=Philatelic honour | date=16 June 1936 | work=New Zealand Herald | accessdate=22 August 2014 | page=10}}</ref> The founder of Verne Collins & Company of Christchurch,<ref name=birch/> he was a prolific author on the philately of New Zealand<ref name=LP/> and edited and published the ''New Zealand Stamp Collector'' until shortly before his death.<ref name=LP2>"R.J.G. Collins, M.B.E." ''The London Philatelist'', Vol. 74, pp. 167.</ref> He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1957 New Year Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=40962 |date=1 January 1957 |page=46 |supp=y }}</ref>

==Selected publications== *{{cite book |last=Collins |first=R.J.C. |title=New Zealand: a philatelic handbook |year=1921 |publisher=Verne & Co. |location=Christchurch}} *{{cite book |last=Collins |first=R.J.C. |title=The stamps of the Pacific Islands |year=1924 |publisher=Verne & Co. |location=Christchurch}} *{{cite book |last=Collins |first=R.J.C. |title=The cancellations of New Zealand |year=1926 |publisher=Verne & Co. |location=Christchurch}} *{{cite book |last=Collins |first=R.J.C. |title=The most interesting postage stamp of New Zealand |year=1951 |publisher=Verne & Co. |location=Christchurch}} *{{cite book |last=Lee |first=G.R. |editor1-last=Collins |editor1-first=R.J.C. |editor2-last=Watts |editor2-first=C.W. |title=The penny universal of New Zealand |year=1953 |publisher=Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand |location=Wellington}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Raymond}} Category:1897 births Category:1965 deaths Category:New Zealand philatelists Category:Philately of New Zealand Category:Signatories to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists Category:New Zealand Members of the Order of the British Empire