James Bendon (1937-2026) was a renowned philatelist, full-time stamp dealer, and author. He started trading in London in 1971 before moving to Cyprus in 1987. He returned to London in 2014 and retired in 2023.
He is known to be the pioneer in the study of UPU Specimen Stamps and he wrote a book on this which saw two edition. However, he is most remembered for his role as a publisher. Between 1988 and 2006 he published a number of original works and some reprints of important out-of-print books from his base in Cyprus (full list is given below). His publications were professionally typeset and printed superbly on high-quality paper. They look as modern today as they did 25-30 years back (apart from black and white printing as was usual those days since colour printing was very expensive).
Though Bendon passed away on 4 May 2026, in his memory, his family is publishing his last book – Great Britain used in Morocco: Unoverprinted British Postage Stamps and Postal Stationery used by the British Postal Service in Morocco 1872–1885 and 1937–1949. The family is also operating his website for sometime.
This hardbound book of 144 pages is packed with information that will be of interest and value to collectors of Morocco, Gibraltar and Great Britain Used Abroad. Postal Stationery cards and registration envelopes (including those overprinted TANGIER) are covered in depth.
The price of the book is £30. Shipping costs £6 UK, £11 Europe, and £16 Rest of the World. Orders can be placed by sending an email to: oxfordbookprojects@btinternet.com.
List of Books published by James Bendon
1988
UPU Specimen Stamps by James Bendon
1991
Philatelic Literature – Compilation Techniques and Reference Sources by James Negus
The Harris Index to Philatelic Literature 1879–1925 edited by James Negus
The Philatelic and Postal History of Hong Kong and The Treaty Ports of China and Japan by Francis W. Webb, reprint edition
1992
La Poste Maritime Française: Tomes I, II, III and IV by Raymond Salles, reprint edition
Postal Cancellations of the Ottoman Empire, Part One by John H. Coles and Howard E. Walker, reprint edition, published for Christie’s Robson Lowe
1993
La Poste Maritime Française: Tomes V, VI, VII, VIII and IX by Raymond Salles, reprint edition
A History of the Ship Letters of the British Isles (An Encyclopaedia of Maritime Postal History) by Alan W. Robertson, reprint edition
Hong Kong Scarcity Guide & Supplementary Bibliography by Patrick Pearson
Catalogue of the Handstruck Postage Stamps of India – 1993 Supplement by Derek Hammond Giles, published for Christie’s Robson Lowe
1994
65 Years in Stamps – A Philatelic History of the Showa Period by Tatsuji Nishioka
Transvaal – The Provisional Issues of the First British Occupation by Alan R. Drysdall, published in association with the Transvaal Study Circle
The Philatelic and Postal History of Hong Kong and The Treaty Ports of China and Japan by Francis W. Webb, reprint edition, second printing
Addendum to the History of the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists – The Signatories of the Roll 1990–1994 by A. Ronald Butler, published on behalf of the RDP Trust
Handbook of Thematic Philately by W.E.J. van den Bold, published for the British Thematic Association
Imperial China – History of the Posts to 1896 by Richard Pratt, published for Christie’s Robson Lowe
1995
Ordinary Mail by Diplomatic Means during the Siege of Paris 1870–1871 by Ernst M. Cohn
Transvaal – Revenue and Telegraph Stamps by Alan R. Drysdall, published in association with the Transvaal Study Circle
A History of the Ship Letters of the British Isles (An Encyclopaedia of Maritime Postal History) by Alan W. Robertson, reprint edition, second printing
Postal Cancellations of the Ottoman Empire, Part Four by John H. Coles and Howard E. Walker, published for Christie’s Robson Lowe
The Calendar of the Ottoman Empire by Dr Andreas Birken, published for the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Osmanisches Reich / Türkei
Ottoman Empire Postal Stationery by Dr Andreas Birken, published for the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Osmanisches Reich / Türkei
1996
British External Airmails until 1934, Second Edition by Alexander S. Newall, published for Christie’s Robson Lowe
Four Annas Lithographed Stamps of India 1854–55 by D.R. Martin and E.A. Smythies, reprint edition, published in association with Stanley Gibbons Ltd.
Postal Cancellations of the Ottoman Empire, Part Two by John H. Coles and Howard E. Walker, reprint edition, published for Christie’s Robson Lowe
Imperial China – History of the Posts to 1896 by Richard Pratt, softbound edition
The Oneglia Engraved Forgeries by Robson Lowe and Carl Walske
1997
The French Post Office in Yokohama by Jun Ichi Matsumoto
Transvaal – Railway Stamps and Travelling Post Offices by Alan Drysdall, published in association with the Transvaal Study Circle
The Work of Jean de Sperati, reprint edition
Ottoman Empire Postal Rates by Wolfgang Schmidt & Dr Andreas Birken, published for the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Osmanisches Reich / Türkei
Under the Gum – Background to British Stamps 1840–1940 by James A. Mackay
Robertson Revisited – A study of British Maritime Postal Markings based on the original work of Alan W. Robertson by Colin Tabeart
1998
Mexican Maritime Mail – A Postal History from Colonial Times to the 20th Century by Karl H. Schimmer and John M. Heath
1999
Cancelled by Perkins Bacon by Peter Jaffé, published for Spink
Egypt: Stamps and Postal History – A Philatelic Treatise by Peter A.S. Smith
Second Addendum to the History of the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists – The Signatories of the Roll 1995–1999 by A. Ronald Butler, published on behalf of the RDP Trust
2000
Unusual Mail in Occupied France 1870–1871 by Ernst M. Cohn
Catalogue of the Handstruck Postage Stamps of India – 2000 Supplement by Derek Hammond Giles, published for Christie’s Robson Lowe
2001
Border Mail – Postal History and Markings of the War in Angola and along the Namibian Border 1975–1988 by George van den Hurk
2002
Admiralty Mediterranean Steam Packets by Colin Tabeart
Philatelic History of the Arab Kingdom of Syria by Alexander Kaczmarczyk & Rodney Unwin
The Cyprus Sea Post Office 1906–1932 by Albert T. Madella
2004
The Holy Land – 3000 Years of Prephilatelic Postal History by Joseph Aron
Mexico – The 1868 Issue – A Specialist Handbook by John Heath & Doug Stout
The Postal Issues of Syria, Lebanon and the Alaouites – 1919-1945 by Alexander Kaczmarczyk
The Edwardian Stamps of the South African Colonies: The Postage Stamps and the Revenue Stamps Issued 1902-1909 by Brian Trotter
2005
Sweden Number One – The 3 Skilling Banco by Tomas Bjaringer & Gustaf Douglas
2006
The Mauritius Primitives – Lapirot, Sherwin and Dardenne by Arnold Rudge, edited by James Bendon, published by David Feldman
