Dieter Bortfeldt FRPSL (20 March 1940[1] – 21 January 2014[2]) was a graphic designer and award-winning philatelist who was a specialist in the philately of Colombia. He designed the "Famous Colombians" and "Tourism" postage stamps of Colombia issued in 1993.[3]

Dieter Bortfeldt, 1940–2014
Volume III of Bortfeldt's Workbook

Education

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Bortfeldt studied at the Offenbacher Werkkunst-Schule in Germany from 1958 to 1961, specialising in graphic design. He then worked as a graphic designer.[4]

Collecting

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Bortfeldt's personal philatelic interests were Colombian Postal History and Papel Sellado (Revenue stamped paper) and he received fifteen gold medals for his displays along with other awards.[1] His display of Official Mail and correspondence with exemption rate frankings received a gold medal at Chicago and was published in book form by COLOMPHIL in 2006.[5]

Expertisation

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Bortfeldt was an Association International Des Experts En Philatelie (A.I.E.P.) expert on Colombian philately and a recognised expertiser in the area who issued his own certificates.[6] He was President of the Fakes and Forgeries Commission of the Federación Interamericana de Filatelia[1] and was a regular contributor to Fakes Forgeries Experts.

Organised philately and writing

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Bortfedt was Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society, London, and their Overseas Special Representative for Colombia.[7] He was the co-founder and editor of COLOMPHIL, the journal of the Colombian Philatelic Research Society, and a writer for many other philatelic journals. He claimed to have written over 2,000[1] pages of philatelic works and was instrumental in the production of Alan Anyon's Handbook of Colombian Revenue Stamps, published in 2009.[8]

Personal life

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Bortfeldt was a British citizen who lived and worked in Germany, London and Barcelona before moving to Bogota, Colombia, in 1988. He died on 21 January 2014.

Selected publications

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  • Royal cypher labels 1701–1922: the Dieter Bortfeldt collection. Bogota: Dieter Bortfeldt, 2003.
  • Private mail carriers of Colombia. Colombian Philatelic Research Society, 2006. ISBN 978-958-33-9208-5 (Editor with Carlos Valenzuela & Alfredo Frohlich)
  • Notes on Colombian classic stamps. Colombian Philatelic Research Society, 2006.
  • Colombia correspondencia oficial Franquicias: Official Mail and correspondence with exemption rate frankings. Colombian Philatelic Research Society, 2006.
  • Colombian postal history catalogue. Colombian Philatelic Research Society. Three volumes.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Anyon, Alan & Dieter Bortfeldt. A different look at Colombia. Display given to The Royal Philatelic Society London 27 May 2010. London: The Royal Philatelic Society London, 2010, p. 138.
  2. ^ "Ha Muerto Dieter Bortfeldt". Ecuador Filatélico. Archived from the original on 21 April 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2014. .
  3. ^ Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue: Part 20 South America. 4th edition. London: Stanley Gibbons, 2008, p. 246. ISBN 9780852596937
  4. ^ "Dieter Bortfeldt". LinkedIn Colombia. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  5. ^ "Library News: Colombia Correspondencia Oficial Franquicias: Official Mail and correspondence with exemption rate frankings." in The London Philatelist, Vol. 116, No. 1342, Jan/Feb 2007, p. 21.
  6. ^ "Bortfeldt Profile Page". Association International Des Experts En Philatelie. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  7. ^ "Membership News" in The London Philatelist, Vol. 117, No. 1361, December 2008, p. 369.
  8. ^ Anyon, Alan D. (2009) Handbook of Colombian Revenue Stamps. Bogota: COLOMPHIL Colombian Philatelic Research Society, p. ii. ISBN 9789584450920
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