This card is an unusual choice, you might think, but the text on the front tells us that Birmingham was the fourth largest city in England, with a population of 1000000. And that is precisely why the canal system went there. Though, in fact, despite the Grand Union Canal having been more or less created on the 30th of April, 1793 (that being when the Grand Junction Canal Act was passed), it only acquired a Birmingham arm in 1928, with the purchase, by the Regent`s Canal and Dock Company, of the Warwick and Birmingham Canal, and the Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal. And at that point it was realised that the canals in that area would not link up with the lower ones, as they were too small, in width and depth, and the locks could only just about manage one small narrowboat at a time. Therefore a new Act, the Grand Union Canal Act was passed in 1931, which allowed for the necessary dredging and widening of the canals, and lengthening of the bridges and locks.
Now we did have a reference book to Abdulla, in conjunction with Adkin and Anstie, but it only catalogued the English language issues.
That means this set`s first appearance comes in our original World Tobacco Issues Index, with the other German Language Issues as section one of the Abdulla listings. And the entry there reads :
ABDULLA & Co., London and Berlin
Founded 1902. Taken over by Godfrey Phillips, 1926. Trading 1956. German Branch liquidated, 1934.
1. GERMAN LANGUAGE ISSUES. About 1928-33. Special albums issued.
- LANDERWAPPEN-SAMMLUNG (Coat of Arms Series). Sm. 65 x 45. Nd. ... A5-3
1. "Die Wappen der Fuhrenden Staaten der Erde" (Arms of the Leading Countries of the World). Nd. 1/110.
2. "Serie II. Staaten u. Landerwappen Sammlung" (Arms of Provinces and Countries) Nd. 111-220 (110)
3. "Serie III. Wappen-Sammlung auslandischer Haupstadte" (Arms of Foreign Towns etc). Nd 1/150
This text is identical in our updated version, except for the code, which has been changed to A065-040