In 1944, the Netherlands Antilles issued an airmail semi-postal set portraying Princess Juliana (Scott #CB13-20). The excess, non-postal funds from the sale of the set went to fund the Red Cross. 40,000 sets were issued, and Scott '11 prices the unused set at $14.30.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human suffering, without any discrimination based on nationality, race, sex, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. From a philatelic investment perspective, the support of almost 100 million of people for this movement creates a significant collector base for better Red Cross/Red Crescent topicals. This topical appeal, as well as the growth in interest in stamps of the Netherlands Colonies should bolster the value of this currently inexpensive set.
I continue to favor stamps of the European colonies and possessions over the stamps of their mother countries. The quantities issued for the colonies tend to be modest, and worldwide interest in them often grows at a faster rate. For the most part, stamp of the Netherlands Antilles appeals to Netherlands Colonies collectors, but as Curacao is a popular tourist destination, it's likely that in the future, interest in its stamps will grow in the Americas as well.
With about 16.6 million people, the Netherlands is the 16th largest economy in the world. It is an affluent industrial and trading nation, with a well-educated population, and an active stamp collecting community. Its annual GDP growth has averaged about 2.5% over the last 5 years, reflecting a slowing due to the global financial crisis.
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