Diplomatic ID’s USN Lieutenant 1934/41

Diplomatic Passport 1934

The show item is a diplomatic passport issued by the United States of America embassy in Tokyo, Japan in 1934. This particular passport belonged to Martin Robert Stone, a Lieutenant in the United States Navy at the time, who served as a language officer. Mr. Stone’s distinguished career in the Navy spanned many years, starting in 1927 and culminating in his retirement as an admiral in 1955. Diplomatic ID’s USN Lieutenant

The passport provides a glimpse into Mr. Stone’s early career, during which he served on several ships including the USS Colorado, USS Rochester, USS Nicaragua, USS Tulsa, and USS Long. In 1931, he was stationed in Shanghai, China. Two years later, in 1934, he was appointed as an attaché to the American Embassy in Tokyo, Japan, where he spent over two years studying the Japanese language.

Mr. Stone’s career continued to progress, with subsequent postings to Melbourne, Australia, and Honolulu fleet radio unit Maze 7th fleet in 1943. In October 1944, he was appointed as commander of Tusk group seventy-eight point two amphibious group 8, 9, and served as assistant intelligence officer staff commander seventh fleet secret duties. He went on to hold various other positions, including commander of Phillipe Sea Frontier in August 1945 and Naval activities Japan in January 1946.

Throughout his career, Mr. Stone received numerous honors and awards, including the legion of merit, Philippine liberation campaign ribbon, and navy unit commendation. He was also a lifetime member of the American club Tokyo Japan and the Army Navy club. Diplomatic ID’s USN Lieutenant

In summary, Martin Robert Stone’s diplomatic passport offers a glimpse into the early years of a remarkable naval career that spanned many years and culminated in his retirement as an admiral. The passport serves as a fascinating artifact of his life and career, which included service in various parts of the world and numerous honors and awards.

This set attracted many collectors at eBay, where it was sold in April 2023 for $620 (passport) and $675 (ID card). Great prices and a relatively high result for vintage passport collectibles so far in 2023 on eBay. Congrats to the seller and buyer. Diplomatic ID’s USN Lieutenant

Diplomatic ID card 1941

Furthermore, there is his diplomatic ID card from 1941 from the American embassy in Tokyo.

Newsletter

incl. FREE guideline!

FAQ Passport History
Passport collection, passport renewal, old passports for sale, vintage passport, emergency passport renewal, same day passport, passport application, pasaporte passeport паспорт 护照 パスポート جواز سفر पासपोर्ट

1. What are the earliest known examples of passports, and how have they evolved?

The word "passport" came up only in the mid 15th Century. Before that, such documents were safe conducts, recommendations or protection letters. On a practical aspect, the earliest passport I have seen was from the mid 16th Century. Read more...

2. Are there any notable historical figures or personalities whose passports are highly sought after by collectors?

Every collector is doing well to define his collection focus, and yes, there are collectors looking for Celebrity passports and travel documents of historical figures like Winston Churchill, Brothers Grimm, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Read more...

3. How did passport designs and security features change throughout different periods in history, and what impact did these changes have on forgery prevention?

"Passports" before the 18th Century had a pure functional character. Security features were, in the best case, a watermark and a wax seal. Forgery, back then, was not an issue like it is nowadays. Only from the 1980s on, security features became a thing. A state-of-the-art passport nowadays has dozens of security features - visible and invisible. Some are known only by the security document printer itself. Read more...

4. What are some of the rarest and most valuable historical passports that have ever been sold or auctioned?

Lou Gehrig, Victor Tsoi, Marilyn Monroe, James Joyce, and Albert Einstein when it comes to the most expensive ones. Read more...

5. How do diplomatic passports differ from regular passports, and what makes them significant to collectors?

Such documents were often held by officials in high ranks, like ambassadors, consuls or special envoys. Furthermore, these travel documents are often frequently traveled. Hence, they hold a tapestry of stamps or visas. Partly from unusual places.

6. Can you provide insights into the stories behind specific historical passports that offer unique insights into past travel and migration trends?

A passport tells the story of its bearer and these stories can be everything - surprising, sad, vivid. Isabella Bird and her travels (1831-1904) or Mary Kingsley, a fearless Lady explorer.

7. What role did passports play during significant historical events, such as wartime travel restrictions or international treaties?

During war, a passport could have been a matter of life or death. Especially, when we are looking into WWII and the Holocaust. And yes, during that time, passports and similar documents were often forged to escape and save lives. Example...

8. How has the emergence of digital passports and biometric identification impacted the world of passport collecting?

Current modern passports having now often a sparkling, flashy design. This has mainly two reasons. 1. Improved security and 2. Displaying a countries' heritage, icons, and important figures or achievements. I can fully understand that those modern documents are wanted, especially by younger collectors.

9. Are there any specialized collections of passports, such as those from a specific country, era, or distinguished individuals?

Yes, the University of Western Sidney Library has e.g. a passport collection of the former prime minister Hon Edward Gough Whitlam and his wife Margaret. They are all diplomatic passports and I had the pleasure to apprise them. I hold e.g. a collection of almost all types of the German Empire passports (only 2 types are still missing). Also, my East German passport collection is quite extensive with pretty rare passport types.

10. Where can passport collectors find reliable resources and reputable sellers to expand their collection and learn more about passport history?

A good start is eBay, Delcampe, flea markets, garage or estate sales. The more significant travel documents you probably find at the classic auction houses. Sometimes I also offer documents from my archive/collection. See offers... As you are already here, you surely found a great source on the topic 😉

Other great sources are: Scottish Passports, The Nansen passport, The secret lives of diplomatic couriers

11. Is vintage passport collecting legal? What are the regulations and considerations collectors should know when acquiring historical passports?

First, it's important to stress that each country has its own laws when it comes to passports. Collecting old vintage passports for historical or educational reasons is safe and legal, or at least tolerated. More details on the legal aspects are here...

Does this article spark your curiosity about passport collecting and the history of passports? With this valuable information, you have a good basis to start your own passport collection.

Question? Contact me...