Thursday, March 19, 2026

LIETUVA Peace Definitives - 1940

LIETUVA (Lithuanian) postage issued in 1940 represent two of the six definitive stamps symbolising "Peace".

- Green stamp (right) is a 10 centų (ct) stamp featuring an image of an angel.  Some versions of this stamp exist with overprints (like "LTSR") from the period of Soviet occupation in 1940.

- Maroon stamp (left) is a 5 centų (ct) stamp displaying a stylised version of the 'Vytis', the traditional coat of arms of Lithuania, depicting a knight on horseback.

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Persian/Iranian Local Scenes

PERSIAN/IRANIAN postage stamps from the early 1940s featuring local and 'modern' landmarks. 

- The red stamp depicts a bridge, potentially the Karun River bridge. 

- The green stamp contains a different bridge, possibly the Hasan Beg Bridge. 

- The other green stamp shows the Ministry of Justice building.

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Seychelles Christmas - 1971

SEYCHELLES Christmas postage stamps from 1971. 

- The green stamp is the 15-cent value featuring Santa Claus on a giant tortoise, designed by Edison Thérésine. 

- The blue stamp is the 10-cent value depicting Santa on a flying mat, designed by Jean-Claude Waye Hive. 

- A third design (not shown) with Santa in a beachside hammock was also issued in this set.

I received these stamps from Seychelles. They came affixed to an envelope with an enclosed QSL postcard from a radio station (FEBA) that I received  on a snowy evening in Colorado, long ago in the early 1970s.

Poșta Română "Costume Naționale"

POȘTA ROMÂNĂ (Romania) in 1973 issued a series titled "Costume Naționale" (National Costumes), highlighting traditional folk attire from different regions of the country. 

The series typically consisted of six different designs. The three stamps in here represent:

- 10 Bani (Blue): Features a woman's costume from the Suceava region.

- 40 Bani (Beige): Shows a man's traditional dress, also from the Suceava region.

- 55 Bani (Brown): Depicts a woman's costume from the Harghita region.

Sunday, March 15, 2026

Territorios Del África Occidental Española Sahara Desert Scenes


TERRITORIOS DEL AFRICA OCCIDENTAL ESPAÑOLA (Spanish West Africa) issued between 1949 and 1951 a series of stamps depicting Sahara Desert scenes with inset portrait of General Francisco Franco. The denominations shown here are for the 2, 5 and 10 Céntimos stamps. F. Nuñez De Celis designed the stamps, whereas  they were printed by  Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre (F.N.M.T.).



Pilipinas Koreo Rajah Soliman

PILIPINAS KOREO on 30 November 1962 issued a First Day Cover (FDC) to commemorate Rajah Soliman (also known as Rajah Sulayman), the 16th-century ruler of pre-colonial Manila. 

This particular cover featured two 30s (sentimo) stamps from the Famous Filipinos definitive series (1962–1969). The stamps depict Rajah Soliman and were printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. Ltd.

The "G.O." overprint stands for "Government Official," indicating the stamp was intended for use by government agencies for official mail.

The circular postmark cancellation originated from Maynila (Manila) dated Nov. 30, 1962. The phrase "Unang Araw ng Labas" in Tagalog translate to "First Day of Issue".

The cachet depicts a large illustration of Rajah Soliman in traditional armor.

Rajah Soliman was the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Maynila in the late 16th century and was a nephew of Raja Ache of Luzon. He was the commander of the Tagalog forces in the battle of Manila of 1570 against Spanish forces.

Saturday, March 14, 2026

Helvetia Brustbild Allegory and Chateaux de Chillon

HELVETIA (Switzerland) issued this common 10-rappen (centimes) definitive postage stamp, featuring the "Sitting Helvetia" (Brustbild) allegory, first in 1909.

HELVETIA (Switzerland) first issued in 1934 and used through the 1930s and 1940s this 10-centime definitive postage stamp. It was one in a series of stamps showing Swiss landscapes.

The particular design features Chillon Castle (Château de Chillon) on the shores of Lake Geneva (Lake Léman) with the Dents du Midi mountain range in the background.

The vertical black text overprinted on this stamp, "es-postaux", is part of a postal service cancellation (likely from a "chèques-postaux" or postal checks department), indicating it was used for official administrative or financial postal services rather than standard mail.

Helvetia (Switzerland Wilhelm Tell - 1914

HELVETIA (Switzerland) long-running series of Swiss hero William Tell (Wilhelm Tell)  was  first introduced in 1914 and used through the 1930s. One of the postmark cancellations shows a date of September 1923 (IX.23).

Freistaat Bayern Overprints of Germania Stamps - 1919

FREISTAAT BAYERN OVERPRINTS, originally Deutsches Reich stamps, were issued in 1919, after the fall of the Bavarian Socialist Republic when Bavaria declared itself a free state within the Weimar Republic.

During the transition of the Weimar Republic, regular German "Germania" and Bavarian definitive stamps were overprinted with the words "Freistaat Bayern" to reflect Bavaria's status as a free state. 

These were among the last stamps issued specifically for Bavaria; regular German postage replaced them in April 1920 with the establishment of the Weimar Republic.

- The carmine-coloured "Deutsches Reich"  design depicts the Reichspostamt (Imperial Post Office) in Berlin. 

- The blue-coloured "Deutsches Reich" stamp contains an allegory of the German Empire -- Northern (Protestant) states and Southern (Catholic) regions -- with the text "Deutsches Reich" on the sides and the motto "Seid Einig - Einig - Einig!" (Be United - United - United!) at the bottom.

- The grey-coloured "Deutsches Reich" stamp shows the 100th birth anniversary of Emperor Wilhelm I (1797-1897), featuring a depiction of the Brandenburger Tor. 
- The central red image on this "Deutsches Reich" stamp shows Kaiser Wilhelm II giving a speech in 1896 on the 25th anniversary of the German Empire. At the bottom of the stamp it states, "Ein Reich, Ein Volk, Ein Gott" (One Empire, One People, One God). Interestingly, the Nazis would use a similar phrase in the Austrian Anschluss "Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fürher".

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Republic of Argentina "Lanas" (Wool) Industry

REPUBLIC OF ARGENTINA issued on circa 1935–1936 a 30-centavo stamp showing a Merino sheep (Oveja Merina) to represent the "LANAS" (Wool) industry in the country.

République Française (French Algeria) "Rue de la casbah" 1926

RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE (FRENCH ALGERIA) issued in 1926 a set of definitive postage stamps depicting a "Street in the Casbah" (Rue de la casbah), Algiers. 

This  scenic view of the Casbah of Algiers, is now a historic citadel and UNESCO World Heritage site known for its narrow, winding streets and traditional architecture.

Stamp values and colours shown:

1c: Olive-grey

2c: Claret or reddish-brown

3c: Orange-red

These stamps belong to a larger series of pictorial stamps issued between 1926 and 1939 that featured various Algerian landscapes and landmarks.

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

French Establishments in India Apsara

FRENCH ESTABLISHMENTS IN INDIA (Établissements Français dans l'Inde) issued between 1948 and 1952 three stamps based on Apsara.

The Apsara are known for their exceptional beauty, grace, and skill in dance, music, and the arts. Originating as water and cloud spirits during the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean), they reside in Indra's heaven as dancers for the gods and consorts to the Gandharvas. They are sometimes sent to seduce sages or mortals performing intense penance that threatens the gods' power.

The name translates to "one who moves in water" (ap = water, sara = motion). They appeared during the churning of the ocean.
 This was part of a "Hinduist Sculptures" series featuring deities and architectural motifs from the region.

This particular stamp had a face value of 1 cache. The set was designed by Rolland  and printed/engraved by H. V. PARIS

Postes République Françs De L'océanie Spear Fishing

POSTES RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE ETS FRANÇS DE L'OCÉANIE (French Oceania, now part of French Polynesia) issued on 19 March 19 1934 this stamp and similar design of different colours and denominations.

The central image depicted a fisherman standing in a boat or canoe, poised to strike with a spear. The stamp was framed by palm trees and traditional ornamental patterns.

Herviault was the designer and A. Mignon was the engraver.