Shown here:
- Lion Dance Mask (6 Cents), representing Chinese cultural performances.
- Indian Classical Dancer (10 Cents), depicts traditional Indian dance forms.
- Malay Dancer (15 Cents), showcasing traditional Malay attire and dance.
Denominations shown:
- 10c: Yellowish brown and bluish violet.
- 30c: Yellowish brown and brownish olive.
- 40c: Yellowish brown and brownish olive.
Photogravure method was used and printed by Hélio-Vaugirard in Paris.
Unfortunately these stamps were damaged when placed in my album, over 60 years ago.
The stamps featured a geometric purple design, inscribed "Côte frse des Somalis".
The stamp depicted a steam locomotive, representing the vital railway line between Djibouti and Addis Ababa. Other motifs included a traditional indigenous hut (case), traditional dhow, palm tree patterns, and the Cross of Lorraine signifying Free French resistance.
During WWII, territories like the French Somali Coast were contested between Vichy France and the Free French Forces led by Charles de Gaulle. This specific series was produced in London to replace Vichy-issued stamps and assert Free French authority in the colony. The territory eventually became independent as the Republic of Djibouti in 1977.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
