Johore Sultan Ibrahim and Sultana 1935

JOHORE (Malaya/Straits Settlements) in 1935 issued two stamps:  a single stamp, featuring the profiles of Sultan Sir Ibrahim of Johore and Lady Helen Ibrahim Sultana, commemorated their 5th anniversary of marriage; the second stamp, blue in colour, depicted Sultan Ibrahim of Johore. Both 8-cent postage and revenue stamps  were produced by Waterlow and Sons using a recess printing method. And both stamps are written Jawi (Arabic/Malay script) and Romanised script in English.

Interestingly, the stamp of the Sultan and Sultana is very similar to some British colonial stamps that featured King George VI and Queen Mary in the 1930s. It is also, to my knowledge, the only Malaya/Straits Settlements stamps to show both Sultan and Sultana.

Greece "Gods of the Winds" - 1943

GREECE on 15 September 1943 (during Nazi Germany occupation) issued a set of six  "Gods of the Winds" (Winds Set II) airmail postage stamps depicting the Anemoi (ancient Greek wind gods), based on the reliefs from the famous Tower of the Winds in Athens.

The individual stamps:

-10 Drachmai (ΔΡΧ. 10) Red Apeliotes (ΑΦΗΛΙΩΤΗΣ) East Wind

- 25 Drachmai (ΔΡΧ. 25) Green Zephyrus (ΖΕΦΥΡΟΣ) West Wind

- 50 Drachmai (ΔΡΧ. 50) Purple Kaikias (ΚΑΙΚΙΑΣ) Northeast Wind

- 100 Drachmai (ΔΡΧ. 100) Grey/Green Boreas (ΒΟΡΕΑΣ) North Wind

- 200 Drachmai (ΔΡΧ. 200) Brown/Red Eurus (ΕΥΡΟΣ) Southeast Wind

- 400 Drachmai (ΔΡΧ. 400) Blue/Grey - Skiron (ΣΚΙΡΩΝ) Northwest Wind

Afrique Équatoriale Française "France Libre" - 1941

AFRIQUE ÉQUATORIALE FRANÇAISE (French Equatorial Africa) issued a set of stamps  in 1941 under the banner of "France Libre" or Free France. Designed during World War II these  stamps were more than mere postal tools they served as a proud declaration of loyalty to General Charles de Gaulle and the Free French movement. 

After the fall of France in 1940 some overseas colonies including those in Central Africa rejected the Vichy regime and aligned themselves with Free France. 

Each  stamp in the set featured a phoenix rising from flames a mythological bird symbolising rebirth and immortality. This powerful imagery reflected Free France resolve to rise again after the Nazi occupation. Flanking the phoenix were two key symbols of the resistance the Cross of Lorraine used by Free French forces and the RF (République Française) affirming allegiance to the true French Republic. 

Issued from territories such as Gabon Chad Middle Congo and Oubangui Chari (now Central African Republic) these stamps symbolised the loyalty of French Equatorial Africa to Free France. They hold historical value not only for their aesthetics but also for their place in the global story of World War II. 

Though each stamp shares a common design a phoenix surrounded by flames flanked by the Cross of Lorraine and the RF they are printed in six different color palettes and denominations. This is more than a design choice it reflected the layered role each stamp played. Each stamp although part of a unified series stood with its own distinct tone and postal purpose, mirroring the multifaceted efforts of Free France military diplomatic and moral.

USPS Cover

In 1974, USPS issued a 10-cent postage stamp depicting "The Lovely Reader" painting by Jean-Étienne Liotard. It was part of a "Famous Works of Art" series released by the USPS. The stamp was issued to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Universal Postal Union. The painting originally dates from 1746.

US Postal Service stamps from the 1995 Great Lakes Lighthouses series.The strip features five different lighthouses, each with a denomination of 32 cents.Identified lighthouses in the pane include Split Rock (Lake Superior), St. Joseph (Lake Michigan), Spectacle Reef (Lake Huron), Marblehead (Lake Erie), and Thirty Mile Point (Lake Ontario). The stamps were painted by artist Howard Koslow.

French Equatorial Africa Airmail 1947-1953

FRENCH EQUATORIAL AFRICA (Afrique Équatoriale Française or AEF), a federation of French colonial territories in Central Africa, issued these airmail stamps  between 1947 and 1953 and belong to a series featuring landscape and wildlife themes, often including an DC-3 to denote their "Poste Aérienne" (Air Mail) status.

The set included the following denominations and designs:

- 50F - Red/Brown - Airplane over palm trees and a village

- 100F - Greenish/Grey - Airplane over a baobab tree and coastal huts

- 200F - Blue - Airplane over a dense tropical forest with local figures

- 500F - Dark Green - Anhingas (water birds) near a riverbank

 Many stamps in this era, including the 50F and 100F versions for other French colonies like Guadeloupe, were designed and engraved by the renowned French artist Albert Decaris.

Republique Tunisienne Postes Carthaginian General Hannibal Barca

REPUBLIQUE TUNISIENNE POSTES issued on 14 November 1995 a 180 LSd  (Tunisian milim) stamp commemorating Carthaginian General Hannibal Barca. It was engraved/designed by Czeslaw Slania (E) | Hatem El Mekki. The printer was Joh. Enschedé, using a recess printing method on phosphorescent paper. Total print run was 510,000. 

Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa Defense of Con Co Island

VIỆT NAM DÂN CHỦ CỘNG HÒA (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) in 1965 issued a stamp commemorating the Defense of Con Co Island during the Vietnam War. It depicted Vietnamese soldiers defending the island against American naval and air forces. The artwork was  credited to Khanh Lac. The stamp had a face value of 12 xu.

Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa Rice Harvest 1966

VIỆT NAM DÂN CHỦ CỘNG HÒA (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) issued a stamp to mark tye successful 1966 rice harvest in North Vietnam. The stamp featured farmers harvesting rice, highlighting the agricultural achievements of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. This stamp was part of a series focusing on "Bumper Crops" and rural development during that period. Denomination was 12 xu.

Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa 20th anniversary of the August Revolution

VIỆT NAM DÂN CHỦ CỘNG HÒA (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) issued  on 19 August 1965 a two-stamp set to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the August Revolution   (1945–1965).

They featured identical artwork by designers Công Độ and Trần Lương, depicting a group of people and soldiers in a revolutionary scene.

The stamps:

6 xu (blue/grey design).

12 xu (red/brown design).

Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa "Victories in Dry Season Campaign" 1965-1966

VIỆT NAM DÂN CHỦ CỘNG HÒA (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) issued in 1966 a series of four stamps (partial set shown here) to commemorate  the "Victories in Dry Season Campaign". The caption reads "Chiến thắng mùa khô của quân và dân miền Nam 1965-1966;" it translates to "Victory in the dry season of the army and people in the South 1965-1966".

These stamps were designed by the artist Nguyễn Hiệp and used as propaganda to boost morale and highlight successes during the Vietnam War. 

 Red stamp - 18 xu denomination - depicts a woman guerrilla fighter with a rifle, set against a background of ongoing battle or military preparation.

Purple/Pink stamp - 12 xu denomination - is from the same series.

Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa First Five-Year Plan (1961–1965)

VIỆT NAM DÂN CHỦ CỘNG HÒA (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) issued in 1965 a set of stamps to commemorate the Completion of the First Five-Year Plan (1961–1965).

The stamps were designed by artists Lê Toàn and Kim Điệp. Each stamp has a face value of 12 xu and features social realist imagery typical of propaganda art from that era.

- Red stamp (left) depicts a female industrial worker, specifically a weaver at a textile mill, representing industrial progress.

- Blue stamp (right) showcases a group of people, including a young man and woman, in front of a modern building and agricultural scene, highlighting social and cultural development.

Seminole Indians 1935 an Benjamin Franklin Stamp 1922

SEMINOLE INDIANS in Florida, a community known as the "Unconquered People" for their fierce resistance to U.S. relocation efforts in the 19th century, are depicted in this early 20th century postcard.

This postcard is dated 1935. The picture, however, was likely taken in the 1910s or 1920s.This specific postcard was part of a series often published by companies like Curt Teich.

These images were popular souvenirs from Florida tourist attractions like Musa Isle or Ross Allen’s in Silver Springs, where the tribe found new sources of income as their traditional hunting grounds in the Everglades were drained.

As shown here, the clothing featured horizontal stripes, a hallmark of Seminole style that emerged more fully by 1920.

 Women typically wore floor-length ruffled skirts and long-sleeved blouses with short capes that covered the shoulders.

 Men wore "long shirts" or tunics, which were standard attire. Some include "built-in" belts that would later evolve into the iconic "Seminole jacket".

The green UNITED STATES 1-cent postage stamp of Benjamin Franklin on this postcard was issued from 1922 till 1929.

Shanghai Surcharged Airmail - 1948

 

SHANGHAI SURCHARGED AIRMAIL stamps, issued by the Republic of China from 1946 till 1948, were implemented due to severe national currency fluctuations at the time. These issues overprinted existing air mail stamps in red or black to meet soaring postal rates, often creating high-value stamps. 

These stamps were primarily printed by the Dah Yeh Printing Press in Shanghai. During the transition period in 1949, "Air Mail" was overprinted on revenue stamps, and non-denominated green plane stamps.These featured either horizontal overprints (Peiping/Hong Kong prints) or vertical overprints (Shanghai prints).

Shown here:

- Green and blue stamps feature a Junker F-13 aircraft flying over the Great Wall of China. They were surcharged with $50,000 over original value.

 - Blue stamp depicting an airplane flying over the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing. It was overprinted with a value of $10,000.