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.

KUT King George VI 1937

KENYA, UGANDA, AND TANGANYIKA  issued in 1937 this 1 cent stamp depicting a portrait of King George VI surrounded by two crowned cranes.

Siam First Airmail - 1925

SIAM AIR MAIL  (Thailand formerly known as Siam) issued between January and April 1925 the Garuda series. The stamps were Thailand's first airmail stamps and featured the mythological bird-like creature that is the national emblem of Thailand.

Each stamp has a different colour and denomination (face value in Satang):

- 2 Satang - Orange-brown

- 3 Satang - Red-brown or purple

- 5 Satang - Green

- 15 Satang - Rose-carmine or dark red

- 25 Satang - Dark blue

- 50 Satang - Orange and black

The series was released during the reign of King Rama VI. Some stamps from this era may feature overprints for special occasions, such as the "Siam Kingdom Exhibition" (Siam Rath Museum) in 1926.

Thailand 400th anniversary of the birth of King Naresuan the Great - 1955

THAILAND issued around 1955 a series of stamps to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the birth of King Naresuan the Great.

The stamps depicted King Naresuan riding a war elephant, celebrating his historical role in Thai history.

Denominations shown here: 

- 25 satang

- 2 baht

- 3 baht

Kelantan (Malaysia) First State stamps - 1911

KELANTAN, one of the unfederated Malay states, issued a set of Postage & Revenue stamps in 1911. These stamps featured the Kelantan Coat of Arms, which included in it's design two spears and two daggers (kris), topped by a crescent and star. The text "Kelantan Postage & Revenue" and the denominations were printed in English, with Jawi script at the top.

Denominations Shown:

1c: Black/Grey-olive

3c: Red

4c: Black and red

5c: Green and red on yellow paper

10c: Black and mauve

Before 1909, Kelantan was under Siamese (Thai) suzerainty and used Thai stamps. After the Anglo-Siamese Treaty, it became a British protectorate. Until these dedicated stamps were printed in 1911, stamps from the Federated Malay States were used in the territory.

Iraq League of Nations Mandate Issue - 1923

IRAQ in 1923 issued a set of definitive postage stamps referred to as the "Pictorial" or the League of Nations mandate issue. It was the first definitive series released for Iraq, after the Ottoman Empire ceased. 

The set was designed by Florence Edith Cheesman and printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co.

The collection included several distinct designs and denominations:

- 1/2 Anna (Olive Green) Kadhimiya Mosque

- 1 Anna (Brown) Guffas (traditional braided round boats) on the Tigris River

-  1 ½ Annas (Red) Assyrian winged figure, often described as a winged cherub holding a situla

- 2 Annas (Orange) "Winged Bull" from a Babylonian wall sculpture (a Lamassu)

- 3 Annas (Blue) Arch of Ctesiphon (Taq-i Kisra), a famous ancient ruin in Iraq

- 4 Annas (Grey) A member of the Dulaim Camel Corps carrying a tribal standard

- 6 Annas (Green/Blue) Kadhimain Mosque (the Golden Shia Mosque) in Baghdad.

Indo-Chine Native Women - 1907

INDO-CHINE (Republique Francaise) issued in 1907 an attractive and artistic set of five stamps depicting native women from the colonies of France in South East Asia.

- The 75 French centime stamp depicted a woman from Cambodia in a modeling pose facing back on the background of a dense forest of the country.

- The 1 Franc stamp showed an Annamite woman along with a child. In the background, a coconut tree and traditional house can be seen.

- The 2 Franc stamp consisted of a Hmong woman standing in a banana plantation. 

- The 5 Franc stamp represented a housewife from Laos draped in traditional costume.

- The highest denominated stamp of 10 Franc (not shown here) depicted a woman from Tonkin in northern Vietnam, collecting coconuts.

The set was created by designer Jules-Jacques Puyplat and engraved by G. Johannet (whose name does not appear on the stamps). 

The 75c. stamp, showing a Khmer Woman, was based on this photo.

Republica De Cuba Ninth Annual Tuberculosis - 1951

REPUBLICA DE CUBA issued on 1 December  1951 a series of "postage tax stamps" to mark the Ninth Annual Tuberculosis. These stamps (also known as "obligatory tax" or "postal tax" stamps), were required on mail during the Christmas season to raise funds for the National Tuberculosis Council (Consejo Nacional de Tuberculosis). The money supported children's hospitals and TB control programmes. The stamps state "Mantengamos al Niño Libre de Tuberculosis" (Let's keep the children free from tuberculosis).

Cabo Verde Portuguese Nautical Chart - 1952

CABO VERDE (Cape Verde) issued in 1952 a series of stamps honouring Portuguese sailors and maritime history. This particular stamp, shown here, featured a reproduction of a fragment from an anonymous Portuguese nautical chart dated around 1471. This type of map, known as a portolan chart, was used for navigation during the Age of Discovery and is characterised by its distinct rhumb lines radiating from a central compass rose. it was printed by Litografia Nacional - Porto (National Lithography - Porto).

Republik Indonesia "Padi dan Kapas" - 1951

REPUBLIK INDONESIA, issued in 1951, as part of the Rice and Cotton ("Padi dan Kapas") series, stamps which highlighted the main export products of Indonesia at the time.