Republic of China (Taiwan) 30th Anniversary of Broadcast Service.

REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) on 16 September 1957 issued a set of three First Day Cover stamps marking the 30th Anniversary of Broadcast Service. The stamp remained in circulation on 1 August 1962, The printer was China Engraving & Printing Works, R.O.C. The designer was Chen Chao-erh. Photographer/engraver was Pao Liang-yu, Creative Director. Colour print process method was Intaglio, using 80 weight, wood-free printing paper. The dimension of stamps measured (mm) 37 x 29. the back of the stamp was gumless with 12 perforations. Postmark cancellation originated from Kaosiung.

Broadcasting as a business in the Republic of China began with the establishment by the Ministry of Communications of the Tientsin Broadcast Station at Tientsin, Hopei on 1 May  1927. From that date on various state-run and privately-owned broadcast stations have emerged throughout the country.

In commemoration of its 30th anniversary and in appreciation of its splendid service to the society, a set of three  commemorative stamps was issued. The stamps show, in the central design, a globe, a broadcasting tower and a microphone. In the background are radio waves reaching from Taiwan to every part of the world.

Source; Taiwan Post

Marshall Islands 20th Anniversary of The Killing Fields in Kampuchea

MARSHALL ISLANDS on 15 November 1999 issued a First Day Cover stamp recalling the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime's "killing fields" of Cambodia. This 20th anniversary stamp originated from Majuro, Marshall Islands. The Cambodian journalist Dith Pran coined the term "killing fields" after his escape from the Khmer Rouge regime led by Pol Pot.

From 1975 to 1979, Pol Pot led the Khmer Rouge Communist political party in a reign of violence, fear, and brutality over Cambodia. It was an attempt in social engineering to create a classless agrarian society, which  resulted in the deaths of 25% of the population from starvation, overwork, and executions.

The Khmer Rouge regime arrested and eventually executed almost everyone suspected of connections with the former government or with foreign governments, as well as professionals and intellectuals. Ethnic Vietnamese, ethnic Thai, ethnic Chinese, ethnic Cham, Cambodian Christians, and Buddhist monks were the demographic targets of persecution.

 

It is estimated the the total deaths resulting from Khmer Rouge policies, including death from disease and starvation, range from 1.7 to 2.5 million out of a 1975 population of roughly 8 million. The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek is one of the places, just outside of Phnom Penh, where a mass grave for an estimated 20,000 people is located.

In 1979, Vietnam invaded Democratic Kampuchea and toppled the Khmer Rouge regime, ending the genocide.

Source: Wikipedia

USPS Distinguished Americans Series - James A. Michene

USPS on 12 May 2008 issued a First Day Cover stamps of American  author James A. Michener. He was the 10th honoree in the Distinguished Americans Series. The first  postmark cancellation for this stamp originated from Washington DC.

James Albert Michener is believed to have been born on 3 February  1907, in New York City. He was abandoned by his parents and didn't know his exact birth date or place of birth, but it's generally considered to be February 3, 1907.  At a young age, Mabel Michener of Doylestown, Pennsylvania took him in and raised him. He was a bestselling author of more than 40 books, selling an estimated 75 million copies worldwide.

At the age of 20 Michener hitchhiked across the United States, visiting all but three states, and yet still received straight As in school.

After graduating from high school in 1925, Michener attended Swarthmore College, where he played basketball and majored in English and History. Michener graduated summa cum laude in 1929. He then traveled to Scotland and attended St. Andrews University for two years.

When he returned to the United States, Michener taught English at the Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and the George School in Newtown, Pennsylvania. Michener then attended Colorado State Teachers College, earning a Master of Arts degree in education. He remained at the school as a teacher for several years and also taught at College High School. From 1939 to 1940, Michener was a guest lecturer at Harvard  After that, he served as the social studies education editor for Macmillan Publishers.

As a Quaker, Michener could have qualified as a conscientious objector and avoided military service during World War II. However, he chose to enlist in the Navy and served throughout the South Pacific.  His commanders gave him several assignments because they believed his father was Admiral Marc Mitscher. Michener used his World War II experiences to wrote his first novel, Tales of the South Pacific. He mailed the story anonymously to Macmillan Publishers. The book was then published in 1947 and won a Pulitzer Prize. In 1949, Rodgers and Hammerstein adapted the story into the hit Broadway musical, South Pacific.

Michener traveled the Pacific many times, and moved to Hawaii in 1949. While there he took an active interest in civil affairs. He spent four years researching and three years writing his novel Hawaii, which became an immediate best seller.  Michener visited several countries over the years, staying long enough to learn about the customs and people for his books. Michener's extensive and meticulous research resulted in lengthy novels, many of which were more than 1,000 pages. He claimed to have spent 12 to 15 hours per day at his typewriter.

Michener  also worked on the television series Adventures in Paradise, which ran from 1959 to 1962. Michener's 1974 novel Centennial chronicled the lives of several generations of families in the Rocky Mountains.  In 1978, it was made into a 12-part television miniseries.

Michener was a noted philanthropist, donating more than $100 million to educational, cultural and writing institutions. Among these were Swarthmore College, the Iowa Writers Workshop, the James A. Michener Art Museum, and the University of Texas at Austin (Michener was this school's largest single donor). Michener also donated the earnings from his novel Journey to create the Journey Prize, an annual award for the best short story published in Canada.

During his life, Michener received several honorary degrees and literary awards as well as the Medal of Freedom.

Michener suffered from terminal kidney disease and died on 16 October 1997. He left most of his estate to Swarthmore College and the University of Northern Colorado. Several of his works were adapted for movies and television over the years, including The Bridges at Toko-Ri, Sayonara, Hawaii, Caravans, Space, and Texas.

Source: Mystic Stamps

New Zealand Post (Niue Overprint) Coronation of King George VI - 1937

NEW ZEALAND POST (with Niue Overprint)  on 13 May 1937, along with Great Britain and 56 members of the British Empire celebrated the Coronation of King George VI with an attractive set (three stamps) of First Day Cover coronation stamps. The designers/printers were Bradbury Wilkinson, England. Paper type used was Wiggins Teape 'Esparto', multiple NZ and star watermark. Recess printing process - Intaglio - was employed. Stamp size was     40mm x 24mm. These stamps remained on sale until 31 December 1937.

After the sudden death of King George V and the scandalous abdication of King Edward VIII, the British Empire gladly accepted the shy, soft-spoken George VI as their new King. This popular issue depicted a youthful George VI with his wife Queen Elizabeth, and was surprisingly printed with just a few months' notice.

Prince Albert Frederick George, second son of King George V and Queen Mary was born on 14 December 1895. He was trained in the Royal Navy and saw action at the battle of Jutland in World War One. Created Duke of York in 1923, he married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon at Westminster Abbey in the same year. The Duke and Duchess of York had two daughters; in 1926 Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and in 1930 Princess Margaret. King George V had no training in kingship. A shy man, he disliked the constant attention he had to endure. To make matters more difficult for him he did not enjoy robust health and found public speaking an almost intolerable burden. He died on 6 February 1952.

Source: New Zealand Post

Pos Indonesia Natural Disasters Surtax Stamp - 1967

POS INDONESIA in 1967 issued a series of Indonesia semi-postal stamps or surtax stamps designated for victims of Natural Disasters: floods in villages, landslides, fires destroying villages and erupting volcanoes.

Royaume du Laos "Femme Lao" Definitive Stamps - 1951

ROYAUME DU LAOS on 12 April 1951 issued a set of definitive stamps entitled "Laotian Woman" ("Femme Lao"). It was the first set of stamps for Laos designed by the French-Lao artist Marc Leguay. The engraver was Raoul Serres. The definitives in five different colours and values depicted Leguay's second wife, Nang Sengdeuane Soulivong (also known as Nang Sang Vane) who was from Khong Island. They married in 1946 and had eight children. 

The same image of Nang Sang Vane appeared on two Laos currency (Kip) notes between  1962 till 1975.

Over the years his philatelic artwork would feature Nang Sengdeuane Soulivong and their children showing the Laotian countryside, musical instruments and dance, lifestyle as well as Buddhist practices.

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President Jimmy Carter's visit to Bayeux, France - Souvenir Programme and Stamp -1978

LA POSTE FRANCE in conjunction with  President Jimmy Carter's visit  to Bayeux France on 5 January 1978 featured a stamp on a souvenir programme dedicated to the occasion.

The programme leaflet was franked with a stamp depicting the Cathedral of Bayeux or Cathedral of Our Lady of Bayeux and cancelled in the town of Bayeux in the Department (o  State) of Calvados, France.

This programme leaflet included text from the Welcoming Speech by the Mayor of Bayeux, Jean Le Carpentier, "Remembering D-Day". This item was printed in limited quantities and is considered scarce.

President Carter had traveled to Normandy to commemorate the Allied invasion of Europe and pay homage to the thousands of Allied soldiers who died in that assault. With President Valery Giscard d'Estaing at his side and with more than 9,000 American graves stretched in neat rows before hirn, They then drove to nearby Bayeux, the first French town to have been liberated from the Nazi occupation. There, in a noisy plaza, they and the mayor of Bayeux delivered speeches.

Source: Philatelic publication and New York Times 

French Polynesia (Tahiti) 50th Anniversary of the First Tahiti-France Radio Link

FRENCH POLYNESIA (TAHITI) on 18 December 1965 offered a First Day Cover stamp marking the 50th Anniversary of the first Tahiti-France radio link (29 December 1915).

Poste Principat D'Adorra (France) Radio Andorra Building

POSTES PRINCIPAT D'ANDORRA on 21 May 2010 issued a First Day Cover stamp of the old Radio Andorra building. The stamp was designed by Francisco Sánchez for the postal sercvice with the Radio Andorra building in Campagna as a motif. Postmark featured an old microphone similar to one used at Radio Andorra.

Spanish Post Office “Correos” also issued a similar stamp for Andorra, observing the 30th anniversary of the cessation in transmissions of Radio Andorra.

Poczta Polska 80th Anniversary of Katyn Massacre

POCZTA POLSKA (Polish Post) on 4 April 2020 issued a First Day Cover stamp marking the 80th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre in World War II. The stamp depicts a riddled and nameless dog tag of a Polish soldier against a blood red background. The cachet shows the silhouette of a Polish soldier with bouquet of flowers standing before a memorial listing the names of the fallen soldiers in the Katyn  Massacre. Postmark originated from Warsaw.

The Katyn Massacre was a series of mass executions of nearly 22,000 Polish military officers and intelligentsia prisoners of war carried out by the Soviet Union, specifically the NKVD ("People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs", the Soviet secret police) in April and May 1940. Though the killings also occurred in the Kalinin and Kharkiv prisons and elsewhere, the massacre is named after the Katyn forest, where some of the mass graves were first discovered by German Nazi forces.

 

The order to execute captive members of the Polish officer corps was secretly issued by the Soviet Politburo led by Joseph Stalin. Of the total killed, about 8,000 were officers imprisoned during the 1939 Soviet invasion of Poland, another 6,000 were police officers, and the remaining 8,000 were Polish intelligentsia the Soviets deemed to be "intelligence agents and gendarmes, spies and saboteurs, former landowners, factory owners and officials". The Polish Army officer class was representative of the multi-ethnic Polish state; the murdered included ethnic Poles, Ukrainians, Belarusians, and 700 to 900 Polish Jews.

The government of Nazi Germany announced the discovery of mass graves in the Katyn Forest in April 1943. After the Vistula–Oder offensive where the mass graves fell into Soviet control, the Soviet Union claimed the Nazis had killed the victims, and it continued to deny responsibility for the massacres until 1990.

An investigation conducted by the office of the prosecutors general of the Soviet Union (1990–1991) and the Russian Federation (1991–2004) confirmed Soviet responsibility for the massacres, but refused to classify this action as a war crime or as an act of mass murder. The investigation was closed on the grounds that the perpetrators were dead, and since the Russian government would not classify the dead as victims of the Great Purge.

Source: Polish Post and Wikipedia

Poste Algerienne Anniversary of Deir Yassin Massacre - 1966

POSTE ALGERIENNE issued on 24 September 1966 a First Day Cover stamp marking the Anniversary of Deir Yassin Massacre.

 

The Deir Yassin Massacre took place on 9 April 1948, when around 130 fighters from the Zionist paramilitary groups Irgun and Lehi killed at least 107 Palestinian Arab villagers, including women and children, in Deir Yassin, a village of roughly 600 people near Jerusalem, despite having earlier agreed to a peace pact. The massacre occurred while Jewish militia sought to relieve the blockade of Jerusalem during the civil war that preceded the end of British rule in Palestine.

 

Most Arab nations and Iran issued a similar commemorative stamp in 1965.

South Vietnam Les Femmes Vietnam / Phu-Nu Viet-Nam - 1969

SOUTH VIETNAM on  23 March 1969 issued four stamps for a First Day Cover entitled "Les Femmes Vietnam / Phu-Nu Viet-Nam (Vietnamese Women)" in conjunction with Women's Day. The postmark orginated from Saigon, South Vietnam.

Pos Indonesia Traditional Wedding Costumes - 1989

POS INDONESIA on 11 December 1989 issued a First Day Cover of five stamps depicting different wedding costumes. The stamp set portrayed traditional wedding costumes from South Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, North Sumatra, South Sumatra and Jakarta.

Postes Tunis Grand Mosque of Tunis - 1931

POSTES TUNIS on 15 January 1931 issued an upgrade of its 1926 definitives. This 'new design' of the Grand Mosque Al-Zaytuna had a 20 centime value and was a dull brown colour. Paul Proust was the designer, whereas Institut de Gravure et d'Impression de Papiers-Valeurs, Paris printed it, along with similar definitives of the same mosque design but in different colours and values. Postmark on this postcard originated from Sfax, Tunisia. It shows a street scene (Rue de la République) in Sfax.

Al-Zaytuna Mosque, also known as Ez-Zitouna Mosque, and El-Zituna Mosque ( literally means the Mosque of Olive), is a major mosque at the centre of the Medina of Tunis in Tunis, Tunisia. The mosque is the oldest in the city and covers an area of 5,000 square metres (1.2 acres) with nine entrances. It was founded at the end of the 7th century or in the early 8th century, but its current architectural form dates from a reconstruction in the 9th century, including many antique columns reused from Carthage, and from later additions and restorations over the centuries. The mosque may have hosted one of the first and greatest universities in the history of Islam. Many Muslim scholars graduated from al-Zaytuna for over a thousand years. Ibn 'Arafa, a major Maliki scholar, al-Maziri, the great traditionalist and jurist, and Aboul-Qacem Echebbi, a famous Tunisian poet, all taught there, among others

Pos Indonesia Traditional Wedding Costumes - 1990

POS INDONESIA on 1 November 1990 issued a First Day Cover of five stamps depicting different  wedding costumes. The stamp set portrayed traditional wedding costumes from West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, Bali, and West Nusa Tenggara.

Österreich Post 60 Anniversary of the Film “The Third Man (Der Dritte Mann)"

ÖSTERREICH POST on 2 September 2009 issued a First Day Cover stamp marking the 60th anniversary of the 1949 award-winning film “The Third Man (Der Dritte Mann),” a tale of espionage in the dark streets and sewers of Vienna starring Orson Welles and directed by Carol Reed.  The stamp and postmark features the shadow of Harry Lime (Orson Welles) in a scene from the film.

Carol Reed filmed "The Third Man" in Vienna in 1948, during that brief, uneasy truce between the end of the WW II and the onset of the cold war. It won an Oscar and the Golden Palm at Cannes but it wasn't a hit in Vienna. The local critics were underwhelmed. The film only ran for a few weeks.

For the Viennese, this was an era of hardship and humiliation, a grinding struggle for food and fuel. People had to make huge moral compromises simply to survive. As a black market racketeer in "The Third Man' confesses, speaking for every Austrian of his generation: "I've done things that would have seemed unthinkable before the war."

When Graham Greene came Austria to research his screenplay for the film, Vienna was still under occupation, divided into British, French, American and Soviet zones.

Vienna's ambivalence about "The Third Man" betrays its ambivalence about its heritage. Was Vienna conquered or liberated by the Allies? Was the Anschluss an invasion or an alliance? Were the Austrians the first victims of the Third Reich, or its first partners in crime? "The Third Man" is Vienna's guilty secret, lurking in the shadows like Harry Lime (Orson Welles).

If you've never seen this film, you should. The cinematography, the acting, the script is superb.

Source: The Guardian

Indian Post Department 150th Birth Anniversary of the Sri Aurobindo

INDIAN POST DEPARTMENT released the 150th birth anniversary of the Sri Aurobindo stamp.

 Sri Aurobindo was born on 15th August 1872 in the city of Kolkata, India. He went to England at the age of seven for his studies. He studied at St Paul’s School, London and King’s College, Cambridge. He then returned to India in 1893 and worked for thirteen years as a professor at the Baroda College in the service of the Maharaja of the princely state of Baroda. And at the same time, he also joined the revolutionary society and played a leading role in the preparations for the rebellion against the British government in India.

After the partition of Bengal, Sri Aurobindo left his post in Baroda and came to Kolkata. After coming to Kolkata, he became the leader of the nationalist movement and Shri Aurobindo was the first leader of India who openly wrote the newspaper Bande Mataram, the idea of complete independence of the country. Sri Aurobindo was tried on charges of sedition and conspiracy but was acquitted each time due to lack of evidence.

Royaume du Laos 3rd Anniversary of the Lao Red Cross Movement

ROYAUME DU LAOS on 2 May 1958 issued a First Day Cover  set of stamps marking the 3rd Anniversary of the Lao Red Cross Movement. The designer was Marc Leguay, whereas the engraver was Jean Pheulpin.

The Lao Red Cross (LRC) movement was established on 1 January 1955. Several health activities and programmes were carried out by the LRC movement. Among them were children Immunisation, water and sanitation health programmes, training village volunteers and youth in basic first-aid and provide relief assistance to villagers affected by disasters. The LRC also participated in some flood relief operations.

Royaume du Laos Laotian Ethnic Groups

ROYAUME DU LAOS on 15 December 1964 issued a First Day Cover  set of stamps showing five of the Laotian Ethnic Groups. Aside from the beautiful stamps by French artist Marc Leguay, the postmark dated 22 February 1973 states "CESSEZ-LE-FEU AU LAOS (Ceasefire in Laos)".

This referred to the Vientiane Treaty whereby a cease-fire agreement between the two warring factions in the Laotian Civil War (the Kingdom of Laos and the communist Pathet Lao) was signed in Vientiane (the capital of Laos), on 21 February 1973. Subsequently, the Pathetic Lao came to power in 1975, after the Lao Civil War. The Pathet Lao were always closely associated with Vietnamese communists and North Vietnam. During the civil war, it was effectively organised, equipped and even led by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN).

There are 68 official ethnic groups in Laos, belonging to three main groups: Lao Loum, Lao Sung and Lao Theung.

- Lao Loum - About two thirds of the Laotian population is ethnic Lao, the principal lowland inhabitants and the politically and culturally dominant group.

- Lao Sung - Hill people and minority cultures of Laos such as the Hmong, Yaho, Thai Damm, Dao Shan and several Tibeto-Burmen speaking peoples have lived in isolated regions for many years. Collectively, all these groups are known as Lao Sung (High Lao).

- Lao Theung - The predominate people in the central and southern mountains of Laos are the Mon-Khmer tribes that include the Khammu, Lawa, Katu, Katan and other small tribes. They are known as Lao Theung (Upland Lao) or Kha.

 

The stamps in this set included:

Yaho Hunter
Designer: Marc Leguay, Engraver: Roger Fenneteaux

Kha Hunter
Designer: Marc Leguay, Engraver: Jean Pheulpin

Lao Women representing the three Main Ethnic Groups of Laos: Lao Loum, Lao Sung and Lao Theung
Designer: Thao Tuan, Engraver: Charles Mazelin

Royaume du Laos Phra Wetsandon Buddhist Legend

ROYAUME DU LAOS on 17 November 1964 issued a First Day Cover set of stamps depicting the Phra Wetsandon Buddhist Legend.

Jataka refer to legends concerning the previous births of the Buddha as were told by the Buddha himself in his sermons to emphasise certain moral ways of life. One of the important Jataka is a legend telling about the Buddha life prior to his incarnation as a Prince Phra Wetsandon.

The legend tells about the Prince and his family when they went to exile. It was when the father heard that the Prince gave the Kingdom white elephant to nearby country. The Prince and his family suffered a lot in exile and their children were taken to be slaves by the Brahman Xuxouk. When the King heard about his son suffering and merits, he ordered him and his family to come back from exile and rule the Kingdom.

Stamps in this issue included:- Prince Phra Wetsandon and Nang Matxee
- God of the skies sending his son to earth
- Xuxouk the Brahman and his young wife
- Arresting Xuxouk the Brahman

Pos Indonesia 1997 "Indonesian Culture"

POS INDONESIA in 1997 issued a First Day Cover set of stamps entitled "Indonesian Culture". It was the sixth year of issuance with dance designs featuring all the regional dances in Indonesia. In the 1997 publication, the dances performed came from Central Sulawesi, Central Kalimantan, Central Java, North Sumatra and Bali.

On the special 1997 Indonesian Culture series stamps, the Mapoputi Cengke Dance from Central Sulawesi, the Mandau Talawang Nyai Balau Dance from Central Kalimantan, the Gambyong Dance from Central Java, the Cawan Dance from North Sumatra and the Keraton Legong Dance from Bali were used as the stamp designs. Each stamp measures 25.31 mm x 41.06 mm with perforations 13.50 x 12.75, respectively with denominations of Rp. 150, Rp. 300, Rp. 600, Rp. 700 and Rp. 1000.

 

Apart from the stamps, a cover is also issued. first day, first day cover with memory slips and memory slips. The Gambyong dance from Central Java was used as a design for the 1997 Indonesian Culture series. The Keraton Legong Dance is one of the classical Balinese dances. The name Legong Keraton is composed of the words "leg", "gong" and "keraton". The word "leg" means supple or elastic, which can then be interpreted as a graceful movement (dance), while "gong" means gamelan. The word "keraton" itself means palace. So the Legong Keraton dance can be interpreted as a dance movement that is closely tied to the gamelan that accompanies it and is performed in the palace environment.

The Talawang Nyai Balau Mandau Dance reflects the heroism of Dayak women from Central Kalimantan who are brave and never give up in defending the nation. As the name suggests, the Mandau dance is a dance that shows skill and skill in playing or using weapons, namely the Mandau which is a traditional Dayak weapon, and Telabang which is a traditional Dayak shield.

The Gambyong dance was originally only played in the Kesunanan Surakarta neighborhood as an entertainment performance for the sixth Sinuhun Paku Buwono and a welcoming dance when there were guests of honor who visited the Kesunanan Surakarta. In its development, this dance was also played as entertainment for the wider community. In Central Javanese society, this dance is known as a social dance, usually performed to welcome guests or start a wedding reception. The distinctive feature is that it always opens with the Pangkur piece.

The Cup Dance is a development of the Tor Tor dance which uses a cup as a dancing tool. At first this dance was only danced by a dancer known as a Baso (female shaman), who had supernatural abilities and was a medium or therapist. All the movements in the dance make the female shaman considered a worthy and clever dancer, because when she dances the dance, with a combination of jumping movements and stomping her hands, the cup containing the holy water she is carrying does not fall. Not many dancers dare to dance the cup dance, because there is a taboo against dropping the cup used in this dance.

The Keraton Legong Dance is one of the classical Balinese dances. The name Legong Keraton is composed of the words "leg", "gong" and "keraton". The word "leg" means flexible or elastic, which can then be interpreted as a graceful movement (dance), while "gong" means gamelan. The word "keraton" itself means palace. So the Legong Keraton dance can be interpreted as a dance movement that is closely tied to the gamelan that accompanies it and is performed in the palace environment.

Vietnam (South) Monuments and Sites of Vietnam - 1964

VIETNAM (SOUTH) on 2 December 1964 CONG HOA issued a First Day Cover featuring the monuments and sites on Vietnam. The four stamps in the set included these attractions: Saigon Zoo, Royal Tombs of Hue, Phan-Thiet Fishing Village and Gia Dinh Temple. The postmark originated from Saigon, South Vietnam.

Egypt Al-Azhar Universary Millenary and Sultan Husseyn Mosque - 1953 and 1957

EGYPT issued on 27 April 1957 a set of  stamps of Al-Azhar University Millenary. Shown here is one of those stamps -- brown in colour, 10 mills. The postmark originated in Luxor, Egypt, on 13 June 1957.

EGYPT in 1953 issued a set of stamps showing the Mosque of  Sultan Husseyn, 50 mills. The postmark originated in Luxor, Egypt, on 13 June 1957.

Islamic Republic of Iran "The 5th Anniversary of the Sacred Defense"

ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN POST  on 22 September 1985 issued a First Day Cover with four stamps in memoriam of the 5th anniversary of the Iran-Iraq War. It was called "The 5th Anniversary of the Sacred Defense". The stamps in themselves are largely symbolic of the Islamic Republic of Iran, i.e. the war martyr, mosque, missiles and peace doves surrounding map of  Iran, celebratory rifle fireworks

The Iran-Iraq War, (1980–88), was a prolonged military conflict between Iran and Iraq during the 1980s. Open warfare began on 22 September  1980, when Iraqi armed forces invaded western Iran along the countries’ joint border, though Iraq claimed that the war had begun earlier that month, on 4 September 4, when Iran shelled a number of border posts. Fighting was ended by a 1988 cease-fire, though the resumption of normal diplomatic relations and the withdrawal of troops did not take place until the signing of a formal peace agreement on 16 August  1990.

The war had been one of the most destructive conflicts of the late 20th century. The total number of combatants on both sides is unclear, but both countries were fully mobilized, and most men of military age were under arms. The number of casualties was enormous but equally uncertain. Estimates of total casualties range from 1,000,000 to twice that number. The number killed on both sides was perhaps 500,000, with Iran suffering the greatest losses. It is estimated that between 50,000 and 100,000 Kurds were killed by Iraqi forces during the series of campaigns code-named Anfāl (Arabic: “Spoils”) that took place in 1988.

In August 1990, while Iraq was preoccupied with its invasion of Kuwait, Iraq and Iran restored diplomatic relations, and Iraq agreed to Iranian terms for the settlement of the war: the withdrawal of Iraqi troops from occupied Iranian territory, division of sovereignty over the Shaṭṭ Al-ʿArab waterway, and a prisoner-of-war exchange. The final exchange of prisoners was not completed until March 2003.

Source:  Encyclopaedia Britannica