Nippon Post Scenic Kyoto Postal Maximcards

NIPPON POST on 6 May 2024 issued two First Day Cover stamps of geisha in the scenic areas of the Kyoto Chuo Post Office and Kyoto Gion Post Office. These maxicards were specially issued from these respective post offices.

The Gion postmark cancellation over the stamp with dancers amidst cherry blossoms depicts the five-story pagoda of Toji Temple, a maiko, and Mt. Daimonji. This scenic postmark has been in use since 1954.

Romania Cover Stamps of Christopher Columbus, Bats and Flowers

 

Cover from Romania featuring stamps of Christopher Columbus, bats and flowers.

Hermann Hesse Postcard

Hermann Hesse Montagnola Foundation and Municipality of Collina d'Oro created a poster and postcard to attract tourists and tourist boards to visit the Hermann Hesse Museum/Walkway and Collina d'Oro.

To promote this endeavour a postcard and poster utilised as its subject a watercolour by Hermann Hesse as seen through a silhouetted photo of the writer (taken by his son Martin Hesse), and framed in the profile of Collina d'Oro which resulted in a shot by Giosanna Crivelli.

Nippon Post G7 Hiroshima Summit 2023

NIPPON POST on 10 May 2023 issued a set of five First Day Cover (FDC) stamps marking the G7 Hiroshima Summit. The stamp shown on this maxim card depicts the Atomic Bomb Dome. It was designed by Akira Tamaki. This 84 yen stamp was printed using a six-colour offset method. 500,000 sheets were printed. The FDC postmark cancellation originated from Tokyo Central Post Office. This particular Hiroshima maxicard was cancelled on 21 September, known as World Peace Day, with a "fukei-in" showing a peace dove. There were other postmark variations.

This maxim card was made from "Senbazuru", a string of a thousand paper cranes, which is folded with a prayer for peace. A part of the proceeds collected from this product was donated to Peace Promotion Division in Hiroshima City.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Hiroshima Heiwa Kinenhi), originally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, and now commonly called the Genbaku Dome, Atomic Bomb Dome or A-Bomb Dome, (Genbaku Dōmu), is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

The building was the only structure that remained standing in the area around the atomic bombing of Hiroshima at the end of World War II. The ruin of the hall serves as a memorial to the over 140,000 people who were killed in the bombing. It is permanently kept in a state of preserved ruin as a reminder of the destructive effects of nuclear warfare.

Source: Wikipedia

Bangkok to San Francisco by Pan American World Airways

PAN AMERICAN WORLD AIRWAYS released on 30 June 1947 a cover commemorating their first direct airmail flight from Bangkok to San Francisco using a Boeing 314 Clipper. A blue cachet with image of The Grand Royal Palace in Bangkok and Clipper flying overhead highlighted this historic flight. Three Siam (Thi) stamps were affixed to the cover: 15 st - blue/grey coloured stamp of Plowing a Rice Field, 5 st - violet coloured stamp of a young King Ananda Mahidol, and 3 baht - green coloured stamp of  King Rama 7 Prachadhipok. Postmark originated from Bangkok on 30 June 1947;  with reverse side postmark from San Francisco, California.

Pan American World Airways issued a series of covers for the various destinations to promote their routes worldwide. From 1938 till 1948, The Clipper played an active role in their public relations. 

On a side note, the Aviation Safety Award was conferred by Inter-American Safety Council, Inc. for the year 1946 to Pan American World Airways for flying over its 48,440-mile network a total of 43,878,591 flying miles, totaling 760,238,654 passenger miles without an accident or fatality to passengers or crews.

These Siam postage stamps went into circulation well before Pan Am's direct airmail flight.

- Plowing a rice field was issued in 17 April 1941. Quantity: 3,000,000 pieces. Printer: Waterlow & Sons Ltd., England.

- King Ananda Mahidol was issued in 17 April 1941. Quantity: 9,000,000 pieces. Printer: Waterlow & Sons Ltd., England

- King Rama 7 Prachadhipok was issued in 1928. Printer: Waterlow & Sons Ltd., England

Correus Europa (Andorra)

CORREUS EUROPA (ANDORRA)  in 1981 issued these two stamps: "Ball de Santa Anna" and "Aplic de la Verge de Candlich".

Belgique Poste Sabena Memorial Flight from Bastogne

BELGIQUE POSTE on 4 July 1946 issued two airmail stamps honouring the American forces of the 101st Airborne who liberated Bastogne. The stamps appeared on a special cachet and postmark cancellation marking the Belgian airline Sabena's memorial flight from Bastogne to Brussels, then on to Washington D.C.

As a tribute to American soldiers lost during the war, the plane transported a sample of soil from the Bastogne battlefield to the Arlington military cemetery near Washington.

 

Great Britain KEVII on Hari-kari Postcard

GREAT BRITAIN between 1902 till 1910 issued a 1/2p grey/green stamp of King  Edward VII. It was affixed to this postcard of 1904,  depicting the ritual of Hari-kiri, or suicide by Order of the Mikado. Four samurai  with swords, one holding a sword overhead while one disembowels himself and others look on. The postcard apparently was one of a series of professional, hand-painted slides purchased by the Brittinghams in Japan and in circulation from circa 1897 through 1922. The postcard was sent to Harrow Weald, a west suburban district of greater London, England.

 

Seppuku occurred in 1177 by Minamoto Tametomo. Minamoto fought in the Hōgen war. After facing defeat in the war, Minamoto was exiled to an Island called Ōshima. Minamoto decided to try to take over the island. Because of this, Minamoto’s enemies sent troops to suppress Minamoto’s rebellion. Minamoto, being on the losing end, committed Seppuku in 1177. The ritual of seppuku was more concretely established when, in the early years of the Gempei war, Minamoto Yorimasa committed Seppuku after composing a poem.

Seppuku was used by warriors to avoid falling into enemy hands and to attenuate shame and avoid possible torture. Samurai could also be ordered by their daimyō (feudal lords) to carry out seppuku. Later, disgraced warriors were sometimes allowed to carry out seppuku rather than be executed in the normal manner. The most common form of seppuku for men was composed of cutting open the abdomen, followed by extending the neck for an assistant to sever the spinal cord. It was the assistant's job to decapitate the samurai in one swing; otherwise, it would bring great shame to the assistant and his family. Those who did not belong to the samurai caste were never ordered or expected to carry out seppuku. Samurai could generally only carry out the act with permission.

 

 Source: Wikipedia

Nippon Post Mitate Yugao (Moonflower)

NIPPON POST on 20 April 1981 issued a First Day Cover set of stamps entitled "Mitate Yûgao", Parody of the Yûgao Chapter of the Tale of Genji. It was painted by Suzuki Harunobu   (1725 - 1770) who was a Japanese designer of woodblock print art in the Ukiyo-e style. 

"Mitate Yugao"

This composition is a mitate (parody) of the Yugao chapter from the Genji Monogatari (The Tale of Genji), the classic Heian Period epic novel following the complicated life and romances of the 'Shining Prince' Genji that inspired endless variations and interpretations in art and literature through the centuries. The title of chapter 4, Yugao (Evening Faces also known as the 'moonflower'), is so well-known that only an image of the flower, perhaps resting on a folding fan, becomes a direct reference to this sad chapter in the story. Of all of Genji's many lovers, the most tragic is the reclusive beauty residing in a neglected mansion covered by vines with flowering yugao blossoms. She refuses to tell Genji anything about herself, including her name, so he calls her Yugao, after she has a female servant present Genji's servant with a blossom on a scented folding fan inscribed with a poem written in beautiful calligraphy. Fascinated, Genji invites the mysterious lady to a remote villa where they consummate their passions. But only hours later, one of Genji's former lovers, the jealous Lady Rokujo, haunts poor Yugao and quickly takes her life.

Source: Wikipedia 

Nippon Post Inauguration of the Japanese National Theatre

NIPPON POST on 11 January 1966 issued a First Day Cover stamp marking the Inauguration of the Japanese National Theatre. The stamp depicted "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" (Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy). It was painted by Utagawa Kunisada had a face value of 25Y. This  maxim card is affixed with the same stamp design. 

"Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami" is a traditional Japanese play that has been performed in bunraku and kabuki, and was jointly written by Takeda Izumo I, Takeda Izumo II, Namiki Sōsuke and Miyoshi Shōraku. Along with Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura and Kanadehon Chūshingura, it is one of the three most famous and popular plays in the kabuki repertoire. Sugawara was first performed as a puppet play in August 1746 at the Takemoto-za in Osaka, debuting on the kabuki stage the following month in Kyoto.

USPS "All Aboard" American Luxury Trains - 1999

USPS on 26 August 1999 issued a series of stamps called "All Aboard" stamps. These  five stamps (four shown here) featured the luxury trains from America's past: the Southern Pacific Railroad Daylight; the Pennsylvania Railroad Congressional; the New York Central 20th Century Limited; the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Hiawatha; and the Santa Fe Super Chief. During the 1930s and 1940s, before automobiles and airplanes dominated travel in the United States, these trains and others like them carried passengers in great luxury. The original first day issue was released from Cleveland, Ohio. 

Congressional 

The slogan for the Congressional's route between New York and Washington was "Every Mile Electrified!" In 1935, design- er Raymond Loewy improved the looks of its GG-1 locomotives and restyled its cars' interiors. The Public Works Administration assisted the route's conversion to electricity.

Hiawatha

Traveling over 100 miles per hour on its twice-daily run connecting Chicago, Milwaukee, and the Twin Cities, the Hiawatha was known as the "Fastest Train in America." In 1938, designer Otto Kuhler streamlined its F-7 steam loco- motives in multiple colours.

20th Century Limited

The 20th Century Limited was called a "National Institution" and the "Most Famous Train in the World." With its superfast 16-hour schedule between Chicago and New York, it catered to business travelers. In 1938, designer Henry Dreyfuss redesigned its J-3a steam locomotives and Pullman cars.

Super Chief

Preferred train of Hollywood's elite traveling between Chicago and Los Angeles via Albuquerque, the Super Chief was known as the "Train of the Stars." Starting in 1937 with the E-1 type, diesel locomotives with a distinctive red-and-silver warbonnet design pulled luxurious stainless steel cars.

India Post 2nd India-Africa Forum Summit - 2011

INDIA POST on 25 May 2011 issued a miniature souvenir sheet marking the 2nd India-Africa Forum Summit.

India Post Bicentennial Anniversary of the Indian Museum in Kolkata

INDIA POST on 2 February 2014 issued a miniature souvenir sheet marking the bicentennial anniversary of the Indian Museum in Kolkata.

Royal Mail Birth Centenary of Ian Fleming, Creator of James Bond

ROYAL MAIL on 8 January 2008 issued  a First Day Cover set of six stamps showing a selection of  James Bond novel covers to celebrate the centenary of 007 creator Ian Fleming's birth. The stamps were slightly longer than usual and featured covers from "Casino Royale", "Dr No", "Goldfinger", "Diamonds Are Forever", "For Your Eyes Only" and "From Russia With Love".

This vibrant collection of six stamps celebrated the world of James Bond novels written by their originator, Ian Fleming. Each stamp included an original Cape cover, as well as three others from later editions. The first–ever Bond novel, Casino Royale, is featured, and "Dr No", "Goldfinger", "Diamonds are Forever", "For Your Eyes Only" and "From Russia with Love" were also part of this very special collection.

 

 1st class - Casino Royale. Bond’s first adventure (published 1953) pitted him against the ruthless SMERSH (Death to Spies Russian counter intelligence) paymaster Le Chiffre across the gaming table of Royale-les-Eaux. The original Jonathan Cape edition pictured here had a dust jacket designed by Fleming himself. Pan edition, artist unknown; Jove edition, illustration by Barnett Plotkin; Penguin edition cover design by Roseanne Serra and Richie Fahey. First U.S. paperback edition was retitled "You Asked for It".

 1st class - Dr. No. Published in 1958, Dr No pits Bond against the scientist Dr. Julius No from his secret base at Crab Key in Jamaica. The Cape edition has a cover by Pat Marriott; Pan edition, artist unknown; Jove edition, illustration by Barnett Plotkin; Penguin edition cover design by Roseanne Serra and Richie Fahey.

54p - Goldfinger. In Goldfinger Bond foils a plot by the gold smuggler Auric Goldfinger to steal Fort Knox’s gold deposits. The Cape book jacket here is designed by Richard Chopping; Pan edition, artist unknown; Jove edition, illustration by Barnett Plotkin; Penguin edition cover design by Roseanne Serra and Richie Fahey

 

54p - Diamonds are Forever. In Diamonds are Forever Bond takes on the Spangled Mob, a group of American gangsters running a diamond smuggling racket out of Africa to the USA. Cape edition jacket is by Pat Marriott; Pan edition, artist unknown; Jove edition, illustration by Barnett Plotkin; Penguin edition cover design by Roseanne Serra and Richie Fahey.

 

78p - For Your Eyes Only. Five Bond short stories in one volume. Cape dust jacket designed by Richard Chopping; Pan edition, artist unknown; Jove edition, illustration by Barnett Plotkin; Penguin edition cover design by Roseanne Serra and Richie Fahey

78p - From Russia with Love. In From Russia with Love SMERSH hatch a plan to kill Bond using a decoding device and its beautiful operator as bait. Cape edition jacket devised by Ian Fleming and illustrated by Richard Chopping; Pan edition, artist unknown; Jove edition, illustration by Barnett Plotkin; Penguin edition cover design by Roseanne Serra and Richie Fahey.

Technical details:

 The 60 x 21mm stamps and the miniature-sheet measuring 190 x 67mm, were designed by A2, and are litho-printed by De La Rue Security Print, perforated 14½ x 14½. The stamps were printed in sheets of 24 and 48. The Prestige Stamp book was printed by De La Rue Security Print and all panes are printed in litho.

USPS Early TV Memories - Grouch Marx's You Bet Your Life

USPS on 11 August 2009, in North Hollywood, California,  issued a 44-cent "Early TV Memories" First Day Cover stamp honouring Grouch Marx and his show "You Bet Your Life". It was one of twenty designs created by Carl T. Herrman to commemorate twenty great shows from TV's "Golden Age".

The Early TV Memories sheet of 44-cent First-Class stamps included the following twenty classic TV shows: "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet"; "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"; "Dinah Shore Show"; "Dragnet"; "Ed Sullivan Show"; "George Burns & Gracie Allen Show"; "Hopalong Cassidy"; "The Honeymooners"; "Howdy Doody"; "I Love Lucy"; "Kukla, Fran and Ollie"; "Lassie"; "The Lone Ranger"; "Perry Mason"; "Phil Silvers Show"; "The Red Skelton Show"; "Texaco Star Theater"; "The Tonight Show"; "Twilight Zone"; and "You Bet Your Life".

You Bet Your Life
This game show was built around the personality of its host, comedy star Groucho Marx, who loaded his banter with quips. A toy duck lowered from the ceiling delivered a cash prize when contestants said the week’s “secret word,” a common word selected in advance. The actual quiz was less the focal point than an opportunity to unleash Groucho’s wit.

Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (1890 – 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer who performed in film and vaudeville and on television, radio, and the stage. He made 13 feature films as a team with his brothers, who performed under the name the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third born. He also had a successful solo career, primarily on radio and television, most notably as the host of the game show You Bet Your Life.

His distinctive appearance, carried over from his days in vaudeville, included quirks such as an exaggerated stooped posture, spectacles, cigar, and a thick greasepaint mustache (later a real mustache) and eyebrows.

Source: USPS and Wikipedia 

USPS Early TV Memories - Alfred Hitchcock Presents

USPS on 11 August 2009, in North Hollywood, California,  issued a 44-cent "Early TV Memories" First Day Cover stamp honouring Alfred Hitchcock and his show "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". It was one of twenty designs created by Carl T. Herrman to commemorate twenty great shows from TV's "Golden Age".

The Early TV Memories sheet of 44-cent First-Class stamps included the following twenty classic TV shows: "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet"; "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"; "Dinah Shore Show"; "Dragnet"; "Ed Sullivan Show"; "George Burns & Gracie Allen Show"; "Hopalong Cassidy"; "The Honeymooners"; "Howdy Doody"; "I Love Lucy"; "Kukla, Fran and Ollie"; "Lassie"; "The Lone Ranger"; "Perry Mason"; "Phil Silvers Show"; "The Red Skelton Show"; "Texaco Star Theater"; "The Tonight Show"; "Twilight Zone"; and "You Bet Your Life".

Alfred Hitchcock Presents 

"Alfred Hitchcock Presents" was an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was renamed "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour". Hitchcock himself directed only 18 episodes during its run.

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (1899 –  1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 feature films, many of which are still widely watched and studied today. Known as the "Master of Suspense", Hitchcock became as well known as any of his actors thanks to his many interviews, his cameo appearances in most of his films, and his hosting and producing the television anthology "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955–65). His films garnered 46 Academy Award nominations, including six wins, although he never won the award for Best Director, despite five nominations.

Sources: USPS and Wikipedia 

USPS Early TV Memories - Ed Sullivan Show

USPS on 11 August 2009 issued a First Day Cover stamp honouring Ed Sullivan and his TV series "The Ed Sullivan Show ", along with 19 other Early TV shows from the late 1940s and 1950s. Postmark cancellation originated from North Hollywood, California.

 The Early TV Memories sheet of 44-cent First-Class stamps celebrated 20 productions from television’s golden age: "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet"; "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"; "Dinah Shore Show"; "Dragnet"; "Ed Sullivan Show"; "George Burns & Gracie Allen Show"; "Hopalong Cassidy"; "The Honeymooners"; "Howdy Doody"; "I Love Lucy"; "Kukla, Fran and Ollie"; "Lassie"; "The Lone Ranger"; "Perry Mason"; "Phil Silvers Show"; "The Red Skelton Show"; "Texaco Star Theater"; "The Tonight Show"; "Twilight Zone"; and "You Bet Your Life".

The Ed Sullivan Show 

As the host of his own television variety programme from 1948 to 1971, Edward Vincent Sullivan, born in Harlem, New York City on 28 September 1901, was an important leader in the entertainment field and a television pioneer.

 Often serving as master of ceremonies for high-profile entertainment gatherings in New York, he was picked to host the early CBS television variety program "Toast of the Town", which debuted on 20 June 1948, and slowly became a popular Sunday night fixture. Eventually it was renamed "The Ed Sullivan Show" as a tribute to its host’s own star power.

For each new show, Sullivan gathered together some of the hottest names in show business for an hour-long eclectic mix of music, dance, comedy and more. Classical music and Broadway show scenes appeared on the same programme as plate spinners, sports stars and fast-talking comedians. Sullivan hosted an early television appearance by Elvis Presley in 1956, and the Beatles in 1964. He was known for providing national TV exposure for black entertainers denied such opportunities elsewhere, and he welcomed acts as diverse as blues-rock singer Janis Joplin and Senor Wences, the latter a brilliant ventriloquist who painted a face on the side of his fist to serve as a head for his dummy partner.

Sullivan’s weekly show won a Golden Globe award in 1959 and a Peabody award in 1967. The CBS-TV Studio 50 theater on Broadway where his show took place each week was renamed The Ed Sullivan Theater in 1967.

Sullivan died on 13 October 1974. 

Source: Linn's Stamp News

USPS Early TV Memories - The Twilight Zone

USPS on 11 August 2009 issued a First Day Cover stamp honouring Rod Serling’s and his TV series ,"The Twilight Zone", along with 19 other Early TV shows from the 1950s. Postmark cancellation originated from North Hollywood, California.

The Early TV Memories sheet of 44-cent First-Class stamps celebrated 20 productions from television’s golden age: "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet"; "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"; "Dinah Shore Show"; "Dragnet"; "Ed Sullivan Show"; "George Burns & Gracie Allen Show"; "Hopalong Cassidy"; "The Honeymooners"; "Howdy Doody"; "I Love Lucy"; "Kukla, Fran and Ollie"; "Lassie"; "The Lone Ranger"; "Perry Mason"; "Phil Silvers Show"; "The Red Skelton Show"; "Texaco Star Theater"; "The Tonight Show"; "Twilight Zone"; and "You Bet Your Life".

The Twilight Zone

You are traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination. Next stop, the Twilight Zone!” Rod Serling’s famous words — the introduction to his sci-fi television show, which originally ran from 1959 to 1964.

"The Twilight Zone", a thought-provoking anthology series focused on the imaginary and the bizarre, began in a half-hour time slot in 1959 and ran for several seasons, ultimately expanding to a full hour. This intelligent series cautioned viewers not to be too sure of anything. The best scripts for The Twilight Zone dealt with the shadowy area of the almost-but-not-quite; the unbelievable told in terms that could be believed. Time travel was a frequent subject, and so was contact with aliens from outer space. The contest between humanity and technology was another characteristic theme.

The series creator, a prolific young playwright named Rod Serling, served as the show’s narrator and wrote many episodes. Serling, who earned his B.A. in 1950 from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and whose career can be traced through the WLW broadcasting franchise in Cincinnati.

Source: USPS

Canada Post Commemorative Stamp of Donald Sutherland

CANADA POST on 19 October 2023 issued a First Day Cover honouring the career of one of Canada’s most respected and versatile actors, Donald Sutherland. Cancellation postmark originated in St. John, New Brunswick. The cachet features Sutherland in his role as Oddball in the film "Kelley's Heroes".

Born on 17 July 1935, in Saint John, New Brunswick, Sutherland studied engineering and drama at the University of Toronto before moving to England to pursue his passion for acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

He appeared in stage productions and television shows, making his feature film debut in 1963 as “Tall Man in Nightclub” in The World Ten Times Over. In 1967, Sutherland starred in his breakthrough role as killer Vernon Pinkley in the classic Second World War film, The Dirty Dozen.

His first lead role in a major motion picture came in 1970 when he played Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce in the bitingly dark comedy, M*A*S*H. The role transformed him into a Hollywood A-lister and one of the biggest movie stars in the world. It also earned him his first of nine Golden Globe nominations.

Sutherland’s incredible talents and eclectic tastes led him to take on a broad range of roles over the course of his seven-decade career. He is known for memorable performances in a variety of films, including  "Kelley's Heroes" (1970), "Klute" (1971), "Ordinary People" (1980), "Backdraft" (1991), "Disclosure" (1994), "A Time to Kill" (1996), "Fallen" (1998), "Pride & Prejudice" (2005), and "The Hunger Games" franchise (2012-2015).

With his international success, Sutherland has remained a proud Canadian and starred in many Canadian productions, including the TV movie "Bethune" (1977) and the 1990 feature film "Bethune: The Making of a Hero", playing legendary Canadian Dr. Norman Bethune in both.

His work in nearly 200 films and television productions has garnered him many awards, including a Genie (1983), an Emmy (1995), two Golden Globes (1995 and 2002), the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement (2000), and an Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2017).

He has also received stars on Canada’s Walk of Fame (2000) and the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2011) and been named a Companion of the Order of Canada (2019) and a Commandeur of France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2012).

Stamp Details:
Designer: Paprika
Dimensions:
Flat: 136 mm (W) X 154 mm (H)
Folded: 68 mm (W) X 154 (H)
Printer: Colour Innovations
Printing process:
Stamps side: 4 COLOUR PROCESS + 2 PMS – FIRST PASS
1 PMS + TAGGING – 2ND PASS
Cover side: 4 COLOUR PROCESS + 1 PANTONE + VARNISH
Quantity: 200,000

Source: Canada Post

PostNord (Sweden) Cover Stamps

 

POSTNORD issued on 25 August 1988 a First Day Cover of Swedish painters living in Paris in 1920. Additionally, this FDC features stamps depicting sports, fauna and seafaring in Sweden. The other stamps, shown here, were initially released in the 1980s as well.

PostNord (Sweden) Cover Stamps

 

An assortment of cover stamps from PostNord received from a fellow stamp collector in Sweden, May 2024.

Ryukyu Islands Kumi-odori

RYUKYU ISLANDS on 30 June 1970 issued five commemorative First Day Cover stamps dedicated to Ryūkyūan dance Kumi-odori.

Kumi-odori is musical theatre composed of words, music and dance. The Kumi-odori was created by Tamagusuku Chokun who was appointed Odoribugyo, a dance magistrate, in the early 18th century in order to entertain Chinese envoys called Sapposhi sent by the Chinese Emperor to crown the new king of the Ryukyu Kingdom. NidoTekiuchi and ShushinKaneiri were first played at the King Sho Kei’s enthronement ceremony in 1719.

Chokun created the Kumiodori based on Okinawa’s indigenous performing arts and fables with inspiration from performing arts in mainland Japan (Noh and Kabuki) and Chinese theatre. Mekarushi, Onnamonogurui and Kokonomaki together with the above mentioned two works are called “Chokun’s five masterpieces” and they are works with a high degree of perfection still popular to this day.

Kumi-odori  is now recognised by the Japanese government as an Important Intangible Cultural Property. In 2010 it was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It remains today a prime example of native art sustained by the people of Okinawa.

USPS Centenary of Clara Maass's Birth

USPS on 18 August 1976 issued a 13-cent stamp honouring the centenary of Clara Maass's birth. The stamp, designed by Paul Calle, featured a portrait of Clara Maass wearing a Newark German Hospital pin.

She was the first nurse honoured with a U.S. postage stamp and additionally was also the first nurse to have a hospital named after them. Also in 1976, the American Nurses Association inducted her into its Nursing Hall of Fame. The Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church honors Maass and British nurse Florence Nightingale on August 13 as a "Renewer of Society."

The multicoloured stamp  was printed on the Bureau of Engraving and Printing seven-color Andreotti gravure press (601) as sheets of 160 subjects, tagged, perforated 11, and distributed as panes of forty (eight across, five down).

Clara Maass (1876 - 1901), a daughter of German immigrants, worked as an army nurse in Florida, Cuba, and the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. She returned to Cuba in 1900 at the request of Maj. William Gorgas, chief sanitation officer, where she became involved in a study of the cause of yellow fever. To determine whether the tropical fever was caused by city filth or the bite of a mosquito, seven volunteers, including Maass, were bitten by the mosquitoes. Two men died, but she survived. She volunteered again several months later, this time being infected. Maass died of yellow fever at the age of twenty-five. In her memory, Newark German Hospital (New Jersey) was renamed Clara Maass Memorial Hospital.

Reference: Scott 2005 Specialised Catalogue of U.S. Stamps and Covers

Wikipedia 

India Post Sandalwood Miniature Sheet

INDIA POST on 13 December 2006 issued a  miniature stamp sheet depicting an elephant harvesting sandalwood. The stamp had a sandalwood scent on it. Three million stamps were printed using the photogravure method. India Security Press, Nashik printed the stamps.

Sandalwood is an integral part of Indian Heritage, hence  the issuance of this commemorative postage stamp as a national treasure. It is one of the most expensive woods in the world and is known for its enchanting fragrance. Unfortunately, these trees grow slowly and have been over-harvested in the last hundred years. India is one of the largest producers of sandalwood, apart from other countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka etc.

USPS American Samoa

USPS on 17 April 2000  issued a 33-cent American Samoa commemorative stamp in Pago Pago, American Samoa. The stamp, designed by Howard Paine of Delaplane, Virginia, and illustrated by Herb Kane of Captain Cook, Hawaii, went on sale nationwide 18 April 2000.

With the issuance of this stamp, the Postal Service commemorated a century of political affiliation between the United States and the territory of American Samoa. In April 1900, local Samoan chiefs ceded the islands of Tutuila and Aunuu to the US.

The stamp art, in gouache, depicts an "alia," the traditional double canoe, sailing with the prevailing easterly wind. Sunuitao Peak, on the island of Ofu, can be seen in the background. Hawaiian artist Herb Kawainui Kane is also an art historian and author with special interest in Hawaii and the South Pacific and is the recipient of numerous awards for his work.

Ashton Potter (USA), Ltd., printed 16 million stamps in the offset process with microprinting "Samoa."

 Reference: Postal Bulletin (23 March 2000).

India Post Philately Day

 

INDIA POST in 2013 Philately Day featuring Mahatma Gandhi

India Post Centenary Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha

INDIA POST on 10 February 2007 issued for First Day Cover stamps to mark the Centenary Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha  in Natal, the Cape and Transvaal, South Africa. This souvenir sheet depicts Gandhi a various stages in South Africa, a map of the protest march and supporters. The postmark originated from Guwahati, India.

Before the start of the 20th century, there were about 62,000 Indians living in South Africa, including the British colonies of Natal and the Cape, and the Boer republics of Transvaal and the Orange Free State (OFS). Most Indians were indentured laborers or newly freed laborers.

In the 1890s, legislation passed that restricted Indian’s freedoms amidst growing anti-Indian sentiment. The Immigration Law Amendment Bill of 1895 stated Indians had to return to India at the end of their five-year indenture period, or they would have to be re-indentured for two more years. Anyone who refused would be charged an annual tax of £3. Additionally, the Franchise Amendment Bill of 1894 limited Indians political representation.

Mohandas K. Gandhi, now a London-trained lawyer, arrived in South Africa in 1893 to settle a legal dispute between two Indian business partners. He soon became involved in Indian politics, helping organize the Natal Indian Congress and the British Indian Association, and starting the Indian Opinion publication in 1903 to promote Indian’s rights.

In August 1906, the Asiatic Law Amendment Ordinance was signed into law in the Transvaal. It was a humiliating and discriminating law forcing Indians in the Transvaal to register with the ‘registrar of Asiatics,’ submit to physical examinations, provide fingerprints, and carry a registration certificate at all times. Otherwise, Indians and other ‘Asiatics,’ as they were called, could be fined, imprisoned, or deported. It became known as the ‘Black Act’.

A delegation of Indians sailed to London to meet with Secretary of State Lord Elgin, who then publicly renounced the Black Act, but privately only advocated for superficial revisions to the Act.

When the certificate offices opened on July 1, 1907, resisters picketed outside the office and dissuaded passing Indians from registering. They gathered support for the noncooperation in temples, mosques, and churches. Initially known as the ‘Passive Resistance Campaign,’ Gandhi coined the term ‘Satyagraha,’ literally ‘truth-force,’ as an alternative name. Satyagraha developed as a paradigm for waging nonviolent struggle, advocating ‘active resistance to oppression,’ and would profoundly influence the Indian struggle for independence in later decades.

After the struggle was concluded, Gandhi left South Africa, having spent 21 years there, to return to India where he would continue to campaign for Indian independence. His time in South Africa was foundational in his development of Satyagraha, or “truth force,” which would later help lead India to its independence.

Pos Malaysia Special First Day Cover of President Barack Obama's Visit to Malaysia

POS MALAYSIA on 26 April 2014  issued a special commemorative  First Day Cover of President Barack Obama's Visit to Malaysia in April 2014. This particular cover is rare in that it has three cancellation postmarks: one shows special franking used for the occasion, plus one franking from the Central Kuala Lumpur Post Office and the other from Putrajaya. The cover itself depicts then U.S President Barack Obama and then Malaysian Prime Minister Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak. The stamp facsimile is a commemorative issue of  Perdana Putra in Putrajaya.

Personally, I consider this cover a novelty and one that may in decades to come appreciate in value. Why? One, the last visit by an American President to Malaysia was that of President Lyndon Johnson in 1966 -- a lapse of 44 years; and two, Prime Minister Mohammad Najib was eventually imprisoned for his part in the scandal involving the state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

USPS Theodore von Karman

USPS  on 31 August 1992 issued a First Day Cover stamp commemorating Theodore von Karman. The stamp featured the scientist next to a V-2 rocket. The stamp’s designer, Chris Calle, thought von Karman had a “great face…His face seemed to me to be characteristic of a scientist…it just had the look of someone who was deeply committed to what he’s doing…” This particular cover originated from Houston, TX and has a special cancellation compared to the one issued in Washington D.C.

Theodore von Karman was born on Hungary where he studied and taught advanced math and physics. He moved to the United States in 1930 to head the Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory. In the early 1940’s, Von Karman endorsed the idea of creating a long range missile programme. He became the first director of the resultant Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, in 1944. Five years later, this project resulted in the launch of a high altitude rocket from New Mexico. It reached a height of 244 miles, becoming the first US rocket to reach what was referred to as “extraterrestrial space.” In late 1957, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in collaboration with the United States Army developed and built the Explorer I satellite, America’s response to Sputnik. Within a year of the successful launch of Explorer I, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory became a part of the newly create National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

In 1963, President Kennedy awarded von Karman the first National Medal of Science. During the ceremony Kennedy remarked, “It is hard to visualize what the world would be like without aircraft and jet propulsion, or without the vision we have, just entering the realm of reality, of exploring space. I am especially glad to present this first National Medal of Science to one of the pioneers who has helped to make all this new and exciting age possible.” Less than three months after receiving the award, Theodore von Karman died at the age of 81.

In 1965, Shirley Thomas, a professor at the University of Southern California, began a long fight to have von Karman honoured on a United States postage stamp. She wrote letters to postmaster generals, and in 1983 she organised the Committee for the Theodore von Karman Postage Stamp. Members of this committee included Charles Yeager and astronauts Buzz Aldrin and L. Gordon Cooper. Her quest was complicated by the fact that “outside of the scientific world, von Karman is not a magical name…But in the scientific world, he was a giant.” Eventually, in 1991, Postmaster General Anthony Frank honoured Thomas’s request, and the Postal Service issued a stamp honoring von Karman in 1992.

Source: USPS