Thai Post Visit Thailand Year 1987

THAI POST on 18 September 1987 issued a set of First Day Cover stamps marking Visit Thailand Year to publicize the culture and local tradition in various regions of Thailand. The printer was Société Nouvelle Cartor Sarl., France. 3,000,000 pieces for design 1 and 1,000,000 pieces each for designs 2-4.

The stamps depicted:

 1. Tak Baat Dokmai Festival, with the annual Flower Offering Ceremony, at Wat Phra Phutthabaht in Saraburi; 

2. Praphenih Sart Deuan Sip, i.e. the Tenth Lunar Month Festival, an autumnal religious festival during the tenth lunar month, at Wat Mahathat Wora Maha Wihaan, in which ancestors and deceased relatives are honoured and given khanom lah, a traditional snack of Nakhon Sri Thammarat, that represents the offerings of clothes to the spirits of the dead; 

3. Bang Fai Festival at Phrathat Kong Khao Noi in Yasothon; 

4. Loi Krathong Festival at Wat Mahathat in Sukhothai.

Pos Malaysia National Planetarium

POS MALAYSIA on 7 February 1994 issued a First Day Cover set of stamps commemorating the National Planetarium. It included three stamps with denominations of 30 sen, 50 sen, and RM1, each featuring space-related imagery. The FDC envelope stamp showcased an image of Saturn. The postmark was dated February 7, 1994, and it originated from Kuala Lumper. The stamps were designed by DeArt Forms Sdn. Bhd. 

India Post Cover

INDIA POST stamp cover on envelope from an Indian stamp dealer receiver a few days ago. Shown: mini souvenir sheet and individual stamps of a joint issue between India and Romania showing traditional attractions from their respective countries; a single stamp of the famous Taj Mahal; and stamp of Indian nationalist leader Subhas Chandra Bose whose defiance of British authority in India made him a hero among many Indians, but his wartime alliances with Nazi Germany and Fascist Japan left a legacy vexed by authoritarianism, anti-Semitism, and military failure.

Tokelau Island People, Landscape & Map 1948

TOKELAU ISLANDS on 22 June 1948  issued a First Day Cover from Nukunono. This illustrated First Day Cover bore the first trio of stamps to combine the Nukunono/Tokelau Islands.

-1/2-pence postage and revenue stamp shows a map and an image of a person from Atafu. 

- 1-pence postage and revenue stamp depicts a map of Nukunonu and a traditional house. 

- 2-pence postage and revenue stamp  features a view of Fakaofo Atoll, one of the three atolls that make up Tokelau, along with a map of the island. 

The Tokelau islands, located in the South Pacific, were annexed by Britain in 1916. Tokelau, formerly called the Union Islands, is a non-self-governing territory of New Zealand consisting of three atolls: Nukunonu, Fakaofo, and Atafu. In 1926, administration of Tokelau was passed to New Zealand, and formal sovereignty was transferred in 1948.  Tokelau does not have a central capital; each atoll has its own administration. 

USPS Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane”

USPS on 18 February 1999 honoured Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane” in their Celebrate the Century (1940s) series. The stamp was based on a photograph from the original movie. Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. printed the stamp using an Offset, Intaglio printing method. First Day Cover originated from Dobbins Air Force Base, Georgia. A total of 188,000,000 stamps were printed. 

Welles wrote, directed, produced, and starred in “Citizen Kane.” It is considered by many critics to be one of the greatest films ever made, given the time when it was released.  It has been hailed for its artistic and technical innovations. Welles dramatic use of lighting and music, as well as innovative narrative techniques, established him as a master filmmaker. 

"Citizen Kane’s" cinematographer, Greg Toland experimented with lighting and lenses. His experimentation resulted in deep focus which allowed all elements of a shot to fit in the screen at once. This film launched the film industry into the “modern age,” or the big Hollywood era of the 1950s and 1960s. 

The film follows the life and career of Charles Foster Kane, a wealthy and powerful newspaper  magnate, based on the lives of publisher William Randolph Hearst and his mistress Marion Davies. Hearst’s failed attempts to block the film’s release in 1941 made his connection with the story even more obvious to critics and movie-goers. 

The opening scene of “Citizen Kane” shows Xanadu, Charles Foster Kane’s immense estate, blanketed in fog. Looming above the mist, atop a man-made mountain, sits a castle with a single light shining from a window. Inside lies the dying Kane, clutching a crystal globe enclosing a winter scene. He utters one word, “Rosebud,” then dies. It is then up to a reporter to find out who the real Kane was, and the significance of “Rosebud.”

Nippon Post "Phila Nippon '91" Prefecture Tea Harvest

NIPPON POST on 10 January 1991 issued a First Day Cover sheet to commemorate the "Phila Nippon '91" stamp exhibition. It featured designs related to Shizuoka Prefecture and the tea harvest season. Three 62-yen stamps depicted women picking tea leaves, a common scene in Shizuoka, a major tea-producing region. Furusato Kitte or Hometown Stamps, (Hachijūhachiya) mark the 88th night after the beginning of spring (Shizuoka-ken). The postmark originated from the Shizuoka Prefecture

USPS General Claire Lee Chennault

USPS on 6 September 1990 issued  a 40¢ First Day Cover stamp honouring Claire Chennault, one of the stamps in the "Great Americans" series. The stamp was released on Chennault’s 97th birthday (originally believed to be his 100th, as Chenault had several different birthdates on records). First Day City of issue originated from Monroe, Louisiana. A total of 45,00,000 stamps were printed by Bureau of Engraving using an engraving method. It was designed and illustrated by Chris Calle.

Chris Calle, the artist behind nine prior Great Americans stamps, used several photos in his many preliminary sketches for this stamp.  The final portrait was largely based on a war-time photo picturing Chennault with two stars on his shoulder, designating him as a major general. 

Claire Lee Chennault was born on 6 September 1893 (though he claimed 1890 sometimes), in Commerce, Texas.  Chennault spent his early years in Louisiana, attended Louisiana State University, and joined the ROTC.  He worked as a school principal until the outbreak of World War I, at which point he joined the Army Signal Corps.  Chennault went on to fly with the Army Air Service during that war.

 

After World War I, Chennault was made Chief of Pursuant Section at the Air Corps Tactical School.  He also led the 1st Pursuit Group Army Air Corps aerobatic team, the Three Musketeers, which he later reorganized as the Three Men on the Flying Trapeze.

 

By the mid-1930s, Chennault’s health was suffering and he fought with superiors after he was passed over for a promotion.  So he retired from the military on 30 April 1937.  He was then invited to join a small group of American civilians in China training their airmen.

 

Shortly after Chennault’s arrival in China, the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out and he was made chief air advisor to Chiang Kai-shek.  In this role, he trained Chinese Air Force pilots and flew on occasional scouting missions.  Then in 1940, he traveled back to the US to request more planes and pilots.  From this meeting came the creation of the American Volunteer Group, also known as the Flying Tigers.  The US promised 100 planes as well as mechanics, pilots, and aviation supplies.

 

Chennault planned and campaigned for a bombing raid by his tigers, which he believed could end the war.  The raid never happened because airfields weren’t built close enough to Japan to launch the planes.  Then on 20 December 1941, Chennault’s Tigers shot down four Japanese bombers bound for Kunming.

 

The Tigers continued to guard the Burma Road, Rangoon, and other important locations in Southeast Asia and Western China.  Eventually, Chennault rejoined the Army and the Tigers were formally incorporated into the US Army Air Forces.

 

After the war, Chennault returned to China and created Civil Air Transport (later Air America) to aid Nationalist China in its struggle against Communist China.  He was eventually promoted to lieutenant general in the Air Force nine days before his death on July 27, 1958.

Taiwan Post 50 Anniversary of the Flying Tigers Coming to China

TAIWAN POST on 26 September 1990 issued a First Day Cover stamp marking the 50 anniversary of the Flying Tigers Coming to China (Formosa/Taiwan, Republic of China). The designer was Lee Kuang-chi.

In an effort to counter Japanese military aggression during WWII, Colonel Claire Lee Chennault, air advisor to China, under authorisation of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, formed the American Volunteer Group (AVG) --more commonly known as the "Flying Tigers"- on 1 August 1941.

This small force of at most 270 men, consisting of American pilots and ground crew personnel, provided an effective air defense for Yunnan Province in southwestern China and its neighboring Burma. The AVG was disbanded in July 1942 after the U.S. declared war on Japan.

The Flying Tigers fought heroically and selflessly. Their presence in China  lifted the morale of the Chinese people considerably during those difficult years.

Hellenic Post Mythology Edition Part II

HELLENIC POST on 25 June 1973 issued a four First Day Cover stamps commemorating Greek Mythology, Edition Part B. The Design-adaptation was rendered by P. Gravvalos - G. Velissarides. Aspioti ELKA printing house printed the stamps 

The stamps in this series included:

- Punishment of Atlas and Prometheus. Copies printed:  1,125,647.

- Battle of Zeus against Typhoon. Pieces printed: 1,125,647.

- Zeus in the War of Titans. Pieces printed:  1,125,647.

- Olympus, home of the gods. Pieces printed: 1,125,647.

Hellenic Post Mythology Edition Part III

HELLENIC POST on 25 June 1974 issued four First Day Cover stamps honouring Greek Mythology Edition Part III. This special commemorative edition on Greek mythology was designed and adapted by P. Gravvalos. It was printed by the "Aspioti ELKA" printing house.

The stamps featured:

- Hermes the Herald. Pieces printed: 621,514.

- Theocracy Zeus. Pieces printed: 5,400,000.

- Artemis-Apollo-Leto (Artemis Apollo Leto 5th Cent Vase)

- Birth of Athena (Birth Athena 5th Cent Vase)

USPS 50th anniversary of the 1935 Social Security Act

USPS on 14 August  1985 issued a  First Day Cover stamp to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1935 Social Security Act. Robert Brandwyne designed this First Class 22¢ stamp showing a border and colour resembling the American Social Security card. The central portion  featured silhouettes representing all the people and programmes affected by Social Security.  Pictured are an older man and a young buy, an injured man walking with a crutch, a girl pushing a woman in a wheelchair, and woman with a child in a stroller.  These represent old age assistance, Medicare and Medicaid, Disability Insurance, Aid to Dependent Children, Maternal and Child Health Care, and Child Welfare Services.

First Day City of release originated in Baltimore, Maryland. A total of 120,000,000 stamps were printed by American Bank Note Company, using a  Photogravure method. The maxim card shows President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signing the Social Security Act.

Vietnam Cong Hoa UNICEF Children's Aid - 1968

VIETNAM CONG HOA (REPUBLIC OF  VIETNAM) on 12 November 1968 issued a First Day Cover stamps of UNICEF Children's Aid. The postmark cancellation states besides the date, "Saigon Children's Hospital First 3 Days".

Western Samoa Pictorial Stamps - 1935

WESTERN SAMOA on 7 August 1935 issued a set of 10 First Day Cover "Pictorial" stamps of Western Samoa. 

Western Samoa ministered by New Zealand Mandate from the League of Nations. The two principal inlands of this section of the Group. Upolu and Sevali'i, have bold rugged scenery and are among the most luxuriant in the South Pacific. Consequently, the New Zealand Administration, in deciding that Samoa should be provided with a complete stamp issue, was able to draw upon attractive resources for pictorial subjects. 

The Samoan Pictorial stamps constitute a miniature view-book of the Territory, for they include reproductions of some of its most distinctive features, and portray the Samoan in traditional dress and appropriate surroundings. The engravings have been so carefully done that the subjects they represent will be readily rocognised by those familiar with Samoan scenes, though even the use of two colours in printing has not made it possible to present the pictures in the glowing and vivid colouration of the tropical originals.

The selected design for the 1/2d, denomination was drawn by Mr. L. C. Mitchell, Wellington: the 2 1/2d. design was the joint work of Messrs. Mitchell and J. Berry, Wellington; the 6d. was drawn by Mr. W. J. Cooch. Wellington, and the remaining designs were those of Mr. J. Berry. They have boom printed by Messrs. De la Rue and Co. London, by the intaglio process, on "N.Z Star" watermark paper.

 

THE STAMPS

A Samoan girl in Samoan dress is shown seated on a woven mat with a large kava bowl between her knees, dispensing this popular and ceremonial beverage from a cup made of the shell of the coconut, polished black. She wears a garment of "tapa" cloth, with a Samoan "fine mat around her waist. Her necklace is of the much-prized shark's teeth, and behind her ears can be seen the attractive blooms of the hibiscus, greatly used for adornment. In the background is a scene characteristic of the coast an indentation of the sea flanked by the coconut ut palms, and in the distance a Samoan thatched house ("fale"), which is so admirably suited to the climate. Colour: Apple Green Denomination: 1d.

Apia is one of the most familiar views in Samoa along the beach to the west, with the mouth of the Vaisigano River in the foreground. This has been the scene of many historic happenings, for Apia has always been the seat of Government. The present Administration offices are midway along the beach. A small wooded peak behind distant coconut palma is Vara Hill, at the top of which lies buried the famous novelist Robert Louis Stevenson. Two lofty coconut trees, so characteristic a feature of the Samoan landscape, are prominent in the foreground of the picture, which also includes some Samoan figures in the lava-lava costume. This view, which has been engraved in fine detail, is bordered in the corners with a portion of the stencil designs used marking in tapa cloth, while the upright flanking features. on either side are representations of ancient Samoan wooden spears. landscape, Colours: Claret and Blue Black. Denomination: 2d. 

 

A beautiful tropical river scene, typical of many in Samoa, is reproduced repr aced in the centre panel of this is stamp. It is a placid-flowing stream winding its way through thick tropical forest, with stately coconut palm on the banks rearing their heads above the surrounding foliage. In the foreground a Samoan is paddling a small "paopao," "the common canon of the people. Colours: Spectrum Orange and Battleship Grey. Denomination: 2d.

A Samoan chief and his wife are represented in this stamp. They stand together in front of a Samoan house ("fale"), its side-screens ("pola") drawn up to secure cool conditions beneath the heavily thatched roof during the heat of the day. Both figures are dressed in lava-lava of tapa cloth, which is made by beating together pieces of the bark of a species of mulberry tree. Three Samoan fans are drawn in the upper corners of the borders, and on each side is an old Samoan chub. Colours: Lido Blue and Grey Shark. Denomination: 4d.

Prominent in the pictorial panel of this stamp is a Samoan deep-sea fishing canoe showing two fishermen paddling, and the long heavy rod used in catching the bonito. This type of canoe is usually called a "bonito canoe. A roll of nets is to be seen in the craft. The background is characteristic Samoan coastal scene, two pretty promontories with Samoan le") nestling among the coconut palms, ("fale") houses whose sharp outlines break the skyline. There is a particularly clear representation of a well-constructed "fale" in the middle distance.

Colours: Coffee and Blue Grey. Denomination: 6d.

"Vailima," built by Robert Louis Stevenson, is the subject chosen. s value. for this Here Stevenson spent the final years of his life, and en Vaen Hill, shown in the back-ground, up a steep forest track cut specially by the Samoans The Road of Loving Hearts" his body was carried to its last resting-place. Stevenson's home is now the official residence of the Administrator, and the engraving pictures it from an angle showing the right wing and central ntral portion of the building, which were were built in Stevenson's time. The porch over the entrance is a modern addition. The border, incorporating a design frequently woven into Samoan mats, is narrow so as to provide as large a picture of "Vailima" as possible. Colour Petunia. Denomination: 1s.

On the summit of Vaea Hill, surrounded by dense forest, is the tomb of Robert Louis Stevenson, which is shown in the centre of this denomination. The world-famous lines of the Requiem written by Stevenson are on the bronze plate depicted to the left: "Under the wide and starry sky. Dig the grave and let me lie Glad did I live and gladly die. And I laid me down with a will." This be the verse you grove for me. Here he lies where he longed to be. Home is the sailor, home from sea. And the hunter home from the hill. The plate shown in the front of the tomb commemorates Stevenson's wife, while another on the right not shown in the engraving is a Samoan inscription, a quotation from Ruth," Chapter 1. verses 16 and 17: "Whither thon goest, I will go, and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; the people shall be my people, and thy God my God Where thon diest, will I die, and there will I be buried." Colours: Beech Brown and Violet. Denomination: 2s.

Samoa is of volcanic origin. Lake Lanute'o, illustrated in this stamp, is a small water-filled crater on one of the high peaks in the middle of the Island of Upolu. Dense forest is seen in the back ground, and the picture is partly framed by over-hanging fern-covered were trees, the borders reproducing the round poles with their sinnet binding used interior of Samoan houses. Colours: Purple Brown and Cossack Green. Denomination: 35.

One of the best-known beauty spots in Samoa, Falefa Falls, twelve miles ea east of Apia, is depicted in this value. A clear mountain stream rushes down over the falls in heavy volume, its waters divided by a large rock. The forest frames the scene, and the design for the borders is based upon that of the plain weaving of the commoner type of Samoan mat. The denomination is shown in white at the bottom corners on shields shaped like Samoan fans. Colours: Gold Brown and Mineral Blue. Denomination:

 

Air India First Boeing 707 Flight on the Bombay - Sydney

The AIR INDIA  cachet on this envelope celebrated the launch of its First Boeing 707 Flight on the Bombay - Sydney route, 7 May 1962. Boeing 707s were introduced on the Sydney route with the service operating via Bangkok instead of via Madras. Super Constellation aircraft were withdrawn from scheduled operations. One of the stamps featured the eradication of milaria.

Air India First India to Uganda Flight with Boeing 707

The AIR INDIA  cachet on this envelope celebrated the launch of its service from India to Uganda on 31 October 1968, with a Boeing 707. The  coloured illustration is a curious choice, with a sort of bizarre parade of the Maharaja riding a leopard, either chasing or marching alongside a slender, bejeweled but barefoot woman, balancing a bunch of green bananas on her bun. This complements the gorgeous colours of tropical birds on the Ugandan stamps.

Perak Sultan Iskandar 1935-1937

PERAK (British Straits Settlements) resumed printing of State stamps  in 1935-1937. This 15 stamp issue featured a side profile of "Sultan Iskandar". A second series with full frontal face of Sultan Iskandar was printed in 1938-1939.

Sultan Iskandar Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah Rahmatullah (1881 – 1938) was the 30th Sultan of Perak. He reigned from 1918-1938.