Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Deutsche Post Cover America's First Mail Delivery and Definitives

DEUTSCHE POST on 4 April 2024 issued an 85-cent commemorative souvenir sheet marking the 150th anniversary of "Tag der Briefmarke - America's First" (Stamp Day - America's First mail delivery). It depicted the letter that was sent on 22 August 1843, from Rio de Janeiro to Santos, Brazil, aboard the ship S. Sebastião. The letter's route covered approximately 270 nautical miles (500 km). It used all available denominations of the "Ochsenaugen" (bull's eyes) stamps, a total of 240 réis. This letter is the only known surviving example with this combination of stamps, making it a philatelic rarity.

Additionally this cover carried three definitive stamps currently used in Germany.

Monday, April 28, 2025

La Poste France 150th Snniversary of the Opera Carmen

LA POSTE FRANCE issued on 31 March 2025 this souvenir sheet marking the 150th anniversary of the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet.


This cover was posted on 5 April, arrived in Malaysia on 24 April and delivered today, 28 April. Apparently it was misplaced in transit last week, which rarely happens.

Sunday, April 27, 2025

India Post Cover for India Post Anniversary and Indian Air Force Anniversary

INDIA POST cover featuring stamps celebrating the 150th anniversary (1854-2004) of India Post and 75th anniversary (1932-2007) of the Indian Air Force. I received this letter last week from a fellow stamp collector in India.

Maroc Postes Traditional Moroccan Jewelry

MAROC POSTES in 1952 issued a set of four Moroccan postage stamps to aid the  "Maroc Solidarite"  which was a common source for charitable funds in France, their colonies and other European countries in post-WWII. Each stamp featured traditional Moroccan jewelry and bore  different denominations and colours: 

- 15 Francs: daggers from southern Morocco

- 20 Francs: jewelry from Fez

- 25 Francs:  fibulas from the Atlas Mountains

- 50 Francs (air mail):  fibulas and necklaces in northern Morocco 

These stamps were likely issued to raise funds for social causes in Morocco. The circular postmarks on these stamps included the text "Cherifien Postes Tangers" (French Protectorate) and dated 28 March 1953. This particular cover was posted to New York.

Saturday, April 26, 2025

Canada Post Willie O'Ree -- 'The Jackie Robinson' Of Ice Hockey.

CANADA POST on  30 October 2023 issued a FDC stamp honouring Canadian hockey player Willie O'Ree, the first Black athlete to play in the NHL.  The stamp featured a collage-themed creation. It showcased a portrait picture of O’Ree in his later years, wearing a hat, smiling and looking to the left. Alongside is an inset action picture of him playing hockey in playing years. “Willie O’Ree” text is prominently displayed in the bottom left corner. The envelope cover, captured by acclaimed Canadian photographer Philip Cheung, showcases a black and white closeup Willie O’Ree, showcasing his retirement jersey. He's holding a hockey stick and wearing a significant ring and his #22 retirement hockey jersey, which is adorned with a badge bearing the years 1957, 1958, 1960, and 1961. The issue stamp in the upper right corner is marked with a cancel mark. The cancellation postmark was inspired by the Willie O’Ree retired jersey commemorative patch, with his No. 22 inside the Boston Bruins logo. The cancellation originated from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada -- his birthplace. Only 7,000 stamps were printed.

Willie O'Ree's lifelong love of hockey began at just three years of age. As he grew, his talent for the sport became increasingly evident. His remarkable athletic abilities extended beyond the ice, and as a gifted baseball player, in 1956, he was scouted by the Milwaukee Braves. Despite his potential in baseball, a pivotal moment occurred during tryouts in Georgia, where he experienced racial segregation for the first time. Ultimately, O'Ree chose to return to his hometown of Fredericton, dedicating himself entirely to hockey.

In 1956, O'Ree embarked on his professional hockey career with the Quebec Aces. This minor league team had an agreement with the NHL's Boston Bruins to provide players when needed. On 18 January 1958, O'Ree broke barriers when he made his NHL debut, becoming the first Black person to play in an NHL game, with the Boston Bruins winning 3-0 against the Canadiens at the Montreal Forum.

O'Ree's historic journey continued on 1 January 1961, when he scored his first NHL goal in a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens, becoming the first Black player to score a goal in the NHL.

Following his remarkable 21-year career, which included 45 games in two seasons with the Bruins, O'Ree retired from the San Diego Hawks of the Pacific Hockey League in 1979.

Willie O'Ree's contributions to hockey extended far beyond the ice. In 1998, the NHL recognised his dedication by appointing him as director of youth development and ambassador for NHL diversity. O'Ree's passion for promoting inclusion and diversity in hockey led to the establishment of 39 grassroots hockey programmes under the "Hockey Is for Everyone" initiative. His tireless efforts have inspired thousands of boys and girls from diverse backgrounds to embrace the sport.

Throughout his life, O'Ree received numerous awards, including the Order of New Brunswick in 2005, the Member of the Order of Canada in 2008, and induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018 and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2020-21.

In 2018, the NHL established the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award to recognise “an individual who – through the game of hockey – has positively impacted his or her community, culture or society.”


NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams. © NHL 2023. All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Canada Post Sergeant Thomas "Tommy" George Prince

CANADA POST on 28 October 2022 issued a commemorative envelope and stamp honouring Sergeant Thomas "Tommy" George Prince, a highly decorated Indigenous war hero.The stamp featured an image of him in WWII military dress and Northern Lights in the background, which was  so designed to represent the sky above the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation where he was raised.

Born on St. Peter's Reserve, Manitoba, into the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, Sergeant Thomas (Tommy) George Prince, мм (1915-1977), was one of Canada's most decorated Indigenous non-commissioned officers and war veterans. In 1940, during the Second World War, he enlisted with the Royal Canadian Engineers, training as a sapper. Two years later, he joined the 1st Special Service Force (known as the Devil’s Brigade), a joint Canada-U.S. specialised reconnaissance and raiding unit in which he was known for his marksmanship, stealth and tracking skills, not to mention sheer nerve. He once repaired the broken telephone line he was using to report on enemy positions by posing-in full view of German soldiers - as a farmer weeding his crops. Pretending to tie his shoelaces, he rejoined the wires and strolled back to the abandoned farmhouse to resume his reports, which resulted in the destruction of four German posts. His bravery and service earned him the Military Medal, Silver Star (U.S.) and nine other decorations, including three (one posthumous) from the Korean War, where he did two tours of duty. Between the wars, Prince waged a different battle when, as vice-president of the Manitoba Indian Association, he spoke out in favor of abolishing the Indian Act and respecting existing treaties.

Adjusting to civilian life was not easy for Prince after World War II and Korea, and with painfully arthritic knees as a result of the long, harsh conditions during his military service, his capabilities were limited. Although he had been granted a small military disability pension due to his knee injuries, as a First Nations member he was unable to access other programmes. Prince was effectively denied access to the special Canadian armed forces WWII veteran benefits programmes, which included WWII veterans employment programmes, WWII veterans educational support, land purchase support for WWII military veterans, and supplementary income support programmes for WWII veterans. The information and application forms for these programs were available only at local Royal Canadian Legion chapters. First Nations members were forbidden entrance to Royal Canadian Legion locations under the terms of the Indian Act, as alcohol was present on Legion premises. For this reason, Royal Canadian Legion chapters maintained their own bylaws forbidding the presence of First Nations members due to alcohol on the premises. These bylaws were formally removed nation-wide in 1966, some 20 years after the end of WWII. The requirement by the government to access special war veterans programmes solely through Royal Canadian Legion premises, where First Nations veterans were forbidden entrance, appears to have been designed as a ruse to exclude First Nations from participation.

He died at age 62 in 1977 at Winnipeg's Deer Lodge Centre, a health care facility specialising in geriatric care and treatment of veterans, and was interred in Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg. Despite the reduced circumstances of his later years, he had retained his fame and he was given a provincial state funeral, a notable event with significant official representatives and more than 500 people in attendance.


Source: Canada Post and Wikipedia

Monday, April 21, 2025

Canada Post Dinos of Canada, Magnolias and Children's Foundation


CANADA POST cover shows a set of four Canadian postage stamps issued in 2016, featuring prehistoric animals: 

- Acrotholus audeti: A dome-headed dinosaur.
- Comox Valley elasmosaur: A marine reptile.
- Cypretherium coarctatum: An ancient mammal.
- An unidentified dinosaur

These stamps were part of the "Dinos of Canada" series, highlighting prehistoric creatures that once roamed Canada. The stamps had a 3-D-like design, making the animals appear to break through the stamp's boundaries. 

A semi-postal stamp issued in 2015 for the Canada Post Community Foundation illustrated the theme  "Storytelling and the Freedom to Pretend". The stamp depicted two children under a makeshift tent made of a sheet, with one reading to the other. The "+10" on the stamp indicates a surcharge, with the extra funds going to the Canada Post Community Foundation to support children's charities. It was designed by Lionel Gadoury and illustrated by Marie-Eve Tremblay. 

Canadian postage stamps issued in 2013 showcased two magnolia hybrids: "Yellow Bird" (yellow) and "Eskimo" (white with a hint of lavender). These varieties were specifically developed to withstand the Canadian climate.

People's Republic of the Congo Chasse Indigene


PEOPLE'S  REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO issued on 5 October 1978, a First Day Cover ("Premier Jour d' Emission") entitled "Chasse Indigene" (Indigenous Hunting). The cachets like the stamps depicted a hunting scene with  a  hunter, spear and shield, accompanied by a dog. Postmark cancellation indicates this FDC originated from Brazzaville.




Saturday, April 19, 2025

Republique du Congo First Anniversary Republic of the Congo

REPUBLIQUE DU CONGO issued on 28 November 1959 a postage stamp commemorating the first anniversary of the Republic of the Congo. It featured the green, yellow, and red flag of  the Republic of the Congo and included the inscription "Premier Anniversaire Republique du Congo" (First Anniversary Republic of the Congo). It also showed the date "28 Novembre 1958" referring to the date of independence. The stamp stamp on depicted a Congolese woman and had a face value of 25 francs. The postmark cancellation originated from Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo.

USPS Cover Cranes, Project Mercury, American Legion and Wonders of the Sea

USPS cover shown here has a block of four 29-cent postage stamps issued on 4 April 1994, featuring the Whooping Crane and Black-Necked Crane.

Additionally, two 4-cent postage stamps commemorating Project Mercury, the first human spaceflight programme of the United States. Issued in 1962, the stamp features the Mercury spacecraft (which was involved in six manned flights) is set against a backdrop of the Earth and stars. 

Shown on this cover are also two 6-cent postage stamps issued on 15 March 1969 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the American Legion. The design depicted an adaptation of the bald eagle from the Great Seal of the United States, clutching an olive branch. The text "The American Legion," "50 years," and "Veterans as Citizens" are also prominent.

Lastly, a 29-cent postage stamp issued in 1994 was part of the "Wonders of the Sea" series. Depicted here is a vibrant coral reef scene with various fish species, including angelfish and clownfish

USPS Cover of Wildflowers, American Legion and John Sloan Artwork

USPS in 1992 Issued 29-cent postage stamps from their 'Wildflowers series". Each stamp featured a different wildflower native to the United States. Shown here is the Bearberry, Mexican Hat, Harebell, Desert Five Spot and Smooth Solomon's Seal. These were the first US commemorative issue printed completely by offset lithography. It was the first 50-stamp pane printed by a private contractor.

Shown on this cover are also two 6-cent postage stamps issued on 15 March 1969 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the American Legion. The design depicted an adaptation of the bald eagle from the Great Seal of the United States, clutching an olive branch. The text "The American Legion," "50 years," and "Veterans as Citizens" are also prominent. It was designed by Robert Hallock. It was printed using a lithographed and engraved Giori press. 

Lastly, a 8-cent stamp called "The Wake of the Ferry" was issued in 1971 to commemorate American artist John Sloan (1871-1951) who was a member of the Ashcan School, known for his realistic depictions of urban life in New York City. He was a leading figure in this movement, which focused on portraying the gritty realities of urban life. He was also a teacher and his influence extended to artists like Jackson Pollock.

USPS Cover DC Comics Super Heroes,United States in Space and Wildlife Conservation

USPS cover shown here features stamps from DC Comics Super Heroes: Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, Superman and Green Lantern. Additionally, shown is the stamp commemorating the "United States in Space," issued in 1971 to celebrate the flight of Apollo XV and the 10th anniversary of John Glenn's Mercury mission. Lastly, the 1 cent stamp depicts an American Kestrel which was part of the "Wildlife Conservation" series.

Perskutuan Tanah Melayu Installation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia MELAYU

PERSKUTUAN TANAH MELAYU  on 4 January 1961 issued a First Day Cover (FDC) stamp commemorating the installation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia. This particular FDC included two 10 sen stamps featuring a portrait of Sultan Syed Putra Al-Haj, who became the third Agong in 1960. The cachet design featured the Malaysian crest and ceremonial regalia, symbolising the authority and tradition of the monarchy. The postmark cancellation indicates this FDC originated from Tapah, Perak at 10.45am and was sent to a Mr. Keith Rudd in Sydney, New South Wales,  Australia.

Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail ibni Syed Hassan Jamalullail ascended the throne of the Perlis state government on 4 December 1945 but due to World War II, he was not installed until 12 March 1949. He remains the longest reigning Sultan of Perlis, and on 4 December 1995, he celebrated his Golden Jubilee after ruling for 50 years in Perlis.

He was appointed as the Third Yang di-Pertuan Agong and ruled the country from 21 September 1960 to 20 September 1965. At the age of 39 years and 301 days, he was the youngest Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Correos Espana "History of Discovery and Conquest of America" - 2nd Series

CORREOS ESPANA on 12 October 1961 issued the second of eight in the series called  "History of Discovery and Conquest of America" which featured four of the Spanish explorers/colonisers of New Granada. This territory comprised modern day Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Venezuela, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, southwestern Suriname, parts of northwestern Brazil, and northern Peru). A total of eight FDCs in this series were issued from 1960 until 1968. Photogravure print method was used. 

The stamps featured:

- 25cts - Sebastián de Belalcázar (1480-1551)

- 70cts - Blas de Lezo (1687-1741)

- 80cts  - Rodrigo de Bastidas (1475-1527)

- 1 cts - Ñuflo de Chaves (1518-1568)

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

SingPost "City in Nature" Franking and Stanps


SINGPOST stamp cover featured this unique franking -- "City in Nature" -- to promote the island republic of Singapore.


Monday, April 7, 2025

Correos Espana "History of Discovery and Conquest of America" - 4th Series

CORREOS ESPANA on 12 October 1964  issued a First Day Cover called  "History of Discovery and Conquest of America" which featured four of the Spanish explorers/colonisers -- or, to some,  murders/exploiters -- of the New World. Nevertheless, they represent a period in Spanish and South American history. A total of eight FDCs in this series were issued from 1960 until 1968. Rotogravure print method was used. A total of 4,000,000 were printed by the National Mint and Stamp Factory. 

Diego de Almagro

Diego de Almagro was a Spanish conquistador. He participated in the conquest of Peru and is officially considered the discoverer of Chile. Diego de Almagro was born in the city in 1475. In 1535, Emperor Charles I awarded Almagro the governorship of Nueva Toledo, in southern Peru, and the title of Adelantado of the lands beyond Lake Titicaca, in present-day Chile.

Francisco de Toledo

Francisco de Toledo, July 10, 1515 in Oropesa, Toledo – 1584 in Seville, was a Spanish nobleman and military man, Viceroy of Peru. Descendant of King Alfonso XI of Castile and Doña Leonor Núñez de Guzmán. In 1535, Toledo joined the Order of Alcántara, for almost twenty years serving the emperor in the armies in Flanders and Italy. He was a friend of Emperor Charles V. He was the fifth of the Viceroys of Peru.

He held this position from 1569 to 1581. During his reign, in 1570, the Inquisition Tribunal was established. Coastal fortifications were built to prevent pirate attacks, and he destroyed the Inca stronghold at Vilcabamba, ordering the execution of Túpac Amaru. He centralized the essential aspects of colonial administration and established the foundations of what would become the colonial system in Peru.

Saint Toribio of Mogrovejo

Toribio Alfonso de Mogrovejo y Robledo Mayorga, Valladolid, November 18, 1538 – Saña, Peru, March 23, 1606. Spanish clergyman. Saint of the Catholic Church and second Archbishop of Lima. He was a tireless missionary and a great organizer of the South American Church. He began his missionary work by traveling to Lima, baptizing and teaching the natives.

At the age of sixty-eight, Santo Toribio fell ill in Pacasmayo, north of Lima, but continued working until the end, arriving in the city of Saña in a dying condition, where he made his will in which he left his personal belongings to his servants and the rest of his properties to the poor.

He died at 3:30 p.m. on Holy Thursday, March 23, 1606. He was beatified on June 28, 1679 by Pope Innocent XI, through his Bull “Laudeamus” and canonized on December 10, 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII, through his Bull “Quoniam Spiritus”.

Francisco Pizarro

Francisco Pizarro González, Marquis (Trujillo, Cáceres, March 16, 1476/1478 – Lima, June 26, 1541) was the Spanish explorer and conqueror of Peru, governor of New Castile, current Peruvian territory with seat of government in La Ciudad De Los Reyes (Lima).

He is remembered for having succeeded in dominating the Inca Empire with the help of various local chiefdoms, conquering the aforementioned imperial state whose center of government was located in present-day Peru, and establishing a Spanish dependency over it. Although he held the title of marquis, he was a "marquis without a marquisate"; his descendants held the title of Marquis of the Conquest. However, it is quite possible that he was granted the title of Marquis of Atavillos.


La Poste France "L' Apocalypse Tapisserie, XIV"

LA POSTE FRANCE issued on 30 October 1965 a First Day Cover stamp of "L' Apocalypse Tapisserie, XIV" (Apocalypse Tapestry, a 14th-century artwork). The postmark cancellation originated from  Angers. The designer/engraver was Jean Pheulpin. An intaglio printing process was used for the stamp.

The tapestry depicts a story of the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelation, entitled "Blood flowing from the great winepress of God's wrath”. It was based on the visions of St. John from the Biblical Book of Revelation. The tapestry was designed by Hennequin de Bruges, painter for King Charles V. It was woven by Nicolas Bataille and commissioned by Louis I, Duke of Anjou. Bataille wove it in Paris between 1377 and 1382. 

Originally it comprised six tapestries with 90 scenes, now reduced to 75 scenes across 103 meters. The tapestry is the largest medieval tapestry in existence,  originally measuring 140m long and narrating the battle between good and evil. It is currently exhibited at the Château d'Angers (Maine-et-Loire).

Sunday, April 6, 2025

UAR (Egypt) First Anniversary of the Burning of Al-Aqsa Mosque

UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC (Egypt) on 21 August 1970 issued a First Day Cover with two stamps marking the first anniversary of a fire at Al Aqsa Mosque. Many stamps were issued from other countries, including stamps from UAR. Pakistan and one semi-postal from  Yemen was also issued to collect money for  restoration of the mosque.

The Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem was originally built by the fifth Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik (685–705) or his successor al-Walid I (705–715) (or both) as a congregational mosque on the same axis as the Dome of the Rock, a commemorative Islamic monument. Muslims regard the site as the third holiest in Islam, after Mecca and Medina.

On 21 August 1969, a fire was started by a visitor from Australia named Denis Michael Rohan, who initially set fire to the pulpit. The 12th-century minbar of the al-Aqsa Mosque was destroyed in the fire. 

Rohan had hoped that by burning down al-Aqsa Mosque he would hasten the Second Coming of Jesus. Initially, Israelis blamed the fire either on an accident related to ongoing renovations, or to a false flag attack by Palestinian group Fatah. 

Israel subsequently arrested, tried and sentenced  Rohan to a mental institution after it was determined he had a history of mental illness. Eventually he was repatriated to Australia and sent to a mental institution.

The fire at Al-Aqsa was the cause of great anger in the Muslim world, and demonstrations and riots occurred. Muslims blamed Israel for this event. The event has been described as "an act which plunged the Middle East into its worst crisis since the June, 1967, Arab-Israel War", and was a key catalyst for the creation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.


Source: Wikipedia 


Saturday, April 5, 2025

Deutsche Bundespost Munich Olympics 1972

DEUTSCHE BUNDESPOST (former West Germany postal service) on 18 August 1972 issued a series of  First Day Cover stamps for various events during  the Summer Olympics held in Munich. The denominations of the stamps were 25+5, 30+10, 40+10, and 70+10 Pfennig, with the additional amounts likely being a surcharge to support the Olympic Games. Three FDC cachets depicted a hammer thrower; the stamps featured postmark cancellations from Bonn, Kiel and Munich.

Shown here are four of the events: long jump, basketball, discus throw, and canoe slalom. 

Tragically the massacre of Israeli athletes by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September overshadowed the awards and records set in this Olympiad.

More FDC stamps of Deutsche Bundespost 1972 Olympics in Munich may be viewed HERE.

Friday, April 4, 2025

Deutsche Bundespost Helene Mayer

DEUTSCHE BUNDESPOST on 6 June 1968 issued a First Day Cover of "Olympic Personalities/Athletes", including Helene Mayer. These stamps -- five in total  -- were semi-postals with postage values and surcharges added for cultural donation, or in this case the surtax was used for the Foundation to Promote the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. This FDC is unique in that it appeared on a cachet designated for the 1972 Munich Olympics. The postmark was dated 28 August 1972 with a fencing design.

Helene Julie Mayer (1910 – 1953) was a German-born fencer who won a gold medal at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, and a silver medal at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. 

Mayer has been called the greatest female fencer of all time, and was named by Sports Illustrated as one of the Top 100 Female Athletes of the 20th Century, but her legacy remains clouded. 

The controversy stems from her participation in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. She was the only German athlete of Jewish ancestry permitted to represent Nazi Germany in fencing.

Prior to this, the Nazi Party had rescinded her German citizenship while she was studying in the United States. As countries became aware of Nazi  Germany's discriminatory practices, international participation in the Olympic Games came into question. 

In the United States, sports organisations and trade unions discussed the possibility of boycotting the 1936 Olympic games. In 1933, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) of the United States, which supervised Olympic competitors, voted not to send a team if Jews were to be discriminated against in the German Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) asked for assurances from the Olympic Organising Committee of Berlin that German Jews would not suffer discrimination and would be permitted to try out for the German team. As a concession to  mounting political pressure, the Nazis allowed twenty Jewish athletes to train for the Olympics. Eventually only one was allowed to compete for Germany – Helene Mayer.

While Helene Mayer left little historical record, what is known from her contemporaries is that she did not consider herself Jewish. Her father, Ludwig Karl Mayer, a physician, was Jewish; whereas her mother, lda Anna Bertha (née Becker) was Lutheran. Helene did not appear to identify with either parent. It was said that her primary concern was to be a successful athlete and that preoccupation may have blinded her to the Nazi racism. It was also supposed that Mayer saw Olympic glory as an opportunity to reclaim her German citizenship.

Whatever her reasons, Helene Mayer did represent Germany in the 1936 Olympic Games, placing second, earning the silver medal, and as all German athletes were required to do in Berlin that year, gave the Nazi salute. It should be noted that for all of Hitler’s claims of racial superiority, the gold medal went to the Hungarian Ilona Ela, also half-Jewish.

After the Olympics, she returned to the United States where she studied and taught German and fencing at American universities. She became a nine-time U.S. fencing champion. She received American citizenship in 1941 but returned to Germany in 1952 where she died from breast cancer in 1953.


Source: Centre for Jewish History, Wikipedia 

Deutsche Bundespost Rudolph Harbig

DEUTSCHE BUNDESPOST on 6 June 1968 issued a First Day Cover of sports personalities, including Rudolf Waldemar Harbig (1913 – 1944). These stamps -- five in total  -- were semi-postals with postage values and surcharges added for cultural donation, or in this case the surtax (20pf+10pf) was used for the Foundation to Promote the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

Rudolf Harbig was a German middle distance runner best known for the 800 metre world record of 1:46.6 min that he set in Milan in 1939.  Belgian runner Roger Moens eventually would break Harbig's record in 1955 and set a new world record of 1:45.7. Also, in 1939 Harbig set a world record over 400 m on a 500 m-track in Frankfurt in 46.0 sec. In Dresden in 1941 he set a world record over 1000 m in 2:21.5. These records would stand until 1955 as well.

A member of the Nazi party and professional soldier,  holding the rank of Sargent, Harbig was sent to the Eastern Front in 1941 and fought in the Battle of Moscow. During the Soviet Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive against the Wehrmacht Army Group South, he was killed fighting with the 2nd Parachute Division at the Voronezh Front near Kirovohrad, Ukraine in 1944.

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

USPS "Black Heritage Commemorative Stamp Series"

USPS began in 1974 what is now its longest running series; United States "Black Heritage Commemorative Stamp Series". The series had its roots in a 1975 planning meeting of the Queens County, New York, Bicentennial Committee Present at the meeting was the founder of the Black American Heritage Foundation (BAHF), Clarence L. Irving. Mr. Irving petitioned the U.S. Postal Service to include black Americans in a stamp programme associated with the upcoming Bicentennial of the United States. The proposal received very favorable response. Since then and until now (2024) "Black Heritage" stamps of notable black Americans remains in circulation. Jerry Pinkney designed the initial stamps.  

Shown here is a block of four First Day Cover stamps honouring prominent African Americans: 

- Harriet Tubman (13c stamp issued in 1978)

- Mary McLeod Bethune (22c stamp issued in 1985)

- Whitney Moore Young Jr. (15c stamp issued in 1981) 

- Martin Luther King Jr. (15c stamp issued in 1979). 

Harriet Tubman was the first African American woman honored on a U.S. postage stamp. Born into slavery, she escaped and became a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, helping over 300 slaves to freedom. She also served as a spy and nurse for the Union Army during the Civil War. 

Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) was an influential educator, civil rights activist, and advocate for women's rights. She founded the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls in 1904, which later became Bethune-Cookman University. Bethune also served as an advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt on minority affairs, and was the first Black woman to lead a federal agency. 

Whitney Moore Young, Jr. was a moderate civil rights leader who urged African Americans to work within the system. He served as executive director of the National Urban League for 10 years. In 1969, he received the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom.

This stamp honors the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr., Nobel Prize winner and champion of non-violence.  A Baptist minister, King sought equality for all Americans and fought for peaceful solutions to racial issues. He was assassinated in 1968.

Egypt Post 50th anniversary of the October War

EGYPT POST on 6 October 2023 issued a set of four First Day Cover stamps commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. The stamps feature images related to the war, including soldiers, military equipment, and the pyramid-shaped monument, President Annuar Sadat. The text on the stamps is in both Arabic and English, with the Arabic text reading "ذكرى انتصارات أكتوبر" which translates to "Anniversary of the victories of October." The  stamps also show the Islamic calendar date of 1445. Each stamp carried a face value of 1.60 Egyptian pounds. 

The postcards (maxim cards) featured  four multi-colored, counterfeit-proof offset stamps equipped with QR code technology, enabling  access to interactive knowledge about this occasion.

The Yom Kippur War, also known as the October War or Ramadan War, began on 6 October 1973. It was a surprise attack by a coalition of Arab nations led by Egypt and Syria against Israel.

The war had significant consequences. The Arab world, humiliated by the 1967 defeat, felt psychologically vindicated by its early and late successes in 1973. Meanwhile, Israel, despite battlefield achievements, recognised that future military dominance was uncertain. 

The war served as a direct antecedent of the 1978 Camp David Accords. The impetus for the talks came when United States President Jimmy Carter invited both Sadat and Begin to a summit at Camp David to negotiate a final peace. The talks took place from 5–17 September 1978. Ultimately, the talks succeeded, and Israel and Egypt signed the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty in 1979. Israel subsequently withdrew its troops and settlers from the Sinai, in exchange for normal relations with Egypt and a lasting peace, with the last Israeli troops exiting on 26 April 1982.