Poczta Polska Stanisław Moniuszko Operas

POCZTA POLSKA in 1972 issued a series of eight stamps honouring composer Stanisław Moniuszko and his famous operas. Shown here are  scenes from four operas, such as "Halka" and "Straszny dwór" (The Haunted Manor).

Império Colonial Português (Cape Verde and Mozambique) - 1938

IMPÉRIO COLONIAL PORTUGUÊS (Cape Verde) in 1938  issued a postal stamp featuring the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. It was part of a series commemorating the Portuguese Colonial Empire. Face value of the stamp was 5 Centavos.

IMPÉRIO COLONIAL PORTUGUÊS (Mozambique) in 1938  issued a airmail postal stamp. Face value of the stamp was 5O Centavos.

Cochin Anchal Maharaja Ravi Varma - 1946

COCHIN ANCHAL [Indian Princely State of Cochin (now part of Kerala)] was issued in 1946-1947. This 9 Pies postage stamp shows a portrait of  Maharaja Ravi Varma.  It has a distinct black overprint, such as 'ON' or 'ON CGS', meaning (On Cochin Government Service), which was used for official government correspondence. "Anchal" refers to the local postal service that operated in the states of Travancore and Cochin.

Manchukuo airmail stamp - 1936

MANCHUKUO airmail stamp issued in 1936, with a denomination of 39 Fen, showing an aircraft flying over a railroad bridge.

Manchukuo was a puppet state established in Manchuria (northeastern China) by the Empire of Japan, which existed from 1932 to 1945.

Poczta Polska Polish Calvary

POCZTA POLSKA in 1972-1973 issued a Polish Cavalry series, including a 10th-century Piast knight on horseback, a 13th-century knight, and a 17th-century Polish Winged Hussar, all designed by I. Maciąg.

Österreich Post Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

 

ÖSTERREICH POST issued on 30 July 2004 a special First Day Cover stamp of then Governor of California, actor, body builder, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The date  coincided with his 57th birthday.

The stamp design featured a portrait of Schwarzenegger with the word "Governor" and his name. The background included a likeness of the American flag. The postmark cancellation depicted an imprint of the state of California, the California symbol of a Bear and the Austrian and US flags, signifying Schwarzenegger's Austrian origin. The stamp had a face value of 100 Euro Cent (1 Euro). Approximately 600,000 of these stamps were produced. The image displayed here shows a postmark from Graz, Austria, dated 30 July  2004.

USPS Muhammad Ali

USPS on 15 January  2026 issued two First Day Cover (FDC) stamps honouring Muhammad Ali, which were officially issued in his hometown of Louisville, KY. Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps. The USPS printed 22 million of these commemorative stamps.

One cachet design includes the famous quote "I am the Greatest" and images of Ali's victories, such as his 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" against George Foreman, and matches against Sonny Liston and Joe Frazier. 

The other cachet design features a 1974 black-and-white Associated Press photograph of Ali in a classic boxing stance.

The stamps fulfilled a lighthearted prediction Ali once made: "I should be a postage stamp, because that's the only way I'll ever get licked."

HELLENIC POST Greek History and Mythology - 1937-1938

HELLENIC POST  issued in 1937–1938 a series of stamps depicting various scenes from Greek history and mythology. This set is often referred to as the "Historical Issue" or "Greek History" series.

The set shown:

- Lady of Tiryns. The 10 lepta stamp.

- Statue of Zeus of Dodoni. The 20 lepta stamp.

- Statue of Aphrodite of Melos (Venus de Milo), sculpted around 150-125 BC. The 80 lepta stamp.

- Allegorical painting  entitled "The Glory of Psara" by Nikolaos Gyzis. The 25 drachma stamp.

- Ancient Minoan sport of Tavrokathapsia (bull-leaping). 5 Lepta stamp.

- Delphic Amphictyony coin. The 40 lepta stamp.

- Diagoras of Rhodes being carried by his sons after a victory at the Olympic Games. 50 Lepta stamp.

- Alexander the Great at the Battle of Issos. The 15 drachma stamp. 

Pos Malaysia 50th Anniversary of World Children's Day

POS MALAYSIA issued in 2003 a set of stamps to mark "Sambutan 50 Tahun Hari Kanak-Kanak Sedunia" (the 50th Anniversary of World Children's Day), which was first organized in 1953 and later recognized by UNICEF and the UN in 1954. 

Stamps shown:

(Top): This 20 sen stamp featured children from diverse backgrounds holding hands in a circle around a world map, symbolizing global unity and friendship.

(Below): A collection of four 30 sen stamps depicting illustrations of children playing, school life and family, entitled "Keluarga Saya" (My Family) and "Negaraku" (My Country).

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Imperial Japan Mount and Yomei Gate of the Tosho-gu Shrine Yakedake and

IMPERIAL JAPAN (1st Showa) issued between 1937 and 1940 a blue 5 sen  definitive stamp,  featuring an image of Lake Taisho and Mount Yakedake in the Kamikochi area of the Japanese Alps.

IMPERIAL JAPAN (1st Showa) issued in 1938 a red 10 sen  definitive stamp,  featuring the Yomei Gate of the Tosho-gu Shrine in Nikko.

Republic of China Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Inflationary Stamps

REPUBLIC OF CHINA (ROC) issued in 1947-1948 these definitive stamps of  Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, the first provisional president of the ROC. These  100,000, 700, and 25,000  denomination stamps were printed by the Dah Tung Book Co. in Shanghai during a period of high inflation in China.

Republic of China Lin Sen and Chinese Junk

REPUBLIC OF CHINA issued this green stamp depicting Lin Sen (1868–1943), who served as the Chairman of the National Government of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1931 to 1943. This was a postal savings stamp, rather than a regular postage stamp. It was issued in 1942 as part of a series intended to encourage national savings during the war period. This specific green stamp had a face value of 1 Yuan. It was issued by the Postal Savings and Remittance Bureau of the Republic of China.

REPUBLIC OF CHINA issued this  2nd Peking print in approximately 1923. It featured  a traditional Chinese junk boat with a calm sea and a train in the background. 

This stamp was released in three primary issues: the 1913 London Printing, the 1915 First Peking Printing, and the 1923 Second Peking Printing.

This specific 10-cent denomination, often found in green or olive green, is frequently associated with the 1923 Second Peking Printing.

Saint-pierre And Miquelon Soldier's Bay

POSTES RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE - SAINT-PIERRE AND MIQUELON, a French overseas collectivity near Newfoundland, issued in 1947  stamps depicting the rocky cliff landscape of Soldier's Bay on the island of Langlade. The set included denominations of 10, 30, 40, and 50 centimes. They  were designed by J. Lhuer and J. Jacquin.

Hellenic Post Environment Protection Conference

HELLENIC POST issued in 1958, a set of six stamps highlighting the International Congress for the Environment Protection Conference. The stamps featured Greek mythological figures: Adonis and Aphrodite (hibiscus), Apollo and Daphne (laurel), Narcissus (narcissus/daffodil), and Pan and the Nymph Pitys (pine tree)—alongside native Greek flora like the Iris Cretica, Tulipa Boeotica, Attica Crocus, and Cyclamen greacum.

EF Indochine French Governor General, Naturalist, Explorers in Indochina - 1944

EF INDOCHINE (French Indochina) commerative postage stamps issued during Vichy period in 1944. Printer/Designer was Ideo/Chuoc.

Top row: Joost van Vollenhoven, who was the acting Governor-General of French Indochina from January 1914 to April 1915. 

Middle row: Jean Marie Antoine de Lanessan, a French naturalist, politician, and Governor-General of Indochina. 

• Bottom row: Auguste Pavie, a prominent French explorer and diplomat, honoured for his role in the exploration and expansion of French influence in the Indochina region. 

Slovensko 10th Death anniversary of the Reverend Jozef Murgaš

SLOVENSKO stamp issued in 1939 to commemorate the 10th death anniversary of the Reverend Jozef Murgaš (1864–1929), a Slovak inventor, architect, and botanist. The design incorporated communication towers, reflecting his work in radiotelegraphy.

Protectorate Of Bohemia And Moravia

PROTECTORATE OF BOHEMIA AND MORAVIA, a territory established by Nazi Germany during World War II, issued stamps in the early 1940s.

Left stamp issued in 1940 features a view of Kroměříž, a town in the Zlín Region of the modern-day Czech Republic, with a value of "8K" (Czech Koruna). 

Right stamp issued in 1943 depicts a scene from the opera "Siegfried" by Richard Wagner, celebrating his 130th birthday, with a value of "250" (Czech Koruna). 

Both stamps bear the inscription "Böhmen und Mähren" (German) and "Čechy a Morava" (Czech).

Slovensko Slovak Folk Series - 1939-1945

SLOVENSKO (First Slovak Republic 1939–1945) was part of the Slovak Folk series issued during the Nazi occupation. Shown is two of three stamps in the set: A Slovak woodcutter in traditional attire in a forest setting and  Slovak peasant woman (campesina)  in traditional attire working on a farm or in a harvest scene.

Serbian Royal Post King Peter I

SERBIAN ROYAL POST issued in circa 1914 a stamp depicting a portrait of King Peter I (reigned 1903–1918).

Ukraine People's Republic Bohdan Khmelnytsky

UKRAINE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC  issued in 1920 a stamp with a face value of 10-hryvnia stamp, depicting Bohdan Khmelnytsky (1595–1657), a leader of the Zaporozhian Cossacks. 

This series was ordered by the Government of the People's Republic but did not enter circulation due to military actions.

Postes Republique Francaise (Nouvelle Caledonie Et Dependance) -1905

 

POSTES REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE" and "NOUVELLE CALEDONIE ET DEPENDANCES (New Caledonia) issued circa 1905 this black illustration of a Kagu bird (Rhynochetos jubatus) on a green background.

Tuvan People's Republic Definitives 1927

TUVAN PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC (Tannu Tuva) on 1927 issued a series of definitive stsmps, depicting various aspects of Tuvan culture and wildlife, including tribal people, a stag, and a yurt. 

• Tuva was a short-lived republic located in central Asia between Russia and Mongolia. The republic was later absorbed by the Soviet Union and is now a part of the Russian Federation. 

USSR 15th Anniversary of the October Revolution

Почта СССР (Post of the USSR) issued in October 1933 a postage stamp commemorating the 15th Anniversary of the October  Revolution (1917-1932). This grey coloured stamp with a face value of 30 kopeks featured a radio transmitter mast and globe to propagate the modernisation of the state to all Soviet people. The designer/ engraver was Ilya Alekseyevich Sokolov (1890-1968). The stamp was printed using a Collotype technique. It was gummed and had watermarks with meanders and flowers. It had a print run of 200,000.

This stamp was part of a larger 1933 collection called "Peoples of the USSR". This series was issued by Goznak to publicise the all-Union labour mobilisation and to articulate the vision of the peoples allocated roles in the Soviet economy. This and other Soviet  stamps in this series depicted different ethnic groups such as Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Turkmens, Tajiks, Belarusians, Russians, and Jews. The individuals shown on this specific stamp represented some of these typical nationalities participating in the building of socialism. 

That said, another source in my research claimed this Soviet stamp was the first to feature a portrait of a Chinese person (lower right corner). The Chinese man on the stamp was a staff member of a newspaper in Harbin, fluent in Russian. His duties included listening to Soviet radio programmes, then writing news articles for the newspaper. This stamp was issued in 1932 as part of a series commemorating the 15th anniversary of radio in the USSR.

USPS 1970s-1980s Cover

USPS  cover features a variety of stamps from the 1970s and 1980s.

The two stamps on the left depict athletes from the 1976 Summer and Winter Olympic Games, held in Montreal and Innsbruck respectively. 

The two stamps at the top right commemorate the 1607 settlement of Jamestown, Virginia, by English colonists. 

The stamp on the bottom left side was issued in 1982. It portrays a kitten and a golden-colored puppy playing with a stick in the snow. The stamp was based on a painting by British artist Edgar Hunt. 

The blue stamp at the bottom center is for the Peace Corps, an organisation created during the JFK era to promote international peace and friendship.

United States Department Of Post Air Mail Beacon 1928

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF POST on 25 July 1928 issued a  5-cent airmail stamp,  featuring the beacon light atop Sherman Hill, Wyoming in the Rocky Mountains. The 5-cent denomination was the domestic rate for sending a letter via airmail at the time.

This particular cover is dated 5:30pm, 20 September 1928, posted from Springfield, Massachusetts to Livingston, Montana. It arrived at 7:00am, on 23 September 1928.

The design depicted an early airmail plane flying past a navigation beacon tower. This specific beacon was part of the Transcontinental Airway System, which used a series of lights to guide pilots flying at night.

As day and night airmail developed, the beacon system was expanded. The aforementioned beacon on top of Sherman Hill was built in 1925. At 8,600 feet above sea level, it was at the time reported to be the tallest airmail beacon in the world.

A photograph taken in the fall of that year (and later used on this airmail stamp in 1928) was snapped by Nebraska photographer Nathaniel Dewell. It showed the beacon tower along with the control hut and a giant concrete arrow in the ground.

The arrow used at these beacons were typically between 50 and 70 feet long and painted bright orange, making them clearly visible from today’s standard low altitude of the early airmail pilots. Most pilots of this era would fly at altitudes of 200-500 feet in order to navigate by these ground landmarks.  

Readers may notice a slight variation in the photo used for the stamp. In the original photo there is a biplane; on the stamp, it is  a single-wing aircraft. Why was plane changed? By 1928, biplanes were obsolete, so the photo was re-touched and the offending wing from the airplane removed. 

By the mid-30s, radio and radar were just two technologies, that completely revolutionised how pilots would navigate, making beacons and ground arrows redundant. The beacon on Sherman Hill in Wyoming went dark for good in 1934. So, for a while, there was indeed a “lighthouse on the prairie”.

Today, a small green cinder-block structure as well as a smaller mast is in the same location where the beacon tower once stood. Portions of the 100-year-old concrete arrow in the ground is still visible. Looking east toward Cheyenne, one can still make out the contours in the mountains from Dewell’s 1925 photo.

Source: Brande, Even.  "There Was Indeed a Lighthouse on the Prairie". Handel Information Technology Inc. Laramie, Wyoming. 2025.