1715. 🇮🇳 Temples Featured On New India Post Stamps.

🇮🇳 A new miniature sheet containing 7 different stamps was issued by India Post on 8 August 2020 on the subject of Terracotta temples of India. I assume that the 7 stamps have also been produced in ordinary sheets as is the usual case. This is is an attractive issue. It was printed by the Security Printing Press Hyderabad. Rating:- ****.

🇵🇰 The postal service of Pakistan issued a single stamp on 6 August 2020 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the opening of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre. The issue was a design “Supplied by the customer” (the hospital itself I assume) and lithographed by National Security Printing Company, Karachi and is perforated 13. Rating:- ***.

🇳🇿 New Zealand Post will issue a set of 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 4 September 2020 titled ‘Te wiki o te reo Maori - Maori Language Week’ with each stamp featuring a Maori word in a Maori artistic style. The issue was designed by Dave Burke and lithographed by Southern Colour Print and perforated 14.5 x 14. Rating:- ***.

1714. 🇯🇪 Motor Bikes In Jersey.

🇯🇪 It’s hard not to be depressed by how the postal services of the British offshore islands plus Gibraltar continue to release clearly excessive numbers of stamp issues and stamps and other extra paraphernalia such as miniature sheets, Collectors sheets, Prestige booklets, Post and Go products and so on and so on.

  When these postal services release issues which mark locally relevant anniversaries and events I’m very happy to incorporate them in my collection but feel very annoyed when the issues include just about every way of extracting money from me. So the latest issue from Jersey Post does not delight me. An issue - a collection or whatever term the organisation wishes to use - is to be released on 8 September 2020 to commemorate the Centenary of the Jersey Motor Cycle and Light Car Club and the issue is made up of 8 stamps (price £9.61p), 2 miniature sheets (total cost £12.61p) and 1 Prestige booklet (price £19.22p), total cost £41.44p. An interesting set in subject though the designs are nothing more than photographs with inscriptions added rather like many present-day Royal Mail issues. 

  

    Also now on Jersey Post’s stamp collecting internet site is a Collectors sheet of 20 UK Letter rate stamps with attached labels which commemorates the Centenary of the Bouley Bay Hill Climb, another automobile-related subject. The price is £17 and the internet site seems to suggest that the date of issue was 8 May 2020. Rating:- 0.

🇬🇧 The latest addition to the 2020 reprints of the eternal Royal Mail Machin Head definitives is the 1st Class rate stamp from booklets of 12 with the code M20L MTIL.The 2nd Class has already been released. See also Blogs 1701, 1699 and 1703.

1713. 🇵🇰 Pakistan’s Latest Philatelic Shot In Stamp War With India.

  🇵🇰 There has been an ongoing sometimes military and always diplomatic conflict between Pakistan and India over the the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir for decades and from time to time both of them issue stamps to draw attention to their viewpoint of the simmering confrontation which could any time break out into a dire crisis. Now the postal service of Pakistan has returned to the philatelic facedown with a single stamp issued on 5 August 2020 which is titled ‘Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir 365 days under siege’ and with a graphic design featuring an armed Indian soldier pointing a rifle at a child with blood stains on his arm and an adult male lying with blood stains on his chest and abdomen. The item also bears the inscription ‘State terrorism at its worse’ and depicts a saw cutting through the middle of Kashmir. No subtle messaging here. Strong stuff but an interesting item for anyone following the developing history of the Kashmir situation. Rating:- ***.

  🇮🇳 India Post meanwhile issued a new My Stamp stamp on 5 August 2020 to commemorate the laying of the foundation stone of the new Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir temple at Ayodhya which was attended by the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi. The design features a model of the finished building. This takes the usual form of being issued in sheetlets of 12 with attached labels sold at a premium. 

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Post will issue a set of 6 stamps, 1 miniature sheet and 1 ‘mini-pane’ containing 2 sets in blocks of six on 18 August 2020 on the subject of Ocean park, a theme park in the territory. The park is currently closed due to the COVID-19 situation and the issue does not coincide with any particular anniversary or event associated with the park and therefore the reason for issuing the stamps at this time amid a very busy new issue programme from Hong Kong Post is questionable. 

  The stamps, designed by Fun Fun Wong, lithographed by Enschedé and perforated 13.5 x 14.5 (P.14 for the miniature sheet), are pleasant and colourful but clearly excessive and therefore the issue’s rating is *.

🇲🇲 The second issue in the series on the subject of the Art of various craftsmen from the postal service of Myanmar will be released on 7 August 2020 and is on the subject of the Art of the goldsmith. A great little stamp. Rating:- *****.

  See also Blog 1707.

1712. 🇬🇧 The Return Of Sherlock Holmes.

🇬🇧 Royal Mail has revealed the designs of its set of 6 stamps and other items due for release on 18 August 2020 to commemorate the what I would have thought was the wholly insignificant 10th anniversary of the BBC television series Sherlock which is a modern reworking of Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories about the fictional Victorian era detective, Sherlock Holmes.

  The issue is made up of 6 stamps (total face value £7.72p) issued in se-tenant pairs which have secret inscriptions on them when the stamps are viewed under ultraviolet light and which feature scenes and characters from the programme, a miniature sheet containing 4 different stamps (total face value £4.88p) depicting scenes from the original novels, a retail booklet (cost £4.56) containing self-adhesive versions of 4 x 1st Machin Head stamps and 2 of the stamps from the miniature sheet and a Collectors sheet containing 10 stamps plus 10 attached labels costing £11.95p.

  This is a well-designed set by So Design Consultants and NB Studio (miniature sheet) and was lithographed by International Security Printers and is perforated 14.5. This is just another money spinning issue commemorating no particular event or anniversary of significance released against a background of excessive issuing by Royal Mail and so, even though I like the stamps, rating is *.

  By the way it seems a shame that Mrs Hudson, played by the fabulous Una Stubbs, and Inpector Lestrade, played by Rupert Graves, are not featured in the set.

🇸🇬 Sing Post, the postal service of Singapore, will issue a set of 5 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 7 August 2020 on the subject of ‘Quirks in the island state’. The issue commemorates Singapore’s 55th anniversary of independence and is centred on what is seen to be uniquely Singaporean traits such as the use of the phrase “Kopi-o-kosong” when ordering coffee and what is viewed as Singapore's national pastime - queueing. Also featured is another modern-day obsession - the need to photograph oneself which in Singapore is called the ‘wefie’. The issue also reflects the way Singaporeans have adapted their ways of life to deal with the present COVID-19 pandemic featuring social distancing and face mask-wearing. The miniature sheet features a visual summary of the present Singaporean lifestyle as it copes with the day-to-day COVID-19 situation.

  This is a witty little issue which could be of immense interest to future social historians studying life in Singapore in the early 2020s. The issue was designed by Toby Tan Xun Pinch Design Pte Ltd and lithographed with gold hot stamping (miniature sheet) by Secura Singapore Pte Ltd and perforated 13. Rating:- ****.