1065. 🇮🇳 India Celebrates 70 Years Of Independence.

  🇮🇳 Today, 15 August 2017, India celebrates the 70th anniversary of its Independence following the partition of Britain's Indian Empire into the Dominions of India and Pakistan which itself commemorated its Independence yesterday on 14 August (see Blog 1064).

  India Post issued 2 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 15 August 2017 to commemorate the anniversary and they featured photographs chosen from winning efforts in a children's photographic competition. The designs come under the title "Beautiful India". Rating:- ***.

  India Post has also issued a set of 4 stamps on the subject of the Caves of Meghalaya. Designs and more information awaited.

  🇲🇲  The date of India's Independence was chosen by the country's first Governor-General, Earl Mountbatten of Burma, to coincide with the second anniversary of the surrender of Japan at the end of the Second World War - a date that was called "VJ Day".

  The Japanese were in occupation of a number of British territories in the Far East including Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore and Burma. 

  In Burma they were resisted by British and Commonwealth forces but were supported initially by the Burmese leader Aung San and also by the Indian National Army led by Chandra Bose. In early 1945 Aung San turned to the Allied forces against the Japanese but the Indian National Army supported the Japanese to the bitter end. The Japanese finally surrendered formally to the Allies in Burma on 12 September 1945. In Burma the British and the Allies had received long term support particularly from the Karen people.

 The Karen people had suffered terribly during World War II - many of their villages were destroyed and massacres were carried out by both the Japanese and the Burma Independence Army which had assisted the Japanese invasion. After the end of the war the Karen hoped to have their own state within Burma but the British failed to support them in achieving this despite the Karen's great loyalty to the British during the war.

  Burma was granted independence in January 1948. Aung San, who had led the transitional government, was assassinated about 6 months prior to Independence. After independence was granted the Burmese government began to raise militias under the command of Major General Ne Win and in January 1949 some of these militias went on a rampage through Karen communities and consequently the Karen began an armed insurgency against the Burmese government. In 1962 Ne Win staged a coup against the Burmese government and a long period of military rule began.

  🇦🇺🇳🇫 Mentioned in a previous Blog (1024) but now with better illustrations is the Australia Post issue which is inscribed "Norfolk Island Australia" which was released on 18 July 2017and which is on the subject of Norfolk Island Flowers. The issue was designed by Sharon Rodziewicz and lithographed by EGO and perforated 14 x 14.5. Rating:- ***.

  🇦🇺🇨🇽 Also from Australia Post is a pair of stamps and accompanying miniature sheet issued with the inscription "Australia Christmas Island" which was released today, 15 August 2017. The stamps which commemorate the visit of European early explorers to the island were designed by Sonia Young and lithographed by EGOTrade and perforated 14 x 14.5. rating:- ****.

1064. 🇵🇰 Pakistan Celebrates 70 Years Of Independence.

  🇵🇰 Pakistan celebrates the 70th anniversary of its Independence today, 14 August 2017. On Independence, the country became known as The Dominion Of Pakistan with George VI as its monarch and Muhammad Ali Jinnah as the first Governor-General of Pakistan. The country was declared to be a Republic on 23 March 1956.

  I presume that Pakistan Post intends to commemorate this significant anniversary by issuing special stamps but I have not yet any news about such an issue.

  The stamp illustrated above was issued as 1 of a set of 2 in 1982.

  🇬🇧 Royal Mail will take its Post and Go kiosks A012, A013 and A014 to Autumn Stampex 2017 to be held at the Business Design Centre in Islington from 13 to 16 September and dispense the following labels:-

A012 new Mail by Air labels and Machin anniversary labels (1st class values only), the latter with additional inscription "Stampex Autumn 2017",

A013 new Mail by Air labels and Machin anniversary labels (1st class values only), the latter with additional inscription "Stampex Autumn 2017"

A014 new Mail by Air labels and Poppy label, the latter with additional inscription "WWI Battle of Passchendale".

  Kiosk A002 situated in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard will dispense 2 types of labels from 19 August 2017 for a month to commemorate the presence of the new aircraft carrier, Queen Elizabeth II, in Portsmouth. The labels are:-

  Union Flag with additional inscription "Royal Navy/QEII Carrier 2017"

  Machin Head with additional inscription "Royal Navy/Queen Elizabeth II Carrier 2017".

  🇿🇼 Zim Post, the postal service of Zimbabwe, will issue a set of 4 stamps on the subject of "Exotic cattle" on 22 August 2017. The types of cattle featured are the Ayrshire, the Holstein, the Jersey and the Reddane, which don't really seem "exotic" at all here in England but Zimpost says that the issue of stamps depicting these breeds is to "enlighten farmers and the general public about the various species and types of exotic cows and the desired requirements for the attainment of better yields".

  It's rare for philatelic publicity to give information about the milk yields of various breeds of cattle but I can tell you that the Ayrshire yields 5500 to 8000 litres while the Holstein yields 5000 to 12000 litres per lactation. Who says philately isn't educational? Great stuff! Rating:- *****.

  🇳🇿 New Zealand Post will issue a sheet of 10 different stamps on 6 September 2017 on the subject of the Maori language. These uninspired and simple designs depict representations of new words which have been invented to apply to modern developments in general living such as a passport (uruwhenua) or a computer (rorohiko) or wifi (ahokore). Most of the new words seem to be shorter in their English form and probably quicker to say in ordinary conversation which begs the question of why new Maori versions had to be invented.

  The issue was designed by Dave Hakaraia and Elisabeth Vullings and lithographed by Southern Colour Print and perforated 13.5 x 14. The eight $1 stamps will be issued in se-tenant blocks. Rating:- **.

  🇷🇼 Bogus issue. Rwanda.

  Currently on sale on an Internet website is a pair of miniature sheets (one containing 2 stamps and 1 containing a single stamp) purporting to have been issued by the Rwanda postal service and commemorating the Chinese New Year, Year of the Rooster.

  As it's several years since the Rwandan postal service last issued a set of stamps it seems improbable that this is a genuine issue from that country especially as its previous issues generally have local themes. Furthermore there have been numerous issues in recent years with the name of Rwanda printed on them and which are clearly bogus but these particular items certainly look well produced and I wondered if they had been a gift to Rwanda from The Chinese People's Republic as we have seen occurring in a number of other cases. I contacted the Rwanda postal service and received a rapid response which stated "those stamps are not genuine" and was promised a further message with additional information. So, these items are confirmed as being bogus and are of no value. Do not buy them as they are wholly worthless and produced by criminals.

  Such items injure stamp collecting and hurt the reputation of innocent countries.

  

1066. 🇵🇬New Issues From Papua New Guinea Include Fabulous Rare Birds Set.

   🇵🇬 The Papua New Guinea postal service has not issued any stamps since December 2016 although its New York-based philatelic agency, IGPC, has produced some items, said to have been issued on 23 June 2017 (Chinese new year, Year of The Rooster), 28 June 2017 (20th anniversary of the death of Diana Princess Of Wales) and 31 July 2017 (Chinese new year, Year of The Dog - my, these Chinese new years come around quickly, don't they?) in the name of Papua New Guinea.
  Now we have news of 2 superb sets which plainly originate in Papua New Guinea rather than New York. The first is a fabulous set of 4 stamps and 2 miniature sheets which will delight collectors of Bird-themed stamps on the subject "Rare birds of Papua New Guinea" and let's face it, few countries have as many exciting species of birds to feature on its stamps as does Papua New Guinea.
  The issue was designed by Billy John Telek of Post PNG, Philatelic Production and lithographed by Southern Colour Print. The date of issue will be 24 August 2017. Rating:- ****** (6 stars!)

  The second issue isn't really quite so exciting but is still attractive and I particularly like the 4-stamp miniature sheet which depicts the subject of the issue, "Valuable shells", used as items of colourful jewellery and even as a musical instrument. Again this is set of 4 stamps and 2 miniature sheets and will be released on 17 August 2017. the issue was again designed locally by Kin Kaupa and lithographed by Southern Colour Print. Excellent stuff! Rating:- *****.

                                                               

1063. 🇦🇬 IGPC Wildlife Stamp Deluge.

  🇦🇬 Illustrations of, but not details of, several IGPC issues have made an appearance on an internet auction site. They are actually rather attractive issues with some well-chosen photographs making up their designs. Whether or not they get real postal usage in the countries whose names are printed on them is debatable but no-one really expects a new stamp issue from anywhere in the world, or hardly anywhere at least, to actually be used on ordinary mail nowadays I suppose.

  Antigua And Barbuda - 2017 - Jellyfish - 3 miniature sheets- 1 containing 4 stamps, 1 containing 3 stamps and 1 containing 2 stamps. The designs are very interesting and colourful. Rating:- ***.

  - 2017 - The Hawksbill turtle - 2 miniature sheets each containing 4 different stamps. Rating:- ***.

  - 2017 - Macaws - 2 miniature sheets, 1 containing 6 different stamps and the other containing 3 different stamps; no parrots or macaws are found in Antigua And Barbuda. Rating:- 0.

  🇬🇭 Ghana - Animals of the World - 2 miniature sheets, 1 of 4 stamps and one with a single stamp. Nice photographs but none of the featured creatures is of any relevance to Ghana. Rating:- 0.

  - 2017 - Centenary of the birth of former US President John Kennedy - 2 miniature sheets, 1 of 6 different stamps and 1 containing a single stamp. Rating:- 0.

  🇬🇩 Grenada Carriacou And Petite Martinique  - Bats of the Caribbeans (sic) - 2 miniature sheets, 1 containing 4 different stamps and 1 containing a single stamp. Looking at lists of bats resident in Grenada it seems that some of the depicted species are indeed to be found in the country so I guess I can say that the issue is relevant broadly to the territory whose name is printed on the stamps. Rating therefore:- ***.

  🇬🇾 Guyana - Animals of the World - 2 miniature sheets, one of 4 stamps and 1 containing a single stamp. Rating:- 0.

  🇲🇾 Pos Malaysia will issue a set of 4 stamps on 19 August 2017 to commemorate the holding of the  29th South East Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur from 19 to 30 August 2017 along with the 9th ASEAN Para Games from 17 to 23 September 2017. The set will be released on 21 August 2017. The somewhat uninspiring designs depict the Games' mascot and logo. Rating:- **.