1489. 🇺🇬 New Uganda Issue Stresses Links With China.

  🇺🇬 It’s astonishing that western governments have not recognised the power of the postage stamp as a medium of publicity/propaganda in stressing their links with less well off countries in the way that The People’s Republic Of China (and to a lesser extent The Republic Of China/Taiwan) have done. Barely a week goes by now without an African or Asian or Pacific or Caribbean postal service releasing stamps which have almost certainly been donated by The People’s Republic (and sometimes Taiwan) and which commemorate and celebrate their links with China, either as an anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries or the achievement of some major Chinese-funded project in that recipient country. The Chinese have embraced the postage stamp as a means of broadcasting worldwide the important role China is playing in the development, and its friendship with, so many countries in several continents.

  This is an example the West could follow. In this era of Brexit when The United Kingdom needs all the friends (and trading partners) it can get the new British government could do worse, and at relatively low cost, than publicise its links with many developing countries by donating a few stamps for use of the post offices of these countries. 

  Other senior Commonwealth countries could do the same. Australia and New Zealand might want to  use the philatelic propaganda route for countries such as Timor Leste, to which Australia donated a set of stamps very much in the then style of Australia philatelic design when Timor Leste achieved independence, or to the small Pacific island nations. Canada might turn its attention to donating stamp issues to the Caribbean countries and Britain might care to help out some of the struggling African postal administrations with the odd set or two which emphasise Britain’s long-standing links with the countries. What about a donated set to Sierra Leone commemorating Britain’s role in putting an end to the terrible civil war there or the role it played during the Ebola crisis in 2015? There is plenty of scope in donating sets which highlight development projects (after all Royal Mail has been 

keen to emphasise the rather more trite subject of the role British people have played in the making of the Star Wars movies or in the production of American Marvel comics). 

  Meanwhile the well-oiled Chinese philatelic propaganda machine proceeds at pace with a recent issue (date of issue - 21 March 2019) for the postal service of Uganda of 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet containing all 4 stamps which commemorates the Construction and inauguration of the 183 MW Isimba Hydropower plant and interconnection project on the river Nile. An interesting issue when put in the context of the current struggle of the West with China for dominance, political and economic, in the world. Rating:- *****.

🇧🇩 Bangladesh Post has released 3 new issues:-

27 July 2019 - Banglapex 2019 philatelic exhibition- 1 stamp. Rating:- ***.

29 July 2019 - Stamp Day - 1 stamp. Rating:- ***.

15 August 2019 - National Mourning Day - 1 stamp depicting Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Rating:- ****.

 🇸🇬 Although not yet mentioned on the Singapore Post philatelic website items related to Singpex 2019 philatelic exhibition are now being offered for sale on an Internet auction site. There is a miniature sheet containing the 3 Year of The Pig stamps with attached labels and stamps from a My Stamp sheetlet. These items are great fun. Rating:- ***.

🇹🇻 I have previously mentioned the miniature sheet of 4 stamps issued by the Tuvalu postal service to commemorate the holding of the 50th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting In Tuvalu. It appears that the date of issue was 12 August 2019. Rating:- ****.

🇧🇼 Botswana Post issued a set of 5 stamps and 1 miniature sheet containing all 5 stamps from the basic set on 15 August 2019 as the fifth part of its ongoing ‘Wetlands’ series. The subject of this part is the Nxai Pans and the stamps feature 4 different mammals with a Lanner falcon on the fifth stamp. The issue was designed by Anja Denker and Mongkoki Samson and lithographed by Southern Colour Print. Rating:- *****. Another very pleasing issue from Botswana Post.

🇬🇸 Bounty Post (the postal service of Pitcairn Islands) intends to release the following issues for the rest of 2019:-

  4 September - Dark sky sanctuary
  23 October - Echinoderms
  3 December - Christmas

which all sounds perfectly reasonable to me.
🇨🇰 In Blog 1488 I omitted mentioning that Philatelic Collector Inc. also issued a single stamp miniature sheet on the subject of Suwarrow Atoll National Park in the name of The Cook Islands. An attractive item of local interest. Rating:- ***.

1488. 🇳🇿 First Antarctic Buildings Depicted On New Ross Dependency Issue.

🇳🇿 New Zealand Post will issue 5 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 18 September 2019 for Ross Dependency on the subject of the Cape Adare base which was established by the Norwegian explorer Carsten Borchgrevink when he erected two huts during his 1899 expedition to Cape Adare. These huts were the first human-built structures in the Antarctic continent. The expedition overwintered there and were picked up in January 1900. The huts were last used in 1912 but still survive preserving the food, clothing and  equipment left behind by the earliest expedition there. Some of the surviving artefacts were collected recently by the Antarctic Heritage Trust and are depicted on these stamps. One of the $1.30c stamps includes a photograph of Carson Borchgrevink in its design (see above). 

🇺🇸 Philatelic Collector Inc. has released details of its latest philatelic products issued with the names of Tonga and Cook Islands and their associated philatelic entities printed on them. Many of the products have no direct relevance to the client territories themselves and 2 of the issues use up old stock by surcharging it or even printing new designs on previously issued ‘personalised’ stamps. There is also a marked reduction in the total number of products.

🇨🇰 Cook Islands - 30 May 2019 - Suwarrow Atoll National Park - 1 miniature sheet containing 6 different stamps. Rating:- ****

11 June 2019 - Islands Of the Pacific area - 2 miniature sheets, one containing 6 different stamps and the other containing a single stamp. Only one of the 7 stamps features an island of the Cook Islands (Rarotonga). Rating:- 0.

19 June 2019 - Fiftieth anniversary of the first manned lunar landing - 3 miniature sheets, one containing 3 different stamps, one containing 4 different stamps and the other containing 8 different stamps. One of the sheets has phosphor ink which appears blue under UV light. Rating:- 0.

🇨🇰 Aitutaki Cook Islands - Previously issued stamps of 2016 (WWF Chatham albatross) surcharged -  6 Stamps, 3 x 50c and 3 x $1. 

🇹🇴 Tonga - ‘Gardens Of The World’, none of which are located in Tonga - 2 miniature sheets, one containing 6 different stamps and the other a single stamp. Rating:- 0.

6 July 2019 - 50th anniversary of the first manned lunar landing- 3 miniature sheets each containing 4 different stamps and one sheet with phosphor which glows blue under uv light. Rating:- 0.

12 August 2019 - ‘Adventures in Tonga’ - 12 stamps, previously issued personalised stamps with additional inscriptions and illustrations applied. Rating:- **.

🇹🇴 Niuafo’ou Tonga - 21 June 2019 - Sharks - 2 miniature sheets, 1 containing 6 different stamps and the other containing a single stamp. Rating:- *.

 🇻🇨 IGPC will release a miniature sheet containing 4 different stamps to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the death of the American music performer Ritchie Valens. St Vincent And The Grenadines has been singled out to have its name printed on this item with a stated ‘date of issue’ of 10 August 2019.

1487. 🇳🇿 Pleasant Scenery Depicted On Upcoming New Zealand Issue.

  🇳🇿 New Zealand Post will issue a set of 6 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 4 September 2019 on the subject of the Te Araroa hiking Trail. This is a pleasant issue depicting some attractive rural and coastal scenery of New Zealand. The issue was designed by Hannah Fortune and lithographed by Southern Colour Print and perforated 14.5 x 14. Rating:- ***.

  🇲🇲 The 16 stamps issued by the Myanmar postal service on 8 August 2019 reported in Blog 1482 were issued in 2 sheetlets of 8 different stamps and not in a single sheet of 16 stamps as shown below:-

  🇬🇮 Yet another issue from the Royal Gibraltar Post Office on a subject which has little or no relevance to the territory - this time a set of 4 stamps to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the birth of the Italian artist, Leonardo Da Vinci. The issue to be released on 3 September 2018 was as usual designed by Stephen Perera from photographs of Getty Images and lithographed by Cartor. Rating:- 0.