1395. 🇫🇰 Falkland Islands Stamps Depict Local Shipwrecks.

  🇫🇰 At a time when it looks like new issue collecting is in dire straits what with the activities of Stamperija and IGPC and Philatelic Collector Inc and Royal Mail's Marvel Comics stamps there's always that little beacon of hope in the form of the issues produced by Creative Direction and sold through Pobjoy Stamps on behalf of Britain's overseas territories in the South Atlantic and Antarctic not forgetting Bahamas and the British Virgin Islands. So we have news of the latest issue from the Falkland Islands postal service - a simple 4 value set illustrating Local ship wrecks, the third in an ongoing series. Using beautifully chosen photographs by Tony Chater as their designs the issue was lithographed by Cartor and is perforated 13 x 13.5. An excellent set which will be released on 4 March 2019 - Rating:- *****.

  Thanks to Juliet Warner of Pobjoy Stamps for information about this issue.

  🇳🇿 New Zealand Post has put its Personalised Stamps pack for 2018 on sale at a cost of NZ$37.20c for unused stamps or NZ$38.70c for the stamps used on covers dated 31 December 2018. The pack of unused stamps contains 20 gummed stamps and 14 self-adhesive stamps and some are illustrated below. I like these annual packs as the subjects of some of the stamps are splendidly parochial and tell the collector a lot more about New Zealand than 10 stamps depicting Marvel Comics characters tell the collector about Britain. Meanwhile collectors of stamps featuring Mahatma Gandhi will be interested that there is a Gandhi stamp included in this pack. Rating:- ***.

  🇨🇾 The first stamp issue of the year from Cyprus Post will be released on 20 February 2018 to commemorate the Carnival there. The two stamps were designed by Menalis Eustathidou and lithographed by Baltic Banknote High Security Printing. Not the most exciting of issues but quite colourful if nothing else. Rating:- **.

1394. 🇦🇺 Upcoming Issues From Australia Post.

  🇦🇺 Upcoming issues from Australia Post seem to be generally acceptable and feature interesting locally relevant subjects without feeling the need to cash in on the culture of The United States.

  5 March 2019 - Australian fauna - 4 gummed stamps, 4 self-adhesive stamps from $10 booklets (10 x $1) and 4 self-adhesive stamps from coils. Designed by Sonia Young and lithographed by Egotrade and perforated 14 x 14.5. Rating:- ***.

  14 March 2019 - Sustainable fish - 3 gummed stamps, 1 miniature sheet and 3 self-adhesive stamps from a $10 booklet. Designed by Dr Lindsay Marshall and lithographed by RA Printing and perforated 14.5. Rating:- ***.

  29 March 2019 - Perth Stamp And Coin Show - 1 miniature sheet containing 4 identical stamps. Rating:- ***.

  9 April 2019 - Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II - 2 gummed stamps, 1 miniature sheet and 1 x $3 self-adhesive stamp from $15 booklet. Rating:- ***.

  16 April 2019 - ANZAC Day - 2 gummed stamps, 1 miniature sheet and 1 self-adhesive stamp ($1) from $20 booklet. Rating:- ***.

  30 April 2019 - International Year of Indigenous Languages - 1 gummed stamps - designed by Sharon Rodziewicz and lithographed by Egotrade and perforated 14.5 x 14. Rating:- ***.

  🇦🇺 Issue inscribed 'Australian Antarctic Territory' - 26 March 2019 - 50th anniversary of Casey Station - 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet. Designed by Jo Muré and lithographed by RA Printing and perforated 14 x 14.5. Rating:- ***.

  🇳🇫 Issue inscribed 'Norfolk Island Australia' - 2 April 2019 - Norfolk Island tree fern - 2 gummed stamps and 1 miniature sheet - designed by Simone Sakinofsky and lithographed by RA Printing and perforated 14 x 14.5. Rating:- ***.

  🇬🇧 In addition to the 10 basic stamps, 'generic sheet' and prestige booklets depicted in Blogs 1392 and 1393 the Royal Mail Marvel Comics series due to be issued on 14 March 2019 there will also be a miniature sheet containing 5 different stamps and a £4.02p retail booklet containing 2 Self-adhesive stamps from the basic set and 4 x 1st Class Machin Head definitive stamps sold for £4.02p. These products are depicted below:-

  🇲🇹 Malta Post is to release its first stamp issue of 2019 in the form of a pair featuring the subject of 'Maritime Malta' which has been an ongoing series of which this is the 7th part. These 2 stamps depict vessels of the Order of St John. The issue was designed by Sean Cini and lithographed by Printex and perforated 14. The date of issue will be 21 February 2019. Rating:- ***.

1393. 🇬🇧 Royal Mail 'Marvel' Prestige Booklet For Just £64.99p.

  🇬🇧 Some more illustrations of the Royal Mail Marvel Comics issue due on 14 March 2019, this time the prestige booklet which will be sold for £17.45p or if you're feeling flush with cash you can splash out on a limited edition prestige booklet ('only 4995') for £64.99p. Not for me.

  By the way, the weak excuse for releasing this set is that a number of British artists have worked on Marvel Comics over the years. Desperate or what?

  See also Blog 1392.