1453. 🇯🇪 Yet Another Issue From Jersey Features Moon Landing.

🇯🇪 It seems that no anniversary nor event in the world can go by without a postal administration of at least one British offshore island feeling the need to release a set of stamps to commemorate it even when these small islands played no part in the event which is to be marked by the stamps. Not surprisingly then Jersey Post will issue a set of 6 stamps and 2 miniature sheets (total face value £12.96p) on 20 July 2019 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first manned lunar landing (by Americans not Jerseymen). Jersey Post tries to establish an unconvincing tangential link between the subject and Jersey by including contemporary quotes from a local Jersey newspaper about the manned landing in the stamp designs. The designs were by Keith Burns and printed in lithography by Enschedé. Rating:- 0.

🇹🇷 The postal service of the Turkish Republic Of Northern Cyprus issued a single stamp on 19 May 2019 to commemorate the Centenary of the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence. The stamp depicts the ship Bandirma on board which Mustafa Kemal Pasha, Ataturk, departed Istanbul on 16 May 2019 for Samsun where he arrived on 19 May to start the Turkish national movement against the wishes of the Istanbul-based Ottoman government. This act was to lead to the declaration of the Republic of Turkey four years later. The issue was digitally printed by Bolan Dijital Baski Ltd. Rating:-  ****.

1452. 🇮🇲 Isle Of Man’s ‘Age Of Rebellion’.

🇮🇲 The  Isle Of Man Post Office plans to issue an interesting set of 6 stamps and a £15.08p Prestige booklet on 1 July 2019 titled ‘The Age Of Rebellion’. The unusual and nicely illustrated stamps tell the story of ‘Illiam Dhône’ (Manx for ‘Brown William’ referring to his dark coloured hair), William Christian, who was appointed to be the island’s Receiver General in 1648 by the royalist Earl of Derby, the then Lord Of Mann.

  After Derby’s capture by the Parliamentarians at the Battle of Worcester in 1651, his wife, Lady Derby, tried to negotiate with them to surrender the Isle Of Man to obtain her husband’s release. A rebellion against the Derbys then broke out under the leadership of William Christian and he then opened negotiations with the Parliament and its fleet arrived in Ramsey Bay in October 1651 and landed troops under Colonel Duckenfield. Lady Derby was forced to surrender Castle Rushen and Peel Castle while Christian remained in the post of Receiver General and was made Governor of the Isle Of Man in 1656.

  Two years later, with Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector, the ruler of England, Illiam Dhône, was accused of misappropriating money and fled to London where he was arrested and imprisoned for 1 year. Afterwards he returned to Isle Of Man when Cromwell was dead and the monarchy restored but where a new Earl of Derby had him arrested on charges of high treason. At his trial he was found guilty and then executed by shooting at Hango Hill in Castletown.

  My main problem with this set is that I can not find a reason for it to be issued at this particular time - 2019 - which does not seem to coincide with any particular anniversary related to this story. The year does not contain a special anniversary such as Christian’s birth or death anniversaries, a notable anniversary of the rebellion nor anything else of relevance. It’s as though the planners of Isle Of Man stamp issues were simply casting around to try to find subjects to be featured on a new issue so that a certain total of new issues could be reached just to address a target. These offshore islands will have to come to terms with the fact that collectors do not have bottomless pockets and are not as gullible as they may think. I like this issue but I shall not buy it because at this present moment there’s no reason for it to be issued. Rating:- **.

  The issue is particularly interesting as it features a cameo portrait of Oliver Cromwell who ruled England from 16 December 1653 as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland to 3 September 1658 when he died from natural causes including, probably, malaria. Cromwell is one of only two rulers since Henry IV who has not featured on a British/Royal Mail stamp though he played a more significant role in English/British history than many of the kings and queens who have been depicted.   Cromwell’s campaign in Ireland during the Civil War makes him such a controversial figure so that despite his historical importance Royal Mail is unlikely to issue a stamp depicting him for fear of causing offence in Ireland.

  Cromwell did make another philatelic appearance when he was depicted on a stamp released by the postal service of St Helena on 29 January 2010 which was part of an issue which commemorated the 350th anniversary of the restoration of Charles II. The set also included a stamp featuring Cromwell’s son, Richard Cromwell, who succeeded his father as Lord Protector but was wholly unsuited to the role and abdicated on 25 September 1659 to make way for rule by a Council of State. I think that that is the only stamp to depict the younger Cromwell.

  People around the world are amazed at the present carryings on in British politics but current events pale into insignificance in comparison with events in the 17th century.

1451. 🇬🇭 Ghana 2016 Election Issue.

🇬🇭 I have mentioned in previous Blogs the set of 5 stamps issued by the postal administration of Ghana which was issued during 2016 in the run up to the general election there to exhort politicians and voters alike to show restraint and behave peacefully during the election campaign. The previous election in Ghana had seen the occurrence of serious violence and it was hoped that the 2016 campaign would not prove to be so bloody. Stamps, it was felt, could play their parts in spreading the message appealing for peace.

  These stamps were intended to be strictly for local use and even now I have not yet seen a single set of them being offered for philatelic sale. However one or two of them pop up in kiloware from time to time and it is possible, I hope, to acquire a used set at least piecemeal from such sources. I am pleased to have just obtained my fourth value to make up my set and those now in my possession are illustrated below:-

🇯🇪 As detailed in Blog 1447 Jersey Post issued more Post and Go stamps with additional inscriptions from local machines (JE03 And JE02) on 6 June 2019 in connection with the celebrations of the D Day landings in Normandy. These products are depicted below. Rating:- *.

 🇬🇧 The upcoming new issue of 8 stamps from Royal Mail due for release on 9 July 2019 on the subject of ‘Curious customs’ can now be seen on the internet. The overall theme of this year's stamp issues from Royal Mail is the ‘best of British’ so I can only conclude that this issue is designed to feature the best of British eccentricity. Well at least it features uniquely British subjects unlike the ‘Marvel Comics’ set of earlier this year.

  But let’s be honest the designs are pretty awful and go no way to explaining what these curious customs are. The featured subjects are the ‘Obby ‘Oss of Padstow in Cornwall (a May Day event), the Burning Of The Clocks in Brighton in Sussex (a Winter solstice festival), the World Gurning Championships in Egremont in Cumbria, Up Helly Aa in Lerwick in the Orkney Islands (a New Year’s Eve event), Cheese rolling at Cooper’s Hill in Brockworth in Gloucestershire (a Spring Bank Holiday event), Halloween in Londonderry in Northern Ireland, the Horn Dance of Abbot’s Bromley in Staffordshire (Wakes Monday, the first Monday after 4 September) and Bog snorkelling at Lanwrtyd Wells in Powys.

  Though I find the stamps to be very unappealing I am pleased that Royal Mail has made an effort to feature events which take place in most regions of the country though people in East Anglia and Yorkshire might be disappointed to find customs in their regions do not get a mention. For once London is not featured overbearingly as happens with most stamp issues though one doubts that there are any traditional customs left in a city which is far removed in its nature from the rest of The United  Kingdom. Rating:- **.

1450. 🇳🇿🇳🇺🇹🇰 Up Everest And To The Moon.

🇳🇿 New Zealand Post will issue a set of 5 stamps to commemorate the Birth centenary of Sir Edmund Hillary, one of the most distinguished New Zealanders in history who, with Sherpa Tensing, was the first man to climb the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest, just a few days after the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The issue was designed by Helcia Berryman of Grange Park Creative and lithographed by Southern Colour Print and perforated 14.5. Rating:- *****.

 Prior to the above issue, New Zealand Post will issue a set of 5 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 3 July 2019 to commemorate the Centenary of the birth of the New Zealand artist, Colin McCohan. Five of his paintings are featured on the stamps. The issue was designed by Alan Hollows and lithographed by Southern Colour Print and perforated 14.5. Rating:- **.

🇳🇺🇹🇰 It’s hard to understand what the two territories of Niue and Tokelau contributed to the achievement of landing the first men on the moon 50 years ago but whatever it was the postal administrations of the two New Zealand dependencies/associated states both feel the need to each issue a set of 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheets to commemorate the anniversary.

  The issues were both designed by Saint Andrew Matautia and lithographed by Collectables and Solutions Centre, Whanganui and perforated 13.5. The issue will be released on 3 July 2019. Rating:- *.