337. New York Agency Produces Nelson Mandela Omnibus.

  A large New York-based philatelic agency has announced that it is producing a huge number of stamps commemorating the late South African statesman, Nelson Mandela, in the name of a large number of Commonwealth and other territories. The Commonwealth territories involved in the omnibus issue are:-

Antigua And Barbuda - 2 sheetlets each of 6 different stamps, 1 gold stamp and 1 miniature sheet:-

Dominica - 1 sheetlet of 6 different stamp, 1 gold stamp and 1 m.s.:-

Grenada- 2 sheetlets each of 6 different stamps and 2 m.s.:-

Guyana - 2 sheetlets each of 6 different stamps, 1 gold stamp and 1 m.s.:-

Nevis - 1 sheetlet of 4 different stamps, 1 sheetlet of 4 identical stamps and 2 m.s.:-

St. Kitts - 2 sheetlets - 1 contains 2 of the same design and 2 other different stamps, the second also containing 2 stamps of the same design as in the first sheet plus 2 additional stamps in different designs:-

St. Vincent And The Grenadines - 1 sheetlet contains 6 identical stamps and 1 m.s.:-

Sierra Leone - 1 sheetlet of 6 different designs, 1 gold stamp and 1 m.s.:-

Tanzania - 2 sheetlets each of 6 different stamps and 2 m.s.:-

Turks And Caicos Islands - 2 sheetlets each containing 2 x 2 different stamps (totalling 4 different stamps) and 2 m.s.:-

Tuvalu - 2 sheetlet, 1 consisting of 6 identical $1 stamps and the second containing 6 different $1 stamps:-

Uganda - 2 sheetlets, each containing 4 different stamps:-

  I have not yet seen a date of issue for any of these sets but presume that they will be released in early 2014. The exception is Tuvalu which has stated that the first day of issue will be 15 December 2013. Tuvalu has also recently issued some other items which do not appear to have any relevance to it:-

  2 December 2013 - Elvis Presley (US music performer) - sheetlet containing 6 different stamps - 

  9 December 2013 - "Orange Blossom Special" Train which journeys between New York and Miami in The United States (there are, of course no trains in Tuvalu) - Sheetlet of 9 identical stamps and 1 m.s.:-

  9 December 2013 - US President Barack Obama's Visit to London - 2 sheetlets (1 of 4 different stamps and the other of 2 different stamps) and 1 m.s.:-

  Meanwhile, another prolific philatelic agency, Stamperija, has announced another release of philatelic items on behalf of Solomon Islands, this time there are 9 sheetlets each containing 4 different stamps with 9 accompanying miniature sheets - each sheetlet and m.s. combination has a different subject. The 9 subjects are:- The late British statesman, Lady Thatcher; Pope Benedict XVI; Pope Francis (it is to be noted that these issues are made for Solomon Islands even though only 19% of the population practices Roman Catholicism); Minerals; The Red Cross in the Solomon Islands; The Solomon Islands skink (a lizard); The Air Bus; Solomon Islands water birds and Mark Webber (Formula 1 racing car driver). The date of issue is said to be 30 August 2013.

  Of much more interest is the release of a new definitive set for Solomon Islands on 10 September 2013 which looks like the real thing - that is - they look as though they have actually been produced so that the general public of The Solomon Islands can use them on their mail and buy them at an ordinary post office counter. Having said that, it is a surprisingly large set totalling 25 values. The subject of the issue is fish. I think that this one set from The Solomon Islands which will have to be added to my Solomon Islands collection. I am not yet able to illustrate any of these Solomon Islands items.

  Today (13 December 2013) is the day when those who submitted a tender for the contract as philatelic agents for British Antarctic Territory get to hear the outcome of their bids. I do not yet know who is the successful bidder but I suppose most interested philatelists will be hoping that Pobjoy Stamps have received some good news today.