499I. Samoa Commemorates World Toilet Day.

  It would be easy to be flippant about one of the recent new issues from Samoa but, to be perfectly honest, I rather like the set of 4 stamps which commemorates the most unlikely titled issue of 2014 - "World Toilet Day". I have never heard of World Toilet Day - it's now a date I shall never forget - but I do understand what the issue is all about - the important need for good sanitation both in Samoa and worldwide. The issue specifically commemorates the very parochial subject of the opening of the new garden toilets in Samoa (and you really don't get any more parochial than stamps to commemorate the new local public lavatories) and I find this to be a much more worthy issue than the usual irrelevant products from so many countries which feature Marilyn Monroe or Elvis Presley. The date of issue was 19 November 2014:-

  On 5 December 2014 Samoa issued 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet of 3 different stamps to commemorate the centenary of the beginning of the First World War and the occupation of Samoa by New Zealand forces which brought an end to German rule in the territory and Samoa's eventual incorporation in The British Empire. I like this set very much as it tells the story of the way Samoa became involved in the war unlike the issues of a number of territories which have designs which have no direct relevance to those territories:-

  Samoa also issued a sheetlet of 4 different Christmas stamps on 16 December 2014 but the designs are of very little originality or local interest:-

  Elsewhere in the Pacific area, miniature sheets were issued by Tonga and Tonga Niuafo'ou on 15 December 2014 on the subject of Christmas. Each m.s. contains 4 different stamps which, like the Samoa issue, feature designs which appear to have no real local relevance:-

  There have also been a number of issues released by Cook Islands, Cook Islands Aitutaki and Cook Islands Penrhyn:-

  Cook Islands Aitutaki - 28 November 2014 - Worldwide Fund For Nature: the Spotted Reef Crab - 4 stamps, 1 miniature sheet and 4 sheetlets each containing 4 identical stamps:-

  12 December 2014 - Christmas - 1 sheetlet of 3 different stamps:-

  Cook Islands - 28 November 2014 - WWF: the Spotless Crane - 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet and 1 sheetlet of 4 strips each of 4 se-tenant different stamps:-

  12 December 2014 - Christmas - 1 sheetlet of 3 different stamps:-

  Penrhyn Cook Islands - 28 November 2014 - WWF: the Pacific Green Turtle - 4 stamps, 1 miniature sheet and 1 sheetlet of 4 strips of 4 different se-tenant stamps:-

  12 December 2014 - Christmas - 1 sheetlet of 3 different stamps:-

  St. Helena has issued a miniature sheet of 5 stamps to commemorate the centenary of the Brownies, the junior branch of the Girl Guides. I do not yet know the precise date of issue:-

  Vanuatu has issued a se-tenant strip of 4 stamps to commemorate the late Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa and international statesman. Again, I do not yet know the precise date of issue:-

  Pakistan Post issued one stamp on 4 December 2014 to commemorate the birth centenary of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman E Borlaug who developed types of high yielding, disease resistant wheat crops. The stamp was designed by Adil Salahuddin and lithographed by Pakistan Security Printing Corporation of Karachi:-

  Pakistan issued an additional stamp on 9 December 2014 to commemorate Anti-Corruption Day. This stamp was also designed by Adil Salahuddin and lithographed by Pakistan Security Ptg Corp. :-

  In Blog 499F I mentioned the Joint issue between India Post and Slovenia which was issued on 28 November and I now illustrate the individual stamps from the miniature sheet:-

  Singapore Post issued 5 stamps on 31 October 2014 to commemorate 50 years of tourism development in the country:-

  On 24 November 2014 Singapore also released 2 new values ($1.15 and $1.30) of its Past Street Scenes set to accommodate a change in postage rates:-

  Mauritius Post will participate in a joint stamp issue with the French Postal Service, La Poste, with an  issue to commemorate the Tercentenary of the French in Mauritius.