506. New Issues From Guernsey Post, Australia Post, Singapore Post And IGPC.

  Guernsey Post will issue a set of 6 stamps (total face value £3.73p) and 1 x £3 miniature sheet on 5 February 2015 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures In Wonderland. The set was designed by Keith Robinson and lithographed by Cartor. The issue is inscribed "Alderney Bailiwick Of Guernsey" (stamps depicted above and below). I have not been able to find any connection between Lewis Carroll and the book with the island of Alderney. Although the stamps seem to have no direct relevance to the territory they are certainly colourful and amusing and the total face value of the set and miniature sheet (which depicts Alice, the March Hare and The Mad Hatter at the Mad Hatter's Tea party) amounts to £6.73p:-

 After a respite of a few weeks,  Australia Post released numerous philatelic items on 8 January 2015 with the inscription "Christmas Island Australia" to commemorate the Lunar New Year or Year of The Goat. The issue consisted of 2 stamps ($2.80), 1 miniature sheet ($2.80), 1 "Zodiac sheetlet" containing 12 different stamps ($5.60), 1 "Prestige Booklet" containing 6 miniature sheets which depict gemstones ($14.60) and a "silk miniature sheet pack" which contains 3 different miniature sheets one of which is printed on silk and another of which is self-adhesive ($25). The completist collector will therefore need to spend Au$50.80 (£27.20p) to obtain all of these Lunar new year items from Australia. This is an expensive start to 2015 for anyone who just has to have "one of everything". The stamps were designed by Dani Poon and lithographed by McKellar Renown.

"Zodiac sheet"

Prestige Booklet cover.

Booklet index page

One of 6 "miniature sheets" from Prestige Booklet.

"Silk sheetlet" pack.

  Meanwhile, a slightly more restrained Lunar new year issue was released by Singapore Post on 9 January 2014. The issue consists of 3 stamps (1st Local rate, 70c and $1.30) and a "Collector's Sheet" sold for $16.80c and was designed by Leo Teck Chong in his usual style:-

  The US-based philatelic agency, IGPC, has released another large number of new issues with the names of some of their client territories printed on them. Most of the issues have no direct relevance of subject matter to the territories named on them. I list them below without further comment:-

  Guyana - 

-  5 January 2015 - Parrots of South America - 1 sheetlet of 4 different stamps and 1 miniature sheet:-

 - 16 December 2014 - 1st Birthday of Prince George of Cambridge - 1 sheetlet of 4 different stamps and 1 m.s.:-

- 5 January 2015 - Seagulls - 1 sheetlet of 3 different stamps and 1 m.s.:-

  Nevis -

- 21 January 2015 - Prehistoric mammals - 1 sheetlet of 4 different stamps and 1 m.s.:-

- 2 February 2015 - The Rosetta spacecraft mission to land on a comet - 1 sheetlet of 4 different stamps and 1 m.s.:-

- 3 November 2014 - Steam locomotives (part II) - 1 sheetlet of 4 different stamp and 1 m.s.:-

- 16 December 2014 - Whales and dolphins of the Caribbean region - 1 sheetlet of 4 different stamps and 1 m.s.:-

  Papua New Guinea - 

- 5 January 2015 - Lunar New Year, "Year of The Ram" - 4 stamps, 1 sheetlet of 4 different stamps and 1 m.s.:-

  St. Kitts -

- 31 December 2014 - Trains - 1 sheetlet of 4 different stamps and 1 m.s.:-

- 31 December 2014 - Tropical fish of the Caribbean region - 1 sheetlet of 4 stamps and 1 m.s.:-

  St. Vincent And The Grenadines - 

-  2 January 2015 - Fountains of the world - 1 sheetlet of 6 different stamps and 1 m.s.:-

  Sierra Leone -

- 2014 or 15 - Lunar New Year, Year of the Ram - 1 sheetlet of 6 identical stamps:-

  Tuvalu - 

- 31 December 2014 - 10th anniversary of the inaugural Mass of Pope Benedict XVI - 1 sheetlet of 4 different stamps and 1 m.s.:-

- 16 December 2014 - Surfing - 1 sheetlet of 4 different stamps and 1 m.s. containing 2 different stamps:-