577. Stamperija Takes Over Sierra Leone.

  The Lithuania-based philatelic agency, Stamperija, has taken on the role of official philatelic agent of SALPOST, Sierra Leone Postal Services Ltd. The philatelic agency has announced that "This is the 10th country to which we produce official postage stamps in 2015".

  In fact many of the postal administrations of West Africa have now put their philatelic reputations in the hands of Stamperija - Benin, Cape Verde, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cote D'Ivoire, Niger, St. Thomas And Prince and Togo but this is the first Commonwealth territory in the region to fall into its hands. ISIS-like, Stamperija is gradually enlarging its (philatelic) territory and now The Commonwealth has five territories whose philatelic programmes have come under its influence (Mozambique, Maldives, Solomon Islands and Uganda being the other four). Stamperija also acts for Namibia but pleasingly has not so far had any effect on the stamps and number of stamps issued by the former South West Africa. 

  This is all bad news for the New York-based agency, IGPC, which has now lost 3 of its Commonwealth client territories - Maldives, Uganda and Mozambique - to the highly invasive Stamperija. Given that many of the stamps which IGPC produced in the name of Sierra Leone were considered by many to be excessive in nature and frequently were on subjects which had no relevance to Sierra Leone, the change of Sierra Leone's agent may have little impression on collectors who may feel that Sierra Leone is merely exchanging one philatelic agency for another of a similar type. 

  The big question, I suppose, is which impoverished postal administration will be the next to allow Stamperija to print its name on Stamperija's philatelic products?

  

  Fiji Post has issued a very attractive and interesting set of 4 stamps (date of issue not yet known) on the subject of conservation of the endangered Fiji Flying Fox on Taveuni Island. All 4 stamps bear the logo of Nature Fiji:-

  In Blog 576 I mentioned some items issued by Stamperija with the name of Solomon Islands printed on them which commemorated the Taipei 2015 philatelic exhibiton held from 24 to 28 April 2015. Further such items exist, said to have been released in May 2015, which also commemorate the Taipei 2015 exhibition and with the name of Mozambique inscribed on them. The items as usual take the form of a sheetlet of 4 different "stamps" and an accompanying miniature sheet. Each design depicts a Taiwan blue magpie:-

  Intelligent AR has announced that "Post And Go" kiosk M002 which has been sited in Crewe and gave rise to the short-lived site-identifying inscription will be moved from Crewe on 27 May 2015 and, after an upgrade, will be moved to Mount Pleasant in London:-

Short-lived Crewe "Post And Go" inscription.