🇲🇿 Another 'real' stamp from Correios Moçambique has been on sale recently on an internet auction site. This appears to date from 2016 judging by the inscription on the stamp and is on the subject of 'children's villages'. Despite the numerous products which continue to ooze out of Stamperija, it is still possible, from time to time, to discover real modern stamps being released by the Mozambique postal service. Rating:- *****.
🇬🇧 Royal Mail will issue 6 stamps (as 2 se-tenant strips of 3) and 1 miniature sheet on 31 July 2018 on the subject of Hampton Court Palace and illustrations of these items can be now seen on the internet. This location has been featured on a previous British stamp and the set backs up the impression that those who choose Royal Mail's new issue programme seem to think that the only parts of The United Kingdom worth depicting and celebrating on Royal Mail stamps are those in London and its immediate vicinity. In the past few years we've had St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and so on and so on. It's time for Royal Mail to realise that London is not the only place worth depicting on 'British' stamps and actually it's getting somewhat dull. Two or three of the designs could easily feature scenes to be seen in scores of stately homes across the country - gardens, large ponds and so on.
The stamps feature the format of previous London-centric issues - long designs with vertical more regular-shaped stamps in the miniature sheet. Rating:- *.
🇲🇾 Pos Malaysia will issue a set of 4 stamps on 28 June 2018 on the subject of 'Unique structures' and featuring bridges of Malaysia. The feature bridges are located in Kuching the capital of Sarawak, Sabah, Perak and Putrajaya in the Federal Territory. This is an interesting and modestly priced set. Rating:- ****.
The London-centric nature of these issues is because it is a series of ROYAL PALACES.
ReplyDeleteWhich happen to be in the London area.
Maybe Edinburgh and/or Sandringham will be next, although Sandringham is not a palace.
Thank you Ian. It had escaped me that we were faced with an ongoing series of issues presumably spread over several years all in the same format on the subject of royal palaces. I suppose therefore, as you say, we will have to face more issues which are all starting to look very much alike but at least some will not be in the capital though, who knows, perhaps we've got to have Kensington Palace next (that too I think has already found its way on to a stamp design). As I recall the Buckingham Palace issue actually commemorated an important anniversary but the rest, correct me if I'm wrong, have not.
DeleteIf we are to have an annual royal palace issue going on for at least two or three more years then it is all very similar to the Universal Mail tourist postcard issue stamps. I haven't seen these Royal Mail palace stamps being particularly promoted for use by tourists though maybe they are in the vicinity of the palaces and if they are not being promoted for such a purpose then maybe they should be.
But I return to my theme of London-centric bias on Royal Mail stamps - we've not only had these palace issues but in the not too distant past we've had London bridges, St Paul's Cathedral and even the windmills set had a heavy South east England emphasis. Other parts of Britain could do with equal promotion of the wonderful sites to be seen around the country. You might say that the Game Of Thrones stamps promote Northern Ireland but the designs are all about the actors in the programme and not about the Ulster scenery.
Personally I could do with a rest for the present from any more Royal Palaces issue no matter where they're located.