1345. 🇺🇸 IGPC Recycling Old Stamps After 32 Years.

  🇦🇬 In a comment at the end of Blog 1340, Chris de Haer asks a question about the 100 gold foil 'stamps' currently being sold on the IGPC website which depict 'Rare stamps of the World'. He says, "Are the Antiguan stamps the same as those issues in 1986 and found on eBay? Those appear to be just sold on covers".

  These stamps are currently being sold by IGPC as new issues of Antigua And Barbuda with a stated date of issue 11-01-2018 (1 November 2018) but Chris has identified what look like identical 'stamps' being offered on e-Bay on strange covers which feature a picture of the rare stamp in question at the top right hand corner of the cover and the gold foil stamp mounted at the left of the cover with a 'postmark' which does not touch the stamp itself placed in the middle of the 'cover' which reads 'OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT CERTIFICATION ANTIGUA & BARBUDA' with 'FIRST DAY OF April 4, 1986 ISSUE' at the centre of the cancellation.

  A number of the covers are being offered for sale and as the illustrations below show, the 'stamps' applied to the covers do indeed look identical to those which IGPC reports as 'new issues' of 2018. The illustrations show the 'inverted swan' stamp as mounted on the 1986 'cover' and as depicted in the 2018 listing. The complete cover of 1986 is also depicted as are several other covers.

  I do not have a very recent edition of a Stanley Gibbons Catalogue which includes the stamps of Antigua And Barbuda but certainly in my 2000 'Part 1' British Commonwealth Catalogue there is no mention of these stamps having been issued in 1986.

  It does indeed seem that IGPC is recycling old stock and 32 years after it first appeared on the market applied to 'covers' this set of 'stamps' is now being sold in an 'unused' condition as a 'new issue'. This all reeks of desperation for sales to me.

  Thanks to Chris de Haer for his comment and his eagle eyes for spotting this.

  🇦🇺 Australia Post has issued 6 miniature sheets to note its participation in the Thailand 2018 World Stamp Exhibition. Each sheet contains 3 x $1 identical Finches stamp, a different stamp appearing in each sheet. The exhibition was held from 28 November to 3 December 2018 and a different sheet was issued on each day of the exhibition with each sheet having an inscription identifying on which day of the show the sheet had been released. Attractive items but clearly excessive. Rating:- 0.

  🇯🇪 Jersey Post released 7 different Post and Go stamps on 23 November 2018 in the form of strips of the 6 different Jersey Arms stamps and strips of 6 Jersey Flag stamps with additional inscriptions to commemorate Christmas. The stamps are being dispensed from the JE02 kiosk at the main post office in St Helier. The Flag stamps are inscribed 'Season's/Greetings' in English while the Arms stamps are inscribed 'Complyiments/d'la saison' in Jerseaise and both types have an icon of a sprig of holly. Rating:- 0.

  Jersey Post will also issue the strip of 6 Nautical Knots Post and Go stamps with the additional inscription 'Welcome to Jersey Post' from the movable kiosk JE03 from 6 December 2018. The kiosk will be installed at Jersey Postal Headquarters on that date. An illustration is not yet available.

  🇳🇿 New Zealand Post has issued 2 miniature sheets to commemorate its participation at Thailand 2018 Philatelic Exhibition with an issue date of, I assume, 28 November which was the opening date of the event. These items have not yet appeared on the New Zealand Post philatelic website. Rating:- ***.

  🇵🇬 The dealer, Steven Zirinsky, is featuring on his website 4 new items - stamps plus attached labels - which are described as 'issued on demand' and which commemorate the 43rd anniversary of the Independence of Papua New Guinea. These are colourful items. Does 'issued on demand' mean that they have a similar status to the 'My Stamps' sold by India Post, for instance?

  🇬🇧 In Blog 1344 I mentioned the new issue of airmail postcard stamps from Universal Mail United Kingdom which seem to be the first such issue of 2018. However I have overlooked a similar issue from 2017 which fits into the 'Bespoke' category which is only obtainable from the sponsor and not from Universal Mail itself. The issue is for sale by the Green Welly Stop shop in Scotland and is numbered UK0185 and dated 05/17.

  🇭🇰 Hong Kong Post will issue 6 stamps, 1 miniature sheet and a booklet containing 30 different miniature sheets sold for $HK70 (equivalent to £7) on 6 December 2018 to commemorate the late Louis Cha Leung-yung known as Jin Yong who began to write martial arts novels in 1955. He died on 30 October 2018. The issue was designed by Gideon Lai using illustrations by Lee Chi-Ching and lithographed by Enschedé and perforated 14 x 13.5 or perforated 14 (miniature sheet). Rating:- ****.