🇬🇬 Guernsey Post has revealed its new issue programme for 2020. There are 4 issues on the subject of the 250th birth anniversary of the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. I am not really sure what is the connection of the composer to Guernsey though his music was played keenly by the Guernsey pianist Fanny Davies (1861 - 1934) but clearly someone who chooses the subjects to feature on Guernsey Post stamps must be a Beethoven enthusiast. There will also be another Chinese New Year set though the festival’s place in the island’s cultural calendar remains rather uncertain to me. There will also be yet another endangered wildlife miniature sheet this time featuring a giraffe though the connection of the species with Guernsey again is rather obscure to me. I’m afraid that I shall not be buying most of these proposed Guernsey Post issues next year.
Issues inscribed Guernsey:-
8 January 2020 - Chinese new year, Year of the rat.
21 January 2020 - 250th Birth anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven 1st Issue
13 February 2020 - Post and Go stamps, Fishing boats of the Bailiwick
1 April 2020 - Europa, Ancient postal routes
2 May 2020 - Endangered species, the Kordofan giraffe
2 May 2020 - Beethoven, 2nd issue
2 May 2020 - 75th anniversary of Liberation Day
May 2020 - Post and Go, Guernsey Flag with ‘London 2020’ inscription
May 2020 - Post and Go, Bailiwick fishing boats with ‘London 2020’ inscription
21 July 2020 - Beethoven, 3rd issue
21 July 2020 - Centenary Of Rupert Bear
21 July 2020 - SEPAC, Artwork in the national collection
September 2020 - Post and Go, Guernsey Flag with Autumn Stampex inscription
28 October 2020 - Beethoven, 4th issue
28 October 2020 - Christmas
December 2020 - Post and Go, Guernsey Flag with Christmas inscription.
Issues inscribed ‘Alderney’
21 January 2020 - Definitives, Birds Of Alderney
21 January 2020 - Fish and sea life in the RAMSAR area
1 April 2020 - 250th Birth anniversary of William Wordsworth, English poet
21 July 2020 - to be confirmed
28 October 2020 - Christmas, 170th anniversary of St Anne’s Church.
Meanwhile the final issues of the year from Guernsey Post are made up of 2 Christmas issues (one inscribed ‘Alderney’) and an issue to commemorate the Centenary of Remembrance Day. Clearly little expense has been spared in the design of these issues as the designs of the Alderney set are the same as those of the Guernsey set apart from just two of the stamps.
The Christmas set is self-adhesive and was designed by Denyse McGahy and lithographed by bpost and has simulated perforations. The issue will be released on 30 October 2019. Rating:- **.
Inscribed ‘Alderney’ - Christmas, ‘The Christmas Story’ - 7 stamps and 1 circular £1 miniature sheet. Designed by Denyse McGahy and lithographed by Cartor and perforated 13.5. Rating:- **.
11 November 2019 - Centenary of Remembrance Day - 1 miniature sheet containing a single £2 stamp. Designed by The Potting Shed and lithographed by Cartor with die-cut perforations. Rating:- ***.
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka Post issued a single stamp on 6 October 2019 to commemorate the International Year of Indigenous Languages using a design similar to that used by a number of other postal services. Rating:- **.
🇧🇼 Botswana Post issued a set of 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 9 October 2019 on the subject of the conservation of cranes and a fund established by a Botswanan company, Hoisting Solutions, which is a crane hire services and lifting solutions company to fund and support the conservation of those type of birds. This excellent set was designed by Modiredi Ramokate and lithographed by Southern Colour Print. Rating:- *****.
Four issues for Beethoven is really strange and definitely too much, not even Germany will issue so many (in fact the theme was later added to the programme and was not included in the first version), but a single issue would be normal. It seems to be the "big" anniversary of the year and stamps are for example issued in France, Hungary, Macao, Poland or the Vatican.
ReplyDeleteHello dustin15. I think that Guernsey Post intends to issue a single stamp per issue though it doesn’t state what the face values will be and the subject will be ‘Quartets’, and each issue will be a quarter of the quartet. On the other hand I may be completely wrong and have misinterpreted the available information. What is for sure is that Beethoven stamps will be issued on 4 separate occasions during 2020. Why the anniversary is so important to Guernsey may or may not become apparent.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Guernsey just wants to stand out among all the Beethoven stamps of the next year. The theme will be for sure popular among collectors (also in China) and Beethoven might be famous enough to say that every country could find a good reason for an issue. I would not wonder if also Royal Mail issues sich a stamp.
DeleteCute that the Botswana "crane" issue has the man made cranes in the background of the higher valued stamps. Someone has a sense of humour.
ReplyDelete