2526. 🇲🇹 Malta Euromed Issue Depicts Mediterranean Sports.

 

 

New issues -

🇲🇹MaltaPost -

8 July 2024 - Euromed, Sports in the Mediterranean area - 2 stamps. Designed by Daniel Spiteri and lithographed by Printex and perforated 14. Rating:- ****.

🇦🇺 Australia Post -

24 June 2024 - Olympic Games, Paris - Justin, in a post on Stampboards dated 7 July 2024, has published scans of three limited edition covers marketed by Australia Post as collectibles related to the upcoming Olympic Games to be hosted on this occasion by the French. These items, released in an edition of 700 of each, take the form of three covers each bearing a different version of the basic 2024 Olympic Games commemorative stamp - one coloured ‘bronze’, one coloured ‘silver’ and the final one made of ‘99.99% pure gold’ and all of them with embossing. The covers are sold in a pack for A$50. 

While these are clearly not postally valid since they are sold ‘used’ on cover and are available at a premium price enormously in excess of face value in a very limited edition I think that they are quite interesting as an Olympic Games collectible and souvenir. No doubt, in 50 years time when the use of postage stamps will be long forgotten, someone will come across one of the few remaining examples of these products and wonder what on earth they are.

Basic stamp - 

🇸🇬 Singapore Post -

1 June 2024 - On 25 May 2024 Singapore Post revealed that from 1 June commemorative postage stamps would only be available from philatelic outlets (on line or philatelic outlets) and not from ordinary post offices which would sell only stamp booklets ad, I assume, definitives from sheets. One Facebook commentator revealed that he had been told that the usage  commemoratives would no longer be allowed on registered post.

2525. 🇬🇮 Gibraltar To Issue £80 Crypto Miniature Sheet.

 New issues -

🇬🇮 Royal Gibraltar Post Office - 

4 July 2024 - “Crypto miniature sheet - tribute to European Football 2024” - 1 miniature sheet containing 16 x £5 stamps sold for £80. “This exclusive limited edition release combines the timeless tradition of stamp collecting with the latest in blockchain technology”. “Exquisite design: the miniature sheet features 16 stunning £5 stamps, each showcasing the iconic Gibraltar’s Trinity lighthouse against a breathtaking view. The sheet is further enriched with football themed elements,paying tribute to the excitement and passion of the sport”. 

“Unique NFTs: Each miniature sheet includes two QR codes linking you to unique NFT digital collectibles. The top QT code connects to an NFT featuring the Barbary macaque, a symbol of Gibraltar’s wildlife.QR Code 4 provides access to an NFT centred around the opening match of the European football tournament, capturing the event’s energy and excitement”….

“Limited edition: This miniature sheet is the first in the Gibraltar crypto miniature sheet collection series, with subsequent editions set to be released later this year. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to own a piece of philatelic history….”.

Designed by Stephen Perera using photographs by ingimage.com and Charles Cruz and lithographed by Cartor.

Rating:- 0. Believe me, there are better ways in which a stamp collector can blow £80 all in one go. And there is more of this stuff to come later in the year!

🇱🇹 Stamperija (Exploitative Lithuanian producer and purveyor of philatelic items with contracts to do so with a number of African governments/postal services including those of two Commonwealth countries) -

Products noting the 150th anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) (as reported on Joint Stamp Issues internet site edited by Richard Zimmerman -

🇸🇱 Products inscribed Sierra Leone -

2024 - 150th anniversary of the UPU - 1 miniature sheet containing a single stamp (I assume that there are other products in this “issue”).

🇹🇬 Products inscribed Togo -

2024 - 150th anniversary of the UPU - 1 stamp issued in a sheetlet 8 identical stamps (I assume that there are other products in this’issue’).

This post shows just how much trash appears on the new issue market and emphasises a phrase used regularly here - Caveat emptor!

2524. 🇰🇳🇰🇳 High Value Definitives From St Kitts And Nevis.

 

New issues -

🇰🇳 St Kitts postal service

11 June 2024 - ‘Local stamps’, presumably definitives on the subject of the 40th anniversary of Independence. Lithographed. A curious selection of values - 10, 30c, $30 and $100. Rating:- ***.

🇰🇳 Nevis postal service - 

6 June 2024 - High value definitives - 2 stamps. Lithographed. Rating:- **.

🇵🇬 Post PNG (postal service of Papua New Guinea) -

2022, 2023 and 2024 issues (see Blogs 2522 and 2533).

Discussion on Stampboards has partly clarified the dates of issue of the more recent issues from Post PNG. However some doubts remain. A comment by dwyoung52 states that the Nadzab Tamadachi International Airport was definitely issued on 2 October 2023. The commentator received the items making up the issue at the time.

  On 1 July 2024  dwyoung52 also reported that, “The stamp sets for 2022 Freshwater fish and the 2023 sets for War shields, Canoe splashboards and Laulau fruit trees have been printed but not released as the sheetlets and souvenir sheets associated with all four issues have still not been printed due to in-house issues. This was the information initially supplied back in January 2024 by PNG Post and was reconfirmed last month as still being the case. PNG Post did receive the freshwater fish back in July 2023 but I have no information about date of issue. The issue date for the Nadzab Tamadachi International Airport was 2 October 2023”..

After I drew dwyoung52’s attention to the K6.90 values of the Freshwater Fish, Canoe splashboards and War shields all being featured used on cover on the internet shop site of Steven Zirinsky he responded, “When I saw those stamps on Zirinsky’s website I contacted PNG Post re. These stamps be used when supposedly they had not been released. Didn’t get an answer but was offered the opportunity to purchase the stamp sets for War shields, Canoe splashboards and Laulau Fruit Trees which have been printed.

It seems therefore that we may summarise the recent release and availability of Post PNG issues thus -

2 October 2023 - Nadzab Tamadachi International Airport - 4 stamps, 1 miniature sheet (‘sheetlet’) containing 4 different stamps, 1 miniature sheet containing a single stamp and 1 miniature sheet containing 2 different stamps.

2023 or 2024 - Freshwater fish (intended for release initially in 2022, received by PNG Post in July 2023) - 4 stamps, 1 ‘sheetlet’ and 1 miniature sheet. The K6.90 value is known to be used on mail dated 17 May 2024.

2024 - War shields - 4 stamps (‘sheetlet’ and miniature sheet not available for release). The K6.90 value is known to be have been used on mail dated 17 May 2024.

2024 - Canoe splashboards - 4 stamps (‘sheetlet’ and miniature sheet not available for release). The K6.90 value is known to have been used on mail dated 17 May 2024.

2024 - Laulau fruit trees - 4 stamps (initially intended for release on 22 November 2023. ‘Sheetlet’ and miniature sheet not available for release. The set of 4 is known to have been offered for sale to a customer on 1 or 2 July 2024. The issue was designed by Banian Masiboda of Art Base Advertising and printed in lithography).

🇴🇲Oman Post -

24 June 2024 - 30th anniversary of Oman LNG - 4 stamps issued in sheetlets of 8 (2 of each stamp) and 1 miniature sheet containing all 4 stamps. Lithographed. Rating:- ****.