871. Speaking Pitcairner. Netherlands To Post And Go.

  Bounty Post, the postal service of Pitcairn Island, will issue a colourful set of 8 stamps, produced in a sheet with a number of labels, on the subject of the "Pitcairn language" on 7 December 2016. The set was designed by Denise Durkin and lithographed by Southern Colour Print and perforated 14. This is an interesting and attractive set. Rating:- *****.

  For those who collect Royal Mail new issues, Ian Billings' Norvic Stamps Blog is the first and last word on the subject and is completely indispensable. After being away for a few weeks during the autumn, Ian Billings has got the Blog up and running again (the weeks he was away seemed a long time without his up-to-date information on British stamps) and he has recently updated his information on this year's Machin Head stamps which have been put out by Royal Mail. His Blog of 18 November 2016 revealed that a total of 39 new definitive stamps with 2016 security codes have appeared during the year and a number of these new varieties were due to the change in colour of the Ist Class rate definitive to a dark red shade. Ian Billings has now updated the Norvic Philatelics Security Machin Checklist to include all the new varieties which is an enormous help to those of us who find that keeping up with all the stuff seeping out from Royal Mail to be almost impossible to follow.

  

  Bhutan Post has issued a sheetlet of 6 different stamps to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the country's establishment of diplomatic relations with Japan and the designs of the stamps feature scenes of the King of Bhutan's visit to that country. The stamps were issued on 5 September 2016. Rating:- ****.

  Another foreign country is to begin using Intelligent AR Post and Go kiosks - at a philatelic exhibition in Hilversum on 28 and 29 January 2017, the Dutch postal service, PostNL, will introduce kiosk NL01 and this kiosk will make appearances at subsequent philatelic exhibitions. From 30 January 2017, kiosk NL02 will dispense stamps at the Collect Club store in Bossum while NL03 will come into use at the Koninklike PostNL at The Hague while machine-printed stamps will be produced by the "production kiosk", NL00 and sold over the counter from stamp outlets in the Amersfoort region from 30 January 2017.

  The first reels of stamps will be on the subject of butterflies with a second which will depict tulips. 

A busy time ahead for Post And Go collectors and collectors in The Netherlands, it would seem. 

870. New Universal Mail United Kingdom Stamps.

  Universal Mail United Kingdom has issued 4 more strips, each of 5 different stamps, in its overseas postcard airmail series. All 4 strips carry the date 06/16. Three of the strips are "Bespoke" meaning that they are sold only at a single site and consequently having very limited availability while the 4th strip is part of the "England" series which is more easily obtainable from Universal Mail United Kingdom itself. The strips are:-

  UK 0163 The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford

  UK 0164 The National Portrait Museum Literary and Artistic figures

  UK 0165 The National Portrait Museum English kings and queens

All of the above are "Bespoke" issues.

  UK 0181 Hastings

  Because of the limited availability of the Bespoke issues I shall not be adding them to my collection but I shall obtain strip UK 0181. How much more attractive and interesting are these issues, not just to stamp collectors but also tourists who may wish to use them on mail back home, than Royal Mail's "Post and Go" stamps. Rating:- ****.

  Pakistan Post has issued a single stamp to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Lahore High Court. The stamp was designed by Adil Salahuddin and lithographed by Pakistan Security Printing Corporation in Karachi. Rating :- ***.

  Ten stamps were issued by Nipost, the post office of Nigeria, on 7 October 2016 to commemorate the Centenary of the creation of Nigeria in 1914. The issue was in 2 parts - 6 stamps with holograms incorporated in the designs showing historically significant buildings in Nigeria and 4 hexagonal stamps depicting historical figures or scenes. The stamps were printed by Tacoma International Ltd.

  I have also mentioned previously the set of 4 which was issued on 7 November 2016 on an anti-corruption theme and now include better illustrations of the stamps. The set was designed by N Osuji Godrick and printed by Superflex International. Each stamp has a small hologram included in the design and a fluorescent overprint in the form of a dove and "NIPOST".

  The postal administration of Myanmar issued 2 stamps on 21 November 2016 to commemorate the country's hosting in Yangon of 23rd ASEAN Postal Business Meeting. Rating:- **.

869. Excellent New Turtle Stamps From BIOT.

  The postal administration of British Indian Ocean Territory issued an excellent set of 6 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 16 November 2016 on the subject of Turtles of local waters. The photographs chosen for the designs are excellent and the only negative point about the set is the very high face value of £16.20p. Rating:- *****.

  Mauritius Post issued a single stamp on 16 November 2016 to commemorate World Diabetes Day. The issue is of relevance to Mauritius given that much of its population is South Asian in origin and Type II diabetes affects south Asian communities to a much greater extent than it does European populations which themselves are experiencing a much greater prevalence of the condition. An interesting and worthwhile issue. Rating:- ****.

  Mauritius Post had previously released, on 18 October 2016, a lovely set of 4 stamps which depict the water flora of the island. Rating:- *****.

  In Blog 866 I mentioned that the BFPO Headquarters at RAF Northolt Post and Go kiosk, M001, was now dispensing "Union Jack" labels with the revised inscription "Headquarters BFPO" and "Collectors strips" are available from people who have access to the machine. The 1st Class rate stamp is depicted below. 

  The postal administration of Isle Of Man will issue a set of 6 stamps on 19 January 2017 titled "Hearts of Ellan Vannin". The issue depicts tourist posters of various places in the island - Peel, Castletown, Onchan, Ramsey, Port St. Mary and Port Erin. The Peel stamp, the 1st class postage rate value, and the Castletown "Europe" rate stamp will also be the island's 2017 Europa stamps and will be sold in sheetlets of ten. the  stamps depict Peel Castle and Castletown Castle respectively in keeping with the 2017 Europa theme of "Castles". Rating:- ***.

Peel Europa sheet

Castletown Europa sheet