1480. 🇲🇾 Wildlife And Royal Investiture Sets From Pos Malaysia.

    🇲🇾 Pos Malaysia issued a wonderful set of 3 stamps and 2 miniature sheets on 28 July 2019 on the subject of Wildlife conservation. The stamps were lithographed with the miniature sheets having additional metallic effects. This is a very appealing and attractive set. Rating:- *****.

  Pos Malaysia will also issue a set of 3 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 31 July 2019 to commemorate the Installation of the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King Of Malaysia) Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah. The set was designed by World Communications Network Resources. Rating:- *****.

   🇭🇰 Hong Kong Post will issue a miniature sheet containing a single $10 stamp on 13 August 2019 as the eighth part of its ‘World Heritage in China’ series. The stamp is on the subject Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art cultural landscape’. The attractive and interesting item, designed by Wong Ka man and lithographed by Cartor and perforated 13.5, is sadly part of a now clearly excessive new issue programme from Hong Kong Post and therefore its Rating is *.

 🇲🇲 The next issue from the Myanmar postal service will be the eighth stamp in its Months of the Myanmar calendar series. The stamp which notes the month of Wagaung will be issued on 1 August 2019 and features the Khatta flower (Crinum Amoenum) and Sarye-tan Pwe or lot casting during the Sayedanmè Festival. The entire series has been designed by Wai Zin Paing (MPS) and lithographed by Security Printing Works (Myanmar) and perforated 14. Rating:- *****.

   🇲🇹 MaltaPost will issue a set of 4 stamps on 30 July as part of the SEPAC omnibus series featuring the subject of ‘Residential houses’. This attractive set was designed from photographs taken by Alina Absalamova, Angela Spiteri, Anthony Xuereb and Stephania Grixti and was lithographed by Printex and perforated 14. Rating:- ****.

 Finally, at the risk of being self-referential, I note that yesterday, 26 June 2019, Commonwealth Stamps Opinion received its millionth visitor. I wonder how much the issuing and collecting of Commonwealth area stamps will have changed by the time the 2 millionth visit to the Blog occurs. Upwards and onwards.

1479. 🇧🇲 Bermuda Commemorates Floating Dock.

  🇬🇧 While we wait to see the designs of the upcoming England Winners (of the Cricket World Cup) set which Royal Mail is planning to release in August I include here illustrations of one of the post boxes that have been decorated by Royal Mail to commemorate England’s victory. The post box is a startling white in colour and at the back has the inscription ‘This postbox celebrates ICC Cricket World Cup victories for the England Men’s cricket team on 14 July 2019 and the England Women’s cricket team on 23 July 2017’ (obviously the latter commemoration has been a little delayed). There is an additional inscription which reads ‘Congratulations England Cricket! ICC World Cricket Champions’.

  The postbox is situated in New Street in Birmingham, one of the cities which hosted the tournament (at Edgbaston cricket ground, home of the Warwickshire County Cricket Club). The front of the postbox is entirely white which is a sharp contrast to the red box (for franked mail only) standing next to it. The adorned postbox was previously decorated to commemorate the city’s hosting of the Cricket World Cup.

🇧🇲 The Bermuda Post Office issued a set of 4 stamps on 18 July 2019 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Bermuda Floating Dock. The set was designed by Keno K Simmons and lithographed by Cartor and perforated 13.5. The dock, built for the use of the Royal Navy, was then the largest floating dock in the world and was used until 1904 when it was considered to be too small to service the modern ships of the Royal Navy and was sold to a German company. After dismantling it broke free and ended up at Spanish Point and its remains can still be seen. Rating:- *****.

  🇯🇪 Jersey Post will issue new 7 Post and Go stamps when it is represented at the Autumn Stampex 2019 philatelic exhibition on 11 to 14 September 2019 in London. Kiosk JE01 will dispense the ‘Jersey Flag’ Post and Go stamp with the added inscription ‘Jersey Post Celebrates 50 Yrs’ which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Jersey’s independent postal service. Kiosk JE01 will also dispense the 6 ‘Durrell Primates’ Post and Go stamps with the added inscription ‘Autumn Stampex 2019’.

1478. 🇸🇬 Singapore Post Commemorates Airmail Centenary.

🇸🇬 Singapore Post will issue a miniature sheet on 31 July 2019 to commemorate the Centenary of the first airmail flight to Singapore as part of the first England to Australia airmail flight. The miniature sheet contains 2 different stamps and the issue was designed by Wong Wui Kong and lithographed by Secura and perforated 13. Rating:- *****.

  Singapore Post has also issued a My Stamp sheetlet containing 8 stamps with attached labels which commemorates the Bicentennial of the Founding of Singapore by Stamford Raffles. The labels depict ‘My Kitty’ in scenes around Singapore. No doubt this meant to appeal to young children.

  Singapore Post will also issue a single stamp on 1 August 2019 as part of an omnibus issue to be released by the postal services of the ASEAN nations with the theme of ‘Costumes’. The stamp was designed by Ivory Seah and lithographed by Secura and perforated 13. Rating:- *****.

🇲🇲 Myanmar Post will also participate in the ASEAN omnibus by the issue of a sheet of  16 different stamps which depict the costumes of 8 nationalities within Myanmar - 2 designs for each, one portraying dancers in local costumes. I do not yet have a satisfactory illustration for this promising issue.

🇧🇧 The first set of stamps to be released by the postal service of Barbados in 2019 has been or is about to be issued. I do not know the date of issue yet. The issue is made up of 4 stamps and is the second in a series on the subject of Chattel houses. An interesting issue. Rating:- ****.

1477. 🇸🇨 Remembering The Moon Landing.

  🇸🇨 I have been very grumpy about the number of stamp issues being released across The Commonwealth to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first manned lunar landing by Apollo 11 especially by small territories which by habit release excessive numbers of stamp issues on subjects with no direct relevance to those territories and which played no obvious role in achieving that notable event.

  Back in 1969 I felt no such annoyance about the large number of issues released to actually commemorate the success of the Apollo 11 mission. I was a teenager and the moon landing was an exciting event and everyone had a souvenir of it in some form or the other. It seemed thoroughly reasonable for all the countries of the world to wish to issue stamps to commemorate the remarkable achievement. Importantly few Commonwealth territories could be accused of excessive stamp issuing and then, in particular, countries which chose to release stamps the designs of which reflected a link between the territory and the event the stamps commemorated.

  So it was that by far my favourite Moon Landing issue of 1969 was that issued by Seychelles which included in one of its designs a depiction of  Le Golfball, a US tracking station situated at La Misère on Mahé island hence establishing the link between Seychelles and the moon landing. It made for a colourful, interesting and relevant issue which it is still a pleasure to admire now. 

  🇬🇬 Guernsey Post will issue 2 sets each of 2 stamps on 1 October 2019 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the issuing of the independent postal service’s first postage stamps and the 50th anniversary of the establishment itself of Guernsey’s independent postal service. The issues are not unattractive and obviously mark significant anniversaries in Guernsey’s social and postal history. Rating:- ****.

  🇯🇪 Jersey Post, like Guernsey Post, continues its distressingly enormous number of new issues, with the release of a set of 6 stamps and the inevitable 2 miniature sheets on the improbable subject of Links with China on 2 September 2019. These are beautiful stamps depicting species of birds and mammals which the 2 territories have in common and exquisite portraits of the creatures by Martin Mörck are incorporated in the designs by Wang Huming. The issue is lithographed by Cartor.

  The issue itself is excellent but it’s raison d’être is very weak especially when one considers just how many philatelic items are released each year by Jersey Post. Rating:- **.

1476. 🇲🇺 Mauritius Post Commemorates Indian Ocean Games.

🇲🇺 The postal service of Mauritius issued a set of 3 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 19 June 2019 to commemorate the hosting of the Indian Ocean Games by Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, from 19 to 28 July. A colourful set which mainly concentrates on depicting Games mascots. Rating:- ***.

🇿🇦 The South African Post Office has released a set of 5 self-adhesive stamps (sold in  sheetlets of 2 x 5 different stamps) on the subject of Cycads. The designs are not terribly successful. I do note yet know the date of issue. Rating:- **.

🇧🇩 There are 2 new issues to mention from the Bangladesh postal service:-

?17 May 2019 - 50th anniversary of World Telecommunications and Information Society Day - 1 Stamp. Rating:- **.

  ?11 May 2019 - First anniversary of the launching of the Bangabandhu satellite (launched on 11 May 2018) - 1 stamp. Rating:- ***.