Saturday 29 August 2020

1724. 🇸🇭🇸🇬 Sharks In Tristan Waters, COVID-19 Issue From Singapore.


🇸🇭 Pobjoy Stamps/Creative Directions who are responsible for the production and marketing of the stamps of the British south Atlantic and Antarctic territories (as well as Bahamas and British Virgin Islands) continue to present to collectors some of the very best new issues from anywhere in the world. Even when the designs are based on photographs they are such well chosen and beautifully presented photographs that they leap into one’s collection and make the collecting of modern stamps so very worthwhile. If a collector is trying to decide on an area to collect these present issues from Tristan Da Cunha, Ascension, Falkland Islands, British Antarctic Territory and South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands mean that the south Atlantic group should be high on their list. What a pity that the postal service of St Helena does not join the other members of the group and have the opportunity of  issuing such marvellous stamps.
  I wax lyrical because following on from the set from The Falkland Islands postal service featured in Blog 1723 which depicted paintings of Falkland Islands birds, we now have a magnificent set of 4 stamps from the Tristan Da Cunha featuring sharks of local waters which is due for release on 29 September 2020. The stamps were designed by Andrew Robinson and lithographed by bpost and are perforated 11.5. Rating:- *****.


  Thanks to Juliet Warner of Pobjoy Stamps for information about this issue.

🇸🇬 With the country having been hit by a significant second wave of COVID-19, Singapore like most of the rest of the world is still having to deal with the realities of COVID-19. Its postal service, Singapore Post, plans to issue a set of 6 stamps on the island state’s response to the pandemic. This issue has a rather odd title, ‘COVID-19 Series 1 - The Soapers’ and depicts cartoon characters dressed as super-heroes demonstrating how to take measures to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. The title, one assumes, implies that further stamp issues from Singapore Post will be released on the subject of the pandemic. The stamps will be issued on 4 September 2020 and were designed by Sophia Leow and Ken Koh of the Singapore Ministry of Education. The issue was lithographed by Secura Singapore and perforated 13. Rating:- ***.






Friday 28 August 2020

1723. 🇫🇰 Falkland Islands To Issue Bird Paintings Set.


🇫🇰 The postal service of Falkland Islands will issue a wonderful set of 6 stamps on 1 October 2020 depicting the beautiful paintings of the territory’s bird life by the Yorkshire-born artist Mike Peake who is now resident in The Falklands. This is the first in a series of issues depicting this remarkable artist’s work. The production of the issue was by the outstanding Creative Direction which has brought so many very attractive stamps from the South Atlantic and Caribbean areas in recent years and the designs are taken from photographs of the paintings by Chris Andrews Publications Ltd. The stamps were lithographed by Cartor and are perforated 13 x 13.5. Rating:- ******.
  Thanks to Juliet Warner of Pobjoy Stamps for information about this issue.



🇦🇺🇳🇫🇦🇺🇨🇨 And from the heights of modern new issues to the depths of the continuing philatelic products released by Australia Post and its continuing case of philatelorrhoea. No comments are needed on what follows below except that a mop and bucket might be useful.

Australia Norfolk Island - 1 September 2020 - 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in the Pacific area - 2 stamps and 1 miniature sheet. Designed by Stacey Zass and lithographed by RA Printing. Perforated 14 x 14.5 Rating:- ***.



Australia - ‘Water Tower art’ - 4 gummed stamps, 4 self-adhesive stamps from 4 different individual booklets of 10 and 1 gummed miniature sheet. Designed by Gary Domoney of VISUA and lithographed by RA Printing and perforated 14.5 x 14. Rating:- 0.








2020 - 90th anniversary of Betty Boop, American cartoon character. Sheetlet of 12 different stamps sold at a premium in a pack for $15.50. Rating:- 0.



Australian Antarctic Territory - 29 September 2020 - RSV Nuyina - 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet. Designed by Sonia Young and lithographed by RA Printing and perforated 14 x 14.5. Rating:- **.




1 October 2020 - ‘Write to Connect’ - 2 self-adhesive stamps issued in a sheetlet of 10. Designed by Jason Watts and lithographed by RA Print. Rating:- *.




2020 - 80th anniversary of Fantasia, American cartoon film - 1 sheetlet of 12 different self-adhesive stamps sold in a pack at a premium price of $15.50. Rating:- 0.



2020 - Trolls World Tour, American animated movie - Sheetlet of 12 different self-adhesive stamps sold in a pack at a premium price of $15.50c Rating:- 0.



2020 - 25th anniversary of Toy Story, American animated movie - Sheetlet of 12 different self-adhesive stamps sold in a pack at a premium price of $15.50c. Rating:- 0.



6 October 2020 - 100th anniversary of Civil aviation - 2 gummed stamps, 1 self-adhesive stamp from booklets of 10 and 1 gummed miniature sheet. Designed by Jason Watts from illustrations by Andrew Hopgood and lithographed by RA Printing and perforated 14.5 x 14. Rating:- ***.





19 September 2020 - Perth Stamp and Coin Exhibition 2020 - 1 miniature sheet containing 4 identical stamps. Rating:- 0.


13 October 2020 - 50th Anniversary of the Australian National Botanic Gardens - 2 gummed stamps lithographed by EGO, 2 self-adhesive stamps from booklets of 10 (5 x 2) printed in lithography by EGO, 2 self-adhesive stamps printed in booklets of 10 (5 x 2) digitally printed by Rapid Labels and 2 self-adhesive stamps printed in lithography in coils by MCC and 1 gummed miniature sheet. Designed by Sharon Rodziewicz. Perforated 14 x 14.5. Rating:- ***.






Australia Cocos (Keeling) Islands - 20 October 2020 - Currency of Clunies-Ross era - 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet. Designed by Stacey Zass and lithographed by RA Printing and perforated 14 x 14.5. Rating:- ***.




  According to my calculations that adds another 79 stamps and 8 miniature sheets to this year’s running total of Australia Post stamps. Depressing. Shameless.










Thursday 27 August 2020

1722. 🇮🇪 Father Ted Celebrates His 25th Anniversary.



🇮🇪 An Post, the postal service of the Republic Of Ireland, issued a booklet containing 5 different stamps and 1 miniature sheet containing the 4 ‘N’ value stamps on 27 August 2020. The issue commemorates the 25th anniversary of the highly popular, well-loved and successful comedy television series, Father Ted, set on a lonely island off the Irish Coast where problematical Irish Catholic priests seem to end up. The issue, featuring memorable catchphrases of some of the most popular characters, was designed by Detail.
  The series is very memorable and I think the stamp issue itself might also have been more fun if some of the hilariously surreal scenes from the series had been featured on the stamps together with the quotations rather than dull lettering alone. A missed opportunity. Rating:- **.







🇲🇲 The postal service of Myanmar will issue a single stamp as the third in its immensely pleasing ongoing Craftsman series on 28 August 2020 featuring, so it would appear, a bell- maker. The stamp was designed by Shwe Yoe Yar and Thiha Lwin and lithographed by the Security Printer Myanmar,and perforated 14. Rating:- *****.


🇬🇮 The Royal Gibraltar Post Office will issue a set of 5 stamps and 1 miniature sheet containing 2 different stamps on 25 September 2020 on the subject of Owls of Gibraltar. Further details are awaited but one of the values in the set is £4 which seems rather excessive. There appears to be no particular reason as to why the Gibraltar postal service should issue such a set at this particular time given that its new issue programme is once more a very busy one. The artwork is lovely but this is an excessive issue. Rating:- **. Illustrations of the remaining designs will be added when available.




🇲🇸 IGPC has now revealed the design of the miniature sheet containing 3 different stamps on the subject of Orchids which it states that it released on 31 December 2019. The issue has the name of Montserrat printed on it. Rating:- 0.