1766. 🇧🇸 Bahamas First Issue of 2020 Depicts Medicinal Plants.

🇧🇸 The postal service of Bahamas will issue its first stamps of 2020 on 12 November in the form of a very attractive set of 6 stamps depicting Medical plants of Bahamas. The issue was designed by Bee Design from photographs taken by Dr Ethan Freid and the stamps were lithographed by Cartor and are perforated 13.5 x 13. Rating:- *****.

🇫🇰 The postal service of Falkland Islands will release a set of 4 stamps on 14 November 2020 on the subject of Demining (getting rid of the mines laid down by Argentine forces during the occupation of 1982). This interesting set was designed by Bee Design from photographs taken by John Hare Safe Lane Global Ltd 2015 - 2020 (32p) and GuyMargot, Demining Programme and was lithographed by Cartor and the stamps are perforated 13.5. Rating:- ****.

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Thanks to Juliet Warner of Pobjoy Stamps for information about the above issues.

 🇸🇬 Singapore Post will issue a set of 4 stamps on 6 November 2020 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Organisation. The stamps were designed by Wong Wui Kong and lithographed by Secura Singapore and perforated 13. Rating:- ****.

🇮🇳 India Post issued a single My Stamp on 27 October 2020 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the College of Defence Management. As usual it was produced in sheets of 12 with attached labels and sold at a premium.

🇲🇿 The Lithuania-based philatelic item producer, Stamperija, which for many years now has produced literally thousands of abusive products in the name of various countries’ postal services and for a longer time, I think, for Mozambique than any other, has released a number of such items recently which are not typical of their products. In Blog 1765 I mentioned the “Act now” sheetlets of stamps from Mozambique and Sierra Leone which could be viewed as being part of an international omnibus issue which includes some philatelically respectable countries. Now I should like to draw attention to 2 more recent issues with the name of Mozambique printed on them which suggest that, like an unpleasant virus, Stamperija is adapting itself to deal with the current mood of new issue collectors. And it seems to be cooperating with the other source of a philatelic pandemic - the USA-based IGPC.

  Hence amid its vast recent outpouring of products with the name of Mozambique printed on them we have another two atypical products one of which is similar to a series of sheetlets recently released by IGPC. These products commemorate, for some reason or the other, the Buddhist artist Dorje Chang Buddha III. How closely linked are Stampetija and IGPC?

  The second item is a sheetlet of 8 stamps (4 x 2 different stamps) which commemorate the 250th Birth anniversary of the birth of the German music composer, Ludwig Van Beethoven, which again is a subject which has little direct relevance to Mozambique. The item is markedly dissimilar to typical Stamperija products and again gives the impression that Stamperija is attempting to appeal much more to mainstream stamp collectors who instantly reject the standard types of items emanating from Stamperija. It is to be noted that Beethoven commemoratives in the same style have already been released by Stamperija with the name of Sierra Leone printed on them as well as those of the non-Commonwealth countries of Liberia and Chad.

  I have no idea about whether these issues are something different which might actually be sold in Mozambique post offices. I doubt that they are and as with so many Stamperija products the subjects featured on them have no relevance to Mozambique so they have no place in my collection. Which is equally true of the upcoming Star Trek stamps due soon from Royal Mail.

1765.🇯🇪 Excellent Jersey Chrisrmas Set.

 

🇯🇪 Jersey Post will issue a lovely set of 8 Christmas stamps on 23 November 2020. The designs by So Design depict Jersey landscapes created from layers of paper cuttings.The foregrounds of the stamps are also made from paper cuttings and represent traditional Christmas icons. The stamps are self-adhesive. Rating:- *****.

🇲🇿 In Blog 1736 I mentioned that a miniature sheet containing 10 different stamps had been issued with the name of Sierra Leone printed on it which appeared to be a joint issue with several other countries including a number of European territories. Whether this item had been produced at the request of the postal service of Sierra Leone to enable it to identify itself with other postal services or whether or not it is just another Stamperija-produced item destined never to see a post office counter in Sierra Leone I know not but it is a little more interesting than the usual Stamperija products (if that is what it is)

 Now a similar item has appeared with the name of another Stamperija client - the postal service of Mozambique - printed on it though at present I do not know the date of issue. Is this destined to appear in Mozambique post offices? It might be worth considering adding it to a collection of modern Mozambique collection. Then again it might not.

🇬🇩 IGPC is to issue a pair of miniature sheets (1 containing 4 different stamps and the other a single stamp) with the name of Grenada printed on them to cash in on the reputation of the recently deceased United States judge, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. There is no particular reason why Grenada should commemorate this particular distinguished American justiciary. Rating:- 0.

1764.🇦🇺 Australia Post Issue Recalls Melbourne Lockdown.

 

🇦🇺 Australia Post issued a pane of 5 identical self-adhesive My Stamps on the subject of Let’s Melbourne Again on 26 October 2020. The issue is said to be “a commitment from the people, brands and businesses of Melbourne to inspire hope and encourage people to help bring the city back to life again”. The issue relates to the city’s emergence from a 111 day COVID-19 ‘lockdown’ which began in July and has now resulted in the first day for months in the city where no COVID-19 related deaths nor new cases have been seen. The past few months have had a devastating effect on the local economy and large numbers of deaths have occurred in the city which has a population of 5 million. It therefore seems reasonable for Australia Post to issue a stamp to recognise what the people of Melbourne have been through, to express solidarity with them and to provide hope for the future of the city. Rating:- *****.

🇬🇧 I have added 4 more Royal Mail 2020-coded Machin Head definitives which have appeared recently to my collection. They are all self-adhesive.

From counter sheets. M20L MAIL. 1p value.

From booklets of 6. M20L MSIL. 1st Class domestic rate.

From booklets of 4. M20L MFIL. 2nd Large letter domestic rate.

From Business sheets. M20L MBIL. 1st Class Large letter domestic rate.

  It seems to me therefore, and perusal of Norvic Philatelics latest update of its list of Machin Head stamps  appears to confirm this, that, with 2 months of 2020 remaining, all of the self-adhesive versions of the current Royal Mail definitives have now appeared apart from the 50p, £1, £2, £3 and £5 counter sheet stamps and the 2nd Large letter rate from Business sheets.

The Post and Go kiosk sited at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at RNAS Yeovilton near Ilchester in Somerset will dispense stamps from 11 to 20 November 2020 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Tararanto which took place on the night of 11 to 12 November and involved attacks on the Italian battle fleet by aircraft from HMS Illustrious and HMS Eagle. The kiosk based at the Museum (A003) will dispense Post and Go stamps (I am not sure which design will be used) with an added inscription and a graphic showing a swordfish aircraft. The inscription will be “TARANTO/80”.

1763. 🇨🇰🇹🇴 Philatelic Collector Inc.’s Latest Birds Of The World Products.

 🇨🇰🇹🇴 Joylessly, I list the latest products to emerge from the US-based producers of philatelic products, Philatelic Collector Inc. which releases such items in accordance with contracts with the postal services of Cook Islands and Tonga.

  All of these items are linked to a Birds of the World theme which is basically a fairly random collection of photographs of bird species many of which are not found in the territory of the philatelic entities whose names appear on these products. As has been the case previously some of the items have high face values and are accompanied by miniature sheets which include the high face value stamps. All of these products are rated 0.

Cook Islands - 

8 May 2020 - Kingfishers - 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet.

20 May 2020  - Ducks - 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet.

Cook Islands Aitutaki - 

8 May 2020 - Birds of Paradise - 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet.

20 May 2020 - Geese - 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet -

Cook Islands Penrhyn - 

8 May 2020 - Birds of Paradise - 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet.

20 May 2020 - Flamingos - 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet.

Cook Islands Rarotonga -

8 May 2020 - Parrots - 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet.

20 May 2020 - Herons - 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet.

Tonga - 

4 May 2020 - Parrots - 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet.

18 May 2020 - Ibises - 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet.

Tonga Niuafo’ou -

4 May 2020 - Hummingbirds - 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet - 

18 May 2020 - Frigate birds - 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet.

If anyone wishes to buy one of everything of the above then Philatelic Collector Inc will let you have these philatelic gems for the grand total of US$556.36. Strictly one for the birds.