603. The Forty Families Of Sark; Ibises From Tanzania.

  Barely a day seems to go by without news of yet another new issue from Jersey Post. A miniature sheet containing a £1.50p stamp will be released on 6 August 2015 which commemorates the 450th anniversary of Sark as a Fief of The Crown.

   It is worth reminding ourselves that Sark is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey rather than part of Jersey but it was Helier de Carteret, then Seigneur of St. Ouen in Jersey, who was granted letters patent by Queen Elizabeth I which granted him Sark as a Fief in perpetuity providing the island was kept free of pirates and that at least 40 of Elizabeth's subjects would live on the island. De Carteret fulfilled the Queen's conditions by settling 40 families, mostly from St. Ouen, on Sark.

  The miniature sheet was designed by Nick Shewring with the stamp depicting the arms of De Carteret:-

  Yes, even more new issues from IGPC:-

  Guyana  - 4 May 2015 - Royal Navy ships of World War I - 1 sheetlet of 16 different stamps:-

  Nevis - 4 May 2015 - Cricket World Cup competition - 1 stamp and 1 miniature sheet:-

  St. Vincent And The Grenadines - 3 August 2015 - 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain - 1 sheetlet of 4 different stamps and 1 m.s.:-

    Tanzania -15 June 2015 - Ibises of Tanzania - 1 sheetlet of 5 different stamps and 1 miniature sheet containing 2 different stamps:-

  15 June 2015 -  Wildlife of Tanzania - 1 sheetlet of 6 different stamps with an accompanying miniature sheet which contains a single 6000/- value:-

  Ghana - 5 June 2015 -  Birds of Ghana which is probably the first part of a larger total set. This part consists of 1 sheetlet which contains 4 different stamps and 1 single stamp miniature sheet. The illustration of the sheetlet is taken from an Internet auction website where the item is being offered for sale:-

  5 June 2015 - 50th anniversary of the Palace Museum in The Forbidden City in Beijing - 1 m.s.:-

599. New Issues From South Africa Put On Sale.

  Despite earlier reports that dire financial circumstances were preventing the South African Post Office from releasing new stamp issues (see Blog 583), 2 issues have now appeared for sale on Internet auction sites. The first is a miniature sheet (depicted above) which commemorates Freedom Charter 60. First day covers of the issue are dated 25 June 2015.

   A sheetlet of 8 different self-adhesive stamps has also been issued to commemorate International Firefighters' Day with first day covers being dated 4 May 2015:-

  The latest philatelic products from Stamperija are issued in the name of the Maldives postal administration. Various birds and other animals are depicted on the numerous items which take the usual form of 10 sheetlets each of 4 different "stamps" with 10 accompanying single stamp miniature sheets. The featured subjects are:- Eagles, Owls and mushrooms, Kingfishers, Pandas, Working breeds of dogs, Orchids and butterflies, Domestic cats, Shells, Dinosaurs and Killer whales. The date of issue is stated to have been 25 May 2015:-

  The unrelenting pace of philatelic product issuing which Isle Of Man Stamps is currently pursuing continues with an immodestly priced (£8.40p) sheetlet of 12 stamps which it plans to release on 12 July 2015 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. The designs are from artwork by Keith Woodcock:-

   These sort of products or "collections" as they are named increasingly by the producers and sellers of them make me feel that I am no longer a "stamp collector" but a "philatelic product collector". I shall resist this by not buying them and saving a lot of money at the same time.

   New Zealand Post will issue a single stamp which depicts the New Zealand Parliament building in Wellington as well as an accompanying miniature sheet on 14 August 2015 to commemorate the Singapore 2015 World Stamp Exhibition. The single stamp also commemorates the 150th anniversary of Wellington as the capital city of New Zealand. The miniature sheet includes 2 additional stamps which depict respectively the Australian and Singaporean parliaments. The issue was designed by Australia Post Design Studio and Stamps and Collectables Business of New Zealand Post and lithographed by Southern Colour Print Ltd.:-

584. New Zimbabwe Definitive Set Centres On The Victoria Falls.

  Zimpost, the postal service of Zimbabwe, has released 2 new sets so far in 2015. I have mentioned the set of 4 stamps which was issued on 24 February 2015 on the subject of major drystone ruins of Zimbabwe (See Blog 555) but now illustrate all 4 values as well as the accompanying miniature sheet which contains all 4 values:-

  Zimpost then issued a new series of 10 definitive stamps on 30 April 2015. The theme of the issue is the Victoria Falls. The values of the issue are 10c, 15c, 20c, 25c, 40c, 60c, 75c, 80c, 85c and $1 and they are also combined in a 10 value miniature sheet:-

  Australia Post will issue a single stamp on 30 June 2014 to commemorate the centenary of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Australia's oldest medical research institute. The stamp was designed by Simone Sakinofsky and printed in lithography by RA Print. It will be issued as a gummed sheetlet of 10 stamps and in a prestige booklet costing $14.95c:-

  An Post, the postal service of Ireland, will issue a single stamp to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of the important Irish poet, W B Yeats (shown above) (see also Blog 580). I have come across a beautifully apt quote of Yeats - many modern-day postal services and philatelic agencies should pay attention to what the man had to say:- 

  Designs in connection with postage stamps and coinage may be described, I think, as the silent ambassadors of national taste.

  Sadly so many postal administrations have forgotten that their postage stamps are indeed silent ambassadors for their country and are prepared to sacrifice their national philatelic reputations to increase financial income. Surely national pride is of importance even in these grim days of postal administration impoverishment. 

  Royal Mail has followed WB Yeats' advice and shown good taste in the designs it will issue on 16 July 2015 when it releases an interesting and exciting miniature sheet to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. The sheet contains 6 different stamps (3 x 1st class and 3 x £1.33p) and has an image of Sir Winston Churchill in the left hand border in typical Churchillian pose, cigar planted firmly in his mouth. 2015 is the 50th anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill's death:-

  On 18 August 2015 Royal Mail will then issue a colourful and attractive set of stamps on the subject of Bees. The issue will include a self-adhesive retail booklet consisting of 2 x 1st class stamps depicting the Great Yellow Bumblebee and 4 x 1st Machin Head stamps.

  The next issue from India Post will be 1 stamp and 1 miniature sheet to be released on 21 June 2015 and will commemorate International Yoga Day.