699. Landscapes Of Pitcairn And Monkeys Of Malaysia.

    The Pitcairn Islands Post Office issued 6 x $2 stamps and 1 booklet containing a se-tenant block of the same 6 stamps on the subject of Landscapes of Pitcairn. This very attractive and interesting issue was designed by  Denise Durkin and lithographed by Southern Colour Print. Rating:- *****.

  The next issue from Pos Malaysia on 26 January 2016 will be its second issue to feature primates to fit in with the lunar new Year of the Monkey. The set is made up of 3 stamps and 2 miniature sheets and consists of some excellent illustrations of these creatures. Fluorescent ink was used on the printing of the RM6 value miniature sheet. Rating:- *****.

                 

  Why would the postal administration of Antigua And Barbuda issue a set of stamps on the subject of "Gemstones of The United States Of America"? Beats me. But among the latest output from the USA-based philatelic agency, IGPC, is a sheetlet of 6 different "stamps" and 1 miniature sheet with the name of the the Caribbean country printed on them, as mentioned in Blog 695. The stated date of issue is 28 December 2015. Rating:- 0.

  Also mentioned in Blog 695, but now with a much better illustration, is a very strange single "stamp" described as "Soldier Painting". There is no text whatsoever on the item apart from the name of "Grenada" - hopefully Grenadans will know what it's all about when it appears on its stated date of issue - 2 February 2016. Rating:- 0.

  The Nevis postal administration released 3 stamps on 9 December 2015 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Bank of Nevis Ltd. Rating:-***.

Post scriptum - interestingly this issue does not include the name of the territory which has issued the stamps - it does appear in the name of the Bank of Nevis but this gives the appearance that it is the Bank of Nevis which has issued the stamps rather than any postal authority!

  The Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau has announced that it will issue 5 sets of stamps during January 2016:- 

1. 18 January 2016, Olympic Games, Rio De Janeiro,

2. 28 January 2016, "Elvis His Live" sic.

3. 28 January 2016, "Pope Francis Travels",

4. 28 January 2016, "WOST",

5. 28 January 2016, Muhammed Ali.

  NamPost, the postal administration of Namibia plans the following issues during 2016:-

1. 4 March 2016 - Centenary of Allgemeine Zeitung, Namibia's oldest newspaper - 2 stamps and 1 miniature sheet. Designed by Helge Denker.

2. 18 March 2016 - Whydah birds - 3 stamps. designed by Helge Denker.

3. 11 May 2016 - Tortoises - 1 miniature sheet containing 4 different stamps. Designed by Helge Denker.

4. 7 July 2016 - Herons and egrets of Namibia - 5 stamps. Designed by Helge Denker.

5. 11 August 2016 - Forestry in Namibia - 1 miniature sheet contains 3 different stams. Designed by Helge Denker.

6. 30 September 2016 - Large canines of Namibia - 3 stamps. Designed by Helge Denker.

  The designs of the "Post and Go" labels/stamps, titled "Guernsey Life" due to be released by Guernsey Post on 17 February 2016 are depicted below. Rating:- *****.

698. Jersey Post And Go And Australia Changed Postage Rate Consequences.

  The 6 "Post and Go" labels/stamps to be released by Jersey Post on 17 February 2016 depict the Jersey "Crest" in different colours (see Blog 694). The design has now been revealed. While I shall not buy the items dispensed at the Spring Stampex exhibition to be held in London (because of limited availability) I shall add a "back office" "Collectors strip" obtainable from the philatelic bureau in Jersey to my collection (freely available to the stamp collecting general public) and try to obtain the set with the added "Broad Street" inscription as dispensed from kiosk JE02 in the Broad Street post office in St. Helier. Rating:- ***.

  It appears that the price hike in postage rates in Australia on 4 January 2016 resulted in a shortage of 30c stamps (the make-up value from the former 70c postage rate to the new $1 rate) in Adelaide and the local post office therefore produced some unique counter-printed stamps to make up the shortfall.

  Distribution of the new counterprinted stamps began on 5 January 2016 to post offices which needed to reorder 30c stamps and continued until 9 January after which no more were distributed. There is an interesting and illuminating ongoing discussion about this at present on Stampboards (www.stampboards.com). The philatelic consequences of this alteration of postage rates are proving fascinating and well worth trying to keep up-to-date with. (See also Blog 693). Rating:- *****.

  

  A snip at only £95 .... a gold miniature sheet sold by Guernsey Post to commemorate the lunar new year, the Year of the Monkey. Sold in an acrylic display stand and limited to just 500. Wow! Who can resist?

                            

  Sri Lanka Post issued a single stamp on 11January 2016 to commemorate Malasuri Wilson Hegoda, a pioneer of photography in Sri Lanka. The stamp was designed by Kumudu Thataka Peiris. Rating:- ***.

                          

  Sri Lanka Post also issued a single stamp on 16 January 2016 to commemorate the Centenary of the Sri Lanka School of Agriculture. The stamp was designed by Palitha Gunasighe. Rating:- **.

                                   

     

697. Grenada Issues Sheet Of 110 Stamps To Commemorate Deng Xiao Ping.

                                       

  The US-based philatelic agency, IGPC, has put out a sheet of 110 different stamps with the name of Grenada printed on them which commemorate the former leader of China, Deng Xiao Ping and the 15th anniversary of the return of Macao to Chinese sovereignty. The stamps depict different portraits of Deng with inscriptions in Chinese (the only inscriptions in English are "Grenada" and "Macau China") along with the flags of The People's Republic of China and Macau (but not of Grenada) and views of Macau and Tianenmen Square in Beijing. Each stamp is numbered 110-1 to 110-110. The total face value of the set is EC$132 (£34.06p). I do not know the date of issue of this bizarre item but the 15th anniversary of Macao's return to China was actually in 2014 so this sheet may actually date to as far back as then.

  In Blog 620 ("IGPC's China Syndrome") I mentioned the set of 15 stamps previously released with the name of Grenada printed on them which was described as a "Tribute to China" and which depicted soldiers, tanks and missiles involved in a large military parade in Beijing with a large Chinese flag flying over the entire scene. 

  At the same time a set of 5 stamps was also issued with Grenada's name printed on them which depicted World War II leaders including the former tyrant of China, Mao Zedong, as well as the murderous former leader of The USSR, Joseph Stalin.

  IGPC has a Beijing office to boost the sale of its philatelic products on the large Chinese market and this sheet appears to have originated from there as do the issues previously mentioned in Blog 620. The latest product looks as though it has entirely been produced for sale in China and not at all for use on mail in an English-speaking Caribbean island.

  What must the people of Grenada make of all this? If these stamps are actually being sold over Grenada post office counters for ordinary mail usage, which I doubt, what do they think of being sold postage stamps largely inscribed in Chinese, a language which I doubt to be widely spoken, read or written on the island? (I've visited Grenada twice and never heard any Chinese being spoken there by anyone other than Chinese tourists).

                                        

                                     

                                                 

 

                                        

 

   

  From the philatelic nightmare described above, to the ongoing horror show of British Post And Go stamps and labels.

  From 1 February 2016, the British Postal Museum and Archives will change its name to The Postal Museum. As part of this rebranding, the inscriptions which are printed on the Post and Go labels dispensed at the museum will be changed from the current "The B.P.M.A." to "The Postal Museum" along with a new logo.

  Thus the "Union Jack " labels, the Machin Head labels and the Heraldic lion labels will all be sold with the new inscription from 1 February 2016 (3 Collectors strips each of 6 different values)  and from 17 February 2016 the "Postal heritage vehicles" labels will also be sold with the added new inscription (another Collectors strip of 6 different values). Good luck with that lot!

696. New Issues From Guernsey, Fiji, Myanmar, Hong Kong And Tanzania.

  Guernsey Post will issue 1 miniature sheet on 17 February 2016 in its ongoing "Endangered Species" series. The sheet depicts a Philippine eagle and was designed by Joel Kirk and lithographed by Cartor. The item is interesting and attractive but the subject has no relevance to Guernsey. Rating:- 0

  Guernsey Post will also release another issue on 17 February 2016. This is made up of 6 stamps and 1 miniature sheet which are inscribed "Alderney" and are on the subject of the Longis nature reserve on the island. Many types of wildlife are featured on the stamps and the issue was designed by Two Degrees North and lithographed by BDT. Rating:- ***.

  In addition to the "Generic sheet" depicted in Blog 695, Royal Mail will also issue a booklet of 6 x 1st self-adhesive stamps on 18 February 2016 to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the Penny Red. Rating:- ****.

  Fiji Post issued a set of 5 stamps on 21 October 2015 on the subject of Medicinal plants. Rating:- ****.

  The postal administration of Tanzania has released 1 sheetlet of 6 different stamps and 1 miniature sheet to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation). The stamps appear to depict local products and are relatively interesting. Rating:- ***.

Usually the best of the Lunar new year issues to be released by the countries featured in this blog is the set and associated items which are issued by Hong Kong Post and the issues for the Year of the Monkey are no exception. A set of 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet were released on 16 January 2016. The issue was designed by Kan Tai-Keung and lithographed by Enschede (the miniature sheet additionally had some hot foil stamping used in its production.

There are additional items - a miniature sheet on silk material and "Heartwarming" stamps issued in sheetlets. These were also lithographed by Enschede. Rating:_ *****.

  There is also a HK$100 miniature sheet printed by Cartor using lithography with silver hot foil stamping and 22 carat gold-plated lace metal which the Lunar new year animals - this time it features the ram and the monkey. A spectacular item, as it is every year. Rating:- *****.

  Burma gained its independence from Britain on 4 January 1948 and has had a turbulent history since then. It never joined The Commonwealth and so all stamp issues of Burma/Myanmar since Independence have not been included in catalogues of Commonwealth stamps. But these are interesting times and Myanmar seems to be on the road to a new era of more democratic government and greater freedoms. 

  The term of office of President Thein Sein (of the Union Solidarity and Development Party and previously a member of the country's military) draws to a close on 30 March 2016 and presumably he will be replaced by a new president who will be the candidate of the National League for Democracy which won the general election of November 2015 and which is led by Aung San Sui Kyi who herself is barred from seeking the presidential post because of the British nationality of both her sons and her late husband.

  Perhaps if this progress towards democracy is successful, Myanmar may one day consider joining The Commonwealth and be in a position to be accepted as a member. This seems like an interesting time to start taking a fresh interest in its stamps and I start with the set of 3 stamps released recently on 4 January 2016 to commemorate the 68th anniversary of Myanmar's achievement of Independence. 

Myanmar has always had a very conservative policy towards the issue of new stamps and the subjects of its issues are always intensely local. (See also Blog of 10 April 2012). Rating:- ****.