1113. 🇬🇧 British Antarctic Territory's "Painted Ladies" - Britain's "Marilyn Monroe" Featured In Antarctic Art Issue.

  🇬🇧 Pobjoy Stamps/Creative Direction has released news of this year's upcoming issues for the postal service of British Antarctic Territory. It is intended that the stamps will be released in mid-November.

  The first of the issues is certainly something, er, different - no blocks of ice, no penguins, no seals but something which amounts to local art. The issue, titled "Painted Ladies", features murals discovered in the bunk room of Bransfield House at Base A in Port Lockroy while conservation of the base was being carried out. The art depicts former film actresses of the 1950s and 1960s including Diana Dors who was the British equivalent of Marilyn Monroe who is frequently depicted on issues put out by agencies such as IGPC and Stamperija. This is a highly original set given the territory it will be issued in and certainly shows that Creative Direction is always thinking of something new to provide to its client territories' loyal stamp collectors.

  I'm slightly concerned that with all the hoo hah that is taking place at the moment following the Harvey Weinstein allegations and the accusations being aimed at British members of Parliament about their attitudes to women that the issue of this set could be minsinterpreted but we will see how the issue is greeted. The stamps were designed by United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust and lithographed by Cartor and perforated 13.5. Rating:- ***** (highly original subject).

  Also due for release in mid-November is a set of 4 stamps and a sheetlet of 9 different stamps on the subject of local Corals. The beautifully chosen photographs used in the designs are by Dan Blackwood, Cath Waller and JR15005/BAS with design work being carried out by Bee Design and printing in lithography by Cartor. The issue is perforated 13.5. Rating:- *****.

  Also to be issued in mid-November is a set of 6 stamps on the subject of Royal Research Ships in the Antarctic. No penguins can be seen in the design! The very attractive and interesting designs were prepared by Andrew Robinson from photographs by the British Antarctic Survey Archives Service. The issue was lithographed by Cartor and perforated 13.5. Rating, again, *****.

  Thanks to Juliet Warner for information about the above 3 issues.

  🇧🇹 Below I depict 2 more issues from Bhutan Post but as yet have no details about the stamps.

  Late 2017 - Musical instruments of Bhutan - 1 sheetlet of 6 different stamps and 1 miniature sheet:-

  Late 2017 - 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Bhutan and South Korea - 1 sheetlet of 6 different stamps and 1 miniature sheet:-

  🇬🇧 The Postal Museum in London will sell Royal Mail "Winter Greenery" Post and Go stamps from 13 November 2017 from kiosk A001. These replace the "Poppy" stamps in the 1st Class values and the blue ""Machin Head" stamps in the 2nd Class values. All the stamps will have the added inscription "The Postal Museum". Ian Billings' Norvic Philatelics Blog has indicated that various post offices will sell the Winter Greenery stamps, without additional inscription, with a new code - CL17S - but whether or not the Postal Museum issue will have the new code remains to be seen. Rating:- *.

  🇸🇬 Singapore Post will issue 10 gummed Greetings stamps, 10 self-adhesive stamps from booklets and 10 stamps from a self-adhesive sheetlet on 15 November 2017. The issue which features cartoon versions of Singapore's emblem, the Merlion, was designed by Koh Boon Peng and lithographed by Secura and perforated 13. An amusing if rather lightweight issue. Ratings:- ***.

  Singapore Post will also issue an attractive "My Stamp" sheetlet on 3 November 2017 titled "Changi's Mystical Garden" which features My Kitty, Dear Daniel, Cinnamoroll, Pompompuri, My Melody, Gudetama and Little Twin Stars with a special collection of gifts featured in Changi Airport's 2017 Christmas Style Guide. Colourful and highly commercial. Rating:- *.

  🇸🇱 The latest paraphilatelic products from Stamperija have the name of Sierra Leone printed on them. As usual there are 10 sheetlets each containing 4 different "stamps" and 10 miniature sheets and the featured subjects are:- Dinosaurs, Lighthouses, Dolphins, Bees, Butterflies, Orchids, Prehistoric aquatic animals, Turtles, Fish and Minerals. It is claimed that the "date of issue" was 29 September 2017. Rating:- 0.

1112. 🇮🇱 Centenary Of The Balfour Declaration.

  On this date 100 years ago, 2 November 1917, the British Foreign Secretary, Arthur Balfour, issued a statement on behalf of the British government which announced the government's support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in the territory called Palestine which was under the control of the Ottoman Empire, one of Britain's enemies during the First World War. 

  At the same time, British forces were involved in a campaign to support Arab forces in defeating the Turks which would lead to the establishment of states ruled by Arab rulers in the Middle East - notably The Kingdom of Hejaz, established in 1916 under the rule of the Sharif of Mecca, Hussein, Transjordan under the rule of Hussein's son Abdullah and Iraq to be ruled by another son of Hussein, Faisal, who had been expelled from the territory of Syria by the French. After the end of the First World War both Transjordan and Iraq, as well as Palestine itself, were made Mandated Territories of Britain by The League Of Nations.

  The Balfour Declaration is a notable event in the history of the British Empire and was one step on the road to the eventual establishment of The State Of Israel in 1948 after Britain had given up its Mandate in Palestine.

  The first stamps of Palestine under British occupation were issued in February 1918 with the inscription "EEF" (Egyptian Expeditionary Force).

  In 1920 Palestine came under civilian administration with the establishment of the Mandate and EEF stamps were overprinted in English, Arabic and Hebrew scripts. On 1 June 1927 pictorial designs were issued for use in the Mandate and these depicted Rachael's Tomb, the Sea of Galilee, the Dome of the Rock, the Tower of David and a mosque in Tiberias and these were in use in the Mandate until April 1948 when post offices closed as the British gave up the Mandate and Israel headed towards becoming an independent state.

  To commemorate the centenary of the Balfour Declaration, the postal service of Israel issued a single stamp (shown at the head of this Blog) on 12 September 2017 with the attached tab including a depiction of Arthur Balfour. The Balfour Declaration is viewed differently by the Israelis and Palestinians but is of immense importance in modern history no matter what one's view of it is and the Centenary stamp tells the story of another chapter in the history of Britain and its effects on the history of the rest of the world.

1111. 🇳🇿 New Zealand And Dependencies Release Platinum Wedding Sets.

  🇳🇿 New Zealand Post will issue a set of 6 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 20 November 2017 to commemorate the Platinum Wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh. The very attractive set was designed by Jonathan Gray and lithographed by Southern Colour Print and perforated 14.5 x 14. Rating:- ****.

  🇳🇺 The royal Platinum Wedding anniversary will also be commemorated by the postal service of Niue on 20 November 2017 by the issue of 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet. The issue was designed by Jonathan Gray and lithographed by the Collectables and Solutions Centre in Whanganui and perforated 13.5. Rating:- ****.

  🇹🇰 The postal service of Tokelau will also issue 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 20 November 2017 to commemorate the Platinum Wedding and like the set from New Zealand the issue was designed by Jonathan Gray. The issue was lithographed by the Collectables and Solutions Centre in Whanganui and perforated 13.5. Rating:- ****.

  🇬🇬 Guernsey Post will issue its "Guernsey Flag" Post and Go stamps with an additional inscription from its Envoy House Headquarters kiosk GG02 from 4 to 22 December 2017 to mark Christmas. The additional inscription reads "Season's Greetings 2017". The issue will be available in a strip of 6 different values and cost £4.06p and Guernsey Post will charge customers an additional 50p to vend stamps on customers' behalfs. Rating:- 0.

  🇮🇳 India Post issued 3 stamps on 1 November 2017 on different subjects.

  A single stamp commemorated the Indian poet Kavi Muddana (1870 to 1901). Rating:- ***.

  Another stamp depicts Draksharaman Bhimeswara Temple in Andra Pradesh - an interesting design. Rating:- ***.

  The third stamp commemorates Adikavi Nannaya who was an 11th century author who wrote a Telugu retelling of The Mahabharata. Another interesting stamp. Rating:- ***.

  🇱🇰 Sri Lanka Post issued a pair of stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 9 October 2017 to commemorate World Post Day. The various interesting designs depict aspects of Ceylon's postal history - the Rs15 depicts the landing of the English mail at Tataimannar Pier in 1955 and the Rs35 depicts the Travelling Post Office. An excellent set. Rating:- *****.

1108. 🇵🇳🇰🇾 New Insects Stamps From Pitcairn And Cayman Islands.

  🇬🇸 Bounty Post, the postal service of Pitcairn Islands, will issue a pair of stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 25 October on the subject of the Transverse Ladybird. The set was designed beautifully by Sue Wickison and lithographed by Southern Colour Print and perforated 14.5 x 14. Rating:- *****.

  🇰🇾 The Cayman Islands Post Office issued a set of 4 stamps on 12 October 2017 on the subject of local moths. The designs are based on the lovely artwork of local artist Letitia Askew. Rating:- *****.

  🇮🇳 There are a number of India Post "My Stamp" issues to catch up on. These are sold with attached labels in sheetlets of 12 at a premium price above face value.

  9 May 2017 - Rumtek Monastery - 1 stamp. Rating:- ***.

  20 August 2017 - One hundred and eleven years of service by Indian Bank - 1 stamp. Rating:- *. 

  30 August 2017 - Shore Temple Mahabalipuram Kancheepuram District - 1 stamp. Rating:- ***.

  3 September 2017 - Pazhaverkadu, Tiruvallur District - 1 stamp. Rating:- ***.

  9 September 2017 - Vellore Fort - 1 stamp. Rating:- ***.

  September 2017 - Sri Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peeram, Sringeri - 1 stamp. Rating:- ***

  September 2017 - Mathura Refinery - 1 stamp. Rating:- ***.