1196. 🇬🇮 New Commonwealth Themed Post And Go Stamp From Gibraltar.

  🇬🇮 The Royal Gibraltar Post Office will issue a new Post and Go stamp from kiosk GI01 at the 89th Scottish Congress in Perth on 20 and 21 April 2018. The design commemorates the CCPA (Conference of Commonwealth Postal Administrations) and the election of the Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Gibraltar Post Office as the Chairman of the CCPA. The stamps design is said to commemorate 'Gibraltar's achievement this year in representing 65 different postal administrations worlwide'. Rating:- ***.

  I presume this item will become available from kiosks GI02 and/or GI03 situated at the Main Post Office and Parcel Office in Gibraltar.

  🇬🇬 Mirroring the above actions of Royal Gibraltar Post Office and also of Jersey Post (see Blog 1194), Guernsey Post will attend the 89th Scottish Congress at Perth for the 2 days of 20 and 21 April 2018 and have its Post and Go kiosk, GG01, situated at the meeting. The kiosk will dispense the 'Guernsey Flag' stamps with the additional inscription '89th Scottish/Congress 2018' as well as strips of the 'Bailwick Flowers' stamps which will not have an additional inscription applied.

  Rating:- 0.

  🇭🇰 Hong Kong Post issued a very attractive set of 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 22 March 2018 which was the second of its series on 'Hong Kong by night'. The issue was designed by Carl Cheng Chi-ming and lithographed by Southern Colour Print and perforated 14.5 x 15. Rating:- ****.

1195. 🇹🇿 Tanzania Commemorates 50 Years Of Chinese-built Railway.

  It seems that Tanzania Posts Corporation issued 2 stamps and 1 miniature sheet containing 6 stamps on 31 December 2017 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Chinese-built TAZARA (Tanzania Zambia Railway). This is an attractive issue and clearly of local relevance. Rating:- ****.

  🇱🇰 Sri Lanka Post issued a single stamp on 13 March which has a face value of Rs 50 and is described as a Revenue stamp. What is notable however is that it is sold used on cover with a first day of issue postmark which implies that this item is also postage stamp. The stamp was designed by Ruwan Indrajith Upasena. Rating:- ***.

 🇲🇾 Pos Malaysia issued a set of 3 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 20 March 2018 on the subject of Malaysia's electric train service. Rating:- ****.

  🇱🇰 Back to Sri Lanka Post which issued a set of 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 23 March 2018 on the subject of Ambalana which are places constructed in Sri Lanka with the purpose of providing somewhere for pilgrims, travellers and traders to rest. This is an unusual and attractive set and the shaped miniature sheet is eye catching. Rating:- *****.

  Sri Lanka Post has also issued a single stamp to commemorate World Kidney Day which was held on 8 March 2018 which was the date of issue of the stamp. The stamp was designed by P Isuru Chaturanga and printed in lithography. Rating:- **.

  🇭🇰 In addition to the 3 new gummed definitives mentioned in Blog 1157 and which were issued on 3 January 2018 there are also 4 smaller coil stamps and 4 self-adhesive booklet stamps to be sought out as well. Each self-adhesive value is produced in booklets of 10 costing HK$20, HK$26, HK$37 and HK$49 respectively. Rating:- ***.

  🇱🇹 Time passes but Stamperija is with us always. This week brings us a bumper crop of its paraphilatelic products with the name of Commonwealth countries printed on them.

  Firstly Mozambique's name is inscribed on 10 more sheetlets, each containing 4 different 'stamps' and 10 accompanying miniature sheets. The featured subjects are:- Kingfishers, Extinct animals, 'Micro-monsters', Whales, Snakes, Hornbills, Dugongs, Crocdiles, Bee eaters and Fish and Fishing. Rating:- 0.

  Products have also been released with the name of Sierra Leone printed on them. Again there are 10 sheetlets, each containing 4 different 'stamps', and 10 accompanying miniature sheets. The subjects depicted are:- 'Stamps on Stamps', 155th anniversary of the International Red Cross Committee, Polar bears, Bee eaters, 85th anniversary of the burning of the Reichstag, Commemoration of the late John Young, 170th anniversary of the death of George Stephenson, 55th birth anniversary of George Michael, Extinct animals and FIFA World Cup 2018. The stated date of issue is 27 February 2018. Rating:- 0.

1194. 🇳🇷 New Nauru Postal Service Issues First New Stamp In 7 Years..

  🇳🇷 Those of us who have been wondering about what has been happening in Nauru as regards its postal services in recent years now seem to have had our questions answered. It appears that there probably has not been a postal service at all which explains why we have seen no new postage stamps from that country since 2011. 

  In Nauru News, an internet publication of the Government of Nauru, it is announced that Nauru Post 'was opened as a corporate body ... (on 5 March) along with the release of a commemorative coin and pendant as part of the 50th Independence Day anniversary. At the opening event in front of the post office, His Excellency President Baron Waqa released the commemorative coin and was received by Madame Louisa Waqa. ..... A commemorative stamp for the 50th anniversary was also released during the Independence celebration at the State banquet on Wednesday 31January.... The Nauru Parliament enacted for the establishment on 1 March 2018 the Naoero Postal Services Corporation at a sitting of Parliament on 25 January 2018. At the opening of the new 

post office President Waqa said the establishment of the new postal corporation will seek to enter into cooperation with other postal services and draw on best practices with postal organisations including Australia and Asia. The establishment of an efficient and comprehensive postal service in Nauru is very important internationally and from a domestic viewpoint.

  The vision is to connect the Nauruan people and its culture internationally through an efficient post and philatelic services"

  "Services are expected to expand to provide the sale of merchandise items, introduction of new stamps, passport photos and ID services, as well as promote Nauru's traditional handicraft items" ....

  "Chairman of the new corporation Samuel Grundler reaffirmed his commitment through his mission statement that Nauru Post will bridge the gap between Nauruan communities and international communities through post and philatelic efforts. All three mementos are available for sale at the post office."

  Unfortunately the article did not include an illustration of the new stamp (but the stamp is being offered for sale on E Bay and I can therefore illustrate it) but we do know now that the new Nauru Post has indeed issued the country's first new postage stamp for about 7 years. It also seems that should expect more stamp issues in the future. So .... watch this space!

  Collectors will be hoping that the new Nauru Post will not be persuaded by one of the less respected philatelic agencies (we know who they are) to provide it with stamps and philatelic items as so many other postal services of small Pacific countries have allowed in recent years at the cost of the ruin of their philatelic reputations.

  🇲🇼 Currently being offered for sale on an internet auction site is a set of 5 surcharged stamps from Malawi Post. Two of the surcharged stamps are fro the 1996 Butterflies set while the other 3 are from the 'Protect Nature' Butterflies set of 2002. I know no other details about this issue at present. Rating:- *****.

  🇯🇪 Although Royal Mail seems to have recognised the growing futility of trying to keep exhausted and overwhelmed collectors interested in Post and Go stamps in general, and exhibition-related labels in particular, Jersey Post, ever hopeful of a quick financial gain, carries on undaunted.

  Thus, while Royal Mail has ceased attending the Scottish Congresses, Jersey Post has annnounced that it will issue its Jersey Flag stamps with an additional inscription '89th Scottish Congress 2018'. The Congress will take place at the Dewars Centre in Perth on 20 and 21 April 2018 and Jersey Post 

will have kiosk JE01 present at the exhibition. The kiosk will also dispense strips of the Visiting Naval Ships stamps but without an additional inscription. Rating:- 0.

1193. 🇧🇲 Bermuda To Issue Turtle Stamps.

  🇧🇲 The Bermuda Post Office will issue a set of 4 stamps depicting turtles on 22 March 2018 to commemorate the Bermuda Turtle Project which for more than 50 years has promoted the conservation of marine turtles through research and education. A worthy subject for a stamp issue and some attractive designs. Rating:- *****.

  🇵🇰 Pakistan Post issued a single stamp on 5 March 2018 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Army Burn Hall College at Abbottabad. Rating:- **.

  The issue was designed by Naveed Awan and lithographed by National Security Printing Company in Karachi and perforated 13.

 🇱🇹 This week's paraphilatelic products from Stamperija are inscribed 'Sierra Leone'. The issue is made up of 10 sheetlets each containing 4 'stamps' and 10 accompanying miniature sheets. The depicted subjects are Working dogs, 115th anniversary of the death of Camille Pissarro, 30th anniversary of the death of Enzio Ferrari, 190th anniversary of the birth of Henry Dunant, 90th anniversary of the death of Roald Amundsen, 55th anniversary of the launch of Vostok 6, 125th anniversary of the death of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Submarines, Parrots and Whales. Rating:- 0.

  The stated date of issue is 27 February 2018.

  🇱🇹 Stamperija has also released more paraphilatelic products with the name of Mozambique printed on them in the form of 10 sheetlets each containing 4 different 'stamps' with 10 accompanying miniature sheets. The featured subjects are Birds of prey, Polar bears, Bees, Birds of Mozambique, Parrots, Monkeys, Tigers, Endangered species, Owls and Turtles. Rating:- 0.

  The stated 'date of issue' is 15 February 2018.

  🇬🇭 In the April 2018 edition of Gibbons Stamp Monthly the Catalogue section, as shown below, draws attention to 3 stamps from Ghana which the editor finds to be rather mysterious though, as also reproduced below, Commonwealth Stamps Opinion had mentioned this issue, with some admittedly rather poor quality illustrations, in Blog 819 of 7 September 2016.

  The short piece In CSO mentioned that the issue was made up of 5 stamps which were released to promote a peaceful atmosphere locally in the run up to elections in the country. I have not seen any of these stamps to date - often the best way to obtain these real Ghanaian stamps is to search for them in kiloware - but it is just possible that a dealer somewhere may eventually be in a position to put some on sale.

  I've noticed that there are sometimes some occasional dismissive comments in Gibbons Stamp Monthly about internet Blogs but it seems to me that the Catalogue editor who has admitted before now that he has no real interest in modern new issues should perhaps resolve to read them and he might be better informed about these odd issues which sneak out from various countries from time to time. Nowadays, Internet sites are a much better source of information about new issues than old-fashioned printed philatelic magazines which often publish such news long after it has been current and the chance to obtain such items has already passed.

  

1192. 🇲🇹 Malta To Release Sixth Maritime Issue.

  🇲🇹 MaltaPost will issue 3 stamps on 23 March 2018 as the sixth part of its ongoing 'Maritime Malta' series. The subject of this issue is 'Ships of the Order of St. John' and the set was designed by Sean Cini and lithographed by Printex and perforated 14. Rating:- ***.

  🇳🇿 New Zealand Post has now put on sale its 2017 Pack of Personalised stamp issues. The contents include 24 gummed and 15 self adhesive stamps and 2 booklets. The New Zealand Post website does not state the subject of every stamp in the pack and illustrates only 4 of the stamps, which New Zealand Post insists on calling 'labels' even though the items in the pack clearly fulfill the definition of a postage stamp since they are sold for use on mail not in restricted numbers and freely available to the mail-sending public (by the very fact of being sold in these packs to the public).

  I always find these to be interesting items and worth splashing out on. Rating:- ***.

  This gives New Zealand Post a year's total of 153 stamp products having been released by it during 2017 and pushes it up the 'Commonwealth's greediest stamp issuers' list of 2017 (see Blog 1186) from the 13th position to the 8th spot above, among others, Antigua And Barbuda, Jersey, Bangladesh and Isle Of Man.

  🇬🇧 Royal Mail will issue 2 se-tenant strips of 5 x 1st Class rate stamps on 11 May 2018 on the subject of Owls (and owlets) found in The United Kingdom. The featured species are the Barn Owl (which seems to have been depicted on almost as many British stamps as has The Queen herself), the Little Owl, the Tawny Owl, the Short eared Owl and the Long eared Owl. This is an attractive enough set but there is no obvious reason, as far as I can see, of why the subject should be chosen to be featured on British stamps at this particular moment. Perhaps it's International Owl Year or something like that. Rating:- **.