1339. 🇹🇿 New Surcharges From Tanzania.

  🇹🇿 The postal service of Tanzania seems to have issued 6 new surcharges presumably some time during 2018 to provide new 1400/- and 1600/- values. Various old issues have been used to produce the new stamps. Clearly these are intended for use on genuine mail. Rating:- *****.

  🇬🇮 The Royal Gibraltar Post Office has announced that its 2019 new issue programme will be as follows:-

January - Chinese new year, Year of The Pig.

February - Europa, National Birds.

March - 75th anniversary of D-Day.

April - 50th anniversary of Concorde.

June - 50th anniversary of the first manned lunar landing.

July - Island Games to be held in Gibraltar.

September - 500th birth anniversary of Leonardo Da Vinci, an Italian artist.

November - Joint issue with the Luxembourg postal service.

November - Christmas.

  It is very disappointing - there's little that has direct relevance to Gibraltar in the programme and several of the proposed subjects have already been done to death. It's very dull and depressing that the Gibraltar postal authorities intend to continue churning this clichéd stuff out on to the new issue market. I think that I shall buy only 2 of the above issues next year. Ho hum.

  🇯🇪 The proposed 2019 new issue programme for Jersey Post is as follows:-

4 January - Chinese New Year Year of The Pig

18 January - Popular culture of the 1970s

5 February - Historical figures, Sir Walter Raleigh, Governor of Jerse

5 March - Europa, National birds, 'Birds and symbolism'

2 April - Birth centenary of Dame Margot Fonteyn, ballet dancer

2 May - First wedding anniversary of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

24 May - Birth bicentenary of Queen Victoria

11 June - Centenary of Girl guiding in Jersey.

  Again, there is very little here which has direct relevance to Jersey. The Walter Raleigh issue could be relevant but is actually something of an afterthought as an issue should have been released in 2018 which would have noted the Quatercentenary of his death (29 October 1618). The issue of a set to commemorate the 1st Wedding anniversary of the Sussexes seems to reek of desperation for subjects which those who choose Jersey Post's new issues feel might have chance of selling. Margot Fonteyn was previously depicted on a Jersey Post stamp as part of its 'Women of Achievement part 2' of 2011 and appears to have had no connection with Jersey except that she performed on stage there in Jersey's Opera House in 1974 and 1976. Ho hum, Ho hum.

  🇬🇬 Guernsey Post will dispense its strip of 6 'Bailiwick flowers' Post and Go stamps on 3 December 2018 from desk top machine GG03 situated in the Guernsey Information Centre in St Peter Port all with an additional inscription, 'Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year' and an accompanying Christmas tree icon. Rating:- 0.

  🇮🇳 India Post issued a miniature sheet containing 5 different stamps on 27 November 2018 to commemorate the holding of the 14th World Cup Hockey competition at Odisha. The miniature sheet is issued in an unusual shape. Rating:- ***.

  A single stamp was also issued on 27 November 2018 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Utkal University (illustration awaited).

1338. 🇺🇸 Yet More Excess From IGPC.

  And so we come to yet another deluge of new issues from IGPC:-

  🇦🇬 Antigua And Barbuda - 

  1 November 2018 - Rare Stamps of the world - 25 miniature sheets - details and illustrations awaited. Rating:- 0. Post scriptum - the description of this issue is erroneous- see Blog 1340.

  2018 - 50th anniversary of the First manned lunar landing - 2 miniature sheets, 1 containing 3 different stamps and the other containing a single stamp. Rating:- 0.

  2018 - Christmas - 4 stamps. Rating:- 0.

  2018 - Tropical flowers - 1 sheetlet containing 6 different stamps. Rating:- 0.

  🇬🇲 The Gambia - 

  19 December 2018 - Butterflies - 3 miniature sheets, each containing 4 different stamps. Rating:- 0.

19 December 2018 - Red river hog - 2 miniature sheets, 1 containing 4 different stamps and the other containing a single stamp. This species is found in The Gambia. Rating:- **.

  31 December 2018 - Small African mammals - 1 miniature sheet containing 4 different stamps. Rating:- 0.

  🇬🇩 Grenada - 5 December 2018 - Butterflies - 1 miniature sheet containing 4 different stamps. Rating:- 0.

  5 December 2018 - Christmas - 4 stamps. Rating;- 0.

  🇬🇩 Grenada Carriacou And Petite Martinique - 5 December 2018 - Butterflies - 1 miniature sheet containing 4 different stamps. Rating:- 0.

  🇲🇸 Montserrat - 5 December 2018 - 75th anniversary of the end of the First World War - 2 miniature sheets, 1 containing 4 different stamps and the other containing a single stamp. Rating:- 0.

  🇰🇳 Nevis - Christmas - 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet. Rating:- 0. Illustrations awaited.

  🇹🇻 Tuvalu - 

  5 December 2018 - 50th anniversary of the first manned lunar landing - 2 miniature sheets, 1 containing 5 different stamps and the other containing a single stamp. Rating:- 0.

  5 December 2018 - Nudibranchs - 2 miniature sheets, 1 containing 6 different stamps and the other containing a single stamp. Rating:- 0. The crested aeolis which is featured on the $5 miniature sheet is not found in the Pacific region but on the coasts of Norway, Great Britain France and in the Mediterranean.

  5 December 2018 - Nebulae - 1 miniature sheet containing 4 different stamps. Rating:- 0

  5 December 2018 - Tawny nurse shark - 2 miniature sheets, 1 containing 4 different circular stamps and the other containing a single stamp. This is a species that is found in the waters of Tuvalu. Rating:- **.

  🇲🇹 I do not really understand why MaltaPost feels it necessary to release a joint issue with Kyrgyzstan but indeed it does so there we have it. Two stamps were issued to this end on 23 November 2018 and were designed from photographs by Paul Mizzi and Ivan Turkovskii and printed in lithography and perforated 13.5 x 14. The designs depict UNESCO  World Heritage sites in the 2 countries. Rating:- **.

  🇭🇰 Hong Kong Post issued a set of 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 30 October 2018 to commemorate the inauguration of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge. The issue was designed by Sun Chan and Hikoko Chan and lithographed by Enschedé and perforated 14 or 12 (miniature sheet). Rating:- **.

1337. 🇮🇴 Snow Falls In The Indian Ocean.

  🇮🇴 The administration of the British Indian Ocean Territory has issued 6 Christmas stamps featuring mainly snow which I guess is something entirely alien to the territory. The stamps are cheerful and amusing but clichéd what with appearances from a reindeer, a penguin, a snowman and a European robin. Fun designs but wholly irrelevant to BIOT. Couldn't the designer have come up with something with a local twist if Christmas stamps really are necessary from this territory? In many ways one feels that these designs are much more appropriate to British Antarctic Territory than to British Indian Ocean Territory. The issue was lithographed by Cartor with a date of issue of 21 November 2018. Rating:- *.

  🇳🇿 New Zealand Post issued a miniature sheet containing 3 different stamps on 11 November 2018 to commemorate the holding of the New Zealand national philatelic exhibition, the Armistice Stamp Show 2018, in Dunedin from 11 to 13 November 2018. The issue was designed by Stamps and Collectables Business, Whanganui and lithographed by Southern Colour Print. A colourful and attractive item. Rating:- ***.

  🇲🇾 Pos Malaysia earlier this year issued 2 Setem ku (personalised) stamps in 3 different sheetlets of 10 to commemorate Malaysia's prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who began a second term as premier on 10 May 2018 having led the country from 16 July 1981 to 31 October 2003. The sheet photographs include depictions of him with his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali. While I wouldn't wish to add the 3 sheets to my Malaysia collection I shall obtain the 2 stamps. Rating:- ***.

1336. 🇲🇻 Maldives To Rejoin Commonwealth.

  🇲🇻 The Maldives government agreed on 20 November 2018 that it would apply to rejoin The Commonwealth following the elections which were held September 2018 leading to the defeat of the then President Yameen Abdul Gamoon who withdrew the Indian Ocean island state from the organisation in October 2016 as he came under increasing criticism for his oppressive rule in the country. The new government, led by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, agreed to apply to rejoin The Commonwealth feeling that the advantages of membership included access of young Maldivians to educational scholarships and its athletes to international sport as well as help in upholding and promoting human rights, freedom of expression and democracy.

  Wouldn't it be nice too if this progressive new government could see the benefits of disposing of the contract it has with its current philatelic agents?

  🇿🇼 Meanwhile negotiations for another former member to rejoin The Commonwealth continue, in 

late September President Emerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe met the Secretary-General of The Commonwealth, Lady Patricia Scotland, amid headlines which stated 'Zimbabwe on verge of rejoining Commonwealth' which may not be exactly correct as rejoining The Commonwealth appears to be almost as difficult as leaving The European Union and will actually involve a process which will continue until the next Commonwealth Heads Of Government meeting which will take place in Rwanda in 2020. 

  🇬🇧 As most people will know by now, but something I haven't yet quite got round to mentioning, Royal Mail issued a highly premium-priced (face value of stamps £6.70, cost of item £15.95) 'commemorative sheet' (10 first class rate stamps with attached labels) a little while ago to note United For Wildlife, a project created by The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex. A worthwhile cause and something worth noting but do stamp collectors have to pay so much for such an item and are any profits going to support the project? if not then it's all rather cynical on the part of Royal Mail. Rating:- 0.

  🇮🇳 In Blog 1334 I illustrated the miniature sheet which was issued by India Post on 3 November 2018 to commemorate Children's Day and I now illustrate the 2 stamps which it contains. One of them appears to depict a rather unusual version of Father Christmas.