1456. 🇬🇬 Moon Landing Stamps From Guernsey.

 🇬🇬 Guernsey Post has released news of another three catchpenny issues to be released in the coming weeks. A miniature sheet containing 4 different stamps is to be issued on 20 July 2019 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first manned lunar landing by Americans (not Guernseymen). I have no idea what role the island of Guernsey played in getting the first men to the moon. Rating:- 0.  The word ‘Stamperija’ comes to mind.

  Guernsey Post will then issue a miniature sheet containing 3 different stamps on the subject of Hauteville House in Guernsey where the French writer Victor Hugo lived on the island for 14 years during his exile from France due to his opposition to Emperor Napoleon III. This issue does not appear to be released to commemorate any particular anniversary associated with Hugo or his time on the island. Rating:- **.

  Guernsey Post will also issue a set of 6 stamps inscribed ‘Alderney’ on 24 July 2019 to commemorate  the Bicentenary of the publication of John Keats’ six lyric odes. The preissue publicity supplies no convincing reason as to why this particular anniversary should be commemorated by stamps from either Alderney and Guernsey and I can not find any link between Keats and the 2 Islands.  While the designs are excellent the issue itself has no direct relevance to the islands. Rating:- *.

1455. 🇰🇪 Kenya Stamps Feature Development Goals.

  🇰🇪 Kenya Post has issued a set of 4 stamps on the subject of the Big Four Agenda which is the Kenyan government’s development programme. Each stamp features a different pillar of the Agenda. I do not yet know the date of issue. Rating:- ****.

  🇮🇳 India Post issued 4 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 12 June 2019 as the second part of its Indian Fashion series subtitled ‘Sari in its myriad forms’. I like this issue. Rating:- ****.

  India Post also issued 2 stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 17 June 2019 on the subject of Ahimsa Parma Dharma which is a Sanskrit phrase popularised by Mahatma Gandhi in which ahimsa means non-violence, paramo means utmost and dharma means duty. The phrase therefore means that non-violence stands above all other duties that should be performed. An interesting issue. Rating:- ***.

  🇧🇩 Bangladesh Post issued a pair of stamps and 1 miniature sheet on 3 June 2019 to commemorate the Cricket World Cup being held in England and Wales. For the Commonwealth nations the Cricket World Cup can be judged to be an important sporting event so it says a lot about the new issue policies of Royal Mail that it chooses not to issue stamps to commemorate England’s and Wales’ hosting of the event while Bangladesh Post is pleased to release a stamp issue to mark the event and Bangladesh’s participation in it. Rating:- ****.

1454. 🇮🇲🇵🇳 Isle Of Man Moby Dick Issue And A Pitcairn Bird.

🇮🇲 Details of the previously mentioned set of 6 stamps which the Isle Of Man Post Office intends to release on 22 July 2019 to commemorate the Birth Bicentenary of Herman Melville, author of the novel Moby Dick, are now available. Isle Of Man Post Office justifies the release of the issue on the grounds that one of the characters in the novel is identified as ‘The Manxman’ though there seem to be no other connections between the island, the novel and the author.

 The illustrations used in the stamp designs by Juan Moore are excellent though the stamps are described as being designed by EJC Design. The issue was lithographed by Cartor and is perforated 14. Despite the excellence of the designs the justification for releasing this set is weak especially as it it appears amid a continuing great flood of issues from this particular administration. Rating:- *.

🇵🇳 Bounty Post, the postal service of Pitcairn Islands, issued a se-tenant strip of 3 delightful stamps on 14 June 2019 featuring the subject of the Pitcairn Reed Warbler which is endemic to Pitcairn Island. This excellent issue was designed by Donna McKenna and lithographed by Southern Colour Print. Rating:- *****.

  🇲🇻 The Foreign Minister of Maldives, Abdulla Shahid, recently delivered in London the necessary documents to Lady Scotland, Secretary General of The Commonwealth, to enable Maldives to rejoin the organisation. It appears that the island nation should rejoin The Commonwealth by the time the next Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting is held in Rwanda in 2020. We can only hope that the notorious Stamperija will not still be the country’s philatelic agent pouring out hundreds of ‘stamps’ in the country’s name by then.

1453. 🇯🇪 Yet Another Issue From Jersey Features Moon Landing.

🇯🇪 It seems that no anniversary nor event in the world can go by without a postal administration of at least one British offshore island feeling the need to release a set of stamps to commemorate it even when these small islands played no part in the event which is to be marked by the stamps. Not surprisingly then Jersey Post will issue a set of 6 stamps and 2 miniature sheets (total face value £12.96p) on 20 July 2019 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first manned lunar landing (by Americans not Jerseymen). Jersey Post tries to establish an unconvincing tangential link between the subject and Jersey by including contemporary quotes from a local Jersey newspaper about the manned landing in the stamp designs. The designs were by Keith Burns and printed in lithography by Enschedé. Rating:- 0.

🇹🇷 The postal service of the Turkish Republic Of Northern Cyprus issued a single stamp on 19 May 2019 to commemorate the Centenary of the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence. The stamp depicts the ship Bandirma on board which Mustafa Kemal Pasha, Ataturk, departed Istanbul on 16 May 2019 for Samsun where he arrived on 19 May to start the Turkish national movement against the wishes of the Istanbul-based Ottoman government. This act was to lead to the declaration of the Republic of Turkey four years later. The issue was digitally printed by Bolan Dijital Baski Ltd. Rating:-  ****.

1452. 🇮🇲 Isle Of Man’s ‘Age Of Rebellion’.

🇮🇲 The  Isle Of Man Post Office plans to issue an interesting set of 6 stamps and a £15.08p Prestige booklet on 1 July 2019 titled ‘The Age Of Rebellion’. The unusual and nicely illustrated stamps tell the story of ‘Illiam Dhône’ (Manx for ‘Brown William’ referring to his dark coloured hair), William Christian, who was appointed to be the island’s Receiver General in 1648 by the royalist Earl of Derby, the then Lord Of Mann.

  After Derby’s capture by the Parliamentarians at the Battle of Worcester in 1651, his wife, Lady Derby, tried to negotiate with them to surrender the Isle Of Man to obtain her husband’s release. A rebellion against the Derbys then broke out under the leadership of William Christian and he then opened negotiations with the Parliament and its fleet arrived in Ramsey Bay in October 1651 and landed troops under Colonel Duckenfield. Lady Derby was forced to surrender Castle Rushen and Peel Castle while Christian remained in the post of Receiver General and was made Governor of the Isle Of Man in 1656.

  Two years later, with Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector, the ruler of England, Illiam Dhône, was accused of misappropriating money and fled to London where he was arrested and imprisoned for 1 year. Afterwards he returned to Isle Of Man when Cromwell was dead and the monarchy restored but where a new Earl of Derby had him arrested on charges of high treason. At his trial he was found guilty and then executed by shooting at Hango Hill in Castletown.

  My main problem with this set is that I can not find a reason for it to be issued at this particular time - 2019 - which does not seem to coincide with any particular anniversary related to this story. The year does not contain a special anniversary such as Christian’s birth or death anniversaries, a notable anniversary of the rebellion nor anything else of relevance. It’s as though the planners of Isle Of Man stamp issues were simply casting around to try to find subjects to be featured on a new issue so that a certain total of new issues could be reached just to address a target. These offshore islands will have to come to terms with the fact that collectors do not have bottomless pockets and are not as gullible as they may think. I like this issue but I shall not buy it because at this present moment there’s no reason for it to be issued. Rating:- **.

  The issue is particularly interesting as it features a cameo portrait of Oliver Cromwell who ruled England from 16 December 1653 as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland to 3 September 1658 when he died from natural causes including, probably, malaria. Cromwell is one of only two rulers since Henry IV who has not featured on a British/Royal Mail stamp though he played a more significant role in English/British history than many of the kings and queens who have been depicted.   Cromwell’s campaign in Ireland during the Civil War makes him such a controversial figure so that despite his historical importance Royal Mail is unlikely to issue a stamp depicting him for fear of causing offence in Ireland.

  Cromwell did make another philatelic appearance when he was depicted on a stamp released by the postal service of St Helena on 29 January 2010 which was part of an issue which commemorated the 350th anniversary of the restoration of Charles II. The set also included a stamp featuring Cromwell’s son, Richard Cromwell, who succeeded his father as Lord Protector but was wholly unsuited to the role and abdicated on 25 September 1659 to make way for rule by a Council of State. I think that that is the only stamp to depict the younger Cromwell.

  People around the world are amazed at the present carryings on in British politics but current events pale into insignificance in comparison with events in the 17th century.