1590. 🇹🇿 Tanzania Commemorates 40th Anniversary Of PAPU.

🇹🇿 In Blog 1585 I mentioned that collectors should look out for new stamp issues from various African postal administrations to commemorate the 40th of the Pan-African Postal Union (PAPU) and especially an issue from Tanzania Posts Corporation which was the host postal service at the meeting of the organisation held in Arusha from 17 to 19 January 2020. Well, it appears that Tanzania Post Corporation has indeed released such an issue and the issue appears to be made up of 2 stamps and 1 miniature sheet. The issue has a low face value and takes the form of a 900/- value (regrettably the illustration here of a block of 4 is rather poor) depicting Tanzania Posts Corporation transport, a 2300/- value (“Mv Mapinduzi of Zanzibar Improves Transport”) and a 2300/- miniature sheet (“Air Tanzania Energize Route”). The issue was lithographed by Oriental Security Printing Solutions Bahrain. Rating:- *****.

🇪🇬 While I’m on the subject of the PAPU anniversary I mention that the postal service of Egypt ‘unveiled’ a single stamp on 18 January 2020 to commemorate the 40th year of the organisation. Will some Commonwealth postal services follow Tanzania’s and Egypt’s precedent? I would not be surprised to see more such issues.

🇳🇿 It is reported that New Zealand Post intends to release the following issues during 2020:-

4 March - Parakeets
1 April - 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War
6 May - Olympic Games, Tokyo
3 June - Four Winds
1 July - Paralympic Games, Tokyo
5 August - World War 2 landscapes
2 September - Maori Language Week
7 October - ‘Kiwi cakes and bakes’
7 October - issue for Ross Dependency
4 November - Christmas
2 December - Chinese new year, Year of the Ox.

1589. 🇨🇦 Canada’s Ice Hockey Commemoration.

Recent and upcoming issues:-

🇨🇦 Canada Post - 24 January 2020 - Black History Month - 125th anniversary of the Colored Hockey Championship - 1 self-adhesive stamp issued in booklets of 10. Designed by Lime Design and lithographed by Lowe Martin. Rating:- *****.

2 March 2020 - Flowers, Dahlias - 2 self-adhesive stamps sold in booklets of 10 and in coils and 1 gummed miniature sheet. Designed by Lionel Gadoury, Umayma Motala and Maliki Soin of Context Creative. Lithographed by  Canadian Bank Note. Rating:- ***.

🇸🇬 Singapore Post is very busy with its new issues in the first month of January. 24 January 2020 - My Stamp, Singapore flowers - sheetlets of 5 different small stamps with attached labels. A lovely issue. Rating:- ****.

1588. 🇮🇪 Ireland’s City Of Culture Issue.

Recent and upcoming issues:-

🇮🇪 An Post (postal service of the Irish Republic) - 23 January 2020 - Galway and Rijeka, European capitals of culture - 2 stamps and 1 miniature sheet. Designed by Steve Simpson and lithographed by Enschedé and perforated 13.5 x 14. Rating:- ****.

🇸🇬 Singapore Post - 2020 - Chinese New Year, Year of the Rat, personalised stamps. The Chinese Zodiac - 3 miniature sheets sold in a pack - 1 sheet containing 14 stamps (7 x 2) with attached labels, 1 sheet containing 6 stamps (3 x 2 stamps) with attached labels and 1 circular miniature sheet containing 2 identical stamps with a single large attached label.

🇬🇮 Royal Gibraltar Post Office will issue a se-tenant pair of stamps (in the style of previous such issues) to commemorate the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Rat on 30 January 2020. Of course the subject of the issue has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Gibraltar. Additionally annoying is the high total face value of this pair of stamps - £6.40p. Rating:- 0.

1587. 🇻🇺 Vanuatu Chinese New Year Issue.

Upcoming issues:-

🇻🇺 Vanuatu Post will issue a miniature sheet containing 2 different stamps on 25 January 2020 to commemorate the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Rat. The printing includes the use of gold foil. Not really a subject of relevance to Vanuatu. Rating:- 0.

🇧🇩 Bangladesh Post - 20 January 2020 - 9th National Cub Camporee - Designed by Tupash Kanti Golder of the Bangladesh Scouts. Lithographed by Security Printing Corporation (Bangladesh), Gazipur. Rating:- ***.

🇮🇳 India Post - 22 January 2020 - Centenary of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) - 1 stamp. I like this stylish issue because the designs of stamps commemorating the ILO are usually very dull and unoriginal. Rating:- ****.

🇬🇧 Royal Mail - 10 March 2020 - London 2020 International Philatelic Exhibition - 1 counter booklet containing 6 x 1st self-adhesive stamps (2 x 1st Penny Black, 2 x 1st Penny Red and 2 x 1st Twopenny Blue).
Rating:- ***.

2020 - London 2020 International Philatelic Exhibition - 1 miniature sheet containing 8 x 1st Class rate stamps. Rating:- ***.

1586. 🇳🇿 Moths Of New Zealand.

Upcoming and recent issues -

🇳🇿 New Zealand Post - 4 February 2020 - Daphne moths - 6 stamps and 1 miniature sheet containing all 6 stamps. Designed by Stephen Fuller and lithographed by Southern Colour Print and perforated 14. Rating:- ***.

🇲🇾 Pos Malaysia - 23 January 2020 - Personalised (se temku) greetings stamps, Year of the Rat - 1 sheetlet (10 stamps [7 different designs]). Rating:- *.

🇮🇴 British Indian Ocean Territory postal service - 4 December 2019 - Dragonflies (see illustrations in Blog 1567) - 6 stamps. Designed by Elizabeth Moxham and lithographed by Southern Colour Print and perforated 14.

🇰🇾 Cayman Islands postal service - 13 December 2019 - 50th anniversary of the First manned lunar landing - 4 stamps. Designed by Leanne Sherliker and lithographed by Southern Colour Print and perforated 14. Not really relevant to Cayman Islands and nothing original in the stamp designs. Rating:- **.

1585. 🇬🇾 Guyana Commemorates 50th Anniversary Of The Republic.

Upcoming issues:-

🇬🇾 Guyana Post Office Corporation - 30 December 2019 - Golden Jubilee of The Republic Of Guyana.

🇺🇸 IGPC - Products detailed in Blog 1582 now illustrated:-

🇦🇬 Antigua And Barbuda - 1 November 2019 - ‘Chinese art’ (Terracotta warriors).

🇬🇩 Grenada - ?2019 - Wildlife of Madagascar.

🇬🇾 Guyana - 25 November 2019 - Plants (cacti).

🇰🇳 Nevis - 6 January 2020 - Rabbits.

6 January 2020 - Sea animals.

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea - ?2019 - HH Dorje Chang Buddha III.

🇹🇻 Tuvalu - ?2019 - Centenary of Female Franchise in The United States.

🇰🇳 St Kitts - ?2019 - 150th Birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

🇲🇾 The 2020 programme of new issues from Pos Malaysia has been outlined:-

6 February - Malaysian calligraphy part 2
To be announced - Visit Malaysia Year 2020
26 March - Wild flowers part 3
2 April - Dying trades
28 April - APEC Malaysia 2020
5 May - Hidden treasure of Malaysia
6 June - Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong
25 June - Malaysian batik part 3
9 July - Durian fruit
28 July - Malaysian Street art
13 August - Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa, part 2
27 August - The world’s tallest tree in Sabah
16 September - Malaysia Day
9 October - World Post Day
20 October - Stamp Week
2 November - Historic literature, UNESCO
2 December - Unique architecture

🇹🇿 PAPU (Pan African Postal Union) - commemorating its 40th anniversary in 2020 and holding its meeting in Arusha in Tanzania from 17 to 19 January. Look out for stamps from the postal services and philatelic agencies of various African territories including, I assume, Tanzania.

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Post. 4 February 2020. ‘24 Solar terms - Spring’. 6 semi-circular stamps and 1 miniature sheet. Designed by Arde Lam and lithographed by Cartor (miniature sheet on ‘silk’) and perforated 13.5. An attractive issue but there is no obvious reason for this issue. Rating:- *.

🇸🇬 It seems that Singapore Post is planning to release the following issues during 2020:-

8 January - Year Of The Rat (see Blog 1571)
11 January - Bicentenary of Policing in Singapore (see Blog 1580)
24 January - Chinese new year - Steam boat (family feast on the eve of the Chinese New Year - 1 miniature sheet containing a single stamp).

April - Singapore mascots
May - Singapore skyline
June - Joint issue with Mongolia
June - Technology
July - Olympic Games, Tokyo
August - Quirks in the Island city
September - 75th anniversary of the Japanese surrender of Singapore
October - Joint issue with Hungary
November- Pioneer artist.