Covers with special postmarks..

 

Discussion

Critical Analysis of the cover :

Mr Pradip Kumar Malik of Patna has sent scan of this cover for Critical analysis. I am giving here special comments  on this cover by Dr Avinash B. Jagtap .

 

Expert Comments by Dr Avinash B. Jagtap

The cover sent from the USA with the personality stamp depicting one of the best character representing screen-play actor Gregory Peck. The cancellation reads "Mocking Bird Station". Late Mr. Gregory Peck acted in the film with the caption " To kill a Mocking Bird". Of-course the post office from where the envelope was dispatched has the same name (of course it must have been given after the film with the name "To kill a mocking Bird" was screened). It is a pictorial cancellation. The cover can be shown in a display which is based on "Famous Actors" or "Famous Films". Unfortunately the cancellation is rather too big and touches only one side of the stamp affixed to the cover. Had it been fully applied to all three stamps, it would have been difficult to read it (as the stamp itself is in grey-black colour). The cover can also be displayed in a collection on birds, but only with some reservations.

My recent Covers

I have received two special covers from Mrs Radha Ramalingam  of Thiruvannamalai. Many thanks to Mrs Ramalingam for the covers.

Critical analysis of the cover :

On the Brihadeesarar Temple  cover the  special postmark does not touch the stamp so philatelically it cannot be regarded as  an appropriate special cover.

Cover from USA

I received this cover with nice stamps from USA, sent by Mr Charles. The cover is not cancelled and it bears a personalized stamp with two stamps from USPS.

Thanks to Mr Charles Jensen, Florida- USA

 

Thanks to Mr Wolfgang Bayer, Germany

Read More

New stamp on 50th anniversary of Amnesty International..

Date of Issue : 9 June 2011

German Post issued a postage  stamp on 9th June 2011 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International organization.

Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty and AI) is an international non-governmental organization whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."

Following a publication of Peter Benenson's article "The Forgotten Prisoners" in The Observer 28 May 1961, Amnesty was founded in London the same year. Amnesty draws attention to human rights abuses and campaigns for compliance with international laws and standards. It works to mobilize public opinion to put pressure on governments that let abuse take place. The organization was awarded the 1977 Nobel Peace Prize for its "campaign against torture" and the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights in 1978.

Norway and Luxembourg Post have also issued this year commemorative stamps on 50 years of Amnesty International.

Norway

Date of Issue : 15 April 2011

Luxembourg

 

Date of Issue :  15 March 2011

 

 

 

On March 15th 2011, the Luxembourg Posts and Telecommunications issues: A special postage stamp ( Actual price of the stamp : 0,60 €) - European Year of Volunteering.

50 years of Amnesty International
European Year of Volunteering aims in a general way to encourage and support, particularly through an exchange of experiences and good practices, the efforts achieved by Member States, regional and local authorities as well as civilians to create favourable conditions for volunteering in the European Union and to increase the visibility of activities in a broad range of volunteering activities.

The European Year has the following objectives:

• 1. To work to put in place a favourable framework for volunteering in the European Union.
• 2. To provide the means for voluntary organisations to act and improve the quality of volunteers.
• 3. To reward and recognise the activities of volunteers.
• 4. To increase public awareness of the value and importance of volunteering.

 

 

Read More

My Recent Covers….

 

 

Wolfgang Bayer, Germany

Edmund Ong, Singapore

Viviana Cernjul, Argentina

Thanks a lot Viviana, Edmund and Wolfgang Bayer for these nice covers.

Permanent Pictorial Cancellations

Tamil Nadu

Permanent Pictorial Postmark – 19 – Madhumalai Sanctuary

The cover illustration and postmark shows Gaur (or) Indian Bison, native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The species is listed as vulnerable and it is the largest species of wild cattle, bigger than the African buffalo, the extinct aurochs, and wild water buffalo. India Post issued a stamp on Gaur in 1963.

Date of Inauguration of PPP - April 05, 1975

The Mudumalai National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, now also declared a Tiger Reserve, lies on the northwestern side of the Nilgiri Hills, in Nilgiri District, about 160 km north-west of Coimbatore in the westernmost part of Tamil Nadu, on the interstate boundaries with Karnataka and Kerala states. Mudumalai, which means 'first hills’, is one of the first wildlife sanctuaries established in India. The Western Ghats, Nilgiri Sub-Cluster, including all of Mudumalai National Park, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for selection as a World Heritage Site.

: Kasinath R.- Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu)

Blog : My Watercraft Philately

Read More

Fruits and Butterflies on new Hungarian Stamps…

Date of Issue : 6 May 2011

Hi ! I In this Post some nice stamps featuring fruits and Butterflies…Well this is the time of fruits…..Magyar Posta issued a set of two stamps on 6 May 2011 featuring fruits from Hungary.The HUF 145 stamp shows the domesticated apple and the HUF 310 stamp depicts the cat’s head pear. Another set features beautiful butterflies and Moths with a nice MS. Both the sets are colorful and very attractive and sure to be liked by all stamp lovers !! This is all for this evening ….Till Next Post …Have a Nice Time !!

Domesticated apple

Its origin is uncertain but it was certainly grown in the 16th century in France. In Hungary it is still grown in small gardens and vineyards on the Great Plain. It ripens in August. Its 240-300 g fruit is a flattened ball with a whitish yellow flesh and stripy skin, and there is also a single colour clone version. Its flesh is hard and highly acid with little flavour. It is favoured for its size and is widely used in cooking. The tree has a large crown with big leaves and remarkably small buds. It starts producing late but then produces well, albeit in phases. The species tolerates a va-riety of growing locations but it likes alkaline soil the least. The tree is excellent for old fashioned gardens and requires minimal care. The fruit can be kept until the end of September in a cool larder.

Cat’s head pear

Already cultivated in 1590 in the Bamberg nursery, it became known in French areas as well as West Hungary. Its fruit is large, about 9-9.5 cm in diameter. Its stem is thick and strong and does not drop easily. Hard skin and yellow flesh are typical with a reddish-brown skin on the sunny side. Its flesh is crispy and coarse but not stony. Sweet, but a little tart, it is the typical kitchen type. It used to be popular for stewed fruit and jelly. In France it was also fermented to make perry. During November and December after-ripening is finished but it can be kept until spring.

Moths and Butterflies from Hungary

Date of Issue : 6 May 2011

Insects with scale covered wings (Lepidoptera) include moths and butterflies, which are thought to be the last order to have evolved among arthropods. To date about 150,000 species of moths have been identified, and 3,500 are known to have occurred in the Carpathian Basin. Insects belonging to the Lepidoptera order are commonly described in Hungarian by a number of words, which can be summarised in English as moth and butterfly. Most of the species representing 40 moth families living in Hungary are small and fragile, but there are some which are large and fat, and they usually fly at night. The ones that are nocturnal are called moths in everyday speech. The word butterfly is mainly used for the splendid dainty species with beautiful coloration, which are on the wing during the day. All butterflies belong to one family only, which is represented by 4 species in Hungary. These, compared to their wonderful rela-tives living in the tropics, are elegant but modest in appearance.

The stamps of the set show, in order of ascending face value, on a white background Freyer’s Purple Emperor (Apatura metis), which is characteristic in the Danube’s catchment area, Esper’s Marbled White (Melanargia russiae), which used to live in our forest steppe areas but has now disappeared, Garden Tiger Moth (Arctia caja), now a less frequent visitor to our gardens, and the Willowherb Hawk-moth (Proserpinus proserpina), still quite common in wet meadows. In the border and the stamp design of the numbered block the splendid Large Copper with its original coloration is repeated in a delicate drawing, imparting a special rhythm. This butterfly occurs in marshland in Hungarian areas. Butterfly motifs are likewise repeated in the design of the first day cover and the special postmark.

: Magyar Posta

Wolfgang Beyer, Germany

David Jastrzbski, Dijon - France

Read More

Zodiac signs on Stamps..

 

 

 

Date of Issue : 20 May 20211

In the months of April, May and June, Canada Post is launching three more Signs of the Zodiac stamp issues, each one on the day in which each particular constellation takes its place of prominence in the zodiac calendar. On 20th May a Stamp on Gemini sign will be released.

Signs of the Zodiac: Gemini, the twins
Named for the stars Castor and Polydeuces (also known as Pollux--and the two stars together are known as the Dioscuri), Gemini means twins in Latin. The third astrological sign in the Zodiac, Gemini is considered an air sign, and is closely associated with the planet Mercury. The sun is in Gemini from approximately May 21 to June 20. However, some astrologists claim that the end of the constellation's rule is at the very moment the Solstice begins on June 21.

Date of Issue : 21 March 2011              Date of Issue : 21April 2011

Club News

A new Blog on Modern Indian Philately

A new Blog on Modern Indian Postal History and Modern Philately of India, has been created by noted philatelist of Vadodara, Mr Prashant Pandya. Idea of creating this blog ‘Glimpses of Modern Indian Philately’ by Mr Pandya is conceived to provide, share and discuss information exclusively on Modern Postal History or Modern Philately of India. Collectors of Modern Indian Philately around the world are invited to share the knowledge and information on the subject. Read the first article on History of the Indian Post Office….

View Blog : http://modernindianphilately.blogspot.com/

My Recent Covers

Dear Friends, Thank you very much for all your covers and other nice items.

Wolfgang Beyer, Germany

From a Blogger Friend ….

Kumar Kamleshwar Nair, Trivandrum

Blog : http://www.collectindianstamps.com/

Read More

125 Years of the first Automobile …

Date of Issue : 5 May 2011

German Post  issued a commemorative postage stamp on 7 May to mark 125 years of very first automobile of the world.

To mark such a momentous occasion in its history of manufacturing premium cars, Mercedes-Benz has teamed up with the German Federal Finance Ministry in order to create two very special artifacts, namely a specially-designed postage stamp and coin.

Illustrated on the stamp is the very first car ever invented along with its patent dating back to the January 29, 1886.

Special Coins

Beginning on June 9 this year, the commemorative coin will be issued in denomination of 10 euro The coin is shaped like a steering wheel . In a statement issued to the press, Mercedes-Benz explains that "125 years ago the Kaiserliche Patentamt (Imperial Patent Office) in Berlin granted Benz & Co. in Mannheim the patent No. 37,435 for a "vehicle with a gas engine drive system." This patent is seen as the birth certificate of the automobile.

Permanent Pictorial Cancellations

Gujarat

Shri Somnath Temple

Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel

: Vijay Modi – Himmat Nagar, Gujarat e mail : vijay_idom@rediffmail.com

Tamil Nadu

Pictorial Permanent Postmark - 3 – Srirangam

Date of Inauguration of PPP - January 17, 1981

Srirangam is located 2 Km north of Tiruchirappalli City. The postmark depicts Sheshanaag. In Hindu tradition, Shesha or Adi-shesha (Sheshanaag) is the king of all nagas (snakes/serpents), one of the primal beings of creation. Shesha is generally depicted with a massive form that floats coiled in space, or on the universal ocean, to form the bed on which Lord Vishnu lies. The Srirangam temple complex is composed of 7 concentric walled sections and 21 gopurams (towers). The main gopuram of the temple is called the Rajagopuram and is 236 feet (72 m) tall, the tallest in Asia. The temple has numerous pillars with intrinsic sculptures. The Shesharaya mandapa (Horsecourt Hall) is in the eastern entrance of the temple and has 8 intricately carved monolithic (carved of single rock) pillars of men on rearing horses (depicted on special cover  as well as in photo).

: Kasinath R.,Thanjavur email : kasinath80@gmail.com
Blog : My Watercraft Philately - http://shipthemegallery.blogspot.com/

Read More

Butterflies of Israel…

 

 

Date of Issue : 12 April 2011

 

Israel post has issued a magnificent butterflies  sheet of six different stamps this month. The sheet is with the tabs of butterflies and the gutter strip shows flowers. Lovely marginal pictorial tabs are specialty of Israeli stamps.

Butterflies’ vibrant colors and gentle flight overwhelm us with feelings of wonder and joy. These beautiful flying insects have inspired artists, poets and intellectuals alike. Their wondrous life cycle, called a “complete cycle”, is made up of four stages: egg, caterpillar, pupa and adult. A complete cycle from egg to adult is called a generation. Some butterfly species produce one generation per year while others produce numerous generations within a single year. The lifespan of an adult butterfly varies among species, with adults of some species living for approximately one week and others for a number of weeks or even months. Some species are considered to be local while others migrate for distances of hundreds and thousands of kilometers.

To date, some 150,000 species belonging to the Lepidoptera order have been identified throughout the world, of which approximately 20,000 species are butterflies, and the rest are moths.

In Israel there are an estimated 2,300 Lepidoptera species, including 142 species of butterflies. Mt. Hermon is the richest butterfly species site in Israel, with no less than 100 different species! Mt. Hermon is the southernmost point of distribution for 30 of these 100 species, which do not fly to any other areas in Israel.

Overall, Israel’s butterfly population may be categorized into seven families. Five of those families are represented among the butterflies featured in the stamp series:

Swallowtail - Papilio machaon syriacus represents the Papilionidae family. Many members of this family display prominent colors, including black, yellow and red. These colors serve to warn birds and lizards that they are poisonous.

Red admiral - Vanessa atalanta represents the Nymphalidae family. Like many of the species belonging to this family, this butterfly remains camouflaged as long as its wings are closed because its underwings are dull in color, revealing its bold colors only when its wings are open wide.

Caper white - Anaphaeis aurota represents the Pieridae family of white and yellow butterflies. This butterfly’s white wings are decorated with black markings. This species migrates to Israel from Africa nearly every summer and it may be seen flying throughout Israel until early winter.

Plain tiger - Danaus chrysippus is the only representative of the Danainae family to be found in Israel. It migrates annually from Africa to Israel and belongs to the same scientific genus as the American Monarch butterfly, considered to be the most famous butterfly in the world thanks to the tremendous distances it migrates.

Common blue - Polyommatus icarus zelleri and Tawny silver-line - Apharitis acamas represent the largest family of butterflies in Israel – the Lycaenidae family. Like many of the males belonging to this family, the Common blue male is bright blue in color in order to attract females, while the coloring of the Tawny silver-line allows it to blend into its surroundings and remain camouflaged from its enemies.

Butterflies Assist in Biodiversity

Conservation

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently declared that the threat of extinction of animal and plant species has reached a level of global crisis. Within the framework of worldwide efforts to curb extinction, butterflies have been identified as effective bio-indicators of ecosystem changes and have become an important component in natural and environmental preservation. While constant and long term monitoring of butterfly species provides information regarding the loss and extinction of rare butterflies, no less importantly, a dwindling of butterfly varieties also indicates a similar dwindling of plant species and various other animal groups. Members of The Israeli Lepidopterists Society promote national butterfly monitoring in Israel, doing so throughout the country. The Society also initiated a bill to protect 14 endangered butterflies species and a law was enacted in 2009.

My recent Covers

Wolgang Beyer, Germany

Roland Montagne, France

Read More