New Special Covers…

Centenary Celebrations of M. George Muthoot

18 June 2011

India Post, Kerala Postal Circle issued a Special cover on 18-06-2011 on the Occasion of Centenary Celebrations of M. George Muthoot (1911-2011).  M George, born in the Muthoot family at Kozhencherry, after a career in the Army, launched his own business venture in 1939-40, realising the potential of the banking and finance sectors.  Today, his business has expanded across the country and abroad.  His vision of earmarking a part of his business profit for social causes, for protection of the environment and the needy continue to inspire the endeavor of the Muthoot Group.

 

   

Loyalla School, Trivandrum

4 June 2011

India Post, Kerala Postal Circle released a Special Cover on Loyola School - 50th Year of Excellence in Education on 04-06-2011.Envisioned by the Jesuits and established in 1961, Loyola School, Thiruvananthapuram celebrates its Golden Jubilee in 2011-2012.

25 Year of Papal visit to Thrissur

1 May 2011

Kerala Postal Circle released a Special cover on 01-05-2011  on the occasion of 25 Year of Papal visit to Thrissur and Blessing of the Papal Rostrum at Thrissur .

Cover design depicts the portrait of Pope John Paul II with Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours Shrine built in 1940 in the Indo-gothic style and cancellation design depicts Papal Rostrum n the Bible Tower square at Thrissur.

The Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours, Thrissur, Kerala is a Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Centre.  Its 260 foot tall Bible Tower is believed to be the highest Church Tower in India.  The Papal Rostrum in the Bible Tower square is a memorial marks the Silver Jubilee of the visit of Pope John Paul II to Thrissur on 7th Febrauary 1986. 

 

Wind Power India

7 April 2011

India Post, Tamil Nadu Circle issued a special Cover on 7-4-2011 on the occasion of International Conference and Exhibition - WIND POWER INDIA -April 7-9, 2011 at Chennai.

India ranks fifth in the world in terms of installed capacity of wind power and contributes about 4% of the total power generation in the country.  Being a clean energy source, wind power can help in arresting Global Warming.  Currently, wind power is the most dominant player in the renewable energy segment.  India is a matured market with technologically advanced manufacturing which can easily meet domestic requirement and export opportunities.

: Sreejesh Krishnan - Trivandrum

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Clown Care – best way to treat patients

 

Date of Issue : 27 June 2011

Hi ! Israel Post issued a wonderful stamp featuring Clown Care on 27 June 2011. Clown care is a way of treating patients by humor, games and clowning as well as giving them required medicines in order to cheer patients' spirits and enable them to get well soon. It is the best way to treat patients and make them to smile and forget their illness ….it would be really nice if it is used in every child’s hospital. This is all for today…Till Next Post..Have a Nice Time !

Clown care..

The image of a clown entertaining a sick child in hospital that appears on this stamp has become the symbol of clown care in Israel and around the world.

In the 1970's Dr. Patch Adams, considered to be the founder of clown care, was determined to change doctors' patronizing attitude toward their patients and to get them to see those patients as people, not just as cases. Patch Adams claimed that combined treatment of both the body and the spirit is the best way to defeat disease. He utilized a lot of humor, games and clowning in order to improve patients' spirits. The highly successful 1998 film 'Patch Adams', starring Robin Williams, portrayed his work.

A number of years after Patch Adams began his mission, real clowns from the Big Apple Circus began visiting children's wards in New York hospitals. Adams' message spread quickly and today medical clowns operate in most countries around the world, working in conjunction with medical teams.

Clown care came to Israel in 2000, with Shlomi Algosi considered to be the first Israeli medical clown.

New Philatelic Issues from Israel Post, June 2011

Improving Tomatoes through Breeding

 

Butterfly Booklet from Israel Post

Israel Post has recently issued a beautiful stamp  booklet  of butterfly stamps.

Special Covers

Bihar

Ashok Stambh ( Vasishali)- Wheeler Senate Hall Patna

BIPEX 82 – 8.2. 1982

: Ashwani Dubey - Gorakhpur 

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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

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New Special Cover from Lucknow…

 

 

A special cover was issued  on 25 June 2011 by UP Postal Circle on 200 years celebration of Hazratganj.

Special Cover release ceremony

 

 

On the occassion of 200 years celebration of Hazratganj,Lucknow,a Special Cover released by CPMG.U.P.Shri.Kamlesh Chandra, Dr.R.K.Pachauri  at Sangeet Natya Academy, Gomti Nagar,Lucknow on evening of 25-06-2011.

( Dr Pachauri was elected Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and The IPCC shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore )

For cover exchange Sandeep Chaurasia may be contact at email : sandeepchaurasiagkp@gmail.com

: Sandeep Chaurasia – Gorakhpur

Hazratganj

Hazratganj  is situated in the heart of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.It was built by Amjad Ali Shah.The Hazratganj road in Hazratganj was earlier called Queens Way, and was open only to British carriages before Independence.

It is a major shopping area of Lucknow. It houses showrooms and retail stores of almost all major consumer-goods manufacturers in India. From car-dealers to jewellery stores to antiques, one can shop for almost anything at Hazratganj. Hazratganj also has got many shops selling the famous Lucknow Chikan material.

On 200 years celebration of Hazratganj, In 2010-11, a major beautification drive took place in Hazratganj  and the market now resembles a Victorian era walkway with bright lamps, benches and fountains.

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Special Cover on Gaiety Theatre, Shimla..

HP Postal Circle issued a new special cover on 6 June 2011 on famous Gaiety Theatre of Shimla.

Gaiety Theatre Shimla

Gaiety Theatre

The Gaiety Theatre was originally part of a huge town hall complex in the neo-Gothic style, spanning the Mall and the Ridge.

The architect Henry Irwin, who built the Viceregal Lodge, designed the theatre building. In 1911, the upper portions of the building were dismantled as the structure was found to be unsafe. It was opened on the 30th of May, 1887, Queen Victoria's Jubilee Year and its God- Father was lord Bill Beresford, who saved the Simla A.D.C.(Amateur Dramatic Club) , time and again from financial ruin. The formal inauguration of the Simla A.D.C. took place in the year 1888 and since then plays have been staged in the Gaiety with unfailing regularity.The history of ADC goes back to the times when theatre was looked upon as a major and serious source of entertainment and, therefore became a cultural necessity for the English elite. Hence, Shimla became the home of amateur theatre and the Gaiety Theatre produced the best of the plays performed in London.

Among the leading theatre personalities connected with the Shimla Amateur Dramatic Club are: Field Marshal Lord Roberts, who remained president of the Club from 1891-1892 during his tenure as Commander-in-Chief of India; Major P.H. Dnyer, a distinguished producer and actor who acted in Loyalties, Interference and Mary Rose; Lord Bill Beresford, V.C. who was the Military Secretary to Viceroy Lord Lytton, famous poet and author Rudyard Kipling, Lord Kitchner, Mrs. Deane, Major General Sir Godfrey Williams, the Chief of Scouts, Colonel Baden-Powell, and Sir Dennis Fitz Patrick, Lieut-Governor of Punjab during 1895 and many others. Notable film personalities like K.L. Saigal, Prithvi Raj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Jennifer Kendall, Raj Babbar, Anupam Kher, Manohar Singh, Nasseerudin Shah, frequently performed on the stage of the Gaiety theatre.

My recent Covers

David Jastrzebski, Dijon – France

Roland Raulsague – France

Hello Roland, Thanks for the cover. It is difficult to read your address on envelop. Please email me your full address.

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Icebergs on Stamps…

Date of Issue : 7 June 2011

Here is a set of 4 new stamps and a MS issued by Australian Antarctic Territory depicting picturesque view of icebergs. In addition to stamps and MS, Stamp booklet and Max cards have also been issued.

Icebergs

Literally meaning ice mountain, an iceberg is a large piece of ice formed from freshwater that has broken off from a snow-formed glacier or ice-shelf and is floating in open water.

The largest recorded icebergs have been carved, or broken off, from the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica. Iceberg B-15, when photographed in 2000, measured 295 km long by 37 km wide, with a surface area of 11,000 kilometres. Icebergs are generally described by shape and include tabular, dome, pinnacle, wedge and dry-dockan eroded iceberg resulting in a "hole".

Including all its islands and ice shelves, Antarctica is nearly twice the size of Australia, covering 13,661,000 square kilometres. The Australian Antarctic Territory is 5,896,500 square kilometres, or 42 per cent of the region.

The stamps in this issue capture the beauty of icebergs, revealing their different shapes, colours, effects and textures.

: Australia Post

Australian Antarctic Territory

The Australian Antarctic Territory (AAT) is a part of Antarctica. It was claimed by the United Kingdom and placed under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1933. It is the largest territory of Antarctica claimed by any nation. Since the Antarctic Treaty came into force in 1961, Article 1 of which states "The treaty does not recognize, dispute, nor establish territorial sovereignty claims; no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force", most countries do not recognize territorial claims in Antarctica.

The territory is inhabited by the staff of research stations. The Australian Antarctic Division administers the area primarily by maintaining three year-round stations (Mawson, Davis and Casey), which support various research projects.

Special Covers

North East

Palbheu – 2005 Sikkim Philately Exhibition

: Ashwani Dubey, Gorakhapur

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Children's TV stars on stamps..

 

Date of Issue : 8 June 2011

Post Danmark issued two stamps on 8 June 2011, two of DR’s children's TV stars: Bruno and Teddy. cartoon films are favourite of children all over the world. These stamps are sure to be liked by children and those collecting on ‘ children theme ’. This stamps have a white background so the characters look very bright and attractive .

Teddy

The good-natured Teddy lives in a secret den in a secret forest, where he goes on adventures with his adult friends Aske, Luna and Viola. His best friend is Chicken, who is younger but sometimes smarter than Teddy. His youngest friend, Duckling, does not understand very much and so can be a bit trying.

Bruno

Bruno the Bear made his television debut in 2005 as the door opener for the advent-calendar serial “Teddy’s Christmas Journey”. He is an old, badly worn bear, filled with hay and straw. Instead of a right paw, he has a claw, which is sometimes replaced with a pizza-slicer or a flamethrower. Bruno usually sees himself as the centre of the universe. He speaks with slight Jutland accent and, as seen on the stamp, he loves French fries.

Special Covers

North East

Letter writing Campaign

Gangtok : 19 June 2003

Image source : Ashwani Dubey, Gorakhpur

Discussion

Critical Analysis of the cover : The 3 elements of the above cover are not co-related. The stamp is on Energy conservation, cover illustration shows Rhododendron and the cancellation shows “letter writing campaign”. Not a good item for thematic collection . All the three elements must have relation with each other.

Club News

News for Coin & Banknote collectors…

Issue of 10/- denomination banknotes with inset letter "B" in both numbering panels in Mahatma Gandhi Series 2005 bearing the signature of Dr. D. Subbarao, Governor

The Reserve Bank of India will shortly issue Rs 10/- denomination banknotes with inset letter "B" in both numbering panels in Mahatma Gandhi Series 2005 bearing the signature of Dr. D. Subbarao, Governor, Reserve Bank of India. Except for the change in the inset letter, the design of these notes to be issued now is similar in all respects to the banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi Series 2005 issued earlier. All banknotes in the denomination of 10/- issued by the Bank in the past will continue to be legal tender.

Issue of ` 100/- denomination banknotes with inset letter "L" in both numbering panels in Mahatma Gandhi Series bearing the signature of Dr. D. Subbarao, Governor

The Reserve Bank of India will shortly issue ` 100/- denomination banknotes with inset letter "L" in both numbering panels in Mahatma Gandhi Series with the signature of Dr. D. Subbarao, Governor, Reserve Bank of India and the year 2011 printed on the back of the Bank note. Except for the change in the inset letter, the design of these notes to be issued now is similar in all respects to the banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi Series 2005 issued earlier. All banknotes in the denomination of ` 100/- issued by the Bank in the past will continue to be legal tender.

- Vishal Sanganeria , Guwahati

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Monuments of Science and Technology..

 

 

On 16th May Russian Post issued a Souvenir sheet featuring four monuments of Science and technology.

Design on the stamps:
1. The clock on the Central Telegraph building. Moscow.
2. The clock on the building of the Admiralty. St. Petersburg.
3. The clock on the building of Moscow State University. University. Moscow.
4. The clock on the building of the railway station. Sochi.

Club News

Sad demise of a senior philatelist from Karnataka

Noted senior philatelist from Karnataka Dr. P. G. Krishnamurthy passed away . He was found dead in unnatural condition near his house on 10th June. Dr. Krishnamurthy was an ardent philatelist and researcher of Modern Indian Postal History. He did extensive study on various aspects of Modern Indian Postal Services. We express our deepest condolences on sad demise of Dr Krishnamurthy. May his soul rest in peace

Read detailed news on Mr Prashant Pandya’s Blog :

http://modernindianphilately.blogspot.com/

Special Covers

Bihar

: Ashwani Dubey - Gorakhpur

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Stamps on endangered animals..

Date of Issue : 3 June 2011

Singapore Post issued a set of four stamps on 3 June 2011 featuring endangered animal, Oriental Small-Clawed Otter.

The Oriental Small-Clawed Otter, also known as the Asian Small-Clawed Otter, is rare in Singapore, but has been recorded from the north-western coast of Singapore namely the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong. The Oriental SmallClawed Otter is regarded as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) in its Red List of Threatened Species. It is distinguished from other Asian otters by its small size, and small hands and feet with short claws that do not extend beyond their partially webbed fingers and toes. The Oriental Small-Clawed Otter inhabits mangrove swamps and freshwater wetlands.

Discussion : Appropriate special cover

Philatelic Critical analysis

In this column critical analysis of the philatelic items will be published. Interested collectors may send scans of philatelic items for expert comments by Dr Avinash Jagtap. The idea behind this column is to provide right philatelic knowledge to the readers .

Double Cancellation Cover

Contradicting facts

The above special cover issued during Ahimsapex – 2010, an exhibition on Gandhi exhibits.It must have a stamp and cancellation on Gandhi.

2. The cover featuring both Gandhi and Tagore in the illustration, must have a Tagore /Gandhi stamp

3.The cancellation shows 150th birth anniversary of Tagore. But the cover was issued on 3 Oct 2010 .The 150th birth anniversary is being celebrated in 2011.

4. The exhibition was on Mahatma Gandhi ( Ahimsapex 2010 ) so cancellation should have connection with Gandhi. The cover illustration, stamp and cancellation do not match with each other which should have common connection. No use of taking another cancellation of First issue of Tagore stamp on the same cover. This cover could give you negative points in the exhibition. Read expert comments by Dr. Avinsah B. Jagtap .

Two special cancellations on the same cover ……..

The first cancellation showing Tagore was impressed on a stamp which has nothing to do with Tagore. The cancellation must have some direct relation with the illustration on the stamp. In fact the whole cover has three different themes and they are not at all inter-related. First the choice of the illustrated blank Cover as it is available before affixing a stamp shows Mahatma Gandhiji and Rabindranath Tagore. This indicates that the stamp which will be affixed must have to do with Mahatmaji AND Rabindranath Tagore, but in fact the stamp shows another personality......"Virchand Raghav Ji Gandhi" . (different from Mahatmaji) and the first special cancellation shows Rabindranath. So this is a very much absurd situation and this Cover has no philatelic bearing. In fact it is a trash, "kitsch"! By adding another stamp on Rabindranath Tagore and putting one more special cancellation, the whole thing has become very ridiculous. This can not be considered something of any value and shows only the poor philatelic knowledge of the collector.

- Dr Avinash B. Jgatap, Switzerland

Club News

The India International Hot Air Balloon Mela was held in Delhi from 13^th to 28^th November 2010. The inaugural hot air balloon was from near Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial. This was the first time a Hot Air Balloon Flight was initiated from near Rajghat.

To commemorate this event, 50 individually numbered Special Cards were prepared by Nikhil Mundra, Gandhi Philatelist (www.gandhistamps.com). All 50 cards were then flown aboard the inaugural flight of the Balloon Mela from Rajghat on the 13^th November 2010.

The cards feature an artwork depicting the Rajghat memorial, the main gate and the 0 km milestone at Rajghat.

For more details visit: http://gandhiballoon.blogspot.com

- Nikhil Mundra email : nikchik135@gmail.com

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