Pride of India Collection…

 

 

Hi ! Here is the recent issue from Pride of India Collection featuring national animal of India, the Royal Bengal Tiger . It’s a gold plated replica of the stamp. The stamp was originally issued on 7 October 1963 . This is one of 25 best selected stamps for the series of Pride of India Collection jointly launched by India Post & Hallmark Group.This is all for this evening..…Till Next Post…….Have a Great Time !

ROYAL BENGAL TIGER

Original Stamp Issue Date : 7 October 1963

 

For more details log on to : http://www.prideofindiacollection.com/

Royal Bengal Tiger

Scientific Name: Panthera tigris

Habitat and Distribution
Tigers are widely distributed from the alpine Himalayas to the rain forests of southern Western Ghats and from the dry forests of Rajasthan to the moist forests of north-east India.

Unique Characteristics
The tiger is one of the largest and most awesome predators in the world. This species undoubtedly fascinates every eye it meets. The body length of the majestic male ranges from 275-290 cm and of the female around 260 cm. The size and colour vary according to the geographic location and climate. Tiger is solitary and territorial and the territory of an adult male may encompass territories of two to seven females. It is carnivorous and hunts for prey primarily by sight and sound. It feeds on deer, wild pig, bovid and sometimes even other predators like leopards and bears.

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New Stamps on Science and Wildlife..

 

 

Date of Issue : 23 June 2011

Thailand : Science and Technology

Hi ! In this post some new stamps on Science and wildlife. Both the themes are popular with topical stamp collectors all over the world.Thailand Post will issue a stamp on 23 June 2011 on 120th anniversary of development of Science service. The design of the stamp is excellent giving the striking view of science and technology theme. The postmark  of First day issue is very nice and most appropriate for this theme. The other beautiful set from Falkland Islands feature WWF sea lion stamps. This is all for this evening…..Till Next Post….Have a Nice Time !!..

 

120th anniversary of development of Science Service

Falkland Islands : Wildlife

Date of Issue : 30 May 2011

The Falkland Islands Post  issued  a set of 4 WWF Southern sea lion stamps.

Sea lions are resident in the Falklands . Numbers have declined dramatically since the 1930's when the Falklands held a large proportion of the world's population of Southern sea lion.

The Southern sea lion (Otaria flavescens) is perhaps the archetypal sea lion in appearance. Males have a very large head with a well developed lion-like mane, making them the most lionesque of the eared seals.  Females are smaller and lighter in colour, varying from buff to light grey-brown. Pups are born black or dark brown before moulting to a more chocolate colour. All sea lions look very dark when wet.

Southern sea lions frequently feed in kelp beds and often at night. They sometimes prey on penguins, but their main food is octopus, squid, lobster krill and fish caught reasonably close to the shore.

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New stamps from Philippines…

In line with the celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of National Hero of Philippines, Jose Rizal, the Philippine Postal Corporation is coming up with the Jose Rizal@150 stamps which will be issued on June 19, 2011.

150th Birth anniversary of Jose Rizal

José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda(June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896, Bagumbayan), was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reforms in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by National Heroes Committee, and the anniversary of Rizal's death is commemorated as a Philippine holiday called Rizal Day. Rizal's 1896 military trial and execution at the age of thirty five, made him a martyr of the Philippine Revolution.

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Exhibition of Jose Rizal stamps in Manila

Philpost launched an exhibit of stamps and other memorabilia dubbed as “ Rizaliana Collection on Stamps Exhibit by Jorge Cuyugan and Philatelic friends” last Monday, June 13 at the lobby of the historic Manila Central Post Office Building in Liwasang Bonifacio, Manila. The exhibit will run until the 30th of June.

On display are complete sets of Rizal stamps issued by PhilPost including winning artworks of the Jose Rizal stamp design contest conducted by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).

The exhibit contains an almost complete collection of Rizalian stamps and other philatelic items limited to his self portrait, monuments and works from the very first issue of 1906 to the latest issues of Rizal stamps on June 19 which are presented in chronological order with introductory texts for each issue.

The exhibit will feature all original items never before featured or shown in any exhibits for viewers . Visitors and students will also have the chance to view special related trivia’s, pictures and Rizalian collections.

New WWF Stamps featuring Crocodiles

Date of Issue : 16 May 2011

The Philippine Postal Corporation has issued WWF Crocodile stamps. The set is classified as a "Special" kind of issue with a denomination of P 7.00 and quantity of 132,000 pieces. Also to be released are miniature sheets of eight with a denomination of P 56.00 and quantity of 6,000 pieces per design.

The Philippine crocodile is strictly protected under Philippine law. The Wildlife Act prohibits the killing, selling or keeping of the species. The Philippine government initiates a captive breeding program for the species. The University of Southern Mindanao has a crocodile conservation project in Ligawasan Marsh. The Mabuwaya Foundation and Isabela State University implement a project to preserve the Philippine crocodile in the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park by educating people, protecting fresh water habitat and reintroducing the species in the wild.

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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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World Environment Day..

 

 

World Environment Day (WED) is observed on June 5 every year to promote awareness on the importance of preserving our biodiversity, the need to identify problems related to the environment and ways to take corrective action. It was on this day in the year 1972 that the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was formed. First celebrated in 1973, World Environment Day, also popularly known as Environment Day, is a means to tackle environmental challenges that include climate change, global warming, disasters and conflicts, harmful substances, environmental governance, ecosystem management and resource efficiency.

Each year, World Environment Day is hosted in a different city with a different theme for one week that kicks off on June 5. A World Environment Day theme is selected along with an Environment Day slogan, which aims to emphasize the importance of protecting our planet and promote an understanding that they each individually can play a significant and effective role in tackling environmental issues.

World Environment Day 2011

This year, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has selected India as host of World Environment Day 2011. The Environment Day 2011 slogan is ‘Forest: Nature at your service’. Forests cover 1/3 of the earth’s land mass and play a key role in our battle against climate change, and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere while storing carbon dioxide – this is what the theme aims to reinforce.

 

Theme : Forests

: Hemant Jain- Mandla (MP)

News from our Readers….

Exclusive stamp exhibition in Stedtlingen, Germany

“ THE WORLD OF ANIMALS IN PHILATELY”

From July 2^nd to July 3^rd a philatelic exhibition will be held with the title “ THE WORLD OF ANIMALS IN PHILATELY” in the community Rhönblick, local district Stedtlingen, Germany. The exhibition is organized by the Stamp Collector Group BSV MEININGEN in cooperation with the topical collector group ARGE ZOOLOGIE from Germany. Two pictorial postmarks will be available during the exhibition. One of the postmarks featuring a local ORCHID and the other one the SUNDEW.

Indian residents who are interested in both cancellations, please contact Mr. Matthias Reichel email: reichel.matthias@t-online.de or Wolfgang Beyer , email Wolfgang.Beyer1@polizei.sachsen.de . Postal address of Indian residents is requested for delivery of envelopes.

- Wolfgang Beyer, member of Staff from the topical collector group ARGE ZOOLOGIE

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New Stamps from Czech Republic…

 

 Date of Issue : 15 June 2011

Ceska Posta will issue two stamps on 15 June 2011 featuring European hamster and commemorating European Florists Championship Europa Cup 2011. Both the stamps are beautiful and good collecting items for the lovers of Flora and Fauna.

Young Animals - Cricetus Cricetus

The European hamster (Cricetus Cricetus) is a species of hamsters relative to voles. The European hamster is a medium-sized, stout-bodied animal with short legs. The tail is short and furred. It is often taken for a marmot, but unlike a marmot, the European hamster is more colourful, with yellow to orange brown dorsal fur with black ends, and a dark brown to black chest and belly. The top head fur is reddish, with white or yellow patches behind the ears and on the nose (and on the front legs). The animal changes its rather thick coat colour once a year. Other prominent features include very large cheek poaches, and flank glands of males that are much larger during the breeding season.

The European hamster is a nocturnal species. It is an excellent runner and jumper. It lives in separate burrows, consisting of tunnels 6-8 cm in diameter, nesting chamber, hibernating chamber, food and storage chambers and droppings chamber. It can burrow as deep as 2 meters in winter months when it hibernates. Females usually have 2-5 litters each year. The gestation period is 20 days, and the size of the litter ranges from 3 to 12 young. It is native to a large area extending from south-west Siberia (the Yenisey river) to Belgium and north-east France.

Date of Issue 15 June 2011

European Florists Championship Europa Cup 2011

Like the Olympic games, the top prestigious EUROPA CUP competition in floral design takes place once every four years in one of the member countries of FLORINT, the European Federation of Professional Florist Associations. The federation was formed in Strasbourg in 1956 under the name Fédération Européenne des Unions Professioneless des Fleuristes (FEUPF) and changed its name to Florint in January 2009.

The first of these professional florist competitions was held in 1967. The EUROPA CUP 2011 will be held on August 31st - September 5th, 2011 and it will be the first time the competition will be held in the Czech Republic. The City of Havířov and the Czech Union of Flower Growers and Florists will be the organizers.

The competitors will come from 24 European countries. The six disciplines will take them through the history of the organizing city and the history of Czech music. A couple of the competition themes will reflect Havířov's early history and its relationship with coal and flowers. The next theme will be the 170th anniversary of Antonín Dvořák's birth. The final theme will focus on fashion and surprise.

: Česká pošta

From our Readers

Permanent Pictorial Cancellations

Uttaranchal

Philatelic Bureau, Dehradun

: Ashwani Dubey, Gorakhpur

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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

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New Stamps on children theme……

 

 Date of Issue : 1 June 2011

This new stamp from Czech Republic to be issued on 1st June For Children’ series commemorates Zdeněk Smetana, Czech animator, screenwriter and graphic designer.

Smetana was born on July 26th, 1925 in Prague. He worked in the Bratři v triku film studio and as a director in the Krátký film Praha film studio, received more than fifty awards at both national and international film shows and festivals, including a Golden Lion, Golden Bear, British Academy Film Award, created a large number of characters and helped animate popular Czech TV bedtime stories, such as Pohádky z mechu a kapradí (featuring Křemílek and Vochomůrka), Rákosníček, Štaflík a Špagetka, Radovanovy radovánky and Malá čarodějnice (The Little Witch). He also illustrated several children's books.

Children's drawings on stamps of Tunisia

La Poste Tunisienne has issued two stamps depicting two paintings by Tunisian children to promote their creative talents, to share and develop their artistic skills and encourage them to express their creativity. The first stamp is the work of the schoolboy Syrine Zouari representing a boy and a girl taking the flag of Tunisia under a radiant blue sky, symbolizing the love of the young students for their country.

At the second stamp, the schoolboy Mustapha Gader illustrates the Spring, through a multicolored butterfly flitting from flower to flower on a green landscape bathed in sunlight.

Permanent Pictorial Cancellations

Tamil Nadu

Permanent Pictorial Postmark – 16 – Nilgiri Tahr at Topslip

Date of Inauguration of PPP - October 14, 1980

Topslip, a part of Western ghats, is located above 240 meters from the sea level on the Anamalai mountain ranges (Hills of elephants). It is an important tourist center in Indira Gandhi National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in the Coimbatore District at the southern part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Topslip is the only entry point to Parambikulam Wild Life Reserve Forest which comes under the state of Kerala. The nearest access point to Topslip is Pollachi (about 35 Km).
The postmark shows Nilgiri Tahr (mountain goat or Nilgiri Ibex), an endangered species endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.

: Kasinath R.- Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu)

Blog : My Watercraft Philately

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Massena’s Lorikeets on new Vanuatu stamps

Date of Issue : 25 May 2011

Vanuatu Post issued a set of 4 beautiful stamps and a Miniature sheet on 25 May 2011 featuring Massena’s Lorikeets. All the stamps also bear the logo of WWF. The first day cancellation also shows a Lorikeet. It is a wonderful set for bird lovers.

Massena’s Lorikeets

Listed as a sub-species of the Rainbow Lorikeet, Massena’s Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus massena is also known as the Coconut Lory and in Bislama – Nasiviru. While the Rainbow Lorikeet, through 21 different races is found throughout Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomons and parts of Australia, Massena is found only in the Bismarck Archipelago (near New Guinea), the Solomons and throughout Vanuatu except Futuna and Lopevi. Growing to around 250mm including a 100mm tail, these striking coloured lories are mainly bright green with a red breast, bluish-mauve head and red-orange beak. They frequent flowering trees but their movements are usually erratic as they travel, even between islands, in search of food.

Growing to around 250mm including a 100mm tail, these striking coloured lories are mainly bright green with a red breast, bluish-mauve head and red-orange beak. They frequent flowering trees but their movements are usually erratic as they travel, even between islands, in search of food.

Living primarily in wooded habitat in lowland areas, they are sometimes found in steep terrain where favourite trees or shrubs are flowering. They prefer habitat other than true forest or mangroves however and are found in trees.bordering watercourses surrounding paddocks, in suburban gardens and in nearly every coconut plantation. The nectar and pollen from these coconut palm flowers form their staple diet and in return the lories are important pollinators of these trees. Other sources of food include the Indian Coral tree, the African Tulip tree and the Sago palm. They also enjoy the soft fruit of the Panama Cherry tree and ripening fruit from domestic orchards. Maize and sorghum crops are also targeted.

: Vanuatu Post

Club News

Press clipping

Limited edition khadi stamps now available

AHMEDABAD: The world's first 'khadi' stamp is available in Ahmedabad from Saturday.The stamp, with the image of Gandhiji and the charkha on a piece of khadi cloth, will be a collector's delight.
The stamp is a premium limited edition printed on a miniature sheet format. The khadi theme pertains to Mahatma Gandhi and his idea of 'self-reliance' and national pride.
It was in Ahmedabad that the idea of khadi was born with Gandhiji experimenting with the charkha in 1918.
"The postal department had never issued a stamp on any material other than paper. Our department thought it apt to introduce the khadi stamp as Gandhiji advocated the use of handspun khadi. Gandhiji called it the 'thread of life'.
"Politically, khadi was part of Gandhiji's movement to defy the economic exploitation by the British. The khadi cloth and the charkha became the symbol of India's liberation and patriotism. It is for this reason that the khadi stamp was introduced," says chief postmaster general Gujarat Humera Ahmed.
The stamp was introduced earlier this year during the World Philatelic Exhibition - Indipex 2011. But this is the first time the limited edition stamp is being sent to a few select centres across the country, including Ahmedabad, where Gandhiji set up his Satyagraha Ashram in 1915 soon after returning from South Africa.
There are only 10,000 khadi stamps printed by the India Security Press in Nasik. "Most of these stamps were sold during the exhibition in Delhi. Only a few are left and are available at a special counter at the Ahmedabad GPO," according to a senior India Post official.
The Ahmedabad GPO has also brought out a special collection of post cards to commemorate 600 years of Ahmedabad.
"We have covered the historical assets of Ahmedabad in our post cards. We wanted to come out with a souvenir for the city and a collection of post cards is an apt choice," says Ahmed.

Times of India 28 may 2011

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