EUROPA 2024

 
Under Water Flora and Fauna

Date of Issue : 12  June 2024

Sharing this wonderful souvenir sheet from Armenia. The design of the stamp is so beautiful and unique. The theme of EUROPA 2024 is under water Flora and Fauna. 

On June 12th, 2024, a souvenir sheet with one postage stamp dedicated to the theme “International. Europa 2024. Underwater Fauna & Flora” has been put into circulation.

The postage stamp of the souvenir sheet with the nominal value of 500 AMD depicts a big eye of a fish in which the underwater fauna and flora of Armenia is reflected. Particularly, the postage stamp reflects the images of a crayfish, a snake, underwater plants as well as different types of fish (i.e. Salmo ischchan gegarkuni, Capoeta capoeta sevangi, Sevan barbel) endemic to the underwater world of freshwater Lake Sevan and rivers of Armenia.

The stamp is issued within the frames of “EUROPA” annual International Competition of the Association of European Postal Operators (PostEurop). EUROPA stamps underline the development of the cooperation among European Postal Operators.

World Ocean Day

 

8 June 2024 : World Ocean Day : Bengaluru

World Ocean Day is an international day that takes place annually on 8 June. The concept was originally proposed in 1992 by Canada's International Centre for Ocean Development and the Ocean Institute of Canada at the Earth Summit – UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Karnataka Postal Circle issued a special cancellation on World Ocean Day.

- Praveen Shastry, Bangalore

Bioluminescent stamps from USPS

Date of Issue : 22 February 2018

The United States Postal Service issued  10 extraordinary stamps on 22 February 2018..This pane of 20 stamps showcases 10 examples of Bioluminescent Life.   Although these stamps do not glow in the dark, they do incorporate a special effect. The stamp pane was produced using a proprietary rainbow holographic material that is highly reflective in white light. The stamps were produced using special techniques to enhance the reflective qualities of the material while maintaining the depth of color and detail of the individual images. The rainbow pattern imparts a sense of movement and light to the stamp pane.

Bioluminescence — the ability of some living things to generate their own light — occurs on many branches of the tree of life. 

At center top, the selvage — or area outside the stamps — features a transparent deep-sea comb jelly (Gregory G. Dimijian photo), surrounded by images of the firefly squid (Danté Fenolio). The title “BIOLUMINESCENT LIFE” appears on the selvage above the pane of stamps.

Eight stamp images represent the work of some of the top explorers of the bioluminescent ocean realm, and two portray land-based species. The stamps feature: deep-ocean octopus (Widder); midwater jellyfish (Widder); deep-sea comb jelly (Widder); mushroom (Taylor F. Lockwood); firefly (Gail Shumway); bamboo coral (Widder); marine worm (Widder); crown jellyfish (Widder); a second type of marine worm (Steve Haddock); and sea pen (Widder).

Bioluminescence performs a variety of functions 

Fairly rare among species on land, bioluminescence reigns supreme in the darkness of the deep ocean. Fishes, squids, jellyfish, worms and many other ocean organisms make varied use of their ability to glow. Their light can lure food, attract a mate or fend off a predator. For many species, bioluminescence is security lighting. For example, the midwater jellyfish — featured on one of the stamps — sets off flashing swirling rings of light when threatened. The display alerts other predators more likely to eat the attacker than the jellyfish itself.

Some species are born with bioluminescence, while others, like certain fishes and squids, have receptacles for displaying bioluminescent bacteria that they capture.

Since the late 19th century, many breakthrough discoveries regarding bioluminescence have come through the study of fireflies and flickering beetles. Because these beetles exist on every continent except Antarctica, they provide scientists with the most convenient means by which to investigate the phenomenon.

Fighting cancer and other diseases

Medical science has benefited tremendously from the study of luminous life-forms. Using genes that enable bioluminescence, scientists can make a cancer cell glow, enabling observation of how the disease behaves and spreads. Similar research is also vital in the fights against Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, anemia, malaria, dengue fever, HIV and many other illnesses.

Through improved deep-sea exploration and advances in photography, scientists have identified thousands of bioluminescent species. Yet many mysteries of bioluminescence remain unsolved, and many benefits of research await discovery.

From left, the first row of stamps features a deep-ocean octopus (Stauroteuthis syrtensis) and a midwater jellyfish (Atolla vanhoeffeni), both photographed by Edith Widder of Ft. Pierce, FL. The octopus was photographed under external lighting. On each row of stamps, the third and fourth stamps repeat the first two designs.

The second row of stamps begins with a deep-sea comb jelly (Bathocyroe fosteri), also by Widder and lit externally, then a cluster of mushrooms (Mycena lucentipes) by Taylor F. Lockwood of Mount Dora, FL.

The third row features a firefly (Lampyridae) by Gail Shumway of Sarasota, FL, followed by a bamboo coral (Keratoisis flexibilis) by Widder.

Widder also photographed both fourth-row images: a marine worm (Flota) and a crown jellyfish (Atolla wyvillei). Both are shown under external lighting.

The fifth and final row of stamps offers another type of marine worm (Tomopteris), by Steve Haddock of Moss Landing, CA, and a sea pen (Umbellula) by Widder. Both marine species are shown under external lighting.

Source : USPS

India - Iran Joint Issue

Joint issue of India and the Islamic Republic of Iran

Date of Issue : 17 February 2018

India Post and Islamic Republic of Iran issued a joint issue on 17th February 2018 featuring  Shaid Beheshti Port of  Iran and Deendayal Port of India .

Shaid Beheshti Port, Chahabar

Deendayal Port, Kandla

Image Courtesy - Stamps of India

Protection of the Baltic Sea Natural Environment

 

 

Save the Baltic Seal

Date of Issue : 12 March 2015

The beautiful Souvenir sheet shown above was issued by Estonia Post on 12th March 2015 featuring ‘Protection of the Baltic Sea Natural Environment’. The FDC of this issue is so wonderful. With this issue a Maximum card was also issued. This is the perfect item for collection on environment, nature, sea and mammals.This issue highlights how the intense ship traffic in Baltic Sea has affected the sea life.

The Baltic Sea is an inland sea of the Baltic Ocean, which surrounds Estonia from the north and the west. The other countries of the Baltic Sea are Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Russia. The Baltic States are developed industrial countries and the settlements’ and industrial enterprises’ effluent flow into the sea from large areas. A lot of nutrients used in agriculture and forestry flow into the sea and as a result of this the coastal and maritime flora has started to thrive out of proportion. For many organisms it is difficult to adapt water that contains a lot of nutrients and as result they fall ill and finally die. Recently “flowering of the water” or mass gadding of the blue green algae has increased.

 

The biggest amount of toxic substances build up at the end of the feeding chain. Seals, who mainly eat fish, are at the end of feeding chain and due to the environmental toxic substances numerous female animals have lost their power of breeding. The intense maritime traffic on the Baltic Sea is a great source of danger, accounting for nearly 15 percent of the maritime traffic of all the seas of the world. One of the channels of pollution is nitrogen that gets into the maritime environment due to the exhaust gases of ship traffic. More environmental-friendly fuels and technologies would reduce ship effluents by up to 80 percent.

General growth of ship traffic and explosively increased transport of crude oil additionally bring considerable danger of a collision of tanker ships. Many oil tankers moving on the Baltic Sea are still single-bottomed as before. During the past twenty years there have been dozens of accidents involving ships and oil pollution. Oil pollution on the seaboard can preserve for decades and its most visible consequences are oil on the surface of the sea: birds and seals suffocate and the opportunity that they do not die is reduced by the deterioration of their movement. But purposeful protection makes it possible to keep the Baltic Sea relatively clean and viable, to preserve the versatility of to its natural environments and to restore the quality of the environment and of the waters.

New Stamps from Poland

 

 

Date of Issue : 10 October 2014

Polish Post issued a set of 8 stamps on the occasion of XXI Warsaw National Philatelic Exhibition 2014 featuring sea life with colorful fishes. The stamps have been issued in separate  magnificent sheets and the First Day Covers have been issued in 4 different designs. Thematic Collectors would love to have these items in their collection.

 

 

 

 

PUMed - Postal Union for the Mediterranean

 

Date of Issue : 9 July 2014

Here is a beautiful stamp issued by Malta Post which Marks the co-operation between members of the Postal Union for the Mediterranean (PUMed) through a joint stamp issue entitled 'The Mediterranean Sea'. A number of postal operators within PUMed, also known as Euromed, are issuing stamps bearing 'The Mediterranean Sea' as a common theme. The stamp features the Mediterranean Sea and its surrounding countries.

Amany Ahmed Ali of Egypt Post Postal Printing House designed the stamp. Her stamp was chosen in a contest among six member countries including Cyprus, Egypt, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco and Slovenia. The winning stamp is being issued in Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Palestine, Slovenia and Syria.

The creation of PUMed marks  the Mediterranean region as a political, economic and social area .Having a structured and organised body enables a high level of multilateral cooperation.

Faced with an ever-changing postal industry, members within PUMed have come together so as to develop projects that will help each postal operator keep up with the challenges of the market. The joint stamp issue therefore symbolises PUMed's intention to co-operate and work together for the benefit of each individual country.

PUMed was officially established on 15 March 2011 and its headquarters are stationed in Malta. The Universal Postal Union currently includes 20 postal operators across the European and Mediterranean region, namely Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Monaco, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey besides another 172 member countries worldwide.

Corals on new stamps from Taiwan…

 

Date of Issue : January 8, 2014

Here are new colorful  stamps featuring  corals from Taiwan.  Corals are colonial animals composed of many individual polyps and can be found in the tropics and subtropics. The marine waters around Taiwan support a great number of corals. To introduce the beauty and diversity of the corals of Taiwan to the public, Chunghwa Post issued  a set of four stamps. The designs follow:

1. Dendronephthyagigantea (NT$3.5): Colonies of this soft coral, which often have a branched growth form, are covered with bunches of red polyps. The coral polyps expand only at night or when the water flow is high. The colony deflates into a ball when the polyps retract. This coral is widely spread through Taiwan’s coastal waters in areas that are exposed to strong currents, usually at depths of greater than 15 meters.

2. Pavona cactus (NT$5): Colonies of this stony coral, which are shaped like the flower heads of hydrangea, are made up of thin and contorted upright fronds with thickened bases. There are rows of small shallow corallites parallel to the margins on both sides of the fronds. The coloration of this coral ranges from light brown to greenish brown. It is found in shallow areas where the water is murkier, and in particular on upper reef slopes in northern and northeast Taiwan.

3. Acroporagranulosa (NT$10): Colonies of this stony coral are composed of stubby branches which connect or fuse at the base to form plates. There is a large protruding axial corallite on the tip of each branch. The radial corallites are smaller and tubular in shape. Living colonies are bright pink or reddish brown. The coral can be found on upper reef slopes and reef flats in shallow waters. It is often sighted in the Dongsha Atoll.

4. Melithaeaochracea (NT$15): Colonies of this gorgonian coral are arborescent and have branching structures shaped like fans. The nodes of the main branch and branchlets are conspicuously enlarged. The tiny white or translucent polyps are distributed on the sides and front of the branches. The colonies of this coral are orange red with a lighter colored main skeleton. The bases of the polyps are yellow. The coral inhabits the higher parts of reef fronts in areas with stronger water flow. It can be found in reefs throughout Taiwan’s waters.

Australia's ocean gardens on stamps

 

Date of Issue : 20 August 2013

Australia Post has  featured two of the most stunning coral reefs in the world - the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland and Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia - in a new stamp issue. The two domestic base-rate (60c) stamps show underwater images and the two large letter-rate ($1.20) stamps show aerial images of the two reefs. 

Ningaloo Reef is just off the coast of Western Australia's Cape Range peninsula, and about 1055 kilometres north of Perth. This World Heritage-listed region is home to the largest fringing coral reef in Australia. Whale sharks are regular visitors arriving in April for the coral-spawning season.

The Great Barrier Reef runs for more than 2000 kilometres along the Queensland coast and is the world's largest coral reef system. It has almost 200 varieties of hard coral and more than 100 types of soft coral. Species found on the reef include minke whales, barracuda, batfish, whitetip reef sharks and blue-stripe snapper.

The associated products available are a miniature sheet, first day cover, stamp pack, maxicard set of four, sheetlet of five x 60c self-adhesive stamps and a booklet of 20 x 60c self-adhesive stamps.

: Australia Post

Lighthouses on New Norwegian stamps…

 

Date of Issue : 15 June 2012

Hi !

Here are the two most beautiful stamps with Lighthouses..The picture shown on these Norwegian stamps are just wonderful with mist in the background…These are in the Oslo Fjord. These stamps are perhaps showing the most beautiful view of these light hoses !! It is a delight for those collecting stamps on Light houses !!

Kavringen Lighthouse was built in 1892 and is located on Søndre Kavringdyne, a group of skerries in the western seaward approach to the Port of Oslo. There had previously been two lighthouses in the Oslo harbour basin, Heggholmen and Dyna, situated in the old main sea lane. Towards the end of the 19th century, however, larger vessels began to prefer the western lane between Kavringen and Hovedøya, round Vippetangen and into Bjørvika. After DS Norge ran aground on the Kavringen skerries in 1890, there was a cry for better lighting in the western approach. The Kavringen lighthouse was completed and operational only two years later. Until 1956, when both lighthouses were automated and the job of lighthouse keeper became redundant, the lighthouse keeper on Dyna was also responsible for Kavringen. On 15 May (St. Hallvard’s Day), as part of Oslo’s millennium celebrations in 2000, a time capsule made of titanium was bolted to the inside of the lighthouse. The time capsule is designed like the lighthouse’s lantern housing and it contains letters and greetings from the citizens of Oslo to people of the future. The capsule cannot be opened until the year 3000.

Medfjordbåen is a sunken rock in the middle of the Oslo Fjord, off Slangentangen in the county of Vestfold. Here the lighthouse was built and went into operation in 1876. Medfjordbåen Lighthouse is a familiar rounding mark in the annual Færder Regatta, on the way to Åsgårdstrand and Horten.

Club News

HYDERABAD PHILATELIC & HOBBIES SOCIETY
50 YEARS OF CELEBRATIONS - HYPEX – GOLD – 2013

The Hyderabad Philatelic & Hobbies Society is celebrating its 50 years of service to the Philatelists, Numismatists & other Hobbyists, in 2012. As a part of the celebrations, HYPEX – GOLD - 2013, a Philatelic and Numismatic Exhibition will be held from 04 January – 06 January 2013 at Secunderabad (Hyderabad). During this exhibition, a grand meet of Dealers and Collectors is proposed to be held followed by a palmare cum dinner get together wherein doyens of Philatelic & Numismatic fields will be invited.
For further details, please write to: HydPhilSociety@yahoo.co.in  or contact :

Shri Sunder Bahirwani, President, HPHS, Phone: 09985357370
Shri Agarwaal, Shri Prakash, Chairman, HYPEX-GOLD-2013, Phone: 09346777206
Shri B K Nagpal Secretary, HPHS, Phone: 09885031013

- Secretary, HPHS

From our Readers ..

Special Cover : Speed Post

Cancellation from 1 CBPO  & 2 CBPO

: Ashwani Dubey - Gorakhpur

Great Voyages of New Zealand

 

Date of Issue : 5 September 2012

New Zealand Post will issue a set of 5 stamps and a Miniature sheet on 5th September 2012 featuring Great Voyages of New Zealand.

2012 is a fitting time to look back at New Zealand’s maritime history, as it marks a number of significant anniversaries, including 50 years of the Cook Strait Inter-Island Rail and Road Service. 100 years have passed since the Earnslaw was successfully launched, and it’s been 130 years since the Dunedin completed the first successful shipment of frozen meat between New Zealand and England.

These important milestones are celebrated in the ‘Great Voyages of New Zealand’ stamp issue along with waka, which transported people and trade goods across Cook Strait, and the Rotomahana – the first ocean-going ship built of mild steel.

Whether they were enabling trade, increasing efficiencies or transporting people, each of the vessels in the ‘Great Voyages of New Zealand’ stamp issue has a unique story to tell.

70c - Aramoana

The Aramoana’s big stern door transformed domestic transport in 1962. Prior to then, double-handling had made it too costly and slow for rail to compete with coastal ships, but roll-on, roll-off ships seamlessly connected the islands. In 2012 five such ships form a ‘floating bridge’. The 4,160-ton road/rail ferry Aramoana served until 1984.

$1.40 - Waka

Over time Māori developed a range of distinctive dugout canoes ranging from the imposing waka taua (war canoes) to the humbler fishing canoes, river canoes and reed and flax craft. Usually paddled but sometimes assisted by mat sails, the bigger vessels could transport large quantities of people and trade goods across Cook Strait.

$1.90 - Earnslaw

Tourists walk the triple - expansion steamer Earnslaw’s decks these days, but 100 years ago the ‘Lady of the Lake’ was a hard-working passenger, freight and livestock carrier, one of several linking the isolated farms and settlements of Lake Wakatipu. Designed and built in Dunedin and reassembled at the lakeside in 1912, the Earnslaw still burns coal today.

$2.40 - Dunedin

In 1874 the Albion Line (later Shaw Savill & Albion) commissioned the 1,320-ton Dunedin for the immigrant trade, which it served until being converted in 1881 to carry frozen meat. A regular caller to Oamaru, the Dunedin vanished with all 35 crew after sailing from that port for London in March 1890; the ship probably hit an iceberg.

$2.90 - Rotomahana

With its rakish bow, masts and funnel, the Rotomahana looked like an elegant steam yacht. The first ocean-going ship built of mild steel, the 15.5- knot ‘Greyhound of the Pacific’ spearheaded the Union Steam Ship Company’s grab for the trans-Tasman trade in the late 1870s. The 1,727-ton ship later served on the Wellington-Lyttelton and Melbourne-Hobart runs before being discarded in 1925.

The first day covers feature imagery of historical nautical maps as well as two unique date stamps.

Great Explores…

 

Date of Issue : 3 July 2012

This stamp issue by Australia Post commemorates two anniversaries: in 2012 it is 150 years since John McDouall Stuart returned from his overland crossing of Australia; and in 2013 it will be 200 years since Gregory Blaxland, William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth crossed the Blue Mountains.

Minisheet

In 1813, Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth travelled through Durug and Gundungurra country to establish a route across the Blue Mountains to open up the western plains of NSW for farming and settlement. Others had attempted the crossing before, but the party's key strategy was to follow a westward-running ridge between the Western and Grose Rivers, travelling for 21 days to what became known as Mt Blaxland. Their expedition led, within a few short years, to a road across the mountains.

FDCs

Some 50 years later, Stuart became the first European to make the south-north return crossing of Australia. He left South Australia with his nine companions in October 1861, on his third attempt to cross the continent, reaching the coast at Van Diemen Gulf on 24 July 1862. Stuart raised the fl ag the following day, after first attempting to find the mouth of the Adelaide River. Turning south, the party made Adelaide on 17 December that year. Stuart's success has been attributed to his experience, his egalitarian leadership style and his lighter method of travel. His expedition eventually led to the Adelaide-Darwin telegraph, (enabling telegraphic communication with the world) and the Stuart Highway.

: Australia Post

My recent Cover

Germany

Thanks to Wolfgang Beyer

Club News

KRPOOR CHANDRA KULISH STAMP PRESENTED TO THE PRIME MINISTER

Chairman and Chief Editor of Rajasthan Patrika Group Mr. Gulab  Kothari presented commemorative stamp of Group founder Karpoor Chandra Kulish to the Prime Minister of India Shri Manmohan Singh on 11th July 2012. This stamp was issued on 16thMay 2012 and at that time release function was not organized by the India Post.

In a meeting organized at the Prime Minister Office at SouthBlock, New Delhi, Shri Manmohan Singh told that following the traditionsestablished by Shri Kulish, Rajsthan Patrika Group will continue to maintaintraditions of healthy and positive journalism. A book “Shabda Ved” written byMr. Kulish was also presented to the Prime Minister by Mr. Gulab Kothari.

Mr. Sachin Pilot, State Minister for Communication andfamily members of Shri Kulish were also present on this occasion.

- Sudhir Jain, Satna.