Tuesday, July 28, 2009

India - Independence 1947

India gains its independence in 1947. Getting an independence is a very significant event to any country. Off course it will be remembered by a special stamp. The commemorative stamp for Independence of India is shown here. The date of India's Independence was August 15, 1947.



India - Independence



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Friday, July 24, 2009

Greenland - Sheep Farming




Greenland - Sheep Farming




Greenland is a country well known for its location up north and cold weather. Nevertheless sheep farming is still actively promoted. It is testifies by the issuing of stamp by Greenland Postal Authority to mark the 100th Anniversary of Modern Sheep Farming. The stamp was launched on May 22, 2006.

Visit Greenland Philately page - here.



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2008 - Year of Potato

Year 2008 was designated by the UN as International Year of the Potato (read - wikipedia). It seems that there not many IYP stamps was issued. Searching through the wns database only Switzerland has issued a special stamp to commemorate the IYP. The stamp was launched on March 4, 2008.






Switzerland - International Year of Potato




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Friday, July 17, 2009

Austria - Wachau Railway

Austria's Wachau Railway celebrates its 100th anniversary recently. A special stamp was issued to mark the occasion on June 20, 2009.





The 100th Anniversary of Wachau Railway



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What is so famous about Wachau and the railway? still researching ....
Some findings: -about the Wachau Railway - The romantic railway line has operated through the Danube regions of Wachau, Nibelungengau and Strudengau since 1909, linking the towns of Krems, Grein and St. Valentin. The journey is full of variety, running past vineyards and historical sites, always following the course of the Danube. The landscape that it crosses is characterised by natural beauties such as the terraces of the old vineyards as well as numerous cultural monuments that invite the traveller to stay a while. Source - philatelynews.
Other interesting stamps from Austria can be read here - aeiou stamp album.
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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Georgia - Tbilisi State U

Tbilisi State University was established in 1918. The TSU building was depicted on a Georgian stamp issued in 2006. It is not clear (no information given) about the '100' mark seen on the stamp shown below.






Georgia State University 1ooth Anniversary





The photograph image of TSU Building (source - wiki)







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Sunday, July 12, 2009

South Korea - Seoul GPO

On November 22, 2007, the Seoul Central Post Office opens a new chapter in its history at Post Tower, its new headquarters building. The new building of Central Post Office in Seoul was officially opened on November 22, 2007. The Korean Postal Authority has issued two stamps to mark the event.






New GPO Building in Seoul




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The new stamp features the POST TOWER - the new building of Seoul Central Post Office, together with Hanseong Post Office which was set up in 1895. The stamp's sheet shows how Kyeongseong Post Office looked in 1915, how Seoul Central Post Office looked during the Korean war, and how it looked when it was reestablished in 1957 and 1981, respectively. Together with these photos, the CI used by the postal office for each era are also shown.
Read the full article about these stamps here - 2007stamp.




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See all the Korean 2009 stamps here - koreapost.
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Saturday, July 11, 2009

Libya - Qur'an Exhibition

Libya did not publish any of its stamp in wns database. Luckily one place was found having some collection of Libyan stamps - (libyan-stamps.com). Libyan stamps issued from 1996 up to now were available there.




Exhibition of Qur'an (2008)



The stamp shown above is to commemorate the exhibition of the Holy Qur'an. It was issued on Sep 26, 2008.

The exhibition aims to define the different ways of reciting the Holy Koran, its calligraphies, ornaments, volumes, publications, languages translated to, historical manuscripts of the Holy Koran, calligraphers, phases of copying and development of printing the written and oral Holy Koran, also it aims to encourage the youth to be committed to their Islamic religion, to be aware of their duties towards their doctrine, to disseminate the good message of Islam, also the exhibition includes lectures, soirees for religious chant and scientific conference about history of Koran, inimitability matter, and Koran language and style, Koran and human culture.



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Slovenia - Ploughing Championship

Slovenia is an active participant in wnsstamps. Shown here is a special Slovenian stamp to commemorate the World Ploughing Championship held recently. The stamp was launched on May 29, 2009.



World Ploughing Championship



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The World Ploughing Competition is the greatest event in the field of agriculture worldwide. The first world competition of ploughmen was held in 1953 in Canada. The competition in 2009 will be the greatest international event in Slovenia, which will be attended by the representatives of 30 countries from four continents. Read the article in full here - slovenianpost.

Other details about Slovenian stamps are available here - postasi.


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Bulgaria - Philatelist Union Anniversary

The Union of Bulgarian Philatelist has celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2008. To mark such event the postal authority of Bulgaria has issued a special stamp. The stamp was launched on January 16, 2008.





Bulgarian Union of Philatelist 70th Anniversary







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Read about the history of Bulgarian stamps here - philatelicdatabase. More samples of Bulgarian stamps were available here - stampsonstamps.
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Friday, July 10, 2009

Jamaica - University of Technology



The 50th anniversary of JUT


Jamaica University was established in 1958 and celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. A special stamp to commemorate the anniversary was issued on May 26, 2008.
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Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Belarus - January '09 Stamps

Belarus Postal Authority has launched three special stamps in the month of January 2009.




Stamp 1 - Braille


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Stamp 2 - 20th anniversary of Soviet pullout from Afghanistan



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Stamp 3 - Vladimir



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Sunday, July 5, 2009

Guinea



Guinea stamps are not available yet at wns database even though the country is listed as a member. Some old stamps of Guinea which shown here were obtained from several sources.




The first anniversary of Guinea Independence (1959)



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2nd anniversary of independence (Oct 2, 1960)



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The First Three-Year Plan Launched in 1961



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Lenin Centenary (1970)


Why Lenin was popular in Guinea?



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10th moon landing anniversary (1979)



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Moscow Olympics (1982)



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Guinea was also famous with fake stamps .... so be cautious !
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Saturday, July 4, 2009

Sweden - Cult Cars



Sweden issued a special stamp series on the theme of 'Cult Cars' on Jan 29, 2009.




Volkswagen 1200 Beetle


The first Volkswagen 1200 Beetle was imported into Sweden in 1948 and the first sale to a private owner was in early January 1949. Almost 350 more Beetles were sold that year. The model shown on the stamp is from circa 1949–1951.



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Cadillac Coupe De Ville


The Cadillac Coupé de Ville and Ford Mustang are classics from the home of the auto mobile, the USA.



Ford Mustang Convertible



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Citroen DS 19


In the mid-1950s French Citroën introduced the new model DS, known as ‘The Toad’ in Sweden! The car was very advanced technically and was continually developed with features
such as swiveling high beams. The car on the stamp is from circa 1957.



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The Cult Cars issue has two Volvos, the PV 444 from circa 1953 and the 1958 Volvo Amazon. The PV 444 was the big people’s car in Sweden in the 1940s and ‘50s, and almost 200,000 were manufactured in total. The car laid the foundation for Volvo’s growth as a car producer and was succeeded by the Volvo Amazon, which also achieved great export success.




Volvo Amazon




Volvo PV 444


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More info about this stamps issue here - postsweden.




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Thursday, July 2, 2009

Solar Cooking Stamps


Paraguay (2006)


Solar cooking is been promoted in a big way by an NGO body. It is the simplest, safest, most convenient way to cook food without consuming fuels or heating up the kitchen. Solar cooking was also introduced in postage stamps. Two countries - Paraguay and Tanzania - have each issued stamps depicting solar cooking theme.



Tanzania (2004)


The Tanzania stamp was actually about Girls Guide scouting activities. It somehow show how to do the solar cooking.




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Estonia - Olympics Gold


Gerd Kanter Discuss Gold Medalist


Winning a gold medal in Olympics is the greatest achievement particularly to any atheletes. Estonia has win a gold medal in Beijing 2008 Olympics Games through one of its athelets. Gerd Kanter won gold medal in men discuss. A special stamp to celebrates the achivement was issued by Estonian postal authority on Sep 25, 2008.






Estonia - Gerd Kanter (Gold Medalist)






Read the reports here - europeanatheletics and here - eestipost.

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South Africa - World Post Day

Every year on 9 October is World Post Day. The day has been celebrated each year on 9 October, since 1969, to mark the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) establishment in 1874.



South Africa issued a commemorative stamp to mark the 2007 WPD on Oct 9. The stamp issued commemorates the first public exchange telephone switchboard installed in Port Elizabeth in 1882. Read here - SA Post.




South Africa - World Post Day (2007)


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The first telephone exchange in South Africa opened in Port Elizabeth on 2 May 1882. The exchange was located on the third floor of a castle-like building at the corner of Main and Jetty Streets in Port Elizabeth, later known as “Union Castle Corner.” The building was built by the London & South Arican Bank, who sold it to the South African Government for the sum of £10,000 in 1877. The building was subsequently demolished and replaced by the General Post Office building in 1900.
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