After releasing “Owls of Taiwan” stamp sets in 2011 and 2012, Chunghwa Post is following up with another set of four stamps in 2013 featuring Otus lettia, Tyto longimembris, Ketupa flavipes and Otus elegans botelensis.

Date of issue: 26 June 2013.

This issue consists of 4 stamps in a se-tenant block. They depicts iconic landmarks such as The Fullerton Hotel, The Singapore Flyer, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and Marina Bay Sands.

Also available will be a collector’s sheet.

Date of issue: 28 May 2013.

Chunghwa Post previously released two sets of stamps on berries on January 12, 2012 and January 17, 2013. Now it is following up with a third set featuring Ribes formosanum, Garcinia subelliptica, coffea arabica, and Smilax ocreata.

Date of issue: 17 April 2013

Singapore 2013 Historical Railway Stations

Singapore 2013 Historical Railway Stations FDC

This set of 4 values to be issued 28 February 2013. Values are: 1st Local, 65c, $1.10 and $2.00.

Souvenir Sheet 1 contain four stamps.
1. Eurypharynx pelecanoides (NT?10): This mesopelagic and bathyalpelagic fish lives at depths of 500-3,000 meters. Despite its huge mouth, the fish mostly preys on small crustaceans due to its tiny teeth and stomach that can’t be over-stretched.

2. Argyropelecus aculeatus (NT?12): Commonly known as the Atlantic silver hatchetfish, it lives at depths of 200-1,000 meters. Its flat silver body resembles a mirror, reflecting the colors of its surroundings to camouflage itself. The light organs along its belly also help it conceal itself by producing light that hides its own shadow.

3. Bufoceratias shaoi (NT?10): This species lives at depths of 500-1,200 meters. Its body is globular in shape but slightly flatter on the sides. The tip of its first dorsal fin has evolved to become a light organ called the illicium or esca, which contains many symbiotic bioluminescent bacteria. The esca can emit light to lure curious prey—hence its Chinese nickname: “lantern fish.”

4. Regalecus glesne (NT?12): This mesopelagic fish is found at depths ranging from the surface to 1,000 meters. There have been occasional sightings of it in waters off the coast ofTaiwan. The world’s longest bony fish, it can grow up to 11 meters. It is nicknamed the “earthquake fish” in Taiwan because it is often spotted by fishermen after earthquakes.

Souvenir Sheet 2 contain one stamp.
Histioteuthis celetaria pacifica (NT?25): This species lives at depths of 300-500 meters. Densely covered with light organs, its body can emit just the right amount of light to camouflage itself. One of its eyes has evolved to be larger than the other so as to help it search for prey.

Chunghwa Post will issue 2 souvenir sheets on 22 November 2012 featuring Chinese paintings by Ming Dynasty painter Pien Wen-chin from the National Palace Museum collection.

One souvenir sheet features three stamps, each highlighting a portion of the original masterpiece, with denominations of NT?5, NT?10, and NT?12. The other one features the full scroll with a denomination of NT?70.

Pien Wen-chin was an important bird-and-flower painter at the early Ming Dynasty court. His work blends the meticulous and exuberantly colored style of the great Northern Song master Huang Ch’uan with the Southern Song court painting tradition. The highly decorative painting features nearly 100 birds perched on bamboo, as well as pine and plum blossom branches.

The souvenir sheet featuring the entire scroll is printed on silk paper. The elegant silk further helps to shine a spotlight on the fine strokes of this masterpiece.

Date of issue: 7 November 2012

Taiwan Post will issue a set of 4 stamps depicting protected mammal species.

1. Paguma larvata taivana (NT$5): This species is found in the mountainous regions of Taiwan proper, Green Island, and Orchid Island. Its name in Chinese—“white nose civet”—comes from the white vertical stripe that runs from its nose to the area between its ears. Retractable claws like those of a cat make it a good tree climber. This civet will wrap its tail around branches to prevent itself from falling off a tree.

2. Mustela nivalis formosana (NT$5): This species is distributed in mountainous regions at an altitude of at least 2,500 meters. Its range includes the Snow, Hehuan, and Jade mountains. The weasel is short and small, with a short tail and legs. Its throat, chest, and belly are white, whereas the rest of its body is brown.

3. Martes flavigula chrysospila (NT$10): This species can be found in the mountainous regions of national parks in central and southern Taiwan, as well as the Dawushan and Wutoushan nature reserves. The animal sports a bright color coat. The golden yellow fur around its neck resembles a luxurious scarf. Its waist is darker in color, and its limbs and tail are blackish brown.

4. Viverricula indica pallida (NT$25): This species, also called “pen cat” in Chinese, is found in Yangmingshan, roadsides along the Northern Cross-Island Highway and mountainous regions of the Southern Cross-Island Highway, Kenting, the East Coast Mountain Range, and the Fushan Botanical Garden. The animal’s anal gland and musk gland can emit a secretion with unusual odor. It has six black and tan stripes stretching from its shoulder to the base of its tail on its back. On the sides of its chest and waist there are some black markings of various sizes. It has a black and off-white ring tail.

Singapore will issue a joint stamp issue with Brunei on 27 November 2012.

A set of 2 stamps and a miniature sheet of 3 values will be available.

Chunghwa Post will issue “Toy Story,” an animated movie popular among youngsters, as the subject of two self-adhesive souvenir sheets. Each souvenir sheet includes three NT?5-denominated stamps, and two NT?12-denominated stamps.

“Toy Story 3” won Best Animated Feature Film of the Year in the Academy Award. The films follow the amazing adventures of young boy Andy’s toys to highlight the value of friendship, faith and trust.

The souvenir sheets feature the animated characters of the films: Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, Hamm, Rex, Bullseye, Aliens, Mr. Pricklepants, Peas-in-a-Pod, Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear, Trixie and Buttercup.

Date of issue: 23 October 2012

First day of issue: 12 September 2012

Teas produced in Taiwan are celebrated around the world for their quality. Based on the degree of fermentation, teas are categorized into several kinds: non-fermented tea (green tea), fully-fermented tea (black tea) and partially fermented varieties.

The last is widely known as “Baozhong tea” in Taiwan’s academic circle; it is further categorized by the differences of shape: “strip,” “semi-ball type” and “ball type.” The latter two are commonly known as Oolong tea and Tieguanyin tea.

This stamp issue is to commemorate the arrival of two pandas, Kai Kai and Jia Jia, on loan to Singapore by China to mark the twentieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Set of 3 stamps with special cancellation.

The first day cover is in vertical format. This could be a first as I do not recall any first day cover previously issued in this format.

Also available will be a special Collector’s Sheet, a Prepaid Envelope and a Stamp Booklet. The Collector’s Sheet contain a S$10 stamp. The Prepaid Envelope bears an 1st Class imprint of 2 pandas while the booklet contain 10 x 50c self adhesive stamps.

Singapore Post issued on 31 August the first in series of stamp issues to support the World Stamp Exhibition to be held in Singapore in 2015.

The two stamps designs are originally from the 1962-1966 definitive issue. The stamps are issues in sheets of 10. Each sheet contain 5 stamps of each design.

The Special Collector’s Sheet comes in a folder. The denomination of the stamps on this sheet is S$5 instead of the S$2 on the normal stamps.

Jersey Post issue six threatened bird stamps, the sixth and last in a series, on 14 August 2012.

Also available are a miniature sheet and souvenir sheet.

Singapore Post is to issue a set of 2 stamps on 31 August 2012 in support of the World Stamp Exhibition to be held in 2015.

There will be a set of stamps issued in each subsequent year, each using designs from past issues. This first set are from designs used in the 1963 definitives issue.

A special collectors’ sheet/folder will also be available together with the usual first day cover and presentation pack.

Chunghwa Post will issue a souvenir sheet which comprises six stamps, each featuring a bee species of Taiwan. The designs are:

1. Phimenes flavopictus (NT?5): This predatory wasp has yellow markings on its black body, giving it coloring that resembles that of a yellow and black striped tiger. Females build their mud nests in places such as tree trunks and cliff-face crevices. It is also called the “tiger-striped potter wasp” in Chinese.

2. Apis mellifera (NT?10): Commonly known as the western honey bee, most of them have a yellowish brown chest. The species’ worker bees have specialized pollen baskets, which can be found on the tibia of their hind legs.

3. Xanthopimpla pedator (NT?5): The range of this parasitic wasp was once used to control she-oak pests.

4. Xylocopa tranquebarorum (NT?10): This pollinator has almost dark black body. Its wings have a purple, copper sheen to them. Females build their nests by boring holes into dead bamboo.

5. Vespa ducalis (NT?5): This stinging wasp has two golden yellow rings on its abdomen which are its most salient feature. Its last four abdominal segments are black.

6. Apis cerana (NT?10): Commonly known as the eastern honey bee, this pollinator lives in the wild mostly. Its appearance greatly resembles the western honey bee. It has alternating yellow and black stripes on its abdomen.

Date of issue: 12 July 2012

To promote understanding about Chinese classical literature, Chunghwa Post released today a series of stamps based on Outlaws of the Marsh or sometimes known as The Water Margin.

The first set of four stamps features “Demons Released”, “Slaying the Tiger on Jingyang Ridge”, “Mountain God Temple on a Stormy Night” and “Knocking the Lord of the West Dead”.

The stamp designs are:

1. Demons Released (NT?5): Seeing the plague raging, the Song emperor Renzong sends Marshal Hong to Dragon and Tiger Mountain to summon the Divine Teacher to come and pray for the plague to go away. When Marshal Hong sees the inscription on the stele in the Hall of the Subdued Demons, which reads “open when Hong is here” he orders the stele to be pushed over and the ground dug open. Suddenly, a puff of black air rises from underground. Thus transpires the birth of the 108 heroes of the Liangshan Marsh and the start of the novel.

2. Slaying the Tiger on Jingyang Ridge (NT?5): A tiger shows up on Jingyang Ridge. Cocky Wu Song crosses the ridge alone. Suddenly, a huge tiger with a white forehead and fierce-looking eyes leaps out at him. Though in a state of shock, Wu Song bravely fights the tiger and eventually paralyses it.

3. Mountain God Temple on a Stormy Night (NT?10): Lin Chong is sentenced to face-tattooing and exiled to Cangzhou to manage a fodder depot. But who would guess that the grand marshal would send Lu Qian after him? On one stormy night, Lin Chong stays in a mountain god temple instead of the fodder depot which Lu Qian sets fire to, so as to get out of the murder. After that, Lin Chong gets mad and kills them and eventually becomes an outlaw of Liangshan Marsh.

4. Knocking the Lord of the West Dead (NT?25): Butcher Zheng Tu, a.k.a. Lord of the West, is a bully in Weizhou. To save Jin Cuilian and her father from his clutches and to uphold justice on their behalf, Lu Da intentionally pisses Zheng Tu off while pretending to purchase meat from him. A fight breaks out, and Lu Da punches Zheng Tu to death.

The fishes depicted are:

1.Formosania lacustre (NT?5)
2.Tanakia himantegus (NT?5)
3.Channa asiatica (NT?12)
4.Sinogastromyzon puliensis (NT?25)

The founding partners in this initiative include the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum ((www.postalmuseum.si.edu/) and Smithsonian Libraries (www.sil.si.edu/), Washington, DC, the Royal Philatelic Society London (www.rpsl.org.uk), United Kingdom, and the American Philatelic Research Library (www.stamplibrary.org), Bellefonte, PA.

Philatelists around the world will be able to search, locate, and access philatelic research from partner libraries in real-time, from any computer. Major pre-1923 publications, including The Stamp-Collector’s Magazine, Illustrated, London, from 1865–1874, have been digitized and will be made available at no charge.

More details can be found here at the APS site.

The winning stamp was a stamp of a beautiful scenery based on a photo by author and photographer Ivars Silis, born 1940.

Even though Ivars Silis has reached 71 years of age; this is actually his stamp debut.

The stamp G472 was issued on 28th September 2011 and was POST Greenland’s contribution to last year’s joint issue with the SEPAC-countries in the cooperation between the Small European Postal Services, of which Greenland is a member.

The first set of stamps depicting wild mushrooms were issued 25 March 2010. On 23 March 2012, Taiwan Post will issue a second set of 4 stamps depicting the same subject. A souvenir sheet containing the same designs as the single stamps will also be available.

The mushrooms depicted are: Amanita rubrovolvata, Entoloma murraii, Geastrum sessile and the Clavulinopsis miyabeana.

The Royal Mail is to issue 10 stamps on 20 March 2012 featuring comics. This issue also commemorate the 75th anniversary of The Dandy which was first published in December 1937.

The set of 10 stamps will be available as 2 strips of 5. The usual first day cover, presentation pack  and stamp cards will be available.

Classic Locomotives of Scotland Miniature Sheet

This is the second of a series of Miniature Sheets that illustrates steam locomotives in use in each of the home countries.

1st Class – BR D34 Nos. 62471 & 62496
Two former North British Railway 4-4-0, “Glens”, LNER and BR Class D34, 62471, Glen Falloch and 62496 Glen Loy at Ardlui on 09 May 1959, the West Highland Line from Glasgow to Fort William and Mallaig. They were built by the NBR at Cowlairs in 1920/21 to the design of W P Reid.

68p – BR D40 No. 62276
Former Great North of Scotland Railway, Number 48 and LNER// BR class D40, 4-4-0 62276 “Andrew Bain” in July 1950. The GNSR used 4-4-0s for most of its traffic. “Andrew Bain” was built in 1921 by The North British Locomotive Company to the design of T E Heywood.

£1 – Andrew Barclay No. 807
Andrew Barclay Sons and Company of Kilmarnock, manufactured industrial locomotives. They could be found at collieries, shipyards and industrial sites. Number 807, Bon Accord, was built in 1897 and belonged to the Aberdeen Gas Works and is seen working along Miller Street, Aberdeen in June 1962.

£1.10 – BR 4P No. 50767
Highland Railway, 4-6-0, LMS and BR, No 54767 Clan Mackinnon is seen at Kyle of Lochalsh on a fish train. These locomotives were among the last Highland Railway locomotives to remain in active service.

Date of issue: 8 March 2012

The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) is celebrating 75 years of service, and New Zealand Post is commemorating the anniversary with a special stamp issue on 15 March 2012.

The Royal Mail issued a miniature sheet on 6 February 2012 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

The miniature sheet contain stamps that feature six different portraits of the Queen taken from stamps, coinage and banknotes issued during her reign.

Chunghwa Post will issue a set of se-tenant gutter pair of stamps and a souvenir sheet featuring roses on 14 February 2012.

The souvenir sheet contain a single stamp in the shape of a heart and will be printed with scented ink.

Finland celebrates the opening of the Sami Cultural Center Sajos with a special sheet shaped like the center.

The sheet contains four free form self adhesive stamps that follows the contours of the Laland’s mountains. The sheet is priced at €3.

Released date 23 January 2012.

Five iconic New Zealand native trees will be featured on five gummed stamps to be issued 1 February 2012.

Each of the beautiful species is depicted in a detailed illustrative style and the scientific name of each species is included in the design.

The individual stamps in this issue are as follows:

60c – P?hutukawa
The p?hutukawa is a species of Metrosideros, and is often referred to as the New Zealand Christmas tree due to its display of bright red, pollen-producing stamens in summer. The undersides of the leaves and flower buds are densely furry with white hairs. Although it is widely cultivated throughout the country, in nature it is restricted to the northern North Island, mostly in costal habitats.

$1.20 – Cabbage Tree
The cabbage tree (Cordyline australis) or tï kouka is found throughout New Zealand in moist soils and swamps. It is a tall, much-branched tree, and has long, narrow leaves with many parallel veins. The abundant small white flowers are attached to the branching stems of large inflorescences, and the fruits are white to purple berries.

$1.90 – K?whai
The vibrant k?whai tree is most conspicuous in spring, with its large golden-yellow flowers. Its flowers are bird pollinated and the petals are arranged in a sort of tube to contain a sufficient quantity of nectar. Sophora microphylla is widespread and grows near streams and at lake edges.

$2.40 – N?kau
The n?kau (Rhopalostylis) is the furthest south palm in the Southern Hemisphere. It is impressive in height, and the top of the trunk is crowned by a spreading cluster of enormous leaves divided into leaflets. Flower clusters arise below the crown of leaves and form bright red berries. Where the n?kau is plentiful it gives the feeling of a tropical forest.

$2.90 – M?nuka
The m?nuka (Leptospermum scoparium) is a widespread shrub that sometimes grows to a small tree. Its leaves are very small and quite sharply pointed, and it is abundant with small white flowers (although pink and red varieties are cultivated). The m?nuka is well known for the dark, strongflavoured honey it produces.

The Royal Mail will for the first time have a stamp issue to mark the Lunar New Year. A generic self-adhesive Smilers Sheet with the Fireworks stamps will be released on 20 January 2012.

No first day cover will be available as Royal Mail does not regard this as a new issue.

The Disneyana on Stamps Society is the 90th study unit affiliated with the society during its 62-year history.

The Disneyana on Stamps Society is an organization of topical philatelists collecting stamps, first day covers, meters, cancels, and other philatelic items relating to Walt Disney and his legacy.

Membership is free! Members have access to the newsletter Disnemation, which will be published online six times a year.  For more information, check out the website:

http://www.disnemation.8m.com/home.htm

The AmericanTopical Association’s 162nd handbook entitles Handbook of Disney on Stamps by William Silvester is scheduled for publication by March 1.