Valentine’s Day stamp from France..

 

 

Date of Issue : 8 January 2014

Here is new stamp from France for thi year’s Valentine’s Day.Every year, for Valentine day, La Poste (the French postal service) issues postage stamps designed by the greatest name in the French fashion industry such as Hermes, Chanel and Cacharel. These Valentine day stamps are heart shaped and comes in various denomination and presentation. They are gorgeous tiny pieces of art, and can make a cheap affordable collection.

This year glass maker Baccarat has the honor of being featured on the Valentine themed heart stamps. These come in souvenir sheet and 2 values both on gummed and adhesive back. A small luxury at low postal rates (starting at 0,61€) that conveys couture potential to paper and land mail should awaken the collector souls.

The stamp is characterized by bling and divinely elegant side given by the serigraph print with golden ink that symbolizes the sparkle of crystal, but also the central illustration setting forth leading creations by the House of Baccarat.

Since 2000 (with the exception of 2002), this honor have always been awarded to the French fashion designers Yves Saint-Laurent (2000), Christian Lacroix (2001), Torrente (2003), Chanel (2004), Cacharel (2005), Jean-Louis Scherrer (2006), Givenchy (2007), Franck Sorbier (2008), Ungaro (2009), Lanvin (2010), Maurizio Galante (2011), Hermes (2013).

New Stamps on World Heritage Sites in Germany

-- Pradeep Kuma Mallik

On 2^nd January 2014, three stamps were issued by German Postal authorities, Deutsche Post, related to World Heritage sites of Germany.

Scholass Stolzenfels am Rhein (Stolzenfels Castle on the river Rhine): The castle was constructed in 1259. It was used to protect the toll station at the Rhine, when the ships were the main transport for goods, had to stop and pay toll. Over the years it was extended several times. The castle was occupied by French and Swedish troops in the Thirty Years' War and finally, in 1689, destroyed by the French during the Nine Years' War. For 150 years the ruins decayed, until in 1815 they were given as a present to Frederick William IV of Prussia by the city of Koblenz.

Following the romantic traditions, the prince started to completely rebuild the castle after 1826 as a summer residence. Supported by famous neoclassic architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel, the castle was completely remodeled in the then fashionable neo-Gothic style, aiming to create a romantic place representing the idea of medieval knighthood - the architects even created a tournament site.

On the steep slope to the river Rhine, a neo-Gothic castle chapel was built. The design of the gardens - at the northern tip was the charming pergola garden with views of the valley - was also associated with the natural surroundings. The road from the valley to the castle was designed like a park with a stone bridge, a waterfall and a hermitage.

This castle palace found its place in the World Heritage List in 2002, is a part of World Heritage – Upper Middle Rhine Valley.

1250 years of Lorsch Abbey: The Abbey of Lorsch is a former Imperial Abbey of the Carolingian Empire. Even in its ruined state, its remains are among the most important pre-Romanesque–Carolingian style buildings in Germany. In 1991 the ruined abbey was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The stamp shows a painting created in 1854 by the Darmstadt court painter August Lucas (1803-1863) with the Torhalle (Gatehouse) in the foreground, the romantic excessive fragment of the monastery church in the background and a look at the Hessian mountain road. The 9^th century Torhalle is a unique survival of Carolingian era. This combines elements of the Roman triumphal arch with the vernacular Teutonic heritage – baseless triangles of the blind arcade, polychromatic masonry.

Ancient Beech Forests of Germany: In 2011, UNESCO granted extension to the World Heritage namely - "Beech forests of the Carpathians" by including five forests in Germany. The new World Heritage Site called "Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany" and consists of lowland and upland beech forests in Germany and mountain beech forests in Ukraine and the Slovak Republic.

The beech spread in Europe since the last Ice Age, the enormous competitive ability of beech and the variety of types of beech forests are a globally unique phenomenon.

In the German part are selected forest areas of the national parks Hainich in Thuringia, cellar-Edersee in Hesse, Jasmund and Müritz in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as well as the forest area Grumsin in the Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin Brandenburg. They represent the most valuable remains of large areas of natural beech stands in Germany. Each field in this case has peculiarities and characteristics that make it unique and irreplaceable.

- Pradeep Kuma Mallik : email : mallikphila@gmail.com

 

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New stamp on Taj Mahal from Japan

 

Date of Issue : 23 October 2013

Japan Post issued a beautiful souvenir sheetlet featuring 5 World Heritage Sites under its Overseas World Heritage series. It also includes Taj Mahal, ‘ The Pride of India.’

World Heritage Series No 2 stamps from Japan

For a better understanding of world heritage in foreign countries Japan Post Corporation continues the series “Overseas World Heritage” having the theme of fascinating natural and cultural heritage sites around the world. The special stamps from the second collection of overseas world heritage depict the Galapagos Islands, the Taj Mahal, Venice and its lagoon, Victoria Falls and Cologne Cathedral.

The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed on either side of the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, 926 km west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galapagos Islands and their surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a biological marine reserve.The islands are famed for their vast number of endemic species

The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage”.

Venice is a city in northeastern Italy sited on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. It is located in the marshy Venetian Lagoon which stretches along the shoreline, between the mouths of the Po and the Piave Rivers. Venice is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks.The city in its entirety is listed as a World Heritage Site, along with its lagoon.

Victoria is a waterfall in southern Africa on the Zambezi River at the border ofZambia and Zimbabwe.David Livingstone, the Scottish missionary and explorer, is believed to have been the first European to view Victoria Falls on 16 November 1855 from what is now known as Livingstone Island, one of two land masses in the middle of the river, immediately upstream from the falls on the Zambian side.Livingstone named his discovery in honour ofQueen Victoria.

Cologne Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and is a World Heritage Site.It is Germany’s most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day.

: Japan Post

New Special Cover

Save The Earth : 12 October 2013 : Mumbai

A special cover was released in Mumbai  “ Save the Earth”during National Postal week.

As part of National Postal Week celebrations program, 12th October 2013 was celebrated as "Philately Day" & "Save the Earth". Shri Jayant Kumar Bhantia, Chief Secretary Government of Maharashtra was the Chief Guest on the occasion. A special cover on "Save the Earth" was released by Shri. Jayant Kumar Bhantia  to mark the Day. Tree plantation was also arranged in the premises of Mumbai G.P.O on the occasion.

Courtesy : Indian Philately Digest

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The European Peacock butterfly….

Date of Issue : 20 August 2013

Here are some new SEPAC stamps. Aland Post issues a beautiful stamp on European Peacock butterfly.The European Peacock butterfly belongs to the family Nymphalidae and has a wingspan of 55 to 65 mm. All smartphone or tablet PC users can join the European Peacock butterfly for an enticing visit to several tourist attractions in Åland.

With this stamp, you do not only get a lovely and colourful stamp but also an interesting device. If you have a smartphone or a tablet computer you can download a free app by the name Sepac stamps. When you later scan the stamp, an entirely new world reveals itself!

This is a so-called AR-application. AR stands for augmented reality, which implies that information from your physical surroundings is mixed with three-dimensional information via the app. Scan the Peacock stamp and join the butterfly for a virtual tour around Åland, taking part of information and interesting facts about the Åland attractions Kobba klintar, Kastelholm castle, Bomarsund fortress, Pommern museum ship and the Maritime Museum.

Forthcoming Sepac stamps

Iceland

Date of Issue : 12 September 2013

Guernsey

Date of Issue : 24 September 2013

SEPAC

The Small European Postal Administration Cooperation (also Small European Postal Administrations Cooperation or SEPAC) is an association of 13 European postal authorities. They are Åland, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Guernsey, Iceland, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City. SEPAC is smaller than PostEurop. Luxembourg was not originally a member of SEPAC but it joined at the end of 2006. Also Vatican City joined subsequently.

The first joint issue of SEPAC postage stamps occurred on October 1, 2007. Further joint issues within the group are scheduled every two years, in 2009 and 2011 (San Marino does not participate in these issues).

The following criteria are requisites for membership:

• The postal administration must be located in Europe
• The postal administration must be independent
• The postal administration must have a small market with more than 50% of its philatelic customers living outside the country.

 

Articles

Wildfire threatens World Heritage Area of ‘Yosemite National Park’

- Pradeep Kumar Mallik

A wildfire in California (USA) has, raging since last 11 days, scorched an area nearly as large as New York City near Yosemite National Park. The so-called Rim Fire has charred about 280 square miles, making it California's seventh largest fire in US history. The raging blaze is expected to move farther into the park.

In 1984, UNESCO designated Yosemite National Park, USA as the World Heritage. In its justification for inclusion in the World Heritage list, UNESCO states:

Yosemite has exceptional natural beauty, including 5 of the world's highest waterfalls, a combination of granite domes and walls, deeply incised valleys, three groves of giant sequoia, numerous alpine meadows, lakes, diversity of life zones and variety of species.

Glacial action combined with the granitic bedrock has produced unique and pronounced landform features including distinctive polished dome structures, as well as hanging valleys, tarns, moraines and U-shaped valleys. Granitic landforms such as Half Dome and the vertical walls of El Capitan are classic distinctive reflections of geologic history. No other area portrays the effects of glaciations on underlying granitic domes as well as Yosemite does.

Yosemite National Park lies in the heart of California in area of outstanding wilderness and great scenic beauty. With its hanging valleys, many waterfalls, cirque lakes, polished domes, moraines and U-shaped valleys, it provides an excellent overview of all kinds of granite relief fashioned by glaciations.

At 600-4000 m, a great variety of flora and fauna can also be found here. The National Park, on the west slope of the central Sierra Nevada Mountains, represents practically all the different environments found within the Sierra Nevada, including sequoia groves, historic resources, evidence of Indian habitation, and domes, valleys, polished granites and other geological features that illustrate the formation of the mountain range.

The variety of flora in the park is reflected in the existence of six distinct vegetation zones which are governed by altitude. There are 1200 species of flowering plant along with various other ferns, bryophytes and lichens.

Let us hope that 4000 firefighters already deployed in the area will be able to contain the wildfire and save the outstanding features of Yosemite National Park.

: Pradeep Kumar Mallik : email : mallikphila@gmail.com

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World Heritage sites..

 

Date of Issue : 22 August 2013

The Old Town of Lijiang

Hong Kong Post has issued stamp sheetlets in the World Heritage in China Series since 2012 to showcase some of the many natural and cultural gems .

The Old Town of Lijiang, also known as Dayan Town, is located in Lijiang Naxi Autonomous County in Yunnan Province. Established in the late Song Dynasty and early Yuan Dynasty (late 13th century), Lijiang is a famous ancient town set in an idyllic landscape, embracing the picturesque scenery of both a mountain city and a waterside village. The historic town is an important cultural treasure trove for the study of Chinese architecture.

Covering a vast territory, China is rich in natural and cultural heritage. To date, more than 40 sites are inscribed on the World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The Old Town of Lijiang is featured in Stamp Sheetlet No. 2 of the World Heritage in China Series. Lijiang, also known as Dayan Town, is located in Lijiang Naxi Autonomous County in Yunnan Province. It occupies an area of 3.8 square kilometres on Yungui Plateau, which is more than 2400 metres above sea level. First built in the late Song Dynasty and early Yuan Dynasty (late 13th century), Lijiang is a famous ancient town set in an idyllic landscape, embracing the picturesque scenery of a mountain city and a waterside village. Characterized by a harmonious fusion of different architectural styles of the Han, Bai, Yi, Zang and Naxi nationalities, the historical town is an important cultural treasure trove for the study of Chinese architecture.

In this stamp sheetlet, the soaring Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is used as the backdrop. The cloud-wreathed and snow-capped mountain is the southernmost snow mountain in the Northern Hemisphere. Its main summit reaches an altitude of 5596 metres, offering a spectacular and ever-changing view. On the lower left of the stamp sheetlet is Mu’s Mansion. Situated in the southwest corner of the old town, Mu’s Mansion was originally built in the Yuan Dynasty as the office of a hereditary prefect surnamed Mu in Lijiang. It not only bears witness to the history of Lijiang, but also embodies the civilisation of the ancient city. Featured on the stamp is Wanjuan Pavilion of Mu’s Mansion. With a collection of well over a thousand volumes of Dongba scripture, Dazangjing (Buddhist sutra) and other scholastic gems, the pavilion houses the essence of a cultural heritage of two thousand years. The 100-Year-Old Bridge is portrayed on the right of the stamp sheetlet. There are many water courses in the old town and bridges of different sizes can be seen everywhere. Being near to mountains and waters, the Old Town of Lijiang blends well with the natural environment. Its scenery is most enchanting.

New Special Cover

India Post, Delhi Postal Circle issued a Special Cover on 14th June 2013 on the occasion of 50th Anniversary of the Space Mission by Valentina Treshkova.

Valentina Treshkova from Russia is the first woman cosmonaut of the world who went to outer space on 16th June 1963.  This celestial feat has been a source of inspiration for all women in the world ever since.  The year 2013 is being celebrated as the Golden Jubilee year of her maiden Flight to outer space. 

Courtesy : Indian Philately Digest

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