Toys of yesteryears

Date of Issue : 19 May 2015

Philatelic and Numismatic Office of Vatican City has produced for Europa 2015 a series of two postage stamps with designs by artist Stefano Morri featuring toys, which, although “old”, also represent a universal symbol of a child playing. The issue is to be released on the 19^th of May.

The 80 cent euro value shows three toy soldiers representing in scale three papal Gendarmes in formal uniforms worn by the Corps during the Napoleonic era up until 1965. In the background the walls of a room can be seen with other traditional handcrafted toys.

The 95 cent euro value also shows more toy soldiers with two Pontifical Swiss Guards who are wearing what is probably the most famous uniform in the world. One of the guards is playing the drums, while the other is carrying the classic halberd, which is still in use today in official ceremonies and in some services of standing guard.

The dice with the first initials of the Corps and a glass marble complete the foreground of the design. The profile of St. Peter’s Basilica can be seen in the background, a panoramic view from the terrace of a building in Rome.

Toys recall an important time during a child’s growth and development, and are characterized today by a rapid evolution often resulting in trends of a brief or very short duration. At the same time, some toys have become part of the cultural heritage of society and continue to draw the interest of the young. Examples include toy soldiers and dolls, which have been part of human history since ancient times.

Europa 2015 Stamps from Luxembourg

Luxembourg Post has released a special set of stamps designed for Europa 2015. The series of postage stamps featuring the toys of yesteryear was produced together with the ‘A Possen’ Museum in Bech-Kleinmacher where the doll’s house furniture and the building box are now on display.

Manufacture of the doll’s house dates back to 1936. At the age of 7, Madame Reuter from Pétange received the ‘house’ as a St Nicolas gift. The furniture had been made and painted by her father and her mother had sewn all the household linen and the doll’s clothes by hand. When war broke out in 1940, the family was forced to leave their home and the toys had to be left behind.

The building box, comprising model components in stone, was one of the magical gifts that a nursery school child in Hamm could choose at the end of a school year.

Club News

INDIA TRIUMPHS IN INTERNATIONAL PHILATELIC COMPETITION

PILLAGE TROPHY 2015

FIFTH PILLAGE TROPHY COMPETITION hosted by the British Air Mail Society on 12th May 2015 at the Royal Philatelic Society, London and sponsored by Daniel F. Kelleher Auctions , LLC and The Associations of British Philatelic Societies . This is a bi-annual competition. Results of the earlier Pillage Trophy:

 

The next competition is going to be held in February 2017 in Sarasota, Florida.Two teams of five member countries in each team participated. The teams were : American Air Mail Society consisting of Stephen Reinhard from USA - Captain , Allen Klein from USA, Pradip Jain from India, Derrick Pillage from UK, and Dominique Petit from France as its members whereas British Air Mail Society consisting of Peter Lister- Captain (non competitive), Jacques Bot from Netherlands, Jeffrey Booth from UK, Gerard Collot from France, Martyn Cusworth from UK and Dan Gribbin from USA as its members respectively.

 
Mr. Pradip Jain with a fellow aerophilatelist

Team American Air Mail Society won the competition by scoring 421 points out of which Pradip Jain from India scored the highest points (91 out of 100) which led to the victory of the team.

The exhibits were judged and the results were declared by the honoured judges : Mr. Ray Todd & Mr.Ross Wood. The medals to the runners up were presented by Mr. David Coogle and the medals to the winners were presented by Mr. Larry Gibson as well as the New trophy was presented to the winning captain by Chris King, President , RPSL. The awards dinner was at the ‘Kings Head’ hosted by President , Bill Trower and the toast “Aerophilately” hosted by Vice President, Eddie Spicer .

                                                                                         
The medal presented to team AAMS  & The medal presented to Mr.Pradip Jain.

Release of Golden Jubilee stamp of EIC

Golden Jubilee My stamp was released on 50 Years of Export Inspection Council on 22nd April 2015.

- Udit Kumar Saxena