Old Toys – Europa2015 Theme

 

 

Date of Issue : 8 May 2015

I am sharing here few stamps to be released by European Countries in 2015 on “old traditional” Toys. The theme of Europa 2015 is old Toys. Europa stamps will feature popular traditional old toys of the respective countries.  Stamp from Aland features  “Monkey with drum”. This toy was very popular few decades ago all over the world . Pulling toys were also favorites of little children and will be featured on stamps from Denmark. Building Blocks have  always been  very popular among children and these will appear on stamps from Denmark.

Denmark

Date of Issue : 2 January 2015

Finland

Date of Issue : 4 May 2015

Iceland

Date of Issue : 30th April 2015

View : Complete list of Europa 2015 stamps

Toys

The meaning of toys as we know it today being exclusively playthings for children was not commonly used until the nineteenth century. Before then and even into the early 1800’s the word toy was used to describe anything from an adult bauble of little or no value to a very expensive miniature (like handcrafted pieces of silver furniture handmade by the best craftsmen). The word toy comes from an old English world meaning tool.

Ancient toys from excavations of Egyptian ruins show that children had a variety: painted wood balls or glazed papyrus and reeds; spinning tops of wood, papyrus, or stone; pull toys and dolls crafts of wood, ivory, gold, bronze and clay. Some wooden animals had moveable parts, like the jaws of tigers and crocodiles.

Both in Greek and Roman times there were lots of different children’s playthings. They played with clay spinning tops (some propelled with a piece of thread on the end of a stick), balls, terracotta animals and dolls with moving arms and legs, baby toys including animal shaped rattles. Roman children had dolls, wooden toy hoops, spinning tops, drums, draughts, and wooden animals.  Children's games like naughts and crosses, knucklebones and blind man's bluff existed. Wood horses for both these eras were also favourites, including models of the Trojan horse. Many in this period were designed to develop physical fitness. Some, like the hoop, were used by both children and adults. Kites were another old plaything enjoyed by young and old. The Chinese, who invented kites over 3000 years ago, developed many variations and also used them to send signals. The Chinese or Japanese invented the whipped top at an early date. These became so popular and all different types spread throughout Asia and the Middle East. In the English 1500’s toys were popular. For example a Tudor Christmas was a special celebration full of fun and also pomp. The celebrations took place in halls and a Lord of Misrule rode in on a hobby horse, Mummers were actors, Jesters kept everyone happy and Merrymakers (ordinary people) wore costumes and heads of strange monsters! The musicians would have played with pipes, drums, lutes and whistles from a gallery.

As long as toys have existed they have reflected the cultures that produced them. They reflect popular styles of clothing, activities, occupations, social standards and conditions. For example boats, wheeled vehicles and planes of transportation all show the styles of the period in which they were made. Doll makers and craft toys often reflect period styles and clothing.

The Europa 2015 stamps will feature old traditional toys .

Club News

"ITS Stamp News"and completes 17 years of publication

The Indian Thematic Society has issued a new issue no.68 December 2014 of its quarterly magazine "ITS Stamp News" ( Editor – Suraj Jaitly ) and completed 17 years of its regular publication without any break or combined issue. Many many congratulations to Mr Suraj Jaitly.The issue has been despatched to its regular subscribers if you are not its subscriber Please contact :

Suraj Jaitly  email :   indianthematicsociety@gmail.com

Mobile: +91 98728 51244
MIG # 3464, Phase Two, Dugri Road, Ludhiana - 141 013 INDIA

Press Clippings

Finding music in stamps and coins

Gandikota Sriramarao has 250 coins and 93 musical currency notes, apart from over 4,000 stamps from around the world, collected over 24 years. Photo: R. Ravindran – The Hindu

There is music in these postage stamps. They are not just pieces of paper with images on them but contain music that you can listen to,’ says retired Commander Gandikota Sriramarao, as he shows off his collection of gramophone record/CD/DVD stamps from Bhutan and North Korea that can actually be played.

The Visakhapatnam-based philatelist is exhibiting his collection of currency notes, coins and pictorial cancellations related to music at the Tag Listening and Viewing Archives at The Music Academy.

An avid interest in music and singing led Mr. Sriramarao to learn music after he retired from the Indian Navy.

“Collecting stamps, coins and currency have been my passion from childhood. But when I started learning music, I decided to collect things connected to music. I have been doing it for 24 years now and have 250 coins and 93 musical currency notes apart from over 4,000 stamps from around the world,” says the 74-year-old who spends half his pension on this.

A walking encyclopaedia on stamps and currency, he says, “There are 76 musical post offices in 13 countries. They are named after musicians.”

At the exhibition, open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. till Saturday, one can see coins shaped like guitars and those embedded with Swarovski crystals, or even gold and silver.

Mr. Sriramarao’s wife, Ramalakshmi Gandikota, herself a musician, and son Vijai Gandikota too share his passion for stamps and are at hand to explain the significance of the collection to visitors at the exhibition.

The Hindu  - 17 December 2014

- Mahesh Parekh - Chennai

The winners of 2014 EUROPA Stamp Competition

 

The First Place Winner - Serbia

PostEurop announced PE Post of Serbia (Serbia-Gold), Turkish PTT (Turkey-Silver) and Hellenic Post (Greece-Bronze) as the top three winners of the 2014 EUROPA Stamp Online Competition at the PostEurop Plenary Assembly in San Marino last week.

The Second Place Winner  - Turkey

 

In this 23rd consecutive year, 53 entries were submitted based on the theme “Musical instruments” to promote the musical and cultural aspects of every country’s traditional instrument.

The Third Place Winner - Greece

The results of this year’s online EUROPA Stamp competition were disclosed during the PostEurop Plenary Assembly in San Marino last week, in which PE Post of Serbia (Serbia), Turkish PTT (Turkey) and Hellenic Post (Greece) emerged as the top three winners respectively.

“What beautiful stamps we have at PostEurop! The theme of 2014 with musical instruments allowed the postal operators to create marvellous stamps with several different interpretations of the theme using many different printing techniques and special effects including engravings, varnishing, embossing and extra colours” exclaimed Anita Häggblom, Chair of the PostEurop Stamps and Philately working group from Posten Ǻland.

“The public votes received almost equalled to those of last year’s competition but what was remarkable to note was how close the votes were between each entry.” she added.

The first place winner Serbian stamp portrays the traditional Serbian bagpipe.  A man dressed in the national folk costume is shown playing the bagpipe surrounded by the authentic landscape of Eastern Serbia in the background.

 

Club News

 

Schoolpex - 2014, 18th Inter-school Stamp Exhibition at Jaipur - 17th - 18th October 2014

18th Interschool Stamp Exhibition, Schoolpex 2014 was organised on 17th and 18th October 2014 at St Xavier's School, Jaipur. Late Shri O. P. Bhatnagar Trophy for Best School was given to BVB Vidyashram, Late Shri A S Mittal Trophy for Best in Senior Category was given to Master Vaibhav Bhatnagar of Mahaveer Public School and Late Dr. Jaya Bhargava Trophy for best in Junior Trophy was given to Master Shivam Bhargava of Hindustan International Academy.

On the occasion specially pre-approved design of ‘MY Stamp’ and MY Stamp Folders were released by Guest of Honour Shri Dushyant Mudgal. The facility of 'MY Stamp' with special My Stamp Folders was provided with 3 pre-approved design of Jain Saraswati Statue, St Xavier's School Building and Maharishi Bhrigu Statue .

Mr Rajesh Paharia, General Secretary, Philatelic Society of Rajasthan reported that it is only Stamp Exhibition in the world which is conducted annually exclusively for school students uninterrupted since last 17 years.

- Rajesh Paharia - Jaipur

JPG MEET VOLUNTEERS HONORED

    - Sudhir Jain

 

We had arranged a function at satnaSon 14th Oct. 2014 to honour the members of Central India Philatelic Society (CIPS) who had helped us in organizing Jainism Philately Group (JPG) Khajuraho Meet. Renowned Philatelist and Numismatic writer Shri Kishor Jhunjhunwala of Mumbai was the chief guest. He had distributed mementos, Tulsi coins and calendar to all the members. JPG Chairman and Secretary of CIPS Mr. Sudhir Jain given welcome speech and Joint Secretary Mr. Rajendra Agarwal "Shashi" given vote of thanks,. Mr. Lajpatrai, President CIPS conducted the function.

Mr. Jhunjhunwala addressing the function, told that this is not the honour of the members, but it is honour of the work you have done for Philately. CIPS members had arranged warm welcome to the JPG members at Satna Railway Station and helped in all the arrangements at Khajuraho.

New Europa 2014 stamps

 

Date of Issue : 4 June 2014

Macedonia Post issued a set of two stamps and a souvenir sheet with a stamp booklet having four stamps of different designs. The stamps feature National Musical Instruments which is a common theme for EUROPA 2014 stamps.

Stamps from the booklet

Club News

Best Europa 2014 Stamp Competition

On the 9th of May - Europe Day - PostEurop launched this year's best Europa stamp competition ! you can vote until the 31st of August for the most beautiful Europa stamp 2014 ! The winning stamps (top 3) will be announced at the PostEurop Plenary Assembly to be held on 24 Septembre 2014 in San Marino. Please click  following link to vote..

http://www.posteurop.org/europa2014

 

 

Catalogue of Errors on Stamps of Modern India

– by Mrinal Kanti Ray

At present collection of errors on postage stamps is one of the most popular branches of philately with a consistently growing number of collectors. But until now the collectors of errors on Indian stamps have no reference work to consult with. Most of them are left in a quandary – knowing not what to look for, what to purchase and at what price.

To fill the vacuum ShriMrinal Kanti Ray well know philatelist and author has published ‘Specialized Catalogue of Errors on Stamps of Modern India’ which lists and prices imperforates and colour omitted errors on stamps issued since independence in a chronological order. The Catalogue was released at New Delhi on 7th June 2014.

Courtesy : Indian Philately Digest

Mother’s Day stamp from Mexico

 

Correos de Mexico issued a stamp to celebrate Mother’s Day 2014.Mother’s Day (El Dia de la Madre) is a popular celebration for mothers and mother figures across Mexico on May 10. Mothers and mother figures are given flowers, cards, candy, and other gifts that symbolize appreciation, respect and love.

It is a bittersweet day for moms of missing children (desaparecidos). Groups of these mothers protested on Mother’s Day, calling for the government to help find their children, in previous years.

Mother’s Day is an observance and not a public holiday in Mexico. However, some public offices have been known to close early in the afternoon so employees can spend some of the day with their mothers.

The first official Mother’s Day celebration in Mexico was held on May 10, 1922. The celebration soon took on religious undertones, with images of the Madonna and Child being displayed on Mother’s Day. The day has gained widespread popularity over the years. It is also celebrated in other countries worldwide.

New Europa 2014  stamps

Austria

The common theme chosen by the Federation of European Postal Services is “national music instruments”. While the zither is synonymous with an Alpine tradition, it has gained a foothold in modern ensembles as well.

The zither is a musical string instrument, consisting of many strings stretched across a thin, flat body. It is played by strumming or plucking the strings, either with one’s fingers, or using a tool called a plectrum. Like a guitar or lute, a zither’s body serves as a sound box, but unlike them, a zither has no neck. The number of strings varies, from as few as twelve to more than fifty.

The term “zither” organologically refers to a broad family of Eurasian musical instruments, but in modern usage most commonly refers to one of three specific instruments: the concert zither and its variant the Alpine zither and the fretless (or “guitar”) zither.

Here are some more stamps with exquisite designs featuring Europa 2014 theme , National Musical Instruments rrom Greece and Ireland.

Greece

Date of Issue: 19th May 2014

Ireland

Date of Issue : 8 May 2014

Club News

Stamps to be issued by India Post in May – June 2014

: Sreejesh Krishnan - Trivandrum

New Stamps on Music

 

 Date of Issue : 3 May 2014

Lithuania Post will release tomorrow  2 new postage stamps from the series Europe.  The Lithuanian stamps will be issued to commemorate wooden bells skrabalai, reed-pipe birbynė, goat-horn ožragis, and plucked string musical instrument kanklės.

One of the two stamps features the goat-horn and wooden bells,  and the other depicts the reed-pipe and the Lithuanian plucked string musical instrument.  The goat-horn ožragis is a Lithuanian folk instrument made of the goat’s horn with sound holes and wooden mouthpiece. The traditional goat-horn has 2-6 sound holes. Much strength is required to tootle the goat-horn,

The wooden bells skrabalai are made of wood in the shape of trapezium and hanging in a small trapezium shape wooden box. In remote times the wooden bells were common among shepherds – they used to hang them on the cow’s neck in order to locate their place following the bells’ sounds.  The wooden bells produce a muted but very well heard sound. Presently they are used by the ensembles of orchestras to have playful tunes shading the whole orchestra.

The reed-pipe birbynė is a folk wind-instrument usually made of goose feather, straw, wood cortex, wood, or beast horn. The reed-pipes are used to imitate sounds, give shepherds’ signals, or play the polyphonic music sutartinės. Present-day reed-pipes are used in the programmes of the ensembles of orchestras and solo performances.

The plucked string musical instrument kanklės has a body made from wood of a deciduous tree, and the cover is made of fir. This instrument has 5-12 strings. The instrument is used to play polyphonic melodies, songs, and dances. Since the 20^th century, public concerts performed by kanklės are given. Nowadays the sounds produced by kanklės can be heard at international song festivals and in the programmes of the ensembles of orchestras. As a rule, the instrument is used to maintain harmony and rhythm.

From Our Readers…

Stamp used on speed Post before official release

India Post released a Stamp on Chattampi Swamikal. Official Releasing function held by Governor of Kerala at 5 pm. But the stamps were well available since morning 10 am onwards all over India.

The speed post label time could be clearly seen here. It shows 11.38. When will India Post take a standard decision for sale of commemorative stamp after its official release. So many pre-matured releases reported since last few years. The same is being repeated again and again. When the Postal authorities  would check this irregularity.

- Sreejesh Krishnan : email :  sreejesh.nt@gmail.com

New stamps on EUROPA 2014

 

  

Date of Issue : 28 April 2014

Serbia Post issued a set of two stamps on EUROPA 2014 theme “ National Musical Instruments”. Musical instrument is an important element of the musical tradition of a nation. Musical instruments take numerous forms, and by their origin they can be indigenous or adopted from another culture, but can also become national because of its use.

According to classification of musical instruments of Germam ethnomusicologists Curt Sachs and Erich M. Hornbostel, which takes as the criterion any material as the source of the sound and the way the sound is produced by these instruments, musical instruments can be divided into four groups, namely: 1. Idiophones; 2. Membarnophones; 3. Chordphones and 4. Аеrophones.

In Serbian traditional practice idiophone (self-sounding) instruments are relatively rare and their structure is usually relatively simple. Their function ranges from ritual via signal to literally musical (bell, clapper, jew’s harp).

Membranophone instruments (producing sound by a vibrating membrane) are relatively rare, and are characteristic by their musical function (drum/tapan, darbuka, tambourine i.e. def, cupa or begesh).

Chordphone (string) instruments produce sounds by plucking (striking) or by dragging a bow between two stretched fixed points (tambura, tambura ensemble, gusle (single-string fiddle), gusle ensemble).

Aerophone (aer–air, greek) instruments can be: free (leaf, grass and onion feather) and wind instruments. Wind instruments in Serbia are undoubtedly the most numerous and are present in almost all existing groups, such as labial/ folk flutes (fife-duduk-flute, ocarine, twin pipes, cevara (pipe instrument)); fifes played with tongue/folk clarinets (leika, zurle, bagpipes, diple), and fifes that produce sounds by vibration of lips/trumpet (tree bark trumpet, rikalo-punched, wind–brass orchestra).

Fife (duduk/flute) belongs to the family of so-called folk flutes. It is made of wood and has six holes for playing. It can be made in more sizes. Sound produced by the longest instruments is often “boosted” by a characteristic tone coming out of player’s throat.

Bagpipes belong to so-called folk clarinets since the source of their sound is a beep through a single reed. In musical practice in Serbia there are two types of bagpipes: two-voiced bagpipes (southern Morava-Macedonian and Vlach) and three-voiced bagpipes (Svrljig and Banat bagpipes).

EUROPA 2014 stamps from Romania and Gibraltar

 

Date of Issue : 5 May 2014

Date of Issue : 2 May 2014

From our Readers…

Dear Friend

AN APPEAL   :   GENERAL ELECTIONS - 2014

India is surging through another “Democracy Yagna” at the moment, the biggest till the date, the Indian General Elections to constitute the 16^th Lok Sabha of the Republic of India. Mammoth efforts are being made by everyone concerned, from the Election Commission of India to the public in general. Postal Department of India, the India Post may not be an exception. The department has to do a lot of exercises to play it’s part in the success of the elections. Postal Ballots are one more important aspect of the elections, where Postal Department is involved directly.

It will be a very interesting story and a very important chapter of the Indian Postal History to document the role of the Postal Department in the General Elections / Elections.

There may be a lot of elements comprising the role of the department in the elections; postmarks, slogan postmarks, schedules, stationery, Ballot envelopes etc etc.

We invite the interested writers / philatelists to take on the task and write an article on India Post’s Role in Elections in India. The Year Book of Indian Philately will publish the study in the 2014 edition of the Year Book, with all the due credits to the author/s. The copyright of the article will also remain with the author/s.

We expect some good write-ups on the subject from some interested writers / philatelists who have followed the earlier elections too. We expect a very important and interesting addition to the next (2014) edition of the Year Book of Indian Philately. AAMIN.

With high expectations,

Madan Middha

Editor, Year Book of Indian Philately

New stamps on Music

 

Date of Issue : 5 April 2014

In the organization of PostEurop, special stamps with the EUROPA logo that every year has a unique central theme for all its members are issued. The theme for 2014 is folk musical instruments, Croatian Post issued a set of two stamps featuring  Herzegovinian pipes and dual flutes (dvojnice), instruments that were made and played by the ancestors, and are played till this day.

Dual flutes or Herzegovinian instruments are in fact two flutes that are made from one piece of wood in that way both can be played simultaneously. It is most often made out of dry maple wood, plum, cherry, cornelian cherry or “kljen” wood. Every hole has a labial opening, separated for a couple of centimeters from the above end, in which are located whistles from ash wood. The holes for screening are punctured in a parallel manner, on one side three or four, and on the other side four to five. The melody is always dual from the dual flute, and six tones can maximally be played from each octave.

Herzegovinian pipes are also a dual instrument that have on each side an equal number of holes and are attached to tanned animal skin (goat’s or sheep). On the jugular part of the pipe is placed the top part of maple wood or elder wood with dual flutes in which there are placed two whistles. As decoration, on the front and one back leg are placed boar tusks, while on one back leg and anal opening a wooden decorative box 10 -12 cmof size is placed in order for the bellow to close. In the central part of the abdominal part, a blower is placed that has an irreversible vent. Specificity of playing Herzegovinian pipes is that the melodic follow up is played on the top two or three arrays of holes, and the melody is played on the lower remaining array of holes.

From our Readers…

The Politics of Stamps

It has finally happened. The politics of the Post. For the first time in the history of Independent India, the matter of issuance of Stamps has figured in the Manifesto of a Political party.

In its manifesto issued at Bhubaneswar on the 2^nd of April 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party, Odisha, has mentioned that if elected into office, it would ensure that Odisha is adequately represented by way of its personalities, history, culture and natural assets depicted on the Stamps issued by India Post.

The Eastern India Philatelic Association had written to the three mainstream political parties in the State, asking them to ensure that Odisha gets due representation on stamps. While the other parties ignored the suggestion, the BJP found it an important enough issue to be included it in its manifesto.

The manifesto of a political party is issued to show the priorities that will stretch across the political spectrum for the next five years. Manifestoes usually cover extensive policy areas, but miss out some which affect the citizens. Election campaigns should be about what the voters want to say, not just what the politicians talk about. A Manifesto is a vision document which every political party is duty bound to execute as it is a written promise. All the other promises made in election speeches are just political discourse.

This is a feather in the cap for philatelists. They should take up the matter of promotion of Philately with their elected representatives.

N.B. It is another matter that yours truly, i.e. Anil Dhir, was part of the Manifesto Committee of the Party and steam rolled the proposal through in spiteof stiff opposition. I also promise that once we have a NDA Government in place in the Centre, adequate measures will be taken to promote the hobby of philately both by India Post and the Government. In fact, a proposal to make Philately a curriculum subject (as is prevalent in China) till the middle school level will be mooted. District, State and National Level exhibitions based on a fixed schedule calendar will be done. Good days ahead for Indian philately!

: Anil Dhir – Bhubaneshwar

email : anildhir2k5@hotmail.com

 

News Clippings

 

Sanjay Goenka with his collection of odd shape and unique stamps

- The Telegraph 4 April 2014

New Europa 2014 stamps ….

 

Date of Issue : 6 March 2014

Belarus Post will issue a set of two stamps with a mini sheet on 6th March 2014 featuring   Musical instruments. “National Musical Instruments”  is theme for EUROPA 2014 stamps.All Europa stamps of this year will feature national Musical Instrument of the respective country.

 

Club News

EIPEX 2014

A stamp Exhibition cum Postage Stamp Fair, organized by Eastern India Philatelists’ Association will be held in Bhubaneshwar from 8-9 February 2014. During the exhibition a special cover will be released. The theme of the exhibition is “Save  The Nature”.

PHILATELIST KALEIDOSCOPE - New Book on Philately

After the success of  Odia book "Dakatikata Sangraha" Dr Bibhudatta Mishra and Mr S.S.Rath once again jointly written a book on Philately. The name of the book is "PHILATELIST KALEIDOSCOPE" a multicolored book, demy size, 160 pages book with two volumes. The first volume of the book is likely to be  released in the 3rd week of February.

The VOLUME-1 of the book has following chapters…Chapters are provided with Phila Facts, Phila Quotes, Phila Statistics and list of stamps, Miniature, sheet let and se-tenant issued on each theme between 1947-2012

Chapter 1. Stamp collection-Rainbow of diversity

Chapter2.  Cheapest mode of Communication-Postal Stationary and Services

Chapter3.Amateur Collector's-Beginner's tip

Chapter4. Pride of the counter-National Symbols & Emblems

Chapter5 My life is my message- Father of the Nation

Chapter6 President & Prime minister-Foot prints of unforgettable leaders

Chapter 7 Cruising the magnificent jungle safari-Wild, domestic, Aquatic Animals

Chapter8 Wonder's of Indian Bird Fauna-Sweeping the Sky with tiny wings

Chapter9 Valley of Calm trees & Plants-Glittering petals from Nature bouquet

Chapter10 Voyage to enlighten-Spiritual, Religion and holy routes to salvation

 

For more details contact : Dr Bibhudatta Mishra : email : bhanubibhu68@gmail.com

New stamp from India

 

A  commemorative stamp on INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF CRYSTALLOGRAPHY will be released by India Post on 30 January 2014.

: Sreejeshkrishnan – Trivandrum

The United Nations (UN) has declared 2014 as the International Year of Crystallography (IYCr2014).IYCr2014 aims to increase public awareness of the importance of crystallography, which is the branch of science that studies the formation and structure of crystals.

The Year of Crystallography promotes widespread access of information about crystallography and activities involving this science. Crystallography has become the core of structural science. Its uses include:

• Showing the structure of DNA.
• Helping people understand and fabricate computer memories.
• Disclosing how proteins are created in cells.
• Assisting in the design of powerful new materials and drugs.