Special stamp on Blind Talents by Latvia post

Date of Issue : 26 July 2019

 Blind Talents - Painters

Latvijas Pasts in collaboration with the social company Blind Art has released a new stamp and a cover featuring works of art created using the tactile painting technique, a way of painting adapted to visually impaired people. The drawings have been made by the pupils of Strazdumuiža Residential Secondary School. 

The design of the stamp and the cover incorporates several works created during the classes of visual and tactile art at the development centre of Strazdumuiža Residential Secondary School by the pupils of grades 4 to 8, working jointly under the supervision of the teacher Baiba Pika.

The stamp created by the gifted blind persons includes the painting Garāmgājējs (A Passer-by), while the cover is decorated with the drawings Balerīna (Ballerina) and Gribu būt karalis! (I Want to Be King!). The first day postmark depicts the stylus, a centre-punching tool used in tactile painting.

Tactile Painting

Tactile painting is a special type of drawing adapted to visually impaired people. Paper is attached to a specially designed drawing object and a stylus is used to centre-punch the contour of the drawing object. The resulting silhouette of the drawing is turned over and painting with specialised finger paints or oil chalks is carried out by touching the tactile dots made in the centre-punching process. 

My Recent Covers

Special Covers : Kumbh Mela

Many Thanks to Mr Rahul Ganguli of Allahabad and Prayag Philatelic Society for these special Covers on Kumbh Mela.

Cover from Latvia

The First Stamp of Latvia - 100 years

Many Thanks to Mr EN Limanski from Riga, Latvia for this wonderful cover.

Cover from Latvia

"100 years of the Republic of Latvia. 1918-2018.".

"Science" : "Astrophysics", "Medicine" and "Chemistry"  

Friedrich Zander – built the first Soviet rocket engine on liquid fuel. Born in Riga.

   Karlis Shtein, Janis Ikaunieks and Arthur Balklavs – astronomers.In the background of the stamp drawn: the rocket, the satellite "Venta-1" ( launched on an Indian rocket PSLV C-38 June 23, 2017), starry sky with nebula and astronomical Observatory.

Date of Issue : 3 November 2017

Received this cover from Latvia. Thanks Evgenii Limanski For this beautiful cover.

Litene’s tragedy - the most horrible event in Latvian history!

Date of Issue : 14 June 2016

Latvijas Pasts has issued a block of two stamps and a special cover dedicated to mass deportations of Latvia‘s people on June 14, 1941 and to pay the tribute to the memory of the army officers who fell victim to Litene’s tragedy.

The stamp block has been created to commemorate the mass deportations of June 14, 1941 and the 75th anniversary of Litene’s officers tragedy. One of the stamps in the block is dedicated to more than 15,000 Latvia’s people who were deported from the occupied Latvia to Siberia on June 14, 1941 by the Soviet occupation regime. The other stamp has been released in memory of the officers of the Latvian army who were arrested in Litene on the same day. Most of them were deported, imprisoned in Gulag forced labor camps or shot.

New Stamps on Flowers..

Date of Issue : 4 March 2016

Latvijas Pasts has released a new stamp featuring Water Lily in the  Flowers series on 4th March 2016. The design of the FDC is excellent. A nice  collecting item, for all stamp lovers.

Water lilies are considered by many to be the jewels of the pond. Not only are they beautiful to look at, but they also serve an important purpose in the pond, mainly in aiding its ecosystem. Water lilies spread across the water‘s surface, filling it with color and vibrancy all the while keeping the pond and the creatures in it safe and healthy.

Water lily is one of the most magnificent aquatic plants. It can impress anyone with its beauty and diversity. Water lilies are large plants with big floating, long-stalked leaves that grow in water and wetlands. The flowers are large and solitary. Pollination occurs either by insects or by self-pollination.

Water Lily is the seventh stamp in the series Flowers, which was launched in 2010 by Latvijas Pasts. The first release in the series was Peony, which was followed by Rose, Lily, Iris, Tulip and Sunflower.

Symbolic bouquet of flowers for women…

Date of Issue : 8 March 2016

The postage stamp issue “Flowers’ Alphabet (II) CU DRAG (With Love)” is dedicated this year to March 8th, the International Women’s Day. 

In different regions of the globe the March 8th festivities range from a general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for their economic, political and social achievements. International Women’s Day has had various interpretations over the years. The version that is celebrated now has its origin in 1977 when the United Nations General Assembly invited all member states to proclaim March 8th as Women’s Rights and World Peace Day. 

On this occasion, Romfilatelia offered to all the ladies a symbolic bouquet of flowers. Each of the stamps of this issue depicts a head letter intertwined with a flower, the entire issue forming the words “CU DRAG” (With Love). 

The stamp with the face value of Lei 1.20 illustrates the letter C of Chrysanthemum (lat. Chrysanthemum hortorum).

 Chrysanthemums, also called autumn daisies, belong to the genus Chrysanthemum, featuring over 30 species of perennials belonging to the family Asteraceae, native to Asia and northeastern Europe. The flowers are solitary or grouped in multiple inflorescences. The flowers of the spontaneous species are yellow; even the name chrysanthemum is derived from the Latin words chrysos (gold) and anthemon (flower). The cultivated species have a multitude of shapes and colours ranging from white, yellow to various shades of red, green or purple. 

The stamp with the face value of Lei 1.40 illustrates the letter U of “Urechelnita”, the common houseleek (lat. Sempervivum tectorum). 

Its name does not betray the beauty and utility of the plant. In Europe, it grows in among the spontaneous flora but is also widely cultivated for its ornamental and curative nature. In Romania it’s found in rocky limestone areas, but it’s also cultivated and even preferred for growing on green roofs in some rural areas. Fleshy leaves grow from the stem, thick and very juicy, arranged in a rosette, with sharp peaks. They are used in various household remedies both internally and externally. 

The stamp with the face value of Lei 1.60 illustrates the letter D of Dahlia (lat. Dahlia variabilis). 

The Dahlia genus includes over 15 species of perennials and is native to Central and North America. Its cultivation in Europe began in the Royal Gardens of Madrid, the director of the gardens naming the plant in honor of the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl, who brought the plant from America. The flowers are grouped in inflorescences of various colors. The plant is multiplied by tubers. 

The stamp with the face value of Lei 4.50 illustrates the letter R of “Ruscuta de primavara”, yellow pheasant’s eye (lat. Adonis vernalis). 

The species grows in Europe and Asia; in our country it can be found on steep hills, in pastures and sunny hayfields, from the plains to the mountains. The leaves are deeply divided, like those of dill. The flowers are golden yellow and shiny. It is considered a poisonous plant, but with curative properties for heart disease. 

The stamp with the face value of Lei 8 illustrates the letter A of Azalea (lat. Rhododendron japonicum). 

Azaleas are a group of shrubs that belong to the genus Rhododendron. Its name derives from the Greek words rhódon (rose) and déndron (tree). The plant is attractive both by size and composition of the flower, which can be simple or with multiple petals, and also by its vivid color tones and shades from dark red or purple to pink and white. The azalea is widespread in regions with mild winters and moderate summers except Africa and South America. 

The stamp with the face value of Lei 16 illustrates the letter G of Gladiola (lat. Gladiolus hybridus). 

The Gladiolus genus contains over 250 species spread throughout Asia, Europe and South Africa. Gladiolas are related to irises, both having an elongated shaft sharpen toward the peak, in the form of a sword. Even its name is derived from the Latin word for sword, gladius. Its flowers grow in the form of a blade, with a wide range of colors. 

Romfilatelia thanks The Romanian Academy Institute of Biology for the documentary support offered in the creation of this postage stamp issue. 

My Recent Covers..

 

Covers from  Latvia

 

 I just received these beautiful covers from Latvia so kindly sent by Mr. EN Limanski from Riga. The covers are so beautiful featuring Pluvialis and  Oriolus.

 

Many Many Thanks to Mr EN Limanski for these beautiful covers.

My recent covers..

 

Cover from Germany - Greetings from Oman

Thanks to Mr Wolfgang Beyer – Germany for this very special cover.

Hi !

I have recently received these beautiful covers from my friends. Many many thanks to all of them for these wonderful covers !!

Cover from Algeria

Thanks to Mr. Ouari Khemissi, Setif – Algeria .

Cover from Latvia

Thanks to Mr EN Limanski, Riga – Latvia .

 

 

Sunflower on new stamp from Latvia

 

Date of Issue : 6 March 2015

Here is a beautiful stamp from Latvia . The FDC of this stamp is very attractive. Latvia Post has introduced this new stamp on  Sunflower as part of the popular and eye-catching series Flowers. Helianthus or sunflower is a genus of plants in the family Compositae. Its name is largely derived from heliotropism, the term used to describe the movement of the blooming part in response to the direction of the bright light of the sun. Sunflowers can reach a height of 3 meters and they bloom from July to September. Sunflowers are known not only as ornamental plants, but are also widely used in the production of oil, food, livestock forage and medicine.

 

 

Sunflower is the sixth stamp in the series Flowers, which was launched in 2010 by Latvijas Pasts. The first release in the series was Peony, which was followed by Rose, Lily, Iris and Tulip.

Club News

The Indian Thematic  Society has issued a new issue no.69 March 2015 of its quarterly magazine "ITS Stamp News" .

  For the magazine please contact  Mr Suraj Jaitly: email -  indianthematicsociety@gmail.com

 

New Special Covers

NEW COVER ISSUED ON JAIN SAINT AT AHMEDABAD

- Sudhir Jain

To commemorate the 10th Centenary of Jain Acharya Kalikal Sarvagya Shri Henchandracharya JI Maharaj, a special cover has been issued on 23rd March 2015 at Ahmedabad. The cover was released at Shasansamrat Bhavan, Sheth Hathisingh Wadi, Ahmedabad in a function by Shri Ambesh Upmanyu, Post Master General Gujarat Circle in the holy presence of Acharya Shri Vijayshilchandrasuriji Maharaj.

 

Special Cover on Adarsh Vidyalaya, Mumbai – 1st March 2015

To mark the Golden Jubilee a Special Cover on Adarsh Vidyalaya was released at Mumbai on 1st March 2015.

Rajasthani Mahila Mandal, Mumbai is a nonprofit NGO working for the upliftment of underprivileged women and children. Mandal is rendering varied facilities in the field of Education, Vocational, Support Group, Income Generation and Medical Aid, in order to uplift the weaker section of the society. The Mandal runs two BMC recongnised Hindi medium primary schools viz. Adarsh Vidyalaya I (Thakurdwar) and Adarsh Vidyalaya II with strength of 500 students. One English medium school viz. RMM English School is also set up by the Mandal. A free bus service to the children is provided by Mandal to encourage them to join the School, and motivate the parents not to let them on the streets, or engage them as child labours.

 

Kohimapex-2015, Kohima district level philatelic exhibition at Kohima – 13th – 14th March 2015

Kohimapex-2015, a two-day Kohima district philatelic exhibition was organized by Nagaland Postal Division from 14th to 15th March 2015 at Little Flower Higher Secondary School, Kohima (LFHSSK). The exhibition was inaugurated by Athikho Chalai, Accountant General, Nagaland as the chief guest and Shri Som Kamei, Director of Postal Services, Kohima. On the occasion ICC World Cup-2015 Souvenir sheet was also launched.

The philatelic exhibition witnessed the participation of several students from different educational institutions in and around Kohima. Letter Writing and Stamp Design Competition were also conducted for different age categories.

The closing function took place on 14th March with Sr. Anna Molly, Principal Little Flower Higher Secondary School, Kohima as the guest of honour. Prizes to the winners in the different competitions were given away by the guest of honour Sr. Anna Molly, Sr. Superior Lydia and Som Kamei, Director of Postal Services.

Courtesy – Indian Philately Digest

New Stamp from India

 

Swami Ekrasanand Saraswati

Date of Issue : 4 December 2014

Centenary celebration of Daivee Sampad Mandal held at Mainpuri from 25^th November to 6^th December 2014 at Sri Ekrasanand Aashram, Mainpuri. A Commemorative Stamp on Swami Ekrasanand Saraswati was released by India Post on the occasion of Centenary celebration of Daivee Sampad Mandal on 4^thDecember 2014.

Swami Ekrasanand Saraswati was a saint of common man. He always cared for the upliftment of poor and needy. Daivee Sampad Mandal was founded by Swami Ekrasanand Saraswatiji at Sri Ekrasanand Aashram, Mainpuri, UP. Daivee Sampad Mandal is a Socio-Spiritual organisation committed to the revival and upliftment of Vanvasis and Tribals. "Sarva Bhoot Hite Ratah" meaning welfare of all is its motto. Swami Ekrasanand ji left for heavenly abode on 10th September 1938.

Courtesy : Prashant Pandya – Vadodara

 

My recent Cover

Christmas 2014 Cover from Latvia

 

Received this beautiful  Christmas First Day cover from Riga, Latvia, so kindly  sent by Mr EN Limanski , Thanks to Mr Limanski for this wonderful cover with lovely cancellation of Christmas tree.

 

Bats on new stamps from Slovenia

 

 

Date of Issue : 25 September 2014

Slovenia Post issued a set of 3 stamps  and a miniature sheet  featuring bats on 25th September 2014.

AUNA – Bats
Bechstein’s bat – Myotis bechsteinii (Kuhl, 1818)
Bats are the only mammals to have a wing membrane that allows true flight. The membrane is stretched between the digits of the forelimbs, the body, the hind legs and the tail and forms a special flying organ. Bats have also developed an effective echolocation system based on high-frequency sound which enables them to orient themselves in space and hunt food in the darkness.

Bechstein’s bat belongs to the vesper bat family (Vespertilionidae), which lack the enlarged nose-leaf of other echolocating bats. It folds its wings along its body when at rest. Another characteristic of Bechstein’s bat are its big ears, which are more than 2 cm long and have a long, narrow tragus with a pointed tip. Like other bats, Bechstein’s bat is endangered and its distribution and numbers are shrinking. The reason for this is a lack of suitable roosts, the use of poisons in the environment, lack of food and light pollution. Bechstein’s bat is a forest species that roosts in hollow trees. In commercial forests with few old trees, we can help bats by installing bat boxes.

Lesser horseshoe bat – Rhinolophus hipposideros (Bechstein, 1800)

Bats of the horseshoe bat family (Rhinolophidae) have a horseshoe-shaped nose-leaf, a special fold of skin, around the nostrils. Four species of horseshoe bats live in Slovenia. The lesser horseshoe bat is the smallest
of them. It is found in central and southern Europe and in northern Africa. Its body is between 3.5 and 4.5 cm long, its tail measures 2 cm, its wingspan is around 20 cm and it weighs between 5 and 9 g. It has a grey-brown back and a lighter, white-grey belly. The ears are large, pointed and have no tragus. When the bat hangs from the ceiling, it is entirely wrapped in its wings and is around 10 cm long. In summer it roosts in buildings, frequently church bell towers or attics, while in winter it hibernates in caves, cellars or mineshafts. The lifespan of the lesser horseshoe bat is usually around four years but in some cases it can live up to 30 years. The lesser horseshoe bat is another endangered and protected species. We can help it by keeping openings clear in buildings and caves to allow them to fly in and out, by not illuminating their roosts at night and by not disturbing them during hibernation in caves and other places.

Kuhl’s pipistrelle – Pipistrellus kuhlii (Kuhl, 1819)

Kuhl’s pipistrelle is a medium-sized species of bat from the vesper bat family (Vespertilionidae), which, with more than 300 species (25 of which are present in Slovenia), is the largest family of bats in the world. Vesper bats do not have a nose-leaf and when at rest fold their wings along their body instead of wrapping themselves in them like other bats. Kuhl’s pipistrelle typically has short ears with a short, sickle-shaped tragus. The bat gets its Slovene name belorobi netopir (literally: white-edged bat) from the edge of the wing membrane between the last digit of the foreleg and the hind leg. Its body is around 4.7 cm long, it has a wingspan of around 22 cm and it weighs between 5 and 10 g. It is found in Europe, Asia and parts of Africa. It is a nocturnal hunter of flying insects and uses echolocation in a frequency range of between 36 and 40 kHz.

My recent cover

 

Cover from Latvia

Lighthouses of Latvia

Received this cover from Latvia sent by EN Limanski from Riga, Latvia. Many thanks to Mr Limanski for this cover.

Christmas and New Year Stamps…

 

The time has come to prepare the cards and send thousand kisses to friends or distant relatives. For this purpose, the Office des Posteset Telecommunications of New Caledonia offers, as every year, a stamp issue celebrating Christmas and New Year.

The stamp features some of the typical representatives of flora and fauna of New Caledonia: nautilus, rainbow lorikeet, emperor fish, banana, coconut, Xanthostemon and hibiscus.

Christmas stamps from Latvia

In anticipation of the Advent, Latvijas Pasts is releasing the latest stamps in the Christmas series to allow everyone to send their Christmas and New Year’s greetings in a timely manner. The Christmas stamps are also the final two stamps issued by Latvijas Pasts with dual denominations – in lats and euros; starting from 2014, stamps will be denominated only in euros.

in the stamps a little dwarf girl, hurrying to bring gifts to children over snow-covered roofs on a wooden rocking horse. The first day envelope released together with the stamps depicts Winter in a snow-covered cape, and the special cancelation features a gingerbread heart.

Acknowledgement

 

Journal of  The Army Philatelic Society edited by Col Jayanta Dutta

(email : doctorjayanta2009@gmail.com )

The journal  with beautiful layout contains informative articles on a variety of subjects.

New UNESCO stamps from France..

 

 

In the month of  November, the French National Post Office released two new UNESCO stamps.One stamp (shown above)  calls attention to the endangered red-crowned crane (Grusjaponensis), and the need to protect this species. In Japan, the crane, known as the “tancho,” is a powerful national symbol, representing longevity and immortality.

 

The second stamp features the Ancient City of Sigiriya (Sri Lanka), a UNESCO World Heritage site, where one can wind through ancient galleries and staircases, and out through the mouth of a gigantic lion. The “Lion Mountain” is a unique witness to the civilization of Ceylon during the years of the reign of Kassapa I. Its frescoes inaugurated a pictorial style which endured over many centuries. Poems inscribed on the rock, known as “Sigiri graffiti,” are among the most ancient texts in the Sinhalese language. They attest to the considerable influence that Sigiriya exerted on both literature and thought.

 

My Recent Cover

Cover from  Latvia : Winter Holidays

Thanks to Limanski EN, Riga – Latvia

 

Cover from Poland

Thanks to Andrzej Bek, Poland

New stamps on pets and birds

 

Date of Issue : 23 July 2013

As part of the Pets series, Latvijas Pasts has released two new stamps depicting the most popular pet in Latvia – the cat.

The new stamps and first-day cover depict cats and kittens of various breeds and colors. The denomination of the stamps is LVL 0.35 (EUR 0.50) and LVL 0.98 (EUR 1.39), corresponding to the cost of mailing a registered letter within Latvia. The stamps have been designed by the artist Agita Paegle, illustrator of more than 20 children’s books.

The cat (Felis silvestris catus), also known as the domestic cat, is a small, carnivorous mammal that was domesticated more than 9,500 years ago. The cat is one of the most popular pets in the world. According to a survey conducted in Latvia in 2011, 71% of people have selected the cat as their pet, and only 47% have chosen the dog.

Owls on New Thai stamps

Thai post issued a set of new postage stamps featuring owls.Owls are a group of birds known for their distinct calls, nocturnal habits and silent flight. Owls are familiar to many people because they are often depicted in various ways in popular culture. They rank on par with bats and spiders as the most celebrated of Halloween creatures.

Owls belong to a group of birds that includes about 205 species. These species are sorted into two basic groups, the barn owls and the true owls. Barn owls have a heart-shaped face, long legs and powerful talons. Barn owls are medium-sized birds. There are 16 species of barn owls, including the greater sooty owl, Australasian grass owl, ashy-faced owl, barn owl and Sulawesi owl.

True owls are more diverse than barn owls, with nearly 190 species in about 23 genera. Some better known true owls include screech owls, horned owls and saw-whet owls.

True owls vary in size from the tiny elf owl to the bulky Eurasian eagle owl. True owls have a round facial disc, a short tail and a large head. Their color is muted (consisting of mostly brown, rust, gray, white and black) and their pattern is mottled, helping to conceal them from both predators and prey.

Owls feed on a wide variety of prey. Their main food source consists of small mammals such as mice, squirrels, voles and rabbits. Owls swallow small prey whole. They must tear larger prey into small pieces before swallowing. They later regurgitate pellets of indigestible material such as bone, fur and feathers.

Most owls hunt at night and in doing so avoid competition with daytime avian hunters such as hawks and eagles. Although nocturnal feeding is the norm for most owls, some species such as burrowing owls and short-eared owls feed during the day. Still other species, such as pygmy owls, feed at dusk or dawn.

Owls are depicted in cave paintings in France that date back 15,000 to 20,000 years. Owls also appear in Egyptian hieroglyphics. They have held a variety of symbolic roles in culture and have represented misfortune, death, prosperity, and wisdom.

New stamps on wildlife..

 

    

Birds from Latvia

Latvijas Pasts issued two stamps within the series “Birds of Latvia” featuring Long-tailed Duck and European Bee-eater. Long-tailed Duck (Clangulahyemalis L.) is a medium-sized sea duck. Adults have white underparts, though the rest of the plumage goes through a complex moulting process.

The male has a long pointed tail (10 to 15 cm) and a dark grey bill crossed by a pink band. The female has a brown back and a relatively short pointed tail. In winter, the female’s head and neck are white with a dark crown.Their breeding habitat is in tundra pools and marshes, but also along sea coasts and in large mountain lakes in the North Atlantic region, Alaska, northern Canada, northern Europe and Russia.

European Bee-eater (Meropsapiaster L.) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It is strongly migratory, wintering in tropical Africa, India and Sri Lanka. This species occurs as a spring overshoot north of its range, with occasional breeding in northwest Europe. This species is a richly-coloured, slender bird. It has brown and yellow upper parts, whilst the wings are green and the beak is black.

 

 

Weasel on a new Estonian stamp

Eesti Post issued a stamp depicting weasel (Mustelanivalis), a representative of Estonian fauna.

The tail of the weasel, brownish on the back and white on the belly in the summer, is slightly shorter than that of the other small carnivore, the ermine, and the hair at the end of its tail is never black. In the winter, the weasel turns white all over. Weasels live everywhere where they can hide and where there is prey, from sand dunes to grasslands to forests and hills. They are active round the clock.

The tracks mostly come in pairs, and the track of the tail is noticeably only seldom. The weasel likes to sometimes stand up and observe the neighbourhood. When disturbed it hisses or trills at a high pitch. It expresses fear by means of sharp yelping. The weasel is so small (body length 15 to 20 cm) that it can follow rodents into their nests. It mainly catches and eats microta and mice, but does not refuse birds and eggs either.

Otiorhynchusmonoecirupis – New Species, Discovery in Monaco

A new stamp was issued by Monaco post to celebrate the discovery of Otiorhynchusmonoecirupis.

A new species of Curculionidae, endemic to the Principality has been discovered in the underground tunnels of the Prince’s Palace. This is the weevil Otiorhynchusmonoecirupis. This species will be the focus of an exhibition organized this summer at Monaco’s Exotic Garden by the Department of the Environment in association with the scientists who led the inventory exercise into Monaco’s entomological heritage from 2008 to late 2010.