PHILATELIC EXHIBITION AT ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN OF HANNOVER
A philatelic exhibitionwas held from June 24th 2015 (Opening Ceremony) to July 9th 2015 at Zoological Garden of Hannover. The philatelic exhibition honnors the 150th anniversary of the foundation ZOO Hannover. The philatelic exhibition was organized by the German Collector Group ARGE ZOOLOGIE with exhibits about the topic animals in more as 40 frames.During this event a meeting of the Collector Group was held for 2015 at Zoological Garden of Hannover.
On June 27th a pictorial postmark was available featuring a Grey Langur and a stationery (postcard) was issued in limited edition of 200 pieces. The postcard is featuring two Grey Langurs at Pre-stamp of 45 cents Euro(Inland postage rate for postcards).On the left side is featuring a group of Grey Langurs and in the background an Indian Elephant. Both topics are on Indian themes.
Some Post cards are available with Mr Wolfgang Beyer, Vice Chairman of the German Collector Group ARGE ZOOLOGIE and member of the German Topical Association VPhA and German Philatelic Association BDPh. He may be contacted at e - mail: Wolfgang.beyer1@aol.de
Stamp on Blood Donor’s Day from Italy
Thank you for saving my life !!
Date of Issue : 14 June 2015
Italy Post has released a special stamp to mark the Blood Donor’s Day. The item aims to raise people’s awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products. The stamp was issued on the 14th of June.
Every year on 14 June, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day (WBDD). The event, established in 2004, serves to raise awareness of the need for safe blood, and to thank blood donors for their voluntary, life-saving gifts of blood. World Blood Donor Day is one of eight official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization.
The theme of this year’s campaign is “Thank you for saving my life”. It focuses on thanking blood donors who save lives every day through their blood donations and strongly encourages more people all over the world to donate blood voluntarily and regularly with the slogan “Give freely, give often. Blood donation matters”.
The campaign aims to highlight stories from people whose lives have been saved through blood donation, as a way of motivating regular blood donors to continue giving blood and people in good health who have never given blood to begin doing so.
A commemorative Post card was issued on the occasion of the International Day of Yoga in Portugal on 21st June. The post card was signed by the Ambassador of India to Portugal, Dr. Jitendra Nath Misra, President of the Portuguese Yoga Confederation, Jagat Guru Amrta Suryananda Maha Raja and Director Sales, CTT Correios de Portugal, Dr. Jose Laia Henriques.
Courtesy : Ministry of External Affairs Govt.of India
From May 5th to June 30th a new machine postmark with slogan is available at the Mail Centre in
12529 SCHÖNFELD. The logo of the machine postmark will feature a Eurasian eagle-owl(Bubo Bubo).
Postmark and Postcard on Langur
The new postmark and a Postmark to be issued on 27th June feature the head of a Grey langur and the stationery (postcard) feature a group of Grey langurs. In background the image of a Indian elephant.
Both items are available on June 27th in Germany during a philatelic exhibition of German Philatelic Collector Group .
Interested philatelists may please contact : Wolfgang Beyer, Vice Chairman of the German Philatelic Collector Group ARGE ZOOLOGIE. Mail:Wolfgang.beyer1@aol.de . Postage rate: 0,80 Euro AIRMAIL.
Special Cover on ‘Sabarmati River Front’ – 24 March 2015
Gujpex-2015, 13th Gujarat State Level Philatelic Exhibition – 24th – 27th March 2015
Gujpex-2015, 13th Gujarat State Level Philatelic Exhibition organized by Gujarat Postal Circle inaugurated by Hon. Governor of Gujarat Shri O.P. Kohli at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial, Ahmedabad. Ms. Meenaxiben Patel, Hon'ble Mayor, Ahmedabad city, Dr. Kirit Solanki, Member of Parliament (LS) and Dr. Jagdish Bhavsar, Chairman, Ahmedabad Municipal School Board and Brigadier Sanjeev Thapar, Chief Postmaster General, Gujarat Postal Circle were present on the dais at the inaugural function. Large number of philatelists, stamp dealers and officers and staff members of Department of Posts witnessed the inaugural ceremony.
On the occasion as Special Cover on ‘Sabarmati River Front’ was released by Hon. Governor.
Hon. Governor also released a book titled ‘Collector's Guide to British India Bazar Postcards' written by philatelist Shri Prafful Thakkar. 240 fully coloured pages presents present more than 1700 Bazar Postcards with value along with pictures in different varieties of British Royalty, Indian Princely State Rulers, Ravi Varma paintings-oleographs and Other Themes with further classification of color, creativity, calligraphy and design.
Courtesy - Indian Philately Digest
Collector's Guide to British India Bazar Postcard – By Praful Thakkar
Bazar Postcards of British India is a fascinating section of Indian Postal stationery which has colors, creativity and charisma. They were created during British period by dealers who knew the pulse of the masses. They were artistically and exquisitely made to attract and appeal to public imagination to use them. They were mainly produced and used during the Edwardian period. Subsequently, they were in vogue for advertising purpose in Georgian periods too.
This subject has an attraction because these ornamental and artistic Bazar Postcards have got the touch of creative imagination of dealers of those days. The colorful creativity of Bazar Postcards can be seen on address side. Here attracting pictures, calligraphic & artistic writing of words “Post Card” and graphic designed box for affixing the stamp were shown by the manufacturers..
In this book of 240 fully colored pages, an effort is made to present more than 1700 Bazar Postcards with value along with pictures in different varieties of British Royalty, Indian Princely State Rulers, Ravi Varma paintings-oleographs and Other Themes with further classification of color, creativity, calligraphy and design. They certainly show that the touch of creative imagination of dealers of those days was able to create fascination and attraction in general public for these ornamental and artistic Bazar Postcards.
Praful K. Thakkar, a retired IAS officer is the collector of autographs, stamps, FDCs, coins, medals, tokens, badges , badge plates etc. since last more than 45 years. He got a legacy of art and numismatic understanding and insight from his father. He developed the hobby of collecting Art, Autographs and Numismatic objects in his own way. ‘Share the Knowledge & Spread the Knowledge’ is the motto of his life. And in true spirit of his life’s motto, besides authoring several learned publications on Indian culture in Gujarati, he has authored ‘Collector’s Guide to Indian Canteen Tokens’, ‘Collector’s Guide to Membership Badges of Turf & Race Clubs of India’, ‘Collector’s Guide to Chronologies of Sultans, Rulers & Colonial Heads of India’ and ‘Chapras : Collector’s Guide to Belt Buckles, Badges and Badge Plates of India’, ‘Collector’s Guide to First Day Covers & Folders of India 1947-1964 Official & Private’ and "Glimpses of Indian Autographs". His philately book has received awards in International Philatelic Exhibitions at Portugal, South Africa, Washington-USA , Chicago-USA, Tokyo-Japan and Jakarta-Indonesia.
His two websites www.indiannumismatics.com and www.indianautographs.com have made landmarks in their respective hobby-fields of Numismatics and Autograph collection.
In 2008, The Numismatic Society of India Varanasi, Indian Coin Society, Nagpur and Indian National Trust for Art Culture and Heritage, Gwalior have awarded him the ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ for his innumerable and invaluable contribution to Indian Numismatics and Para-numismatics in all its aspects.
In 2009, he has been considered as National record holder by Limca Book of Records and has been placed as record holder for his collections of Autographs and Indian Canteen Tokens.
In the same year 2009, Gujarat Coin Society took cognisance of his excellent works and achievements and has also given him ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ for his outstanding service to numismatic fraternity. He has rendered his services as Chairman in Coinex-2006 and Coinex-2010, which were National Level Numismatic Exhibitions organised by Gujarat Coin Society, Ahmedabad. And he has successfully accomplished his mission.
In 2011, Lohana Maha Parishad, Ahmedabad has awarded him an International level ‘Vishisht Raghuvanshi Pratibha Award’ recognising and appreciating his vivid activities and hobbies.
Through this book ‘Collector's Guide to British India Bazar Postcards’, he has made a painstaking and pioneering attempt to give a direction and dimension to this little explored and less known creative subject of Indian philately-Bazar Postcards.
Russian Post has released a special stamp from the series “Postcrossing”. The stamp was issued and put into circulation on the 27th of January.
Postcrossing is an online project that allows its members to send and receive postcards from all over the world. The project’s tag line is “send a postcard and receive a postcard back from a random person somewhere in the world!” Its members, also known as postcrossers, send postcards to other members and receive postcards back from other random postcrossers. Where the postcards come from is always a surprise.
Postcrossing is the union of the words “postcard” and “crossing” and its origin “is loosely-based on the Bookcrossing site”. Exchanges between the same two members only occur once; although direct swaps between members happen, they are not part of the official happenings on the site.
The project is completely free and anyone with an address can create an account. However, the postcards themselves and postage fees to mail them are the responsibility of each user.
The project
The goal of this project is to allow people to receive postcards from all over the world, for free. Well, almost free! The main idea is that: if you send a postcard, you will receive one back from a random Postcrosser from somewhere in the world.
Why? Because, like the founder, there are lots of people who like to receive real mail.
The element of surprise of receiving postcards from different places in the world (many of which you probably have never heard of) can turn your mailbox into a box of surprises - and who wouldn't like that?
The first step is to request to send a postcard. The website will display (and send you an email) with the address of another member and a Postcard ID (e.g.: US-786). You then mail a postcard to that member.
The member receives the postcard and registers it using the Postcard ID that is on the postcard. At this point, you are eligible to receive a postcard from another user. You are now in line for the next person that requests to send a postcard. Where the postcard comes from is a surprise!
You can have up to 5 postcards traveling at any single time. Every time one of the postcards you send is registered, you can request another address. The number of postcards allowed to travel at any single time goes up the more postcards you send!
For more details Please visit : Postcrossing
Record souvenir sheet from Switzerland
Date of Issue : 4 September 2014
Here is a unique Souvenir sheet in form of gramophone record from Switzerland.Swiss Post introduced a new series of original stamps that have form and function of vinyl discs.
A piece of music has been imprinted on the “record” part of the souvenir sheet using a special coating. When you take the circular, ready-for-postage stamp off the souvenir sheet and place it on your record player, it plays a brass band version of the Swiss national anthem.
Even if the stamp, which is suitable for franking, is detached from the souvenir sheet, a specially engraved soundtrack still allows the miniature sheet to be played on a record player which is set to 33 rpm.
.
Date of Issue : 1 September 2014
Italian Post released a commemorative postage stamp to mark the 350th anniversary of the foundation of the Gazzetta di Mantova, the oldest surviving Italian newspaper.Gazzetta di Mantova is a local daily newspaper, published in Mantova, Italy. It was established in 1664 making it one of World’s oldest newspapers still existing.
The 70 cent stamp recording the printing of the Mantua organ’s first issue in 1664, since when it has played a major role in the life of the historic Lombardy city and today belongs to the Espresso-repubblica group of publications.The stamp depicts the oldest copy extant of the newspaper, conserved in the state archive of Modena, and its current masthead.
New Postal stationeries (postcards) from Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic two new stationeries(postcards) featuring animals will be available soon. One postcard is featuring a butterfly and two kingfishers. The other one is featuring the butterfly Lesser Purple Emperor(Apatura ilia).
Courtesy : Wolfgang Beyer, Vice Chairman of the German Philatelic Collector Group ARGE ZOOLOGIE. E-Mail: Wolfgang.beyer1@aol.de . & Wolfgang Hoelzl
Club News
BILASAPEX – 2014 – District level stamp Exhibition
12-14 September 2014
A three days District Level Philatelic exhibition will be held at Bilaspur C. G. from 12th Sept. to 14th. September 2014. Following philatelic items are proposed to be released during the exhibition.
3 Special Covers
1) Malhar Chattisgarh's Archaeological Gems
2) Kendai Water Fall
3) Bilaspur Railway Station 1989
4 Stamp Booklets
1) Chafara (Red Frangipani) Achanakmar
2) Bison -Wild Life of Achanakmar Tiger Reserve
3) Gandhi with Child
4) Mother Teresa
Date of Issue : 14 June 2013
South Africa Post issued a souvenir sheet featuring African Fish Eagle It is a.part of the South African Post Office’s bird series . This is the first lenticular stamp issued by South Africa. In 2012, the African Fish Eagle was named Bird of the Year – one of several initiatives by Bird Life South Africa aiming to raise awareness about birds, their habitat and conservation.
The African Fish Eagle
The African Fish Eagle is one of the most widespread birds of prey south of the Sahara and is officially acknowledged by many African nations. A very distinctive bird in flight, the white head, neck, upper belly, and tail contrast sharply with the chestnut and black body feathers.
The African Fish Eagle is most frequently found at the rivers, dams, lakes and estuaries of Africa south of the Sahara. Although they can hunt at any time of the day, they usually do so in the early morning for about two hours. Fish make up 90% of their diet, while the other 10% consists of young water birds or carrion. They are able to snatch fish weighing 1.5 kg, carrying them off in flight. Anything heavier and weighing up to 3 kg (roughly the same mass as their own body) is caught and “planed” across the water onto the shore. It takes an average of eight strikes for a successful catch.
In 2012, the African Fish Eagle was Bird of the Year – one of several initiatives by Bird Life South Africa aiming to create awareness about birds, their habitat and conservation.
The flight of the African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) stamp sheet was issued as part of the South African Post Office’s bird series. For the first time in South Africa the lenticular technique is applied to the stamps.
What is a lenticular?
According to Paul Meijboom from Joh Enschede Printers in the Netherlands, a lenticular is a combination of a special lens and an arrayed image that simulates animation or depth. Auto stereoscopic images refer to pictures that take advantage of how the human eye processes the two images that the left and right eyes receive. They interpret them as depth and three-dimensionality. A lenticular uses the movement of our bodies in relation to produce a pseudo-hologram that looks like a person running, an apple popping out of a flat poster, or a distant car approaching.
From Our Readers…
SOME 100 YEARS OLD PRIVATE POSTCRDS
- Sudhir Jain
In the early 20th Century, Postcards were very popular and cheapest mode of communication. As the availability of the official postcards was little difficult, especially in small towns, many stationery merchants and shopkeepers had printed private postcards without stamps. Businessmen were purchasing and using these postcards for their correspondence.
Here I am exhibiting four such private postcards used 100 years ago. All these were posted in the year 1913 in different months like January, February, May and June 1913. All were sold by different Gujrati shopkeepers of Mumbai. Name and addresses of publishers are printed vertically in Gujrati language and Three Pies stamp of King Edward is affixed in all these postcards. All were posted from SAUGOR Post Office (now name changed to SAGAR0 of Madhya Pradesh and delivered at a small village KHURAI.
