New stamps from Austria

 

Vienna Timpani – National Musical Instrument of Austria

Date of Issue : 21 January 2015

Here is a special stamp issued by  by Austria Post dedicated to the national musical instruments. This issue depicts the Vienna Timpani. Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet.

Timpani evolved from military drums to become a staple of the classical orchestra by the last third of the 18th century. Today, they are used in many types of musical ensembles including concert, marching, and even some rock bands.

Stamps on great Ski Racers

Date of Issue : 21 January 2015

Austrian Post has issued two stamps on occasion of the 75th anniversary of Hahnenkamm race and the 80th birthday of Toni Sailer – one of the best alpine ski racers. The issue has been already designed and is to be released on the 21^st of January.

The Hahnenkamm is part of the ski resort of Kitzbühel, and hosts the annual World Cup alpine ski races, the Hahnenkammrennen. The Hahnenkammrennen are the annual races, held since 1931 and a fixture of the men’s World Cup since its inception in the 1967 season. The races were originally held in March, and sometimes in early February (1949 & 1951). Beginning in 1953, the races at Kitzbühel have been held in mid to late January, often the week following the Lauberhorn in Wengen, Switzerland, another classic downhill.

In 2009, as well as in 2008, the total prize money was €550,000. Anton Engelbert “Toni” Sailer was an Austrian alpine ski racer, considered among the best in the sport. At age 20, he won all three gold medals in alpine skiing at the 1956 Winter Olympics. He nearly duplicated the feat at the 1958 World Championships with two golds and a silver. He also won world titles both years in the combined, then a “paper” race, but awarded with medals by the International Ski Federation.

Club News

Permanent Pictorial Cancellation released at Karnapex 2015

Permanent Pictorial Cancellation - St. Mary's Island, Malpe

St. Mary's Islands, also known as Coconut Island and Thonsepar, are a set of four small islands in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Malpe in Udupi. They are known for their distinctive geological formation of columnar basaltic lava.

According to folk legend, in the year 1498, Vasco da Gama landed at St. Mary's Islands on his journey from Portugal, fixed a cross on the island and named one of these islands, O Padrão de Santa Maria, as a dedication to Mother Mary, before proceeding to Kozhikode in Kerala. It is from this name that the islands got their current name.

Permanent Pictorial Cancellation - Kattale Basadi, Barkur

Barkur is a cluster of 3 villages (Hosala, Hanehalli, Kachoor) in Udupi district of the Karnataka. The place is located on the bank of river Seeta. It is located 16 km from Udupi.

KARNAPEX 2015 - Day 3

Third day of exhibition was observed as Swasthya Diwas. A Special Cover on the Birth Centenary of Jonas Edward Salk was released. (Special Cover approval no. KTK/07/2015). Jonas Edward Salk  was an American medical researcher and virologist. He discovered and developed the first successful inactivated polio vaccine.

Special Cover : Birth Centenary of Jonas Edward Salk 

Courtesy : Indian Philately Digest,  Jagannath Mani – Bangalore

From our Readers..

Permanent Cancellation of CMC, Vellore

 

Is this a proper cancellation ???

Few day back I sent e - MO of Rs.80 to.Sr.Post Master,Vellore and he sent these poor incomplete cancellations to me . I think Department of Post is killing Philately.

- Sandeep Chaurasia - Gorakhpur