This 2024 stamp issue – the subject being the Sri Lankan Kandy Esala Perahera festival – is the widest stamp ever produced according to its issuer, the Sri Lankan Postal service. The stamp measures 205mm x 30mm. The Esala Perahera is one of the oldest and most extraordinary festivals in the world, taking place every year in July/August in the old royal capital of Kandy. Thousands of dancers, drummers, whip-crackers and fire-eaters parade through the city. They are accompanied by around 100 elephants that are clothed in highly-decorated material – the largest of which carries the sacred tooth relic taken from Buddha’s funeral pyre almost 2500 years ago.
Deep on the floor of the world’s oceans, wherever rocky surfaces occur, it is likely you’ll find habitats of corals. Many associate coral with warmer waters but these amazing creatures of the deep are also common in the cold waters of the Southern Ocean. Many hundreds of coral species have been identified in Antarctic waters and research continues to discover new species. The British Antarctic Territory stamp sheet here shows stunning photos of just nine of those found in the region.
Cook Islands 1984
The Cook Islands is a nation in Polynesia, with political links to New Zealand. This superb definitives’ issue from 1984 depicts a small selection of coral found in the South Pacific Ocean. The higher values include a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
French Somalia 1963
The oldest stamps seen in the article come from what was in 1963 the French Somali Coast.
Fiji 1989
Produced by Fiji in 1989, the coral on the above – in order of value – are: Brain Coral (Platygyra daedalea), Candy Cane Coral (Caulastrea furcata), Finger Coral (Acropora humilis) and Stony Coral (Acropora echinata).
Jersey 2004
Here are 6 stamps featuring 9 different species of coral growing in the waters around the coasts of Jersey. They display: 32p Dead Man’s Fingers (Alcyonium digitatum), 33p Devonshire Cup Coral (Caryiophyllia smithii), 40p White Sea Fan (Eunicella verrucosa), 54p Pink Sea Fan (Eunicella verrucosa), 62p Sunset coral (Leptopsammia pruvoti) and 70p Red Fingers (Alcyonium glormeratum).
New Zealand 2024
A beautiful 2024 stamp sheet from New Zealand. Aotearoa New Zealand’s marine environment is 15 times larger than its land mass. Aotearoa New Zealand currently has four marine reserves, and intends to increase the amount in the future. Together with other forms of protection, its plan is to form a conservation network that protects the full spectrum of marine species in its waters. The 2024 miniature sheet seen here has stamps featuring species found in the four protected areas. From left to right they are: the Taputeranga Marine Reserve, which covers 855 hectares along Wellington’s south coast. The reserve was created in 2008; the Te Awaatu Channel (The Gut) Marine Reserve – Proposed by the New Zealand Federation of Commercial Fishermen and established in 1993, this reserve is one of the oldest and one of the smallest at 93 hectares; Cape Rodney-Okakari Point – Created in 1975, this reserve is visited by more than 300,000 people each year. Also known as Goat Island or Leigh Marine Reserve, it was the first of its kind and remains a flag bearer for successful marine conservation; and Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara Marine Reserve – Made up of three separate areas off Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara in Paterson Inlet/Whaka a Te Wera on the eastern side of Stewart Island/Rakiura. The marine reserve was established in 2004 and covers 1,075 hectares.
St Vincent & The Grenadines 2020
The stamps on this very attractive sheet produced by St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 2020 depict on the top row a Rough Cactus Coral (Mycetophyllia ferox) and a Cauliflower Coral (Pocilloporadamicornis). Under is another Rough Cactus Coral and a Great Star Coral (Montastraea cavernosa).
We have recently acquired a great collection of African stamps. Here is a small selection.
Senegal 1999
In 1999 Senegal issued a great variety of stamp sheets covering many subjects. That above features space exploration rockets. The top row (left to right) has three Russian rockets – RD 107, Soyuz and Proton. Those seen in the second and third rows are all from the USA: Atlas Centaur, Atlas Agena, Atlas Mercury, Titan 2, Juno 2 and Saturn I. The two sheets below depict the animated cartoon character Betty Boop, created in 1930.
Senegal 1999Djibouti 1997
An unusual stamp from Djibouti (1997) entitled Every day Life (goats).
Guinea 1984
The West African country Guinea commemorated the Olympic Winter Games Sarajevo 1984 with the above stamps.
Senegal 1999
With a background showing the painting “Wheat field with crows” – the stamp sheet here includes a portrait of the artist Vincent van Gogh.
Senegal 1976
In 1976 the Concorde aircraft, jointly developed by Great Britain and France, started the world’s first scheduled supersonic passenger service, with British Airways flights from London to Bahrain and Air France flights from Paris to Rio de Janeiro. Regular flights to Washington, D.C., and New York City were added in 1976 and 1977, respectively. Senegal celebrated the fact by issuing the two gold and silver foil stamps seen here.
Republic of Chad 1961
The landlocked African country Chad issued this definitive set in 1961 as part of its Independence celebrations.
Tanzania 1999
Tanzania produced the above flora stamps in 1999. From left to right we see Digitalis, Chrysanthemum, Amaryllis and Curcuma flowers.
Ivory Coast 1965
This fine bird set from Ivory Coast (1965) depicts: a Namaqua dove (30F), the Lizard buzzard (50F), a Hamerkop (10F), the White-breasted guinea fowl (15F) and an Ibis (75F).
Gambia 2002
For the football lover we have this special stamp series featuring the stadiums in South Korea and Japan where games were played in the final rounds of the 2002 World Cup competition.
Swaziland 1962
Above is a fabulous definitive set from Swaziland from 1962.
Rhodesia 1967
And finally a set of 1967 Postage Due stamps from Rhodesia.
As usual I refer you to PostBeeld’s Freestampcatalogue website, where you can view page upon page of the latest Africa stamps added to stock. As stated at the top of the article what is seen here is a very small selection of the stamps recently added.
Hummingbirds can be found in North America, Central America, South America and many islands of the Caribbean Sea. According to the International Ornithologists’ Union (IOU), the hummingbird family has 366 species and 112 genera, mostly south of the United States. Hummingbirds comprise the family Trochilidae,among the smallest of birds, with most species measuring between 7.6-12.7cm (3″-5″). They are called hummingbird due to the “humming” sound created by beating their wings, which flap at high frequencies audible to other birds as well as humans. The 1967 Panama minisheet at top shows a White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora) approaching an orchid.
Upper Volta 1965
The beauty of the birds’ colouring is seen throughout this article, witness these 1965 stamps from Upper Volta (since 1984 Burkina Faso), (featuring left to right): a Pygmy Sunbird (Hedydipna platura), an olive-bellied sunbird (Panaeola chloropygia), a Splendid sunbird (Cinnyris coccinigaster) and an Abyssinian roller (Coracias abyssinica).
Montserrat 1983
From Montserrat: a nesting Blue-headed hummingbird (Cyanophaia bicolor), a Green-throated Carib (Eulampis holosericeus), an Antillean crested hummingbird (Orthorhyncus cristatus) and a Purple-throated carib (Eulampis jugularis).
Bahamas 1989
Four hummingbird stamps issued by Bahamas in 1989: 10c Cuban emerald, 40c Ruby-throated, 45c Bahama Woodstar, 50c Rufous hummingbird.
Brazil 1991
The stamp sheet above from Brazil (1991), has hummingbirds and orchids and was produced for the 8th “Brapex” exhibition.
Grenadines of St. Vincent 1992
And here is a fine definitives set produced by the Grenadines of St. Vincent in 1992.
Cuba 1992
Not to be outdone, Cuba issued these World Wildlife Fund “Fauna threatened with extinction” stamps in 1992.
United States 1992
Produced by the United States in 1992 and seen here, left to right, we see a Ruby Throated Hummingbird; a Broad-Billed Hummingbird; Costa’s Hummingbird; a Rufous Hummingbird, which summers as far north as Alaska. Its migration is one of the longest of all birds as it winters in Mexico – a distance of almost 6,400 kilometers; and a Calliope Hummingbird, which is the smallest bird in North America.
Romania 2022
The 2022 Romania hummingbird issue has a unique feature – a centimeter ruler on the left of the stamp indicating the size of each bird. A ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is depicted on the 4.50 Lei stamp; a bee hummingbird (Calypte helenae), seen on the 6.50 Lei stamp, is an endemic species of the Cuban archipelago – the bee hummingbird is the world’s smallest bird; in contrast the giant hummingbird (Pantagona gigas), illustrated on the 10L stamp is the largest of the species. The 10.50L Allen’s hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin), is one of the seven species of the genus Selasphorus.
Grenada 2023
Two beautiful stamp sheets from 2023 issued by Grenada. Above a black-throated mango hummingbird (Anthracothorax nigricollis) and a purple-throated carib (Eulampis jugularis), and the sheet below has the vervain hummingbird (Mellisuga minima) and a Bahama woodstar (Calliphlox evelynae).
The Universal Postal Union (UPU), a United Nations specialized agency headquartered in the Swiss capital Bern, was founded in 1874. Thus 2024 is the organisation’s 150th anniversary, and to celebrate this milestone the UN Postal Administration has produced three stamp designs.
United Nations Geneva 2024
The UPU connects 192 member countries, enabling free circulation of postal items across a single, interconnected postal territory. UPU member states have also recently adopted a policy to increase and deepen its engagement with wider postal sector players, outside of the UPU network of designated operators – an attempt to bolster the development of a truly interconnected, efficient, and universal postal service.
United Nations Vienna 2024
The UPU’s theme for its 150th year – “150 years of enabling communication and empowering peoples across nations”.
Azerbaijan 2024
From Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan respectively, their commemorative stamps. the Uzbekistan stamp features the Kalon minaret in Bukhara.
Uzbekistan 2024Serbia 2024
Serbia was one of the 21 founding members of the UPU. Its 150th anniversary stamp has the portrait of Mladen Ž. Radojković, Secretary of the Postal and Telegraph Department of the Ministry of National Economy in 1874 and the signatory for Serbia of the UPU’s founding agreement.
World-renowned scientists feature on the stamp sheets and definitives produced by Paraguay in 1965. The imperforated stamps above include portraits of Einstein and Galileo. Born in March 1879 in Ulm, Germany, Albert Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. Galileo Galilei is considered by many to be one of the the forefathers of modern science. He is renowned for his discoveries. He was the first to report telescopic observations of the mountains on the moon, the moons of Jupiter, the phases of Venus, and the rings of Saturn.
Paraguay 1965
And here we have the sheet with perforated stamps.
Paraguay 1965
Isaac Newton (1643-1727) and Copernicus (1473-1543) were added for the definitives issue, which included three air mail stamps. Isaac Newton is best know for his theory about the law of gravity, but his “Principia Mathematica” (1686) with its three laws of motion greatly influenced thinking in Europe. Considered the father of modern astronomy, Nicolaus Copernicus was the first modern European scientist to propose that Earth and other planets revolve around the sun.
Spain’s postal service Correos paid tribute to philatelic collectors in 2020 by issuing this stamp showing the famous painting The Philatelist, a beautiful work from 1929 by Swiss painter François Barraud (1899-1934). In addition, it is printed with a magnifying glass effect that makes it even more special.
The Europa Stamp Competition for the period 9th May-9th September 2024 has “Underwater Flora and Fauna as its subject. Latvia’s colourful entry shows on the left the water plant najas flexilis, now rare and threatened throughout its European range. The stamp on the right features a brown trout.
Liechtenstein 2024
For Liechtenstein, photographs taken at the St. Katrinabrunna nature reserve in the southernmost municipality of Balzers are shown on the stamp sheet. The nature and recreation area with two ponds was created by the municipality in 1973. Endangered plant and animal species have found a habitat there. This includes the fish named “Egli”, known outside the Swiss-speaking world as the river perch. It is found in a wide variety of waters in Liechtenstein. It is easily recognisable thanks to the five to six dark transverse bands on its body and its spiny dorsal fin.
Slovenia 2024
Slovenia’s issue depicts on stamp C the noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis), a Mediterranean endemic species and the largest bivalve mollusc in the Mediterranean Sea. Its shell rate growth is among the fastest of any species and its shell can reach a length of more than a metre! Today the noble pen shell is listed among critically endangered species. Stamp D has the water beetle Graphoderus bilineatus.
Montenegro 2024
Gold coral, or false black coral (Savalia savaglia), is seen on this stamp produced by Montenegro. It is a rare species found in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Isle of Man 2024
This set from the Isle of Man comprises six stunning stamps featuring native fish species, intricately depicted by acclaimed mosaic artist Kimmy McHarrie. In order of value you have: a herring (harenga), cod (gadus morhua), mackerel (scomber scombrus), red gunard (chelidonichthys cuculus), salmon (salmo salar) and John Dory (zeus faber).
Azerbaijan 2024
The fish featured on Azebaijans’s offering is the humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus). Also seen is the green sea turtle, an endangered species that has undergone an estimated 90 percent. population decrease over the past half century.
Gibraltar 2024
Gibraltar’s stamps feature the loggerhead sea turtle and two orcas.
Bulgaria 2024
Above is the cover picture of a Europa stamp booklet issued by Bulgaria. The fish on the cover and on the stamps below left are the brown meagre (sciaena umbra) and on the seabed a gobius. Fish on the sheet right are the striped red mullet (mullus surmuletus) and a stargazer (Uranoscopus scaber).
Bulgaria 2024Denmark 2024
Post Europ has chosen the joint theme “Underwater Fauna & Flora”. Denmark’s PostNord has entitled its offering “The Breath of the Sea”, and has featured on its stamps plants found in the seas, fjords, sounds, and straits around Denmark.
Belgium 2024
Belgium’s bpost decided to put endangered marine life in the spotlight. On the stamps we see the dogfish and an eel, an endangered species in our North Sea. View of an underwater world. The pencil drawings on the sheet represent other fish species that are now under threat.
Thousands of items are added weekly to PostBeeld’s vast stock. Here we have a very small selection from Nigeria, Brazil, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana and Vietnam:
Nigeria 1965
A fine set of mint, never-hinged definitives from 1965. The colourful artwork depicts wild animals native to Nigeria.
Nigeria 1973
Also mint, never-hinged. This Nigeria definitives set from 1973, 13 years after the country gained independence from Great Britain, was the first to feature the values in its own currency, rather than sterling.
Nigeria 1972
In April 1972, Nigeria made a dramatic shift in its transportation system, moving from right-hand to left-hand driving. After Nigeria gained independence trade increased with surrounding countries, especially former French colonies. Drivers from these countries, who were accustomed to driving on the left, struggled to navigate Nigerian roadways. Switching to a left-hand drive enabled more efficient cross-border mobility and trade. These stamps were issued to commemorate the fact. Note the value still in sterling.
Brazil 1997
Mint self adhesive stamps from Brazil with fruit grown in that country.
Brazil 2006
Brazil issued the above stamp in 2006 to commemorate the world’s largest cashew nut tree (Anacardium occidentale) which can be found in Pirangi do Norte, a beach in the municipality of Parnamirim in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. It covers an area of approximately 8,500m² (3,281.34 sq ft), with its limbs radiating out some 50m (164ft) from the central trunk.
Brazil 2005
Theobroma grandiflorum, commonly known as cupuaçu, is a tropical rainforest tree related to cacao. Native to the Amazon, this tree grows up to 65 feet (20 meters) high. Its fruit is the national fruit of Brazil, which is the world’s largest cupuaçu producer. Cupuaçu is a chocolatey fruit that can be eaten on its own, processed into butter or powder, and used in various cosmetics.
Brazil 2007
Three beautiful rose varieties are seen on the above stamp sheet from Brazil, issued in 2007. The orange/white “High Magic” hybrid tea rose was bred by Dutch breeders in 2006. Bred by Hans Jurgen Evers (1940-2007) in Germany in 1998, the “Caballero” red tea rose is seen bottom left of the stamp sheet. And bottom right the white “Avalanche” rose Bred by the French horticulturist César-Anthelme Chambard (1866-1940).
Bosnia-Herzegovina 2006
Mint, never-hinged animal set from Bosnia-Herzegovina from 2007. In order of value we have a hare (Lepus Europaeus), a Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), ducks (Anas), a fox (vulpes vulpes) and a wolf (canis lupus).
Bosnia-Herzegovina 2005
Fine stamps issued to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Europa stamps.
Bosnia-Herzegovina 2008
The motorcycles depicted here are a Ural-3 (M66), built in Kazakhstan, and a Czechoslovakian Jawa Trail 90. Ural Motorcycles is the oldest and one of the world’s largest manufacturers of factory-ready sidecar motorcycles. Over three million sidecar motorcycles have been built by the company since inception.
Bosnia-Herzegovina 2005
Lovely definitives with various tree-grown fruit, issued in 2005.
Botswana 1993
The Botswana stamps seen above, were produced for Christmas 1993. Botswana’s currency is based on 100 thebe to the Pula. The flora seen on these stamps is (left to right): Aloe zebrina (12t), Croton megalobotrys (25t), Boophane disticha (50t) and Euphorbia davyi (P1.00).
Botswana 1985
And these from 1985 feature plants native to Botswana. They are: 7t Cucumis metuliferus (horned melon), 15t Acanthosicyos naudinianus (Gemsbok cucumber – though not actually a cucumber), 25t Coccinia sessifolia and Momordica balsamina (or balsam apple – this fruit is not edible when ripe).
Vietnam 1997
Now to Vietnam, with six stamps depicting endangered seahorse species.
Vietnam 1997
Above a fine set of stamps, subject Asian Jungle Fowl – issued for the 1997 Aupex stamp exhibition held in Auckland, New Zealand. In value order we have Elliot’s Pheasant (Syrmaticus ellioti), a female Siamese fireback (Lophura diardi), the common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), Lady Amherst’s pheasant (Chrysolophus amherstiae) and Germain’s peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron germaini).
Vietnam 1998
Then, to finish, a beautifully illustrated set of moth stamps from Vietnam (1997) showing – top, left to right – an Atlas moth (Attacus atlas), a female silk moth (Antheraea helferi borneensis), bottom – left to right – a comet moth (Argema mittrei) and a moon moth (Argema maenas).
Keep in the loop for latest additions to stock by visiting PostBeeld’s websites regularly, you might find that elusive item you’ve been seeking.
