Unusual Subjects on Stamps – Fishing Lures/Flies

By

admin

-

February 17, 2026

0

Unusual Subjects on Stamps – Fishing Lures/Flies

The latest in our series of unusual subjects on postage stamps features fishing hooks disguised as flies, other insects or small fish.

The superbly illustrated minisheet above show Zug Bug, March Brown, Durham Ranger, Colonel Bates and Black Gnat fish lures. You have to love the names! The subject led to four further issues from Transkei up to and including 1984.

In 1981 the stamps showed Wickham’s Fancy, Jock Scott, Green Highlander, Tan Nymph and Kent’s Lightning.

In 1982 the lures depicted were Blue Charm, Royal Coachman, Light Spruce, Montana Nymph and Butcher.

The 1983 stamps had the Silver Wilkinson, Alexandra, Kent’s Marbled Sedge, White Marabou and Mayfly Nymph lures.

The final set of Transkei fly fishing stamps showed Silver Grey, Ginger Quill, Hardy’s Favourite, March Brown Nymph and Kent’s Spectrum Mohawk.

In 1998 Post Canada issued six 45 cent stamps featuring the Cosseboom Special, the Coho Blue, the Dark Montreal, the Steelhead Bee, the Coquihalla Orange and the Lady Amherst.

USPS has featured fishing lures twice to my knowledge, the most recent being 2025’s fine stamps. They depicted Crankbait, Popper, Spoon, Spinner and Wakebait disguised hooks.

First Class Mail rate stamps produced by the US Postal Service in 1991. Royal Wulff, Jock Scott, Apte Tarpon Fly, Lefty’s Deceiver, and Muddler Minnow lures.

In this stamp issue from New Zealand in 1997, four species of trout were featured – on the 40c a ‘Rainbow Trout with Red Setter Fly’, the $1.00 stamp a ‘Sea-run Brown Trout with Grey Ghost Fly’, $1.50 ‘Brook Trout (char) with Twilight Beauty Fly’, and $1.80 ‘Brown Trout with Hare & Cooper Fly’.

Year of the Fire Horse

By

admin

-

February 7, 2026

0

The Chinese New Year begins on February 17th this year, 2026 being the year of the Horse – to be precise the Year of the Fire Horse. Horse is the 7th animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese Zodiac signs, coming after the Snake and before the Goat. Recent years of the Horse include 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954, and 1942. It is associated with the earthly branch sign of wu.

China 2026 [Photo by Jiang Dong/chinadaily.com.cn]

The China National Philatelic Corporation has issued a series of Year of the Horse postage stamps. Above is a sheet incorporating stamps for issue in China, Hong Kong and Macao.

This miniature sheet from Åland captures horse life at an Åland stable. The inspiration for the edition is Stall JoY in the village of Samuelstorp in Hammarland, the only Åland stable to offer equine-assisted therapy for children and adults with functional disabilities.

The special stamp featured on the Liechtenstein Horse Year issue was designed by internationally renowned Hong Kong artist Dr KAN Tai-keung.

The 2014 France “Year of the Horse” stamp was issued by France’s La Poste to celebrate the Chinese New Year which fell under the sign of the Wood Horse.

Zambia’s 2002 “Horse” minisheet featured Tang Dynasty pottery and porcelain figurines.

2002 was the year of the Water Horse in the Chinese zodiac, representing energy and a spirited nature. Here we have a stamp sheet from Guyana.

Indonesia produced the above superb special folder in 2014.

At time of writing PostBeeld has three of the above minisheets from Singapore, mint never hinged, in stock.

Above, a Hong Kong Year of the Horse booklet, and below an attractive minisheet – issued in 1990.

Above is a stamp booklet issued by Macao in 1990.

Two of the offerings from China in 2014 – a minisheet and below a Year of the Horse stamp booklet.

While the zodiac cycles every 12 years, the Fire Horse year appears just once every 60 years, making it especially rare. This sheet, issued by Japan in 1965 for the 1966 Year of the Horse, depicts an artist’s impression of the Firs Horse.

Black Heritage – Part 18

By

admin

-

January 27, 2026

0

The subject of 2025’s Black Heritage stamp series is Allen Toussaint (1938–2015), an American musician, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues music from the 1950s to the end of the century. Toussaint was described as “one of popular music’s great backroom figures.” Many musicians recorded his compositions. His songwriting resonated with musicians across genres, leading him to collaborate with icons like Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, and more. Today, Toussaint’s legacy lives on in the vibrant music of New Orleans, the artists he inspired, and the timeless catalogue of songs he helped bring into the world. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. He was a producer for hundreds of recordings – possibly the best known are “Right PLace, Wrong Time”, by long-time friend and New Orleans musician Dr. John, and “Lady Marmalade” by Labelle.

U.S. Postal Service 250th Anniversary

By

admin

-

January 21, 2026

0

Issued in 2025 to celebrate a major U.S. Postal Service anniversary, the minisheet “250 Years of Delivering” is a superbly illustrated pane of 20 interconnected stamps representing the ubiquitous presence of USPS throughout the years — and the vital role the postal system has played in connecting Americans since 1775.

The 250th anniversary Benjamin Franklin stamp seen here is a modern interpretation of an 1875 reproduction of the very first U.S. stamp from 1847, which also featured Franklin.

The 250th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin’s birth commemorative stamp above, issued in 1956, features painter Benjamin West’s portrait “Franklin Taking Electricity from the Sky.” This work depicts the story associated with Franklin, one of America’s Founding Fathers, as he looks toward the sky in an attempt to draw an electric current using a key.

Recently Added to Stock

By

admin

-

January 15, 2026

0

A small selection of stamps added to PostBeeld’s stock recently can be seen below. Please note: for each country featured in the article, there will have been many more stamps added to PostBeeld’s freestampcatalogue.com website.

Vesak (or Wesak, Buddha Day) is the most sacred Buddhist festival – commemorating the birth, enlightenment (Nirvana), and passing (Parinirvana) of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) all on the same day, traditionally the full moon in May. Celebrated globally, it involves temple visits, chanting, meditation, offering flowers/candles, releasing caged animals to symbolise liberation, and performing good deeds to honour the Buddha’s message of compassion and peace. The stamps above and below, from Sri Lanka, were issued to celebrate Vesak.

The portrait on this fine stamp set from Suriname depicts Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. She reigned for nearly 58 years, making her the longest-reigning monarch in Dutch history, as well as the longest-reigning female monarch outside the United Kingdom.

And here we have a fine 1948 definitive set with the portrait of Wilhelmina’s successor, Queen Juliana (1909-2004). In 1948 Suriname was a colony of the Netherlands. Queen Juliana reigned from 1948 to 1980.

Just added is a great selection of butterfly stamps, seen here some from Algeria and the Central African Republic.

Also many beautiful bird stamps, such as these from St.Vincent (1974) and the Cayman Islands (1975) – all mint, never hinged.

For horse lovers we have these beauties from Yugoslavia, issued in 1969.

Above is a quite rare set of airmail definitives. In 1947 the island of Curacao was part of what was then known as the Netherlands Antilles – a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a French archipelago twenty-five kilometers south of the Canadian island of Newfoundland. Above and below are stamp strips showing panoramic views of two bays on the archipelago.

The French Southern and Antarctic Territories 2025 (TAAF)

And here is a great five-stamp minisheet of French Southern and Antarctic Territories (TAAF) stamps – produced to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the TAAF. The territory includes the Crozet Islands, the Kerguelen Islands, and the Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands in the southern Indian Ocean near 43°S, 67°E, along with Adélie Land, the sector of Antarctica claimed by France.

Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown

By

admin

-

January 7, 2026

0

In 2016 Great Britain’s Royal mail produced a set of eight special stamps to mark the 300^th anniversary of the birth of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. Capability Brown is remembered as ‘the last of the great eighteenth century artists’ and as ‘England’s greatest gardener’. Nicknamed ‘Capability’ from his habit of describing locations as having ‘great capabilities’, he changed the face of eighteenth century England through his innovative approach to landscape gardening.

He designed the landscapes of country estates, by moving hills and creating flowing lakes and serpentine rivers. He also excavated valleys, planted expanses of turf, clumps of trees and bands of forest. The stamps showcase eight of the best loved examples of Capability Brown’s work and a celebration of his contribution to the English landscape. Locations featured on the stamps are:

Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire – Often viewed as an example of one of Brown’s finest projects, The Duke of Marlborough enticed Brown to Oxfordshire in 1763, with the promise that he should begin work at Blenheim Palace immediately.

Longleat, Wiltshire – Set in 900 acres of parkland modelled by Brown. For his efforts at Longleat in Wiltshire, Brown was paid over £6,100 between 1757 and 1762 by Lord Weymouth.

Compton Verney, Warwickshire – Brown’s 1768 arrival at Compton Verney, Warwickshire, sparked Lord Willoughby de Broke to undertake ambitious changes to the family seat – including both the house and landscape.

Highclere Castle, Hampshire – Henry Herbert, later 1st Earl of Carnarvon, summoned Brown to Highclere Castle shortly after he inherited the Berkshire estate in 1769. The castle was used as the location for the TV series, Downton Abbey.

Alnwick Castle, Northumberland – Shortly before 1770, Brown began work at the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland’s northern estate, Alnwick Castle, after having previously worked for them at Syon. Northumberland was the county of Brown’s birth.

Berrington Hall, Herefordshire – In 1778, Brown supplied a landscape plan for Thomas Harley at Berrington Hall, Herefordshire, working there in perfect partnership with his son-in-law, the architect, Henry Holland Jnr.

Stowe, Buckinghamshire – The vast Buckinghamshire estate belonging to the formidable Viscount Cobham, was where Brown cut his horticultural teeth. He modelled the Grecian Valley with the Temple of Concord and Victory.

Croome Park, Worcestershire – Brown was first consulted regarding Croome Park in Worcestershire in 1751, when George William Coventry inherited the earldom. This was his first independent commission.

Celebrated for creating landscapes on an immense scale, with a focus on vistas rather than gardens and parkland – it is often said that the images Brown created are as deeply embedded in the English character as the paintings of Turner and the poetry of Wordsworth.

The World’s First Public Steam Railway

By

admin

-

December 23, 2025

0

The commemorative Miniature Sheet issued by Great Britain in 2025 honoured the 200th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway – the World’s first steam-powered public railway. The four First Class stamps capture milestone events in the history of the Railway. From left to right the stamps show: The Railway’s opening ceremony in 1825; Locomotion No.1 at Darlington in 1890; The Centenary in 1925; and a replica of Locomotion No.1 riding the rails in 1975. The stamps are set against a sepia-coloured backdrop featuring the issue’s title in typography taken from a Stockton & Darlington Railway Company share certificate, and an illustration of rolling stock on the Stockton & Darlington Railway.

Also in this issue these six special stamps showcase the origins and evolution of British locomotives across two centuries, with evocative photography and elegant illustrations that bring to life the iconic steam machines that powered the Industrial Revolution. The six First Class landscape stamps were presented as vertical se-tenant pairs. In chronological order the stamps show: Locomotion No. 1 at the opening of the first steam-powered public railway in 1825; Rocket, the locomotive that won the Rainhill Trials, helping launch the railway age, 1829; City of Truro, unofficially timed at 100mph in 1904; Mallard became the fastest steam locomotive ever in 1938; the locomotive Duchess of Hamilton was exhibited the New York World’s Fair, 1939; and Evening Star – the last steam locomotive built for British Railways, 1960.

English Gardens Stamp Issue 1983

By

admin

-

December 16, 2025

0

Great Britain is rich in gardens and garden landscapes. Gardening is in the British blood! Every week, you can watch a programme about gardens and gardening on BBC Television or another channel.

Nearly every country estate is, or was, surrounded by gardens and parks. In 1983, the British Post Office (Royal Mail) issued a series of four stamps featuring stately gardens. Pitmedden is a rural village in the parish of Udny, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Pitmedden Garden, part of which is seen on this 31p stamp, is a walled garden with vibrant floral designs and a Museum of Farming Life.

Near the town of Woodstock in Oxfordshire, lies Blenheim Palace. Built for the First Duke of Marlborough, it is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. The palace was a gift from Queen Anne to the Duke in gratitude for his victory at the Battle of Blindheim on August 13, 1704. The parkland was laid out in 1764 by Lancelot “Capability” Brown (pictured above). He commissioned the artificial lake depicted on the 28p stamp.

Capability Brown designed over 170 parklands belonging to country houses and castles, many of which still exist and can be visited. His nickname “Capability” comes from a saying he used with his clients: “Your garden has ‘great capabilities.'” And he certainly lived up to that promise, with a collection of large trees and ample water. He is considered the greatest gardener of his time.

Two Egyptian sphinxes, seen on the stamp here, flank a stone passageway in the garden of Biddulph Grange. The garden and country house are located near Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. A grange was originally a manor house, but later evolved into a comfortable country house. The garden was designed by James Bateman, who lived from 1811 to 1897. He moved to Biddulph in 1840, where he designed the garden with the help of his friend Edward William Cooke. He was a great lover of orchids. The rhododendrons and azaleas in the garden, which bloom profusely in late spring, are famous.

One of the most famous gardens is also called “The most beautiful garden in England,” a 1930 creation by author Vita Sackville-West and her husband, Sir Harold Nicolson. The garden has been owned by the National Trust since 1967, and thousands of visitors enjoy its countless flowers. The garden is located near Cranbrook in Kent. Numerous walls and hedges have been erected throughout the garden, creating dozens of beautiful passageways. The most beautiful garden is undoubtedly the white garden, which features only white flowers. And, of course, a magnificent rose garden, home to many varieties, which are also depicted on the 1976 series of postage stamps below.

More Christmas 2025 Stamps

By

admin

-

December 9, 2025

0

Germany’s Deutsche Post produced the 2025 Christmas period “Winter Landscape” stamp seen above and below a Nativity scene.

Correos (the Spanish postal service) has launched a new series of Christmas stamps called “Christmas Cities.” This theme aims to showcase the cities across Spain that embody the Christmas spirit during the holiday season. The Roman Bridge of Cangas de Onís, one of the most recognisable symbols of Asturias and all of Spain – seen on the B Tarifa stamp – is transformed every Christmas into a unique setting for an illuminated Nativity scene. Festive lights, including stars and the message “Christmas in Cangas de Onís,” are installed on its iconic arch. Torrejón de Ardoz, a municipality of Spain belonging to the Community of Madrid is featured on the A Tarifa stamp.

Above and below a collaborative Christmas issue from Guernsey and Alderney depicts scenes from the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. The titles on the stamps from Alderney are: 64p – The Twelve Days of Christmas; 69p – A Partridge in a Pear Tree; 92p – Two Turtle Doves; £1.37 – Three French Hens; £1.47 – Four Calling Birds; £1.81 – Five Gold Rings- and £1.90 – Six Geese a-Laying.

And from Guernsey the 64p Stamp is followed by: 69p – Seven Swans a-Swimming; 92p – Eight Maids a-Milking; £1.37 – Nine Ladies Dancing; £1.47 – Ten Lords a-Leaping; £1.81 – Eleven Pipers Piping; and £1.90 – Twelve Drummers Drumming.

Norway’s 2025 Christmas offering is entitled “Nostalgia in a Snow Globe”, the two stamps showing winter scenes within snow globes. The history of the snow globe dates back to the 19th century. At the World Exhibition in Paris in 1878, snow globes were described as paperweights with a white powder that mimicked falling snow. Austrian inventor Erwin Perzy popularised the snow globe towards the end of the 19th century while trying to develop a bright surgical lamp. The effect reminded him of snowfall, inspiring him to create his first snow globe. Due to high demand, he and his brother opened a shop in Vienna, where production continues today as a family-run business exporting snow globes worldwide.

The Druid Theatre Company

By

admin

-

December 4, 2025

0

A theatre company founded in 1975 with the bold intention of creating Ireland’s first professional theatre company outside of Dublin has had its 50th anniversary commemorated with stamps issued by Ireland’s an post. There were few resources with which to build a theatre company in the West of Ireland in 1975, but through sheer dedication, and with the support of the Galway community, founders Garry Hynes, Marie Mullen and Mick Lally made this bold idea a reality. That reality has since made this touring theatre company an international success story of extraordinary dimensions.

And, as seen here by just a minuscule amount of the plaudits received over the years, Druid continues to thrive:

“One of the world’s great acting ensembles” – The Guardian.

“One of the greatest, bravest, most exciting theatre companies anywhere in the world” – The Arts Review.

“Any New York visit by the Druid Theatre Company of Galway is an event not to be missed” – The New York Times.

Proud of its national touring history, Druid has visited 32 counties over the past five decades.