The next instalment of Great Britain’s Royal Mail Music Giants Special Stamp series – a tribute to David Bowie, one of the most influential music and cultural figures of all time –
was released on 14 March 2017.
Alongside the Special Stamps, First Day Covers and Presentation Pack, this exciting issue features several limited edition David Bowie souvenirs.
The power of nature should never be underestimated! What was once a major tourist attraction on Malta’s island of Gozo was recently destroyed by a violent storm that hit the islands. Known as the ‘Azure Window’, see photo , a Maltese Environment Commission stated that the collapse of the Azure Window was part of a natural process that was expected, “The question has always been ‘when’ not ‘if’ it would not fall”.
The most words on a postage stamp is 606. The words are in four languages and are taken from the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The stamp was issued by bpost (Belgian Post Group) to mark International Women’s Day 2014. The stamp depicts the face of a woman made exclusively from words. Only full words counted towards the total.
The Soviet Union/Russian Federation has a long tradition of issuing postal stamps depicting decorations. The very first one came out in 1933 with the Order of the Red Banner.
In the beginning of 2016 the Russian Federation issued a sheet of stamps with eighteen ‘state decorations’ (from now on referred to as the Block).
Childhood memories came flooding back when I saw the stamp sheet below featuring classical toys. This mint item was issued by Great Britain in 2003.
And further memories for me as my father-in-law worked on the installation of the radar system for one of the Ocean Liners shown on the sheet below, the SS Canberra. In the past some of these ships competed to be the fastest to complete the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.
How about this attractively illustrated sheet from Great Britain, 2001, depicting weather conditions and a barometer.
The above stamps from Portugal, 1997, are the second in a three-part series celebrating the 500th anniversary of voyages made by the explorer Vasco da Gama.
The stamp top left depicts the erection of a large stone cross inscribed with the coat of arms of Portugal placed as part of a land claim on the East African country of Mozambique. Stamp top right shows the arrival of a ship of da Gama’s fleet at Mozambique.
Bottom left stamp shows the impending arrival of the fleet in Mombasa, Kenya and the last stamp features the reception on board ship of the King of Malindi. The town of Malindi lies 120 kilometres north-east of Mombasa.
Take a peek at PostBeeld’s website for many, many more interesting recent additions to stock.
In the late 1970s a fascinating series of articles written by Mr. K. Kouwenberg about the history of Stamp Collecting, appeared in the Dutch magazine Philatelie. This series has been the source of inspiration for PostBeeld owner Rob Smit to rewrite the history of stamp collecting in instalments. This is Part 20 – Gustav Wuttig and Gustav Bauschke.
The recent problems at the Oroville Dam in Northern California, which caused more than 180,000 people to be evacuated from their homes, have highlighted the danger of living in the downstream vicinity of a major river dam.
Though damming projects can be extremely controversial, architecturally they are often attractive. As a topic there are many dam stamps, some of which are included below.
How many of us, at least once in our lives, have been advised to take one or more types of vitamin to help improve our health? And how many millions of people worldwide believe in the efficacy of taking vitamin supplements? I for one knew very little about the origins of the incredible array of these items to be found on the shelves of stores everywhere.
In the late 1970s a fascinating series of articles written by Mr. K. Kouwenberg about the history of Stamp Collecting, appeared in the Dutch magazine Philatelie. This series has been the source of inspiration for PostBeeld owner Rob Smit to rewrite the history of stamp collecting in instalments. The last instalment and this refer to the growth of stamp collecting in The Netherlands.
We’ve previously published stories regarding unusual stamps and the strange subjects and materials used in the printing process, and this article shows how inventive stamp designers can be.
The Faroe Islands is a self-governing archipelago, part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It comprises 18 rocky, volcanic islands between Iceland and Norway in the North Atlantic Ocean, connected by road tunnels, ferries, causeways and bridges. Hikers and bird-watchers are drawn to the islands’ marvellous flora and fauna.