Happy Diwali !!
On 19 October 2018, UNPA issued a New York special event sheet to commemorate the festival of Diwali. The sheet in the denomination of US$ 1.15 contains ten stamps and tabs featuring festive lights and the symbolic lamps known as diyas. The background of the sheet features the UN Headquarters building illuminated with the message of “Happy Diwali” to celebrate the spirit of the festival.
Dear Reader,
I am pleased to present November 2018 issue of Rainbow Stamp News. It is my pleasure to publish interview of renowned scientist and philatelist Dr Indraneil Das, born and brought up in India, presently settled in Malaysia. He is a great inspiration to those who say they do not have time for hobbies and are too busy in their profession to do anything else. He is the person who practically used philately as an educational tool. He reveals his philatelic journey..which started many years ago when he was a small child….I am sure Readers would love to read his interview and story of collecting largest number of stamps on amphibians and finally getting honour to become Guinness World Record holder. In fact Dr Indraneil has given new dimension to the hobby of philately in today's scenario when people are moving away from such hobbies.... He is the golden star of our philatelic community who has decorated the hobby . He rekindles the spirit of stamp collecting in young and old.....We wish him all the best in his next venture !
This is festive time in India. Wishing you all a very Happy and Prosperous Deepawali.
This is all for this month . More in next Issue.Happy Collecting !!
Contents
§
From the Desk of Naresh Agrawal
§
Recent Indian Issues
§ In
The News
§ Interview
§
Doon Philatelic Diary
§
Beginners’ Section
§
Rose Philately
§
Specialized Section
§
New Issues from Other Countries
§
Philatelic Clubs and Society
§
Blogs & Websites on Philately
§
Current Philatelic Magazines –
Newsletter
POSTMAN : DESERVES HONOR
Well, before I start writing
on the topic, I want to convey my heartiest Deepawali greetings to all the
readers.
During my last meeting with
the Superintendent of Post Office of Bilaspur Division, in connection with
District Level Stamp Exhibition which is proposed to be held in our city, I
could not restrict myself to place my heartfelt gratitude to the most important
yet not that well honored person of the Department of Post (DOP) in India, the
Postman. Right from my childhood, I always admired and regarded a postman.
During early days of my childhood, I could not really understand the importance
of a postman but later, I found him to be one of the most significant person in
social communication system which prevailed then, as almost all the communication
used to be done by him through the
delivery of letters, parcels, money orders and telegrams.
I placed before the Superintendent
of Post office my willingness to give honor
to the postmen of my area to whom I interact regularly at my doorstep during
his visit for distribution of mail. I requested him to also arrange presence of
all the previous postmen of our area, if possible. The honor would be to
appreciate their work and efforts publically and to give true and genuine
tribute to this community of wonderful human being whose arrival once
titillated ,I am sure everybody’s heart in our society. While appreciating my
views, he added that efforts would be made to call one or two old retired village
postmen whom he knew who tirelessly gave their services throughout their life in the remote areas of his division.
I have seen special postal covers
being issued of and on all over India commemorating the services of early postman named as Harkara. Giving picture of a
Harkara on cover with a running man having a bamboo spear with bells on the top
in his one hand and lantern in other. He
carried mail bag on the back. But I never saw any postman being honored
publically. Whether in service or retired, the hardcore services need to be recognized
and applauded. Thankfully, of late pay scale of postman has been increased
substantially which was very low earlier. I have been given to understand that
DOP gives a yearly cash award to the
best postman in particular division but there is no social recognition. I have
never heard of any civilian award to any postman who spent his life delivery
and collecting mail from faraway places in snow covered hills, deep dense
forests, long terrain of deserts and connected the untouched world to the main
stream of civil society.
We know these days; there
are several mail delivery services, right from snail mail or fast electronic
mail. Mail and Courier services like video mail, voice mail, email, secure
couriers etc are available today. The
physical mail carriage is now called slow mail or snail mail. But there was a
time, when it was the only mail system available. And before that, well, all we
had were the Dak Runners or the Harkara who practically ran with the mail to be
delivered at interim point or destination. The Harkara not only delivered
letters, but also conveyed news to both ends, officially and unofficially,
publicly or surreptitiously. He sometimes acted as so called spy or purveyors
of intelligence to authorities of far flung remote areas, reporting on troubles
and important happenings at both locations. In many instances, they were letter
writers, transferring the word of mouth and emotions of an illiterate person to
a piece paper called letter.
Well, when we talk about
postman, at least I become emotional. I do understand now paper communication
is less in comparison to what it was
three or four decades back, We see, in general throughout our life,
postman has been a witness of various good and bad news and other happenings in
our life. He is the man with whom we share our happiness and sorrows as well. I
still remember the postman in front of whom, I grew from a crawling child to a
grown up man. His hair grew from black to grey, skin wrinkled, but enthusiasm
and dedication remained same. The same khaki uniform, the same sound of cycle
bell and the similar type of mail carrying bag (thaila) and the best of all, the
same smiling face. Though an outsider yet a member of our family.
With inescapable connection
with different communities in society, it is evident that postmen have been a
part of literature, poetry, art and cinema. “The Postmaster” by Rabindranath
Tagore or the popular Hindi nursery rhyme, 'Dakiya aaya', the postman has been
evoked in many works. In Hindi cinema postman has reflected in various films
with senior actors like Dilip Kumar, Rajesh Khanna or Navin Nishchal playing
roles of Postman. There have been beautiful songs in Indian films. These
certainly have nicely depicted postman’s role in society.
I feel like mentioning here
a beautiful episode of T.V.Series of
short stories “Malgudi Days” related to one small town based on the eponymous
works of R.K.Narayan titled “The Missing
Mail”. The story highlights the emotional connection and bond of the postman
with a family which was well displayed. For me a Postman is a true serviceman,
and a master human being. He maintains different relations with different
people. From a Brother, Father, uncle, friend…I mean a child to an old, all like him. A man with
utmost honesty, care, responsibility, discipline, punctuality, friendliness and
dedication. Ladies used to share their feelings in process of letter writing by postman and speak their
heart out. Such a high level of trust the people had in a postman.
Postman played a very vital
role in teenagers life. These lyrics sung way back in the ’70s by the
Carpenters, immortalized the humble postman and his role in teenager’s life.
Please Mr. Postman, look and see
Oh yeah
If there’s a letter in your bag for me….
I still remember we used to
wait for the postman generally in the afternoon. He would either knock the
steel gate or would shout with his loud but sharp voice “postman”. The sound or
the voice were so pleasing and well awaited that we used to run to the main
gate and he would then hand over letter, postcards to us. He would always smile
and also some time have little chat with us.
Sometimes when no one was there to hear he would drop the letter to the
small letter box hanged outside our main gate. We would always look for letters
in that box before we entered the house after coming from school. For us the mailman was more important than the
sender of the mail as delivery is more important than the posting. Postman is
and has been a true example of discipline and punctuality. We used to check /
set our watch on his arrival. Winter or summer, dry or rain, light or dark but postman
(Dakiya) is always on the job..service..and his duty. Just like a mother is always
looked up to feeding her children, the postman always looked up to serve his family of people
in his area.
Postman used to be
considered as a bonding stuff between different segments of society. Delivery
of Money orders and telegrams always showed his sincerity. As far as I know, he
never failed to deliver telegram even during rainy midnight. And also never
failed to deliver money to the addressee well in time. I do agree that all is
not well. Sometimes some postmen do fail in performing their duty well. The
reasons for this are many but there are cases when the postmen lost their jobs.
Holding the mail, delayed delivery and sometimes losing the mail and sometimes
thefts from the parcels are the major
lapses. But the cases are practically negligible. Genuinely speaking huge quantity and work pressure is one major
reason for pendency. But the whole community of postmen cannot be blamed for
this. Community in general is honest and dedicated.
Well, while concluding my stream of thoughts , I
would appeal to the all concerned
to give true honor to the Postman community which is even now an
important part of our physical communication system, if not that important in big cities but in remote
areas. We need to acclaim and applaud the services given by the older generations of postman.
Recent
Indian Issue
2 October 2018 : 150th Birth
Annversary of Mahatma Gandhi
Recent Special Cover
31
October 2018 : KOLLAMPEX-2018
Gandhi's visited Kollam four
occasions. In the third visit in 1934 he visited Panmana Asramam at
Chavara (Kollam) and stayed two days there. He planted a neem tree
there. In the shown picture on the cover is the building where Gandhiji
stayed.
16 October 2018 Boat Carried
Special Cover
16 October 2018 : Golden Jubilee Celebration 2018 Malviya Nagar Puja Samiti
,New Delhi
View : Special Covers
In The News
Shri Manik Jain receiving Memento from CPMG
On 6th October 2018, India Posts, West Bengal Circle felicitated three
philatelists, Dipok Dey, Manik Jain and Mohinilal Majumder ( posthumously)
for their big contribution to Indian Philately on the occasion of
sesquicentennial celebration of Kolkata G.P.O. Dipok Dey is a well known
philatelist and artist of Kolkata . He is the first Indian to design UN stamp
in 1985. Manik Jain is a noted philatelist and stamp dealer from Kolkata, known
for his Phila India Stamp Catalogues of Indian Stamps.
CG-AWARD 2018 Special
Prize for GPA’s Mobile App
Gujarat Philatelists' Association's Mobile Application
Philately Reckoner - India (World's First of a kind Mobile Application with entire
Database of Indian Postage Stamps) wins Special Prize at CG-AWARD 2018 at
Germany under the Category Innovation.
There was no category at the time of application
and was applied under Digital but Juries found this very Innovative and after
all participations closed, probably out of norms, they added the category
Innovation and approved our application is this special category.Prize Money
awarded to Philately Reckoner - India is 200 Euros. There is only one Winner under
this Category.
CHINA 2019 World Stamp
Exhibition
CHINA 2019 World Stamp Exhibition will be held in Wuhan,
China on June 11-17, 2019. An agreement was recently signed with FIP president
with Tay Peng Hian.
PHILAMUSICA 2019
This philatelic exhibition will be held from June 8th to June 10th 2019 in Mondorf-les-Baines (Luxembourg).Indian Philatelists and from other countries are invited for apartipication in this important philatelic exhibition.
For more Details note: www.philcolux.lu
Courtesy: Mr .Roger Thill, Philcolux and Mr. Wolfgang Beyer, German
Philatelic Federation
WORLD OF REVENUES
Salon at 29th International Stamp
Fair, Essen, Germany
May 9-11, 2019.
May 9-11, 2019.
An international exhibition, devoted solely
to fiscal philately, will be organized in cooperation by the FIP Revenue
Commission, Arbeitsgemeischaft Fiscalphilatelie im BDPh e.V. (German Society
for Fiscal Philately), and International Stamp Fair Essen. As this is the first
time such a special revenue exhibition will be held, the Salon takes place with
a non-competitive basis. However, every exhibitor
who wishes will get an exhibit evaluation by a group of experienced jurors. The
expected size of the Salon will be 200 frames. The frames accommodate 12 album
pages and not 16, please note. Exhibits of 1 to a maximum of 10 frames may
participate. The charges are Euro 18 per frame.
Please download the first Bulletin and
Application form of the exhibition and participate from https://stampsofindia.com/worldofrevenues.htm
Anil Suri
anilksuri@email.com is coordinating the participation from India and will carry
the exhibits to and from the exhibition and obtain necessary governmental
permissions.
Source : Stamps of India
Recent Stamp Exhibitions
THAILAND 2018 WORLD STAMP EXHIBITION
THAILAND 2018 is an extraordinary world stamp
exhibition organized by the Philatelic Association of Thailand under the
Patronage of H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn from November 28 to
December 3, 2018 at the Royal Paragon Hall, Siam Paragon, Bangkok, Thailand on
the auspicious occasion of the First Anniversary Celebration of H.M. King Maha
Vajiralongkorn’s Royal Coronation Ceremony. The 75th Congress of the
International Philatelic Federation (FIP) will also be held at THAILAND 2018.
ODIPEX-2018
10th State level Philatelic Exhibition of Odisha Circle, Odipex – 2018 will be held from 15th December to 17th December 2018. About 500 exhibition frames will be displayed and more than 20 stamp dealers would participate.
Regional Meeting of Philatelic Congress of India
The Regional Meeting of the Philatelic Congress of India will
be held on Sunday, 11th November 2018 at Bhubaneswar at the following venue and
time:
Venue : Office of CPMG, Odisha Circle, (
Besides GPO building ) Auditorium, 2nd floor, 4th Street, PMG Square, Unit 3,
Kharabela Nagar, Bhubaneswar - 751 001.
Date : Sunday, 11th November 2018.
Time : Registration of members : 10:00 AM
Regional Meeting : 10:30 AM to 01:00 PM
For any assistance contact :Mr. Shanthi Swarup Rath,
Secretary, EIPA , plot no. 969/2436, Forest Park, Bhubaneswar-751009, mobile
no.9437034621, email: ssrath@hotmail.com.
Seminar
The Eastern India Philatelists’ Association, Bhubaneswar,
will be organizing the following Seminars / Presentations on Saturday, 10th
November 2018 in association with the Philatelic Congress of India at the
following venue and time. Venue :
Office of CPMG, Odisha Circle, ( Besides GPO Building ) Auditorium, 2nd floor,
4th Street, PMG Square, Unit 3, Kharabela Nagar, Bhubaneswar - 751 001.
Date : Saturday, 10th November 2018
Programme 10:30 AM - 10.45 AM - Registration
10.45 AM - 11.00 AM - Welcome address by Senior Member,
Eastern India Philatelic Association
11.00 AM - 11.30 AM - Inaugural Address by Dr. Santosh Kumar
Kamila, Chief Post Master General (CPMG), Odisha Circle
11:30 AM to 12:15 PM - Presentation on ‘Refugee Relief Tax’
by Mr. Rajesh Paharia.
12.15 AM to 01.00 PM - Seminar on Traditional Philately by
Mr. Pragya Jain.
01.00 PM to 02:00 PM - Lunch Break
02.00 PM to 03:00 PM - Seminar on Thematics by Mr. Rajesh
Kumar Bagri.
03:00 PM to 04:00 PM -
Seminar on Postal History by Mr. Madhukar Deogawanka.
04:00 PM to 04:30 PM - Tea Break
04:30 PM to 05:30 PM - Presentation on ‘Danish Settlements in
India’ by Mr. Markand Dave
Interview
Dr Indraneil Das - Guinness World Record holder of having largest number of stamps on Amphibians
Dr Indraneil Das is one of the
most acclaimed Indian wildlife scientists, who has achieved what most Indian
wildlife scientists have not, especially in the field of herpetology. Indraneil
Das received his doctorate from the Oxford University, UK for his work on
animal ecology. He has conducted fieldwork in many countries in south and
south-east Asia and is a member of the IUCN (International Union for the
Conservation of Nature). Being a leading herpetologist Dr Neil has written
several books and as well as numerous research papers on wildlife and has
described several new species of snakes and lizards. He was a Fulbright Fellow
at the Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology and Scientific
Officer of the Centre for Herpetology and Island Ecology, Madras Crocodile
Bank. Currently, he is working as Professor at University of Malaysia Sarawak.
A
non resident Indian presently settled in Malaysia. Born in India in 1964,
completed his school and University
education in Kolkata and Bhopal . He
left India in 1989 for research work in UK, USA, Brunei, and in Malaysia, since
1998. Besides his many academic achievements , he is a great thematic
philatelist and by collecting largest number of stamps on Amphibians he is now
Guinness World Record Holder. He is an eminent writer both in his field
of his professional specialization and also in the field of philately. He has
authored several books in wildlife and philately mainly. Many of his articles
have been published in noted philatelic journals of Malaysia as well as in
world journals of wildlife.
Interview with Dr
Indraneil Das
It is wonder to note that how such an extremely busy person manages his passion so proficiently along with his profession. This is truly exemplary . Rainbow is honored to have interview of such eminent personality. Mr Naresh Agrawal asks him questions about his long journey of wildlife and philately together. Dr Indraneil may be contacted at email : indraneildas@hotmail.com - Editor
Interview with Dr
Indraneil Das- We understand philately is your
passion. When did you start your philatelic journey? Is it at your
childhood or later? Brief notes on as to how you entered and pursued this
hobby?
I
inherited my sister’s stamp collection- comprising a printed album of stamps of
the world, at the tender age of 7. The most outstanding memory of this was that
the stamps were super-glued to the pages and I remember spending many happy
hours, attempting to ‘free’ the stamps...Thereafter, in my school days (Don
Bosco Park Circus), I spent most of my lunch allowance on stamps, sold by an
old collector near the gate of our school. I remember he had a fabulous
collection of stamps from around the world (mostly CTOs and used stamps, but
also beautiful current issues then coming out, in the early 1970s, from the
Kingdom of Bhutan). Currently, I specialize in stamps on amphibians- frogs,
toads, salamanders, newts and their extinct ancestors- real or stylized (such
as those depicted in folklore, myths and legends). I acquire material during my
travels (from post offices, antique shops, specialized philatelic shops and
auction houses), from online auction sites (particularly, Delcampe, Ebay and
Bidorbuy) and have wish lists circulated amongst dealers worldwide, many of whom
are long-time friends, who also look out for new releases. Other eclectic
collections include modern Malaysia and Ecuador, historical personalities in
biology, such as Darwin, besides the comic book reporter, Tintin, the scaly
mammal called pangolin, etc. My wife specialises in Malaysia and unusual world
stamps as well, and is particularly interested in technologies associated with
stamp production (hence, ‘unusual’ stamps) and my son (13 years old) collects
the living fossil fish called the ‘coelacanth’.
2. How do you
involve yourself in philately now - that is how you collect and what and how
you spend your time with stamps?
My
work- teaching, research, publishing and administration, leaves little time for
other pursuits on weekdays. All in my family are members of the Philatelic
Society of Kuching Sarawak (PSKS), and we have meetings (comprising talks and
auction) weekly, that I try to attend, if in town. The society publishes a
biannual journal, which is a wealth of information, particularly on Sarawak and
Borneo, stamps, postal history and the like. We have recently published a few
articles on various subjects there, including, perhaps interesting for
audiences in India, an article on fantasy coinage bearing the name ‘Andaman and
Nicobar islands’. PSKS also organises biannual stamp shows and fairs. I am also
member of the American Topical Association, Biology Unit, U.S.A. and Club
Filatélico Guayaquil, Ecuador.
3. It is always
pleasing and satisfying to follow the hobby which is associated with one’s
profession / career. How do you feel moving parallel both with your
professional as well as passion? Do you feel now, at this stage and stature,
that these are made for each other, these complement each other?
Our
research being integrative (applying different techniques to answer broad
scientific questions), philately actually fits in well with the sciences (and
many other aspects of academia). By publishing on philately, there is an active
research component (via reading and acquiring books and periodicals on the
subject, analyses and comparison) and therefore herpetology appears to merge
seamlessly into philately.
I also
use philately to teach biology, and maintain a page linked to our research
group website (see http://theherpetofaunalbiologygroup.weebly.com/-stampwatch.html).
Here, we list new releases and any stories linked with them, as well as
associated philatelic details.
4. Life is fast and
a person like you always lack time. Even after being so busy always, how do you
spare your time for philately? Your time management techniques will certainly
help other stamp lovers. Your comments please.
Indeed.
But it is also very important to devote time for oneself. I call it “Me time”,
and some of this is dedicated to philately.
5. It adds to the
joy and pleasure when the collection is appreciated by others too. Have you
ever displayed your collections? Brief details of your displays.
An
average person these days can get on with their lives without encountering a
postage stamp. However, I am surprised at the positive response of folks
visiting a stamp exhibition. While I have never exhibited at a philatelic
exhibition, my collections have been on display on two consecutive World Animal
Day celebrations, here in Malaysia. The first was on stamps on the theme of
amphibians, an official Guinness World Record event, on 4 October 2017, on the
campus of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. The event was officially recognised and
1,644 individual amphibian stamps were featured. This year’s World Animal Day
exhibited stamps on the theme of the endangered mammal, the Pangolin
(represented by 8 species from Africa and Asia). Stamps on the pangolin have
been issued by as many as 50 countries and postal authorities. We had over 900
visitors to the show (including several schools with philately clubs), and I
guess our message as well as enthusiasm about conservation and philately rubbed
off on at least some of the visitors.
At an
international symposium on the life and work of Alfred Russel Wallace, in 2013,
I exhibited stamps and covers on this early evolutionist, and produced a couple
of personalised stamps on Wallace and Wallace’s Flying Frog (under Pos
Malaysia’s Setem Ku programme) for the event.
6.
Collection and exhibiting are two aspects of stamp collection. We understand
you have one of the largest collection of stamps on amphibians in the world.
Have you ever exhibited the same in competitive exhibitions? Your opinion about
such exhibiting.
Exhibition
planning takes time and energy, so perhaps one day...Currently,
we are preparing to visit Thailand 2018 World Stamp Exhibition in Bangkok, to
observe, interact and perhaps acquire...
7. Having the
largest number of stamps of particular nature in the world speaks volumes about
your philatelic passion and dedication. How do you feel having “Guinness World Record holder of having the largest
number of stamps on amphibians” under your belt? What more is kept in your
store which is still to be exposed?
It was
an enormous effort, planning the event and absorbing the “rules” book of
Guinness World Records, which is voluminous. However, the task was made easier
with the help of my wife, as I mentioned, a fellow-philatelist, who helped
prepare the circa 900 frames on display. Our graduate students and colleagues at
our Institute were a great help, in organising all parts of the event, leaving
me to worry only about the stamps. I also received tremendous support from
fellow members of the Philatelic Society of Kuching Sarawak, especially its
President, Dr. Ong Liap Teck, of Swinburne University.
Apart
from the individual stamps (from nearly 180 countries) were an extensive
section of philatelic material that showed amphibians, from first day covers
and cards, to commercial covers, maximum cards, folders and philatelic sheets
to artists’ essays and personalised stamps, and from meter marks and philatelic
proofs to brass printing blocks and cinderella and poster stamps, all depicting
frogs, toads, salamanders and newts.
I also
collect philatelic material on other groups of herpetofauna- reptiles such as
turtles, snakes, lizards and crocodilians. Some day, I hope to have the time
and energy to display them.
8. You are an avid
research scholar and writer in your professional field focusing on ecology,
systematics and biogeography of amphibians and reptiles but have also written
several books in philatelic field too. Brief note on your philatelic
publications with your comments on your experiences will certainly please our
readers.
Yes, I
have written a few articles in philatelic and zoological journals, dealing with
stamps on the theme of herpetology, folklore, watermark variations and errors,
how stamps can be used in teaching and on internet sources of philatelic
knowledge. We have also prepared a small book on pictorial cancellations that I
hope to one day update.
9. “Philately for
pleasure, philately for education” has been considered as everlasting slogan.
How do you justify this slogan?
Undoubtedly,
all collectors derived pleasure from their hobby, while serious philatelists
are rather rare (but there is no evidence that such folks do not enjoy their
avocation). The postage stamp itself being an ideal media for transmitting
ideas and opinions, is a powerful device for education (including propaganda).
10. Another slogan
“ Philately the king of Hobbies and hobby of Kings”. How do you look at in
today’s scenario?
Philatelists
would not claim otherwise, although at present, compared to the time when we
were growing up, postage stamps are no longer affordable by the masses,
especially school children. Postal agencies worldwide now view them as a source
of revenue, and think of creative ways to generate more sales through their
often excessive issues. Readers will no doubt be aware of many such cases in
India. And some have picked up the hobby of collecting stamps with investments
in mind.
11. With the fast
pace of life, immense usage of new generation communication means, computers,
mobiles etc letter writing has literally gone in to shell. How do you look at
the future of philately today?
There
will always be collectors, dealers and investors of postage stamps. The
innovative designs associated with stamps of many countries in the recent past
(especially, Austria, Spain, Liechtenstein and Hong Kong) attract youngsters to
acquire them, most of whom, I guess, are tech-savvy and such state-of-the-art
products naturally appeal to them.
12. While giving
our heartiest thanks to you for sparing time and sharing your views and
experiences with our readers, we look forward for your advice and suggestions
to the budding or even old stamp collectors, lovers, philatelists about how to
look at this hobby, proceed with the hobby and achieve maximum out of it.
Start
slow, observe other collections, join a local club or a group of like-minded
folks, visit exhibitions, give a child a stamp album. It is important to
specialise in an area that is close to one’s heart, rather than follow the
crowd or someone else’s advice. It is also important to study stamps and all
literature associated with them, and carefully catalogue one’s material. To my
opinion, a single stamp can work as a powerful catalyst to one’s interest and
quest for knowledge.
Interview : Naresh Agrawal
Interview : Naresh Agrawal
Doon
Philatelic Diary
Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun
India Post issued a postage stamp on 13th March 1997 to commemorate 75th Anniversary of Rashtriya Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.The Rashtriya Indian Military College at Dehradun was inaugurated as the Prince of Wales' Royal Indian Military College on 13 March 1922 by Edward, the Prince of Wales, who was later King Edward VIII of Great Britain. Based on demands made by India's nascent freedom movement for Indian Officers to lead Indian troops, the founding of the College paved the way for young Indian lads to become commissioned officers of India's defence services.
The RIMC was the first public school of India set up on the lines of Eton and Harrow, for a small number of carefully selected boys. It has even now retained its characteristics of being a cradle of excellence, leadership and bravery.It is a feeder institution to the National Defence Academy and the Academies of the three defence services. The finest leaders of men have passed out of its portals.
Hardly comprising 0.15 per cent of the annual officer intake in the Indian armed forces, they have provided three Army chiefs and one Air chief in India; two Air chiefs and one Army chief in Pakistan besides numerous Army commanders, corps commanders, diplomats, and top grade professionals in both India and Pakistan over the last 50 years since independence. The country's first recipient of the Victoria Cross in World War II, Second Lieutenent (Later Lieutenent General) PS Bhagat and free India's first Param Vir Chakra of the Kashmir War of 1947, Major Somnath Sharma were both alumni of the RIMC.
In the sphere
of sports and adventure activities, so important for building
character, the RIMC has excelled at all India levels. The College squash team
has more than once been the national champions in the under 16 category. In
soccer, the college team remains one of the top few. The young cadets have
taken to diversified disciplines such as mountaineering, white-water rafting,
naval cruises, desert safaries, hot air ballooning, mountain cycling and para
sailing.
Beginners’
Section
: Kasinath R.
Stories behind stamps
The Stamp with
All the Right Intentions, and All the Wrong Music
In 1956, East Germany
decided to honor the death of native composer Robert Schumann by featuring him
on a stamp. The design included a commemorative portrait of the artist against
the backdrop of one of his musical scores. All well and good, except the
musical manuscript they used was that of fellow composer Franz Schubert. Close,
but no cigar. The stamps were recalled and replaced with ones showing music
actually written by Schumann.
Source : Mental Floss
Source : Mental Floss
Rose Philately
Cyprus Post issued a stamp on roses on
23 Mar 2011. The species of Rose on the stamp is Rosa Damascena or Damask Rose.
This is a hybrid rose derived from Rosa gallica and Rosa moschata.
Tea Roses Konrad Henkel & Maid of Honor on
Canada stamps 2014
Canada
Post issued a Miniature sheet with two stamps on roses to its popular flower
series on 23 APR 2014.
Maid
of Honor –
It is relatively new hybrid tea rose introduced in 2007.It is a climber
that grows on a plant that can rise up to 10 feet. Yellow white in color it is
very fragrant.
Specialized Section
US Beer Tax Stamps 1866-1902
Federal beer tax US revenue stamps first
appeared in 1866. No stamps were
produced between 1919 and 1932, during the Prohibition Era in the United
States. Production of federal beer tax stamps was resumed in 1933 and discontinued
in 1951.
The federal beer tax,
between 1866 and 1875, was $1.00 per barrel. The earlier tax stamps were broken down into
the following denominations, based on the fractions of a barrel, as follows:
12 1/2
C.
·
16 2/3 C.
·
25 C.
·
33 1/3 C.
·
50 C.
·
01 $.
·
02 $.
|
·
1/8 Barrel
·
1/6 Barrel
·
1/4 Barrel
·
1/3 Barrel
·
1/2 Barrel
·
1 Barrel
·
1 Hogshead (as measured by American breweries, a 63 gallon
capacity container, equivalent to two 31.5 gallon barrels)
|
Beer tax stamps were
provided to brewers in imperforate sheets. After filling the barrel, the brewer would
then cut out the appropriate stamp for the particular sized barrel being
shipped to the consumer. The stamp was
to be placed over the bung
(stopper or cork) of the barrel and then canceled. When the barrel was opened by the consumer,
the stamp would usually be punched through or otherwise mutilated, with the
end-result being the prevention of the stamp's reuse.
Several different varieties of paper
were used to produce many of the beer stamps. Only examples of the major denominations are
shown in the images. Printing and paper
varieties will be notated in the catalog detail tables at the end of each
section. For a detailed listing of all
these varieties, please refer to the Scott
Specialized Catalog of United States Stamps.
Most of the beer stamps measure
approximately 2¾ inches in width by 2¾ inches in height.
The six beer tax US revenue stamps shown in Fig 1 were produced in 1866. The ornate circular designed stamps were
printed by the US Treasury Department.
The details are as
follows:
12 1/2 C −
Orange.
16 2/3 C −
Dark Green.
25 C − Blue.
50 C – Orange-Brown.
01 $ − Black.
02 $ − Red.
Fig 1 1866 Issues
The next set of six beer tax US revenue stamps were produced in 1867. These stamps were also printed by the US
Treasury Department.
12 1/2 C −
Orange.
16 2/3 C −
Dark Green.
25 C − Blue.
33 1/3 C –
Violet-Brown, Ocher-Red.
50 C − Orange-Brown.
01 $ − Black.
02 $ − Red.
Fig 2 1870 Issues
Then six square-format
beer tax US revenue stamps (Fig
2) were produced in 1870.
The middle of each of the stamps features an open rectangular
area, designed for the application of the cancellation. Security lines of various colours were
printed across the cancellation box in the center of each stamp.
The details are as follows:
12 1/2 C −
Brown with Lilac or Yellow
Security Lines.
16 2/3 C −
Yellow Orange, Yellow Ocher with Lilac,
Yellow, or Gray Green Security Lines.
25 C
− Green
with Lilac or Yellow Security Lines.
50 C
− Red
with Lilac, Yellow, or Gray Green Security Lines.
01 $
− Blue
with Lilac, Yellow, or Gray Green Security Lines.
02 $
− Black
with Lilac, Yellow, or Gray Green Security Lines.
Fig 3 1871 Issues
Ten new beer tax US revenue stamps were introduced in 1871
(Fig 3). The central portions of
these stamps were printed by the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the
coloured frames were printed by the National Banknote Co. They were produced on various coloured
papers, and they are all inscribed "SERIES
OF 1871". The designs of
these new stamps featured the engraved portrait
of a famous American.
The details are as follows:
12 1/2 C − Blue
on White, Blue on Pinkish Gray, Blue on Gray, Blue on
Green -Andrew Jackson.
16 2/3 C − Vermilion
on White, Vermilion on Pinkish Gray, Vermilion on Gray,
Vermilion on Green - Abraham Lincoln.
25 C − Green on White, Green on Pinkish Gray, Green on
Gray, Green on Green - Daniel Webster.
33 1/3 C − Orange
on Green, Orange on Gray - Admiral David G. Farragut.
33 1/3 C − Violet
Brown on White - Admiral David G. Farragut.
50 C − Brown on Gray, Brown on Pinkish Gray, Brown on
Green - General William T. Sherman.
50 C − Red
on White - General William T. Sherman.
01 $ − Yellow
Orange on White, Yellow-Orange on Pinkish Gray, Yellow-Orange on
Gray - Hugh McCulloch.
01 $ − Scarlet
on Gray, Scarlet on Pinkish-Gray, Scarlet on Green - Hugh
McCulloch.
02 $ − Red-Brown
on White, Red-Brown on Pinkish-Gray, Red-Brown on Gray, Red-Brown on
Green - Alexander Hamilton.
Fig 3A, 1871 Issues
The seven beer tax US revenue stamps
shown below were produced in 1875
(Fig 4). These stamps were
printed by the National Banknote Co., and they are all inscribed "SERIES OF 1875". The central vignette of each of the stamps
features "Bacchus Serving the
First Fermented Brew to Man".
The catalog details are as follows:
12 1/2 C
− Blue.
16 2/3 C
− Red
Brown.
25 C
− Green.
33 1/3 C
− Violet.
50 C
− Orange.
01$ − Red.
02 $
− Brown.
Fig 4 1875 Issues
The seven beer tax US revenue stamps shown below (Fig 5) were introduced in 1878. These US revenue stamps were printed by the National Banknote Co., and they are all inscribed "SERIES OF 1878". The designs of these new stamps feature the portrait of a famous American, like the 1871 series.
The details are as follows:
12 1/2 C
− Blue
on Green, Blue on Pale Green, Blue on Light Blue, Blue on
Blue, Blue on Dark Blue - George Washington.
16 2/3 C
− Light
Brown on Green, Light Brown on Pale Green, Light Brown on
Light Blue, Light Brown on Blue, Light Brown on Dark Blue - Thomas
Corwin.
25 C
− Green
on Green, Green on Pale Green, Green on Light Blue, Green on
Blue, Green on Dark Blue - Thomas Hart Benton.
33 1/3 C
− Violet
on Green, Violet on Pale Green, Violet on Light Blue,
Violet on Blue, Violet on Dark Blue - General George Thomas.
50 C
− Orange
on Green, Orange on Pale Green, Orange on Light Blue,
Orange on Blue, Orange on Dark Blue - Thomas Jefferson.
01 $
− Red
on Green, Red on Pale Green, Red on Light Blue, Red on
Blue, Red on Dark Blue - Andrew Johnson.
02 $
− Brown
on Green, Brown on Pale Green, Brown on Blue, Brown on
Dark Blue - Silas Wright.
Fig 5 1878 Issues
The beer tax US revenue stamps of 1878 were provisionally surcharged in 1898. The tax rate was increased to $2
per barrel, due to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War (Fig 6). Most of the surcharges were applied to the
1878 beer stamps that were printed on Blue or on Dark Blue paper.
There were four major
types of the surcharges:
Type A -- Bureau of Engraving and Printing (diagonal) surcharge
"TAX $2 PER BBL. / SERIES OF 1898", with 4¼ mm high letters.
Type B -- Bureau of Engraving and Printing (diagonal) surcharge
"TAX $2 PER BBL. / SERIES OF 1898", with 5½ mm high letters.
Type C -- Hand-stamped provisional surcharge with similar
wording in one to three lines. More than 30 different styles!
Type D -- Printed provisional (horizontal) surcharge in two lines in various colours.
The details are as follows:
25 C on 12
1/2 C − (1898 - Type A)
33 1/3 C
on 16 2/3 C − (1898 - Type A)
50 C on 25
C − (1898 - Type A)
66 2/3 C
on 33 1/3 C − (1898- Type A)
01 $ on 50
C − (1898 - Type A)
02 $ on 01
$ − (1898 - Type A)
04 $) on
02 $ − (1898 - Type A)
25 C on 12
1/2 C − (1898 - Type B)
33 1/3 C
on 16 2/3 C − (1898 - Type B)
50 C on 25
C − (1898 - Type B)
66 2/3 C
on 33 1/3 C − (1898 - Type B)
01 $ on 50
C − (1898 - Type B)
02 $ on 01
$ − (1898 - Type B)
04 $ on 02
$ − (1898 - Type B)
25 C on 12
1/2 C − (1898 - Type C)
33 1/3 C
on 16 2/3 C − (1898 - Type C)
50 C on 25
C − (1898 - Type C)
01 $ on 50
C − (1898 - Type C)
02 $ on 01
$ − (1898 - Type C)
04 $ on 02
$ − (1898 - Type C)
25 C on 12
1/2 C − (1898 - Type D)
33 1/3 C)
on 16 2/3 C − (1898 - Type D)
50 C on 25
C − (1898 - Type D)
01 $ on 50
C − (1898 - Type D)
02 $ on 01
$ − (1898 - Type D)
04 $ on 02
$ − (1898 - Type D)
Fig 6 1898 Provisional Issue
A new series of seven beer tax US revenue stamps
was introduced in 1898. These US revenue stamps were printed on Blue paper, and they are all inscribed "SERIES OF 1898". Two examples are shown in Fig 7. The designs feature the portrait of a famous American.
The details are as
follows:
25 C − Blue - George
Washington.
33½ C − Brown - Thomas Corwin.
50 C − Green - Thomas Hart Benton.
66 2/3 C − Violet - General George Thomas.
01 $ − Yellow - Thomas Jefferson.
02 $ − Red - Andrew Johnson.
04 $ − Dark Brown - Silas Wright.
Fig 7, 1898 Issue
A new series of seven beer tax US revenue stamps was introduced in 1901, after the federal beer tax was reduced to $1.60 per
barrel. These US revenue stamps were
printed on blue paper,
and they are all inscribed "SERIES
OF 1901". Four examples are
shown in Fig 8. The designs feature the portrait of a famous American.
The details are as
follows:
20 C − Blue - George
Washington.
26 2/3 C − Yellow Orange - Thomas Corwin.
40 C − Green - Thomas
Hart Benton.
53 1/2 C − Violet - General George Thomas.
80 C − Brown - Thomas
Jefferson.
01.60 $ − Red - Andrew
Johnson.
03.20 $ − Dark Brown - Silas
Wright.
Fig 8, 1901 Issue
Three of the major-type beer tax US revenue stamps of 1901 were provisionally surcharged (diagonally) "TAX $1 PER BBL. / SERIES OF 1902" in
1902, when the tax rate was
reduced to $1.00 per barrel. An example
is shown in Fig 9.
The details are as follows:
16 2/3 C on 26 2/3 C
33 1/3 C on 53 1/3 C
02 $ on 03.20 $
Fig 9, 1902 Provisional Issue
A new series of seven beer tax US revenue stamps was introduced in 1902, after the federal beer tax was reduced to $1.00 per
barrel. These US revenue stamps were
printed on five different colours of paper, and they are all inscribed "SERIES OF 1902". Five of these new beer stamps are shown in Fig
10.
The details are as
follows:
12½ C − Blue
on White, Blue on Dark Blue, Blue on Pale Green, Blue on
Light Blue, Blue on Bright Blue –
image of George Washington.
16 2/3 C − Yellow-orange on White, Yellow-orange on
Dark Blue, Yellow-orange on Pale Green, Yellow-orange on Light
Blue, Yellow-orange on Bright Blue –
image of Thomas Corwin.
25 C − Green on White, Green on Dark Blue,
Green on Pale Green, Green on Light Blue, Green on Bright Blue
– image of Thomas Hart Benton.
33 1/3 C − Violet on White, Violet on Dark Blue, Violet on
Light Blue, Violet on Bright Blue –
image of General George Thomas.
50 C − Brown on White, Brown on Dark Blue,
Brown on Pale Green, Brown on Light Blue, Brown on Bright Blue
– image of Thomas Jefferson.
01 $ − Red on White, Red on Dark Blue, Red
on Pale Green, Red on Light Blue, Red on Bright Blue – image of Andrew Johnson.
02 $ − Dark Brown on White, Dark Brown on Dark Blue, Dark
Brown on Pale Green, Dark Brown on Light Blue, Dark Brown on
Bright Blue – image of Silas Wright.
Fig 10 1902 Issue
References
1. Thomas W. Priester, United
States Beer Stamps, A Catalogue of Federal Beer Stamp Issues, Privately
Published 1979, Printed by Bawden Brothers Inc
2. Scott Specialized Catalog of United
States Stamps
New issues from other Countries
Aland
1 November 2018 : 2019 Year of Pig
Australia
1 November Christmas 2018
This set of stamps contains all five stamps from the Christmas 2018 stamp issue and a Miniature sheet. The 65c Madonna and Child, 65c Glad Tidings, 65c Jingle Bells, $2 Noël and $2.30 Musical Angels.
Christmas Island
1 November 2018 : Christmas 2018
65c Surfing Santa
Santa is hell-bent on getting his sack of gifts under the tree before expectant early-rising children emerge from beneath the covers on Christmas morning. In this nod to philatelic history – the Surfing Santa design of 1977 being one of Australia Post’s most controversial stamps – the smiling man in red carves up a wave on his sleigh, booty held over his shoulder above the sea spray.
$2 Kitesurfing Booby
But what are gifts without a tree under which to put them? The Red-footed Booby, a comical-looking bird at the best of times, was waylaid in decorating the tree and getting it to the island for Santa’s delivery. Keen to get any edge he can in the race against Santa, this clever bird uses the tree as a board sail in the race against time to install the tree ready to receive the gifts.
Republic of China
31 October 2018 : Taichung World Flora Exposition
Germany
6 December 2018 : Nature
The stamp is featuring a part of the Black Forest called Hornisgrinde.The both FDI-postmarks are featuring Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)-BONN and the second one is featuring a Tengmalm´s owl (Aegolius funereus)-BERLIN
Korea
23 October 2018 : Korea Iran Joint Issue
21 November 2018 : UNESCO
Intangible Culture Heritage(Jeju Woman Diver Culture
3
December 2018 : New Year 2019
Tourism Postmarks from 26 October, 2018
1.
Suwolbong (Cape of Suwol
in Jeju Island)
t2. Jeju Haenyeo Culture
(Jeju Woman Diver Culture)
t3. Jeju
Rabit-shaped Island and the Poison Bulb Habitat
t4. Manjanggul (Manjang
Cavern)
t5. Gosumokma( Breeeding
Horses free in the forest)
New Zealand
7 November 2018 : Merry Christmas
Christmas is a cultural
phenomenon that brings many families together once a year in New Zealand. An
official national public holiday in New Zealand since the early 20th century,
Christmas is celebrated in a Southern Hemisphere summer. Christmas Day and Boxing
Day (the day after Christmas) are public holidays, as well as New Year’s Day
and the day after.
These beautifully illustrated
stamps feature key characters in the Nativity story – Mary, baby Jesus, Joseph,
a Christmas angel, three wise men, and a humble shepherd.
United Nations
1 October 2018 : International Music Day
International Music Day is celebrated on 1 October each year. The
day was established in 1975 by the International Music Council (IMC), which was
founded by UNESCO in 1949. Music is essential to many of our lives and is a
powerful platform that brings people together across cultures. The main
objectives of the Day are to celebrate the importance of music and musicians
worldwide and to promote its value in society by building peace and
understanding through a common language.
UNPA issued three
mini-sheets of twelve stamps to celebrate International Music Day on 1 October
2018. The stamps featuring Brass and Woodwinds, Strings and Percussion were
designed by Sergio Baradat (United Nations).
New stationery (postcard) and pictorial postmark on bird from Germany
On Novermber 4th 2018 a new stationery(postcard) will be available in 74405 GAILDORF. The stationery and the pictorial postmark feature a Common Starling ( Sturnus vulgaris).
It´s the bird of the year 2018 in Germany.
On Novermber 4th 2018 a new stationery(postcard) will be available in 74405 GAILDORF. The stationery and the pictorial postmark feature a Common Starling ( Sturnus vulgaris).
It´s the bird of the year 2018 in Germany.
Acknowledgement
- Ananthapuri Stamp Bulletin November 2018 issues edited by Mohanchandran
Nair
-
Judaica Thematic Society (UK) October &
November 2018 Newsletter edited by
Gary Goodman
-The
Hyderabad Philatelist August 2018 issues
edited by Prakash Agarwal
-The
Hyderabad Hobby Magazine August 2018 issues
edited by Prakash Agarwa
- Journal of The Army Philatelic Society Vol 16 No 3 & 4 edited by Col Jayanta Dutta
- Deccan Philatelist Vol 18 No 4 2018 edited by Col Jayanta
Dutta
Philatelic Clubs & Societies
Ananthapuri
Philatelic Association, Thiruvanthapuram
Chandigarh
Philatelic Club
Deccan
Philatelic Society – Pune, Maharashtra
The Hyderabad Philatelic and Hobbies Socirty
Ludhiana
Philatelic Club
Numismatic & Philatelic
Association of Vellore Fort
http://numismaticphilavellore.site40.net/index.htm
Philatelic
Society of Rajasthan, Jaipur
Philatelic
Society of India , Mumbai : http://www.psi1897.com/
Rajkot
Philatelic Society – Rajkot, Gujarat
Gujarat
Philatelic Association - Ahmedabad
The
Army Philatelic Society, Pune
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CLUB
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Society website - http://itsstampnews.blogspot.com/
Ananthpuri Stamp Bulletin - Monthly e -stamp
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Dutta
India
Post – Quarterly Journal of the
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Philatelic Socity, Pune. edited
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Hobbies Society Editor – Prakash Agrawal
Courtesy - News and Image Resource to this issue :
Stamps of India ; Suresh R.-Bangalore, USPS, Wolfgang Beyer - Germany, Mohd Gulrez, Allahabad ; Mohanchandran Nair – Thiruvananthpuram; Madhukar Jhingan - New Delhi,Atish Jain - New Delhi
Address for communication :
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