Rainbow April 2019

Happy Easter

Date of Issue : 7 March 2019

Dehradun April  2019  Vol. XII  Issue No. 136

Readers are requested to send reports of philatelic activities in their area for publication. Short write ups by the readers about their journals, societies, publications and philatelic requirements can be sent for inclusion in this bulletin to the editor: j.jyoti9@gmail.com 

Note- This bulletin is only for circulation among a limited group of philatelists without any commercial purpose. The bulletin will be sent to the readers only on request. Those who wish to receive it regularly please reply giving the name of your city / country with the subject SUBSCRIBE RAINBOW

 Dear Reader,

I am pleased to present April 2019 issue of Rainbow Stamp News. So many stamps and special covers from India Post issued every year which has created chaos among stamp collectors these days . What to collect and what not to collect ….. India Post is criticized by the stamp collectors all over the world for issuing huge number of stamps and special covers every year on several important and unimportant subjects. This is the reason Indian stamps do not attract foreign collectors. Gandhi stamps are exception as they are always in demand being a popular global theme .   

General Elections have come….Soon the new government will be formed….It is time to change the rules of commemorative stamp issuing policy. The number, dates and subjects of the stamp to be issued per year should be fixed and should not be the subject of change. As postage stamps are widely used to reflect and showcase a country's history, culture, values and national achievements, The subject of stamps to be chosen should be of utmost importance. 

To advise the government a Philatelic Advisory Committee has been set up. The Philatelic Advisory Committee (PAC) functions in the Department of Posts to advise the Government about the issue of Commemorative / Special Postage Stamps and other allied matters of philately including formulation of guidelines for issue of such stamps to ensure philatelic value of the stamps when issued. It is a recommendatory body. PAC functions under the chairmanship of Hon’ble MOC&IT. Hon’ble MOC&IT in-charge of the DOP is the co-chairman of the committee. This committee comprises official members from the Department of Posts, Department of Economic Affairs and certain non-official members. They comprise Members of Parliament, eminent philatelists and prominent personalities from the fields of Art and Culture.

Now it is the high time to bring a change in the stamp issuing policy. The members should take a new approach in their suggestions and recommendations. The annual number of stamps as well as their subject must be restricted. It is only possible when all the members, take this matter seriously and advise the government to make a change in present stamp issuing policy.

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 & Newsletters

Philatelic Assets left behind...

I often think about philatelic assets left behind great philatelists.. What will happen to those treasures? Will those be sold or preserved? Who will do the job. Many philatelists have left behind them a good treasure of philately and  in their family  there is no one to have proper information about value of the assets left. 

Friends, I took up this issue for a very important discussion related to the philatelic assets left after any philatelists’ demise.  His knowledge, if not shared before goes with him but physical philatelic assets are left. And left without proper information related to the importance and value . We have seen from the past experiences that the lifelong collections / accumulations with rare and rarest of the material are either lost or destroyed or thrown or sold/ purchased at throw away prices. Those assets either go in to the hands of people who either are dealers who know their worth or to the people for whom the diamond is just a stone. What is this?  A country with thousands of noted philatelists, a community with hundreds of thousand philatelists in the world, there has neither been a thought to look upon this aspect seriously. Both knowledge as well as physical philatelic asset, if lost is certainly a big loss to philatelic fraternity. What are we doing to check this? Have we ever thought of doing something collectively in this direction? I do accept philately is a hobby which was known to be personal but now it is not. This is a hobby which needs  a group, which needs other persons to help, it is a hobby which gives pleasure if the accumulations / collections are shared, the knowledge gained is shared. I mean it is a social hobby not a personal hobby.

I have certain points in my mind to share with you all to think and give your suggestions in this regard.

1. Every philatelist or stamp collector should be a member of a club / society so that whatever he collects is known to the members. His knowledge should be known to the members who can ask him to preserve the knowledge by writing. By taking  up discussions, classes etc. 

2. Every society or club should be member of the apex body say PCI in India. 

3. PCI should formulate certain methods to encourage philatelists to get their philatelic assets valued whenever required. For this certain fee may be fixed. To start with the facility to the members or member clubs. 

4. Philatelists should be encouraged to share their knowledge by way of writing   so that the knowledge/ experiences benefit the future generations of philatelists. 

5. Regional panels of experts/knowledgeable philatelists and dealers may be formed to help this valuation process. This will help not only to that philatelist but his known philatelic assets will certainly help the future generations to get knowledge about unknown/hard to find stuffs and information about those. 

6. With the availability of good and fast communication systems, it is not at all difficult to take up such jobs. 

7. Stamp shows / events are the best place to undertake such jobs. Pre appointments can be given to the aspirants. As every philatelist love to visit shows, that can become best place for evaluation. 

8. Formation of groups to evaluate, procure and dispose of material at reasonable prices by charging reasonable fee. This will help the family of the philatelist and also the material will go to the hands of deserving a philatelist.

9. I reiterate that local clubs/societies should be active to help.

10. I don’t know but if possible, please check if insurance policies for philatelic assets is available or  possible?

Friends I have just shown my concern on this important issue. It might look ridiculous at once but please think over it again and again so that something is done in this direction. No one knows when he or she will leave this world but whatever is earned by them needs to be cared, preserved and honoured.

Further to this ,I would like to place one more issue before you all. Though we know philately is a hobby of kings but now it has reached the masses. Some insurance policies like group insurance may be arranged for the members of PCI or the member clubs. This will be another social safety and help to the families of the philatelists. Let’s think over it. 

Let’s rethink over it....and do something.....

Best wishes to all and happy collecting.....

Take care of yourself and your assets......treasure....... 

: Naresh Kumar Agrawal email : nareshkumar1992@yahoo.co.in

Recent Indian Issues

6 March 2019 : Ram Chand Paul – Rs 5

9 March 2019 : Kubernath Rai : Rs 5

Recent Special Cover

18 March 2019 : Ice Stupa, Ladakh

20 March 2019 :  Jain Saint Acharya Shantisagar Maharaj

20 March 2019 : Rail Carried Mail - Special Cover

Mail Carried by Tram from Byree to Cuttack

Mahatma Gandhi resumed the second phase of Harijan Padyatra from Byree Railway Station in Jajpur district, Odisha. India Post and Utkal Philatelists' & Numismatics, Association  released a special carried cover on 20th March 2019 to commemorate this historical journey. The cover has been designed by Mr. Ajit Kumar Raut. This special cover was carried by Bhadrak-Cuttack passenger train.

View : Special Covers

New pictorial postmark from Germany

On May 9th will be available a new pictorial postmark in 45131 ESSEN.The postmark is featuring a Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrina).

In The News

London 2020 exhibit applications due in June

Applications for the London 2020 international stamp exhibition are due this summer on June 30.

The individual regulations and application forms are now available online at the London 2020 website, london2020.co. The roughly 2,800-frame exhibition will be held May 2-9, 2020, at London, England’s Business Design Centre under the patronage of the Swiss-based Fédération Internationale de Philatélie.

Fees are £70 ($120 Cdn.) a frame for multi-frame exhibits and £90 (about $150 Cdn.) for one-frame exhibits. Youth and literature exhibits are both £25 (about $45 Cdn.).

Forthcoming International Stamp Exhibitions

CHINA 2019 World Stamp Exhibition

 CHINA 2019, FIP General World Stamp Exhibition to be held in Wuhan, China from 11 to 17 June, 2019.

Mr Umesh Kakkeri has been appointed National Commissioner for India.

The Exhibit Application forms and the detailed rules of exhibition (IREX) can be downloaded at :   https://stampsofindia.com/CHINA2019.htm  

Umesh Kakeri, umesh_kakkeri@hotmail.com Ph. +91 9969571767

Commissioner for SINGPEX 2019 Philatelic Exhibition (FIAP)

Mr. Anil Suri has been appointed as Indian National Commissioner for the SINGPEX 2019, FIAP General Asian International Stamp Exhibition to be held in Singapore from 31 July to 4 August, 2019.

For details contact : Anil Suri Phone: (Res.) +91-11-2643 0813 / (Off.) +91-11-2647 4681
(M): +919811176908
Email: anilksuri@email.com

Commissioner for NEW ZEALAND 2020 Philatelic Exhibition (FIAP)

Mr. Ajay Kumar Mittal has been appointed as Indian National Commissioner for the NEW ZEALAND 2020, FIAP Asian International Stamp Exhibition to be held in Auckland, New Zealand from 19 to 22 March, 2020.

For details contact : Mr. Ajay Kumar Mittal Email: ajaymittal1957@gmail.com
Phone: (M) +91 9811032311

Commissioner for LONDON 2020 Specialized World Stamp Exhibition (FIP )

Mr. Surendra Kotadia has been appointed as Indian National Commissioner for the LONDON 2020, FIP Specialised World Stamp Exhibition to be held in London from 02 to 09 May 2020. The exhibition will be held in two parts from 02 to 05 and 06 to 09 May 2020, by changing over the exhibits on the evening of May 05.

Eligibility: The minimum eligibility for participation in a FIP exhibition for Senior Class & Youth Class (Groups B & C) is a Vermeil Medal and for Youth Class (Group A) a Large Silver Medal secured at a National Exhibition.

For details contact : Mr. Surendra A. Kotadia
Email: surendrakotadia@gmail.com
Phone: + 91 22 2202 4130 / 2202 4131/ 2284 3244
Fax : + 91 22 2284 3275
Mob : + 91 98199 03789

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 a participation 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.

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



PCI Meeting & Seminar

The next PCI Seminars and Annual General Meeting will be held at Nadiad (Gujarat)

On  6th and 7th April, 2019, respectively being Saturday and Sunday.

 Tentative Programme - 

6th April, Saturday -  

2pm to 6pm

Seminars / Presentations

 7th April, Sunday 

Morning session   -

10 AM to 1 PM

PCI Annual General Meeting

For updates Visit :  www.philateliccongressofindia.com

.

News from Philatelic Clubs & Societies

MAHATMA –  An Enigma

A Philatelic and  Numismatic exhibition commemorating 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi

Celebrating the 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi, a Philatelic and Numismatic exhibition was held along with other collectables at The Heritage School ,Kolkata which paid its tribute to The Father of the Nation. The exhibition was named as MAHATMA - an enigma. 

It was held on 12th & 13 th March 2019 and the list of participants were Eeshita Basu ,Souvik Roy, Moloy Sarkar, Indra Barui and members of the Numismatic Society of Kolkata - Ravi Shankar Sharma , Anup Mitra Harbinder Singh Saggu ,and Smaran Kumar Das .

This exhibition was organised only for the students , teachers, management and staffs of The Heritage School, Kolkata. 

-          Eeshita Basu Roy, Kolkata

The exhibition included a five frame classic collection on “ Life on Gandhi ” , commemorative coins and notes on Gandhi, one frame philatelic collection on Dandi March , charkhas (spinning wheel), paduka( Gandhiji’s wooden shoes) tokens , l p records, news papers (1948) , centenary diary, match box labels and other memorabilia. 

Interview

Interview with Gary Goodman,

Editor – Judaica Thematic Society Newsletter

Gary Goodman is an ardent philatelist from Liverpool, UK who has been editing and publishing the newsletter of Judaica Thematic Society for the last 13 years. This Newsletter is a very specialized newsletter which comprises articles on stamps and other philatelic items related to Judaica theme . His favourite theme is Judaica and he has a specialized collection of stamps and covers on this theme. His other collecting interests are thematics on Chocolate, Sweets (Candy), Bananas, Post Offices, Traffic Signs, Rabbits, Teddy Bears, & Product Brands as well as a big collection of more than 20,000 postmarks. Here he tells about his long philatelic journey and shares his ideas on some issues related to present day philately. It is a great pleasure to publish here the interview of Mr Gary Goodman. He may be contacted at email : garygoodman@talktalk.net – Editor

Que. -1  :   Judaica Thematic Society…. The name suggests the services exclusively in  the thematic field of philately related to Judaic theme. Tell us about your area of coverage in this magazine? What prompted you to choose specific theme “Judaica”.

1 – Answer:- It so happens, that it was a stamp from India that started me to collect stamps with the theme of Judaica.I came across a stamp depicting Cochin Synagogue commemorating its 400^th Anniversary. The stamp was issued by India in 1968. Then shortly after obtaining this stamp, I then came across its First Day Cover.

I was quite intrigued to see a Synagogue depicted on a stamp, from outside Israel, and it was the first one that I had come across. I instantly decided to see which other countries around the world had issued Synagogues on its stamps. Then I decided to see what other Judaica symbols and connections were on stamps too.

This was probably my first taste of collecting stamps THEMATICALLY.Over the next few years, I found it hard to find any Society that specialized in Judaica Philately.There were societies that specialized in Israel and the Holyland – but none that specialized in Judaica.I personally believed that although Israel is Judaica  -  Judaica is Not Israel.

This has certainly been proved with me having over 3,000  Judaica connected stamp issues from all over the world, - and not one is from Israel!

With the lack of a Society specializing in Judaica, In 2005, I decided to try and form a Society, or a “base” where members could maybe correspond with each other, or tell each other their Judaica news and findings in the form of a newsletter.

I knew there were collectors out there that collected Judaica, infact I knew of 2 others, who had the same collecting thoughts about Judaica as I did. So, I sent an email to them with a short newsletter of my idea. -  And from then on, with word of mouth etc, the membership has grown, to 190+ members from around the world.

Que. -2  :  In one of the bulletins of Judaica, we could see that you have come up with JUDAICA THEMATIC CATALOGUE LISTINGS. Can you please tell us about this? The area, the subjects, the nature of listing etc.

2 - Answer:- Judaica consists of many categories. Besides Synagogues, Other categories depicted on stamps can include, Star Of David, Hebrew wording, Jewish Festivals, Jewish Personalities, Famous People, - and surprisingly there are numerous Nobel Prize Winners that can be included. Many Famous People could be included in a subject alone, such as Albert Einstein, Marc Chagall, and Raoul Wallenberg to name but a few. – This list is endless.

Whilst there has been a Judaica Thematic Catalogue compiled and published by a few Judaica collectors over the years, many have become quickly out-dated.
There is an excellent Judaica Catalogue that has recently been issued, but sadly it is in French.

I feel that an English publication would attract a far wider collecting audience. I had this idea, that maybe an on-going up to date listing could be compiled through the Judaica Thematic Society. However, there were a couple of obstacles that I came across. One was the question of Copyright of catalogue numbers that would be used*. The second problem, was the lack of willing members who would actually collate and compile the listings.

So this idea is till “on hold” for another day maybe.

*My own personal opinion of catalogue numbers, is that they are not Universal enough. The best description I find in locating a stamp is having the Country, Year and title of Issue.
I have found that in the U.K. they only recognize Stanley Gibbons Numbers, whilst in the U.S.A. they use Scott, and in Germany it is Michel. Whilst in France it is Yvert and Teller. I have experienced problems in these countries when quoting catalogue numbers that are not from their respective countries catalogue publishers.

Que.-3 : While appreciating your serious concern to serve philately, we are keen to know how you thought of stating this bulletin. Tell us something about this bulletin.

3 – Answer:-  As In Answer 1, there was no Society specializing in Judaica, and there was no publication either. Or should I say that the Organizations out there, thought they were offering Judaica, but in reality they were just offering “too much“ Israel!.

I wanted a publication to be a “central point” where collectors could come into contact with fellow collectors who collected the same Subject/Theme.At the same time collectors could advertise free of charge with fellow collectors, or ask questions for information from fellow collectors about anything to do with the subject/hobby.

I also wanted to form a Society and publication that EVERYONE could afford, and not have a costly membership fee. Infact have no fee and be FREE.

Que.-4 : We understand your area of philatelic interests would be mainly thematic. Please tell us about your own collecting interests.

4 – Answer:- When I first started collecting stamps back in 1976, I collected Great Britain and Israel – and any Worldwide stamps that I obtained would be mounted in a separate album.
It was only in the late 1990’s that I started to collect the theme of Judaica (as mentioned in Answer 1).

Judaica is my main collecting theme. However, I also collect other Thematic subjects on stamps. They are:- Chocolate, Sweets (Candy), Bananas, Post Offices, Traffic Signs, Rabbits, Teddy Bears, & Product Brands.

I also help my wife who collects Snoopy, Charlie Brown & Gang (“Peanuts”).      She has a most comprehensive collection, starting with the first Snoopy thematic set from Portugal in 2000.

Incidentally, I also have a collection of Postmarks of which I have over 20,000.

I also collect Traingular shaped Cheese Labels of which I have over 11,000.

Que.-5  : Depth of your philatelic knowledge and interest  is known itself from the contents of this magazine. Tell us about your involvement in this hobby. Your achievements and goals.

5 – Answer:- I just like collecting and “Talking stamps” with fellow collectors from around the world. And the Judaica Thematic Society has enabled me to do this. I have made some wonderful friendships, and contacts with fellow collectors from around the world. I just hope that other collectors have been able to do likewise within the Judaica Thematic Society.

Que.-6 : Your opinion on different such digital philatelic bulletins. How do such bulletins effectively cater philatelic fraternity.

6 – Answer:- Personally speaking, I don’t like digital philatelic bulletins – especially if you have to pay for them!. I am from the “old school” and much prefer a paper copy that I can hold and read.

In the “ideal world” I would much prefer to offer a printed version of the Judaica Thematic Newsletter, but printing costs don’t make it viable. But members can print off their own copy if they want to.

Que.-7 : We are very happy to note that  you have been regular reader of Rainbow Stamp News.   Your genuine and true opinion on the bulletin. Suggestions for improvements, if any may please be put before.

7 – Answer:- You seem to offer an excellent publication – with completely no cost to the collector. If you can do this Free of charge, it makes you wonder why other organizations have to charge for their digital publication. I would like to see a Classified section, where collectors could advertise free of charge.

Que.-8 : You have been issuing this newsletter since 2006, a pretty long time of 13 years. What difference you see the in  popularity  of philately 13 years back and now ?

8 – Answer:- The changes I see in philately from 13 years ago, is that the popularity of “one country” collectors is declining – and those stamp collectors are now collecting thematically instead.

Also, with the decline of Stamp Shops in cities and towns – And the lack of Stamp Fairs in accessible places, therefore my shop window now is purchasing via the internet.

Que.-9 : What is the future of philately ?? Will it grow  online or will gradually vanish like other popular old games and hobbies with the time ? Do you agree that its future is at stake ?

9 – Answer:- As mentioned above, the hobby is already expanding online.

Personally speaking though, the way to expand and publicize the hobby, is by getting Stamp collecting into all the schools, to school children. But the way to do it, is by collecting Thematically. 

Get into the schools, and find out what the children’s favourite pastimes are, and then encourage them and show them that they can collect their favourite pastime as a theme on stamps.

It’s all about educating the children – but maybe we need to educate the teachers first, and tell them what stamp collecting is all about. Once they know the benefits of stamp collecting, then it should be easier to educate the children into the hobby.

Que. 10 :  In your opinion which format of a philatelic magazine will be  more popular and convenient to the Readers, digital or print format. What about the online publication ? What benefits and drawbacks  you see in online publication of a philatelic magazine ?

10 – Answer:- A digital format can easily get lost on the internet. A print format is the best.

Que.11 : Finally a last question, How will you describe the hobby “stamp collecting”. What pleasure you get out of it ? Please  share one of your favourite stamps on Judaica theme.

11 – Answer:- The main pleasure that I get from collecting stamps, is all of the many fellow stamp collectors that I have met, and am in contact with, and their friendship  from all over the world. If it was not for stamps, I would never have met these many collectors.

This stamp was issued by Denmark in 1984, to commemorate the 300th Anniversary of the Jewish Community in Denmark. I like it as it defines what the religion is all about, with the familiar Sabbath scene, of the woman of the house, lighting the Sabbath candles.

Interview : Naresh Agrawal – J. Jyoti

Doon Philatelic Diary

Spring Festival 2019 Dehradun

A special Cover was released on Spring Festival held at Raj Bhawan, Dehradun  from 9-10 March 2019. The Cover features Toothache Plant. During the festival a large number of Flowers of different varieties were displayed in the lawns of Governor's House.  A small philatelic Exhibition with "My Stamp" facility was also organized.

Beginners’ Section

Stories behind stamps...

This Day in History… March 30, 1867

U.S. Purchases Alaska

US #800 – pictures Denali (formerly Mount McKinley), the highest peak in North America.

On March 30, 1867, US Secretary of State William Seward purchased Alaska from Russia in what many at the time called “Seward’s Folly.”

The Russians first explored Alaska in the 1600s and first settled there in 1784. In 1824 and 1825, Russia signed treaties with the United States and Great Britain recognizing proper boundaries in America. The treaties gave these nations trading rights along Alaska’s extensive coastline.

US #C53 pictures the shape of Alaska with the Big Dipper constellation, as taken from the state flag.

Russia attempted to build several industries in Alaska, including coal mining, shipbuilding, and whaling. However, once the fur trade became less profitable, interest in the area declined. Russia’s economy was then damaged by the costly Crimean War (1853-56).

After that war ended, Russia’s emperor Alexander II grew concerned that if war broke out with England, Alaska might be a major target that could be easily taken. He then decided it best to sell the land. As early as 1857, the Russians attempted to sell Alaska to America. They also approached England with offers, possibly hoping to start a bidding war between the two nations, but the British weren’t interested in Alaska.

US #2066 pictures a caribou and the Alaska pipeline 

US #C70 was issued on the 100th anniversary of the purchase.

In 1859 and 1860, Russian and American officials met informally to discuss a possible sale. President James Buchanan was interested and his men offered $5 million. But the Russians didn’t think that was enough, so talks continued. However, as America steamed toward the Civil War, the talks were stalled for several years.

After the war ended in 1865, US Secretary of State William Seward strongly supported expanding America’s territorial holdings and focused on Alaska. In March 1867, the Russian minister began negotiations with Seward. At the time, the American government was busy with Reconstruction and believed that such a purchase could draw public attention away from the domestic issues of the day. On the evening of March 29, Seward began an all-night negotiation session that concluded at 4:00 the next morning with the signing of the treaty.

US #370-71 – The original design for these Alaska-Yukon stamps pictured a seal on an ice floe, but the committee didn’t want Americans to think Alaska was always cold, so they changed it to picture Seward.

Seward agreed to buy Alaska for $7,200,000 – a cost of about 2¢ per acre. While the terms “Seward’s Folly” and “Seward’s Icebox” were used to describe the deal, not all public opinion was against the purchase. Many believed that Alaska would ultimately prove economically beneficial. Additionally, the deal would improve relations with Russia and possibly lead to the acquisition of British Columbia.

The check used to purchase Alaska

 US #1681 – The state flag includes the Big Dipper to symbolize strength and the North Star for Alaska’s role as the northernmost US state.

The Senate approved the purchase days later, on April 9. However, the House of Representatives opposed the deal and didn’t approve the funds for the purchase for over a year. In the meantime, on October 18, 1867, US troops raised the American flag at Sitka, formally taking possession of the new territory. It would be over 90 years before Alaska was admitted as America’s 49th state.

Source : The Mystic Stamp Company

Kumbh Mela 2019 – Prayagraj

(Part I)

-Rahul Ganguli

In Prayagraj, as the word Kumbh enters ones ears the picturesque vision of Triveni Sangam, the sacred confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the mystical Saraswati flashes in the minds of people. At the sacred confluence huge multitudes move like waves in the ocean filled with sense of devotion. 'Shahi Snaan' of Akharas, chanting of vedic mantras and elucidations of religious hymns in the Saint pandals, proclamations of knowledge, tatvamimansa and truth by rishis, charming music, mesmerizing sound of multitudes of instruments, holy dip in sangam with utmost devotion fills the heart of devotees with immense joy and offering prayers at many divine temples exhibits the greatness of Prayagraj Kumbh.

The Kumbh Mela at Prayag takes place for approximately 55 days, spread over thousands of hectares around the sangam area, and becomes the greatest of ephemeral city in the world. Regularity of this celebration continuing since ancient times is unique in itself. Ever increasing pressure of populace and expanding cities tend to engulf the rivers and events like Kumbh, graces the rivers with the profound status of creators of the world. There is a deeply enrooted feeling of devotion and faith flowing in the veins of every Indian since eternity.

The formation of Prayagraj Mela Authority 2018 is an important stepping-stone towards organising the event of the scale of Kumbh. Its primary responsibility is to ensure that the basic amenities are provided in Kumbh 2019 to the devotees visiting the Mela. For the Kumbh 2019, modern technologies were being deployed to enhance the ‘Divyata’ and ‘Bhavyata’ of the Kumbh. Gates based on various themes were set up to welcome pilgrims and information boards to guide them to their destination. Huge pandals and tents to facilitate the stay of pilgrims and visitors.

1.            The Department of Post and Kumbh Mela – 2019

The Department of Post acknowledges its greatness and had established four sub-post offices within the premises of Kumbh Mela area. The Central Post Office. The Central Post Office was the hub of the Kumbh Mela, where mails were received from pilgrims and delivered to the pilgrims. The pilgrims were provided the facility of registered, speed post and money order. The post office had also set up UID updating centres to facilitate aadhar services. A floating post office was also set up which was the extension of the Central Post Office. Parade Sub-Post Office – was set up within the Parade Campus which catered to the mails of adjoining areas. The Arhail Sub-Post Office was set up in the trans Yamuna area to provide mail services to the pilgrims who were residing in the other side of the river. The Jhunsi Sub Post Office catered to the needs of people who were staying towards the trans-Yamuna towards Jhunsi side.

2.         Philatelic Activities at Kumbh Mela

The Kumbh Mela – 2019 witnessed the release of various philatelic items – 9 special cover, a set of picture postcards, Mystamp and Commemorative Stamp on Kumbh Mela.

2.1       Release of Special Cover – Makar Sankranti on 15.1.2019

The first cover on the first snan was released on the occasion of Makar Sankranti on 15.1.2019. The cover depicts the official logo of Kumbh Mela 2019.

2.2       Release of Special Cover – Paush Purnima on 21.1.2019

The second cover on the second snan was released on the occasion of Paush Purnima on 21.1.2019. The cover has the image of temple situated in the campus of Kumbh Mela. 

 

 2.3       Release of Special Cover – Mauni Amavasya on 4.2.2019

The third cover on the third and most auspicious snan was released on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya on 4.2.2019. The cover was dedicated to Kinnar Akhara – It was the first time that Kinnar Akhara was part of the Kumbh Mela.

2.4       Release of Special Cover – Basant Panchami on 10.2.2019

The fourth cover on the fourth snan was released on the occasion of Basant Panchami

  

10.2.2019. The cover has the image of Akshayavat. It is very old Banyan tree which is housed inside the Allahabad Fort. It is now open for the public to view and seek its blessings.

2.5       Release of Special Cover – Maghi Purnima on 19.2.2019

The fifth cover on the fifth snan was released on the occasion of Maghi Purnima 19.2.2019. The cover has the image of Saraswati Koop. It is believed that River Saraswati flows from this koop.

2.6       Release of Special Cover – Maha Shivratri on 4.3.2019

The sixth and cover on the sixth snan was released on the occasion of Maha Shivratri 4.3.2019. The cover was dedicated to Pontoon Bridges which are most significant during Kumbh Mela. These temporary bridges are prepared for pilgrims to cross the rivers. During Kumbh many such temporary bridges were prepared to facilitate the pilgrims to move within the Kumbh Area.

3.         Release of Commemorative Stamp – Kumbh Mela, Prayagraj

The commemorative stamp on Kumbh Mela, Prayagraj was released on 2.2.2019 by the Shri. Manoj Sinha, Hon’ble Minister of Communication, Government of India. It was for the first time that a stamp was released on Kumbh Mela. The stamp denotes the confluence of River Ganga and Yamuna. Pontoon bridge, a most significant element of Kumbh Mela. Pilgrims, saints and seers who are bathing in the holy river.

The stamp is of Rs.5 denomination. The stamp sheet has 28 stamps on it. The first day cover depicts the samudra manthan which is the most important element of Kumbh Mela.

3.1       The First Day Cover and Stamp – Kumbh Mela Central Post Office

3.2       The First Day Cover and Stamp – Parade Post Office

The Parade Post Office was denoted by Camp PO No. A-3842.

3.2       The First Day Cover and Stamp – Arhail Post Office

Max Card on Kumbh Mela

4.         Commemorative Covers on Kumbh Mela 2019

Some of the commemorative covers prepared on Kumbh Mela postally used on the date of release with commemorative stamp of Kumbh Mela.

5.         Three Special Cancellations were also released on 12^th, 13^th and 14^th January 2019.

Special Cancellation on Heritage Buildings of Allahabad – 13.1.2019

 To be contd….

- Rahul Ganguli - email : rahul_ganguli@rediffmail.com

In Memory of Dr Satyendra Agrawal….

Rose Philately

Thailand

7 February 2019 : Symbol of Love

Specialized Section

Unexpected Treasures

  

-Col J Dutta & Dr Anjali Dutta

                

Legendary postage stamps probably will never feature prominently in a Lara Croft or Indiana Jones movie, such as Tomb Raider or Raiders of the Lost Ark. It's unlikely that you will ever see a movie in which a bosomy or stubble-faced, khaki-clad adventurer scrambles up a grotesque pagan idol in an exotic land to pluck a highly coveted stamp from the idol's scowling brow.

This doesn't mean, however, that the stamp hobby lacks its own Lost Ark, King Tut's treasure, Holy Grail, Hope Diamond or Kohinoor.  Many stamps are legends of the hobby, some as rare as rare can be — the only one known.  We will tell you about two such stamps — the rarest of the rare and certainly worth a king’s ransom.

The first is the Swedish Tre Skilling Banco or three schilling error of colour (Swedish: Gul tre skilling banco, literally means "yellow three skilling banco").  It is a Swedish postage stamp of which only one example is known to exist. This stamp was canceled at Nya Kopparberget (now known as Kopparberg), about 150 kilometers from Uppsala, on 13 July 1857.

Three schilling banco error of color

In 1855, Sweden issued its first postage stamps, in a set of five values depicting the Swedish coat of arms, with denominations ranging from three to 24 Swedish skillings. The three-skilling stamp was normally printed in a blue-green colour, with the eight-skilling stamp being printed in yellowish orange.

Stamps those days were printed in sheets from blocks made of the same design repeated multiple times in columns and rows. It is not known exactly what went wrong, but the most likely explanation is that a stereotype of the eight-skilling printing plate (which consisted of 100 stereotypes assembled into a 10 × 10 array) was damaged or broken, and it was mistakenly replaced with a three-skilling.  The number of stamps printed in the wrong color is unknown, but so far only one example has been found.  Somehow, this error went entirely unnoticed at the time, and by 1873 the Swedish currency was changed.  The skilling stamps were replaced by new stamps denominated in "öre".

The normal blue-green colour of 3 skilling stamp and 8 skilling yellow stamp

    

The other values 4, 6 and 24 skilling stamps of the 1855 issue

At Christmas 1885 a 14-year-old Swedish schoolboy Georg Wilhelm Backman visited his grandmother and, due to his passion for stamp collecting, asked her if she had any old letters with stamps on them.  Several of the stamps he steamed off envelopes were the 3 (Tre) skilling banco denomination for the local letter rate. These stamps were normally green in colour but one that Georg found was yellow!  He later recalled that he damaged some of the perforation when removing the stamp and later ironed it out. In Stockholm the schoolboy, who had no idea of its rarity or value, sold the stamp in a batch to the dealer Heinrich Lichtenstein for seven kronor.

Georg Wilhelm Backman

Sometime later Backman was reading the Swedish philatelic publication Svenska Dagbladet which told of an exhibition, being organised by Lichtenstein, which featured the yellow Tre Skilling Banco and described it as: ‘The pearl of the collection’.  Although annoyed by the fact that he clearly had been taken advantage of, Backman’s mother told him to be happy with what he had got for the stamps. Later Backman confirmed that the stamp originally came from a letter sent by his brother, a travelling botanist in his spare time, and that this could explain the ‘KNOPP’ cancellation which indicated the letter had been posted at Nya Kopparberget on July 13, 1857.

After it had changed hands several times, Sigmund Friedl sold it to Philipp von Ferrari in 1894, who at that time had the largest known stamp collection in the world, and he paid the breathtaking sum of 4,000 Austro-Hungarian gulden.  As time passed, and no other "yellows" surfaced despite vigorous searching, it became clear that the stamp was not only rare, but quite possibly the only surviving example.

Count Philip Ferrari de La Renotière (January 11, 1850 – May 20, 1917) & King Carol II (15 October 1893 – 4 April 1953)

When Ferrari's collection was auctioned in the 1920s, Swedish Baron Eric Leijonhufvud bought the three skilling yellow stamp.  Later Claes A. Tamm bought it in 1926 for £1,500 (pound sterling) in order to complete his collection of Swedish stamps.  In 1928, the stamp was sold to the lawyer Johan Ramberg for £2,000, and he kept it for nine years.  In 1937, King Carol II of Romania purchased it from London auction house H. R. Harmer for £5,000, and in 1950 it went to Rene Berlingen for an unknown amount of money.

In 1978 it was sold through Edgar Mohrmann for £270,000; then the Swiss auction house Feldman sold it in 1984 for £314,309.  The same auctioneer sold it to Sven-Olof Karlsson in 1990 for £800,633 (then a world record for a stamp off cover).  However, Karlsson failed to complete the purchase and so the item was again sold by Feldman (for the third time) on November 8, 1996.  The auction was solely for the stamp and a beautiful hard-backed catalogue told the full story of its provenance and history.  In this event it sold for a world record £1,400,000 to a Scandinavian group.

On 22 May 2010, the yellow stamp was auctioned once again by David Feldman in Geneva, Switzerland.  It sold "for at least the $2.3 million price it set a record for in 1996".  The buyer reportedly was an "international consortium" called The Box AB, which included Hans Lernestal and Tom Josephson and the seller was a financial firm auctioning the stamp to pay the former owner's debt. The exact price and the identity of the buyer were not disclosed, however, and all bidders reportedly were sworn to secrecy.  The buyer has subsequently been identified as Armand Rousso, described as a colorful philatelic player known for a number of high-profile activities.

In May 2013 the stamp was acquired in a private sale by Count Gustaf Douglas, a Swedish nobleman and politician.  Each successive sale was a world record price for a postage stamp.

Count Gustaf Archibald Siegwart Douglas (born 3 March 1938)

The present owner of the stamp

In the 1970s, the Swedish Postal Museum caused controversy by declaring the stamp to be a forgery, but after examinations by two different commissions, it was agreed that this was a genuine stamp.

In or before 2012, Baron Jean-Claude Pierre Ferdinand Gunther Andre and his wife Jane Andre brought a lawsuit in the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division, London, against Clydesdale Bank PLC, claiming that he had stored a locked trunk at the bank in which there allegedly were six covers bearing a total of nine Tre skilling Yellow stamps, along with other less valuable items.  Andre claimed that he had left the trunk undisturbed from 1986 to 2004, but when he sought to retrieve it the lock had been removed and the covers and stamps taken. Philatelic dealer David Feldman testified that the covers would have been worth some 3.7 million pounds sterling.  After a lengthy trial, the court issued a judgment in 2013, in which it rejected Andre's claim, finding him and his wife unreliable witnesses and their claim suffering from "sheer inherent implausibility".

The second is the British Guiana one-cent magenta, amongst the most valuable stamps in the world.  And it is unique, since again only one copy is known to exist.

The British Guiana One-Cent Magenta

In 1856, the Postmaster of the British colony of Guyana, E T E Dalton, got frustrated when he heard that a cargo which included the British colonial stamps, had failed to arrive in Georgetown. He believed that he could not leave the people of the colony without this much-needed and still relatively new postal service facility. He approached local Georgetown printers, Baum and Dallas to produce an emergency ‘provisional’ supply of stamps.  The print was in black ink on various colours of paper depending on the denomination.  These prints, which are quite rare, are also known as “cotton-reels”, because of the printing press used.  The three types of stamps printed were 4 cents on blue paper, 4 cents on magenta paper and 1 cent on magenta paper, the last for posting local newspapers. These provisional issues were in use for a very brief time and most were destroyed over time.

The details of the stamp can be better seen in this image of the 4 cent stamp of the same issue

In 1873 a schoolboy, Louis Vernon Vaughan from Georgetown, British Guiana, found a rather dull looking stamp.  It was an octagonal British Guiana, showing a crude outline of a three masted barque, printed on magenta paper.  Around the ship were the colony’s motto “Damus Petimus Que Vicissim” (We Give and We Seek in Turn), the words “British Guiana” and the denomination “One Cent”.  It had been authenticated with the penned initials of the postal clerk, E D Wright.

Vernon took the stamp to a local collector Neil Mckinnon and sold it for six shillings.  Mckinnon realized that the stamp was one of its kind!  The stamp that Vernon parted with for a pittance rose in value over the years to thousands of dollars with a king desperately wanting its possession.

Mckinnon returned to Glasgow in 1882 and sold his collection, including the British Guiana 1 Cent to Thomas Ridpath for 110 pounds.  Ridpath sold the 1-cent magenta, soon thereafter to Europe’s famous philatelist Baron von Ferrari for 750 dollars.

The Baron left his collections to the Berlin Postal Museum and after World War I it was expropriated by the French Government and sold for reparations in 1922.

At the auction there were four serious bidders for the stamp, namely King George V, a keen collector specializing in British Empire stamps, Arthur Hind a wealthy collector from New York, Monsieur Burros a tobacco manufacturer from Mulhouse, France and the British collector EL Pemberton.

The bidding opened at $ 5000, and moved briskly in jumps of $1000 to $10000.  At this point Permberton dropped out.  At the $ 20000 mark surprisingly King George V’s agent dropped out.  At $ 30000 Burros hesitated but accepted.  At $ 35000 both men hesitated until the American finally nodded.  The final price was $ 37000 including taxes.

Arthur Hind (1856–1933)

Soon collectors and dealers in Europe and America headed for British Guiana to make a systematic search to unearth more such stamps.  A Georgetown resident wrote to his family in Lancashire “I doubt if there has been anything quite as frenzied since the Gold Rush in California”.  In spite of the hectic search no other similar stamp was found.

In the 1920s a rumour developed that a second copy of the stamp had been discovered by  Arthur Hind, who quietly purchased the supposed second copy and subsequently destroyed it and proclaimed: ‘There’s only one magenta One Cent Guiana’.  The rumour has not been substantiated.  Arthur Hind insured the stamp for $50,000.

 A few years later Hind was going through the Royal Collection when King Gorge V walked in to tell Hind “I want you to know that I have never begrudged your acquiring that one-cent magenta”.

When Hind died in 1933 he bequeathed his collection to his relatives.  Mrs. Ann Hind maintained that her husband had meant her to inherit it.  The stamp became the object of bitter litigation, which ended in a Supreme Court decision in favour of the widow.

On August 7, 1940 Mrs. Hind sold the stamp, which was purchased by a collector who maintained strict anonymity for $45,000.  It was next auctioned in 1970 and the identity of the owner was revealed to be Frederic Small, an Australian living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Frederic T. Small

A syndicate of investors from Pennsylvania, headed by Irwin Weinberg, bought the stamp for $280,000 and spent much of the decade, presenting it in a world tour.

In 1980 US heir to the John Du Pont fortune bought the stamp for $935,000!  John Du Pont got a 30-year jail term for the murder of Olympic gold medal winning wrestler Dave Schultz in 1996. The 1-cent British Guiana magenta was put in a bank vault in Philadelphia. Du Pont died while still incarcerated on 9 December 2010.

John Du Pont

It was sold from the DuPont estate on 17 June 2014 at a Sotheby's New York auction, for $9,480,000, including buyer's premium.  It took only two minutes to sell to an anonymous bidder, and was the fourth time the stamp had broken the world's record for a single-stamp bid.  This time the sale broke the 1996 record of $2,300,000 for the Treskilling Yellow, an 1855 Swedish stamp.  The purchaser was shoe designer and businessman Stuart Weitzman who collected stamps as a child.

This rare stamp came to India once during Indipex-80 World Philatelic Exhibition.

At midnight of January 24, 1980, the renowned Indian philatelists DN Jatia and SP Chatterjea received Irwin Weinberg who landed in Delhi from an Air India flight carrying the rarest stamp of the world for display at the exhibition.  The stamp was displayed under tight security behind bullet proof glass.  It evoked great excitement among Indian philatelists and the lay public.

British Guiana with an infrared filter, the stamp’s red surface is removed to better view the marking

The two provisional stamps of 4 cents, one in magenta and one in blue, printed at the same time with the rare one-cent stamp

Since it was such a rare and expensive stamp many forgeries are know. Here is one example

British Guiana stamps forgeries of the 1856 1c black/magenta (world's rarest stamp) and 1856 4c black/blue tied to piece by forged DEMERARA FE 22 1856

There are many such stories from stampdom but they must wait for another day.

References

1. Col Jayanta Dutta, Dr Anjali Dutta, Jayoti Dutta & Ananya Dutta, Rare stamps of the World, Army Philatelic Society, Mumbai.

2. "Rare British Guiana stamp sets record at New York auction".  BBC News. 17 June 2014.

3. Williams, L. N. and M. (1946). Famous Stamps. Chambers. p. 26.

- Col Jayanta Dutta & Dr Anjali Dutta : email : doctorjayanta2009@gmail.com

New issues from other Countries

Finland

13 March 2019 : Flora Art

13 March 2019 : Easter

Guernsey

1 April 2019 :  Singing Bailiwick birds ( Part of Europa 2019 National Birds)

Stamps featuring stunning photographs of birds found in the Bailiwick of Guernsey are to be issued by Guernsey Stamps for its EUROPA issue. The set includes two EUROPA stamps, which incorporate a special feature for smartphone users, as they can be scanned to hear the sounds of the birds.

Captured by local birdwatcher Rod Ferbrache, the first stamp in the series features the (Atlantic) Puffin (Fratercula artica), a member of the auk family, which, with its large colourful parrot-like beak, is an unmistakable seabird (48p stamp).

The Bailiwick of Guernsey, namely Sark, Herm, Jethou and Burhou, is where the most southerly breeding colonies can be found. By August the puffins leave the Islands to spend the rest of the year in the middle of the ocean.

The 65 pence stamp depicts the (Common) Linnet (Linaria cannabina), which gets its name from the Latin for flax, Linum, one of its favourite food sources. The male is the most striking with its crimson chest and forehead, grey face and grey bill, while the female has subtle brown and beige plumage.

The 66p stamp features the (Eurasian) Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) is one of Guernsey’s few true resident birds. Named after its heavy looking bull-like neck, it is one of the most striking types of finch with the male sporting a bright crimson chest and a jet-black cap. 

The (European) Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), depicted on the 80p stamp, is sometimes referred to as the seven-coloured finch. Unmistakable with its red face and black and white head, as well as striking black wings and broad yellow wing bar, the Goldfinch has become the success story of garden bird feeding.

The 90 pence stamp features the (Common) Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), which can be described as being gregarious in both song and habit, mimicking the sounds of the bird world with their many whistles and squeaks. The birds’ vivid emerald and iridescent violet plumage disappears in the breeding season.

Completing the series is the 98p stamp featuring the beautiful (Common) Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), once trapped by hat makers for its colourful plumage.

These shy birds can be found fishing in freshwater and coastal sites in the Bailiwick in the winter, catching their fish and knocking them unconscious against their perch before swallowing them whole.

Lithuania

5 April 2019 Europa National Birds - Lithuania

Sri Lanka


26 February 2019 Spices of Sri Lanka

Cinnamon

Cinnamon plant which is an evergreen perennial crop is known by the scientific name,Cinnamomum verum/Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume. It is cinnamon which is more important among the economically important cropsindigenous to Sri Lanka. Particularly the Sri Lankan cinnamon is considered the best variety in the world and it is Sri Lanka who supplies the largest quantity of genuine cinnamon to the world market

There are two main varieties of cinnamon which are popular as the cinnamon of commerce. They are genuine cinnamon (Ceylon Cinnamon) and Cassia Cinnamon. Both these varieties belong to Lauraceae family. However the quality of Cassia cinnamon is very much lower than that of the genuine varieties. It has been revealed through experiments that Cassia contains a compound called Coumarin which is cancerous. Compared with the amount of Coumarin contained in Cassia what is found in the local cinnamon is almost negligible. Therefore, the indigenous variety of cinnamon is considered to be superior in quality.

Pepper

Pepper which accounts for a higher quantity and a higher value in the international spice trade is known by the term ‘the King of Spices”. Termed Piper nigrum botanically, pepper is the spice mostly used throughout the world. It is the mature small and dried pepper seed which is more important economically.

While the annual demand for pepper is around 200,000 metric tonnes, it amounts to around 1/3 of the volume of world spice trade. Out of the total pepper imports almost 90% is supplied by countries such as Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brazil.

Cloves

Flowers which are fully grown yet not open in the inflorescences of Eugenia caryophyllata tree belonging to the family Myrtaceae known in the botanical name Syzygium aromaticum are suitable for the trade of cloves when they are dried. The stems which bore the flowers and the leaves too have a commercial value.

The clove tree is of medium size with a symmetrical shape and a soft grey bark. At the beginning the tree consists of two or three branches from them branches shoot upwards. When fully grown the trees generally reach a height of around 15-20 meters.

Flowers are borne in small terminal inflorescences numbering 3-10. A single inflorescence consists of 3 flowers. The calyx is made of a soft ovary at the top of which are four triangular sepals. Around the stamens of the bud there are four red petals.

Cloves grow very luxuriantly in wet tropical climatic areas and an annual rainfall of 1750-2500 mm is suitable for clove cultivation. It is necessary to have wet as well as dry spells of weather alternately for good flowering. Long spells of drought are not suitable for this crop.

Nutmeg

The nutmeg plant known by the botanical name Myristica Fragrans was introduced to Sri Lanka around the 19th century. An evergreen plant which grows to a height of about 15-20 meters, its leaves are dark green in colour.

Nutmeg fruits are fleshy and hang down from the tree. There are grooves around the fruit and when ripe it turns yellow and splits from the top along the groove and opens showing the shiny seed which is covered over by a crimson network, the mace. Nutmeg cultivation is spread in the wet zone districts of Sri Lanka such as Matale, Kandy, Kegalle, Badulla and Nuwara Eliya. In village gardens both nutmeg and clove trees can be seen together.

Two products of spice can be obtained from the nutmeg tree, i.e. the kernel of the nutmeg seed and the mace, which is a slightly elastic network that covers the outer skin of the seed.

United Nations

26 April 2019 : Endangered Species series ( Sea life)

Acknowledgement

- Ananthapuri Stamp Bulletin March 2019 issue edited by Mohanchandran Nair

- Judaica Thematic Society (UK)  April 2019  Newsletter edited by Gary Goodman

Blogs & Websites

Philatelic Congress of India

Indian Philately Digest

Stamps of India

Rainbow Stamp News

Se-tenant Stamps of India

Flags & Stamps

Europa stamps

Phila Mirror

International Stamp News

Welcome to Indian Philately

Philatelic Clubs & Societies 

Ananthapuri Philatelic Association, Thiruvanthapuram

Baroda Philatelic Society -  http://www.vadophil.org/

Chandigarh Philatelic Club

Deccan Philatelic Society – Pune, Maharashtra

Eastern India Philatelists’ Association - http://www.filacapsule.blogspot.com/  

The Hyderabad  Philatelic and Hobbies Socirty

India Study Circle -  http://www.indiastudycircle.org/

Indian Thematic Society, Ludhiana -   http://indianthematicstamps.webs.com/

Ludhiana Philatelic Club

Numismatic & Philatelic Association of Vellore Fort 

http://numismaticphilavellore.site40.net/index.htm

Philatelic Congress of India - http://www.philateliccongressofindia.com/

Philatelic Society of Rajasthan, Jaipur

Philatelic Society of India , Mumbai : http://www.psi1897.com/

Orissa Philatelic Association, Mail id-:  orissaphilatelic@gmail.com

Rainbow Stamp Club - http://rainbowstampclub.blogspot.com/

Rajkot Philatelic Society – Rajkot, Gujarat

Gujarat Philatelic Association - Ahmedabad

South India Philatelists Association -  http://www.sipa.org.in/

Stamps of India - http://www.stampsofindia.com/

The Army Philatelic Society, Pune

RAINBOW STAMP CLUB

This is a blog of e-Stamp Club www.rainbowstampclub.blogspot.com . The idea of this blog is to extend philatelic fraternity in all corners of the world. Readers may write about themselves with their collecting interests and share new ideas with other philatelists.  New Post on recent issues, news on stamp activities and Contribution by members are published every day on this blog. Readers may also express their views on any philatelic matter which will be published under Club News at Rainbow Stamp Cub Blog. Philatelic Clubs and Societies may also send brief write ups. Readers may send reports on new issues, special covers, cancellations & philatelic activities of their area for inclusion in this Blog. - Editor

Current Philatelic Magazines – Newsletters

VADOPHIL, Editor - Prashant Pandya & Timir Shah  and published by Baroda Philatelic Society, Vadodara. Website -http://www.vadophil.org/

ITS Stamp News - Quarterly - Editor: Suraj Jaitly Publisher: Indian Thematic Society website - http://itsstampnews.blogspot.com/

Ananthpuri Stamp Bulletin - Monthly e -stamp bulletin of Anathapuri Philatelic Association, Thiruvanthapuram

Journal of the Army Philatelic Society : Editor – Col Jayanta Dutta

India Post – Quarterly Journal of the India Study Circle publishes original articles submitted by members of ISC.

Deccan Philatelist from Deccan Philatelic Socity, Pune.  edited by Col Jayanta Dutta

The Hyderabad Philatelist from Hyderabad Philatelic and Hobbies Society  Editor – Prakash Agrawal

SIPA Bulletin issued by South India Philatelists’ Association

Courtesy - News and Image Resource to this issue :   Stamps of India;  Europa Stamps  ;  Linn’s Stamp News , Wolfgang Beyer, Germany; Ajit Kumar Raut – Bhubaneshwa; Sudhir Jain , Satna (MP)

Address for communication :

Jeevan Jyoti,  c / o Mr. Ajay Srivastav, Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun – 248002. India  

E-mail –    j.jyoti9@gmail.com 

  Last date for receiving write ups – 25th of every month. Kindly send images in jpg compressed format & text in MS Word only.  

          

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A Request to Readers & Contributors –

·         Please do not send the text in scan form or PDF. Send your write ups in MS Word only.

·         Please do not send forwarded messages for promotional section if you want to give any information for promotion please write personally with brief write up. As this newsletter is not used for any commercial purpose in any manner.

Attention –

Please do not send text or image for publication in PDF. 

Any material from this newsletter may be reproduced only with the written permission from the editor. 

Happy Collecting ……….                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Rainbow Stamp News is edited and published monthly by Jeevan Jyoti from Dehradun ( Uttarakhand ) India for free circulation among philatelists.