Diwali - The Festival of Lights
Wishing you a very Happy and Prosperous Deepawali !
Dehradun November 2023 Vol. XVI
Issue No. 191
Readers are requested to send reports of philatelic activities in their
area for publication. Short write-ups by the readers about, 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
Christmas 2023
Date of Issue : 2 November 2023
Editorial….
Dear Reader,
I am pleased to release the November 2023 issue of
Rainbow Stamp News. Recently India Post issued a Rs 20 stamp on Shri Arvind N.
Mafatlal. Usually, India Post issues stamps on personalities in Rs 5
denomination. Such high-denomination stamps are not popular among stamp
collectors. However, there must be criteria or guidelines from India Post for
the issue of stamps of different denominations. High denomination stamps have been
issued by India Post in the past on some international events, World Heritage
sites, or internationally renowned personalities. It has always been reiterated
by the Philatelic Community that a few stamps on selected themes are to be
issued by India Post annually. This will make Indian stamps more popular among
international philatelists. There is always a demand for quality stamps from
India Post. It should be maintained by the Department of Posts.
The festivals are around both Diwali and Christmas. This is the month of The festival of lights ‘Diwali. I wish all the Readers of Rainbow a very Happy and Prosperous Deepavali. May you all have a wonderful festive time!
This is all for this month.
More in the next issue. Happy Collecting!
- Editorial
- From the Desk of Naresh Agrawal
- Recent Indian Issues
- In The News
- Stories behind stamps
- Specialized Section
- Beginners’ Section
- New Issues from Other Countries
- Philatelic Clubs and Society
- Blogs and Websites on Philately
- Current Philatelic magazines and Newsletters
WHAT NEXT Contd……
Continuing
the discussion on WHAT NEXT, it is interesting to see that many veteran
philatelists either are thinking of settling sales and disposal of
their long-accumulated philatelic treasure or have shared their experiences and difficulties they faced in disposal. I would like to mention the concern shown
and experience shared by Prof VK Gupta who is 82 years of age now and started
disposal of his stuff about 10 years back. His story which is shared in the Readers' Views column speaks a lot about
the seriousness of the issue.
He
tells about how difficult it was for him to sell his philatelic stuff. Even he
had to sell those at 20% to 30% of the market value at that time. My concern is
that timely and planned disposal can fetch good fortune apart from easy and smooth disposal. One has to frame his mindset. Despite Prof. VK
Gupta has good contacts with dealers as well as philatelists, he faced lots of
troubles which indicates that the disposal is not an easy process. Apart from
searching for prospective buyers, accurate or reasonable valuation is also
important. He also mentions that his family members were of no support to him
as none knew anything about the value
and importance of the material. They did not know about how to preserve the
material which for them was just pieces of paper.
His
concluding lines read “The Crux of the story is if a collector himself
cannot sell, how his family members sell. Do sell in your lifetime. “
Mr. Prakash Moody’s opinion and experience also speak a lot about the seriousness of
the subject. He suggested for the accomplishment of this project of sales
and disposal of philatelic stuff, one can contact different auction sites, some
museums or some such groups, etc.. which can help to a great extent. But again the problem remains when, how, and where? He
also supports the idea of creating a state advisory committee with a WhatsApp
group to share the information.
Social
media is the strongest means of
communication, education, and advertising. It is now being actively and strongly
used for commercial purposes. Various philatelic groups are in operation
on WhatsApp, Facebook, and other social media platforms. Material is being
sold through these actively. One can
choose to select a few for the purpose where one can find collections or individual pieces of stamp of
philatelic material on offer. One can start from these group selling also.
But to sell a whole lot of accumulation in a short time is a little difficult as
it takes a lot of time and effort. To accomplish sales, particularly in the case of the sale of individual pieces or small bunch of stamps.
Apart
from this as already suggested and
supported by many veteran philatelists such platforms may be designed to help
such aspirants. These groups will not only help in the valuation of the material
but also give necessary suggestions about when to sell and where to sell followed by the sales execution.
A
WhatsApp advisory committee can be formed which can help such philatelists. As I have already mentioned in my previous
articles the valuation and guidance may
be chargeable but will be very helpful.
In a nutshell, it is high time that philatelic fraternity and philatelic
thinkers should come forward to find
easy and amicable solutions to this problem so that outgoing philatelists are
relaxed and assured of the future of their life-long accumulations. Further,
the philatelic gems may be detected and preserved to preserve not only the philatelic history
but social history also. The stuff instead of going to waste will come to the philatelic world and help give life to philately and to help its
promotion.
While
I strongly profess the formation of WhatsApp groups and committees to help this
cause, I look forward to some more opinions and suggestions from the readers.
- Naresh Agrawal,
email: nareshkumar1992@yahoo.co.in
Readers’ views
Prof VK Gupta
During my philatelic journey, I decided to purchase material from
outgoing collectors and dealers. I purchased nearly 15 collections.
Sometimes I had to pay through my nose, while at others at a reasonable cost. Where I couldn't find the money to buy, I
helped. When I was writing my Gwalior book, I was offered a huge lot of Gwalior
and other material by the son of a deceased dealer from Bhopal. My valuation was 1
lac rupee. I had no money. I directed him to contact a Bombay dealer, and the deal
was done in a few installments. I had decided to do this ex gratis.
When in Delhi, help was sought by a senior official for the disposal of a huge lot of a deceased dealer. I valuated the material along with a reputed philatelist cum dealer. I had no money, so I called two other reputed philatelists to purchase the lot for 20000. They declined. On being persuaded by the official, I asked him to wait for a few months, and the deal was completed.
I helped the outgoing philatelist from Gwalior and Jaipur by purchasing their Gwalior collections, which resulted in the writing of the Gwalior book.
Today, I am running 82 years of age. The time came for the disposal of my wares. I must admit that I am a condition crank. when I celebrated my 70th birthday, nobody in the family could afford to keep philatelic material in pristine condition. After all, it is paper, which has its own life and the material requires the care of a philatelist.
I divided my literature into 2 parts - magazines and books and sold to 2 different persons. I sold Gwalior traditional After a wait of 2 - 3 years. Gwalior Stationery was divided into 2 - 3 lots to be sold to several philatelists.
Several dealers, auctioneers, and philatelists visited me acquiring materials of their choice. I joined one or two selling groups, wherein I was able to dispose of huge material catering to the needs of philatelists.
10 years had passed. I decided to keep my ' environment ' collection. Yet 120 boxes full of material were still left. One never knows his life span and I had no patience. Ultimately, I decided to sell all at 20 -30% of market value. I called a dealer, whom I knew for more than 50 years. He visited me along with another expert. I did not show him any material, but explained to him in another 10 minutes, what was contained in those 120 boxes and told him about my expectations. He left the house for lunch and came back after half an hour. The deal was clinched. When he met me after a month, during Amritpex 23 dinner, he was very happy about the deal.
The Crux of
the story is if a collector himself cannot sell, how his family members sell.
Do sell in your lifetime. I have been left with a gold-winning
environmental collection.
Recent Indian Issues
12 September 2023 : Dada JP Vaswani
-Rs 5
5 October 2023 : 500th Birth
Anniversary of Rani Durgawati - Rs 5
7 October 2023 : Hemachandra Vikramaditya – Rs. 5
16 October 2023 : India – Vietnam
Joint issue : - Rs 5 + Rs 25 MS
21 October 2023 : 125th
Anniversary of Scindia School – Rs 5
27 October 2023 : Arvind N.
Mafatlal – Rs 20
New Special Covers / Cancellations / PPC
Special
Covers issued by Gujarat Postal Circle
Siddi
Sayyed Ki Jali : 11 October 2023 : Ahmedabad
Millets
: 12 October 2023 : Ahmedabad
Faffda – Jalebi- Ganthiya-Khaman –
Khandvi-Thepla-Undhiyue: 12 October 2023 :
Ahmedabad
Special Cancellation on Dussehra by Karnataka Postal Circle
In the News
Thailand 2023
Commissioner for THAILAND 2023 Specialised World Stamp Championship
THAILAND 2023 Specialised
World Stamp Championship - Thailand 2023 to be held in Bangkok, Thailand from
November 27, 2023 to December 2, 2023.
Commissioner & Apprentice Commissioner appointed by PCI
1. Mr. Pragya Kothari Jain
– National Commissioner
33-34, Prakash Kunj Apartment, Kavi Raman Path,
East Boring Road Patna – 800001, India
Phone: +919709638790
Email : philapragya@gmail.com
2. Mr. Pratisad Vijay
Neurgaonkar – Apprentice Commissioner
884, Bhandarkar Road, 14 Patil Terraces. Pune 411004, India
Phone: +919766310553
Email: pratisadn@gmail.com
EFIRO 2024, Bucharest
Commissioner for EFIRO 2024 FIP Specialised
World Exhibition
EFIRO
2024 INTERNATIONAL STAMP EXHIBITION, EFIRO 2024 with a capacity of 2000 display
frames, is organized by the Romanian Philatelic Federation under the Patronage
of FIP from Apr 16 to 19, 2024 at the National Library of Romania, Bucharest,
Romania.
Classes available for participation are : Traditional, Postal History, Postal
Stationery, Aerophilately, Astrophilately, Thematic, Maximaphily, Revenues,
Open Philately, Picture Postcards, One Frame, and Philatelic Literature. Plus,
a new Experimental, Class 12 -II, for 2 or 3 Frames exhibits.
Detailed rules of
exhibition (IREX) and Exhibit Application Forms are available for download
at https://www.efiro.ro/rules.php
The Philatelic Congress of
India has appointed : 1. Mrs Savita Jhingan , as the National Commissioner and
2. Mr. Kapil Gogri as Apprentice Commissioner for the EFIRO 2024 FIP
Specialised World Exhibition. Their contact details are given below:
1. Mrs Savita Jhingan
- National Commissioner
16 Park Drive, First Floor,
Malibu Towne, Sector 47
Gurugram 122018, India
Telephone +91-9811160884
Email: sj@stampsofindia.com
2. Mr. Kapil Gogri –
Apprentice Commissioner
15 Ashish, Andheri Coop Society, VP Road,
Behind Fidai Baug,
Andheri West,
Mumbai 400058, India.
Mob : +919821111140
Email : kapilg25@hotmail.com
Heartiest Congratulations !
Noted philatelist Mr. Sandeep Jaiswal’s exhibit
"British India King George VI postal stationery was one of only three
exhibits in Bangladesh that was awarded a Large Gold medal + Special prize.Mr. Sandeep held a
workshop titled "How to Increase the Medal Level of your Postal Stationery
Exhibit" for both Stockholmia and Bangladesh 2023. He has 22 different
philatelic exhibits that have won at least a Gold or Large Gold medal at the
National or International level.
Below is a list of the exhibits that have been awarded Gold or Large Gold medals:
Dhar Postal Stationery
Jaipur 1911 Jail Print postcard
Indian Postal Stationery for the China
Expeditionary Force
India KEVII UPU postcards
British India King George VI postal stationery
India Queen Victoria Letter-sheets
British India - Victorian UPU postcards
Bahawalpur during its 50-day period as a
sovereign nation
The 1st Issue of Bundi
The Numerals issue of Cochin
Dhar Philately
The 1st Issue of Dungarpur
The portrait issue of Dungarpur
Indore philately
Jammu & Kashmir Telegraphs
The 1st issue of Jaipur
Kotah - 19th-century Dual postal system
Rajpipla State
Shahpura - A newly discovered stamp-issuing
Indian Princely State
India - King George VI Postal Stationery
Indian Airgraphs
The First Issue of Dhar
KRISHNAPEX 2023
· District Level Philatelic Exhibition, Thalassery-Kannur proposed date 24th-25th November 2023
· District Level Philatelic Exhibition Almorah,
Uttrakhand proposed date 3rd-4th
November 2023
News from Philatelic Societies, Clubs and Philatelists
ALPEX-2023
Distt. Level Philatelic Exhibition, Aligarh 3-5
November 2023
Special Cancellation
Special Cover
--Atul Agrawal, AligarhLogo for KARNAPEX 2024
Jaagruthi a young
philatelist from Bangalore, participated in the 'Design a Logo and
Coining a Tagline' contest organized by Karnataka Postal Circle for the
forthcoming State level Philatelic Exhibition and was selected as the official
logo of the state-level exhibition KARNAPEX 2024 in January 2024
"Anjal Attakasam"
"Anjal Attakasam" - India Post - theme
Golu for Navratri at Tiruchirappalli H.O.
Golu exhibiting DoP products & services exhibited with cultural heritage & creativity by various Divisions of Central Region, Tamil Nadu Circle was inaugurated by Smt T.Nirmala Devi, PMG CR, Trichy on Oct 16, 2023 in the presence of Divisional Heads. - Courtesy: X (formerly Twitter) handle of Trichy Postal Region. The display is available for public view till Oct 24, 2023, at the H.O. premises.
Golu is the festive display of dolls and figurines in South India during the autumn festive season, particularly around the multi-day Navaratri festival of Hinduism. These displays are typically thematic, narrating a legend from a Hindu text to court life, weddings, everyday scenes, and miniature kitchen utensils. India Post Central Region has taken this opportunity to display postal schemes and services in Golu format.
-Kasinath R. Thanjavur, Tamilnadu
World Postcard Day
Celebrated at Dehradun
In Dehradun World Postcard Day was celebrated at Dehradun GPO on 1st Oct 2023.It was attended by Sh Ansuya Prasad Chamola, DPS Dehra Dun, Sr. Post Master, postal officials, eminent philatelists, and deltiologists of Dehra Dun. Tripti Gupta designed a postcard (privately printed) which was subsequently canceled by Dehradun Philatelic Bureau PPC.
Mr Abhai Mishra, a noted philatelist of Dehradun addressed the audience, sharing anecdotes from the 200 years of Mussoorie's journey as a hill station. He even showcased his impressive album featuring rare postcards of Mussoorie.
This meeting was also a Postcrossing Meetup wherein several postcrossers exchanged and sent postcards to friends, family, and fellow post-crossers across the world.
- Tripti
Gupta, Dehradun
Stories Behind Stamps
The Whole Country is Red - China
The
stamp that goes by the name of The Whole Country is Red, issued in 1968 during
the Cultural Revolution, is a famous stamp with error printing. The stamp
features a red map of China imprinted with the golden words "The Whole
Country is Red", plus a picture of a worker, a farmer and a soldier
holding the "Selected Works of Chairman Mao." The face value of the
stamp is 8 fen (1 US cent).
The
stamp was only issued for less than half day. An editor of Sino Maps Press
found that the map on the stamp was not accurate and reported it to the
Ministry of Post and Telecommunications. As a result, all Chinese post offices
had to stop selling the stamp and return all the copies. Only a small quantity
of the stamp went to private collections.
A
large version of the stamp, two times bigger than the original one, was
auctioned off for 3.68 million HK dollars (US$474,197) in Hong Kong in 2009,
setting a new record for the price of a single stamp auctioned off in China. On
the same occasion, 6 normal pieces of the stamp were auctioned off for a total
of 2.93 million HK dollars (US$377,482). Estimated value of the stamp : US$ 474,197
Stamp Image: https://philaindia.info/china-the-whole-country-is-red-stamp/
Article Text: http://www.china.org.cn/top10/2012-04/27/content_25224963_6.htm
Mr. Nisarg Sutaria is a philatelist
from Ahmedabad. He is BE Mechanical Engineering from Nirma Institute of
Technology, and MS Manufacturing Engineering from Western Michigan University,
USA. He is an expert in the fields of
Strategy, Branding and Marketing with Digital Media mainly in SEO & SMM.
Philately is one of his hobbies, while Horology (the study of the measurement
of time) is another of his passions. Email: nisargsutaria78@gmail.com Mobile
and WhatsApp Phone Number: +91-9924248850.
Specialized Section
Due to
the non-availability of good and authentic articles, I am sharing articles from
other sources for the Readers. Here are
articles on ‘Pigeon Mail from
different sources. –
Editor
Pigeon Post in different parts of the world
Pigeon post is the use
of homing pigeons to carry messages. Pigeons are effective as
messengers due to their natural homing abilities. The pigeons are transported
to a destination in cages, where they are attached with messages, then the
pigeon naturally flies back to its home where the recipient could read the
message. They have been used in many places around the world. Pigeons have also
been used to great effect in military situations, and are in this case referred
to as war pigeons.
As a
method of communication, it is likely as old as the ancient Persians, from
whom the art of training the birds probably came. The Romans used
pigeon messengers to aid their military over 2000 years
ago. Frontinus said that Julius Caesar used pigeons as
messengers in his conquest of Gaul. The Greeks conveyed the
names of the victors at the Olympic Games to their various cities by this
means.
Naval
chaplain Henry Teonge (c. 1620–1690) describes in his diary a regular
pigeon postal service being used by merchants
between İskenderun and Aleppo in the Levant. The
Mughals also used messenger pigeons.
Before
the telegraph, this method of communication was used extensively
by stockbrokers and financiers. The Dutch government established a
civil and military system in Java and Sumatra early in the
19th century, the birds being obtained from Baghdad. In 1851, the
German-born Paul Julius Reuter opened an office in the City of London
which transmitted stock market quotations between London and Paris via the new
Calais to Dover cable. Reuter had previously used pigeons to fly stock prices
between Aachen and Brussels, a service that operated for a year
until a gap in the telegraph link was closed.
Details
of the employment of pigeons during the siege of Paris in 1870–71 led
to a revival in the training of pigeons for military purposes. Numerous
societies were established for keeping pigeons of this class in all important
European countries; and, in time, various governments established systems of
communication for military purposes by pigeon post. After pigeon post between
military fortresses had been thoroughly tested, attention was turned to its use
for naval purposes, to send messages to ships in nearby waters. It was also
used by news agencies and private individuals at various times. Governments in
several countries established lofts of their own. Laws were passed making the
destruction of such pigeons a serious offense; premiums to stimulate efficiency
were offered to private societies, and rewards given for destruction
of birds of prey. Before the advent of radio, pigeons were used by
newspapers to report yacht races, and some yachts were actually fitted with
lofts.
During
the establishment of formal pigeon post services, the registration of all birds
was introduced. At the same time, in order to hinder the efficiency of the
systems of foreign countries, difficulties were placed in the way of the
importation of their birds for training, and in a few
cases falcons were specially trained to interrupt the service during
war, the Germans having set the example by employing hawks against
the Paris pigeons in 1870–71. No satisfactory method of protecting the weaker
birds seems to have been developed, though the Chinese formerly
provided their pigeons with whistles and bells to scare away birds of prey.
As radio
telegraphy and telephony were developed, the use of pigeons became limited to
fortress warfare by the 1910s. Although the British
Admiralty had attained a very high standard of efficiency, it discontinued
its pigeon service in the early 20th century. In contrast, large numbers of
birds were still kept by France, Germany and Russia at the outbreak of the
First World War.
In
modern days, a rafting photographer still uses pigeons as
a sneakernet to transport digital photos on flash
media from the camera to the tour operator.
Paris
Siege of Paris 1870–1871, pigeon post medal by the artist Charles Degeorge.
The
pigeon post that was in operation while Paris was besieged during
the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871 is probably the most famous.
Barely six weeks after the outbreak of hostilities, the Emperor Napoleon
III and the French Army of Châlons surrendered
at Sedan on 2 September 1870. There were two immediate consequences:
the fall of the Second Empire and the
swift Prussian advance on Paris. As had been expected, the normal
channels of communication into and out of Paris were interrupted during the
four-and-a-half months of the siege, and, indeed, it was not until the middle
of February 1871 that the Prussians relaxed their control of the postal and
telegraph services. With the encirclement of the city on 18 September, the last
overhead telegraph wires were cut on the morning of 19 September, and the
secret telegraph cable in the bed of the Seine was located and cut on
27 September. Although a number of postmen succeeded in passing through the Prussian
lines in the earliest days of the siege, others were captured and shot, and
there is no proof of any post, certainly after October, reaching Paris from the
outside, apart from private letters carried by unofficial individuals. For an
assured communication into Paris, the only successful method was by the
time-honoured carrier-pigeon, and thousands of messages, official and
private, were thus taken into the besieged city.
Cover that contained mail to be sent by pigeon post
During the course of the siege, pigeons were regularly taken out of Paris by balloon. Initially, one of the pigeons carried by a balloon was released as soon as the balloon landed so that Paris could be apprised of its safe passage over the Prussian lines. Soon a regular service was in operation, based first at Tours and later at Poitiers. The pigeons were taken to their base after their arrival from Paris and when they had preened themselves, been fed, and rested, they were ready for the return journey. Tours lie some 200 km (100 miles) from Paris and Poitiers some 300 km (200 miles); to reduce the flight distance the pigeons were taken by train as far forward towards Paris as was safe from Prussian intervention. Before release, they were loaded with their despatches. The first despatch was dated 27 September and reached Paris on 1 October, but it was only from 16 October, when an official control was introduced, that a complete record was kept.
The
service was formally terminated on 1 February 1871. In fact, the last pigeons
were released on 1 and 3 February. The pigeons that were still alive were now
official property and were sold at the Depot du Mobilier de l'Etat. Their value
as racing pigeons was reflected by the average price of only
1 franc 50 centimes, but two pigeons, reported to have made
three journeys, were purchased by an enthusiast for 26 francs.
The
success of the pigeon post, both for official and for private messages, did not
pass unnoticed by the military forces of the European powers, and in the years
that followed the Franco-Prussian War pigeon sections were
established in their armies. The advent of wireless communication led to rising
pigeon unemployment, although in certain particular applications, pigeons
provided the only method of communication. But never again were pigeons called
upon to perform such a tremendous public service as that which they had
maintained during the siege of Paris and Italy.
Canada
Major-General
Donald Roderick Cameron, then Commandant of the Royal Military
College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario recommended an
international pigeon service for marine search and rescue and
military service in a paper entitled "Messenger Pigeons, a National
Question". Sir Charles Hibbert Tupper, then Minister of Marine and
Fisheries supported the pigeon policy. Colonel Goldie, Assistant Adjutant
General and Major Waldron of the Royal Artillery, and Captain Dopping-Hepenstal
of the Royal Engineers carried through the plan. The pigeon post between
look-out stations at lighthouses on islands and the mainland at the
citadel in Halifax, Nova Scotia provided a messenger service from
1891 until it was discontinued in 1895. The pigeon post faced a heavy mortality
among the pigeons as many were lost during the operations. The flight from the
Citadel in Halifax, Nova Scotia to Sable Island, for example,
was difficult for the pigeons to complete.
Catalina Island
From
1894 to 1898 pigeons carried mail from Avalon across the Santa
Barbara Channel to Los Angeles. Two pigeon fanciers, brothers Otto J. and
O. F. Zahn, reached an agreement with Western Union where it would
not build a telegraph line to the isolated island so long as the pigeons did
not compete with it on the mainland. Fifty birds were trained, carrying three
copies of each message because of the danger of hunters and predators. They
made the 48-mile passage in about one hour, bringing letters, news clippings
from the Los Angeles Times, and emergency summons for doctors. In
three seasons of operation only two letters failed to come through, but at $.50
to $1.00 per message the service was not profitable, and in 1898 the Zahn
brothers ended the post.
Great Barrier Island ( New Zealand)
Before
the pigeon post service was established the only regular connection between the
community on Great Barrier Island (90 kilometers northeast
of Auckland) and the mainland was provided by a weekly coastal steamer.
The island's isolation was highlighted when the ship SS Wairarapa was
wrecked off its coast in 1894, with the loss of 121 lives, and the news took
several days to reach the mainland.
The
pigeon post service began between the island and Auckland in 1897. Soon there
were two rival pigeongram companies, both of which issued distinctive and
attractive stamps. The stamps have been eagerly collected for their novelty
value, and some have become extremely rare.
Initially,
the service operated only from Great Barrier Island to Auckland, the reverse
route being considered uneconomic. On the island, pigeongram agencies were
established at Port Fitzroy, Okupu, and Whangaparara. Birds were sent over to
the island on the weekly steamer and flew back to Auckland with up to five
messages per bird written on lightweight writing stock and attached to their
legs. Great Barrier Island's pigeongram service ended when the first telegraph
cable was laid between the island and the mainland in 1908.
India
The
Orissa police in India have established regular pigeon posts at Cuttack,
Chatrapur, Kendrapara, Sambalpur and Denkanal and these pigeons rose to the
occasion in times of emergencies and natural calamities. During the centenary
celebrations of the Indian postal service in 1954, the Orissa police pigeons
demonstrated their capacity by conveying the message of inauguration from
the President of India to the Prime Minister. The last of
the pigeon post services in the world (the one in Cuttack, India) was closed in
2008, although about 150 pigeons continue to be maintained for ceremonial
purposes in Cuttack and at the Police Training College in Angul.
War Pigeon
Homing
pigeons have long played an important role in war. Due to their homing
ability, speed, and altitude, they were often used as military messengers.
Carrier pigeons of the Racing Homer breed were used to carry messages
in World War I and World War II, and 32 such pigeons were
presented with the Dickin Medal. Medals such as the Croix de Guerre,
awarded to Cher Ami, and the Dickin Medal awarded to the
pigeons G.I. Joe and Paddy, amongst 32 others, have been awarded
to pigeons for their services in saving human lives.
During
World War I and World War II, carrier pigeons were used to transport messages
back to their home coop behind the lines. When they landed, wires in the coop
would sound a bell or buzzer and a soldier of the Signal Corps would
know a message had arrived. The soldier would go to the coop, remove the
message from the canister, and send it to its destination by telegraph, field
phone, or personal messenger.
A
carrier pigeon's job was dangerous. Nearby, enemy soldiers often tried to shoot
down pigeons, knowing that released birds were carrying important messages.
Some of these pigeons became quite famous amongst the infantrymen for whom they
worked. One pigeon, named “Spike”, flew 52 missions without receiving a single
wound. Another,
named Cher Ami, lost his foot and one eye, but his message got through,
saving a large group of surrounded American infantrymen.
Before
the advent of radio, carrier pigeons were frequently used on the battlefield as
a means for a mobile force to communicate with a stationary headquarters. In
the sixth century BC, Cyrus, king of Persia, used carrier pigeons to
communicate with various parts of his empire. In Ancient Rome, Julius
Caesar used pigeons to send messages to the territory of Gaul.
During
the 19th-century (1870–71) Franco-Prussian War, besieged Parisians used
carrier pigeons to transmit messages outside the city; in response, the
besieging Prussian Army employed hawks to hunt the pigeons. The French
military used balloons to transport homing pigeons past
enemy lines Microfilm images containing hundreds of messages
allowed letters to be carried into Paris by pigeon from as far away
as London. More than one million different messages travelled this way
during the four-month siege. They were then discovered to be very useful, and
carrier pigeons were well-considered in military theory leading up to World War
I.
Dispatching of a message by carrier pigeon
within the Swiss Army during World War I
World War I
Homing pigeons were used extensively during World
War I. In 1914, during the First Battle of the Marne, the French army
advanced 72 pigeon lofts with the troops. The US Army Signal Corps used 600 pigeons in France alone.
One of their homing pigeons, a Blue Check cock
named Cher Ami, was awarded the French "Croix de Guerre with
Palm” for heroic service delivering 12 important messages during
the Battle of Verdun. On his final mission in October 1918, he delivered a
message despite having been shot through the breast or wing. The crucial
message, found in the capsule hanging from a ligament of his
shattered leg, saved 194 US soldiers of the 77th Infantry
Division's “Lost Battalion.
United States Navy aviators maintained 12
pigeon stations in France, with a total inventory of 1,508 pigeons when the war
ended. Pigeons were carried in airplanes to rapidly return messages to these
stations, and 829 birds flew in 10,995 wartime aircraft patrols. Airmen of the
230 patrols with messages entrusted to pigeons threw the message-carrying
pigeon either up or down, depending on the type of aircraft, to keep the pigeon
out of the propeller and away from airflow toward the aircraft wings and
struts. Eleven of the thrown pigeons went missing in action, but the remaining
219 messages were delivered successfully.
Leg canister for a war pigeon, U.S. Army
Signal Corps, World War I. 1.0 x 2.9 cm, 1.7 gm
Pigeons were considered an essential element of
naval aviation communication when the first United States aircraft
carrier USS Langley was commissioned on 20 March 1922, so
the ship included a pigeon house on the stern. The pigeons were trained at
the Norfolk Naval Shipyard while Langley was
undergoing conversion. As long as the pigeons were released a few at a time for
exercise, they returned to the ship; but when the whole flock was released
while Langley was anchored off Tangier Island, the
pigeons flew south and roosted in the cranes of the Norfolk shipyard. The
pigeons never went to sea again.
World War II and later
deployments
During
World War II, the United Kingdom used about 250,000 homing pigeons for many
purposes, including communicating with those behind enemy lines such
as Belgian spy Jozef Raskin. The Dickin Medal, the highest
possible decoration for valor given to animals, was awarded to 32 pigeons,
including the United States Army Pigeon Service's G.I. Joe and
the Irish pigeon Paddy.
The UK
maintained the Air Ministry Pigeon Section during World War II and
for a while thereafter. A Pigeon Policy Committee made decisions about the uses
of pigeons in military contexts. The head of the section, Lea Rayner, reported
in 1945 that pigeons could be trained to deliver small explosives
or bioweapons to precise targets. The ideas were not taken up by the
committee, and in 1948 the UK military stated that pigeons were of no further
use. During the war, messenger pigeons could draw a special allowance of corn
and seed, but as soon as the war ended this had been cancelled and anyone
keeping pigeons would have to draw on their own personal rationed corn and seed
to also feed the pigeons. However, the UK security
service MI5 was still concerned about the use of pigeons by enemy
forces. Until 1950, they arranged for 100 birds to be maintained by a
civilian pigeon fancier in order to prepare for any eventuality. The
Swiss army disbanded its Pigeon section in 1996.
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigeon_post
Exhibiting in
Competitive Exhibitions
New exhibit evaluation and
medal award system with effect from 22.09.2022 for State, National and
International exhibitions (FIP)
Beginners’ Section
International
Red Cross Establishes Goals
US #1016 was the
first bi-colored US postage stamp ever produced on the rotary press.
On October 29, 1863, representatives from around the world joined
together to establish the International Red Cross.
While on a business trip to Italy in 1859, Swiss humanitarian Jean Henri
Dunant witnessed the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino (part of the Second
Italian War of Independence) in which nearly 40,000 soldiers were killed or
wounded. Shocked by the lack of medical care, Dunant put his business aside and
began tending to the wounded. He convinced locals to help without
discrimination.
Dunant proposed that all civilized countries establish “…permanent societies of volunteers who in time of war would give help to the wounded without regard to their nationality.” In February 1863, Dunant and four other Geneva leaders founded the Committee of Five to see if his idea was possible. They renamed their organization the International Committee for Relief to the Wounded and began preparing for a meeting with other nations.
Item #MP1118 – collection of 50 Red Coss stamps from around the world
The meeting was held from October 26th to 29th in 1863. There were 36 people in attendance – 18 delegates from national governments, six from non-governmental organizations, seven unofficial foreign delegates, and the five members from the Geneva meeting. They discussed the goals of this new organization and adopted a set of resolutions on October 29th. These included the creation of national relief groups for wounded soldiers, protection for the wounded and their rescuers on the battlefield, and the adoption of the red cross on white background as their flag and armlet. The group continued to meet and expand on their goals, changing their name to the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1876.
US #1910 was
issued for the 100th anniversary of the American Red Cross.
Clara Barton, the “Angel of the Battlefield,”
served as a nurse during the American Civil War. She founded the American Red
Cross in 1881 after assisting the International Red Cross in Europe during the
Franco-Prussian War. Today, the International Red Cross is an organization of
over 135 nations. These nations provide various forms of assistance to victims
of wars and other disasters. Most also provide various medical and health
programs as well as youth activities and junior divisions.
There are over 600 Red Cross chapters in the
United States alone, run by around a half a million volunteers. Many have just
one paid worker. To date, the International Red Cross has earned three Nobel
Peace Prices – in 1917, 1944, and 1963.
Source : Mystic
Stamps
Birth of Pablo Picasso
Burundi #950 was issued for Picasso’s 130th birthday.
Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born on October 25, 1881, in Málaga, Spain. The son of a painter, Picasso showed a talent for art from an early age. When he was seven, his father gave him formal drawing and painting lessons. Soon, Picasso was so occupied with his art, it distracted him from his schoolwork.
Korea #2150 was issued for Picasso’s 100th birthday.
In 1895, Picasso’s family moved to Barcelona where his father took a job at the School of Fine Arts. His father convinced the school to allow him to take an entrance exam for the advanced class. While it normally took a month to complete, Picasso completed it in a week and he was admitted at the age of 13.
When he was 16,
Picasso briefly attended the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in
Madrid, but didn’t like the formal style and left shortly after arriving.
However, he greatly enjoyed Madrid and the opportunity to see the works of
Diego Velázquez, Francisco Goya, Francisco Zurbarán, and El Greco.
Maldive Islands #489 was issued the year after Picasso died.
Picasso first went to
Paris in 1900. There he lived with a roommate and often burned his works
to warm their apartment. In 1901, Picasso embarked on his Blue Period,
painting scenes that were almost entirely green and blue with only occasional
warm colors. Many pictured gaunt mothers and children and beggars.
After this, he entered his Rose Period from 1904 to 1906. Many of these
paintings used orange and pink and pictured circus people, acrobats, and
harlequins. During this time he also met Gertrude Stein, who was one of
his greatest supporters and collected many of his works.
From 1907 to 1909, Picasso explored African Art and primitivism. The ideas he explored during this period led Picasso to develop analytic cubism with Georges Braque. In this practice, Picasso would take apart objects and analyze their shapes. In turn, this led him to synthetic cubism from 1912 to 1919. In producing these works, he would often include pieces of wallpaper or newspaper in his paintings, in some of the earliest examples of collage in fine art.
During World War I,
Picasso remained in Paris and continued to paint, though his works had a somber
tone. After the war, he befriended a rich art dealer, who introduced him
to the rich social life of 1920s Paris. During this time Picasso also
helped Igor Stravinsky create the ballet Pulcinella.
United Nations
#UNG234-35 – The left stamp
pictures Picasso’s Three Musicians.
Throughout the 1920s,
Picasso, like many other European artists of the time, began producing
neoclassical works, in what some called a “return to order.” Many of
these works rejected extreme avant-garde styles and instead took their
inspiration from traditional art. Later in this period, Picasso began to
explore surrealism, renewing his interest in primitivism.
Up until the 1930s,
the Harlequin was a common symbol in Picasso’s work. As he started to
associate with surrealists, however, he started using the Minotaur, a symbol
common in their works. The Minotaur appears in one of his most famous
works, Guernica. Picasso was commissioned by Spanish rulers
of the time to create a mural for the Spanish display at the Paris
International Exposition at the 1937 World’s Fair. Guernica depicts
the German Luftwaffe bombing of the town of Guernica that claimed 1,650 civilian
lives.
Item #M12145 pictures Guernica and the
German planes that attacked the town.
In 1939, Picasso’s work was displayed at the
Museum of Modern Art in New York City, which helped to make him better known in
America. During World War II, he remained in Paris while it was under
German control. He continued to paint and also wrote poetry.
Item #M12146 was issued for the 75th anniversary
of Guernica.
By the 1950s, Picasso was an international
celebrity. He appeared in a few films and continued to paint and
sculpt. In 1967, he produced a 50-foot sculpture, Chicago Picasso,
which stands in downtown Chicago. He refused to be paid for it and
donated it to the people of the city. Picasso continued to work up until
his death on April 8, 1973.
New issues from other countries
Aland
20 October 2023 :
Christmas Peace Dove & Christmas Angel
Gutter Pair Strips
Andorra ( Spain)
26
October 2023 : Popular Culture, Giants of Sant Julià de Lòria
Austria
10 October 2023 : Crypto Stamp
Australia
Christmas 2023
Belgium
23
October 2023 : Insulin - Medical Revolution
In 1923, the Nobel
Prize in Medicine is awarded to the discoverers of insulin. This issue takes a
closer look at the importance of this medical discovery.
Finland
6 September 2023 : Finland in NATO
6 September 2023 : 100 Years of FINNAIR
Finnair 100 Years
Familiar shades of
blue and white on Finnair’s 100th anniversary stamp.Founded in 1923, Finnair is
one of the oldest operating airlines in the world. Today, it is a network
airline with extensive flight connections to Europe, North America and Asia.
Throughout its
history, Finnair has served as a gateway to the world for Finns. “Posti has
played an important role in Finnair’s history, as our first flight carried mail
from Katajanokka, Helsinki to Tallinn, and we still transport a lot of mail on
our flights,” says Päivyt Tallqvist, Senior Vice President, Communications at
Finnair.
Finnair’s stamp
features beautiful movement and the familiar blue and white color scheme. “The
harmonious stamp represents timelessness and simplicity, which Finnair’s brand
is also associated with. The stamp is a great addition to our anniversary,
which has been visible on our planes, campaigns and social media channels
throughout the year,” Tallqvist says.
Great Britain
2
November 2023 : Christmas
Portugal
23
October 2023: World Figures from History and Culture
Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)
Born in
Clermont-Ferrand on 19 June 1623, Blaise Pascal from a very early age revealed
extraordinary intellectual abilities. Before he was even 20, he had made highly
significant mathematical and physical discoveries and invented a mechanical
calculating machine. From the mid-1640s, he devoted himself largely to studying
the properties of gases and liquids, atmospheric pressure, and vacuum.
Combining the results of ingenious experiments with precise mathematical
demonstrations, Pascal established the modern principles of hydrostatics. But
his scientific creativity was truly prodigious, leading to discoveries in areas
as disparate as probability theory, combinatorial analysis, the study of
curves, or mathematical analysis, and establishing results that are still
fundamental in these fields today. In the “century of geniuses”, Blaise Pascal was one of the most
versatile, most creative, and most influential figures in all of Europe.
Adam Smith (1723–1790)
Adam Smith was one of the most influential economists in history, having
contributed significantly to the development of modern economic thought. His
best-known work, “The Wealth of Nations”, presented new ideas and concepts that
shaped the way economics is studied and practiced today. Smith’s invisible hand
theory, his most famous idea, describes the idea that when individuals act
within a market according to their own interests, the result, surprisingly,
tends to be an efficient distribution of resources and the general well-being of
society. This theory is frequently cited as justification for the promotion of
the free market and free competition, as well as for minimizing State
intervention in the economy.
Furthermore,
Smith was also a pioneer in the analysis of the division of labour, through
which the specialisation and separation of tasks allow workers to produce more
goods in less time, which, in turn, increases output and reduces production
costs. This idea is crucial to understanding how the organisation and
management of work are fundamental to increasing the efficiency and
profitability of companies.
Slovakia
26 October
2023 :
1.
The Gothic Route - The Wall Painting in
the Church of the Holy Trinity in Rakos
2.
The Gothic Route - The Altar in the
Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary in Chyzne
Switzerland
7
September 2023: Metascape
Welcome to the Metascape, a virtual landscape created by students at ECAL, the cantonal university of art and design in Lausanne. One can scan the QR code on the miniature sheet to embark on a virtual video journey on Instagram.
Strange, and yet
somehow familiar. That’s the impression created by the elements on this
miniature sheet’s design. While familiar features of landscapes can be
discerned, such as rocks, bodies of water and vague outlines of vegetation, the
overall picture is of a surreal world – named the Metascape. To immerse your-
self in this imaginary domain, you can simply scan the QR code. Augmented
reality technology will then open up to visitors a fantasy world created by
artificial intelligence.
The genesis of the
design dates back to the Swiss Post Philately department’s visit to ECAL (Ecole
cantonale d’art de Lausanne). Impressed by the students’ artistic work, the
team quickly decided to offer the young talents a platform – in the form of a stamp.
With the exception of the overall theme of “destination”, the students were
given absolute creative freedom, resulting in a total of 14 projects developed
in working groups. A handful were then shortlisted. The winning project won the
vote of a jury made up of members representing ECAL, Swiss Post and the Stamp Commission. And so, when the stamp was created, fantasy became reality.
United Nations
10 October 2023 World Mental Health
Day
The United Nations recognizes World Mental Health Day each year on 10 October, to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and to support those living with mental health conditions. The theme for 2023 is “Mental Health is a Universal Human Right”.
Mental health is an integral part of our general health and well-being,
as well as a basic human right. Having good mental health means we are better
able to connect, function, cope, and thrive. However, people living with mental
health conditions often experience human rights violations, discrimination, and
stigma. The result is that millions of people around the world suffer in
silence and are greatly affected in their daily lives.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1 in 8 people across
the world live with a mental health condition. Despite being prevalent in
countries around the world, most societies neglect mental health and do not
provide the care and support people need and deserve. While mental health
conditions can be effectively treated at a relatively low cost, the gap between
people needing care and those with access to care remains substantial, and
effective treatment coverage remains extremely low.
World Mental Health Day is an opportunity to strengthen our shared commitment in making mental health a priority. We work towards making everyone able to exercise their human rights and access affordable, quality mental health care and where people can participate fully in society, free from stigma and discrimination.
The Designs:
US$ 1.50 Confusion
CHF 1,80 Rainy days and Mondays
€ 1,20 Mood swings
Philatelic Clubs and Societies
Prayag Philatelic Society
- https://prayagphilatelicsociety.org/
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 Society
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.net.in/
The Army Philatelic Society, Pune
Stamps of India – http://www.stampsofindia.com
Blogs & Websites
RAINBOW
STAMP CLUB
This is a blog of e-Stamp Club www.rainbowstampclub.blogspot.com The idea of
this blog is to extend the philatelic fraternity to all corners of the world.
Readers may write about themselves with their collecting interests and share
new ideas with other philatelists. New
Posts on recent issues, news on stamp activities, and Contributions 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 in their area for inclusion in this Blog. - Editor
Current Philatelic Magazines – Newsletters
-VADOPHIL, Editor - Prashant Pandya &TimirShah and
published by Baroda Philatelic Society, Vadodara. Website -http://www.vadophil.org/
-Ananthpuri Stamp Bulletin - Monthly e -stamp bulletin of Anathapuri
Philatelic Association, Thiruvananthapuram
-Journal of the Army Philatelic Society
-India Post – Quarterly Journal of the India Study Circle publishes original
articles submitted by members of ISC.
-Deccan Philatelist edited by Dr Anjali Dutta email : dranjalidutta0303@gmail.com from Deccan Philatelic
Society, Pune.
-The Hyderabad Philatelist from Hyderabad Philatelic and Hobbies Society Editor
– Shri Prakash Agrawal
-SIPA Bulletin issued by South India Philatelists’ Association
Acknowledgment
- Ananthapuri Stamp
Bulletin November 2023 issue edited by Mohanachandran Nair: email : apa.tvpm@gmail.com
- Judaica Thematic
Society, UK . Society Newsletter November
2023 edited by Gary Goodman email : judaicathematicsociety@talktalk.net
Courtesy - News and
Image Resource to this issue: SIPA, Philately Promoters, EIPA , Indian Philately,
Prayag Philatelic Society Group Whatsapp groups ; Pan India
Postal Pictorial Place Cancellations, Shrikant
Parikh – Ahmedabad; Atul Agrawal-Aligarh
Address for communication:
Jeevan Jyoti, 509, Design Arcade, Chandrabani, Wildlife
Institute Road, Dehradun-248001. India .
E-mail
– j.jyoti9@gmail.com
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Happy Collecting ……….
Rainbow Stamp News is edited and
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