Merry Christmas
Dehradun December 2025 Vol.
XVIII Issue No. 216
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
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Those who wish to receive it regularly please reply giving the name of your
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Editorial……
Dear Reader,
I am pleased to present the December 2025 issue
of Rainbow Stamp News. However, a distressing incident at the recent West
Bengal Circle philatelic exhibition, BONGOPEX 2025, demands our attention.
During visiting hours, a theft occurred when rare and valuable items were
stolen from two competitive collections displayed in glass-covered frames.
These collections belonged to well-known exhibitors who had won gold medals.
The lack of security vigilance and absence of
locks on the frames enabled the culprit to strike when the area was clear. This
incident raises concerns for all exhibitors, including those in the Invitees
Class, who showcase award-winning collections with rare items.
The question on everyone's mind is: what
compensation will be offered to these unfortunate exhibitors? Their collections
represent years of research, dedication, and investment. We urge the organizers
to:
- Ensure frames are securely locked
- Implement high-security measures
- Strictly avoid using cello tape to seal
frames, as it can be easily removed
The philatelic community deserves better
protection for its treasures. Let's work together to create a safer environment
for exhibitors.
Happy Collecting!
This is all for this month. More in the next issue.
Contents
. Editorial
· From the Desk of
Naresh Agrawal
· Recent Indian Issues
· In the News
· Specialized Section
· Beginners’ Section
. Stories Behind
Stamps
. New Issues from
Other Countries
. Thematics
· Philatelic Clubs and
Society
· Blogs and Websites
on Philately
· Current Philatelic
Magazines and Newsletters
VIRTUAL EXHIBITIONS: APPRICIATED ALL OVER
Nowadays we all are talking
about easy, convenient and affordable participation in philatelic exhibitions
because when we see the traditional way of exhibiting i.e. physical exhibiting
and participation in exhibitions; we find it quite difficult, costly,
cumbersome, hard to participate and not so easily accessible. Technology has
undoubtedly changed the face of traditional exhibiting where in specially
participation in international exhibitions is quite a difficult task where in
physical exhibits are well packed, carried through different stages through
couriers and messengers after getting various clearances and paying huge amount
in the process, then handing over, displaying on frame, removal, re-packing and
brought back through carrier and courier. Not only does this process take huge
time, it is also quite unsafe in terms of exhibiting sheets getting damaged or
even lost or stolen during the process. Furthermore, its viewership is
limited as only those who visit the exhibition venue can see the exhibits.
The virtual or digital
philatelic exhibitions use platforms like dedicated websites or social media to
present exhibits, often features like virtual reality and interactive elements
to reach a global audience with clear views of exhibits which can be enlarged
to view properly. These have been found to be quite cost effective as
participation fee and other expenditures are quite low, extremely convenient to
display, highly safe as far as physical damage or loss is concerned, accessible
with world-wide 24-hour viewership, provides enhanced visitor’s experience and
engagement, easy to judge and communicate. Such exhibitions also feature
watching live webinars, virtual booths of dealers and philatelic organizations,
chat sessions and interactions sitting at home anywhere in the world but need only
with net connectivity and systems to operate such as Mobile Phone or computers.
We have found philatelic
thinkers and organizers have started appreciating these exhibitions. It only
needs a net friendly dedicated team to communicate, entertain financial
transactions digitally, to set up a digital platform with sufficient digital
space for better display, even the jury judges it digitally sitting at home as
there is no physical display.
Yes of course, the physical
exhibits need to be certified by a local or regional or national authorized
philatelic body or person for genuineness of the exhibit before those are
accepted for digital displays. At least for the first time.
We have seen that during last two or three years there has been much thinking and working on such exhibitions to make it more convenient, safe, better in terms of display and viewership, to attract more and more stamp lovers and philatelist to help promotion of philately.
Hence, we look forward for
more and more philatelic organizations to come forward to conduct such
exhibitions and promote this beautiful education hobby of stamp collecting.
-Naresh Agrawal, Bilaspur (C.G.) email nareshkumar1992@yahoo.co.in Mob / WhatsApp: 09425530514
Recent Indian Issues
7 November 2025:
150 Years of Vande Matram -Rs 5
16 November 2025:
150th Birth Anniversary of Acharya Jawahar Lal
– Rs 5
19 November 2025: Birth Centenary of Sri Sathya Sai Baba – 4 x Rs 5 + MS
24
November 2025 : Platinum Jubilee IIT Khadagpur – Se-tenant Rs5 + Rs 5
24
November 2025 : The Bharat Scouts
and Guides - Diamond Jubilee- Rs 5
25 November 2025 : 350th
Martyrdom Day of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji -Rs 5
27 November 2025: K.
Vaikunth, Cinematographer- Rs 5
New Special Covers
25 November 2025: Diamond
Jubilee BSF: Bhuj
20 November 2025 : Kumaranaun Death
Anniversary : Vikas Bhavan PO
14 November 2025: Glorious 100 Years
of Ratlam Railway Station: Ratlam
14 November 2025: BONGOPEX - 2025
Bengalurupex 2025
1.Bengalurupex Mascot carried Special
cover
2. Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad
3. IISC Alumni Association
5. Mysore Sandal
6. Mysore Sandal Soap
8. Indian Institute of Science
9. Every Child deserves a Family
10. 50 Years of Karnataka Philatelic
Society
New Special Cancellations and Picture
Postcards
3
November 2025 : ICC Women Cricket World Cup : Mumbai
10
November 2025: World Science Day for Peace and Development: Mangalore
14
November 2025 : Children’s Day
15
November 2025 : Jan Jatiya Gaurav Diwas
20
November 2025 : Ananthapyri PEX 2025 : Trivandrum
20
November 2025 : Universal Children’s Day : Bangalore
26
November 2025 : Constitution Day : Bhubaneshwar
26
November 2025 : World Sustainable Transport Day : Bengaluru
In The News
AUSVIPEX -2025
Exhibition
Website https://ausvipex2025.com
Results available: Friday 4 December 2025
Exhibition Website https://ausvipex2025.com
For all enquiries email: Ausvipex2025@gmail.com
Dubai 2026
DUBAI
2026, Specialized FIP & FIAP patronage World Stamp Exhibition ,4-8 February
2026
Visit :https://dubai2026wse.com/
MACAO 2026
The FIP Patronage Specialised world Stamp Exhibition will be held at
Cotai Expo Hall A, The Venetian Macao, Taipa Macau SAR from 26 June 2026 to
1stJuly 2026.
Last date of submitting entries: 18 November 2025
Visit: https://www.macao2026.org.mo/
AMSIPEX 2026
The Airmail Soceity of India Foundation (AMSI) is conducting its 2nd
Virtual International Aero & Astrophilatelic exhibition during 14 to 21
February 2026.
visit : www.amsipex.com
BOSTON-2026
The
exhibition will be held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC)
in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Approximately 4,000 exhibition frames judged
under FIP rules will be available
National Commissioner: Mr. Pratisad Neurgaonkar, Email: pratisadn@gmail.com , Mobile: +91 9766310553 View : BOSTON 2026 - IREX
PHILATAIPEI 2026
FIP Patronage General World
Dates: 19 - 24 Nov 2026
News
from Philatelists and Philatelic Societies
Dongeythang School Launches
Philatelic Club
28.11.25: The Dongeythang Philatelic Club under the Sikkim Post Department, Gangtok, was officially inaugurated at Dongeythang Primary School on November 25th, 2025. The initiative aims to encourage students to develop an interest in philately and understand the cultural and historical value of postage stamps. This year, seven students have been selected as the first members of the club.
To mark the occasion, a stamp drawing competition on the theme “National Flag of India” was organised, where students showcased creativity and enthusiasm. Participants also explored a display of philatelic collections, including the latest postage stamp issued on Sikkim, making the event both educational and inspiring.
-Shital Srisyog Pradhan., Gangtok
My Experience as an Exhibitor in Ausvipex 2025
In recent issues of Rainbow News, Mrs.Jeevan Jyoti as well as Mr.Naresh Agarwal have touched up the important subject of rising costs of participating in International Exhibitions. I totally agree with their views. There is no dearth of philatelic exhibiting talent in India. The recent district and state level exhibitions have shown that if exhibiting costs are kept low, exhibitors across categories and difference states come forward in big numbers to participate with high quality exhibits on a variety of subjects. But sadly, when it comes to participating in international exhibitions the costs are so prohibitive in recent times that a middle-class Indian or even upper middle class Indian cannot afford to send exhibits. This is a sad state of affairs for philately in India. Causes of this are many including steep currency depreciation, high cost of travel and lodging abroad, bureaucratic difficulties in ASI clearances and high frame fees in some of these exhibitions. The solution as pointed out by Mr.Naresh Agarwal in the last issue of Rainbow Stamp News is Virtual International Exhibitions. As an exhibitor at the recent Ausvipex International Exhibition I would like to share my experience and some tips/advantages for exhibitors in future international virtual exhibitions: -
- Please do not
miss opportunities to take part in Virtual Fairs as many of them do not
have entry barriers based on past participation unlike Physical
International Exhibitions.
- India had 20 +
exhibits at Ausvipex and world over this was 100 +. It could have been
much much more…
- Cost of
Participation in Ausvipex for a 5 frame Exhibit was just Rs.5800. I made
it a point to exhibit many of my exhibits to take advantage of this.
Participating in an international physical exhibition would have costed
almost Rs.1 Lakh for each such exhibit. The Difference is almost 20 Times
!!
- Please make sure
you have a Paypal account or you should know how to transfer amounts
abroad by Paypal or Telegraphic Transfer from Indian Net Banking using
using A2 form as Exhibitors ask for the fees in Foreign Currency. It
sounds difficult but it is NOT. Please do not consider the payment mode as
a hindrance. If a senior citizen like me can crack it so can youngsters.
One visit to the bank is needed for Telegraphic Transfer or if you are net
savvy you can also do it online by linking your card to Paypal.
- Please make sure
you keep your exhibits as a Soft Copy with you in PDF as well JPG format.
As different organizers need different formats. Ausvipex asked for .jpg
…while some as for PDF.
- Exhibits should
be scanned after mounted and not be digitally modified.
- Always scan
exhibits after mounting but without outer Plastic Sheet.
- A4 Scan is easier
on a home / office scanner. For A3, you can visit any local xerox shop if
you do not have it at your office.
- Certificates for
Virtual fairs also come by Soft Copy.
- Virtual fairs
give you an Opportunity to showcase your exhibit globally at a low cost
- Its also a
learning opportunity to see other exhibitors and learn from them
- It carries no hassle of ASI and allotment issues.
In my Opinion Ausvipex 2025
has let the cat out and we will have more such exhibitions in the future.
-Sushil Mehra - Bangalore.
Specialized Section
STAMPS
WITH STRANGE CURRENCIES AS DENOMINATION
Before the advent of money, barter was the accepted means of payment where anything could serve as "currency". But it may be surprising to know that few countries denominated their stamps in terms of Kilograms of vegetables, crops, sea shells or local flora and fauna.
Denomination in Grams or Kilograms of Rice
North Vietnam’s set of "Harvesting Rice" official stamps issued in 1952/53 depicting a crude image of man planting rice with crude perforation by way of a sewing machine, denominated in kilograms of rice.
"Harvesting Rice" official stamps, Vietnam 1952/53
Also one value from President Ho Chi Minh’s set of 5 stamps issued in 1946 was overprinted in
1955 with denomination as 0.05 Kg.
President Ho Chi Minh stamp overprinted 0.05Kg of Rice,
Vietnam 1946
And finally Dien Bien Phu commemorative of 1954-56 were denominated in grams or kilograms of rice. The stamp shows a communist soldier standing atop the command post of the French commander, General De Castry. Both perforate and imperforate versions are available.
“Dien Bien Phu” commemorative of 1954-56
During the war unhulled rice became the unofficial state currency, hence the mention on the official stamps.
Denomination in Cowries
Wilson's embryonic postal system for Uganda commenced operations on March 20, 1895. A single letter box was set up in Kampala, at Wilson's office, offering twice-daily letter service to Entebbe and Gayaza for postage of 10 cowries. Other destinations had different rates.
1895-98, The “Uganda Cowries”, also known as the “Uganda Missionaries”, were the first adhesive postage stamps of Uganda.
“Uganda Cowries”, Uganda 1895-98
Commercial cover dt. 14 March 1895 bearing three Uganda Missionaries stamps of denomination 10 and 5 cowries respectively
Denomination in number of
Potatoes
Tristan da Cunha is a small
island situated in the southern Atlantic Ocean. An attempt to attract attention
to Tristan da Cunha by the issue of own postage stamps was made in 1946 by the
British meteorologist Allan B. Crawford, who spent a long time on the island
and realized there was a demand for stamps from philatelists and passing ships
from the so called “loneliest Island in the world”.
He decided to develop and
produce a Local stamp for the islanders to place on the outside of their
letters. Together with draftsman Sgt Jimmy Brown he came up with 9 designs and
Allan had 20,000 penny sheets made, each stamp depicted a penguin printed in red in
sheets of 35 stamps by Hortors Ltd of Johannesburg.
All 9
Potato Stamps designed by Sgt Jimmy Brown and facsimile copies of the now
famous “Potato” Essay; the only one which was printed in 1946
As they did not have
permission to use the King George head, they used the British Union Flag. The
islanders also had no money and during WWII they used potatoes as currency with
4 potatoes equalling 1 old penny (1d) so this currency was added to the designs.
The stamp/sticker soon
achieved fame as a souvenir from passing ships and collectors throughout the
world and was nicknamed the “Potato Stamp.
“Potato” stamp depicted on a M/S, Tristan da Cunha, 2006
In 1946 Craford also submitted a page of
the petition containing the designs of
nine postage stamps signed by the 12 members of the island council, to the UK
Postmaster General for consideration as a legitimate postage stamp, but petition was turned down for some reasons in
September 1946.
This 2015 stamp sheetlet has been produced using Allan Crawford's black and white designs submitted as part of the petition together with Tristan's first official stamp, the overprinted St Helena definitive. The border also depicts some of Allan Crawford's early designs.
FDC Potato Essays Postage Stamps, Tristan da Cunha 2015
The potato stamps were
never approved, but sometimes they were posted, hence a postage due penalty.
Commercial cover, Tristan da Cunha 1948, franked with a potato stamp assessed as 1-1/2c postage due upon arrival in South Africa
In 1979 to commemorate the
death centenary of Sir Rowland Hill, The 4 potatoes red stamp showing penguins
and the currency being potatoes was also included in the miniature sheet issued
by Tristan da Cunha.
Red
Potato stamp depicted in M/S of Death centenary of Sir Rowland Hill, Tristan da
Cunha, 1979
Denomination in number of Puffins
Released on November 1st
1929, the “Puffin Stamps” of Lundy Island are the only stamps having
denomination printed in number of a local bird “Puffin”. 1 Puffin = 1 British
Penny: 12 Puffins = 1 Shilling. The
stamps are clever too as they show the number of puffins per value, the half
has its face and chest, 1 has the whole bird and the 9 and 12 just look
hilarious. These stamps were Lithographed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co. Ltd. and
Printed in sheets of 120 stamps, made up by four panes of 30 stamps.
“Puffin”
stamps, Lundy 1929
Once owned by a smuggler
and slave trader, the name Lundy is derived from an Old Icelandic Viking word
“Lund” which means Puffin or Parrot and “ey” – an island. Numerous birds breed
on the island including Puffin whose name is used for the unit of currency.
Lundy is situated in the
Bristol Channel about 12 miles from the mainland of England. It is about 3miles
long by half mile wide, there are a number of permanent residents and about
25000 tourists visit the island each year. In 1925 the entire island was purchased
by Mr. Martin Coles Harman who set himself as the king of this island and
proceeded to coin money and issuing postage stamps for use by island’s
inhabitant. The stamps and coins bore a picture of the puffin, a paunchy bird
with a supercilious expression which inhibits the island in great number.
There is no British Post
Office on the Island so Lundy stamps were authorised, starting in 1929, to pay
postage for carrying the mails by packet boat (or airplane) to the mainland of
England.
Commercial
covers with Puffin Stamps on front and back
At first all went well with
this Lilliputian kingdom, but in 1931 the British government got wind of what
going on and court took a dim view of His Majesty King Harman’s regal
pretensions. King Harman suddenly found that he was an ex-king, was fined 5 pounds,
and was ordered to relinquish his royal prerogatives.
The printing of Puffin
stamps continues to this day and they are available at face value from the
Lundy Post Office. One used to have to stick Lundy stamps on the back of the
envelope; but Royal Mail now allows their use on the front of the envelope, but
placed on the left side, with the right side reserved for the Royal Mail
postage stamp or stamps.
Royal Mail now allows their use on the front of the envelope, but placed on the left side, with the right side reserved for the Royal Mail postage stamp
Lundy stamps are cancelled
by a circular Lundy handstamp. The face value of the Lundy Island stamps covers
the cost of postage of letters and postcards from the island to the Bideford
Post Office on the mainland for onward delivery to their final destination
anywhere in the world. The Lundy Post Office gets a bulk rate discount for
mailing letters and postcards from Bideford. Lundy stamps are a type of postage
stamp known to philatelists as "local carriage labels" or "local
stamps". Issues of increasing value were made over the years, including
air mail, featuring a variety of people.
New
designs of Lundy "local stamps" with denomination in number of
Puffins
Today, Lundy is part of the British Empire, and
former King Harman is an ordinary subject of King George. But the stamps remain
a fascinating item for collectors, unique in postal history. For they are the
only British stamps ever issued – not by the British Government not by a
British dominion, commonwealth, colony or possession – but by now private
citizen - His Exalted Ex-Royal Highness King Harman I, Ex-Monarch of Puffin
land!
Beginners’ Section
The
Postman in British India –
Cherished
by the Natives and Colonisers alike
The postman in British India was a key symbolic and practical link between the native population and the colonisers. The postal service itself was an extensive network created by the British for effective governance, military communication, and revenue collection and The postman was the endpoint of this system, physically delivering official government orders, legal notices, and tax demands to the native populace. This made him a direct, daily representative of the colonial state. He carried both the private correspondence of the natives and the official mail of the British administration. He literally bridged the gap between the European-centric administrative hubs and the remote Indian villages. Especially in rural areas where literacy was low, the postman often functioned as an informal reader and writer of letters for the native villagers. He translated the official language of the colonial government into local vernaculars, or read personal letters to illiterate recipients. The postal system was promoted by the British as a sign of their modernising, civilising mission in India. The postman, with his uniform and reliable routes, represented this efficient infrastructure of the Empire. For the natives he was a messenger of fate—bringing letters that contained news of births, deaths, marriages, job offers, or financial remittances from family members working far away. This role gave him a unique, personal significance and elevated his social status within the village. The British respected him as a faithful employee and an essential tool for maintaining their political and economic control. The postal service's efficiency was a measure of the Empire's reach and administrative success. The postman's ability to maintain the flow of communication, even during times of political unrest or environmental hardship, demonstrated the loyalty of the lower-level government machinery, which was crucial for the British Raj. Ethnographic picture postcards of that era, indirectly played a role in the British narrative of benevolence. These cards depicted scenes of India thus reducing complex societies to visual types for European consumption. By visually demonstrating the diversity of Indian society and simultaneously presenting the British administration as the system that efficiently connected all these disparate elements the postcards reinforced the idea that British rule was benevolent, modernising, and necessary to hold a multi-cultural society like India together. The postman was the man on the ground, delivering the image of the benevolent Empire.
Shown Above are Coloured Collotype Picture Postcards on the postmen of British India from early 20th century by M.V.Dhurandhar.
-Sushil Mehra,
Bangalore email: gaureshmehra@gmail.com
Explorer James Cook
200th anniversary of
Cook’s voyages to Hawaii and Alaska in 1778.
British explorer and navigator Captain James
Cook was born on November 7, 1728 (October 27 in the Old-Style calendar), in
Marton, Yorkshire, England. Cook attended school for five years before leaving
to work with his father on a farm. At age 16, Cook found a job as a shop boy in
a fishing village. He soon realized he wasn’t suited to this work, but instead,
was drawn to the sea.
Cook travelled to the nearby port town of Whitby
and got an apprenticeship with the Merchant Navy. This gave him experience at
sea and the chance to study mathematics, navigation, and astronomy, all of
which would help him later in his career as a navigator.
Cook completed his apprenticeship and was offered command of his own vessel, but instead joined the British Navy, where he would have better opportunities for advancement. At the time, the French and Indian war was raging in North America. In 1759, Cook conducted a dangerous mission, entering French territory in Canada to survey the Saint Lawrence River for the Navy. His accurate charts enabled the British to capture the city of Quebec later that year, a key turning point in the war.
During the war, Cook had spent five years in Newfoundland, producing some of the first and most accurate large-scale maps of the island’s coasts. His detailed work caught the attention of the Admiralty and the Royal Society. The Admiralty then commissioned Cook with conducting a scientific voyage to the Pacific Ocean. Cook resolved that he would not just “go farther than anyone had gone before but as far as possible for a man to go.”
Cook’s first voyage,
which lasted from 1768 to 1771, was a scientific trip, intended to study the
transit of Venus across the Sun. That study, in addition to observations at 75
other points around the globe, would be used to measure the Earth’s distance from
the Sun. Unfortunately, these observations didn’t turn out to be as accurate as
hoped due to fuzziness created by Venus’s atmosphere and discrepancies caused
by the black drop effect. The measurements taken by Cook and those from the
ship’s astronomer, Charles Green, differed by 42 seconds. None of the
observations from around the world were precise enough to determine the Earth’s
distance from the Sun. Cook also had a second mission on this voyage – to
search the south Pacific for Terra Australis, a hypothesized continent
necessary to balance out the large landmasses of the northern hemisphere. On
his journey, Cook mapped the Polynesian Islands and became the first European
to explore the eastern coastline of Australia in 1770, claiming a large area for
England.
Cook embarked on his
second voyage from 1772 to 1775. Once again he was tasked with searching for
the fabled Terra Australis. This expedition became one of the first to cross
the Antarctic Circle. He also made stops in the Friendly Islands, Easter Island,
Norfolk Island, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and what would become the Cook Islands.
He also discovered the South Sandwich Islands. The maps and journals from this
voyage helped to bring an end to the myth of Terra Australis.
Upon returning to
England, Cook was promoted to post-captain and given an honorary retirement
from the Royal Navy. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society and received the
Copley Gold Medal. Cook then volunteered for a third voyage (1776-79) to search
for the Northwest Passage – a way to sail from the northern Atlantic Ocean to
the northern Pacific Ocean.
During that
expedition, Cook and his crew became the first Europeans to set foot in the
Hawaiian Islands on January 18, 1778. Cook named Hawaii the “Sandwich Islands,”
after the British chief naval minister, the Earl of Sandwich. The Hawaiians
believed Cook had divine powers and considered him a great chief. After
engaging in friendly trade, Cook left the islands after two weeks.
Cook then sailed north and explored Alaska. His voyage there added an enormous amount of information to the blank spots on the maps of the northern coast. However, large walls of ice forced Cook to leave the area and he returned to Hawaii in November 1778.
Cook’s arrival in
Hawaii coincided with an important festival. Many historians speculate that the
islanders believed Cook was fulfilling a Hawaiian legend – the return of their
“sea god,” Lono. The Europeans were welcomed as gods and treated with great hospitality,
which they took advantage of. However, when one of the sailors died, their now
apparent mortality undercut the idea they were gods, and friction soon
developed between the crew and the islanders.
Cook was respected so
greatly that, among many other honors, Russia named an island group near New
Zealand after him (the Cook Islands). Perhaps the greatest praise came from
Benjamin Franklin. As the American Colonies battled Great Britain for independence
in the Revolutionary War, battles were often fought at sea. Any ship of the
opposing nation was potential prey – with one exception.
In
1779, Franklin ordered that American ships should “…not consider (Cook’s ship)
an enemy, nor suffer any plunder to be made of the effects contained in her,
nor obstruct her immediate return to England… but that you treat the said
Captain Cook and his people with all civility and kindness… as common friends
to mankind.” But at the time of the order, Cook had already been slain in
Hawaii.
Stories Behind Stamps
Finland - 10p Red Brown On Lilac Error Of Color, 1866
Price : USD 5,500
10p red brown on lilac lay is one of the best colour
mistake stamps printed by Finland Post in 1866, and is considered one of the
greatest rarities in Finnish philately. The error happened when the incorrect
cliché was placed into the 5p plate. Philatelists believe that roughly 20
instances of the 10p red brown exist, either unused or used. Siegel gave one of
the greatest examples of this amazing stamp mistake in May 2001. The specimen
had the original gum and entire perforations, which increased the value of this
remarkable philatelic artifact. The lot, accompanied by a Pelander lot card
from 1944, sold for $5,500 at this sale.
Reference : https://findyourstampsvalue.com/rarest-stamps/most-valuable-finnish-stamps
-Nisarg Sutaria email : nisargsutaria78@gmail.com
Thematics
LEGEPHILY:
A New Term for a New Vision in Philately
By Dipok Dey
Philately has always been a mirror of history, culture, and human achievement. Yet, within this vast world of stamps, one particular area of collecting has remained unnamed — the collection of stamps featuring great personalities. This thought struck me while reading Sushil Mehera’s remarkable philatelic book on Lokamanya Tilak, a work that reshaped my understanding of thematic collecting. He demonstrated that even with just two stamps on a renowned personality, one can build a beautiful and meaningful collection.
Inspired
by his approach, I realized that countless such collections are possible. For a
long time, collectors in India mostly focused on Mahatma Gandhi. But today, the
trend of collecting stamps on personalities is rapidly expanding — from
Rabindranath Tagore, Mother Teresa, Swami Vivekananda, Netaji Subhas Chandra
Bose, and Einstein to Lady Diana, Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, and many
more global icons.
At that moment, I felt strongly that such distinguished individuals deserve a dedicated category of their own. Placing them under general thematic collections diminishes their stature. Over the past year, I experimented with many word combinations, seeking a term that would honour these personalities appropriately. Finally, after much thought and creativity, I coined the word LEGE PHILY.
My grandson, Souptik Dey, verified the term using Artificial Intelligence, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. AI recognised it as a meaningful and commendable contribution to philatelic terminology.
Definition
Legephily
is the art and passion of collecting stamps that depict notable personalities,
historical figures, cultural icons, and legendary individuals. Each stamp
becomes a miniature window into the life, legacy, and impact of the person it
represents, allowing collectors to journey through history, culture, and human
achievement.
Description
Legephily celebrates human excellence through philately. It highlights the stories and achievements of personalities who shaped nations, inspired societies, and transformed the world. Beyond preserving postal history, this form of collecting connects enthusiasts to broader historical and cultural narratives, making each stamp a tribute to a remarkable life.
Examples
A Legephily collection may include stamps featuring:Rabindranath Tagore,M. K. Gandhi,Albert Einstein,Mother Teresa , Swami Vivekananda,Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose ,Lenin And contemporary icons who have contributed to art, science, literature, sports, or social change.
Why “Legephily” Works
Linguistic Roots:Lege- suggests “legendary,” “notable,” or “celebrated.”-phily means “love of.”Together, Legephily naturally conveys “the love of collecting stamps of legendary personalities.”
Philatelic Context:
The philatelic world lacks a specific term for personality-based collections. While people casually say “personality stamps,” the introduction of a creative term like Legephily provides identity, clarity, and prestige to this branch of collecting.
Conclusion
With the coining of Legephily, collectors now have a distinct term to describe their passion for personality-based philatelic collections. It honours the giants of history and culture while enriching the vocabulary of philately. I am delighted to contribute this small but meaningful addition to our field — one that I hope will inspire collectors across generations.
-Dipok Dey: email: dipokdey38@gmail.com
New Issues from other countries
Austria
14 November
2025 : Christmas Trees
28 November
2025 : Christmas Kiss
Christmas Kiss
The motif on this stamp is reminiscent of Victorian Christmas cards from
the 19th century. It shows two children kissing. The little girl is dressed in
a dress made of mistletoe, while the boy’s jacket and headgear are covered with
holly branches. Both plants, with their green leaves and red or white berries,
are popular decorations during the Christmas season. Kissing under the
mistletoe is a popular Christmas custom in English-speaking countries, which is
said to bring good luck.
Christmas Trees
Nowadays, for many
people, a decorated Christmas tree is an essential part of Christmas. Evergreen
trees and branches have always been symbols of hope during the cold season.
However, Christmas tree decorations have changed over time. Whereas in the past
they consisted of fruit, nuts and paper decorations, later additions included
sweets, colourful baubles and other figures. The illustrated Christmas trees on
the stamp are reduced to simple geometric shapes: triangles become trees,
squares and circles become Christmas tree decorations, and lines become tinsel.
Croatia
24 November 2025 : Croatian Fine Arts
Đuro Pulitika – Spring Landscape
Đuro Pulitika
(Bosanka, village above Dubrovnik, 26 January 1922 – Dubrovnik, 14 December
2006) is a modern painter of a recognizable strong coloristic expression from
Dubrovnik, whose creativity has made a special contribution to Croatian
landscape painting. On two occasions, he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in
Zagreb (1941–1943 and 1945–1947), after which he returned to his hometown. He
continued his education at the Art School in Cetinje, which he completed after
its relocation as the School of Applied Arts in Herceg Novi in 1950. The themes
of his native region and the Mediterranean landscape are the cornerstones of
his expression, with a special emphasis on his hometown area. In doing so, he
uses saturated and warm color tones: red, orange, yellow, blue, green, purple.
In color-intensive works, the most common are representations of landscape
variations, with contouring of forms, most often present in black. He often
uses the forms of a circle and a semicircle, particularly to shape trees,
hills, but also female figures, often integrated into the interior. Color and
light in Pulitika's distinctly authentic style are not in the service of
imitating reality, but are used as tools for shaping forms and achieving
psychological characterization, as well as creating emotional charge in the
painting. In his depictions of interiors, the author does not present an actual
space, but rather builds an introspective space, filled with nostalgia,
memories, a meditative quality. The characters are typified and are usually
female figures and nudes, black cats, figures of grandfathers and captains,
inspired by people from his own family history, but there are empty interiors
as well. Objects in the depicted interiors play the role of a narrator, so a
compass, a picture, a globe, a lamp tell a story of the life of the person
using the space. In his religious works, two of the most common representations
stand out – the crucifixion of Christ and the mourning of Christ. Such
religious representations are embedded in the landscape, most often with the
hint of a hill, in a spot far removed from populated places.
Antun Masle – Orašac
Antun Masle (Orašac, 1
September 1919 – Dubrovnik, 20 August 1967) is a modern painter of coloristic
expression from Dubrovnik, who, despite having passed away too soon, achieved
an impressive oeuvre. He received informal lessons in Dubrovnik from Kosta Strajnić
(1887–1977), a painter, art theorist, conservator, museologist and an important
figure for the development of modern art in Dubrovnik. He studied at the
Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb between 1938 and 1942, and after returning to
Dubrovnik he was engaged in teaching work for the remainder of his life. His
painting, in terms of its significance, belongs to the corpus of national
painting, as do the opuses of Ivo Dulčić (1916–1975) and Đuro Pulitika
(1922–2006), his Dubrovnik peers, with whom he shared friendship and a tendency
towards a coloristic and expressionist style.
Finland
5 November 2025: Gingerbread Parade/Choir
“This year, the Christmas stamps have been illustrated by the legendary Mauri Kunnas, who is known for his charming children’s books that have been enjoyed by several generations,” says Tommi Kantola, Design Manager at Posti, who is responsible for the selection of the artists and for providing guidance on the artistic work for the stamps.
This year, the Christmas stamps feature busy Christmas gingerbreads singing in a Christmas choir led by Santa Claus. The gingerbreads on the stamps are cheerful characters with their own personalities.
Mauri
Kunnas’ daughter Jenna Kunnas, who also works as an illustrator, is responsible
for the graphic design of the stamps. "The color scheme of the stamps is
clear and reflects a modern Christmas spirit. The blue and red colors clearly
distinguish the stamps from each other. The perforations of the stamps nicely
reflect the shape of the gingerbreads," says Jenna.
Hungary
14 November
2025 : Christmas
Jersey
11 November 2025: Christmas
18 November 2025:
Jersey Sky at Night
Jersey Sky at Night
Explore the wonders of the universe with Jersey
Post
Jersey Sky at Night
features eight out of this world images that were captured by local Jersey
astronomy photographers Neil Mahrer and Gordon Pollock. Jersey has a local
astronomy club that was founded in 1990, who regularly meet to make note of the
various universal phenomena that can be viewed from Jersey’s night sky.
This issue includes a
set of eight stamps and a souvenir miniature sheet. Three of the eight stamps
feature iconic Jersey landmarks, including Grosnez castle, the wicker puffins,
Archirondel tower. While the remaining five include beautiful space photography
that focuses on a specific astronomy occurrence, such as a lunar eclipse.
To photograph these
extraordinary natural phenomena, the photographers used a number of specialised
techniques to capture the amazing nightly views that can be seen from the
Island. While the images are typically true colours, one image used a technique
called ‘Narrowband Imaging’ where special filters were used to capture the
light from ionised gases - hydrogen, oxygen and sulphur. Multiple images were
then stacked and combined in specialist software creating an enhanced colour
image – in this case hydrogen is red, sulphur is green and oxygen is blue –
known as the HSO palette. A similar technique is used by the Hubble telescope
for many of its images.
Latvia
21 November
2025 : Christmas
Liechtenstein
10 November
2025: Christmas
Christmas
This year's Christmas
issue features lovingly designed motifs of historical greeting cards from the
original holdings of the Liechtenstein National Archives. The four stamps –
“Christmas tree” (face value CHF 1.00), “Gift-giving” (face value CHF 1.20), “Friendship”
(face value CHF 1.90) and “Tasty treat” (face value CHF 2.50) – appear in a
practical, self-adhesive sheet of 20.
The unifying element
of all the stamps is the depiction of children in atmospheric Christmas scenes:
from picking out the Christmas tree and giving presents on Christmas Eve to
spending the night together and the lovingly baked cookies that smell tempting
– and are waiting to be discovered as a gift from angels.
Philatelic Clubs and Societies
Air Mail
Society India Foundation - https://www.airmailsocietyindia.org/
Karnataka
Philatelic Society - https://www.karphil.in/index.html
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 - https://eipa.in/home
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
Durgapur
Philatelic & Numismatic Society – https://www.facebook.com/share/1B3TasUbyR/
Philatelic Society of Bhopal
Madurai
Philatelist & Numismatist Association (MAPNA)
Blogs & Websites
Jusqu’a Markings and other Route Indicators
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.
Eduitor – Mohanachandran Nair
-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
-The Fila Capsule issued by
Eastern India Philatelists' Association, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Editor - Dr
Bibhudutta Mishra
Gibbons Stamp Monthly edited by Dean Shepherd –
Stanley Gibbons
Acknowledgment
- Ananthapuri Stamp
Bulletin November 2025 issue edited by Mohanachandran Nair: email : apa.tvpm@gmail.com
- Judaica Thematic
Society, UK . Society Newsletter October
2025 edited by Gary Goodman email : judaicathematicsociety@talktalk.net
-Fila Capsule September 2025 issue : e- magazine of Eastern India
Philatelists' Association, Bhubneshwar Odisha; Chief Editor: Dr Bihudutta
Mishra-email :bhanubibhu68@gmail.com
Courtesy - News and Image Resource to this issue : SIPA, Philately Promoters, EIPA ,
Indian Philately, Prayag Philatelic Society Group, Philatelic Exhibitions,
Deccan Philatelic Society Whatsapp WOPA Mystic Stamp Co.; Pan India Pictorial
Place Cancellations ; Mystic Stamp Co.; MB Stamps ; Mohanachandran
Nair-Trivandrum; MB Stamps ; Retd.
Col Akhil Kumar- Bangalore; Praveen Shastry- Bangalore; Europa
Stamps ; Dr Aditya
Singh- Allahabad
Address for communication:
Jeevan Jyoti, 509, Design Arcade, Chandrabani, Wildlife
Institute Road, Dehradun-248001. India .
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Happy Collecting ……….
Rainbow Stamp News is edited and
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