Date of Issue : 21 June 2011

EUROPA 2011 – Year of Forests 

 

Shimla  June 2011  Issue # 42  Vol. IV

Monthly e-Stamp Bulletin Edited by Jeevan Jyoti for free circulation among philatelists

Readers are requested to send reports of philatelic activities in their area for publication. Short write ups by the readers about their journals, societies, publications and philatelic requirements can be sent for inclusion in this bulletin to j.jyoti9@gmail.com or rainbowstamp2008@gmail.com and by post to –

Ms. Jeevan Jyoti, c / o Mr. Ajay Srivastav, Director, Great Himalayan National Park, Shamshi, Distt. Kullu. PIN 175126. (H.P.) India

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

Dear Reader,

This is the 42^nd issue of Rainbow Stamp News. And  with this issue it completes 3 ½ years of publication. During these forty months I tried my best to provide you good reading material on various topics of philately. But now I feel that Rainbow Stamp News has reached  the saturation point. To present it in a new format with more features, your valuable suggestions are required. So please send your feedback and advise what new features you would like to see in the forthcoming issues. I shall try to publish more articles of your interest on philately.Your contribution and suggestion can make this newsletter more interesting and useful for all.

In the interview section, Usually  I  select distinguished personality from the field of philately. But if anyone likes to express  views related with the philatelic field may write to me his/her collecting interests and achievements in philatelic field with brief profile  . I will send questionnaire for the interview. It is my pleasure to share the views and opinions of philatelists of various interests from different states.

The year 2011 is being celebrated as International Year of Forests .The theme chosen for Europa 2011 is also “Forests”, which coincides with International Year of the Forests declared by the United Nations. So stamps on ‘Forest’ theme are being issued all over the world and we expect a beautiful stamp from India Post too in the global celebration of International Year of Forests. This is all for this month……Till Next Month…Happy Collecting !!

                                                                                     …. Jeevan Jyoti

Contents

Recent Indian Issues

In The News

Interview

Beginners’ Section

Specialized Section

Something of interest, also for non-philatelists

New Issues from Other Countries

Reader’s Right

Philatelic Library

Philatelic Clubs and Societies

Blogs & Websites on Philately

The Lighter Side

Promotional Section

Current Philatelic Magazines – Newsletters

Editor’s Mail Box

Recent Indian Issues

   

 

1 March La Martinere Schools – Rs 5

23 March : Subhadra Joshi – Rs 5

20 April : Chitralekha – Rs 5

30 April : Umrao Kanwar Maharaj Saa “Archana” – Rs 5

7 May : Rabindranath Tagore - 2 Stamps

25 May : 2^nd Africa – India Forum Summit 2011 –Rs 5 & Rs 25 + MS

 

2011 revised Stamp Issue programme of India Post is available at following link.http://www.indiapost.gov.in/philatelycalendar2011.htm

Forthcoming Stamp Issues

Jul 02: The United Theological College

Jul 06: D S Kothari

Jul 21: V S Page

Jul 25: Rashtrapati Bhavan, 4 Stamps

Jul 28: Kasu Brahmananda Reddy

Special Cover – Postmark

5 March 2011 Spring Festival, Dehradun

16 March 2011 Jagannath sadak Yatra 9 (Carried by Bullock cart from Kolkatta to Puri)

23 March 2011 Bharat Itihas Samshodhal Mandal , Pune Celebrating Centenary Year

1 April 2011 Silver Jubilee year of CIFA, Bhubaneshwar

13 April 2011 Army Public School , Dagshai – Solan ( HP)

View new special cover from Himachal Pradesh :

http://rainbowstampclub.blogspot.com/2011/05/new-special-covers-from-himachal.html

1 May 2011 : 25 Years of Papal Visit to Thrissur

9 May 2011 : 150^th Birth Anniversary of Tagore - Patna

In The News

New Auction World Record for Rs 10, Gandhi Service stamp

On May 19th, 2011 David Feldman, one of the world's leading philatelic auction houses, sold a 1948 10 Rupee Mahatma Gandhi stamp of India for a World Record price of EUR 144,000 (US$ 205,000); this is the highest price ever paid for a single Indian stamp (smashing the previous 2010 record set by the 4 Annas "Inverted Head" error). Additionally it is also believed that this sale possibly represents a World Record price paid for a modern stamp from any country.

The stamp, probably the finest remaining example out of only 18 known in existence today, was issued by the Government of India as a set of 4 commemorative stamps on August 15th, 1948 as a tribute to the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi, who was assassinated in January of the same year. These were the first commemorative stamps of Independent India, and issued in 4 denominations. A set of only 100 10 Rs. stamps (in two sheets) were overprinted with "Service", making these the world's least printed stamp.

In the same auction session, part of a fabulous Grand Prix winning collection of covers of Indian stamps used in Burma, attracted interest from all over the World. During a tense period of bidding, the collection was sold for a total amount of EUR 672,000 (US$ 957,000).

Canada Post commemorates History of Mail Delivery by dog sleds….

On May 13th, Canada Post issued a domestic rate stamp to commemorate the history of mail delivery by dog sleds. The stamp design features a dog sled and its musher crossing a snowy wilderness, as well as images of some early pieces of mail sent by dog sled. The stamp represents the importance Canada Post has always attached to serving Canadians in remote rural communities.

Dog Sled Mail Run background

The Gold Rush Trail Dog Sled Mail Run is living history. For the past 19 years, on the fourth weekend of January, dog teams and dedicated mushers who have been sworn in as official mail carriers have carried Canada Post mail in their dog sleds over the Gold Rush Trail. Special Mail Run envelopes are stamped "Carried by Dog Team" and are hand cancelled in Quesnel, Wells and Barkerville, the three post offices along the route. Once delivered to Barkerville, this mail enters the regular mail system for delivery anywhere in the world.

Throughout the northern half of Canada, sled dog teams transported the winter mail from the early 1800's to the 1920's, when airplanes piloted by returning daredevil WWI aces introduced what came to be known as air mail. This gradually displaced the sled dogs as these pilots opened up Canada's frontier, however in a few isolated locations winter mail was still delivered by dog team until the 1960's.

Instant stamp on Royal Wedding from Australia

Australia Post released instant stamp on 4 May 2011 to commemorate Royal Wedding of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton. The stamp has been issued in form of an instant stamp sheetlet .The stamp has been issued with a special technology that allows the images to be uploaded into a Royal Wedding stamp template, pre-approved by Buckingham Palace. This is the first stamp which has been issued after the wedding of  Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton.

Aromatic Stamp from Australia

Australia Post issued a new aromatic postage stamp on 17th May  2011 with specific aromatic smell of Eucalyptus oil. The stamp has been printed by using special technique. "The eucalyptus scent is encapsulated into little bubbles and we put that into a printable varnish," Graeme Lidgerwood, the sales manager of the print firm Ego, said. "It could last forever. The scent will only wear off when you rub the surface to break the micro bubbles." The Farming Australia issue, on sale from May 17, features four 60c stamps depicting native horticultural products: bush honey, macadamia nuts, tea-tree oil and eucalyptus oil. However only one will feature the scent of a eucalypt forest embedded in what Ego calls the Scentprint varnish, a technique which has been used to liven up magazine covers. The scented stamp is  available only in a special sheet that retails for slightly above face value, at $6.45 for 10 stamps.

2011 EUROPA online Stamps Competition now launched

The Malta Europa €0.37 stamp will participate in the Best EUROPA Stamp Contest amongst all official EUROPA stamps. This contest is an annual online event where creative entries from across Europe compete for the best design. This competition is now open and available to all online till 9 August 2011, by clicking on the link www.posteurop.org/europa2011. The winning stamp will be announced at the PostEurop Plenary Assembly to be held between 12 and 13 October 2011 in Turkey.

Following this UN initiative to promote awareness of the importance of forests through the declaration of an International Year, PostEurop has chosen the same subject for the 2011 EUROPA Stamp. The theme for 2011 "Forests" is linked with the International Year of Forests declared by The United Nations General Assembly.

A London restaurant named “Penny Black”

A new recently opened restaurant in London has been named as Penny Black to which any philatelists will stop for a moment as the name is very much familiar with any philatelist. , "The name comes from some artworks – Warholesque screen prints of the famous stamp – that the owners acquired and liked enough to name their new restaurant after." The Penny Black opened in last February.

The Penny Black Restaurant is committed to presenting the finest range of British food cooked using modern methods but with the tradition of using fresh produce from British land whether that be from grazing on the land or growing in the land.

Japan to issue semipostal stamps for earthquake victims

Japan will issue five semi postal stamps of denomination 80 yen with a surtax of 20 yen on June 21 to raise money for the victims of for earthquake and Tsunami which occurred on March 11 .They will be issued in a pane of 10 with five different designs featuring hearts, birds and flowers.

China 2011 - 27th Asian International Philatelic Exhibition

The 27th Asian International Stamp Exhibition China 2011, co-sponsored by State Post Bureau, Jiangsu Government, China Post and All-China Philatelic Federation, will be held in Wuxi Taihu International Exposition Center from November 11 to November 15, 2011. This exhibition will be a large international stamp culture exchange activity. held in China after the 2009 World Stamp Exhibition.

Jointly organized by the State Post Bureau, China Post Group Corporation, All-China Philatelic Federation and the Jiangsu provincial government, the event will display 1,300 precious stamps from 26 Inter-Asia Philatelic Federation members.

The five-day event will also feature exhibitions of stamp designs, forums on stamp collecting and auctions of precious stamps, the Wuxi city government said in a statement. Additionally, the exhibition will offer activities showing visitors how stamps are created.

The exhibition's executive committee has kicked off a national youth competition on stamp designs and some of the best designs will be on display during the event.

Exhibition Date: November 11 – 15, 2011, will run for five days.

National Commissioner : Dr RS Gandhi, Patna

Email : gandhipatna@yahoo.com

Exhibition aims: to promote the development of our culture; promote the cause of China's postal and philatelic career development; promote the holding of the economic, cultural, all-round coordinated development; to promote philately in Asia and Oceania-round development; to promote international cultural exchange of people.

Venue : Taihu International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Organizers: the State Post Bureau, Jiangsu Provincial People's Government, the China Post Group Corporation, China National Philatelic Federation.

Sponsor: Wuxi Municipal People's Government.

Website : China 2011

PHILANIPPON 2011: World Stamp Exhibition

Date : July 28 – August 2, 2011

National Commissioner : Anil Suri

Email : anilksuri@email.com

Venue : Pacifico Yokohama, Exhibition Hall.1-1-1.1 Minatomirai Nishi-ku,

Yokohama 220-0012, Japan

Patronage : Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP)

Auspices : Federation of Inter-Asian Philately (FIAP) http://www.philanippon.jp/english/

World Philatelic Exhibition at Jakarta

Philatelists Association of Indonesia (PFI) will hold the World Philatelic Exhibition (World Stamp Exhibition) themed Indonesia 2012 from 18 to 24 June 2012 at the Jakarta Convention Centre Jakarta.

The exhibition titled "Bridge to the World of Peace Through Stamps" (Bridging To The World of Peace Through Stamp) is aimed to enhance friendship among philatelists the world as one share of world peace. Included in order to promote philately in all its aspects.

"Indonesia 2012" is expected to become the largest philatelic exhibition ever held in Indonesia. Earlier, Indonesia has successfully conducted philatelic exhibitions in Asia-Pacific three times, namely "Indopex '93" in Surabaya (1993), "Jakarta '95" in Jakarta (1995), and "Jakarta 2008" in Jakarta (2008). Indonesia has also been a world philatelic exhibition organizers specifically for teens class "Indonesia '96" in Bandung (1996).

2nd Africa India Forum-Summit issue

India Post has wrongly printed the map of India on the back of the First Day Cover issued for the 2nd Africa India Forum-Summit issue of May 25, 2011. It is shown in  reverse position on back side of the FDC which is actually the mirror image of the correct position. View details on following links.

http://setenantsofindia.blogspot.com/2011/05/africa-india-forum-summit-set-of-fdcs.html

http://www.stampsofindia.com/newssite/newspost/472plus1.htm

 

PHILACOIN2011

PHILACOIN 2011, a one day Philatelic and Numismatic Exhibition held at Loins Bhawan, Bilaspur (C.G.) organized by Chhattiasgarh Philatelic Association,Bilaspur jointly with Bilaspur Mudra Parishad,Bilaspur under patronage of Loins Club Bilaspur on 22.05.11 stamped an impression of great success as it was graced by the regular attendance of big number of visitors of the city . The exhibition which was organized with a view to refresh the collections of the members, to introduce, attract and guide the new collectors in this field was highly appreciated by all the visitors of all age groups who enjoyed the fascinating world of stamps and coins together under one roof.

The exhibits of noted philatelists of Bilaspur Mr. Atul Jain (“Human Hands” ) and Mr. Naresh Agrawal (“Automobiles” ) which won various national and international awards in the recent times were displayed in the show. The other good thematic exhibits were “Gandhi-a life journey” by Sri Abhijit Biswas “Queen’s Baton Relay-2010”,Dak Ticket Sandharbh, Jain Dharam, Maximum Cards (environment), History and development of car, Road Traffic Safety, Labeling Airmails etc. Numismatic section had display of Coins from 500Bc to 1947 AD by Sri Neeraj Agrawal, Coins of Republic of India by Sri Alok Chowdhary and Sri Pramod , Wild life on Indian coins and currency by Sri Maurya was a great attraction .

Loins Club Bilaspur awarded certificate of appreciation to all participants and honored the veteran philatelists for their achievements and services . The success of the show was an example of team work with special efforts from Sri Pratap Thakur, Abhishek Sharma and Abhijit Biswas under guidance of Sri C.R.Andhare.

- Naresh Agarwal

Booklets Cover and Max Cards on Jainism

IT State Minister Mr Sachin Pilot released a stamp on Jain Sadhvi Umrao Kanver Ji Maharaj Saa on 30th April 2011 in Ajmer . The function was organised by Parasvnath Manaav Sewa Sasnthan Foysagar Ajmer.Jainism Phila Group also released a booklet and two Maxim card on Sadhvi Maharaj Saa . The function was attended by large number of persons. About 20 Jain Phila Group members also attended the function. A Philatelic Exhibition on Jainism was also organized during stamp release function .Exhibitors were Sanjeev Jain (Dehradun) Vikas and Anil Jain.

View Booklets and Covers at :

http://rainbowstampclub.blogspot.com/2011/05/special-cover-and-booklet-on-jainism.html

National Stamp Fair

The National Stamp Fair will be held from June 17 to 19, 2011 at centrally located venue - Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan, Bhai Vir Singh Marg, Gole Market, New Delhi.

Contact Ashish Talwar: email : talwar2002@hotmail.com 09810186108 for details.

Philatelic & Numismatic exhibition in Trichur

Shrine Bassilica of our Lady of Dolours and Trichur Philatelic Club is jointly organising a three day Philatelic cum Numismatic display on "Pope John Paul II and Christianity" from 29th April 2011 to 01st May 2011 on the occasion of Beatification of Pope John Paul II at Vatican which coincides with 25th Anniversary of John Paul II visit to Trichur, Kerala.

Venue: Bassilica Jubilee Hall, Trichur.

A Special cover on Pope John Paul II will also be released on this occasion

Stamps of India National Exhibition

Nov 3-6: New Delhi,

Venue: NSIC Exhibition Complex, Okhla Industrial Estate, Govindpuri Metro Station

Timings: 11am to 7 pm

Organizers: Stamps of India

Contact: sj@stampsofinida.com

Website: www.stampsofindia.com/sine.html

THRISSURPEX 2011 Philatelic & Numismatic Exhibition

Nov 18-20: Thrissur, Organizers: Philatelic Club Thrissur

Venue: Pandy Samooha Madom Hall

INTERVIEW

In this issue, meet with noted thematic philatelist of Patna, Mr Lallan Singh who has prepared a specialized philatelic Exhibit on Birds with some rare and specific items. His exhibit “How and Whys of Birds”- “Since the 1600s at least 115 species of bird are known to have gone extinct, mostly as a result of human interference. This has happened largely because of the lack of proper understanding about birds. This exhibit attempts to improve this understanding by inciting questions about birds in the minds of the viewer, which are formulated in the form of How and Why. HOWS are for investigating their origin and certain acts they perform and WHYS are for looking into causes and reasoning with respect to their anatomy and these acts?” was awarded Vermeil medal at INDIPEX 2011. Mr Singh is an avid stamp collector and lover of Birds so he has chosen Bird as his favourite theme. Besides Birds, he has also prepared 3 one frame exhibits, namely, “The Four Seasons”, “History of European Paintings” and “ Your health is, Where your heart is“. He also won a Silver medal at LONDON 2010 for his non - thematic exhibit “Twin Cobra Overprints of Gwalior “(On George V British India Stationery). Mr Singh has won awards at different National and International exhibitions. He also loves to write articles on thematic philately. His seven articles on different themes have been published in the prestigious journal of American Topical Association, “Topical Times”. By profession he retired as Chief Engineer (Civil) and now he is devoting most of his time to this wonderful hobby. It is a great pleasure to publish Mr Singh’s interview in this issue. Here he answers to some of my questions and shares his experiences in this hobby from his childhood days to the present day, the recent time he spent at INDIPEX 2011. He also reveals how he developed his Bird Exhibit with the help of none other than Mr.Giancarlo Morolli, former chairman, Thematic Chapter, FIP, whom he never met but through extensive correspondence he was able to learn finer points of Thematic Philately. It is a long journey………Readers would like to know… - Editor

Mr Lallan P. Singh may be contacted at email : singhlallan@yahoo.com

Interview with Mr Lallan Singh

1. You have just visited INDIPEX 2011 and attended the exhibition all seven days. What is your impression about the exhibition? What was the best part of the exhibition? Are you satisfied the way it was managed by the organizers??

Ans: It was O.K. and the best part of the exhibition was the Idea of “My Stamp” & “Philatelic Passport”. Idea of Philatelic Passport will go a long way in introducing stamp collecting to kids.

Philatelic exhibitions under patronage of FIP are organized strictly as per FIP norms and hence standard of World Philatelic Exhibition was maintained in INDIPEX-2011 under the guidelines of FIP. These constitute arranging the exhibits in proper manner in a proper space. These arrangements were satisfactory. Visitors / philatelist those who visited the exhibition might have been satisfied by seeing the exhibits due to the contribution from the philatelists from all over the world. But whenever one has to deal with the organizers for one reason or the other typical bureaucratic attitude was visible and nobody was taking the responsibility.

I had the opportunity to talk about this with some of the Commissioners / Jurors and they were totally disappointed with the organizers. Few Examples: I went to hand over the exhibits on 7^th of February at Dak Bhavan but they refused to take the exhibits though it was clearly mentioned in the forwarding letter that the exhibits will be accepted at Dak Bhawan from 7-9 Feb, no concrete information about the award ceremony on 17^th Feb was available and awardees had to return from the award ceremony empty handed, marks sheets & Certificates were not given while returning the exhibits (person handing over the medals did not know even what marks sheet is?), I learnt 3 weeks after the exhibition concluded that senior philatelists were still struggling hard to return the foreign exhibits with no help from the organizers, name of the exhibitor is not engraved either on the medal or on the box, special covers and cancellation for the events for each day was missing as was done during INDIPEX-1973 (hope you have seen them, they are big but beautiful, especially the cancellations), all the stamps bearing logo or name of INDIPEX-2011 for My Stamp were not announced before the event and I guess many collectors did not know about them, hope they will be available for sale at philatelic bureaus etc. . There were several other discrepancies existed which indicated that the government departments in India have still to learn a lot how to organize an International event, whether it is CWG or INDIPEX-2011

2. What is your opinion about the quality of exhibits in all classes especially Thematic Class ??

Ans: Exhibits were of excellent quality in thematic class. I would like to mention few exhibits, Heat, Water, Pretty Polly, The wonderful world of Thematic philately, and of course “My Life as a Bicycle” in class of honor. I did not get much time to look into other classes; my hands were full with thematic exhibits, even for them I could not find sufficient time.

3. When did you start collecting stamps?? How were you introduced to this hobby ??

Ans: I started late, at the age of 21. Stamps always fascinated me and during my visits to GPO Patna I saw people selling colorful foreign stamps on the verandah, on those days when new stamps and first day cover were being released. I was especially fascinated to see birds, flowers and paintings on big colorful (in those days Indian stamps were not being printed in multicolor) foreign stamps.

4.  You have interest in both traditional and thematic philately as you have won awards in both the classes.  What inspired you to collect and prepare a specialized collection on Birds ? Please tell about some specific items of your exhibit on Birds.

Ans: As I have said earlier I was always fascinated to see birds, flowers and paintings on stamps so I started collecting on these topics. When first State Philatelic Exhibition was being organized in 1976, I looked at my collection and found some very interesting stamps on birds which were suitable for describing different aspects in a bird’s life and I prepared my first exhibit naming it “Hows & Whys of Birds” (The name still continues) and participated in BIPEX-1976.

Mr. Jatia was one of the jurors at BIPEX-1976 and I was awarded “Bronze” medal on my first exhibit. Mr. Jatia also explained some important aspects of thematic philately.

After BIPEX-1976, I went to USA in 1979 for higher studies and though the hobby still continued but I was not able to prepare for exhibiting. After coming back to India in 1985, I started exhibiting again in 1986 but as there was no body in India to guide as far as thematic philately is concerned I was groping in darkness till I came in contact with Dr. Ing. Giancarlo Morolli in 2003 just before the Bangkok International Philatelic Exhibition. He actually made me understand what thematic philately is and under his guidance for just two weeks I got Silver at my first International Exhibition at Bangkok. He guided me further after the Bangkok exhibition via E-mail and INDIPEX-2011 was my second International where I won Vermeil. I never met Mr. Morolli but all credit goes to him for getting me where I am today. Whatever I learnt from him I have shared extensively with many of my fellow Philatelists in India.

I like my theme because I love birds. Since 1600s at least 115 species of birds are known to have gone extinct, mostly due to human interference. This has happened largely because of the lack of proper understanding about birds. My exhibit attempts to improve this understanding.

 

SWEDEN (1836), folded letter sealed with wax to which affixed one black feather, indicating the urgency. Feather mail was unique to Sweden before issuance of postage stamps and number of feathers indicating increased urgency of delivery

All items in my exhibit are special, as they have been carefully selected to complete my story – “Hows & Whys Of Birds”. But I would like to mention one specific item in my exhibit which is very appropriate thematically as well as philatelically and that is “Feather Mail” of 1836 from Sweden. Feather mail was unique to Sweden before issuance of postage stamps and number of feather indicating increased urgency of delivery.

5. What are the other branches of philately which you really enjoy?

Ans: I do not understand when you say other branches of Philately. Frankly speaking I do not know how many branches of philately are there? I can understand other aspects of philately though. I am interested in philatelic research & literature. I also like to write philatelic articles. Seven of my articles have appeared in Topical Times of American Topical Association in the past.

6. You might have spent a long time in this hobby. What difference do you find in the attitude of collectors of yesteryears and present day? Don't you think most of the collectors these days try to become professional and have made this hobby more commercial?

Ans: If by “commercial” you mean, buying and selling of stamps by collectors then I would say it was always there. At one point of time a collector finds some duplicates and he tries to sell them to create some extra fund. Some collectors prefer exchange but that is done more often in foreign countries were stamp clubs are run successfully and this type of exchange is done during monthly meetings.

Other type of commercialization is also going on by creating notional scarcity of stamps, sheetlets, miniature sheets, errors etc. and that is specialty of India, but that is not philately and I don’t call them collector. They are simply opportunist trying to make money & they have nothing to do with philately. In my opinion dealing in stamps is important part of philately and genuine dealers are always welcomed.

There is not much difference between the attitude of a true collector of present day & yesteryears. Today due to internet collectors are at an advantageous position as far as buying the needed items are concerned. They are also at an advantageous position as far as selling their surplus is concerned.

7. Do you think the recent Khadi Stamp MS matches with the standards of  other unique stamps like silk, embroidered, Chocolate  stamps etc issued   by other countries? Since only a small piece of Khadi fabric has been used on Khadi MS. This Khadi MS has become topic of discussion in the philatelic community. Please give your comments on the price of this Presentation Pack.

Ans: Khadi stamp was printed in most unprofessional manner. There are many thick Khadi fabrics available, stamps should have been printed on them and that too wholly not partially on khadi and partially on paper.

The price of Khadi MS is ridiculous. A printing Authority selling its stamp at two and a half times the face value shows a naked commercialization by India Post. I don’t know any other postal authority doing this type of business in the world.

8. What do you think about “One Frame Class” in the exhibition?? What is the future of this class ?? Do you agree that medals  should be awarded in this class too  in order to encourage new comers. As it is easy to prepare one frame exhibit with appropriate philatelic items than five frame exhibit.

Ans: First of all I want to say that there is lot of misunderstanding about one frame exhibit in India. Philatelists think that it is easy to prepare one frame exhibit than 5-frame exhibit and in last para of your question you have also said the same thing. The concept of one frame is for the themes that are shorter in nature so that the story can be narrated in one frame. It is not that a theme which can be exhibited in 5 frames is being condensed in one frame. This is totally a wrong concept and it is not what FIP had in mind while introducing one frame exhibits. To stress my point further I will quote few lines from China – 2011 Brochure. It says, “ Exhibits in this Class should not be One Frame extracted from multiple frame exhibit and should be based on a narrow subject that is best treated as One Frame. Exhibits are also welcome from novice exhibitors who are developing a subject which is capable of expanding to more than One Frame.”

I think future of this class is very bright but it all depends on budding philatelist to utilize this class as stepping stone to develop their theme. Apart from one frame exhibited in London-2010, I myself have developed 3 one frame exhibits, namely, “The Four Seasons”, “History of European Paintings” and “ Your health is, Where your heart is” and exhibited them at state level exhibitions. “The four seasons” won Bronze in Romania-2008. I think medals should be awarded in this class as was done in London-2010.

9. After winning a certain medal level in National and International Exhibitions, an exhibit demands a heavy pocket to spend on certain philatelic items if one wishes to win higher awards. At this level, only collector's skill does not work but the money that matters more with the skill in presenting  select philatelic items...It is the reason that after a certain level some exhibitors are unable to reach higher level.  Do you agree with the statement?

Ans: As far as thematic exhibits are concerned the answer is both yes or no. It all depends on the theme you have selected. Suppose there are items of high philatelic importance related to your theme and they are costly then of course you need to have them for your exhibit and that will demand good sum of money. But on the other hand you have a theme were moderately costly items are needed to complete your story then you do not have to spend huge amount of money.

This is a typical Indian thought that higher awards are related to higher expenditure. That may be true in case of traditional philately. According to Mr. Gian Carlo Morolli & the jurors of recently concluded INDIPEX-2011, good/rare thematic items do not mean costly items. I looked at the Gold Medal winning exhibit, namely, Pretty Polly, I don’t think it is costlier that 3-5 lakhs in INR. I can guess this amount because this is also a theme related to my theme, birds, and lot of items were similar to mine in this exhibit. And if you spread this amount over several years during which items were collected, it does not amounts to be much. If we consider this heavy pocket, then we are forgetting that after all this is exhibition and exhibition means exhibiting something special, some thing not yet seen & something rare.

10. Any suggestion from you for the provision of a particular class that might be open for all with restriction of exhibiting costly and rare items so that a large group of philatelists could participate in an open competition. As it was started earlier ... MOPHILA & Frugal Philately class...

Ans: Why restrict any item, just do not judge them on the basis of those items. Reduce the points allotted for Rarity and give more weightage to title, Plan, Treatment & Development

11. Last but not the least share your most memorable moment of your philatelic journey with the readers....... Any rare philatelic item you got by mere chance or any special memories of a philatelic event.....

Ans: Every moment I spent doing something related to philately, whether it is looking at my stamps or guiding somebody or surfing internet for items or waiting for the postman to receive my mail, is memorable. But since you have asked I will mention few incidences but doubt whether they would seem extraordinary to you or to your readers.

1. It was early years of my hobby and I was desperately looking for old Indian postcards & envelopes of British India. During Puja holidays I was visiting my ancestral village home were my grand parents lived. I was my grand father’s favorite grand son. One afternoon I was visiting his chamber when I discovered bunch of neatly stacked postcards & envelopes is his small wooden box. They were all British India postcards and envelopes written by my father and uncles from other towns and cities were they were either studying or doing service at that time. It was like finding a treasure for me. I took them all with my grand pa’s permission and they are today my proud possession. Now and then family members see them in my album and recollect the old memories.

Cover from Circuit Club , Japan

1. In early years of my hobby I was having approximately 50 pen friends all around the world and regularly I exchanged stamps with them. The day I received envelopes from them use to be my happiest day of the week. The postman knew about my excitement in receiving these letters and if I was on the verandah, he used to wave the envelope from a distance. At that time I also became member of a Circuit Club from Japan and It was very exciting to receive mails from different countries all around the globe loaded with stamps. (One envelope is still in my possession.

Speed Post Cover with Trembakeshwar Temple stamp and place cancellation(Trimbak where the temple is located

1. Recently in January 2009 I went on a pilgrimage one of the Dwadas Jyotirlings. I went with my younger cousin to Trembakeshwar which is just 11 km from Nasik. I had taken stamps of Trambakeshwar with me to post a letter with these stamps in case I find a post office near the temple. After offering my prayers in early morning hours I started looking for the post office near the temple. There was one just outside the temple and to my delight it had a postmark of Trimbak, which is name of the locality. I immediately posted a registered letter to my cousin’s address, though we had to wait for 2 hours for the post office to open at 9 A.M. These are the items Jurors are looking for when judging an exhibits.

Beginners’ Section

Stamp Identification

Stamp identification is the practice of examining a stamp and establishing certain facts about its history, such as the country of origin and the time period in which the stamp was in use. In addition to the stamp design, collectors often distinguish stamps based on the type of paper used, watermarks in the paper, color shades, and a host of other variations. There are many situations in which two stamps which appear at first to be identical are considered to be different by collectors. Sometimes looking more carefully is all that's required to distinguish among stamp variations; other times special equipment is brought into play.

Where can you find the information you need to indentify stamps?
You need a stamp catalogue. There are numerous stamp catalogues published around the world which contain pictures of stamps and various details to help in identification. Michel, Gibbons, and Scott are all examples of large catalogue publishers that make a pretty good effort at covering the general stamps of the world.
What is a catalogue number?
By convention, stamp catalogues assign a unique number to each stamp they identify. These numbers are not only useful for organizing your collection, but they also provide a convenient shorthand for stamp collectors and dealers to use in referring to stamps. Unfortunately the numbering systems of the catalogue publishers are not identical. You need to specify which catalogue you are using when referencing a catalogue number (for example Scott #236) - especially if you are dealing with people in countries different from your own.

Why can't you find your stamp in the catalogue?
There are a number of common reasons that you may have difficulty finding your stamp.

• Your stamp might not be pictured. Unless you are using a highly specialized catalogue for your area, do not expect that all stamps listed in the catalog will be illustrated. Typically only a representative stamp from a series or set is pictured and you might not immediately recognize that your stamp belongs to the same series as the stamp shown. Take your time and look for design elements that stamps in a series or set frequently have in common, such as frames and typefaces.
• You might be looking for the wrong country name. If you can't find the country name in alphabetical order, check the index. Country names and boundaries have changed over time. For example, until 1939 the country currently known as Thailand was called Siam. Stamps inscribed Siam will therefore be found under Thailand in the catalogue. Your stamp might not be a postage stamp. In addition to the "prepayment of postage," governments have used stamps in the process of collecting all manner of fees and taxes. These other stamps are called revenue or fiscal stamps and often are not listed in general stamp catalogues.
• Your stamp might not be a stamp. There have been many items that look like stamps privately produced over the years. These are often referred to as "Cinderellas" or "stamp-like labels." They are produced for charity, publicity, souvenirs, and just for fun. Again these stamps are typically not listed in general stamp collecting catalogues.

Read More ….

Stamp Identification

Specialized Section

DISINFECTION OF MAIL

By Naresh Agarwal

Mail is the postal material which travels long distances and is handled by various persons right from the sender to the addressee. Climatic, geological and biological conditions all around the world differs from place to place and time to time. Sometimes there are some epidemics or contagious, infectious and communicable diseases spread in some area which are likely to be transmitted through the mail. Also sometimes there are chances of chemical or bioterrorist attacks by so called militants through the mail system, sometimes some viruses get attached to the mail which is then spread to wherever the mail goes and whosoever handles it or the mail in contact with the mail adds to the threat.

Russia 1844 cover with disinfection slits, punch holes -Kerki Quarantine

Interception and disinfection of mail at frontiers were some of the measures taken to control the spread of such contagious / infectious diseases or epidemics in earlier times. In times of spread of epidemics such as plague, cholera, small pox, typhus, yellow fever etc., which at some period were quite frequent at different parts of the world; the letters coming from suspected areas were subjected to special “treatment” ( sprayed, gassed, scorched, baked, irradiated, detained and soaked in the pursuit of cleanliness ) by health authorities for their disinfection.

Such treated letters were marked on the outside accordingly. Those markings were affected by variety of means such as wax, paper seals, hand stamps, affixed labels and manuscript notes. Those had the dual function of explaining the often noticeable traces of the treatment and reassured the recipient that the letters were safe to open.

HISTORY OF MAIL DISINFECTION:

Long before during 14^th century the causes of the sources of spread of epidemics were identified and the damages of dissemination of infection had been seen. To minimize the spread of plague ( probably the first identified epidemic) Venis and Genua prohibited the access of all those infected or under suspicion of being infected .

It was the Republics of Venice and Ragusa, (Dubrovnik) which first enforced quarantine from the 1370s. The same States introduced the 'perfuming' of mail from the Levant with sweet-smelling herbs and flowers a half-century later: a treatment which left no discernible traces.

In 1374 a well known ordinance was issued in Visconto Bernabo of Reggio near Medona which brought in to being a complicated but a fantastic system of protective measures against contagion and set a practice followed all over for about next 500 years.In 1377 the quarantine was evolved and put in practice officially in 1383.

1419, FROM VENICE TO AFRICA, remarkable early letter written in Latin, folded to minute size and then pierced through and sealed with string through all portions for security, with the string secured by wafer and impressed seal (probably of the merchant's guild), one small portion with blurring and discoloration which might be evidence of disinfection with vinegar

In 1438, Venice moved far ahead of other places in creating and adopting sanitation methods as it created the supervisors of the health of the land under its ministry of health and endowed it with the large powers specified by the sanitary code. Ships and men were detained, cargo was unloaded in lazarettos, and susceptible articles were fumigated. When the state of health warranted, a reduction in quarantine period was correspondingly recommended.

04.09.1666 Frankfurt : Main to Genoa Letters show scorching for disinfection in 1666/67 against Plague

The process adopted did not have any scientific basis but the practice dates from before an understanding of the cause of contagious diseases, and the fumigant was as likely to be based on folklore. So, during this period the mail covers were smoked or drowsed with vinegar in Venice.

In the 18^th and the 19th centuries not only the ports, but land frontier stations along the important trade routes served as barriers against the spread of epidemics. At the quarantine stations or at the military cordon posts; persons, merchandise, goods and mail were detained, isolated and decontaminated according to the regulations in force there at that time. The limited knowledge of that time was used to the utmost to check the spread of plague, typhus, small pox and later cholera. Thus an intriguing practice – decontamination or disinfection of letters was instituted throughout Europe and other parts of the world which continued nearly for 350 years.

Letter dated Jan. 30,1805 sent form Alexandria to Marseille with disinfection slit and trace of supplementary disinfection of vinegar fumigation.

To be contd…..

Mr Naresh Agarwal may be contacted at email : nareshkumar1992@yahoo.co.in

Reaching for higher awards in Thematic Philately

Thematic Philately has become a dominant class in every stamp exhibition. Obviously the completion has become very tough in this class. A thematic exhibitor has to present collection very logically with high degree of philatelic knowledge and very appropriate philatelic material in order to win a higher level medal in the exhibition. Dr SK Agarwal the winner of Large Vermeil in INDIPEX in Thematic category gives here the most valuable tips on how to prepare a best thematic exhibit…..Editor

In an interview, published in 31^st March 2011 issue of Rainbow Stamps News, Mr. Ilias Patel , Editor of GPA NEWS ,collecting on “Bridges” said that while preparing his exhibit for INDIPEX 2011 he strictly followed few lessons from my article “Way to Gold” published in RSN , Jan 2010 issue, and get benefited. This gave me an idea to share my practical experience on preparing exhibit for INDIPEX 2011 with my fellow Indian Thematic Philatelists with a hope it will be of some use for them while preparing their exhibit for future participations - Dr SK Agarwal .

HOW “ ROSE ” ACHIEVED LV IN INDIPEX 2011

© Dr.Satyendra Kumar Agrawal

It was on 17^th Feb 2011, when I experienced that moment of extreme joy on hearing that my collection ‘A Rose…’ was awarded LV. This joy was a twin achievement of receiving 88 points, the highest ever won by any Indian Thematic Exhibit in any “World Exhibition” for the first time and being the only LV given in this exhibition to any Indian Thematic exhibit.

My original National Gold awarded collection was of 8 frames and here it was allotted only 5 frames. I dropped the idea of taking part in this exhibition as time was short and to compile my collection in 5 frames seems impossible to me. When I told about this to my friend Anwar Jamal, he gone against my decision and his encouraging words forced me to think again about my participation.

Accommodating 8 into 5 frames

The task to arrange what I wish to show on fewer pages in principal can be done in two ways;

1. By eliminating whole page

2. By re-arranging the material over the pages.

Complete pages may be omitted if they are actually thematically a repetition of previous pages or if they do not offer all that much philatelically.

Sometimes it is thematically possible to leave out a complete (sub) paragraph. Naturally we chose the one in which the combination of thematic and philately is the least interesting.

In a rare instance a whole chapter may be omitted provided continuity or thread of the development is not broken.

Other ways to reduce the pages of the exhibit may be achieved by windowing philatelically uninteresting items (in case where postmark is the main feature). Two pages may also be combined into one by deleting certain item.

These facts were also against my decision.

I also remembered my own words from my article “Way to Gold” (Rainbow Stamps News Jan 2009), “Concentrated 5 frames entry yields better result than diluted 8 frames”. All these facts left no way out rather sit in the examination.

How to Start?

I first studied my Marks-sheets of previous participations in Ist World Stamp Championship “WSC 2004” at Singapore, where “Roses” achieved “V” and then in National Exhibition “INPEX 2008” which adorned a “Gold”. In between 2004 to 2008 I skipped so many exhibitions as I always believe in re-working with my exhibit drastically instead of continuous participations in as many exhibitions as possible, making small thematic and philatelic revisions. The saved money towards costly participation fee, I used for purchasing better items for my collection.

Still I found that in comparison to Europeans and other developed countries collections “Roses” lack in rarity due to my poor pocket evident from my Marks sheets. How to overcome this? The only solution flashed in my mind was to secure as much as possible from the 80 points remaining in the ‘Evaluation Sheet’ not dependent of money rather on sound thematic and philatelic studies which are in my reach.

It is usually non sense to claim that higher awards can be attained only by putting a great deal of money into the collection. A respectful award, even at International level, can be achieved with the remaining headings – Plane, Development, Philatelic knowledge and Presentation totaling 80 out of 100 points.

This subdivision prevents one judge basing his opinion of the whole exhibit only on the quality of the plan, while another may only find rarity important.

Title & Plan

During National exhibition “INPEX 2008” my friend Ashok Tiwary suggested me to change the title looking not attractive. I worked out deeply and finally selected the phrase from the American writer Gertrude Stein “A Rose is a Rose is a Rose…” as the new title for my exhibit. To limit 128 pages of my collection to 80 pages my Thematic plan also needed major editing. I worked hard on it for few days and completely changed my thematic plan with new headings and sub headings giving some literary touch this time to match with the title. It was a major risk generally not advisable at International Exhibitions. But I have no option than this. For valuable comments and suggestions I decided to mail my plan page to Mr. Dipok Dey (why to him is another story only I could say this time that he is my philatelic mentor along with Dr. Avinash Jagtap ji) He not only appreciated my Title and Plan but a very small though important, correction in sequences of two chapters made the plan more logical and lucid.

Have a glance on it

PLAN (Original)

1. IN SEARCH OF ROSE

1.1 Myths & Legends

1.2 Characteristics

2. THROUGH THE AGES

2.1 The First Wild Rose

2.2 Wild Species

2.3 China Roses

2.4 Old Garden Roses

2.5 Early 19^th.Century Roses

3. MAN BENT NATURE TO HIS OWN WILL

 

PLAN (Improved)

1. IN SEARCH OF ROSE

1.1 Myths & Legends

1.2 Through the Ages

1.2.1 The First Wild Rose

1.2.2 Characteristics

1.2.3 Wild Species

1.2.4 China Roses

1.2.5 Old Garden Roses

1.2.6 Early 19^th.Century Roses

2. MAN BENT NATURE TO HIS OWN WILL

Here I wish to add that if one has logically developed plan, completely in accord with the title, with balanced subdivisions, repeated creativity with now and then and then unexpected and/or new aspects & distinct thread, he may achieve between 13 & 14 points out of 15 allotted to this heading. “A Rose…” achieved 13.

Presentation

Though only 5 points are allotted for presentation but remember that the first impression of our collection which directly or indirectly affects the further judging point is its eye catching composition and display of materials- Page wise, individual Frame wise and as a Whole Collection. Hence every page should have a new look and it applies to individual frames also.

Here I wish to add one very important observation I found with the study of higher awarded collections that there are exhibits where each chapter starts in a new frame. That is very nice, if it is possible without too much maneuvering. If starting a new chapter on the last page in a frame is avoidable without too many sacrifices to the contents, I always wished to do that and all these yielded better results during evaluation. “A Rose…” earned 5 out of 5.

Philatelic Knowledge

There are two simple precautions which most of us overlook while re-structuring our awarded exhibit.

1. Try to identify non-philatelic material (which is still found regularly in Thematic collection of highest level), if used, and keep it out mercilessly. This is the first step in showing your philatelic knowledge to any jury.

2. The Guidelines state that deeper knowledge of the theme can lead to new facts, which can establish a connection with material which was previously unknown for that theme. On other hand, greater knowledge of the material will lead to the possibility of establishing new connections with a certain theme.

I applied this on many pages, e.g. Discovery of America and Rose ships, Use of Multiflora roses against accidents on high ways, etc.

Only in such cases the connection with the theme must be explained in the text. After reading the text the viewer will be surprised that the exhibitor has traced down this connection, which is not in the least obvious.

In the evaluation of Philatelic Knowledge, correct philatelic description is also taken in account. It is to be of importance to know that the level of the exhibition also plays a part. At regional, state or up to National level description like “meter mark”, “Greeting Telegramme”, “Booklet” maybe necessary up to certain extant. Details about BLP, DPO, and Airgraphs etc are also necessary as jury member may or may not be known about all these, but at International level we should avoid unnecessary explanations instead important philatelic descriptions should be given. For example if you are using a DPO cancellation, the period of the post office existence will be necessary. For pre stamp covers, information about then postal rate, route taken, details of additional post mark or written inscriptions on it will be appreciated. Few overprints on stamp or ordinary looking postmark have some story behind them. Its exploration and inclusion in the philatelic text adds point in the marks sheet (more I will discuss in my coming article “Hidden Treasure of a Stamp” in coming issue of RSN).

I followed it where ever possible. For this my notes proved very useful which I always used to prepare while purchasing any item on the basis of dealer’s description of the item or searching on net. Sometimes I receive this through my personal communications with the philatelist of the region of origin of that material.

Only one example I wish to share here with my fellow thematic philatelists regarding a pre-stamp cover of Italy. It has a pictorial postmark of a flower though at first sight looked like rose but it has only four petals. I asked the dealer for confirmation but he shown his inability. Even I tried with many senior thematic philatelists, in and outside India, but failed to receive any confirmation.

Then decided to contact few members of the advisory committee of American Rose Society, and Mr. Steve Jones confirmed it a rose with 95 % surety. In between I also received an e mail from my mentor D. Avinash Jagtap, who shown his ignorance about this item but given me some details relate to “RESIUTA” the place of origin of that cover like this “ RESIUTA is in Friaul Province, near Udine (Italy) and probably the people in this region spoke Slovenian language. ‘Resiuta’ is the diminutive of ‘Resia’ and in Slovenian dialect it means “Rosja” or Rose”. This indirectly not only confirmed the pictorial postmark as of Rose but also given me important philatelic description to add ,which was much appreciated by the jury during “Critique Scission” He interpreted it as an important philatelic research.

Thematic philately provides opportunity to use as much philatelic elements as possible. I used till now more than 70 different philatelic elements ranging in period from as early as16^th century to date. This also contributed much in scoring under this heading. “A Rose…” earned 14 out of 15.

Remarks of Jury during Critique Scission

During Critique Scission, the first expression of the jury was “It is an Open Collection”. First I could not understand this comment then he explained “Look, all pages are accommodating materials with their individual glory, no slating, not much windowing and no overcrowding. Even layout of each page is different and whole frame is eye catching.” Use of telling stories in blocks also attracted him very much, and he remarked it as a “Clever use of the space”. He also appreciated “double column composition” making the lay out completely different from others.

His comments about use of philatelic elements at places where they added some more meaning to that page was encouraging e.g. Use of “Original Artist Drawing” under the chapter “The Painter’s Favorite”, “Partial Die Proof depicting only leaves” (rose flower was not included), on the page where characteristics of leaves are discussed, inclusion of 2010 issue of embroidered Rose stamp of Austria on “Fashion Designers’ Passion” page not only appropriate but indicates the up to date knowledge of the exhibitor . He also found my plan logical and lucid with a continuous flow, however he suggested for reduction in number of chapters if possible.

Few pages from “A Rose is a Rose is a Rose…

For rarity he only commented that it depends upon your pocket .He further added that “at least you achieved the maximum in a World Exhibition expected for any 5 Frames exhibit, in general”.

These words brought me the relief which one experiences on the first rain after a hot summer day.

To conclude, I wish to put the details of Marks obtained by “A Rose is a Rose is a Rose…” during evaluation in ‘INDIPEX 2011’.

Plan 13/15

Development 13/15,

Treatment 14/15

Importance 4/5

Philatelic Knowledge 14/15

Condition 9/10

Rarity 16/20

Presentation 5/5                                                                                       TOTAL 88/100 (LV)

Result of INDIPEX2011 taught me that the thematic philately becomes more exciting the more we put into it and take advantage of the opportunities it has to offer. By taking that approach, the Regulations and Guidelines do not represent obstacles, but a challenge which we should gladly accept.

I hope my practical experience will be of some help to those Indian thematic philatelists also who are dreaming for higher award in coming International exhibitions but facing shortage of fund at their end.

Dr SK Agarwal may be contacted at email : rosephila@hotmail.com

Something of interest, also for non-philatelists….

By Dr. Avinash B. Jagtap

Contd. from the last issue....

When the picture postcards would talk after a century.....

Apart from collecting stamps, covers etc. there is a special delight in collecting picture postcards. Especially in the post Edwardian Era (1910-1920) many British and European visitors, relatives and friends of the British forces, who were then in the His Majesty’s Governmental Services in India, used to send picture postcards to their loved ones, many with interesting remarks, garnished with typical British humour. I have here a few from my collection, written by (Mr.) Will to Mr. or Mrs. W. Baker of Bayswater in London and dating from 1913-1914. Many of these places which Mr. Will had visited have changed not only their faces but also have adopted themselves to a new atmosphere all together. These picture postcards tell us their stories, with the grandeur and beauty of the (now) lost paradise. To a person who happens to be the owner of such a treasure, it does mean much more than a mere collection of postcards...

Pic 6

The Bund Bridge, Poona, dated 7 Oct 13: “... This bridge is a marvellous piece of work. Notice the immense length of it and in the dry weather you can walk right along, but in the wet season the bridge is generally flooded...”(Pic 6 )

Pic 7

A cooly Woman, Bombay, dated 4 DEC 13: “... This is one type of woman out here, who do all the hard work. The loads they carry on their heads at times is a marvel...” (Pic 7)

Pic 8

A Brahmin Lady, sent from Ahmednagar, dated 20 Jan 1914: “... Another Lady visitor for your album. She won’t cost much for her keep. Every time she blows her nose, she picks a cherry..ha!.. ha! (Pic 8)

Pic 9

Esplanade Police Court, Bombay, sent from Ahmednagar, dated 5 June 1914: “... What price this for a Police Court. More like a large Country Hotel. Not much like your Old Vernon Street. Ha! Ha!. This country can boast of some splendid buildings. This is only a Police Court, so you may guess what the Rajas Palaces are like...” (Pic 9)

Pic 10

View from Malabar Hill, Bombay, sent from Ahmednagar, dated 3. Oct. 1914: “...This is one of the prettiest parts out here and this stretch of sea coast goes around for miles. We had a company stationed where you see tall tower in the distance on extreme right...” (Pic 10)

Pic 11

Oriental Buildings Bombay, post mark not legible: “... What price this for a big building! I wouldn’t mind the job of a window cleaner... ha! Ha! “ (Pic 11)

Dr. Avinash B, Jagtap may be contacted at email : abjagtap@hotmail.com

New Issues from other countries

Australia

10 May 2011 Dame Nellie Melba ( Opera Singer) – 60c

Azerbaijan

22 April 2011 : 100th anniversary of Azerbaijan painter Huseyn Aliyev – 1 val.

Huseyn Aliyev (May 22, 1911 - July 5, 1991) - Soviet and Azerbaijani painter, author of more than 250 paintings. Working mostly in graphic arts, he is the author of numerous posters. With a lively, gregarious character, he was keenly sensitive to other people and nature. Perhaps that is why the two spheres of creativity - portrait and landscape - specially attracted the artist. It is hard to argue with the beauty of nature. As an artist, Mr. Aliyev sought for beauty, trying to recreate it in his own way. With the insistence of a scientist he revealed the natural laws of harmony, color and light, particularities of the internal structure of the elements.

Bangladesh

7 May 2011: 150^th Birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore – MS

Canada

19 May 100 Years of Parks Canada

Today Parks Canada is responsible for a network of 42 national parks, 167 national historic sites and four national marine conservation areas. According to Andrew Campbell, Director General of External Relations and Visitor Experience at Parks Canada, "these places provide countless opportunities for inspiration and unforgettable experiences that connect Canadians with both the riches of their shared history and nature at its very best.".

 

Iceland

4 May 2011 The Melavöllur Stadium 100th Anniversary

Luxembourg

17 May 2011 Europa 2011 – Year of Forests – 2 val

 

Norway

15 April 2011 : 50^th anniversary of Amnesty International – 1val.

Amnesty International is one of the most influential organizations in the world today. The United Nations and governments in many countries listen with respect to Amnesty’s representatives, and its ability to expose cruelty and injustice is feared by those who are guilty of ignoring human rights. Amnesty International was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 and the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights in 1978.

New Zealand

4 May 2011 – Beyond the Coast – 12 val.

New Zealand’s 15,000 kilometers of coastline are home to magnificent coves, bays, harbors, sounds and fiords. However, beyond this irregular coastline lies a roughly 4.3 million square kilometer exclusive economic zone that hosts an array of unique marine life. More than 15,000 species are known to live there, of which many are migratory. New Zealand's isolation means that a large number of these species are unique to this island nation, and scientists believe that many more have yet to be found. The following species can be found on this vibrant stamp sheet (from top to bottom):

Royal albatross, humpback whale, white-faced storm petrel, john dory, yellowfin tuna, kingfish, hammerhead shark, hapuku, demoiselle, pink maomao, snapper, arrow squid, Lord Howe coralfish, sandager’s wrasse, orange roughy, king crab and yellow moray eel.

Poland

27 May 2011 KWAPISZON, GAPISZON, CEZAR & GUCIO – 4 val

Thailand

22 April 2011 : 60^th Anniversary of Thailand-Lao PDR Diplomatic Relations – 4 val.

17 May 2011 Vishakha Puja - 1 val + MS

Top 10 most interesting stamps on Sports of 2010

View 10 best stamps of 2010 on sports ranked by Stamp News .com

http://www.stampnews.com/stamps/stamps_2011/stamp_1304452737_291373.html

Reader’s Right

Editor’s note- The aim of this stamp newsletter is to provide instant information and facts on philately to the readers and not to hurt anyone’s feelings. Readers may express their views, anguish and resentment through this column on philately. The platform is not used for any vested interest to cause derogatory to philately. When writing your views be sure that it should be related to philately only. It should not be used to express personal feelings between persons or groups in any manner.

 

Call it “Valuation Class” not “Competition Class”

International competition class, Invitation class, Championship class….these are the three classes which we normally hear in the philatelic exhibitions at any level. In one of my articles long back, I had given my opinion/comments with the title “Who says there is competition in competition class”.

I again emphasize the same. There is no competition in so called competition class in philatelic exhibitions. Competition is a competition when the competitors are to do the same things and also the top level are awarded. Like in racing competition, racers have to cover the same distance, that too at the same time together. In drawing competition, the competitors are given particular time span and topic and they have draw it sitting together… what I mean is that the things are to be done together under stipulated conditions and supervision.

But here in philately, is there anything like competition? It is the display of best part of one’s collection in a particular way under stipulated guide lines for display. Who has collected, how it has been collected, who has prepared the exhibit, the time span of the collection, how much time has been spent in making exhibit… how much true knowledge the exhibitor has, is the collection really belong to the exhibitor or a procured or purchased one???????????????? there are several questions which are unanswered and need to be asked, to be considered, to be monitored, to be looked upon before one exhibit is put in the so called competition class.

Competition is the judgment of one’s true efforts within the means provided and not the money one has. Philatelic exhibits are certainly not the true display of one’s own efforts. Money can get you best of the material and also the hands to help you making the exhibit or in other words, the readymade exhibit or the complete blue print of the exhibit with materials.

Now coming to the exhibitions, what does the jury do? They just do valuation of the exhibit within the set norms. Every exhibit is different, time span for making it is different, collecting and making conditions are different……. pocket size of each exhibitor is different….I mean there are no uniform conditions and parameters to collect and make the exhibit. Of course, valuating conditions and parameters are same and set. This means the exhibits are valuated only. Each of the exhibits is given the marks / points by the jury which is valuation of the exhibit and it helps him/her to improve upon his/her exhibit. For me, the Gold, Silver, Bronze……..medals awarded during exhibitions are not the awards but the grades which are given to a particular exhibit by the jury. In the recent change in education system in India, valuation is given in terms of grades now by CBSE and other education boards though students have the spirit of no competition but to do better amongst them..

After this discussion, I would say that there is no competition in competition class of philately. Yes, it is valuation of exhibit…. which gives equal joy and pleasure to a true philatelist. Hence, it should be named as “Valuation Class” and not “Competition Class”. The medal should be given but called as Gold Grade, Silver Grade…..like that. In fact, when we say Silver… it reflects the IInd position of the exhibit like in other competitions, which in fact is not there.

Hence, putting this matter on discussion amongst the philatelic fraternity, I would ask them to come forward with their comments ………………

- Naresh Agarwal, Bilaspur ( CG)

Philatelic Library

e books on Philately : All about Stamp Collecting

http://www.scribd.com/doc/37667833/Stamp-Collecting

http://www.askphil.org/b.htm

Online Stamp Catalogue…

Search stamps of different countries online…

http://www.catawiki.co.uk/catalog/100271-stamps

New Blogs & Websites

Glimpses of Modern Indian Philately : http://modernindianphilately.blogspot.com/

A new Blog on Modern Indian Postal History and Modern Philately of India, has been created by Mr Prashant Pandya. Idea of creating this blog ‘Glimpses of Modern Indian Philately’ by Mr Pandya is conceived to provide, share and discuss information exclusively on Modern Postal History or Modern Philately of India. Collectors of Modern Indian Philately around the world are invited to share the knowledge and information on the subject.

Lighthouses : http://ksbeacon.blogspot.com/ - Mr. K Sridhar, a thematic Philatelist from Mangalore has created this new blog on Lighthouses .

Kevin’s Stamp Album : http://kevinsstampalbum.com/ - Stamps of Israel, Japan,Ukraine & Ryukyu Islands.

My Picture Postcards : http://mypicturepostcards.blogspot.com/ - New Blog on post cards created by Mr Vijay Kapre.

Gandhi Stamps :   http://gandhistamps.com - The website is a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi Philately. All the stamps issued on Mahatma Gandhi from various countries in the World have been featured.

Phila Mirror : http://philamirror.info/ - It is a very informative site. Regular updates on Indian & foreign stamps and news from the philatelic world are given on this site. This is a very useful site for every philatelist.

Indian Stamps for your Virtually : http://indianphilately.blogspot.com/ A nice blog has been created by Mr Kumar Kamaleshan Nair of Trivandrum. The regularly updated blog gives details about Indian stamps. The blog is beautifully designed by Mr Nair.

Join Mobile Philately & Stay Updated - http://mobilephilately.blogspot.com/ It is a blog by Mr Dipak Modi of Jalna, Maharashtra. Mobile Philately is a mobile technology based philatelic community with short messaging service (SMS) that allows the community members to get latest updates related to Indian philately directly into mobile message box.

Se- tenant Stamps of India - http://setenantsofindia.blogspot.com/ It is a specialized Blog on se-tenant stamps.

Flags & Stamps - http://flagstamps.blogspot.com/ - It is a specialized blog on Flag Theme .

http://jefferson-stamp.blogspot.com/ Stamp - Blog on COSTUMES, DANCES, CULTURES, FOLKLORES, ORIGINAL INHABITANT, UNIFORM MILITARY, & COAT OF ARMS

http://www.stampshopy.com/ - A new site on Indian Stamps and other philatelic items.

http://indiastampsdetails.blogspot.com/ - A new Blog on Indian Stamps by Sundar R. of Salem, Tamilnadu

http://dorincard.blogspot.com Donicard Language: English Topics: maximum cards, stamps, postcards Description: Focus on wild mammals on (traditional or non-traditional) maximum cards..

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Stamps-Philately-1610/indexExp_69442.htm - It is a site based on Question & Answers on Philately. Mr Prashant Pandya replies to queries.

Philatelic Clubs & Societies

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

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

Indian Stamp Ghar - http://www.indianstampghar.com/

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

Ludhiana Philatelic Club

Mobile Philately - http://www.mobilephilately.webs.com/

Philatelic Society of Rajasthan, Jaipur

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

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

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

The Lighter Side

Just Smile ….

- A priest goes to the post office to buy stamps for his Christmas cards. He says to the clerk, "May I have 50 Christmas stamps, please?" The clerk replies, "What denomination?" God help us. Has it come to this?" the priest answers. Give me six Catholic, 12 Presbyterian, 10 Lutheran and 22 Baptist!"

- A stamp dealer dies and finds himself at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter says, "We don't let just anybody in here, you know. Have you ever done any kind deeds?"
The dealer thinks and think and thinks, and then his face brightens and he says, "Yeah! There was this kid. He kept coming in my shop after school, day after day. He was always looking at one stamp in my showcase. One day he says, 'Mister, would you take a dime for that stamp? It's all I've got.' That stamp was worth a quarter, but I wanted to get rid of the brat, so I sold it to him for a dime."
"I see," said St. Peter. He pauses for few moments of heavenly reflection. "OK, here's what we'll do." He hands the dealer a dime and says, "Take this dime, and go to Hell!"

Promotional section

Best Maximum Card Competition (created during 2010)

Maximaphily is the most beautiful and exiting way in stamp collecting. It is one of the eleven recognized classifications of Philately. All types of visitors in the F.I.P. exhibitions find it very attractive, because of the beautiful illustrations on postcards and because the purpose of Maximaphily is to collect exclusively Maximum cards.

A Maximum card is made up of three elements:

1. The postage stamp. 2. The picture postcard. 3. The postmark.

The three elements are joined together in a fascinating way conforming to the following very precise regulations adopted by the International Philatelic Federation (F.I.P.). The meeting of the above three elements having a close visual relation constitutes the Maximum card .

The postage stamp

- It must be in perfect condition.

- Only one postage stamp should be affixed on the view side of the picture postcard. Before 1978, when the “International statute of Maximaphily” was approved, maximum cards showing several postage stamps are tolerated, if one or more of those are concordant with the picture on the postcard.

- In the case where a postage stamp has multiple, secondary or partial subjects, each subject must as far as possible, be dealt with separately.

- The postage stamp (or the souvenir sheet it belongs to, if it is stuck on the postcard) must not exceed a quarter of the postcard area.

- When the same subject is spread out on several se-tenant stamps making a panorama, the set can appear on a single postcard. However, when a subject is isolated on one of the se-tenant stamps only the one on which the treated subject is illustrated should be affixed to the postcard.

- The use of an illustrated postal prepayment impression dispensed by automatic vending machines, affixed on the view side of the postcard, is allowed.

- In general, abstract or symbolic subjects do not suit Maximaphily and are excluded from its field.

The picture postcard

• The picture postcard must be, if possible, on sale before the issue of the stamps or if it has been specially published, it must reproduce an existing document.

• Its size must conform to dimensions accepted by the “Universal Postal Convention”. However, postcards of square or rectangular shape available on the market are accepted, provided that their size allows them to be laid out on a sheet to the A4 format (210 x 297 mm) at a rate of two per sheet. Out of respect for its designer, it is strictly prohibited to reduce the size of a postcard by cutting it.

• The picture must offer the best possible concordance with the subject of the postage stamp or with one of them, if there are several. Mere reproduction of stamp design on a picture post card should be avoided.

• The picture must emphasize the subject of the postage stamp.

• The postcards on the market are accepted as they are. They can have margins and a text directly connected with the subject. Old postcards can have on the view side an area for correspondence. With the exception of these old postcards, the larger the picture is, the better the quality of the maximum card is considered to be.

• All postcards fully reproducing the postage stamp, that is to say with perforation, face value, country name, are forbidden.

• Postcards with multiple pictures as well as ones with holograms are forbidden.

What about the postmark and the time of cancellation?

The pictorial design of the cancellation and the place of cancellation (name of the post office) should have a close and direct connection with the subject of the stamp and of the picture postcard, and its date should be within the validity of the stamp and as close as possible to the date of its issue.

What is "appropriate material"?

The Maximaphily items should conform to the principle of maximum possible "visual" concordance between: The postage stamp, the picture postcard and the postmark. Special attention must be paid to the observance of the three concordances: of subject, of place and of time.

• The concordance of subject is the most important condition to characterise a Maximum card, e.g. the best concordance between the subject of the stamp and the illustration of the picture postcard.

• The concordance of place requires a connection between the name of the place or the locality written in the postmark and the subject of the stamp and the card.

• The "first day cancellation" can only be used when it is in accordance with the above mentioned condition

• For monuments, landscapes and sites the only place giving the required concordance is the one where the monument, the landscape or the site is located.

What is not appropriate material?

Any other material which does not conform to the above mentioned regulations is considered as not appropriate material for this classification of Philately.

Furthermore, the following items cannot be used for maximum cards: collages, cut-outs, private photographs on photo paper, colour or black and white photocopies, photo-montages, drawings, documents specially devised for the stamp issue to be printed privately on photo paper thanks to a computer, digital printouts, illegible postmarks, bigger size or different shapes of postcards: only square and rectangular formats are allowed; all others are excluded.

FIP Maximaphily Commission organizes a Best Maximum Card Competition every year. We at India are also participating this year in this competition. All those interested in participation are requested to send their entries to me by email at ajaymittal1957@gmail.com at an earliest possible. Best three cards will be selected and send for participation in the world competition. You may submit your card by post also at my address given below. A small information about the quantity printed and concordance between the three aspects of maximum card (i.e. Picture Post Card, Stamp and Cancellation) may also be sent alongwith the card.

We are compiling a catalogue of the Indian Maximum Cards issued by Individual collectors. Kindly send me details with scans by email of the cards issued on Indian stamps by any society or individual collectors.

All are requested to kindly send a high resolution scan of the cards issued by them till date with a small information about the card and quantity printed. If available for sale the price of the card may also be mentioned.

As it is not yet decided the location of the Next Competition of the Best MC. There is a possibility that the FIP Maximaphily Commission can first publish all the National Selections for this Competition at their FIP Maximaphily Commission website and then request all National Associations (and/or Delegates) to submit their votes by email or letter.

Any clarifications and/or suggestions regarding FIP Rules and regulations of Maximaphily are also welcome.

- Ajay Kumar Mittal

FIP Maximaphily Representative from India

D-57 South Extension part-1l, New Delhi-110049. Ph +91-9811032311

Year Book 2011

Mr Madan Middha the publisher of Year Book of Indian Philately needs suggestions from the Readers for Year Book 2011..for which he has started working Readers are requested to send their suggestions about contents of the new edition. Articles are also invited from the readers. Please contact Mr Middia email madan_middha@yahoo.co.in

Current Philatelic Magazines – Newsletters

Stamp of India Collectors’ Companion - India’s first and most updated weekly e-newsletter edited by Madhukar and Savita Jhingan from Stamps of India, New Delhi. E-mail: mjhingan@yahoo.com Website: www.stampsofindia.com

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

Phila News, Editor Rajesh Pahariya and published by Philatelic Society of Rajasthan, Jaipur

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

e ZEP Newsletter http://www.ezep.de/zpj/zpj.html Editor : Dieter Leder

email zpj@arcor.de website www.eZEP.de

SIPA Bulletin Editor - Mr G. Madan Mohan Das and published by South India Philatelists’ Association, Chennai website : http://www.sipa.org.in/

FILA Capsule – Editor : Ajit Dash and  published by EIPA, Bhubaneshwar.

GPA News – Editor- Ilias Patel and published by Gujarat Philatelists’ Association, Ahemadabad.

Kar Phila News published by Karnataka Philatelic Society & edited by by Akshay Borad

e–mail : akshayborad@hotmail.com

Editor’s Mail Box

Naresh Agarwal, Bilaspur (CG)

The new letter is wonderful. No specific words to say but improving one after the other. Contents are good. April saw good lot of philatelic activities all around.

Dr Avinash Jagtap, Switzerland

Thank you for your May 2011 issue of "Rainbow" The interview with Mr. Umesh Kakkeri is interesting. So also your remarks about holding National Philatelic Exhibition next year.

RAINBOW STAMP CLUB

This is a blog of e-stamp Club www.rainbowstampclub.blogspot.com . The idea of this blog is to extend philatelic fraternity in all corners of the world. Readers may write about themselves with their collecting interests and share new ideas with other philatelists. Those who are interested may send following details for publication on blog. If they wish they may also send their photo for publication. New Post on recent issues, news on stamp activities and Contribution by members are published every day on this blog.

Name…………………………………………

City/Country………………………………..

E-Mail………………………………………..

Postal Address…………………………….

Collecting Interests……………………….

Brief write up about yourself……………

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. News about new issues of India and abroad and other information related with Philately are regularly posted on this blog. Readers may send reports on new issues, special covers, cancellations & philatelic activities of their area for inclusion in this Blog. - Editor

Courtesy - News and Image Resource to this issue - Stamps of India, ; Prashant Pandya – Vadodara; Mansoor B.- Mangalore, International Stamp News ; Souvik Roy – Kolkata; Naresh Agarwal – Bilaspur (CG); Shrikant Parikh – Ahmedabad; Sanjiv Jain - Dehradun

Address for communication:

Jeevan Jyoti, c / o Mr. Ajay Srivastav, Director, Great Himalayan National Park, Shamshi, Kullu (H.P.) PIN 175126 India

E-mail – j.jyoti9@gmail.com or rainbowstamp2008@gmail.com

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

If you liked this issue please forward it to your friends and help in promoting philately.

A Request to Readers & Contributors-

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

Kindly specify your contribution such as article/News/ Reader’s Right / Beginners’ Section/ Lighter Side etc.

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

Attention -
Please send limited number of images in compressed jpg format only with your article. Please send text and images separately. Please do not send text or image for publication in PDF.

Till Next Month …..Happy Collecting…………………………………………………………………

Rainbow Stamp News is edited and published monthly by Jeevan Jyoti, from Kullu (Himachal Pradesh) India.