Happy
Diwali
Canada - India joint issue - 21 September 2017
Dehradun
October 2017 Vol. X No. 118
Readers
are requested to send reports of philatelic activities in their area for
publication. Short write ups by the readers about their journals, societies,
publications and philatelic requirements can be sent for inclusion in this
bulletin to the editor: j.jyoti9@gmail.com
Note- This bulletin is
only for circulation among a limited group of philatelists without any
commercial purpose. The bulletin will be sent to the readers only on request.
Those who wish to receive it regularly please reply giving the name of your
city / country with the subject SUBSCRIBE
RAINBOW
Dear Reader,
INPEX 2017 will be held from 30th
November to 4th December 2017 in Mumbai. Everything is fine except
the high frame charges for participation in this forthcoming exhibition. In any exhibition if the participation fee is
kept very high to meet the cost of exhibition, the participation of the
exhibitors is always very limited and entry to participate in the exhibition is
not given on the merit basis but maximum entry is given by the organizers to
those, desirous to participate, in order to collect funds for the exhibition. We
cannot expect such exhibition of very high standard…When many deserving exhibitors
of national level withdraw themselves from participation…. However if the
exhibition is organized by India Post, there is moderate fee with maximum
participation of the exhibitors on the basis of previous awards won. Moreover,
if any private society is organizing the exhibition at national level, it must
seek the sponsors to meet the expenses and maintain the standard of exhibition
in terms of quality of exhibits as well as infrastructure. Very high
participation fee gives the feeling that the exhibitor is paying the cost of award
if he/she wins …
This is a view point . If considered a
better event can be organized. Hats off to Philatelic Society of India which
has taken initiative once again to organize a national exhibition. My best
wishes to the organizers. .. But if all philatelic Societies including the PCI
unite and pursue for a national exhibition to be organized by India Post it would certainly be an
excellent event as there will be no pressure of funds on the organizers. This
is all for this month….More in next issue.
Wishing
you all a very Happy n Prosperous Deepawali.
Happy
Collecting !
Contents
§
From the Desk of Naresh Agrawal
§
Recent Indian Issues
§
In The News
§
Doon Philatelic Diary
§
Beginners’ Section
§
Specialized Section
§
New Issues from Other Countries
§
Philatelic Clubs and Society
§
Blogs & Websites on Philately
§
Current Philatelic Magazines –
Newsletter
National Philatelic Exhibitions in India
.As
I remember, the last National Level Exhibition organized solely by India Post
was INPEX 2008 held in January 2009 in Chennai and thereafter World Show in New Delhi in 2013. In last 16
years most of the National Level shows were
organized by philatelic societies independently. To name a few :
INPEX2002 National Level
Philatleic Exhibition held in
Bhuwneshwar
INPEX-EMPIREPEX-2001 - National Stamp Exhibition, Nasik by Empire of
India Philatelic Society
StampMania-2009 One Frame National Exhibition Organizer:
Baroda Philatelic Society held in Vadodara
Several National Level Exhibitions held by Stamp of
India in the name of SINE..
Naturepex
2016 National Philatelic Exhibition on nature
& Environment held in Oct. 2016 Bhubaneswar
by EIPA
SIPA Diamond 2016. SIPA Diamond 2016, National Level Stamp Exhibition National Level Stamp Exhibition organized by South
India Philatelists. SIPA also organized SIPA GOLD-2006, TIEPEX2001 and
other exhibitions of National Level
Milipex 2000 – 8th National Philatelic Exhibition
Various other philatelic organizations conducted so
called National Level Shows from time to time not mentioned above.
Well, after going through the above list, one can easily
see that the philatelic exhibitions are being held mainly by private philatelic
societies. In some cases India Post has
joined but as gathered no financial and other support was given. Yes, some of the shows were
conducted under patronage of PCI also.
From this study we can easily conclude that India Post, a government organization has
practically refrained itself from taking the cudgel of organizing such high
level philatelic exhibitions. Is it the problem of India Post really or the
philatelic societies are responsible for this?
The true major National Level Shows in the past 16 years such as INPEX EMPIREPEX 2001 in 2001 by Empire of
India Philatelic Society & then INPEX 2013 in 2013 by Philatelic Society of
India, Mumbai and now the next in the list INPEX 2017 by Philatelic society of
India apart from the one by India Post in 2009 named INPEX2008.
I genuinely thank these societies for helping philatelists of India by giving them
opportunity to display their valued collections
and in some shows to be adjudged by accredited jury of PCI also. But at
the same time my mind is befuddled by thinking that we ourselves are motivating India Post not to
organize their independent National Shows.
India Post is happy not to indulge in such activities directly and put all the burden financial and other on
the philatelists. There is always a scope of doubt to the credentials of results of such
private or co-ordinated shows for participation and better outcome at International shows.
Just think, is it not like a trend making or like hitting
our own foot with own axe?
Can we promote philately by ourselves alone ? No, we need India Post to be there always
assisting societies in all the ways such as providing frames, finance,
infrastructure, volunteers etc. . The
burden should be on the India Post. To organize and give its name to the show
under its control. Let’s put our efforts to convince the think tank of India
post to do something for the philately also and not just for it.
Anyway, I wish PSI (Philatelic Society of India) a great
success of the show. It is truly commendable that PSI has always come forward
to help development of philately. There are certain complains in air against the show
such as high frame fee which
includes GST, Introduction of new classes but no rules and guide lines provided
such as Social Philately, Frugal Philately, First day covers etc.. But I
think some aspects such as cost is beyond control & someone has to introduce some new classes in
India though with some shortcomings. But all these efforts are for the
development of philately. I do understand PCI does not have trained jury for
such new classes but we have to appreciate this move. People do talk about
quality of judging but for me the judging has always been a subject matter of dispute,
discussion and dissatisfaction.
The jury in India for certain classes is the best beyond any doubt. My request to the participants is to honor
the jury findings and the results. Strict
marking helps to make better exhibit.
Let us join together to make this exhibition a great
success. Let us join hands with the society and help the organizer in whatever
way we can. Let us not condemn the organizers. Let us appreciate their efforts and support them.
Doubt if any, may be clarified without condemning or revolting.
Yes., after the completion of the show, Indian
philatelists need to sit and think how to handle India Post for betterment of
philately and to convince them that higher level shows need to be organized by
them and those too on regular basis..
-Naresh
Agrawal Ph. 09425530514
email
: nareshkumar1992@yahoo.co.in
Recent Indian Issue
9 August 2017 : 75
Years – 1942 Freedom Movement 8 x Rs5 + MS
15 August 2017 : Beautiful India -2 X Rs 15 + MS
15 August 2017 : Caves of Meghalaya – 2 X Rs 5 + MS
18 September 2017 : Vulnerable Birds - 3 X Rs 5
21 September 2017 : India Canada Joint Issue – Rs 5 + Rs 25 +
MS
22 September – Ramayana- 10 x Rs5 + Rs15 + MS
12 September 2017 :
Cauvery Maha Pushkaram 2017, Shrirangam
17 September 2017 : 3rd
Anniversary of Swachh Bhart Mission - Cennai
16 September 2017 :
Shrirangam Lions Club,Tiruchirapalli
19 September 2017 :
Cauvery Maha Pushkaram 2017 , Mayiladuthuari
23
September 2017 : Lukerganj Barwari Durga Puja, Allahabad
2 October
2017 : Dhai Akhar – Vadodara, Hyderabad
In The News
Best Europa stamp 2017 - Public Prize
The 2017 Best Europa
stamp - Jury prize was awarded recently in Brussels’ town hall. This was the
sixth edition of this neutral and artistic prize. Eight experts of the
philatelic world were invited to join the jury and judge the Europa stamps
based on their expert opinion. This year's winner is Finland with the following
stamp :
1st Prize : Finland
2nd (tied) – Åland
& Italy (1.- € value)
3rd - Liechtenstein
(1.50 CHF Vaduz castle)
New permanent pictorial cancellation
A special cover and permanent pictorial
cancellation of Holy Rosary Shrine at Karumathampatti under Tirupur division was
released on 29th September 2017 by CPMG TN circle A special
beautiful pack of maxim cards with this pictorial cancellation, on Roman
Catholic Churches in TN was also released by WR during this occasion.
Indian theme on recent foreign stamps
Russian Post
issued a commemorative postage stamp on 100th Birth Anniversary of Mrs Indira
Gandhi. The postage stamp features a portrait of Indira Gandhi depicted on the
background of the national flag of India. Indira Gandhi (1917-1984) was
Prime Minister of India in 1966-1977 and 1980-1984. The post mark on FDC
also bears the sketch of Mrs Indira Gandhi. The FDC also features Indian emblem
and ‘ Satyamev Jayate’ in Hindi.
Belarus-India Joint
issue
On September 12, 2017 the Ministry of Communications and Information
of the Republic of Belarus issued the postage stamp “Joint issue of the
Republic of Belarus and the Republic of India. 25th anniversary of establishing
diplomatic relations”.
Indian emblem and lotus temple of India has been features on the
sheetlet where as Taj Mahal and Indian National Flower Lotus is also featured on the FDC of this issue.
Recent Stamp Exhibitions
BRASILIA -2017
Brasilia-2017 is a
Specialized World Stamp Exhibition. The Exhibition will open on 24 October
2017 and close on 29 October 2017. Mr Ajay Kumar Mittal is the
National Commissioner. email : ajaymittal1957@gmail.com
Commissioner for MACAO 2018 Philatelic Exhibition (FIAP)
Mr. Anil Suri has been appointed as Indian National Commissioner
for the MACAO 2018, FIAP Specialized Stamp Exhibition to be held in Macao,
Macau from 21 to 24 September 2018.
Exhibition Classes: Traditional, Postal History, Postal Stationery, Thematic, Youth, One Frame (TR, PH, PS, AE, AS, TH, MA & RE), Literature and Modern Philately only.
Eligibility: The minimum eligibility for participation in a FIAP exhibition for Senior Class & Youth Class (Groups B & C) is Vermeil Medal and for Youth Class (Group A) a Large Silver Medal secured at a National Exhibition.
Exhibition Classes: Traditional, Postal History, Postal Stationery, Thematic, Youth, One Frame (TR, PH, PS, AE, AS, TH, MA & RE), Literature and Modern Philately only.
Eligibility: The minimum eligibility for participation in a FIAP exhibition for Senior Class & Youth Class (Groups B & C) is Vermeil Medal and for Youth Class (Group A) a Large Silver Medal secured at a National Exhibition.
Contact information:
Mr. Anil Suri,
Khushal Villa, E-70, Kalkaji,
NEW DELHI - 110 019.
Phone: (Res.) +91-11-2643 0813 / (Off.) +91-11-2647 4681
(M): +919811176908
Email: anilksuri@email.com
Mr. Anil Suri,
Khushal Villa, E-70, Kalkaji,
NEW DELHI - 110 019.
Phone: (Res.) +91-11-2643 0813 / (Off.) +91-11-2647 4681
(M): +919811176908
Email: anilksuri@email.com
Commissioner for PRAGA 2018 Philatelic Exhibition (FIP)
Mr. Rajan Jaykar has been appointed as Indian National
Commissioner for the PRAGA 2018, FIP Specialized World Stamp Exhibition to be
held in Prague, Czech Republic from 15 to 18 August 2018.
Exhibition Classes: Traditional, Postal History, Modern Philately (Trad. & PH), One Frame (Trad. & PH), Open Philately and Philatelic Literature Classes only.
Eligibility: The minimum eligibility for participation in a FIP exhibition for Senior & Youth Class Groups B & C is Vermeil Medal secured at a National Exhibition and for Youth Class Group A Large Silver Medal.
Exhibition Classes: Traditional, Postal History, Modern Philately (Trad. & PH), One Frame (Trad. & PH), Open Philately and Philatelic Literature Classes only.
Eligibility: The minimum eligibility for participation in a FIP exhibition for Senior & Youth Class Groups B & C is Vermeil Medal secured at a National Exhibition and for Youth Class Group A Large Silver Medal.
Contact information:
Mr. Rajan Jayakar
Flat No. 2, Court View, 126, Maharashi Karve Road,
Churchgate, MUMBAI - 400 020.
Phone: +91-22-22820570 / +91-22-22820572
(M): +9198210 72417
Email: rajanjayakar1948@gmail.com
Mr. Rajan Jayakar
Flat No. 2, Court View, 126, Maharashi Karve Road,
Churchgate, MUMBAI - 400 020.
Phone: +91-22-22820570 / +91-22-22820572
(M): +9198210 72417
Email: rajanjayakar1948@gmail.com
INPEX
2017 - National Stamp Exhibition
Philatelic
Society of India announced national exhibition INPEX2017 to be held from 30th
November to 4th December 2017 at world trade center, Mumbai.
View
details on : http://www.psi1897.com/
FORTHCOMING
INTERNATIONAL STAMP EXHIBITIONS UNDER FIP/FIAP
2018
May 27-31: Jerusalem, Israel, ISRAEL 2018 World Stamp Championship
2018
Aug 15-18: Prague, Czech Republic, PRAGA 2018 World Stamp Exhibition
2018
Sep 21-24: Macao, MACAO 2018 35th FIAP International Stamp Exhibition
2018
Dec: THAILAND 2018 World Stamp Exhibition
News from Philatelic Societies
Central India Philatelic Society
Monthly meeting of
Central India Philatelic Society organized on 1st Oct.
2017 at Satna (M. P.). Decided to organize a Philatelic &
Numismatic Exhibition in the month of November 2017.
Secretary Sudhir Jain
displayed his collection of old Bazar Cards and US Quarter Dollar coins. Shri
Ramesh Lajpatrai presided and Jt. Secretary Rajendea Agarwal Shashi given vote
of thanks.
Members present were
Kuldeepak Oberai, Umashankar Agarwal, Ashok Jain, Ravi Gupta, Jagdish Tiwari,
Jinendra Jain, Surendra Gupta, Ashok Mohile, Sachin Tolwani, Anuj Agarwal,
Vinay Gupta, S. P. Sharma, Pankaj Pratap Singh, Thakur Khilani, Manmohan
Maheshwari, Tilakraj Soni, Pravin Khatri, Rakesh Sahu etc.
New Special cover and
stationery (postcard) on owl from Germany
A Special cover and a stationery (postcard) will be available on5th November in 74405 GAILDORF. Both philatelic items and in addition a pictorial postmark are featuring a Tawny Owl (Strix aluco)
-Wolfgang Beyer ,Vice Chairman of the German
Philatelic Collector Group ArGe Zoologie
Doon
Philatelic Diary
The Doon School is a boys-only independent boarding
school in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. It was founded in 1935
by Satish Ranjan Das, a Kolkata lawyer, who prevised a school modelled on
the British public school, but conscious of Indian ambitions and
desires.The school's first headmaster was an Englishman, Arthur
E. Foot, who had spent nine years as a science master at Eton College,
England before coming to Doon, and returned to England right after India's
independence.Doon has been ranked as one of the best residential schools in India.
DS-75 celebrations
President Pratibha Patil speaking at the Doon School's Platinum Jubilee in October 2010.
The annual Founder's Day celebration of the school is an event
of three or four-days in the Autumn Term, usually in the last week of
October. Many ex-pupils come from all parts of the world to celebrate the
event. Security on campus is tight, since alumni attending the event often
include senior politicians and government officials, and the chief guest is
usually a very prominent person. The event includes productions of English
dramas followed by an orchestral concert given by members of the school's Music
Society.
Doon celebrated its 75th Founder's Day (Platinum Jubilee) in
October 2010 with an event christened DS-75. Among the chief guests
were the then President Pratibha Patil of India, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel
Wangchuck of Bhutan and Kapil
Sibal, (then Union Minister for Human
Resource Development). Pratibha Patil, in her
address, urged the school authorities to make Doon a co-educational
institution.
On 22 October 2010, a commemorative postage stamp depicting the
school's main building was released by India Post to mark the occasion of
the 75th Founder's Day.
The school occupies a single campus covering approximately 72
acres (290,000 m2) flanked by Chakrata Road and Mall Road in
the Dehradun Cantonment area of Dehradun city, Uttarakhand, Pupils are known as "Doscos", a contraction
of "Doon" and "school".
Beginners’ Section
YELLOW
PENCILS ARE SYMBOL OF ROYALTY, RESPECT AND ASSOCIATION WITH CHINA
I remember the day when started sketching, my art teacher
recommended for a “Venus” brand pencil and eraser supposed to be best for
drawing purposes. Later I also used “Koh-I-Noor” and “Faber-Castell”.
Surprisingly all were painted in Yellow. Even today most of the branded Drawing
pencils around the globe come in Yellow colour.
There’s an interesting story behind how the familiar yellow
pencil came to be. Pencils have been painted
yellow ever since the 1890s. During the 1800s, the best graphite in the world
came from China. American pencil makers wanted a special way to tell people
that their pencils contained Chinese graphite.
In China, the colour yellow is associated with royalty and respect. American pencil manufacturers began painting their pencils bright yellow to communicate this “regal” feeling and association with China. Tradition still continues and 75% of branded hexagonal graphite pencils in the US are painted yellow.
However, according to Henry Petroski’s history of the pencil,
the European producer Koh-I-Noor was the first to introduce a yellow pencil.
Specialized Section
The US Famous Americans Series 1940
In
1938, the Post Office Department announced plans for a series of stamps
recognizing 10 famous Americans and invited the public to submit
recommendations. The response was so
great that it was decided to increase the number from 10 to 35. This required an unexpected level of
organization by the Post Office Department for this series.
The Famous Americans
series comprising of 35 stamps were issued in 1940, in 7 groups of 5 stamps
each, and printed in sheets of 70. The groups honour Authors, Poets, Educators,
Scientists, Composers, Artists and Inventors. The stamps are coloured according
to denomination: 1 cent green, 2 cents red, 3 cents violet, 5 cents blue, and
10 cents brown. The frame of the stamp varies from group to group.
Each
rate had a valid use. The 1¢ stamp paid
for a letter that was dropped off at a post office for someone who had a box at
the same office. The 2¢ was for local
delivery. The 3¢ paid the normal
non-local mail rate, and the 5¢ and 10¢ were used in combination for heavier letters
and special rates.
This series of Postage issues was printed by the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing. These stamps were larger in size than normal definitive
issues, with only 280 stamp images contained on the printing plate (400 images
was standard for the Presidential series). Notable also is the red-violet colour
chosen for the 3¢ stamps, a brighter hue than the traditional purple. With
this series Booker
T. Washington became the first black American to be honoured on a US stamp.
Authors: Washington
Irving, James Fenimore Cooper, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, and Samuel
Clemens.
Poets:
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, James Russell
Lowell, Walt Whitman, James Whitcomb Riley.
Educators:
Horace Mann, Mark Hopkins, Charles W. Eliot, Frances E. Willard, Booker
T. Washington.
Scientists:
John James Audubon, Dr. Crawford W. Long, Luther Burbank, Dr. Walter
Reed, Jane Addams.
Composers:
Stephen Collins Foster, John Philip Sousa, Victor Herbert, Edward A.
MacDowell, Ethelbert Nevin.
Artists:
Gilbert Charles Stuart, James McNeil Whistler, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Daniel
Chester French, Frederick Remington.
Inventors:
Eli Whitney, Samuel F. B. Morse, Cyrus Hall McCormick, Elias Howe, Alexander
Graham Bell.
Famous Americans
Series of 1940
Authors
 |
|||
1 cent - Washington Irving
2 cent - James Fenimore Cooper
3 cent - Ralph Waldo Emerson
5 cent - Louisa May Alcott
10 cent - Samuel L. Clemens
Poets
1 cent - Henry W. Longfellow
2 cent - John Greenleaf Whittier
3 cent - James Russell Lowell
5 cent - Walt Whitman
10 cent - James Whitcomb Riley
Educators
1 cent - Horace Mann
2 cent - Mark Hopkins
3 cent - Charles W. Eliot
5 cent - Frances E. Willard
10 cent - Booker T. Washington
Scientists
1 cent - John James Audubon
2 cent - Dr. Crawford W. Long
3 cent - Luther Burbank
5 cent - Dr. Walter Reed
10 cent - Jane Addams
Composers
1 cent - Stephen Collins Foster
2 cent - John Philip Sousa
3 cent - Victor Herbert
5 cent - Edward A. MacDowell
10 cent - Ethelbert Nevin
Artists
1 cent - Gilbert Charles Stuart
2 cent - James A. McNeill Whistler
3 cent - Augustus Saint-Gaudens
5 cent - Daniel Chester French
10 cent - Frederic Remington
Inventors
1 cent - Eli Whitney
2 cent - Samuel F.B. Morse
3 cent - Cyrus Hall McCormick
5 cent - Elias Howe
10 cent - Alexander Graham Bell
10c
Booker T. Washington first day cover mailed by Postmaster General
James
A. Farley
5 cent Louisa May Alcott
first day cover
In Memory of Dr Satyendra Agrawal….
In great philatelic memory of Dr Satyendra Kumar Agrawal, I am
re-publishing some of his best articles every month this year. Those who were
closely associated with Dr Agrawal may also share their memories in this column.- Editor
Birth of Playing Cards
© Dr.Satyendra Kumar Agrawal
How
Playing Cards evolved
Chinese dictionary
“Ching-tsze-tung” dating from 1628 includes the legend about creation of
“dotted” cards. According to it numerous members of Emperor’s army of
concubines invented playing cards in a desperate attempt to break the monotony
of their existence and keep themselves occupied.
India
has its own legend explaining the creation of cards. It’s similar to Chinese
one in a way that it connects cards with royalty and female boredom in King’s
boudoirs. According to Hindu legend the wife of a Maharaja was bored and
irritated by her husband’s disgusting habit of constantly pulling hair from his
beard. In order to keep his hands occupied and away from his beard and to
entertain her and her husband, the wife conceived the idea of the game which
used cards. Unlike the cards in China and Korea, Indian cards had a round
shape.
Indian Circular Playing Cards (Ganjifa)
There is
also conventional saying that many card games were being played in India since time immemorial
and the Brahmins invented them. ‘Ashtapada’, is one of them played in 5th
century. According to some historians,
playing cards in India were derived from the game chess.
However,
once paper money had been introduced in China; the values, numbers and symbols
were all put together to form the earliest playing cards. It all started around the 9th century and what started as a
family game played with hand printed leaves and wood, soon became an
international phenomenon. It soon became popular in Japan and India.
By the
end of the 14th century playing cards spread widely across
Europe. Spain is credited to be first in Europe where the playing cards were
introduced and were known as Barajas Espanola using Latin symbols for the deck.
After this they found home
in Italy, Germany, France and Scandinavian countries.
European
colonists also brought with them playing cards they enjoyed in their old
countries. English brought them to Virginia, Spanish to Florida and the Dutch
to New Amsterdam. The cards even invaded Puritan New England.
Evidences
suggest that card games and decks first evolved in England around the 15th
century and in America with Spaniards during 20th century.
Playing Cards evolved in America during 20th C
Among
the Indians of American Southwest the cards were made of deer and
ship skin with the design similar to old Spanish Cards of 16th century
made of leather used by the soldiers of Spanish expedition.
These card decks included
emblematic tarot cards consisted of 77 cards plus one card designated “the
Fool”, predecessor of our joker, useful in fortune telling as well as for card
games.
Tarot cards
It is also believed that cards are flat, shuffle able versions of other games such as dice, chess or mah-jongg.
Early
Cards
No cards from this early survive, but the
sources indicate that cards were being painted ‘in gold and various colours’. Wealthy nobles and Royalties from
around the world also often play with elaborate ‘painted and gilded’ luxurious cards sometimes made from materials
like silver. But standard playing cards began to be printed in Europe from
block prints around the time that Gutenberg (Germany) invented the moveable
type in the 1440’s enabling the general public to play card games.
German Playing Cards
Most early woodcuts, about
1450 onwards, of all types were coloured after printing, either by hand or,
using stencils.
Composition of Card pack
The
composition and design of playing card decks varied with time and locale
(particularly the number of cards in a deck), but the inclusion of both
numbered cards and court cards (or "royals") — and the division of
cards into different suits — were standard features from early on. The standard
deck comprises 52 cards, in four suits each of thirteen ranks.
The standard deck of 52 cards
In the Royal Household are
Kings, Queens and Jacks, and another fellow who plays a cameo in games here and
there known as Joker.
King, Queen, Jack and Joker
Suits
The
diverse cultural contexts led to a diversity of playing card types and styles.
All European packs of the 14th century were 4-suited. They had differences in
type of suits, their number and types of court cards.
Various Suits
The earliest examples of
European design displayed the ‘Latin Suits’ of Swords, Batons, Cups and Coins. 
‘Latin Suits’ of Swords, Batons, Cups and Coins
Hearts, Bells, Leaves and Acorns
French Suits
Over
the years, various scholars have also put forth the notion that the four suits
in a deck of playing cards were intended to represent, the four classes of
medieval society. The Italian cups (or chalices) stand for the Church, the
swords the military, the coins the merchants, and the batons (or clubs) the
peasantry. Similarly, the German bells symbolize the nobility (because of their
love of falconry), heart the Church, and leave the middle class and acorns the
peasantry. On French cards, the spades represent the aristocracy (as
spearheads, the weapons of knights), hearts once again stand for the Church,
diamonds are a sign of the merchant class (from the paving stones used in the
chancels of churches, where the "well-to-do were buried," and clover
(the food of swine) denotes the peasantry. However, all of this is mere
historic speculation.
Suits
came in 4 colors – black, red, blue and green but French Pack introduced major
changes that simplified the pack and its production. Four suits were divided in
two black suited and two red ones.
Four colours
suits Two colours suits
The
French suits were accepted by other
card-playing nations and French design eventually became the standard for most
of Europe because suit symbols were more easily can be stenciled than their
earlier counterparts. Also card
manufacturers realized they did not
need to engrave each of the twelve court cards separately, simply
one wood block or copper plate for each of the three royals can be printed the cards from them, and stenciled
the suits in later.
Court
cards – King, Queens and Jacks
Different
types of card decks being used through the world; it was the Europeans who
began to give the Court cards their faces. Italian decks contained fifty-six
cards, included four types of court cards
, ‘king’,’ queen’, ‘knight’ and ‘knave’.
King Queen Knight Knave
The
original meaning of knave was male child, so in this context the character
could represent the’prince’, son to the King and Queen; the meaning servant
developed later.’ Knights’ were also dropped to make standard deck of cards
from 56 to 52.
As
the Spanish adopted playing cards, they replaced queens with mounted knights
(caballeros). The Germans similarly excluded queens from their decks, naming
their royals könig (king), obermann ("upper man") and untermann
("lower man"). The French made further changes, dropping the obermann
and re-including the queen.
Though
specific design elements of the court cards are rarely used in game play and
many differ between designs, a few are notable. The Jack of Spades, Jack of
Hearts, and King of Diamonds are drawn in profile, while the rest of the courts
are shown in full face; these cards are commonly called "one-eyed".
One Eyed Cards
The King of
Hearts is the only King with no mustache, and is also typically shown with
a sword behind
his head, making him appear to be stabbing himself. This leads to the nickname
"suicide king".
Suicide King
The axe held
by the King of Diamonds is behind his head with the blade facing toward him. He
is traditionally armed with an axe while the other three kings are armed with
swords, and thus the King of Diamonds is sometimes referred to as "the man
with the axe" because of this.
Man with the Axe
The Jack of
Diamonds is sometimes known as ‘laughing boy’.
Laughing Boy
The Ace of
Spades, unique in its large, ornate spade, is sometimes said to be the death
card, and in some games is used as a trump card.
Death Card
The Queen of Spades usually holds a scepter and
is sometimes known as "the bedpost queen", though more often she is called
"Black Lady".
Black Lady
Naming of Court cards
Towards
the close of the 16th century French playing card manufacturers began naming
the court cards after heroes in the epics of medieval history, as narrated in
chronicles and legends of the day. Early
choices for the identities of the kings included Solomon, Augustus, Clovis, and
Constantine, but during the latter part of the reign of Henry IV (1553-1610)
they were more or less standardized as representing Biblical king David
(spades), Charlemagne (hearts), Julius Caesar (diamonds) and Alexander the
Great (clubs).
Similarly,
Queen of Spades, Hearts, Diamonds and Clubs were respectively –Pallas Joan of
Arc or the eponymous Greek goddess of war
Athena), ,Empress Judith(wife of Charlemagne's son) ,Rachel (Agnes Sorel -mistress of Charles
VII or Jacob's wife) & Argine(wife of Charles VII or Juno -queen of
the gods in Roman mythology) .
Curiously,
the identities of the knaves seem to have remained constant. They were Ogier (a knight of Charlemagne and the knight who is carried off by the
witch Morgan la Fay in Arthurian legend) as the knave of spades, La Hire
(comrade-in-arms to Joan of Arc, and member of Charles VII's court) as the
knave of hearts, Hector (the hero of Troy) as the knave of diamonds, and Judas
Maccabeus, or Lancelot (another knight from Arthurian legend) as the knave
of clubs.
However, the
assignation of identities to the kings, queens and knaves was a temporary
practice unique to french card masters that began around the mid-15thcentury
and came to an end with the French revolution in the late 18th century.
Standard Anglo-American cards today do not represent anyone in particular.
Standard Anglo-American
cards
(Note: Most of the illustrated cards are Chinese
Postal Stationery Cards and stamps are prepared by Zazzle.com under license
from US Post).
New issues from other Countries
Aland
15
September 2017 : Forest Mammals
Forest Mammals
Mountain
hare (Lepus timidus) and least weasel (Mustela nivalis) are indigenous species
that may be seen all over Åland. Both animals change colours with the seasons.
On the stamps, they are illustrated in their summer coats. The herbivorous
mountain hare is the sprinter of the forest, and the weasel is the smallest
land predator of the Nordic countries. The weasel very much resembles the
ermine but is slightly smaller and has a shorter tail that lacks the black
tail-tip of the ermine. Bo illustrates its smallness by placing it next to some
cowslips, the provincial flower of Åland.
The
raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) is the approximate size of a fox and
resembles a raccoon. Bo depicted it in its winter pelage when the fur is at its
best. Appearing in Åland since the 1970s, the omnivorous raccoon dog is an
invasive species from the east. It may cause damage among domestic species of
birds and spread diseases such as rabies. Consequently, raccoon dogs may be
hunted year round. Mountain hare may be hunted in winter whereas the least
weasel is a protected species.
Croatia
18 September 2017 – Autism Living in their own
world
Autism
- Living in their Own World
Autism
is a condition where a child (or an adult) experiences the world in a way that
significantly differs compared to other people. The basic characteristics of
persons with disabilities from the autism spectrum are difficulties in
communication and interaction, tendency to repeat behavioural patterns,
interests and activities, as well as sensory processing difficulties.
Furthermore, one of the characteristics of disorders from the autism spectrum
is its appearance in early childhood, up to the age of three. It is important
to emphasize that this is a neurobiological developmental disorder and,
throughout the life of an affected individual, its clinical picture changes
within the spectrum of the disorder that manifests itself differently among
individuals and at various levels.
Parents
or experts can notice the first signs of deviations from regular communication
development as soon as the first year of a child’s life, that is, up to the age
of 18 months. Indicators of suspicion of a developmental disorder include the
following: the child does not make eye contact when someone speaks to him/her,
does not wave “bye-bye“, does not consistently respond when his/her name is
called – sometimes yes, and sometimes no, does not perform simple verbal orders
(such as: “Give!”, “Come!”, Sit!” and similar), does not say the words “mom”
and “dad” (with a meaning), when asked to show body parts (ear, eye, nose)
he/she fails to do so, does not point towards objects with his/her index
finger. Only monitoring and a comprehensive team processing can show whether it
is just a suspicion or a disorder from the autism spectrum. The disorder may be
alleviated and the clinical picture can be changed in the child participates in
a suitable early intervention program in the family at the onset of the
disorder.
Autism
was first described in 1943 by Kanner, an American psychiatrist. His
description of the basic clinical symptoms is valid even today. However, what has
changed is the higher number of cases of autism throughout the world. This is
why persons with autism require a greater social support and care.
Portugal
15 September 2017 : Cascais 2018 - European Youth Capital
Cascais
2018 - European Youth Capital
It
may seem rather ironic to celebrate Cascais European Youth Capital with a
stamp, or collection of stamps. It is said that stamps were invented more than
300 years ago. They don’t seem very fashionable, particularly at a time when
many people have stopped sending letters. Everything has now moved into the
digital world, into the cloud, emails, SMS and WhatsApp messaging.
It
is precisely because they aren’t fashionable that our little old stamps
continue to be modern.They
are modern because they have value. The value which someone accords to sending
a message to someone else.
They
are modern because they are ageless. They move through time with youthful
energy.They
are modern because they link us all together. Past, present and future
generations, united by a square piece of paper.
It
is for these reasons that releasing a collection of stamps is an excellent way
to commemorate Cascais European Youth Capital.
We
want to have value.We
want to make our mark on history.We
want to link present and future generations of young people.This
is our goal. We are fighting hard to achieve it.
We
have competed for the title of European Youth Capital on two occasions. We lost
on the 1st, but we didn’t give up. We kept on trying. We won on the second,
because we were convinced that Cascais and Portugal deserved the title. Cascais
has one of the most dynamic communities of young people in the country. We
compare favourably to other places around the world in terms of
entrepreneurship, volunteering, association activity and citizenship.
This
means that in many cases, the political power is led by the dynamism of its
young people.We
are working so that no young person is left behind.
We
want to improve our youth policy framework. We want to be bold in our proposals
for empowerment. We want to be assertive in devising policies for education,
both for young people and for lifelong learning. We want to be relentless in
defending decent work for young people.
We
will leave a mark on young people at the national and European level. We will
promote the best European Youth Capital ever.
When
we all have grey hair and look back at these stamps, we will always remember
the boldness and courage of our youth.
- Carlos Carreiras President of Cascais
City Council
Acknowledgement
Judaica
Thematic Society (UK) October 2017 Newsletter edited by Gary Goodman
Blogs
& Websites
Philatelic Clubs & Societies
Ananthapuri Philatelic Association, Thiruvanthapuram
Chandigarh Philatelic Club
Deccan Philatelic Society – Pune, Maharashtra
Ludhiana Philatelic Club
Numismatic &
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Philatelic Society of Rajasthan, Jaipur
Philatelic Society of India , Bombay : http://www.psi1897.com/
Rajkot Philatelic Society – Rajkot, Gujarat
Gujarat Philatelic Association - Ahmedabad
The Army Philatelic Society, Pune
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