Christmas
Dehradun November 2025 Vol.
XVIII Issue No. 215
Readers are requested to send reports of philatelic activities in their
area for publication. Short write ups by the readers about, societies,
publications and philatelic requirements can be sent for inclusion in this
bulletin to the editor: j.jyoti9@gmail.com
Crank Up Christmas
Date of Issue: 22 October 2025
Editorial……
Nurturing the Next Generation of Philatelists
Dear Reader,
I am pleased to present the November 2025 issue
of Rainbow Stamp News. It's heartening to see the diverse range of stamps and
philatelic items that can captivate the younger generation's interest in
philately. However, I strongly believe that the Department of Posts can play a
more significant role in promoting this hobby.
To truly foster a love for stamp collecting,
it's essential to introduce it to young minds. One effective way to do this
would be for the Department of Posts to launch a campaign promoting letter
writing to the younger generation, encouraging them to use stamps to send
letters to their loved ones. Unless they can hold stamps in their hands, use
them on letters, and experience the joy of sending and receiving mail, the
hobby may struggle to take off.
In today's digital age, receiving a handwritten
letter can be a deeply personal and heartwarming experience. It's time to
revive the tradition of sending physical letters on special occasions, rather
than relying solely on social media greetings. An eye-catching advertisement
campaign can help promote this initiative and make it a success.
Let's work together to inspire the next
generation of philatelists by promoting physical letter writing and making them
to know the use of postage stamps on the letters, we can create a new wave of
enthusiasts who appreciate the joy of sending and receiving mail.
Happy Collecting!
This is all for this month. More in the next issue.
Contents
. Editorial
· From the Desk of
Naresh Agrawal
· Recent Indian Issues
· In the News
. Interview
· Specialized Section
· Beginners’ Section
. Stories Behind Stamps
. New Issues from
Other Countries
. Thematics
· Philatelic Clubs and
Society
· Blogs and Websites
on Philately
· Current Philatelic
Magazines and Newsletters
EXHIBITION
PARTICIPATION: TO BE MADE AFFORDABLE
Philatelic activities are certainly happening all around but
philately is not growing the way it should be. There are so many reasons and
points which need to be considered to check this aspect and for promotion and
development of philately. Some of the reasons are easily available philatelic
material, inculcating stamp collecting interest among the youth, reasonably
priced stamps and other material, active operation of philatelic clubs and
societies, more and more exhibitions and opportunity for participation in
exhibitions. We all know that every philatelist wants to participate in higher
level stamp shows and to win awards there. And that’s where he feels satisfied
to some extent that his years of collection, research, exhibiting has been duly
recognized and acknowledged.
Hence, looking into this, I understand participation in higher
level philatelic exhibitions should be made easy and convenient. It does not
mean that the undeserving exhibits be allowed to participate for a particular
level of show or for a particular section of the show. I simply mean that
sometimes deserving exhibits fail to participate due to lack of certain
ordinary reasons. I understand that the unaffordable cost and
expenditures of participation in philatelic exhibitions is one major factor. Participation
in domestic exhibitions such as Divisional, Regional and National is somehow
affordable for most collectors because of reasonable and affordable
participation fees. But when it comes to International participation, the
cost of participation in totality increases tremendously. One must appreciate
the fact that philately itself has become quite costly when it comes to
preparing quality exhibits which requires rare and varied quality of most
appropriate and befitting philatelic material. Most of the Indian collectors or
say philatelists have limited pocket size and they are already exhausted by the
time they reach up to this level. Hence, further high cost of participation
becomes unaffordable for them.
I must say that virtual philatelic shows have checked this
aspect to a big extent. Other than participation fee, various associated costs
and expenditures have become zero as there is no physical carriage, display and
handling. Here I would like to discuss AUSVIPEX2025, Australian
Multi-frame Virtual Philatelic Exhibition. This exhibition is so well designed
that it boasts to cater stamp lovers of all regions all over the world,
category, class and level. Low and affordable frame fee of participation, allowing
multi frame exhibition, inclusion of various classes like Open Philately,
Frugal philately etc. have given easy access to many deserving
philatelists.
As virtual exhibiting has become a practice today as we see
organizing of such exhibitions becoming common today; there is a need to rework
strategies on such exhibitions so that these are easily conducted and become
more and more affordable and accessible to the stamp lovers. As these are low-cost
exhibitions even governments of states and post departments need to look
upon these. There is no doubt these exhibitions have proven to be successful
and results too have been welcomed always.
I understand the philatelic stake holders, federations need to
seriously think upon this aspect and act aggressively. I am of the strong
opinion that if exhibiting is made affordable and easily accessible, philately
will certainly be promoted to a very big extent as it will attract more and
more stamp lovers, and medal or award aspirants.
-Naresh Agrawal, Bilaspur (C.G.) email nareshkumar1992@yahoo.co.in Mob / WhatsApp: 09425530514
Recent Indian Issues
30 September
2025: President’s Body Guards -Rs 5
1 October 2025 :
100 Years of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh – Rs 5
1 October 2025: Military
Nursing Service- Rs 5
11 October 2025
: Sitaram Maroo – Rs 5
14 October 2025
: 70th Anniversary of the Establishment of
Diplomatic Relations Between India and Mongolia - 2 x Rs 50 +MS
15 October 2025:
New Mangalore Port Authority – Rs 5
24 October 2025:
80 Years of the United Nations - Rs 5
31 October 2025:
150th Birth Anniversary of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel – Rs 5
New Special Cover
29 October 2025 : TRIPEX 2025 : Heritage of North East India
31 October 2025 : Ahilyabai Holkar 300th Birth
Anniversary celebration 2025 – Rs 5
Tripex 2025 : Special Covers
1. Narikel Kunja ( Coconut island resort at Agartala)
2. Heritage of North
East of India
3. Biju Dance
4. Tripex2025
5. Blood Moon
New Special Cancellations and Picture
Postcards
6 October 2025: World
Habitat Day
9 October 2025: World Post Day
10 October 2025: National Post Day
16 October 2025 : World Food Day
24 October 2025 : United Nations Day : Bangalore
28 October 2025 : Chhath Puja – Raipur (C.G.)
31 October 2025 : 150th Birth anniversary of
sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel- Nagpur
31 October 2025 : Worls Cities Day ( Heritage Cities of
Rajasthan) – Jaipur
PPC : TRIPEX 2025 - Agartala
1.Ujjayanta Palace
2.Unakoti Rock Carvings
3.Neermahal
New Permanent Pictorial cancellation
13 October 2025: Beaulieu
25 October 2025: Postal Training Centre Mysore
New Permanent Pictorial Cancellation on Beaulieu was released at Dr. Ambedkar Veedhi S.O from Karnataka Postal Circle on 13th October 2025.. It now serves as the Chief Postmaster General's office, showcasing striking colonial-era architecture.
Picture Postcards issued by Karnataka Postal Circle
1. World
Food Day
2.
Mysuru Marathon
Picture Postcards with Micro Embroidery issued by
Karnataka Postal Circle
Picture Postcards from Uttrakhand
Set of eight picture
post-cards along with special cancellation were released in Dehra Dun on
09-Oct-2025. The picture post-cards showcases -
Munsyari, Pithoragarh
Hemkund Lake, Chamoli
Dayara Bugyal,
Uttarkashi
Balkhila River,
Gopeshwar
Himalaya from Kausani
Alaknanda River,
Badrinath
View from Mana Village,
Chamoli
Aadi Kailash,
Pithoragarh
Picture Post cards from Rajasthan
Postal Circle
World Cities Day
7 Picture Post Cards with cancellation Rs 350/- Blank at Rs
342 :G P O, Jaipur Philatelic Bureau
Phone :01412360156
TRIPEX 2025, Agartala: Picture Postcards
Set of 2 picture postcards on Flora and
Fauna of North East
In The News
Best Europa stamp 2025
The 2025 Best Europa stamp has been announced by PostEurop .
Norway (stamp 1) is
the winner of the 2025 Best Europa stamp contest organized by PostEurop. The
Netherlands finished second and Greece (3€ value) is third.
1.NORWAY
2.THE NETHERLANDS
3.GREECE
The designer tells about the image: “I
have tried to recreate how the objects have been frozen, and how they have
gradually emerged. The images are first processed, then printed out and then
frozen in an ice bath. I have then photographed in the studio while the ice
melts and the motifs emerge. This is a visual move in addition to reinforcing
the theme, namely what appears when the ice melts.”
Europa 2026 Theme (Common Design Issue)
Celebrating
Europa Stamps 70th anniversary - 1956-2026
AUSVIPEX -2025
Exhibition
Website https://ausvipex2025.com
For all enquiries email: Ausvipex2025@gmail.com
Exhibition available online for public viewing: From Friday 27
November 2025
Results available: Friday 4 December 2025
Dubai 2026
DUBAI
2026, Specialized FIP & FIAP patronage World Stamp Exhibition ,4-8 February
2026
Visit :https://dubai2026wse.com/
MACAO 2026
The FIP Patronage Specialised world Stamp Exhibition will be held at
Cotai Expo Hall A, The Venetian Macao, Taipa Macau SAR from 26 June 2026 to
1stJuly 2026.
Last date of submitting entries: 18 November 2025
Visit: https://www.macao2026.org.mo/
AMSIPEX 2026
The Airmail Soceity of India Foundation (AMSI) is conducting its 2nd
Virtual International Aero & Astrophilatelic exhibition during 14 to 21
February 2026.
For more details visit : www.amsipex.com
BOSTON-2026
BOSTON
2026 GWSE is organized by American Philatelic Society (APS) in accordance with
Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP) .The exhibition will open on May
23 and close on May 30, 2026.
The
exhibition will be held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC)
in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Approximately 4,000 exhibition frames judged
under FIP rules will be available
National Commissioner: Mr. Pratisad Neurgaonkar, Email: pratisadn@gmail.com , Mobile: +91 9766310553
View : BOSTON 2026 - IREX
PHILATAIPEI 2026
FIP Patronage General World
Dates: 19 - 24 Nov 2026
News
from Philatelists and Philatelic Societies
Philatelic Society of Uttar Pradesh
HISTORIC PHILATELIC RELEASE MARKS CENTENARY OF "THE ALLAHABAD FARMER",
It is Asia's first
agricultural publication and has been successfully running for 100 years. The
Department of Post in collaboration with the Philatelic Society of Uttar
Pradesh, organized a special philatelic event on the Founder's Day of Sam
Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS)
formerly Allahabad Agriculture Institute).
This historical occasion featured the release of a cover with a grass colour cancellation, first ever to be released in Uttar Pradesh celebrating the rich legacy of agricultural education in the region, chosen to denote agriculture and UP’s first cover carried by a bullock cart even further enhancing the event’s deeply rooted agricultural and historical significance. The bullock cart was driven by Chhotu, an old farmer who was accompanied by postman Mr. Santosh.
The function celebrated the completion of hundred years of the esteemed bi-annual magazine, The Allahabad Farmer. Furthermore, the University itself, established in 1910, is marking 115 years of existence. The event also highlighted that October 27th is observed as the Founders Day of the University, and it is also the birthday of Sam Higginbottom.
A notable moment of
the ceremony was the ceremonial delivery. A postman transported the released
album from the Agriculture Institute Sub-Post Office to the University's
auditorium venue. Following this, the postman Santosh presented the album to
the Vice-Chancellor, where a dedicated delivery program took place.
The program was graced by the Vice-Chancellor Most Rev. Prof. (Dr.) Rajendra B. Lal, Pro Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. ir. Jonathan A. Lal, Registrar Prof. (Dr.) Mrs. Ranu Prasad, Additional Registrar Prof. (Dr.) C. John Wesley, Prof. (Dr.) Amit Kumar Masih, Director (Financial Planning & Management), Dr. Aditya Singh, Secretary General, Philatelic Society of Uttar Pradesh and Mr. M. Gulrez, Jt. Secretary. The proceedings were anchored by Mr. Ashish Alexander.
Air Mail Society India Foundation
We are delighted to share that AMSIPEX-26 has received confirmed patronage from the International Federation of Aero- and Astrophilatelic Societies (F.I.A.S.).
The entry form
for the World Single-Frame Exhibits Team Championship (Class 3.3) is now
live. The last date for entry id 25th November 2025.
This championship allows three exhibitors from a single
country/society/club to form a team, with each member submitting one
single-frame exhibit under Class 3.2.13 – Single-Frame.
Exhibitors will continue to be eligible for individual
medals, and the team scores will be aggregated, with medals awarded to the
team, society, or country achieving the highest aggregate team score. No
additional entry fee for the Team Championship.
You can submit your entries by visiting www.amsipex.com
Philatelic Society of Bhopal
It is a matter of great joy to announce that the *Philatelic Society of Bhopal* was formed in Bhopal in 2024, and its first meeting was held at the Bhopal GPO. The founder of this society is Mr. Ashish Bhandari. The primary objective of the organization is to promote the hobby of philately among the general public. To attract the public, especially youth and women, to philately and to raise awareness about its historical and cultural value.
The first annual meeting was held at Ravindra Bhawan Cafe, Bhopal in September 2025. The annual meeting was presided over by the chief guest, Mr. Pawan Dalmia, Director, Postal Services, Madhya Pradesh. He raised awareness about environmental protection and provided information about philatelic activities in Bhopal. He praised the organization's efforts and provided guidance. All members were very enthusiastic about the meeting.
The meeting began with a welcome to all members and honoured guests. Introductions and connections to collecting were shared. All members of the organization are working professionals and students and find time for their hobbies in their busy schedules, which is exemplary. Mr. Ashish highlighted the organization's importance. The organization strives to promote budding philatelists. It's often observed that children spend a lot of time on their mobile phones. Using this time for creative pursuits is beneficial. The organization's members periodically organize children's workshops and showcase their stamp collections, which enhances people's knowledge and encourages them to build new collections. The members displayed the exhibit.
Dr. Rajneesh Joshi, Bhopal, was the special guest at the event. He presented special gifts to all members. Pawan Ji organized a philately quiz, and prizes were distributed. Mr. Siddharth proposed the vote of thanks.
Society contact: philatelicsocietybhopal@gmail.com
BONGOPEX – 2025
West Bengal Circle Philatelic Exhibition
14-17
November 2027 at Science City, Kolkata.
GOAPEX 2025
28-29 November 2025 , Panaji Goa
Schoolpex 2025, Jaipur
3-6
November 2025
Calendar
2026 from Karnataka Postal Circle
The first of its kind, table calendar is released by Karnataka Postal Circle Mysuru Marathon. Doubled as 15 tearable postcards celebrating some of the finest marathons of the world. This calendar is available @ Rs 400 from Philatelic Bureaue Bangalore GPO .
Specialized Section
Col.
Jayanta Dutta was an eminent philatelist. He wrote several articles with his
wife Dr Anjali Dutta who is a renowned philatelist, contributed a series of
articles for Rainbow Stamp News. I am
pleased to publish one of his articles published in Rainbow few years back.- Editor
Unexpected Treasures
- Dr
Anjali Dutta & Late Col J Dutta
This doesn't mean, however, that the stamp hobby lacks its own Lost Ark, King Tut's treasure, Holy Grail, Hope Diamond or Kohinoor. Many stamps are legends of the hobby, some as rare as rare can be — the only one known. We will tell you about two such stamps — the rarest of the rare and certainly worth a king’s ransom.
The
first is the Swedish Tre Skilling Banco or three
schilling error of colour (Swedish: Gul tre skilling banco, literally
means "yellow three skilling banco"). It is a Swedish postage
stamp of which only one example is known to exist. This stamp was cancelled at
Nya Kopparberget (now known as Kopparberg), about 150 kilometers from Uppsala,
on 13 July 1857.
Three schilling banco error of color
In 1855, Sweden issued its first postage stamps, in a set of five values depicting the Swedish coat of arms, with denominations ranging from three to 24 Swedish skillings. The three-skilling stamp was normally printed in a blue-green colour, with the eight-skilling stamp being printed in yellowish orange.
Stamps those days were printed in sheets from blocks made of the same
design repeated multiple times in columns and rows. It is not known exactly
what went wrong, but the most likely explanation is that a stereotype of the
eight-skilling printing plate (which consisted of 100 stereotypes assembled
into a 10 × 10 array) was damaged or broken, and it was mistakenly replaced
with a three-skilling. The number of stamps printed in the wrong color is
unknown, but so far only one example has been found. Somehow, this error
went entirely unnoticed at the time, and by 1873 the Swedish currency was
changed. The skilling stamps were replaced by new stamps denominated in
"öre".
The normal blue-green colour of 3 skilling stamp and 8 skilling yellow
stamp
The other values 4, 6 and 24 skilling stamps of the 1855 issue
Georg
Wilhelm Backman
Sometime later Backman was reading the Swedish philatelic publication Svenska Dagbladet which told of an exhibition, being organised by Lichtenstein, which featured the yellow Tre Skilling Banco and described it as: ‘The pearl of the collection’. Although annoyed by the fact that he clearly had been taken advantage of, Backman’s mother told him to be happy with what he had got for the stamps. Later Backman confirmed that the stamp originally came from a letter sent by his brother, a travelling botanist in his spare time, and that this could explain the ‘KNOPP’ cancellation which indicated the letter had been posted at Nya Kopparberget on July 13, 1857.
After it had changed hands several times, Sigmund Friedl sold it to
Philipp von Ferrari in 1894, who at that time had the largest known stamp
collection in the world, and he paid the breathtaking sum of 4,000
Austro-Hungarian gulden. As time passed, and no other "yellows"
surfaced despite vigorous searching, it became clear that the stamp was not
only rare, but quite possibly the only surviving example.
Count Philip Ferrari de La Renotière (January 11, 1850 – May 20, 1917) & King Carol II (15 October 1893 – 4 April 1953)
When Ferrari's collection was auctioned in the 1920s, Swedish Baron Eric Leijonhufvud bought the three-skilling yellow stamp. Later Claes A. Tamm bought it in 1926 for £1,500 (pound sterling) in order to complete his collection of Swedish stamps. In 1928, the stamp was sold to the lawyer Johan Ramberg for £2,000, and he kept it for nine years. In 1937, King Carol II of Romania purchased it from London auction house H. R. Harmer for £5,000, and in 1950 it went to Rene Berlingen for an unknown amount of money.
In 1978 it was sold through Edgar Mohrmann for £270,000; then the Swiss auction house Feldman sold it in 1984 for £314,309. The same auctioneer sold it to Sven-Olof Karlsson in 1990 for £800,633 (then a world record for a stamp off cover). However, Karlsson failed to complete the purchase and so the item was again sold by Feldman (for the third time) on November 8, 1996. The auction was solely for the stamp and a beautiful hard-backed catalogue told the full story of its provenance and history. In this event it sold for a world record £1,400,000 to a Scandinavian group.
On 22 May 2010, the yellow stamp was auctioned once again by David Feldman in Geneva, Switzerland. It sold "for at least the $2.3 million price it set a record for in 1996". The buyer reportedly was an "international consortium" called The Box AB, which included Hans Lernestal and Tom Josephson and the seller was a financial firm auctioning the stamp to pay the former owner's debt. The exact price and the identity of the buyer were not disclosed, however, and all bidders reportedly were sworn to secrecy. The buyer has subsequently been identified as Armand Rousso, described as a colorful philatelic player known for a number of high-profile activities.
In May 2013 the stamp was acquired in a private sale by Count Gustaf
Douglas, a Swedish nobleman and politician. Each successive sale
was a world record price for a postage stamp.
In or before 2012, Baron Jean-Claude Pierre Ferdinand Gunther Andre and his wife Jane Andre brought a lawsuit in the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division, London, against Clydesdale Bank PLC, claiming that he had stored a locked trunk at the bank in which there allegedly were six covers bearing a total of nine Tre skilling Yellow stamps, along with other less valuable items. Andre claimed that he had left the trunk undisturbed from 1986 to 2004, but when he sought to retrieve it the lock had been removed and the covers and stamps taken. Philatelic dealer David Feldman testified that the covers would have been worth some 3.7 million pounds sterling. After a lengthy trial, the court issued a judgment in 2013, in which it rejected Andre's claim, finding him and his wife unreliable witnesses and their claim suffering from "sheer inherent implausibility".
The second is the British Guiana one-cent magenta, amongst the most valuable stamps in the world. And it is unique, since again only one copy is known to exist.
The British Guiana One-Cent Magenta
Vernon took the stamp to a local collector Neil Mckinnon and sold it for six shillings. Mckinnon realized that the stamp was one of its kind! The stamp that Vernon parted with for a pittance rose in value over the years to thousands of dollars with a king desperately wanting its possession.
Mckinnon returned to Glasgow in 1882 and sold his collection, including the British Guiana 1 Cent to Thomas Ridpath for 110 pounds. Ridpath sold the 1-cent magenta, soon thereafter to Europe’s famous philatelist Baron von Ferrari for 750 dollars.
The Baron left his collections to the Berlin Postal Museum and after World War I it was expropriated by the French Government and sold for reparations in 1922.
At the auction there were four serious bidders for the stamp, namely King George V, a keen collector specializing in British Empire stamps, Arthur Hind a wealthy collector from New York, Monsieur Burros a tobacco manufacturer from Mulhouse, France and the British collector EL Pemberton.
The bidding opened at $ 5000, and moved briskly in jumps of $1000 to $10000. At this point Permberton dropped out. At the $ 20000 mark surprisingly King George V’s agent dropped out. At $ 30000 Burros hesitated but accepted. At $ 35000 both men hesitated until the American finally nodded. The final price was $ 37000 including taxes.
Soon collectors and dealers in Europe and America headed for British Guiana to make a systematic search to unearth more such stamps. A Georgetown resident wrote to his family in Lancashire “I doubt if there has been anything quite as frenzied since the Gold Rush in California”. In spite of the hectic search no other similar stamp was found.
In the 1920s a rumour developed that a second copy of the stamp had been discovered by Arthur Hind, who quietly purchased the supposed second copy and subsequently destroyed it and proclaimed: ‘There’s only one magenta One Cent Guiana’. The rumour has not been substantiated. Arthur Hind insured the stamp for $50,000.
A few years later Hind was going through the Royal Collection when King Gorge V walked in to tell Hind “I want you to know that I have never begrudged your acquiring that one-cent magenta”.
When
Hind died in 1933 he bequeathed his collection to his relatives. Mrs. Ann
Hind maintained that her husband had meant her to inherit it. The stamp
became the object of bitter litigation, which ended in a Supreme Court decision
in favour of the widow.
On August 7, 1940 Mrs. Hind sold the stamp, which was purchased by a collector who maintained strict anonymity for $45,000. It was next auctioned in 1970 and the identity of the owner was revealed to be Frederic Small, an Australian living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Frederic T. Small
A syndicate of investors from Pennsylvania, headed by Irwin Weinberg, bought the stamp for $280,000 and spent much of the decade, presenting it in a world tour.
In 1980 US heir to the John Du Pont fortune bought the stamp for $935,000! John Du Pont got a 30-year jail term for the murder of Olympic gold medal winning wrestler Dave Schultz in 1996. The 1-cent British Guiana magenta was put in a bank vault in Philadelphia. Du Pont died while still incarcerated on 9 December 2010.
John Du Pont
At
midnight of January 24, 1980, the renowned Indian philatelists DN Jatia and SP
Chatterjea received Irwin Weinberg who landed in Delhi from an Air India flight
carrying the rarest stamp of the world for display at the exhibition. The
stamp was displayed under tight security behind bullet proof glass. It
evoked great excitement among Indian philatelists and the lay public.
Since it was such a rare and expensive stamp many forgeries are known. Here is one example
British Guiana stamps forgeries of the 1856 1c black/magenta (world's rarest stamp) and 1856 4c black/blue tied to piece by forged DEMERARA FE 22 1856
There are many such
stories from stampdom but they must wait for another day.
1. Col Jayanta Dutta,
Dr Anjali Dutta, Jayoti Dutta & Ananya Dutta, Rare stamps of the World,
Army Philatelic Society, Mumbai.
2. "Rare British Guiana
stamp sets record at New York auction".
BBC News. 17 June 2014.
3. Williams, L. N. and M. (1946). Famous Stamps. Chambers. p. 26.
Beginners’ Section
First Stamps from United Nations
United Nations #UN1 – The first UN stamp titled Peoples of the World.
On October 24, 1951, the United Nations issued its first postage stamps. The UN was established on October 24, 1945 to replace the ineffective League of Nations. For its first few years in operation, the UN used US stamps to frank its mail.
United Nations #UN494
– 1987 stamp honoring Secretary-General Trygve Lie.
The idea for stamps issued specifically for the
United Nations was first proposed in 1947, by Jose Arce. Arce was the
ambassador from Argentina, president of the General Assembly, and an avid stamp
collector.
In 1949, Secretary-General Trygve Lie supported
Arce’s idea and contacted the US to see if the proposal was feasible. An
agreement was reached that required UN stamps to be issued in US denominations
for use only at United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
The United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA)
was established in 1951, shortly after the UN moved into its new headquarters
in New York City. The UNPA then issued its first stamps later that year, on
October 24, 1951 – the sixth anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.
The UN is the only organization that isn’t a country or territory to have the
privilege of issuing postage stamps. Mail with UN stamps can only be sent from
its offices. Stamp enthusiasts made the trip to the headquarters to begin their
new collections. By 1957, UN commemoratives regularly sold out.
United Nations #UN1-11 –The complete 1951
UN year set includes six stamps issued on this day in 1951.
The United Nations profits directly when
collectors purchase stamps for philatelic purposes. From the beginning, demand
for UN stamps has been very strong. In 1976, the UNPA issued stamps from its
New York and Geneva offices to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Three of the
four denominations sold out the first day, and the fourth became unavailable
within two and a half months. The New York Times ran a front-page article in
1979 featuring the International Year of the Child stamp, which also sold out
on the day of issue.
United Nations #UNG1-14 – The first 14
stamps issued by the Geneva office
The United Nations profits directly when collectors purchase stamps for philatelic purposes. From the beginning, demand for UN stamps has been very strong. In 1976, the UNPA issued stamps from its New York and Geneva offices to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Three of the four denominations sold out the first day, and the fourth became unavailable within two and a half months. The New York Times ran a front-page article in 1979 featuring the International Year of the Child stamp, which also sold out on the day of issue.
Over the years, the UNPA has issued stamps to raise awareness of important global concerns such as peace, human rights, and environmental conservation. United Nations stamps have been called “Messengers of Peace” for good reason – each stamp symbolizes our hopes and dreams for a better world. Meaningful topics and neat designs also make UN stamps highly collectible.
Obituary
Deepest condolences!!
Former President of Karnataka Philatelic Society, Prof. Ramachandra G. Sangoram passed away on 28 October 2025 after a brief illness. He is known for his great contribution to the promotion of philtely.
A senior
philatelist of Jabalpur (MP), Shri Arvind Mullick, passed away on 21 October
2025. He was an enthusiast philatelist and participated in the philatelic
exhibitions. Mr Mulli keen philatelist used
to visit philatelic exhibitions
Stories Behind Stamps
\
China
- The Inverted Sun Yat-sen Stamp, 1941
Price : USD 305,707
The inverted Sun Yat-sen stamps depict Sun Yat-sen,
China's "Father of the Nation". These remarkable products were
released in 1941, but only one sheet of fifty features reversed pictures.
Nowadays, only two pairs of this misprint are known to exist, which makes them
extremely desirable to stamp collectors. At its September 2011 sale, Interasia
Auctions featured an example of this popular twentieth-century rarity with deep
rich colour and the unique centering frame to foot. The lot was priced as
$222,237. In March 2012, an inverted Dr. Sun stamp sold for more than HK$2.4
million (or around $305,707) at Zurich Asia, breaking the global auction record
for Republic of China stamps at the time. In December 2018, Interasia auctioned
another version of the stamp with the center reversed, position 6, which had
deep rich colors. The lot fetched $192,606.
Reference : https://findyourstampsvalue.com/rarest-stamps/most-valuable-chinese-stamps
-Nisarg Sutaria email : nisargsutaria78@gmail.com
Thematics
Red Cross
International Red Cross
On October 29, 1863, representatives from around the world joined together to establish the International Red Cross. While on a business trip to Italy in 1859, Swiss humanitarian Jean Henri Dunant witnessed the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino (part of the Second Italian War of Independence) in which nearly 40,000 soldiers were killed or wounded. Shocked by the lack of medical care, Dunant put his business aside and began tending to the wounded. He convinced locals to help without discrimination.
US #1239 pictures the freighter SS Morning Light, which was one of the mercy ships that returned refugees from Cuba during the Cuban prisoner exchange in 1963.
Dunant proposed that all civilized countries establish “…permanent societies of volunteers who in time of war would give help to the wounded without regard to their nationality.” In February 1863, Dunant and four other Geneva leaders founded the Committee of Five to see if his idea was possible. They renamed their organization the International Committee for Relief to the Wounded and began preparing for a meeting with other nations.
The meeting was held from October 26th to 29th in 1863. There were 36 people in attendance – 18 delegates from national governments, six from non-governmental organizations, seven unofficial foreign delegates, and the five members from the Geneva meeting. They discussed the goals of this new organization and adopted a set of resolutions on October 29th. These included the creation of national relief groups for wounded soldiers, protection for the wounded and their rescuers on the battlefield, and the adoption of the red cross on white background as their flag and armlet. The group continued to meet and expand on their goals, changing their name to the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1876.
Clara Barton, the “Angel of the Battlefield,” served as a nurse during the American Civil War. She founded the American Red Cross in 1881 after assisting the International Red Cross in Europe during the Franco-Prussian War. Today, the International Red Cross is an organization of over 135 nations. These nations provide various forms of assistance to victims of wars and other disasters. Most also provide various medical and health programs as well as youth activities and junior divisions.
There are over 600 Red Cross chapters in the United States alone, run by
around a half a million volunteers. Many have just one paid worker. To date,
the International Red Cross has earned three Nobel Peace Prices – in 1917,
1944, and 1963.
New Issues from other countries
Austria
18 October 2025: Edelweiss Reloaded
Edelweiss Reloaded
The edelweiss is
inextricably linked with Austrian culture, and it also holds a special place in
philately. Twenty years ago, Austrian Post dedicated a stamp to this rare
Alpine flower and it was no ordinary issue: the country’s very first
embroidered stamp, featuring a white edelweiss on a green background.
Now the edelweiss
makes a return this time not embroidered, but produced using a new technique:
3D printing. Once again, the Vorarlberg-based company Hämmerle & Vogel is
the producer. In this innovative process, a specialised 3D printer applies
liquid photopolymer in microscopic droplets through ultra-fine nozzles onto the
stamp sheets. Each layer is cured with UV light before the next is added. In
this way, the edelweiss blossom is built up layer by layer, complete with
printed hairs in varying shades and heights with the yellow florets at the
centre standing slightly higher than the white bracts. The printed flower is
soft and flexible, with a velvety feel reminiscent of a real edelweiss. Even
the green lettering on the gummed stamp is rendered in relief using the 3D
printer.
With this new issue in
cutting-edge technology, the edelweiss has finally shed its somewhat kitschy
image and made the leap into the modern age as “Edelweiss Reloaded”.To
accompany the commemorative stamp “Edelweiss Reloaded”, two postcard sets have
been released. One design shows a marmot, the other an Alpine flower painting
created in 1915 by Tyrolean artist Anna Stainer-Knittel. Each set consists of
one postcard and one “Edelweiss Reloaded” stamp.
The first edelweiss
stamp of 2005 and the new commemorative “Edelweiss Reloaded” issue are also
featured in the new book “Innovation”, which presents a showcase of Austrian
Post’s most outstanding philatelic innovations.
Aland
23 October 2025: 2025 Year of the Horse
23 October 2025: Christmas
France
20 October 2025: 100 Years of
Art Deco 1925-2025
20
October 2025: Winston Churchill
100 Years of Art Deco
1925-2025
On October 20, 2025,
La Poste issued a stamp and a philatelic souvenir to mark the centenary of the
International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts
Winston Churchill
1874-1965
Winston Churchill is
considered one of the greatest statesmen of the 20th century. Born in 1874 to
an American mother and a father descended from the Duke of Marlborough, he
began a career as an officer that led him to participate in four military
campaigns in the British Empire. Elected as a Member of Parliament at 25 in
1900, a cabinet minister at 31, and twice Prime Minister, his political career
lasted nearly 60 years.
With his ferocious
humor and disregard for decorum, he made many enemies. He distinguished himself
by a unique combination of courage, inventiveness, determination—sometimes
bordering on stubbornness—authoritarianism, and historical vision.
When Hitler took power
in Germany in 1933, Churchill was one of the only parliamentarians to warn of
the danger, predict war, and call for the country's rearmament. Isolated at the
time, events proved him right. In May 1940, when France was invaded, he was
appointed Prime Minister. His speech on May 13th went down in history: "I
have nothing to offer but blood and tears." Faced with all those who would
negotiate a compromise peace, he refused to lay down his arms. "We will
never surrender," he declared on June 4th, 1940. It was thanks to him that
England held firm, alone against Nazism, until the invasion of the USSR and
then the attack on Pearl Harbor.
With his famous cigar
and his V for victory, he became the embodiment of the country at war and of
resistance to totalitarianism. After 1945, he became famous for his Fulton
speech on the Iron Curtain and his Zurich speech on European unity. Author of
more than 40 works, he received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953. A great
friend of France, he was made a Companion of the Liberation in 1958. When he
died in 1965, his funeral was worthy of that of a king.
Great Britain
16 October 2025: Monopoly
Monopoly
Monopoly, one of the Britain’s
favourite board games, turns 90 this year, and its enduring popularity shows no
signs of diminishing. The ‘fast-dealing property trading game’ originated in
the US, but after securing the European licence in the 1930s, John Waddington
Limited of Leeds created a brand-new version of Monopoly. Featuring locations
from around London, the game was transformed into a truly British icon,
ensuring that family gatherings would never be the same again. Today, the game
is available in more than 100 countries worldwide and has been translated into
over 40 languages. With many different themed versions to choose from, Monopoly
continues to evolve and reinvent itself, as successive generations roll the
dice, ‘pass GO’ and collect £200.
A set of ten mint stamps showcasing key aspects
of the classic Monopoly board.
1st Class: Collect £200 salary as you pass Go
1st Class: Old Kent Road
1st Class: Pentonville Road
1st Class: Whitehall
1st Class: Free Parking and Vine Street
1st Class: Park Lane
1st Class: Liverpool Street
1st Class: Oxford Street and Regent Street
1st Class: Coventry Street
1st Class: Chance
Hungary
21 October 2025: Hungarian Rock Classics
VI - 50 Years Of East
Monaco
17 October 2025: Maria
Caterina, Princess of Monaco And Conde
Romania
17 October 2025 : Fish Species
Romfilatelia and Poșta Română introduce into circulation on Friday,
Octomber 17th, this year, a postage stamp issue on the theme Fauna, under the
generic title FISH SPECIES. The issue consists of four postage stamps and a
First Day Cover.
Well-known living creatures, fish are vertebrate, craniate animals that
live in aquatic environments, breathing oxygen dissolved in the water through
their gills. The science of studying fish is called Ichthyology.
The body of fish is most often fusiform, hydrodynamically constructed,
but may also be dorsoventrally (e.g., the catfish) or laterally (e.g., the
flattened heel) flattened, or variously shaped (e.g., the seahorse). It may be
covered with protective scales or bony plates of dermal origin - or gilled.
The coloration of fish is determined by chromatophores, cells under the
skin that contain granules of pigment.
The eyes of fish have
a complete globular structure; most fish have no eyelids, but some have an
adipose eyelid (e.g., mackerel, mullet...), or a so-called nictitating,
protective membrane (e.g., most sharks). Most fish accommodate vision by
shifting the lens (not by changing its curvature as in birds and mammals).
Fish gills are
respiratory organs capable of taking oxygen from the water. In most bony fish,
there are five pairs of gills arranged on the sides of the head, housed in gill
chambers and covered by bony caps (opercula).
Fish are an important
source of food. In addition to the quantities caught in open waters, fish are
also farmed. Aquaculture, which is growing steadily, tends to overtake
traditional fisheries.
It is worth noting
that the postage stamps illustrate species of freshwater fish. In Romania,
among the best-known species of freshwater fish are: the trout, the zander, the
pike, the catfish, the perch, the bream, the ruffe, the crucian carp, the chub,
and the carp.
Slovakia
31 October 2025 : Christmas
Switzerland
6 November
2025 : Seasons
Seasonal beauty
Each of the seasons
has its own special appeal, as celebrated by these four new stamp designs one
for each season. Four seasons, four moods: in Switzerland, the spectacle put on
by nature every year can be divided into four chapters, with each season having
its own special feel. In a bold and colourful style, the new stamp set
highlights how the different seasons are experienced in Switzerland. The stamps
combine elements from nature, the animal world and human activities in
harmonious and dynamic designs.
Spring
Spring sees the return
of life. Typical harbingers such as crocuses begin to sprout early in spring,
bringing colour to gardens. Soon after, birds start building their nests.
Notwith standing milder temperatures beckoning outdoors, spring’s particular appeal
is in its erratic and unsettled weather, with frost, snow or rain. But as the
saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. And with a little luck, there may
even be a rainbow on the horizon.
Summer
Bright sunshine, a dip
in the cool water, then a refreshing ice cream this stamp show cases summer at
its best. With over 15 hours of daylight, the warmest season also gives us the
longest days. At the same time, lasting around 93 days, summer is also our
longest season here in the northern hemi sphere. The difference in the length
of the seasons is explained by the Earth’s elliptical orbit. If it were exactly
circular, all four seasons would last around 91 days.
Winter
Fresh snow, fun on the
slopes and chat over the fondue a Swiss winter’s day par excellence. During the
cold season, ski resorts small and large welcome winter sports enthusiasts,
while in the cities the various Christmas markets make for a festive
atmosphere. And it’s hard to imagine winter without convivial evenings over
fondue or raclette. In 2022, according to the Swiss Milk Producers
organization, per capita consumption of cheese in Switzerland was around 23
kilograms.
Autumn
In September, as the
wind slowly changes, autumn begins: the forests turn shades of red, orange, and
gold. This is also when some forest animals such as squirrels start preparing
for winter, busily collecting nuts and seeds and stashing them in various places
to tide them over. Their keen senses of smell and direction give them the
ability to find their stashes again later. And anything they do forget will
only benefit the forest, as new vegetation later grows from the provisions they
left behind.
Philatelic Clubs and Societies
Air Mail Society India Foundation - https://www.airmailsocietyindia.org/
Karnataka
Philatelic Society - https://www.karphil.in/index.html
Prayag Philatelic Society
- https://prayagphilatelicsociety.org/
Ananthapuri Philatelic Association, Thiruvanthapuram
Baroda Philatelic Society - http://www.vadophil.org/
Chandigarh Philatelic Club
Deccan Philatelic Society – Pune, Maharashtra
Eastern India Philatelists’ Association - https://eipa.in/home
The Hyderabad
Philatelic and Hobbies Society
India Study Circle -
http://www.indiastudycircle.org/
Indian Thematic Society, Ludhiana -http://indianthematicstamps.webs.com/
Ludhiana Philatelic Club
Numismatic
& Philatelic Association of Vellore Fort
http://numismaticphilavellore.site40.net/index.htm
Philatelic Congress of India - http://www.philateliccongressofindia.com/
Philatelic Society of Rajasthan, Jaipur
Philatelic Society of India , Mumbai : http://www.psi1897.com/
Orissa Philatelic Association, Mail id-: orissaphilatelic@gmail.com
Rainbow Stamp Club -http://rainbowstampclub.blogspot.com/
Rajkot Philatelic Society – Rajkot, Gujarat
Gujarat Philatelic Association - Ahmedabad
South India Philatelists Association - http://www.sipa.net.in/
The Army Philatelic Society, Pune
Stamps of India – http://www.stampsofindia.com
Durgapur
Philatelic & Numismatic Society – https://www.facebook.com/share/1B3TasUbyR/
Philatelic Society of Bhopal
Blogs & Websites
Jusqu’a Markings and other Route Indicators
RAINBOW STAMP CLUB
This is a blog of e-Stamp Club www.rainbowstampclub.blogspot.com The idea of
this blog is to extend the philatelic fraternity to all corners of the world.
Readers may write about themselves with their collecting interests and share
new ideas with other philatelists. New
Posts on recent issues, news on stamp activities, and Contributions by members
are published every day on this blog. Readers may also express their views on
any philatelic matter which will be published under Club News at Rainbow Stamp
Cub Blog. Philatelic Clubs and Societies may also send brief write ups. Readers
may send reports on new issues, special covers, cancellations & philatelic
activities in their area for inclusion in this Blog. - Editor
Current Philatelic Magazines – Newsletters
-VADOPHIL, Editor - Prashant Pandya &TimirShah and
published by Baroda Philatelic Society, Vadodara. Website -http://www.vadophil.org/
-Ananthpuri Stamp Bulletin - Monthly e -stamp bulletin of Anathapuri
Philatelic Association, Thiruvananthapuram.
Eduitor – Mohanachandran Nair
-Journal of the Army Philatelic Society
-India Post – Quarterly Journal of the India Study Circle publishes original
articles submitted by members of ISC.
-Deccan Philatelist edited by Dr Anjali Dutta email : dranjalidutta0303@gmail.com from Deccan Philatelic
Society, Pune.
-The Hyderabad Philatelist from Hyderabad Philatelic and Hobbies Society Editor
– Shri Prakash Agrawal
-SIPA Bulletin issued by South India Philatelists’ Association
-The Fila Capsule issued by
Eastern India Philatelists' Association, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Editor - Dr
Bibhudutta Mishra
Gibbons Stamp Monthly edited by Dean Shepherd –
Stanley Gibbons
Acknowledgment
- Ananthapuri Stamp
Bulletin November 2025 issue edited by Mohanachandran Nair: email : apa.tvpm@gmail.com
- Judaica Thematic
Society, UK . Society Newsletter October
2025 edited by Gary Goodman email : judaicathematicsociety@talktalk.net
-Fila Capsule September 2025 issue : e- magazine of Eastern India
Philatelists' Association, Bhubneshwar Odisha; Chief Editor: Dr Bihudutta
Mishra-email :bhanubibhu68@gmail.com
Courtesy - News and Image Resource to this issue : SIPA, Philately Promoters, EIPA ,
Indian Philately, Prayag Philatelic Society Group, Philatelic Exhibitions,
Deccan Philatelic Society Whatsapp WOPA Mystic Stamp Co.; Pan India Pictorial
Place Cancellations ; Mystic Stamp Co.; MB Stamps ; Mohanachandran
Nair-Trivandrum; MB Stamps ; Retd.
Col Akhil Kumar- Bangalore; Praveen Shastry- Bangalore; Europa
Stamps ; Dr Aditya
Singh- Allahabad
Address for communication:
Jeevan Jyoti, 509, Design Arcade, Chandrabani, Wildlife
Institute Road, Dehradun-248002. India .
e-mail
– j.jyoti9@gmail.com
A Request to Readers & Contributors –
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Happy Collecting ……….
Rainbow Stamp News is edited and
published monthly by Jeevan Jyoti from Dehradun (Uttarakhand) India for free circulation
among philatelists.
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