Save Vanishing Species

The efforts to save endangered and vanishing species under the auspicies of the UN and WWF is a long struggle - but a lot needs to be done to preserve these mightly and beautiful animals and wildlife like African elephants and rhinos, the Blind Indus Dolphin and the near extinct Snow Leopards only to be found in the rugged and extremely inaccessible mountain areas of Pakistan. 

Adding to the efforts of the WWF, the US Postal Service is also joining hands by issuing a new stamp with the theme of Save Vanishing Species around the world. By purchasing these stamps everyone will be contributing to a coalition of great wildlife conservation organizations. 

The stamp itself has a beautiful drawing of an Amur tiger cub created by Nancy Stahl.

Read more »

Stamps of Jamaica

Jamaica, an island situated in the Caribbean Sea, about 145 kilometres south of Cuba, is spread over an area of 10,990 square kilometres. Its indigenous Arawakan-speaking Taíno inhabitants named the island Xaymaca, meaning the "Land of Wood and Water", or the "Land of Springs.

Once a Spanish possession known as Santiago, it became an English colony in 1655, known as "Jamaica". It achieved full independence in 1962. With 2.8 million people, it is the third most populous Anglophone country in the Americas, after the United States and Canada. It remains a Commonwealth realm with Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. The capital city of Kingston is also largest city of the country.

The postal history of Jamaica dates back to 1671 and became the first British colony to operate its own postal service. For overseas postal matters, the local planters typically preferred to entrust their letters directly to merchant ship captains.

-->

The actual use of stamps began on 8 May 1858, with stamps of Great Britain. In 1860, Jamaica started issuing its own stamps when De La Rue was commissioned to produce stamps for Jamaica, featuring Queen Victoria. The first issue consisted of five values ranging from one penny to one shilling, each with a different frame, inscribed "JAMAICA POSTAGE", and were watermarked with a pineapple design. They were first issued on 23 November 1860. Jamaica joined the Universal Postal Union on 1 April 1877. Upon independence in 1962, the 1956 stamps were overprinted "INDEPENDENCE" and "1962".

I am sharing three stamps of Jamaica; the one on the extreme left is the independence issue with the overprint. The centre one too issued on 6th August 1962 is an independence stamp.

Read more »

My collection of Air Mail stamps of USA

The US air Mail stamps appeared as early as 1918 with the inauguration of the Washington – Philadelphia – New York air link. A number of stamps were issued between 1918 and 1975 when the domestic air mail finally came to an end. Though, the international air mail continued till 1995.

The earliest stamps that I have of the US Air Mail are in the second row above which were issued in August 1947. The stamp on the top was issued in January 1948 of six cents face value. The set of four stamps in the third row was issued in 1960. The blue air mail stamp in third row on the left was issued in July 1958, while the red stamp in the centre was issued in August 1960, with its variant issued in October 1960. The stamp on the right, Jetliner over Capitol Building was issued on 5th December 1962.

I have more airmail stamps, which were issued subsequently, and will appear as I unfold my stamp album.

Read more »

Stamps and Postal History of the USA

The postal history of USA dates back to 1775 when Benjamin Franklin appointed first Postmaster General by the Continental Congress. But this did not mean the issuance of the postage stamps as we use it today. In those days, the letters were taken to a Post Office, where the postmaster would note the postage in the upper right corner. The postage rate was based on the number of sheets in the letter and the distance it would travel. Postage could be paid in advance by the writer, collected from the addressee on delivery, or paid partially in advance and partially upon delivery.

Almost some 67 years later, Alexander M. Greig’s City Dispatch Post, a private New York City carrier, issued the first adhesive stamps in the United States on February 1, 1842. The Post Office Department bought Greig’s business and continued use of adhesive stamps to prepay postage. However, the US Congress approved the issue of postage stamps March 3, 1847 and the first general issue of the US postage stamp took place on July 1, 1847.

Of the postage stamps initially issued, one of the stamps priced at five cents, depicted Benjamin Franklin, while the other, a ten-cent stamp, pictured George Washington. Clerks used scissors to cut the stamps from pre-gummed, non-perforated sheets. Only Franklin and Washington appeared on stamps until 1856, when a five-cent stamp honoring Thomas Jefferson was issued. A two-cent Andrew Jackson stamp was added in 1863. George Washington has appeared on more U.S. postage stamps than any other person. Until the US government-issued stamps became obligatory on January 1, 1856, other payment methods remained legal.

The first printed stamped envelopes were issued July 1, 1853. The United States issued the postal cards May 1873 after the Australians issued their first post card in 1869. Postal cards, known today as stamped cards, are produced by the government and carry preprinted postage, unlike privately produced postcards, which do not bear postage. Postal cards were sold at face value until January 10, 1999, when a charge for the cost of manufacture was added.

The US post issued its first set of commemorative stamps in 1893 on the eve of World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The first triangular postage stamp issued in 1997 and the first round stamp in 2000. The US post issued its first stamp honouring an American woman in 1902. Native Americans were portrayed in a general way on several earlier stamps, but the first to feature a specific individual was 1907’s five-cent stamp honoring Pocahontas. In 1940, a ten-cent stamp commemorating Booker T. Washington became the first to honour an African American. In 1992 the US post issued self-adhesive stamps and the “Forever” stamp was issued 2007.

My collection of US stamps is quite elaborate and I will continue to share various pages from my stamp album to share my collection of US stamps in days to come.

Read more »

My collection of Canadian Stamps

The postal history of Canada dates back to early 16th century when a letter was sent from Newfoundland to New York in USA in 1527. But the actual postal services came into effect during the in 1705 when a courier is said to have carried a governor’s dispatch by boat. A regular postal service came to surface between Montreal and Quebec in 1734. When the Britain occupied Montreal in 1760, they established military postal system between Montreal and Quebec. Later the service was also extended to New York and Albany. The military postal system was replaced by a civilian post in 1763.

On May the 25th 1849, the issue of stamps by the Province of Canada was approved by the Legislative Assembly of Canada, which issued its first stamp in 1851.

This follows a long history which can be read from the link given below. However, my stamp album comes to Canada from the stamps of King George which were printed in 1911. The third stamp from the top left column was printed in 1928. This was followed by stamps of George VI which were printed in between 1937-1951.

After the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the first definitive stamps bearing her portrait were issued on 1953-05-01 (second column from the left), designed by one Yusuf Karsh – a Canadian of Armenian origin.

All other stamps on this page follow the Queen’s era stamps.

Read more »