Author Archives: VSC

Beating A Dead Stamp Design

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Opinion by Lloyd A. de Vries

Royal Mail goofed.

As part of its preview of its 2019 “special” or “commemorative” stamps, it sent out what it said was a representative design for an issue of 11 stamps marking the 75th anniversary of D-Day. It turned out the sample design was erroneous and showed a different amphibious landing during World War II.

For the record, it showed the U.S. Coast Guard (not “Allied soldiers”) landing on May 17, 1944, at Sarmi in Netherlands New Guinea, now Indonesia. Here’s the design: Royal Mail quickly sent out a correction, adding that the stamps had not yet been printed and, of course, this design won’t be printed.

“End of story,” I thought. The mistake was caught in time, there are no “error design” stamps for collectors to seek and no economic penalty for Royal Mail of having to destroy already-printed stamps. I relabeled the erroneous illustration on my hard drive “not D-Day” and, since I hadn’t yet published the press release, I didn’t see the need for a retraction. End of (non-) story.

Boy, was I wrong!

I don’t know if it’s the times we live in, where any mistake by a public figure or agency must be trumpeted from the ramparts no matter how profuse the apologies, or if it’s the mindset of stamp collectors to seize upon any error or variation. Maybe it was just a slow news period. The incorrect D-Day stamp design became a hot topic in online discussion groups and a lead story in Linn’s Stamp News. All that’s missing is a formal complaint to the Royal Philatelic Society of London, and, for all I know, that is in the works.

I don’t know my history of wrong-design British stamps, but I can think of several design errors on U.S. stamps that did get printed and go on sale, including putting the Grand Canyon in the wrong state and showing Bill Pickett’s brother instead of the African-American cowboy in the Legends of the West sheet. Sending out a press release with an incorrect image pales by comparison.

Perhaps collectors are annoyed that the Sarmi stamps weren’t printed and they won’t be able to add them to their Mistakes On Stamps collections.

When the catalogues with the 2019 British stamps are published, I would hope this episode doesn’t even merit a footnote.

As someone who writes news for a living, I know first-hand that errors creep in all the time. You try to catch them, you hope someone else catches them before the mistakes are public, and when they do go public, you fix them. I would also estimate that 8 out of 10 major-newspaper articles I read on their websites have footnotes about corrections made. That is one of the disadvantages of the instant publishing made possible in this digital age.

Mistakes happen. This one was caught in plenty of time, with no real harm. It has already received much too much attention. Let’s move on.

Year of the Pig (Australia 2019)

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[press release]
Australia Post celebrates the Year of the Pig
Issue Date: 8 January

To celebrate the Year of the Pig 2019, Australia Post is releasing two commemorative Lunar New Year stamps – the 12th and final stamp to complete the current Lunar New Year 12-design series.

With the edition featuring the Chinese calligraphic character for the Pig in the $3 stamp and its pictorial representation with floral inlay in the $1 stamp, Australia Post designer Dani Poon said the stamps give everyone the opportunity to send wishes of good fortune to family and friends, both here and overseas.

“The Pig minisheet design shows that in ancient times a Chinese family home only seemed complete when it included a pig, because the Pig’s plump appearance was seen as a symbol of happiness and plenty. We can see this in the fact that the Chinese calligraphic character for “family” incorporates characters for ‘roof’ and ‘pig’”.

Those born under the Pig sign are known to be kind, patient and empathetic, making them suited to a career as a teacher, doctor, vet or social worker. The Pig’s lucky flower is marigold; lucky colours are yellow, grey, brown and gold; and lucky numbers and 2, 5 and 8.

Famous people born in the Year of the Pig include Alfred Hitchcock, Julie Andrews, Hillary Clinton, Lisa McCune, Dannii Minogue and Adam Gilchrist.

A highlight of the stamp issue is the zodiac sheetlet, which completes the Lunar New Year series. In this issue, the zodiac stamps feature graphic illustrations of each Chinese Zodiac animal with an equivalent Australian animal according to Chinese legends and Aboriginal Dreamtime stories. Australia Post is also releasing a special joint sheetlet pack with China Post. Other products associated with this stamp issue include a first day cover, stamp pack, silk minisheet pack, postcards, international and domestic postage-paid envelopes, Happy New Year postal numismatic cover, Dragon postal numismatic cover, medallion cover, prestige booklet featuring stamps from the zodiac sheetlet, and a Lotus sheetlet pack.

The Lunar New Year: Year of the Pig 2019 commemorative stamp issue is available from 8 January at participating Post Offices, via mail order on 1800 331 794 and online at auspost.com.au/stamps, while stocks last.

Texel (Netherlands 2019)

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[press release]
Focus on nature and architecture on own stamp of Texel

The Hague, 2 January 2019. The Dutch Wadden Islands are the theme of the well-known stamp series ‘Beautiful Netherlands’ in 2019. Today the first stamp sheet from this series was published, with ample attention for the nature and architecture of Texel. Later this year PostNL will publish stamps about Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland, Schiermonnikoog and a collection sheet about the 5 islands. Scenic beauty
The series ‘Beautiful Netherlands’ has been focusing on local history, cultural wealth and scenic beauty since 2005. The new series this year about the Dutch Wadden Islands was designed by Birza Design from Deventer.

Recognisable Texel images
The island form plays a key role in the design of ‘Beautiful Netherlands 2019’: Texel’. This is evident for the map of Texel, which the designers have placed on a small scale on the stamps and on a large scale on the stamp sheet. The stamps show recognisable Texel images: the lighthouse of Eierland, the iron sea cape near the village of Oosterend, a Texel sheep pen and a Texel lamb. The typical form of the island is also depicted in other ways in the design. For example, the font of the captions is a so-called case letter, consisting of elements which are independent of another.

Rightful pride
Almost all used photos are from a working visit to Texel by the graphic designers Ingmar and Carla Birza in the sunny summer of 2018. Carla Birza describes Texel as “a very special island of which the inhabitants of Texel are rightfully proud. For example, the undulating roads on the Hoge Berg through the garden walls, the special vegetation of the Slufter where the sea enters the land, the clay pits with water where the sheep can drink. Or the slightly elevated church in Den Hoorn, which you can clearly see from almost all sides in the flat farmland.”

Availability
The stamp sheet ‘Beautiful Netherlands 2019’ Texel’ contains five of the same stamps marked with the value ‘Nederland 1’, intended for items up to 20g in weight for delivery in the Netherlands. The stamps are available at the PostNL locations on the island of Texel from 2 January 2019 and online through www.postnl.nl/bijzondere-postzegels. The stamps can also be ordered by phone from the Collect Club customer service, please phone +31 (0)88 – 868 99 00. The validity period is indefinite.

Mammals (Netherlands 2019)

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[press release]
Spotting wolves on stamps

The Hague, 2 January 2019. The wolf has returned to the Netherlands! Not only in the border region with Germany, but now also on new stamps about mammals in our country. They will be published today by PostNL, as the first issue of the second volume from the series ‘Experiencing nature’.

Portrayed mammals
In the Netherlands more than 100 mammal species live in the wild. Ten mammal species play a main role on the stamps: wild cat, Geoffroy’s bat, wolf, grey seal, stoat, polecat, European otter, fox, badger and rabbit. Each of the 10 portrayed mammals has its own stamp on the sheet, with images of the animals in their natural environment.

Sensory and associative
The stamps have been designed by graphic designer Frank Janse from Gouda. The sensory and associative aspects of the experience of nature are highlighted in his concept. Janse: ‘Mammals are the most pettable, recognisable and intelligent animals we know. However, they also have nails, teeth and spines. I wanted to show this contrast, because these animals also have a dark side. Whether they are a predator or a prey animal. For example, think of the fear the wolf causes. and how people are terrified by flying bats. This is because we cannot predict their behaviour.’

Beauty of nature
With the new stamps PostNL pays tribute to the diversity of nature in our country. “It’s much greater than we sometimes realise at first,” according to Stephan van den Eijnden, PostNL’s commercial director for Mail. ‘This is also evident on the new stamp sheet, with beautiful photos of the 10 mammals. What I also particular like are the almost transparent images of 7 other mammals on the sheet. Try to find them, you will see them quickly.’

Buiten-Beeld
Later this year PostNL will publish another 3 stamp sheets for the series ‘Experiencing nature’, with a main role for exotic plants (25 Februari), butterflies (11 June) and trees and leaves (16 September). All photos on the stamps come from Buiten-Beeld, the Dutch image database for nature photography. In shops an individual stamp sheet ‘Experiencing nature’ costs € 8.70. The price for the full series is € 34.80, including a storage folder.

Canada Post Rates Go Up January 14, 2019

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[press release]
Price of a domestic stamp rises to 90 cents from 85 cents on January 14 in the first postage rate increase since 2014

OTTAWA, Jan. 4, 2019 /CNW/ – Postage rates rise on January 14, with the price for stamps purchased in a booklet, coil or pane for domestic LettermailTM items weighing 30 grams or less increasing to $0.90, up from $0.85. The price of a single domestic stamp will increase to $1.05, up from $1.00.

While usage varies, Canada Post estimates the impact of the price increases to be less than a dollar a year for the average Canadian household and about $14 a year for the typical small business. Prices will also increase for mail to the U.S. and international destinations, and for domestic Registered MailTM.

The increases are the first for letter mail since March 31, 2014. Canadians can avoid the increases by purchasing PermanentTM stamps at the current rate before the new rates take effect. Under the federal regulatory process, Canada Post publicly proposed the increases in the Canada Gazette Part I in June of 2018.

Moon Landing (U.S. 2019)

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This issue was finally announced by the USPS on March 20th. No date of issue was given. The first landing on the moon occurred on July 20, 1969.

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Unveils
1969: First Moon Landing Forever Stamps WASHINGTON — In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing on July 20, 1969, the U.S. Postal Service is pleased to reveal two stamp designs commemorating that historic milestone. Additional details are coming about the date, time and location for the first-day-of issue ceremony.

One stamp features a photograph of Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin in his spacesuit on the surface of the moon. The image was taken by astronaut Neil Armstrong. The other stamp, a photograph of the moon taken in 2010 by Gregory H. Revera of Huntsville, AL, shows the landing site of the lunar module in the Sea of Tranquility. The site is indicated on the stamp by a dot. The selvage includes an image of the lunar module.

Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp art.

Further updates will appear below.

Updated March 29th:
These stamps will be issued Friday, July 19th in Cape Canaveral, FL.

Updated June 1st:

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Issuing 1969: First Moon Landing Forever Stamps

What: The U.S. Postal Service is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and man’s first steps on the Moon with two Forever stamps.

The stamp dedication ceremony is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtags #MoonLandingStamps or #AstronautStamps.

Who: Thomas J. Marshall, General Counsel and Executive Vice President, United States Postal Service and Dedicating Official

Steven W. Monteith, Vice President, Marketing, United States Postal Service

Col. Robert D. Cabana, Director, John F. Kennedy Space Center, NASA

Russell L. (Rusty) Schweickart, former NASA astronaut and scientist, NASA

When: Friday, July 19, 2019, at 11 a.m. EDT

Where: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Space Commerce Way
Merritt Island, FL

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are required to RSVP at usps.com/moonlanding.

Background:
On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin achieved something that had long been confined to the realm of science fiction when they landed a spidery spacecraft named Eagle on the Moon. A worldwide audience watched and listened when Armstrong stepped onto the Moon’s surface and famously said, “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.”

On the 50th anniversary of this first Moon landing, two stamp designs commemorate that historic milestone. One stamp features Armstrong’s iconic photograph of Aldrin in his spacesuit on the surface of the Moon. The other stamp, a photograph of the moon taken in 2010 by Gregory H. Revera from his home in Madison, AL, shows the landing site of the lunar module, Eagle, in the Sea of Tranquility. The site is indicated on the stamp by a dot. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps.

The 1969: First Moon Landing stamps are being issued as Forever stamps. Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

From the June 6th Postal Bulletin:

On July 19, 2019, in Cape Canaveral, FL, the United States Postal Service® will issue the 1969: First Moon Landing stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in two designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 24 stamps (Item 479100). The stamps will go on sale nationwide July 19, 2019, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The 1969: First Moon Landing pane of 24 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

On the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing on July 20, 1969, the Postal Service™ is pleased to issue two stamps commemorating that milestone in history. One stamp features a photograph of Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin in his spacesuit on the surface of the moon taken by astronaut Neil Armstrong. The other stamp, a photograph of the moon taken in 2010 by Gregory H. Revera from his home in Madison, AL, shows the landing site of the lunar module in the Sea of Tranquility. The site is indicated on the stamp by a dot. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp art.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 479100, 1969: First Moon Landing (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Commemorative Pane of 24 Stamps: Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales.

Special Dedication Postmarks must use this design:

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – 1969: First Moon Landing Stamps
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by November 19, 2019.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: 1969: First Moon Landing Stamps
Item Number: 479100
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 24 (2 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: July 19, 2019, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Typographer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Existing Photo: NASA photo taken by Neil Armstrong
Existing Photo: Gregory H. Revera
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Pane: 24
Print Quantity: 60,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Overall
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in./21.336 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in./24.892 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.6 x 8.5 in./193.04 x 215.9 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 22.8 x 25.5 in./579.12 x 647.7 mm
Plate Size: 216 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: 1969: First Moon Landing
• Plate number in bottom two corners of pane
Back: ©2019 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (479100) • Plate position diagram • Promotional text

Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 2.97″x1.45″ The B&W pictorial measures 2.98″x1.36″ The special postmark for use by local post offices measures 2.64″x0.88″

Updated June 22nd:

Canada is issuing its own Moon Landing anniversary stamps on June 27th, commemorating Canada’s contribution to the effort. The designs will not be released until the first-day. What we know is here.

Transcontinental Railroad (U.S. 2019)

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Updated January 29th:

“Three new stamps in a pane of 18 mark the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, a massive engineering feat that reduced travel time across the country from as many as six months to about one week and made the American West an integral part of the nation. Two different stamps feature the Jupiter and the No. 119 locomotives that powered the trains carrying the officers and guests of two train companies to the “Golden Spike Ceremony,” held when the two rail lines were joined at Promontory Summit in Utah. A third stamp portrays the famous golden spike that was a prominent part of the ceremony. Art director Greg Breeding designed the issuance. Michael J. Deas painted the Jupiter and No. 119 stamps. Kevin Cantrell illustrated the stamp depicting the ceremonial golden spike and did the border treatments and typography for all three stamps.”

No date or first-day city were given. Further updates will appear below, in order announced.

The Scott catalogue numbers for this issue are
5378 Jupiter Locomotive
5379 Golden Spike
5380 No. 119 Locomotive
a. Horiz. strip of 3, #5378-5380

Updated January 30th:
These stamps will be issued May 10th in Promontory Summit, Utah.

Updated March 11th:

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Celebrates 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad

What: Marking the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, the U.S. Postal Service will commemorate this 19th century marvel with a magnificent set of Forever stamps.

The first-day-of-issue event for the Transcontinental Railroad Forever stamp is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #RailroadStamps.

Who: Michael Mirides, District Manager Salt Lake City District, U.S. Postal Service

When: Friday, May 10, 2019 at 3:30 p.m. MT

Where: Golden Spike National Historic Site
6200 North 22300th Street West
Promontory Summit, UT 84037

Event parking is available through the Spike 150 Foundation website.

RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to rsvp at: usps.com/transcontinentalrailroad

Background: Building the transcontinental railroad during the 1860s was one of the great achievements of the era. The completion was marked by the “Golden Spike Ceremony,” held on May 10, 1869, when rail lines built by the Central Pacific from the west and the Union Pacific from the east were joined at Promontory Summit in Utah.

A large immigrant labor force — including a majority of Chinese and Irish laborers — carried out most of the backbreaking and often dangerous work that made the achievement possible. The workforce, totaling more than 20,000 at its peak, also included immigrants from many nations — Germany, Italy, Russia, Czechoslovakia, Poland and others — as well as African-Americans and former Civil War soldiers from both the Union and Confederate armies. Many crews of Mormon workers helped make the final push across Utah.

Reminiscent of traditional 19th century oil painting techniques, the three distinct designs of the Transcontinental Railroad Forever stamps evoke the spirit of the era. Two separate stamps feature the Jupiter and the No. 119 locomotives that powered the trains carrying the officers and guests of the two train companies to the “Golden Spike Ceremony.” Centered between them, a third stamp portrays the famous golden spike that was a prominent part of the ceremony.

Also, the Golden Spike National Historic Site (National Park Service) has a webpage with information about the 150th anniversary celebration (although it doesn’t mention the stamps). It also has links to other sesquicentennial celebration pages. —VSC

Updated March 29th, from the Postal Bulletin:

On May 10, 2019, in Promontory Summit, UT, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Transcontinental Railroad stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in three designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 18 stamps (Item 570400). The stamps will go on sale nationwide May 10, 2019, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Transcontinental Railroad pane of 18 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.

Three new stamps in a pane of 18 mark the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, a massive engineering feat that reduced travel time across the country from as much as 6 months to about 1 week and made the American West an integral part of the nation. Two different stamps feature the Jupiter and the No. 119 locomotives that powered the trains carrying the officers and guests of two train companies to the “Golden Spike Ceremony,” which was held when the two rail lines were joined at Promontory Summit in Utah.

A third stamp portrays the famous golden spike that was a prominent part of the ceremony. Each of the stamps and the header feature gold-foiled highlights that produce a glimmering effect. Art director Greg Breeding designed the issuance. Michael J. Deas painted the Jupiter and No. 119 stamps. Kevin Cantrell illustrated the stamp depicting the ceremonial golden spike and did the border treatments and typography for all three stamps.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 570400, Transcontinental Railroad (Forever Priced at the First-Class Mail Rate) Commemorative Pane of 18 Stamps: Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – Transcontinental Railroad Stamps
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by September 10, 2019.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Transcontinental Railroad Stamps
Item Number: 570400
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 18 (3 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: May 10, 2019, Promontory Summit, UT 84307
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Typographer: Kevin Cantrell, Salt Lake City, UT
Artist: Michael J. Deas, New Orleans, LA
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 18
Print Quantity: 50,400,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tagged
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Other: Gold Foil
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal and Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 1.7828 x 1.1592 in./45.283 x 29.444 mm
0.8395 x 1.1592 in./21.323 x 29.444 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.9228 x 1.2992 in./48.839 x 33 mm
0.9795 x 1.2992 in./24.879 x 33 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 5.82 x 10.32 in./147.828 x 262.128 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 11.64 x 20.64 in./295.656 x 524.256 mm
Plate Size: 72 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “B” followed by four (4) single digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Transcontinental Railroad: 150th Anniversary • Plate number in bottom two corners of pane
Back: ©2019 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (570400) • Plate position diagram • Promotional text

Updated April 13th:
Here are the first-day cancels for this issue:The Digital Color Postmark measures 3.00″ x 0.86″ The B&W pictorial measures 3.00″ x 1.5″

Updated May 6th:
Note that the stamps are nearly five inches wide when displayed as three se-tenant!

Australia’s 2019 Stamp Program

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As announced by Australia Post:

Date
8 January
17 January
22 January
5 February
12 February
26 February
5 March
11 March
16 April
30 April
7 May
14 May		 Jurisdiction
Christmas IslandNorfolk Island		 Subject (# of stamps)
Year of the Pig (2)
Australian Legends 2019 (5)
Pitcairn Settlement (2)
Moments to Treasure (8)
Robin Boyd (1)
Welcome Stranger (1)
Aussie Animals (4)
Sustainable Fishing (3)
Anzac Day (2)
Indigenous Languages (1)
Flightless Birds (3)
Native Bees (4)

Britain Previews 2019 Issues

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Updated February 12th:

  • February – Leonardo da Vinci
  • April- Birds of Prey
  • May – British Engineering
  • May – Queen Victoria Bicentenary
  • June- D-Day
  • July – Curious Customs
  • Aug – Forests
  • Sept -Royal Navy Ships
  • Nov – Christmas

[earlier press release]
FROM BIRDS OF PREY TO D-DAY:
ROYAL MAIL’S 2019 SPECIAL STAMP CALENDAR REVEALED

  • Royal Mail’s Special Stamp programme commemorates anniversaries and celebrates events and popular culture relevant to UK heritage and life
  • The 75th anniversary of the D-Day landing will be marked with a set of 11 Special Stamps
  • 2019 marks the bicentenaries of the birth of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The anniversaries will be celebrated with a set of ten stamps launched in May. Six of the stamps depict Queen Victoria at various stages in her life from age 11 to her later years. Four of the stamps commemorate her husband Prince Albert
  • Birds of Prey feature birds that all breed in the UK and are captured in characteristic poses of flight or in close up to show their features
  • British Engineering is a celebration of UK excellence in the field over the past 50 years

Royal Mail has announced a preview of its 2019 Special Stamp programme.

Showcasing the “Best of British” the programme features a range of subjects: from a celebration of the UK’s Birds of Prey to the 75thanniversary of the D-Day landings.

2019 marks the bicentenaries of the birth of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She is the second longest reigning monarch in British history. Six stamps will chart her life in period paintings, from childhood and marriage to Prince Albert, to marking her long reign.

The accompanying stamps in the mini-sheet will pay tribute to her husband, Prince Albert.

The 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings will be marked by a set of 11 Special Stamps. The stamp issue will be a timely commemoration of all those who participated and will use images from the day itself.

The images in the Birds of Prey stamp issue have all been photographed especially for Royal Mail by photographer, Tim Flach. The birds featured all breed in the UK and are captured in characteristic poses of flight or in close up to show their features.

Species include: the Red Kite; the Sparrowhawk; the Merlin; the Golden Eagle and the Kestrel.

The British Engineering stamp issue is a celebration of UK excellence in engineering over the past 50 years and conveys the wide range of engineering disciplines where the UK continues to make its mark.

Other stamp issues to be released during 2019 include: Curious Customs; Forests; and Royal Navy Ships.

Kellner Replaces Miller for APS Content

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Less than four months after American Philatelic Society executive director named Martin Miller as part of his “senior leadership team,” responsible for all “content” (editorial matters) at the USA’s largest stamp collecting organization, Miller has decided to leave, and a replacement has been named. The APS press release, with a correction to the number of years Kellner has been an APS member: It will be 47 years on January 1, 2019:

APS Welcomes New Leadership in Content Management

Today the American Philatelic Society named Mark A. Kellner as Chief Content Officer replacing Martin Miller. Miller, who joined the APS staff in October 2017, will be taking a new position closer to his home in South Carolina.

Kellner, who recently became a Life Member of the APS, first joined the Society in 1972 and his collecting interests include United States, Great Britain, Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man and Israel. After attending Boston University’s College of Communications, Kellner began a journalism career including philatelic and non-philatelic newspapers.

Mark was an enterprise reporter for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, and a 24-year contributor and columnist to The Washington Times. He also wrote a tech column on handheld computing for the Los Angeles Times, and earlier was a reporter at the Times Leader in Wilkes- Barre, Pennsylvania.

“Mark’s career as a journalist, editor, and author remind us how diverse and talented the APS membership can be,” said APS Executive Director Scott English. “With the experience that Mark brings to the team, we will be able to bring exciting content to the APS membership both in print and online.”

Kellner’s career included serving as Editor-in-Chief for PC Portables, News and Industry Editor for MISWeek, editor of the Adventist News Network, and News Editor for Adventist Review and Adventist World magazines. He has also authored three books, including WordPerfect 3.5 for Macs for Dummies® and God on the Internet.

“It’s the privilege of a lifetime to serve the American Philatelic Society and its members,” Mark said. “I look forward to developing and enhancing content for the website and keeping The American Philatelist and Philatelic Literature Review at the top of the field.”

Kellner will join the APS staff on January 7, 2019.

About Mark
A Life Member of the American Philatelic Society who first joined nearly 47 years ago, Mark A. Kellner has collected stamps for many years. His interests include stamps from the United States, Great Britain, Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man and Israel.

Mark began his journalism career by contributing a stamp column to the Queens Tribune in New York City, owned by another collector, Gary Ackerman, who later served 15 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. He also wrote for Linn’s Stamp News and spent several years as Stamp Collector’s Washington, D.C., correspondent. During that time, he was the first to report plans by then-Postmaster General Anthony M. Frank to release a commemorative honoring Elvis Presley, which was released in January 1993.

Along with his philatelic writing, Mark’s been a newspaper reporter and columnist in New York City; Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City, Utah. His most notable connections were with The Washington Times, where he was a contributor for 24 years, and the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, where he was an enterprise reporter.

Mark also served as Editor-in-Chief of PC Portables magazine, as well as News and Industry Editor for MISWeek, and as a staff writer for Federal Computer Week, Government Computer News, and Unix Today. He’s the author of WordPerfect 3.5 for Macs for Dummies® and God on the Internet.

For 11 years, Mark served at the world headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, first as editor of the movement’s Adventist News Network news service and then as News Editor for Adventist Review and Adventist World magazines.

The Kellners currently reside in Salt Lake City, along with Jacques Kellner, Mark’s father, who introduced Mark to stamp collecting, a lifelong pursuit for both men.

“We do expect to move,” the New York City native tells The Virtual Stamp Club. His immediate predecessor, Martin Miller, spent one week a month working from home in South Carolina. Miller’s predecessor, Jay Bigalke, spent three weeks a month working from home and one in Bellefonte. Executive director Scott English has expressed a preference for someone working in-house full-time.