Harry Potter, USA

Country - USA

Stamp issue date - 19 November, 2013

Printing - Souvenir booklet with self adhesive stamps

The Harry Potter films brought J.K. Rowling's magical world to the screen, giving physical shape to the characters, creatures, and places that had lived in readers' imaginations since publication of the first book. The U.S. Postal Service celebrates that magic with a 20-stamp souvenir booklet featuring stills from the award-winning Warner Bros. movies.

The folded booklet has five pages. The front cover features the title Harry Potter, with an image of Harry playing Quidditch, the beloved wizarding sport. The back cover has a picture of a young Harry in class, taking notes with his quill; the title Harry Potter is centered under the picture. When the booklet is opened, an illustration of Hogwarts covers two pages on the back, and selvage text appears on the last page. Inside there are five groupings of four stamps, each grouping set on its own page. Each set of four stamps, featuring stills from the Warner Bros. movies, surrounds the red wax seal of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Harry Potter's story begins when he receives a letter and a visitor that change his life. He learns that he is the orphaned son of two wizards and possesses unique magical powers of his own. Invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry embarks on an adventure he never could have imagined.

The stamps capture the magic of Harry's world, with photographs of a few of the brave heroes, fearsome villains, and extraordinary creatures that he encounters throughout his adventures.

Best friends since first meeting on the Hogwarts Express, Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger face new challenges each year they attend Hogwarts. The first set of stamps shows the friends in action.

The second stamp set includes photos of four of the amazing creatures that will one day come to Harry's aid-Hedwig, Harry's pet owl; Fawkes the phoenix; Dobby the house-elf; and Buckbeak the Hippogriff.

At Hogwarts, the friends receive support and guidance from many of their professors, among them the four depicted on the third set of stamps-Rubeus Hagrid, Professor Minerva McGonagall, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, and Professor Severus Snape.

Their fellow students-including Fred and George Weasley, Luna Lovegood, and Ginny Weasley, featured on the fourth group of stamps-fight bravely alongside Harry, Hermione, and Ron in the Battle of Hogwarts.

Harry and friends encounter frightening villains, none more terrifying than Lord Voldemort, considered to be the most evil wizard of all time. He is featured alongside two of his fanatic followers-the sinister Bellatrix Lestrange and devious Draco Malfoy-on the fifth set of stamps, which also includes a photo of Harry during his final, epic battle with Voldemort.

The art directors for the Harry Potter Stamp Collection were William J. Gicker and Greg Breeding. Breeding designed the souvenir booklet using images from the Warner Bros. Harry Potter movies.

My souvenir sheet was gifted by my uncle, Praveen Agarwal.

Disclaimer - Information and image of stamp issues on this page are sourced from the web and no copyright claim is made on the same. These are for information and hobby purposes only.

Pigeon Orchid, Singapore

Country - Singapore

Stamp issue date - 6 May, 2009

Printing process - Offset
What's special - Embroidery on stamp

Denomination - S$ 5.00

This stamp issue features Singapore’s first embroidered appliquéd stamp. The petals of the Pigeon Orchid on the stamp are exquisitely embroidered showcasing the offset lithography with embroidery printing technique. The Miniature Sheet shows a Pigeon Orchid embroidered in the center of the stamp. The printing process used in the sheet is Offset Lithography with Embroidery.

The Pigeon Orchid - is the member of the family Orchidaceae. This orchid produces white fragrant flowers with a yellow tinted throat. From the side, the orchid resembles a flying pigeon, and hence, it is also commonly known as The Pigeon Orchid. It is a widely cultivated ornamental and landscape plant.

My stamp was sourced at the World Stamp Exhibition in Delhi, 2011.

Disclaimer - Information and image of stamp issues on this page are sourced from the web and no copyright claim is made on the same. These are for information and hobby purposes only.

Gandhi Khadi Stamp, India

Country - India

Stamp issue date - 13 February, 2011

Printing process - Offset on Khadi cloth

Denomination - INR 100.00

On the inaugural day of Indipex 2011, the India post issued a special stamp printed on khadi material depicting Mahatma Gandhi. It’s a first of its kind in the world and was released by the president on February 12, 2011.

The 39X39 milimetre, diamond-shaped stamp is made of the usual unwatermarked gravure coated stamp paper, on which is stuck a square of khadi cloth specially manufactured in West Bengal. A charkha appears in the foreground of the cloth, with the thread spinning out to form a line drawing of the Mahatma spinning.

My stamp was sourced at the World Stamp Exhibition, 2011.

Disclaimer - Information and image of stamp issues on this page are sourced from the web and no copyright claim is made on the same. These are for information and hobby purposes only.

 

Imagine Peace Tower, Iceland

Country - Iceland

Stamp issue date - 9 October, 2008

Printing process - 4 colour offset and UV ink (John Lennon image) and phosphorus (glow in the dark effect) on the light column (Imagine Peace Tower). Additional printing colurs are Pantone silver on stamp selvages.

Denomination - 120K

The Imagine Peace Tower is a work of art conceived by Yoko Ono in memory of John Lennon. The artwork was dedicated on October 9th 2007, which is Lennon’s birthday. The Peace Tower symbolizes Lennon’s and Ono’s struggle for world peace which began in the sixties. At the base of the Tower the words “Imagine Peace” are engraved in 24 languages. It is composed of a tall and strong tower of light that will appear every year and be visible from October 9th until December 8th, the day of Lennon’s death. In addition the Light Tower will appear on some special occasions. The Peace Tower stands on a platform 17m in diameter. At the centre of the platform the light emerges from a cylindrical Wishing Well, 4m in diameter and 2m high. The strength, intensity and brilliance of the light tower continually changes with the prevailing weather and atmospheric conditions unique to Iceland. The electricity for the light comes entirely from the Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Plant.

My stamp was sourced from Iceland Post.

Disclaimer - Information and image of stamp issues on this page are sourced from the web and no copyright claim is made on the same. These are for information and hobby purposes only.

75th Anniversary of Evacuation, Gibraltar

Country - Gibraltar

Stamp issue date - 10 September, 2014

Printing process - Micro printing

Denomination - GBP 2.00
What's special - Most words printed on a postage stamp.



Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar and the Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau in close cooperation with Maverick Advertising & Design Ltd have issued a set of 5 stamps commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Evacuation of the civilian population of Gibraltar.
The £2 stamp has set a new philatelic record for ‘Most words on a postage stamp’ with a total of 2,183 legible words! Thanks to an innovative micro printing technique and working with one of the leading international security printers has made it possible for Gibraltar stamps to once again place our country and on this occasion one of our most important historic anniversaries on the worldwide map.
The 2183 words have been fitted inside a 40 x 32mm stamp and explain in detail the history of the evacuation of the civilian population of Gibraltar during World War II.  The stamps have been designed by local artist Mr Stephen Perera and feature historic photographs from the local archives. The world record breaking £2.00 stamp features the Gibraltar Evacuees Memorial Sculpture situated at Waterport Road.
For over 300 years Gibraltar has been a British overseas territory of military importance. During the Second World War there was a fear that if Nazi Germany and its allies took Gibraltar and the strait, there would have been catastrophic consequences.

Churchill himself described ‘Operation Torch’, the attack on French North Africa, as the ‘Hinge of Fate’. And to accommodate the influx of military personnel required to reinforce the Rock, it was decided that 16,000 civilians who were not deemed essential to its defence, should be evacuated.

May 2014 marks the beginning of the 75th anniversary of this mass-migration. Within a matter of weeks over 70% of the total population of Gibraltar was evacuated to French Morocco. Gibraltar’s women, children, elderly and infirm, were torn apart from husbands, fathers, and sons in a time of intense danger. They accepted that hardship with immense courage and as an act of duty and loyalty to Britain.

My stamp was sourced from Gibraltar Post.

Disclaimer - Information and image of stamp issues on this page are sourced from the web and no copyright claim is made on the same. These are for information and hobby purposes only.

Oak Stamp, Austria

Country - Austria

Stamp issue date - 28 July, 2017

Printing process - Laser cutting on Oak wood.

Denomination - EUR 6.90

On July 28th, 2017 the Austrian postal service issued a spectacular new stamp, which follows the line of spectacular stamps issued once in a while by the Austrian Postal Service. They have a tendency to push the boundaries for traditional stamps, and tend to use a combination of ground breaking printing process and utilize products not normally used in the production of stamps.

This issue is no different, as it also breaks with tradition. This issue was made in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Austrian Federal Forestry Office, and in order to celebrate the anniversary, the Postal Service decided to make the stamp depict an Oak Tree, which is a indigenous species in Austria. This might not seem special, as many other stamps depict trees, but the spectacular treat here is not the motive, but the material. All the Oak Tree stamps were produced from a single 210 year old Austrian Oak Tree, and the stamps are made of very fine cuts of wood.

The production of the stamps is very difficult, as wood changes, based on the temperature and moisture, making it very difficult to produce similar products. This means that all the issued stamps are unique, using different parts of the Oak Tree for production. The shape of the stamp is made to symbolize the Oak Tree, and the shape is made using laser-cutting technology.

My stamp was sourced from Austria Post

Disclaimer - Information and image of stamp issues on this page are sourced from the web and no copyright claim is made on the same. These are for information and hobby purposes only.

Bayeux Tapestry, Alderney

Country - Alderney

Stamp issue date - May 28, 2014

Printing process - Offset on combed cotton

Denomination - GBP 3.00

A new souvenir sheet from Alderney pictures the recently created final panel of the Bayeux tapestry.

This modern completion of a work that dates back to the 11th century was embroidered on Alderney, the most northerly of the Channel Islands and part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The original work, an embroidered cloth that is approximately 230 feet long, tells the story of the Norman invasion of England in 1066. It is named for the city of Bayeux, France, where it has been kept for more than 930 years.

In keeping with the textile theme, Alderney’s souvenir sheet was printed on 100% combed cotton. It was issued May 28 along with six stamps featuring scenes from the panel.
My stamp was sourced from Alderney Post

Disclaimer - Information and image of stamp issues on this page are sourced from the web and no copyright claim is made on the same. These are for information and hobby purposes only.

Baba & Nyonya Heritage Stamps, Malaysia (Embroidered)

Country - Malaysia

Stamp issue date - 15 February, 2015

Printing process - Offset with embroidery.

Denomination - RM 35

The Nyonya Kebaya (traditional blouse dress worn by women) first appeared only in the early 20th century. The early versions features rather simple embroidery work, but later, especially from the 1960s onwards, a more exquisite and intricate embroidery began to emerge.  While the early kebayas are hand sewn, the Nyonya kebaya today is embroidered using the sewing machine with flower motives being the favourite theme.

This particular issue with the cloth embroidery has a stamp with no perforations unlike in the paper version.

My stamp was sourced from stamp dealers Phila-Art.

Disclaimer - Information and image of stamp issues on this page are sourced from the web and no copyright claim is made on the same. These are for information and hobby purposes only.

Baba & Nyonya Heritage Stamps, Malaysia (Gold)

Country - Malaysia

Stamp issue date - 1 December, 2014

Printing process - Gold plating on Copper with embossing.

Nyonya kebaya blouses are a work of art wrapping the bodies of their wearers to the stunning colours and embroidered designs. The Nyonya kebaya is usually made from the fabric called “Kasar rubia (Voile)”. Voile is a sheer, light-weight, plain weave fabric, made of highly twisted cotton  yarns with a distinctive two-ply warp and is slightly heavier than other sheer fabrics.

Unlike previous golden looking stamps which were printed from either golden inks or gold foil, this particular stamp is an actual plated metal (Copper plated with 22k Gold). This metal stamp is valid for postage.

My stamp was sourced from stamp dealers Phila-Art.

Disclaimer - Information and image of stamp issues on this page are sourced from the web and no copyright claim is made on the same. These are for information and hobby purposes only.

Baba & Nyonya Heritage Stamps, Malaysia

Country - Malaysia

Stamp issue date - 29 November, 2013

Printing process - Offset with laser cutting.

The Nyonya Kebaya (traditional blouse dress worn by women) first appeared only in the early 20th century. The early versions features rather simple embroidery work, but later, especially from the 1960s onwards, a more exquisite and intricate embroidery began to emerge.  While the early kebayas are hand sewn, the Nyonya kebaya today is embroidered using the sewing machine with flower motives being the favourite theme.

The stamp within the miniature sheet features a composition of Malaysian fruit, with holes cut in the paper resembling the embroidery.

My stamp was sourced from stamp dealers Phila-Art.

Disclaimer - Information and image of stamp issues on this page are sourced from the web and no copyright claim is made on the same. These are for information and hobby purposes only.