New stamps on Birds

 

 

The post of French Polynesia issued a set of three stamps dedicated to the Polynesian fauna and flora. The stamps depict a lemon, a lizard and a munia. Munia is a resident breeding bird in Africa and in South Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia and the Philippines. The species in this genus are similar in size and structure, with stubby bills, stocky bodies and long tails. Most are 10–12 cm in length.

Plumage is usually a combination of browns, black and white, with the sexes similar, but duller and less contrasted for immature birds. The nest is a large domed grass structure into which 4 to 10 white eggs are laid. Some species also build communal roosting nests for overnight rest.

The other stamps of this set are shown below featuring lemon and a lizard.

 

 

Swiss Post issued a stamp dedicated to the white stork.The white stork (Ciconiaciconia) is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on its wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average 100–115 cm from beak tip to end of tail, with a 155–215 cm wingspan. The white stork is a long-distance migrant, wintering in Africa from tropical Sub-Saharan Africa to as far south as South Africa, or on the Indian subcontinent.

Monaco

Date of Issue: 5th June 2013

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Stamp with 111 faces..

 

Unique stamp created to bridge gap between traditional and digital world

Swiss Post is launching a stamp featuring the portraits of 111 Swiss people.

Swiss Post bridged the gap between one of its most traditional products, the stamp, and the digital world. An online competition was held to select 111 inhabitants of Switzerland whose faces were further immortalized on a stamp.

Participants had to upload their portrait onto the Swiss Post website or Facebook page until 9 December 2012. Finalists were randomly selected from amongst the uploaded photos.

During the second stage of the competition, finalists were chosen on their own merits. From 21 December 2012 until 2 January 2013 they battled it out in an online game to win one of the 111 places on the stamp. Participants who have successfully earned a place on the virtual stamp by the 2 January 2013 deadline were immortalized on the physical stamp.

 

New Special Cover : LUPHILEX 2013

Head Post Office Building , Faizabad

: Sandeep Chaurasia from Faizabad

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Christmas 2012 Stamps…

Switzerland

  

The Swiss Post has issued a set of three stamps dedicated to the celebration of Christmas 2012.

For hundreds of years, it has been the custom at Christmas to decorate and light homes, streets and trees in festive decoration with lights. Chains of lights crossing streets and arches, shining stars and twinkling globes add sparkle and pleasant anticipation to the dark and pensive Advent season. And with them there are three new Christmas stamps on Swiss Christmas mail.

Philippines

The Philippines Post issued  new stamps release "Pasko 2012" dedicated to Christmas. The stamps represent two popular scenes illustrated during Christmas – the "Simbang Gabi" or "Dawn Mass" and the "Belen" or "Nativity Scene".

Poland

The Poczta Polska has issued a Christmas set of stamps featuring little angels flying in the sky together with the Star of Bethlehem and bringing Christmas gifts.

 

Club News

 

First Lady of Jazz on secret post office Christmas stamp

Dame Cleo Laine recently featured on a postage stamp in celebration of her 85^th birthday.  Now a special Christmas edition was released for the 2012 “Cleo’s Christmas” concert at ‘The Stables’ on 14 December. The issue will raise funds for The Wavendon Foundation set up by Cleo Laine and John Dankworth. The First Lady of Jazz is on a sheet of Royal Mail 1^st Class Christmas stamps priced at £50 with a commemorative envelope bearing a single stamp at £10.

They are only available through Bletchley Park Post Office, The Mansion, Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes MK3 6EB (01908 363489) or their web site at  www.bletchleycovers.com . Once the undercover mail room of the Enigma code breakers during World War Two it now issues special stamps to aid Bletchley Park and other charities.

: Terry Mitchell, 01604 781440, terry@ltmp.co.uk

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Pop Art on stamps ..

 

 

Date of Issue : 27 July 2012

Swiss Post issued a set of 3 beautiful stamps on 27  July  2012 featuring Pop Art. Swiss artist Peter  has created three special stamps in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the pop art movement.

  

Precisely 50 years ago, Andy Warhol's Campbell's soup can marked the beginning of the brilliant pop art movement. Swiss Post pays homage to this anniversary with three special stamps: James Bond, Bond Street and Pudding.

Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. Pop art presented a challenge to traditions of fine art by including imagery from popular culture such as advertising, news, etc. In Pop art, material is sometimes visually removed from its known context, isolated, and/or combined with unrelated material. The concept of pop art refers not as much to the art itself as to the attitudes that led to it.

Pop art employs aspects of mass culture, such as advertising, comic books and mundane cultural objects. It is widely interpreted as a reaction to the then-dominant ideas of abstract expressionism, as well as an expansion upon them.And due to its utilization of found objects and images it is similar to Dada. Pop art is aimed to employ images of popular as opposed to elitist culture in art, emphasizing the banal or kitschy elements of any given culture, most often through the use of irony. It is also associated with the artists' use of mechanical means of reproduction or rendering techniques.

Much of pop art is considered incongruent, as the conceptual practices that are often used make it difficult for some to readily comprehend. Pop art and minimalism are considered to be art movements that precede postmodern art, or are some of the earliest examples of Postmodern Art themselves.

Pop art often takes as its imagery that which is currently in use in advertising.Product labeling and logos figure prominently in the imagery chosen by pop artists.

Club News

Glimpses of Ahimsapex 2012, Lucknow

: Ashwani Dubey - Gorakhpur

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Result - 2012 Youth Activity Contest by BNAPS

 

Hi !

Here are the results of a Stamp Essay contest, organized by The British North America Philatelic Society. If the winners or their parents are watching this blog, they are requested to send the photos of the kids whose names appear in the award list given below for publication on this blog and Rainbow Stamp News !!

Many Congratulations to all the children who participated in this contest !!

 

 

WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR BNAPS’ 2012 STAMP ESSAY CONTEST

The British North America Philatelic Society has announced the winners of its 2012 Youth Activity Contest. Youth were asked to write a short essay about a meaningful philatelic symbol of their country with the stamp(s) affixed to the report. Prizes were awarded to four age groups: 6-8, 9-11, 12-14 and 15-18.

First place winners in each category received $25. They were:

Nina Goyette, age 8, Greendale, WI – Abigail Adams
Olivia Keenan, age 10, Wauwatosa, WI – Boston Tea Party
Prarthita Jain, age 14, Balod Chattisgarh – Rabindranath Tagore
Archita Nigam, age15, Balod Chattisgarh – Hawa Mahal

Other winners are :

Chitturi Vamsi, Hyderabad, India,

Chinmay Anil Nawlakhe, Bhandara, India,

Claire Natiez, Taylors, SC,

Thomas Devine, Janesville, WI,

David Devine, Janesville, WI,

Sara Yahr, West bend, WI,

Shikhar Deep, Shamshi, Kullu - India.

The contest reflects BNAPS’ on-going commitment to encourage young collectors. The four winning essays can be viewed at Youth Activity Contest on BNAPS website.
Entrants also received a packet of stamps.

Youth were asked to find one or more stamps that are a meaningful symbol of their country. Examples include flags, monuments, and other objects of historical significance. The stamp(s) were to be affixed to the page along with an essay of less than 250 words. The written article should explain why the (flag, monument, historical item) is an important symbol for their country. The essays could be handwritten or typed, double space is preferred. The essay to be the original thoughts of the entrant.

Prizes will be awarded by age group: 6 – 8, 9 – 11, 12 – 14, 15 – 18. Monetary awards of $25, $10, and $5 will be awarded respectively to first, second, and third place winners in each age group. Winners will also receive a philatelic prize. The first 100 entries will receive a free packet of stamps.

Click here for the BNAPS 2012 Contest Winners

Click here for the BNAPS 2011 Contest Winners

Essay Contest entry by Shikhar Deep

Flag – The symbol of my country

Indian Flag, the first stamp of independent India, was released on 21 Nov 1947.

 

Indian Flag on other Indian stamps

   

Indian flag on foreign stamps

India is a diverse country with several religions. Our national flag or the tri-colour represents strength and unity of our country . I am a citizen of India and I am proud of my country . I am so glad that I am born in India. The National flag of India is a horizontal rectangular tricolour of deep saffron, white and green with the Ashok Chakra, a 24-spoke wheel, in navy blue at its centre. The flag was designed by Pingali Venkayya, an agriculturist from Andhra Pradesh.

Spiritual symbolism - The flag is colored with saffron as the top band, white band in the centre, dark green band at the bottom and a navy blue Asokha Chakra placed at the centre of the white band , Spinning Ashoka Chakra represents the eternal wheel of law.. The deep saffron colors shows courage and sacrifice. The white color symbolizes for peace, unity and truth. The green color shows the culture and fertility. The Chakra ( wheel) has 24 spokes, representing the 24 hours in a day.

Religious symbolism- When the flag was being designed, Hinduism and Islam were the two major religions. Saffron represented Hinduism and green stood for Islam. White represented the minority religions.

It is a brave soul that carries the tricolor’s fervor on his/her sleeve! It represents our country and its culture !! . It also represents the soul of my country which is “Unity in Diversity” .

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