News Archive January - June 2018
Latest update of this archive:
3 November, 2018
For older items, see News Archive January - June 2018
News Archive July - December 2017
News Archive January - June 2017
News Archive July - December 2016
News Archive January - June 2016
News Archive July - December 2015
News Archive January - June 2015
News Archive July - December 2014
News Archive January - June 2014
News Archive July - December 2013
News Archive January - June 2013
News Archive July - December 2012
News Archive January - June 2012
News Archive July - December 2011
News Archive January - June 2011
News Archive July - December 2010
News Archive January - June 2010
News Archive 2009
News Archive 2008
News Archive 2006-2007.
4 November 2018:
Viterbo Remembers World War I
On 4 November 2018, the Italian city of Viterbo celebrates the Centenary of the end of World War I with a special postmark showing the city's symbolic Lion.
For those not in the city on the day of use, the postmark can be ordered by sending letters or postcards franked with Italian stamps to:
Poste Italiane S.p.A.
U.P. Viterbo Centro
Sportello filatelico
Via F. Ascenzi, 5
IT–01100 VITERBO, Italy
Italian special postmarks are normally available for 20 days after the last date of use.
Postage:
Italy/San Marino/Vatican:
EUR 1.10 / B
Europe/Mediterranean:
EUR 1.15 / B Zona 1
The Americas and other countries in Asia and Africa:
EUR 2.40 / B Zona 2
Oceania:
EUR 3.10 / B Zona 3
Reported by Geir Arveng
1 November 2018:
Australia: Looney Tunes Christmas Stamp Pack
Christmas is coming, and on 1 November 2018, Australia Post releases this year's holliday products. Among many issues for the Christmas season is a stamp pack with Looney Tunes cartoon characters wearing various seasonal attire. Naturally, our feline friend Sylvester is featured.
Stamp packs consists of 20 stamps with pre-personalised labels, and apart from the cover, Sylvester figures on two of these.
The Looney Tunes stamp pack contains 20 AUD 0.65 stamps (inland Christmas card rate) and 20 pre-personalised labels.
The pack is sold at AUD 16.00, and can be ordered from Australia Post's online shop.
Reported by Geir Arveng
31 October 2018:
Taichung World Flora Exposition
The 2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition will be held in Taichung, Taiwan from 3 November 2018 to 24 April 2019. Taiwan's Chungwa Post will issue a set of stamps and a miniature sheet for the exhibition on 31 October 2018.
The four ordinary stamps in the set all depict flowers, but on the 3-stamp MS, the show's mascot family of Leopard Cats are featured on all three stamps as well as on the selvedge.
The TWD 13 stamp depicts Leo, the father, holding lilies. The TWD 15 stamp shows a vase with Life, the younger brother, playing around while admiring Da-Ann Hygrophila, and the TWD 17 stamp bears Leona, the mother, holding a butterfly orchid.
A fourth family member, Love, the older sister, can be found among the flowers on the MS selvedge.
There's a FDC with the MS (we have not seen a scan yet) sold at TWD 48, an ordinary presentation pack sold at TWD 53, as ell as a so called Stamp Folio (a sort of "de luxe" presentation pack??) sold at TWD 200. Both packs show the mascot family on the covers.
The stamps and philatelic products can be ordered from Chungwa Post's Online Stamp Mall.
Reported by TS Tan
25-27 October 2018:
Youth and Pet Days at Sindelfingen
The theme for this year's international stamp fair in Sindelfingen is Youth and Pets, and a special postmark showing a hamster, a dog, and a cat will be available at the fair on 25, 26, and 27 October 2018.
The postmark will be available at the Deutsche Post stand at the fair.
If you would like to send for this postmark, you can obtain it by sending addressed envelopes/postcards franked with German stamps (computer postage not allowed) to:
Deutsche Post AG
Niederlassung Multikanalvertrieb
Sonderstempelstelle
DE-92627 WEIDEN, Germany
The outer envelope should be marked with "Sonderstempel nr. 20/274", and must arrive at the Special Postmark Office no later than the last day of use.
Postage rates:
Germany:
Postcard EUR 0.45 /
Standard letter EUR 0.70 International:
Postcard/letter: EUR 0.90
Reported by Geir Arveng
24 September 2018:
A Cat in the Sky on Canadian Semi-postal Stamp
On 24 September 2018, Canada Post will issue a semi-postal stamp in its Community Foundation series. The stamp is designed by Matthew Warburton of Emdobleyu Design and illustrated by Julie Morstad. The stamp shows a child lying in the grass, looking up at fluffy, animal-shaped clouds, one of which is a cat.
The stamp is denominated P+10 (CAD 0.75 + 0.10 on issue), and is sold in booklets of 10 stamps. The cat cloud is also shown on the booklet cover.
The products can be ordered from Canada Post's online store.
The Canada Post Community Foundation funds children and youth programmes, and provided more than CAD 1 million to community and grassroot projects all over Canada in 2017.
Reported by Marci Jarvis
17 September 2018:
20th Anniversary of Wuppertal Philatelic Library
The German Post takes part in a special exhibition to mark the 20th anniversary of Wuppertal Philatelic Library on 17 September 2018. The postmark shows the Wuppertal CoA with a crowned lion rampant.
If you are in Wuppertal on the day of use, the exhibition takes place at Wuppertal Municipal Library (Stadtbibliothek Wuppertal), Kolpingstr. 8, Wuppertal, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (1000-1900).
If you would like to send for this postmark, you can obtain it by sending addressed envelopes/postcards franked with German stamps (computer postage not allowed) to:
Deutsche Post AG
Niederlassung Multikanalvertrieb
Sonderstempelstelle
DE-92627 WEIDEN, Germany
The outer envelope should be marked with "Sonderstempel nr. 17/240", and must arrive at the Special Postmark Office no later than the last day of use.
Postage rates:
Germany:
Postcard EUR 0.45 /
Standard letter EUR 0.70
International:
Postcard/letter: EUR 0.90
Reported by Geir Arveng
6 September 2018:
Swiss Fairy Tale Stamps
The Swiss Post issues a set of two stamps on 6 September 2018 showing scenes from fairy tales. Both stamps are denominated CHF 1.00 (standard inland priority rate), and both shows cats.
One of the stamps shows a.o. The Bremen Town Musicians, and the other includes Puss in Boots.
The first day postmark from Bern also includes a fairy tale cat, namely the one belonging to the witch in Hansel and Gretel.
Both stamps are sold in sheetlets of 6 with further fairy tale characters on the selvedge (no more cats that we have been able to discern).
All products related to the issue can be ordered online from Swiss Post, and also from WOPA.
Read the Swiss Post article presenting the issue in English, German, French, or Italian.
Reported by Marci Jarvis
For older items, see News Archive January - June 2018
News Archive July - December 2017
News Archive January - June 2017
News Archive July - December 2016
News Archive January - June 2016
News Archive July - December 2015
News Archive January - June 2015
News Archive July - December 2014
News Archive January - June 2014
News Archive July - December 2013
News Archive January - June 2013
News Archive July - December 2012
News Archive January - June 2012
News Archive July - December 2011
News Archive January - June 2011
News Archive July - December 2010
News Archive January - June 2010
News Archive 2009
News Archive 2008
News Archive 2006-2007.
