85 Years Between Stamps

January 16, 2011

Mayotte is one of those countries that doesn’t quite fit in… it is not exactly a French Colony and not exactly part of the Comoro Islands. But as far as stamp collectors are concerned, Mayotte is fascinating. Geographically, Mayotte is indeed one of the Comoro Islands, located in the Indian Ocean off the east coast [...]

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The Master of France Stamp Design

December 26, 2010

Stamp collectors who specialize in the stamps of France sooner or later become familiar with the name Andre Spitz.  Spitz was one of the most prolific designers of twentieth century France stamps. In 1938 his first design was accepted to appear on a postage stamp.  It depicted a woman holding a flute of champagne.  The [...]

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A Merry Stamp Collecting Christmas

December 19, 2010

Christmas has long been a popular topic for stamp collectors, and one of the strangest Christmas stamps of all was released by Peru in 1961. It is not the prettiest of stamps and terribly manufactured… the ragged perforations are not exactly festive. But what makes this Peruvian stamp notable is that it could only be [...]

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When Stamps Spread Hatred

August 21, 2010

Stamp collecting is as good a pastime as any to brush aside the cares of the world.  Stamp collectors are easily lured back to distant eras and off to distant shores by stamps that unlock the imagination. But even stamp collecting cannot completely quarantine the cares of the world.  This stamp from Iran, which turned [...]

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A Stamp Show Staged in Difficult Times

July 5, 2010

When stamp collectors gathered in Zagreb, Croatia late in the summer of 1943, the country was a puppet of Nazi Germany.  But the Croatian Philatelic Society staged an exhibition in Zagreb and released two stamps to commemorate the occasion. The semi-postal depicted St. Mary’s Church and Zagreb’s Cistercian Cloister as they appeared in 1650.  Two [...]

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The First Airmail Stamp from Brazil

June 6, 2010

1933 was a fine year for stamp collecting but not a particularly good year for Brazil.  The nation suffered from poor political leadership.  But Brazil was a favorite for stamp collectors.  Stamps such as this first airmail issue were colorful and interesting. On June 7, 1933, Brazil issued its first airmail stamp.  For baseball fans, [...]

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The Good Luck Stamp from Liechtenstein

May 8, 2010

Stamp collecting doesn’t have to be dull and serious.  And countries such as Liechtenstein, which takes its stamps seriously, understands this. Issued in 1992, this Liechtenstein stamp passes along congratulations, wishes us luck, and generally brightens the day with a message that is cheerful and graphics that are crisp and clean.

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A Politically Incorrect Stamp

April 3, 2010

In the spring of 1961, when tobacco smoke billowed from French cafés and restaurants, from just about every home and office in France, when Gitanes and Gauloises were de rigeur, France issued a stamp which paid tribute to the nation’s love of smoking. That may be a bit of stretch.  Technically, the stamp was issued [...]

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Andorra Stamp Collecting

February 22, 2010

Stamp collectors who enjoy Andorra collect the stamps of one country that has two governments.  Spain and France each release stamps for this principality, which is the sixth-smallest country in Europe. Wedged between France and Spain on the southern slope of the Pyrenees, Andorra is home to 30,000 Europeans whose heritage is linked to France, [...]

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A Liechtenstein Stamp Design Challenge

February 7, 2010

Liechtenstein issued a gorgeous sheet of 16 stamps in 2008 to commemorate the EURO 2008 Football Tournament.  The games were hosted by Liechtenstein’s neighbors, Austria and Switzerland, and they were played in June, 2008. The challenge for the designers of Liechtenstein’s stamps… there were three stamps in the set, and sixteen positions for stamps in [...]

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